English – Language Arts Courses
Required Courses
English 9 (Academic)
Grade 9
2 credits
Prerequisite: None
Academic English 9 places emphasis on four major areas: reading comprehension, written composition, English language conventions, and vocabulary. Students will read and analyze many different genres including short stories, novels, poetry, non-fiction excerpts, and a drama. They will develop critical thinking skills by examining the plots, themes, and other literary conventions included in the literature they read. Vocabulary lessons are interwoven throughout the course. Students will write compositions for different purposes and audiences, and a three to four page research paper while utilizing all of the 6+1 writing traits. The English language conventions used in the composition component of the class will also be used for improving their oral communication skills.
English 9 (Honors)
Grade 9
2 credits
Prerequisite: Guidance counselor approval
Honors English 9 places emphasis on four major areas: reading comprehension, written composition, English language conventions, and vocabulary. Students will participate in challenging in-depth analysis of the various genres including short stories, novels, graphic novels, poetry, non-fiction excerpts with additional vocabulary lessons, and dramas. They will develop critical thinking skills by examining the plots, themes, and other literary conventions included in the literature they read. Literature Circles will provide the students an opportunity to learn a literature classic in a small group environment, and vocabulary lessons are interwoven throughout the entire course. Students will write compositions for different purposes and audiences, and a three to four page research paper while utilizing all of the 6+1 writing traits. The English language conventions used in the composition component of the class will also be used for improving their oral communication skills. The honors section primarily reads the same texts as the academic section (with a few exceptions), but there are some significant differences between the two levels. The honors students are expected to have more independence with the reading, and the pace of the lessons is somewhat faster. Class discussions and writing assignments also involve greater analytical depth at the honors level. These differences prepare students for advanced literature courses at the upper levels.
English 10 (Academic)
Grade 10
2 credits
Prerequisite: English 9
Academic English 10 builds upon skills acquired and practiced in Academic English 9. Students will continue to work on analyzing literature, writing compositions, mastering oral communication skills, deploying Standardized English conventions, and developing vocabulary. The literature units invite students to examine poetry, short stories, personal essays, novels, and drama. Composition units require students to refine their writing process as they plan, draft, and revise narrative, expository, and persuasive compositions, including a literary analysis and a research paper. Students practice oral communication skills through informal discussions and formal presentations (narrative, expository, and persuasive). Grammar units review conventions so that students avoid or remedy common errors. Vocabulary units require students to consider word origins and the differences between a text’s literal and implied meanings. The course culminates in a multiple-choice, short-answer, and essay test: an End-of-Course Assessment (ECA) that students must pass in order to be eligible for graduation in the State of Indiana.
English 10 (Honors)
Grade 10
2 credits
Prerequisite: English 9 or teacher recommendation
Students enrolled in Honors English 10 will develop all areas mentioned in academic English 10. In addition, students will read, write, and research more extensively to hone their analytical reasoning skills; they will also write a narrative composition. This course incorporates the reading and writing skills in conjunction with research and speaking skills to allow the students to bring together their language arts abilities for more complex assessments. Students will be given an End of Course Assessment (ECA) at the conclusion of the course and will need to achieve a minimum score for state-mandated graduation requirements.
English 11 (Academic)
Grade 11
2 credits
Prerequisite: English 10
Academic English 11 will include selections of American literature from different time periods as well as several pieces of world literature. This course provides students with information from a variety of sources. Students continue to refine their abilities to articulate sophisticated ideas in an organized manner. Vocabulary lessons are interwoven throughout the entire course. Major assessments in this course include a research paper, essays related to the literature studied, and literary analysis oral presentations, and multi-media projects related to the units studied. The major works for this course include genres of fiction and drama from American Literature as well as from World Literature.
English 11 (Honors)
Grade 11
2 credits
Prerequisite: English 10 or teacher recommendation
Honors English 11 coursework provides juniors with the rigor of reading/writing/presenting on various literature periods and genres yet not parallel to the pace of IB English 11. Honors English 11 students will have the opportunity to spend more time “in depth” with the time periods/genres studied. Students’ focus will be on fewer literary periods/selections but with GREATER emphasis on the works/authors/time periods/literary elements. Literature from American and World authors will be studied in relationship to their respective time periods. Students will have various methods of assessment: oral presentations, essays, research-related writing with be strongly emphasized in this course.
English 12 (Academic)
Grade 12
2 credits
Prerequisite: English 11
Academic English 12 builds on skills learned in Academic English 11. Students will study a variety of novelists, poets, and dramatists. Students in English 12 will be exposed to a detailed study of non-fiction, drama and poetry in the first half of the course. The second half of the course provides exposure to fictional narratives, from classic and modern literature, in the form of novels and short stories. In addition to reviewing the devices of rhetoric, students will be challenged through researching and critically analyzing literary works; group presentations and both written and oral commentaries are integral aspects to this course.
