English

English Department Mission Statement


In order to contribute to the mission of Jacksonville High School to develop college and career ready students, the English Department prepares critical thinkers and effective communicators by facilitating mastery of the English Language Arts.


Course #

Description

Required or Elective

Other Information


106

English 9

Fulfills Requirement

Co-Taught Option


Prerequisite: Entry Level

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


This freshmen course assists students in the transition from junior high to high school by concentrating on critical thinking, effective writing, and reading skills necessary for success in multiple academic areas. The course will include a study of literature, primarily short stories, novel, drama, poetry and informational text. Students will study vocabulary and word analysis appropriate for their grade level. Writing, reading, and rhetoric skills will be reinforced through the examination of various reading materials, ranging from classics to contemporary literature to informative sources. Organizing and summarizing skills will be emphasized to help students succeed in writing across the high school curriculum. This course utilizes a variety of assessment formats, such as research projects, oral presentations, expository and narrative essays, and formal testing. THE STUDENT: These courses are designed to meet the diverse needs of all freshmen students as they transition from junior high into the academically challenging realm of high school.

108

Honors English 9

Fulfills Requirement

Honors Credit


Prerequisite: Entry Level

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


This course focuses on complex, higher level thinking skills through the study and analysis of various genre of literature. In addition to the literature studied, students will also work to improve vocabulary skills and to refine grammar skills. This course will also help students continue to develop writing skills, focusing on composition, editing, and grammar. It utilizes a variety of assessment formats, such as research projects, oral presentations, expository and narrative essays, and formal testing. Further writing opportunities are provided in regular journal entries. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for students who have a strong work ethic and who are willing to accept the challenges of a fast-paced and academically demanding course.

116

English 10

Fulfills Requirement

Co-Taught Option


Prerequisite: Successful completion of or concurrent enrollment in 106/108

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


Expanding on the elements of freshman English, this course will help students develop skills focusing on composition, editing, and grammar. Writing strategies will be reinforced through the examination of various reading materials, ranging from classic to contemporary selections as well as informational texts. The readings for this course concentrate on interactions among society, community, and the individual, focusing on various cultures in the United States and from around the world, giving students a means of comparing and appreciating the feelings and thoughts of people in their communities and in other countries. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for students who have already acquired fundamental reading and writing skills and who wish to improve their techniques.

118

Honors English 10

Fulfills Requirement

Honors Credit


Prerequisite: Successful completion of 106/108

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


Expanding on the elements of freshman English, this course will help students develop skills focusing on composition, editing, and grammar. Writing strategies will be reinforced through the examination of various reading materials, ranging from classic to contemporary selections as well as informative and nonfiction sources. The readings for this course concentrate primarily on multicultural literature, focusing on various cultures from around the world, giving students a means of comparing and appreciating the feelings and thoughts of people from other countries. This course focuses on complex, higher-level thinking skills, the study and analysis of various genres of literature, and the development of logical, analytical writing skills. The course includes diverse literature genres, grammar, writing, and vocabulary. The course also utilizes a variety of assessment formats such as projects, presentations, essays, and tests. THE STUDENT: The course is designed for students who have a strong work ethic and who are willing to accept the challenge of a fast-paced and academically demanding course.

126

English 11

Fulfills Requirement

Co-Taught Option


Prerequisite: Successful completion of or concurrent enrollment in 116/118

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


This course surveys important American authors, their literary periods, and their writings, covering the colonial period to the present. This course features further study of grammar and development of literary analysis, writing skills and language use. English 11 is centered on a specific literary era in American History, taught in chronological order, but revolving around the concept of "The American Dream." The course utilizes a variety of assessment formats such as projects, presentations, essays, and tests. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for students who have already acquired fundamental reading and writing skills and who wish to improve their techniques in preparation for college and career readiness.

128

Honors English 11

Fulfills Requirement

Honors Credit


Prerequisite: Successful completion of 116/118

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


This course is a chronology of American literature, beginning with the Colonial Period. It focuses on the study and analysis of various literary genres, grammar, composition, vocabulary, and test preparation. Students will be required to write a variety of essays, including expository and argumentative, and a research paper, using MLA format, as well as give oral presentations. The course also utilizes a variety of assessment formats such as projects, presentations, essays, and tests. THE STUDENT: This course is an accelerated class, intended for the student who has a strong work ethic and is willing to accept the challenge of a fast-paced and academically demanding course in preparation for college and career readiness.

