ENGLISH

ENGLISH 9

It is important for the incoming ninth grade student to realize that a good deal of emphasis will be placed upon his/her acceptance of responsibility. Failure to complete the required work will have serious consequences.

All Track I and Track II students will have to write out of class compositions, give an oral presentation during the 18 week period, study grammar, literature and vocabulary.

English 9 -- Track I


18 Week
1 credit

This course is designed for the student who is planning to go on to further, post-secondary education prior to entering the work force. It is a difficult, college preparatory course with rigorous demands. This course is designed principally for those students who plan to go on to a four year college. It will focus on the study of literature, with the study of several novels highlighting the program. In addition to the novel, drama, poetry, and the short story are studied as basic forms in literature. A study of mythology helps to provide the student with a background for a critical understanding of literature. Compositions are assigned which develop writing skills, and students are introduced to the expository essay. The students will also be introduced to and taught the skills necessary to work collaboratively and a good deal of the learning will be done in groups. Writing assignments and group projects take on a major importance in the student's grade at this level.

English 9 -- Track II


18 Week
1 credit

This course is designed for the student who is planning to go on to a two year college, technical school, training on the job, or to enter directly into the work force. It is a program that is designed to provide students with those skills that she/he will find necessary to be successful at work. This course will share many common books and methods with the Track I curriculum to facilitate movement into that curriculum should a student change his/her post-secondary plans. The course will focus on a study of literature. Reading and discussion techniques will be developed in order to appreciate and understand literature and evaluate an author's purpose and style. Writing assignments will be related to the study of the novels, short stories, poetry, plays, mythology, and the students own experience. The students will also be introduced to and taught the skills necessary to work collaboratively and a good deal of the learning will be done in groups. Compositions are assigned that develop writing skills. Students will be introduced to the expository essay. The principles of grammar will be reviewed and applied to writing. As in Liberal Arts English, the compositions at this level constitute a major portion of the student's grade. The student's acceptance of responsibility for her/his own work and organized study habits will be reinforced all year.

ENGLISH 10

The sophomore year is a logical time in the sequential study of English for students to review and apply all aspects of grammar as these apply to communications, especially to written compositions. Methods of developing the expository essay are studied and applied. In addition, the student is introduced to the descriptive essay.

In literature the four major genres - plays, stories, poems, and novels - are dealt with in detail, and other genres are presented. Through the presentation of all work on both levels (Track I and Track II) provision is made to allow each student to achieve commensurately whith her/his ability.

The prerequisite for English 10 is the successful completion of Grade 9.

As with English 9, the tenth grade program is divided into two tracks:

English 10 -- Track I


18 Week
1 credit

This course is designed for the student who is planning to go on to further post-secondary education prior to entering the work force. It is a difficult, college preparatory course with rigorous demands. This course is designed principally for those students who plan to go on to a four year college. Writing assignments and group projects take on a major importance in the student's grade at this level.

English 10 -- Track II


18 Week
1 credit

This course is designed for the student who is planning to go on to a four year, a two year college, technical school, training on the job, or to enter the work force. It is a program that is designed to provide students with those skills that she/he will find necessary to be successful at work. This course will share many common books and methods with the Track I curriculum to facilitate movement into that curriculum should a student change his/her post secondary plans. As in Track I, the compositions at this level constitute a major portion of the student's grade. The student's acceptance of responsibility for her/his own work and organized study habits will be reinforced all year.

English 10 - Honors


18 Week
1 credit

English 10 Honors is offered to qualified students. Admission to the course depends on the recommendation of the student's 9th grade teacher and a screening process based on writing samples. The course aims at focusing the student's comprehension skills on a careful study of various literary masterpieces. It demands that the student analytically evaluate, through both speaking and writing, dilemmas relating to the human condition. Such analysis, it is hoped, will foster introspection and an appreciation of good writing. A seminar format is often used to stimulate self-expression. Frequent writing assignments, including the keeping of a personal journal, are also required. Consequently, individualized instruction is a necessary focus of the course.

ENGLISH - AMERICAN LITERATURE


18 Week
1 Credit

The prerequisite for American Literature or British Literature is the successful completion of Grade 10.

In a student's junior year she/he may take either American Literature or British Literature - it makes absolutely no difference which one he/she chooses. In his/her senior year, he/she must take the other course.

American Literature is divided into two groups - English 11 Honors and American Literature.

American Literature Survey Course is a survey, using the four main genres, of American Literature. As with English 9 and 10, a good deal of emphasisis placed upon writing . Students will also continue to build upon their group work skills. Writing assignments and creative projects are of major importence in grading the students at this level. The students will also do oral presenations, major importance in grading the students at this level. The students will also do oral presentations, study vocabulary and grammr. The grammer will be done principally through the writing process.

