English Department  

Chair:

Dr. Deborah Luebbe

Faculty:

Mr. Todd Kalsey
Mrs. Mellen Moors-Dressing
Mr. Bill Stone
Mrs. Julie Vehorn

Courses:

Honors English I
This course seeks to improve the writing skills of the students, especially in complete compositions. It is a thorough introduction to the genres of literature, with emphasis first semester on the mythology of ancient cultures. It is an introduction to literary criticism dealing with figurative language, themes, motifs, and style. Finally, it is designed to increase the student’s vocabulary with words of moderate difficulty.

CP English I
This course will enable students to improve their reading comprehension on many levels. Students will be encouraged to seek a personal engagement with a variety of literary texts. They will write about their responses to literature as well as their own experiences. The course will include a review of parts of speech, rules of grammar, and punctuation. The course is also designed to increase a student’s vocabulary with words of moderate difficulty.

English I
This course introduces a variety of literary genres, with an emphasis on reading comprehension and an exploration of figurative language and themes. This course reinforces the elements of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure in a variety of writing assignments. Students will also develop increased vocabulary and spelling skills.

Honors English II
This is a survey course that engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose and poetry written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. As students work to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes, their writing will make them more aware of the interactions among the writer’s purpose, subjects, and audience expectations. The student will conduct literary research, acquire challenging vocabulary, and refine grammar to support writing.

CP English II
With the purpose to improve reading comprehension skills, the students will continue an examination of various genres of literature and informational text from many different countries. This course is designed to build on the rules of grammar and punctuation that were introduced during English I and examine writing conventions at a more complex and in-depth level. These skills should enhance the student’s written expression an all areas: creative, persuasive, and expository. The course is designed to increase the student’s vocabulary with words of moderate difficulty.

English II
This course introduces a variety of literary genres from many countries with an emphasis on reading comprehension and an exploration of main ideas, themes, and figurative language. Elements of grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure are reinforced in a variety of writing assignments. Students will also expand vocabulary and improve spelling skills.

AP® Language and Composition
This AP® course engages student in the careful reading and critical analysis of prose and poetry written in a variety of historical periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. During their course of study, students will strive to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Moreover, both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects. Readings are at the discretion of the instructor, with an emphasis on American literature. Students will expand their knowledge of challenging vocabulary words. In addition to readings, 600-1000 word essays will be assigned regularly.

CP English III
This course presents an historical and critical approach to all forms of American literature through the study of complete and representative works by American authors found in the literature textbook. In addition to short stories, poetry, and nonfiction, students will read novels and dramas with an emphasis on expository writing, vocabulary study, and research.

English III
A survey of various genres in American literature, the focus of this course is three-fold: to read and understand the literature as it relates to the historical period, to refine grammar and writing skills, and to increase vocabulary.

AP® English Literature and Composition
This AP® course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. The course is also an historical survey of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the twenty-first century. Students will expand their knowledge of challenging vocabulary words. Readings are at the discretion of the instructor. In addition to readings, 400-600 word essays will be assigned regularly.

CP English IV
This course is a survey of prose and poetry from the British Anglo-Saxon period through the twentieth-first century. The purpose of the class is to read and understand fiction and nonfiction as they relate to the historical time period in which they were written. In addition to readings, 300-500 word essays will be assigned. The course aims to refine the grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills of the students.

English IV
Using British literature as a foundation for continued genre study, this course continues to build reading comprehension skills. In addition, the course is designed to refine the grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills of the students.

Publications/Yearbook
This year long course is designed to introduce students to the fundamentals of publications. The class will work together to produce next year’s Troubadour, the Roger Bacon yearbook. Publications skills will include the following: computer-assisted graphics design, writing, and desktop publishing.

Movies as Literature
This one-semester course focuses on film not only as an art form but as a form of literature. Students will recognize the connections between writing, film making, and reader response and viewer response. A selection of classic and modern films is shown, covering a broad range of directors, stars, styles, and genres.

Women Authors
This one-semester elective focuses on the works of modern American women with varied ethnic backgrounds. With few exceptions, all works read will have been written during the lifetime of the current senior class. Various themes and genres will be covered. The format of the class follows closely along the line of a college seminar class. Students are expected to read for the class and actively participate in class discussions.

ACT/SAT Prep
In this one-semester elective, students will review skills in vocabulary, grammar, reading, and writing necessary for taking the ACT and SAT. Students will also learn test taking strategies so that they can calmly and confidently approach college entrance tests.
Fee: $15.00 (Consumable Workbook)

Creative Writing
This one-semester course is devoted to developing the writing skills of the students in creative compositions and the study of both prose and poetry forms. In addition to exploring writing daily, students will engage in peer-editing, sharing, publishing, and critiquing.

Career Writing
Get a head start on the next stage of your academic or professional life by learning more about technical writing. Learn to write effective proposals, memos, letters, instruction manuals, user guides, and other technical documents that are found in business, medical careers, engineering, and other professions. Students will learn to write in a concise style and will apply rigorous editing standards. This course is a must for those students who enjoy writing for the purpose of conveying information rather than for entertainment.

Writing for Change
Be a grant maker. Students will learn how their skills in written and oral communication are used in the nonprofit world, from mission statements to grant proposals, business letters to press releases. Through discussion, research, guest speakers, site visits, and presentations, students will select local areas of need and investigate agencies that address these needs. Students will ultimately award a grant for $1,000 or more to a local agency and participate in an award ceremony with other area schools participating in Magnified Giving. Past recipients have included Pregnancy Center East and Cancer Family Care.

Speaking Skills
Speaking Skills explores the use of speaking in the 21st century. Students will work on both verbal and nonverbal communication as used in Podcasts, Vodcasts, book reviews, mock college and job interviews, and media conferencing.