136

English 12

Fulfills Requirement

Co-Taught Option


Prerequisite: Successful completion of or concurrent enrollment in 126/128

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


The course focuses on representative British literature from the Anglo-Saxon to the Modern period. It includes the study of 1-2 novels as well as selections from major British writers. The works are studied within the context of their time periods and themes in order to encourage understanding of literary genres and to make comparisons to the modern era. Assignments and class discussions are designed to encourage higher level thinking and sophisticated written expression. In preparation for college writing, a research paper project, following the MLA format, will be produced, usually during the second semester. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for the student who wants to elevate his or her reading comprehension and writing skills in preparation for college and/or career readiness.

137

AP Language and Composition

Fulfills Requirement

AP Credit


Prerequisite: Successful completion of 116/118 and/or concurrent enrollment in 126/128

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


Advanced Placement English Language and Composition involves junior and senior students in both the study and practice of written prose. The course is designed to encourage critical thinking through the analysis of various prose works and effective communication through the composition of works for a variety of purposes. Course work will focus on writer's purposes, audiences, and subjects, as well as the way different purposes and language affect communication. The focus on nonfiction prose will expose students to high-quality complex works to widen their understanding of the possibilities beyond fiction. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for college-ready juniors and seniors who are willing to commit consistent effort and substantial time to the careful study of composition. The course work can serve as preparation for those who wish to take the AP English Language Exam offered in May; however, taking the exam is not a requirement. Note: If AP Lang is taken as a junior, the course satisfies the 11th grade English requirement. If AP Lang is taken as a senior, the course satisfies the 12th grade English requirement. One semester of AP Language plus one semester of AP Literature does not equal one year's worth of English credit. AP Lang may be taken in conjunction, as an elective, with either 11th grade or 12th grade English.

138

AP Literature and Composition

Fulfills Requirement

AP Credit


Prerequisite: Successful completion of 126/128 and/or concurrent enrollment in 137

Year


Recommendation: Refer to Recommendation Procedure


Advanced Placement English Literature involves senior students in both the study and practice of writing and the study of British literature. Through speaking, listening, and reading, but chiefly through the experience of their own writing, students will become more aware of the resources of language; for example, connotation, metaphor, irony, syntax, and tone. Writing assignments will focus on the critical analysis of literature and will include essays in exposition and argument. Students will also be engaged in the careful reading and explication of classic, primarily British, literature, including works of poetry, drama, prose, fiction, and expository writing. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for college-ready juniors and seniors who are willing to commit consistent effort and substantial time to the careful study of both literature and composition. The course work can serve as preparation for those who wish to take the AP English Literature Exam offered in May; however, taking the exam is not a requirement.

144

Interpersonal Communications

Elective



Prerequisite: Successful completion of 106/108

Semester


Recommendation: None


This semester course focuses on the role communication plays in everyone's life and why a thorough understanding of communication is so important in personal and career situations. Students are asked to reflect on personal experiences and to think of themselves in relationship to important communication situations. The course includes a variety of activities to illustrate self-concept, building relationships, making contact, and reaching out in everyday interactions. Good listening skills are emphasized as well. The course enables students to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses as communicators at all levels: interpersonal, group, and public. THE STUDENT: This course is designed for students who desire to improve their communication skills in their personal lives, as well as in their future careers.

146

Journalism

Elective


Prerequisite: Successful completion of 106/108

Year


Recommendation: None


This course is designed around the special interest of journalistic writing and media literacy and the legal and ethical components of journalism. The course covers the fundamentals of news writing and reporting. Students will put these fundamentals into practical application by contributing articles and advertising for the JHS online newspaper The Crimson J. THE STUDENT: Journalism is geared to sophomores, juniors, and seniors, who meet deadlines, can commit consistent effort and substantial time to writing, and have excellent interpersonal skills. Check out the online newspaper by visiting crimsonj.jsd117.org

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