English 11 Honors


1
18 Weeks
1 credit

The English 11 Honors class is for students whose qualifications for the program have been clearly established over the preceding two years. The course consists of a detailed study of American Literature through lecture and discussion. In addition, each honors student will write frequent extended papers. Independent study will be encouraged. This course is open to qualified juniors based on the recommendation of their 10th grade teacher and with the approval of the English Department Chairperson and the Guidance Department.

ENGLISH - BRITISH/WORLD LITERATURE


18 Week
1 Credit

In a student's senior year she/he must take the course they did not take the junior year.

The prerequisite for American Literature or British Literature is the successful completion of Grade 10.

English 12 is divided into two groups -- English 12 Advanced Placement and British/World Literature.

The British/World Literature course is a survey of British and World Literature. As with English 9, 10 and 11, a good deal of emphasis is placed upon writing. Students will also continue to build upon their group work skills. Writing assignments and group projects take on a major importance in the student's grade at this level - they constitute 2/3 of the grade. The students will also do oral presentations, study vocabulary and grammar. The grammar will be done principally through the writing process.

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION


Grade 1
18 Weeks
1 credit

This is an intensive writing and literature course designed to give exceptional students a college level learning experience. Students must have the recommendation of a previous English instructor and permission of the course instructor to take this class. Students taking the course will be encouraged to take the appropriate AP Exam in May.

ENGLISH ELECTIVE -- JOURNALISM


18 Week (skinny)
1/2 credit

Journalism is an elective course open to all students who are interested in writing. The class will produce a weekly newspaper and students will be involved in all aspects of writing, editing, and laying out of the paper.

This class is limited to 20 students and there will be only one (1) class offered in the fall and one (1) in the spring. This course will be offered during the first half of Block IV.

ENGLISH ELECTIVE -- SHAKESPEARE


18 Week (skinny)
1/2 credit

This class will read, discuss, view and perform the plays of William Shakesepare that are not regularly taught in the English curriculum of Berlin High School.

This class is limited to 15 students and there will be only in the spring.This course will be offered last block only.

ENGLISH ELECTIVE - SEARCHING AND APPLYING


18 weeks (Skinny)
1 credit

We all have got to get a job at some point and some of us also go to college before getting the job. Regrdless of which category you fit into, this course will help to prepare you fr the process of searching for a job or college, the process of actually applying, how to handle a job and/or college interview and what to do after the interview. If there is time the course will touch on some of what happens when you get the job or get into college. This will be a course with a good deal of practical application. Students are invitied (and actually urged) to pursue a college or job they want to apply to and get what help they can getting ready for this challenging and exciting part of life we all go through.

This course will be offered for Seniors first, then Juniors, then Sophomores, then Freshmen.

This class is limited to 20 students and there will be only one (1) class offered in the fall and one (1) in the spring. This course will be offered during last block only. It will be offered in alternating halves (for example, 1st half in the fall and 2nd half in the spring) to allow a maximum number of students to take it.

ENGLISH ELECTIVE - ACTING AND THE THEATRE


18 weeks (Skinny)
1/2 credit


This course will touch upon many of the aspects involved i ntheatre, TV and movie production. A large part of the course will deal with the acting and how to act (with the students and doing a lot of it). This is for begining or experienced actors - we'll go from wherever you are. The course will also touch upon the other elements of theatre - sets, lighting, costuming and what not. Finally the course will explore the area of special effects and how they make the effects happen.

This class is limited to 20 students and there will be only one (1) class offered in the fall and one (1) in the spring. This course will be offered during last block only. It will be offered in alternating halves (for example, first half in the fall and seconf half in the spring) to allow a maximum number of students to take it.

ENLISH ELECTIVE - YEARBOOK/BHS PUBLICATIONS


11, 12
36 weeks (Skinny)
1/2 credit

This year-long, 45 minute class will do the nuts-and-bolts work of designing, creating, and producing the Meteor, BHS's yearbook. Activities include creating and compiling senior surveys, selling ads and the resultant record keeping, design and creating pages on the computer, writing copy, and taking, selecting, and cropping photographs for use in the publication. The students in this class will work in conjunction with the extra-curricular yearbook staff. In the spring, whne the yearbook deadlines have been met, the class memers will put their learned skills to use producing other BHS publications, such as student and teacher manuals, as needed.

This class, which will meet during the last half of Block IV, is limited to 15 juniors and seniors, who must have prior approval of the yearbook teacher/advisor before enrolling.


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