Language A: Literature, Standard Level, International Baccalaureate
Grade 12
2 credits
Prerequisite: IB English 11 (HL), English 11 (H) or teacher recommendation
English A: Literature, Standard Level, is a course based on the content established by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Students enrolled in IB English: Literature Standard Level will have emphasis placed on oral and written communication. Students will have an opportunity to study more in depth the genres prescribed by the IB curriculum. Students will focus on more intense study of the literary periods, genres, and literary elements/tools used in literature and in composition. Standard Level IB seniors will study literature of fiction and drama as prescribed by the IB curriculum. Standard Level IB 12 students will complete an oral commentary first trimester as well as required IB Standard Level tests in the spring of senior year.
Language A: Literature, Higher Level, International Baccalaureate
Grades 11-12
4 credits
Prerequisite: Honors English 10 or teacher recommendation
English A: Literature, Higher Level, is a course based on the content established by the International Baccalaureate Organization. Students enrolled in IB English: Literature will develop their powers of expression in both oral and written communication by using the skills involved in writing and speaking in a variety of styles and situations. Works studied are chosen from a broad list of prescribed authors and works representing different literary periods and genres. The course is assessed through both oral and written examinations that allow students to demonstrate individual language skills, the ability to critically analyze and comment upon familiar and unfamiliar texts, and the ability to express a personal and independent response to literature. Literature studied for IB English 11 covers fiction (general and historical) and drama (translated from original language to English). Literature studied for IB English 12 encompasses drama, poetry, and fiction. Students in both IB English 11 and 12 study literature with a “world literature” emphasis in their second trimester of study. Required IB Higher Level assignments include the following: individual oral presentation and World Literature paper at the junior level. Individual oral commentary and required IB Higher Level tests in the spring of senior year are the two mandated IB required assignments of IB Higher Level 12 students.
Elective Courses
Composition
Grades 10-12
1 credit
Prerequisite: None
Composition provides students with an opportunity to learn to write by writing. Students will have frequent opportunities to write for different audiences and purposes, using a process that includes: prewriting, drafting, peer sharing, revising (content, structure, or presentation), editing (grammar, punctuation, spelling, usage), and producing a final product. For peer sharing, students receive specific training in providing constructive, substantive feedback, while role playing as members of the author’s target audience. Selected readings provide models of effective writing techniques and opportunities to evaluate and discuss the writings of others. In addition to providing instruction in writing clear, coherent, and organized text, this course will teach strategies for collecting and transforming data for use in writing and using criteria to evaluate and revise writing. Instruction in grammar, usage, and mechanics will be integrated with writing so that students develop a functional understanding of language and a common vocabulary for discussing writing. Though not every piece of writing has to be put into final form, those that are should follow accepted conventions of language, style, mechanics, and format.
Creative Writing
Grade 10-12
1 credit
Prerequisite: None
Creative Writing provides students with ample opportunities to combine literary creativity with the discipline of written discourse. The concept of the manipulation of language to convey ideas, feelings, moods, and visual images should be the basis of the course. Students become familiar with standard literary elements through the reading and study of published prose and poetry and are taught to use those elements in their own writing. Additionally, students learn strategies for evaluating and responding to their own writing and the writing of others in a peer-sharing component. In this peer-sharing component, students receive specific training in providing constructive, substantive feedback. Representative models of literary excellence will also be studied.
Etymology (Academic or Honors)
Grades 10-12
1 credit
Prerequisite: None
Etymology provides instruction in the derivation of English words and word families from their Latin and Greek roots. It also provides a study of the connotative and denotative meaning of words in a variety of contexts. Students study the origins and meanings of English words, including roots, prefixes, suffixes, and reasons for language change. This course introduces students to tools and resources for etymological study and encourages them to be curious about the English language. Students will also apply what they have learned as they study strategies for attacking critical reading and sentence completion questions on standardized tests. In order to earn the Honors credit, students will be responsible for completing a significant portion of the Method Test Prep Checklist of activities through Naviance.
Mass Media
Grade 10-12
1 credit
Prerequisite: Digital Citizenship
Mass Media provides a study of television, film, newspaper, radio, and videotape as sources of information, persuasion, and creative expression. This course helps students develop an awareness of audience and purpose in evaluating mass media, as well as in producing their own media productions. It should also help students to judge media critically and understand the use of persuasive language and strategies. Opportunities are provided for students to generate material for mass media.
Speech
Grades 10-12
1 credit
Prerequisite: None
Speech provides the study of and practice in the basic principles and techniques of effective oral communication. This course includes instruction in adapting speech to different audiences and purposes. Students have an
opportunity to make different types of oral presentations and use research and technology to carefully organize and prepare. They deliver focused and coherent speeches that convey clear messages, using gestures, tone, and vocabulary appropriate to the audience and purpose. Students also practice and develop critical listening skills.
Student Publications
Grades 10-12
1 credit (may be repeated)
Prerequisite: None
Student Publications is the continuation of the study of journalism. Students demonstrate their ability to do journalistic writing and design for high school publications, including school newspapers and yearbooks, and a variety of media formats. Students follow the ethical principles and legal boundaries that guide scholastic journalism. Students express themselves publicly with meaning and clarity for the purpose of informing, entertaining, or persuading. Student Publications will include units on creative non-fiction, photojournalism and the Guerin Catholic Aquila (yearbook).