CHS Courses

English I
5 credits
Grade 9
As their introduction to the high school English program, students in English I read novels, such as To Kill a Mockingbird; plays, including Romeo and Juliet; mythology, including The Odyssey; and multicultural short stories and poetry. Writing assignments encourage students to explore creative, expository, narrative, and personal forms of writing as well as important research skills.

Topics/Themes: Maturation, Justice and Equality, The Impact of Literature on Culture, The Quest, Finding Commonalities Across Traditional Boundaries
Student Skills: Inferential reading skills, comparative analyses, writing skills (expository, narrative, creative, personal), and research skills.

Please note: This course may also be offered in an honors or an in-class support course. Criteria for admission to the honors program is an 85 as an honors-level class OR a 90 in a college-preparatory class with departmental recommendation and writing assessment.

English II
5 credits
Grade 10
This course will provide students with an understanding of American literary and cultural heritage. Students will explore American literary traditions, themes and ideals through novels, short non-fiction, short stories, and poetry. In response to the literature, students will write essays in- and outside of class, and refine their writing, speaking and thinking skills. A research unit will address the skills needed to evaluate and incorporate research into academic writing, and use evidence to support an argument.

Topics/Themes: America’s literary heritage will be presented through the major literary movements and genres of the 19th and 20th centuries. Students will explore how American ideals shape literary themes, and how literary influences shape American ideals.
Student Skills: Students will: develop an understanding of the influences on and of literature; develop and refine their analytical and creative writing skills; analyze and use research sources from a variety of media.

English III
5 credits
Grade 11
This course connects students’ studies in writing and literature through their exploration of our literary heritage as speakers of English. Building upon their previous experience with literature and writing, students will write for a variety of purposes and audiences on topics related to English Literature as well as a variety of other topics. Students will continue to write in response to a variety of in-class and long-term essay prompts, and they will continue to build their skills with evaluating their own writing. A unit on academic writing will include assignments on the college essay, the essay for the SAT, and scholarly research.

Topics/Themes: The conventions of scholarly writing, an introduction to scholarly writing, the various literary movements of English Literature, individual student inquiry blending research and writing skills with their knowledge of English Literature, and the implications for writing today.
Student Skills: Students will extend their reading, writing, and research skills as they apply them to their knowledge of English Literature. This course will particularly emphasize academic writing, including practice for the essay on the SAT and the college application essay.

Please note: This course can be also offered as an honors or an in-class support course. Criteria for admission to the honors program is an 85 in an honors-level class OR a 90 in a college-preparatory class with departmental recommendation and writing assessment. Exception to this course is any student taking Advanced Placement Language and Composition.

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition
5 credits
Grade 11
A college level elective for junior students who have a particular interest in rhetorical analysis and aptitude for analytical writing about literature. Reading selections in A.P. English Language and Composition include short and long works of nonfiction with the occasional addition of short stories or poetry. Students wishing to take this Advanced Placement course should have the ability to engage in extended, mature class discussion as well as the ability to write with fluency and skill. This course may be taken in addition to or in place of A. P. English Literature and Composition. Prerequisites: Minimum grade of 85 in previous honors-level English II, or 90 in college preparatory English II; teacher recommendations; and a qualifying score on the PSAT. Should PSAT scores be unavailable or below the qualifying score, students will take an assessment based on grammar and writing mechanics, and a timed essay.

Senior Course Requirements
Seniors are required to take two semester courses in their senior year. The exception to this is for students taking Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition. All other seniors must select two semester courses from the following lists of English courses to fulfill their 12th grade English requirements.

Senior Honors Option
Note: students who wish to enroll in the Senior Honors Option must subscribe to BOTH Backgrounds for Literature Honors and 19th Century American Literature Honors. Please carefully review the eligibility requirements, as follows: 85 average in English III Honors class and departmental recommendation or a 90 average in English III with a writing sample and departmental recommendation.

Backgrounds for Literature Honors
2.5 credits
19th Century American Literature Honors
2.5 credits
Grade 12 Honors
This is a two-part course. Each part is a separate one-semester course. Students must take both. Backgrounds for Literature Honors is designed for the student who writes well, enjoys literary analysis, and reads with insight. The course is an intensive examination of the origins of literature in such sources as mythology and the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Students will demonstrate their understanding of the contribution of these sources of literature through comparative analysis and other critical writing and discussion.

19th Century American Literature Honors traces the changes in poetry, novels, and short stories, as well as the essays of such writers as Emerson and Thoreau. As America changed from an agricultural to an industrial society in the 19th century, literature changed as well. Fiction, particularly the short story, will be examined in depth with special attention given to the contributions of Thoreau, Whitman, Hawthorne, and Melville. At least two major papers are required. Prerequisites for the Honors program: an 85 average in English III honors and departmental recommendation, or a 90 average in English III with a writing sample and departmental recommendation.

Exemptions from finals will be granted for an average of 89.5.

Literature in Mixed Media I
2.5 credits
Grade 12
This course blends aspects of nonfiction, fiction, music, art, and film with several core themes, such as the Family, The Self, and Society. The contemporary context will provide ample opportunities for development of reading and writing skills throughout the senior year. Units will be selected from among the following: Fences, In Cold Blood or Hot Zone, Literary Circles, The Color of Water, Essays/Newspaper Articles, Poetry and Short Stories, The Kite Runner. Please note: This course may also be offered as an in-class support course. Students do not have to take both LMMI and LMMII.

Literature in Mixed Media II
2.5 credits
Grade 12
This course blends aspects of nonfiction, fiction, music, art, and film with several core themes, such as The Family, The Self, and Society. The contemporary context will provide ample opportunities for development of reading and writing skills throughout the senior year. Units will be selected from the following: Into Thin Air, Hiroshima, This Boy’s Life, The Life of Pi, the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, A Streetcar Named Desire, the documentary, and poetry. Please note: This course may also be offered as an in-class support course. Students do not have to take both LMMI and LMMII.

Journalism
2.5 credits
Grade 12
This course introduces the history, law and ethics of American journalism. The primary focus of the course is on writing news, features and editorials for submission to the school newspaper. Students will learn how to develop story ideas, conduct independent research and interviews, and edit their work for content and clarity. Basic principles of photojournalism are also covered. Prerequisites: Eleventh grade students must be enrolled in English 3, English 3 Honors, or AP English Language and Composition concurrently.

Modern Drama
2.5 credits
Grades 11, 12 Drama as a literary form, not theater or acting techniques, will be the focus of the course. Working chronologically, students will examine plays by Ibsen, Chekhov, Shaw, O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Ionesco, Beckett, and Pinter. Whenever possible, the students will listen to recordings, view films, or attend a locally mounted production. Prerequisites: Eleventh grade students must be enrolled in English 3, English 3 Honors, or AP English Language and Composition concurrently. Modern World Literature 2.5 Credits Grades 11,12 Grades 11, 12 Drama as a literary form, not theater or acting techniques, will be the focus of the course. Working chronologically, students will examine plays by Ibsen, Chekhov, Shaw, O’Neill, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Ionesco, Beckett, and Pinter. Whenever possible, the students will listen to recordings, view films, or attend a locally mounted production. Prerequisites: Eleventh grade students must be enrolled in English 3, English 3 Honors, or AP English Language and Composition concurrently. Modern World Literature 2.5 Credits Grades 11,12 This course offers the student who enjoys reading an opportunity to discuss novels, short stories, and poems by internationally known writers. Selections range from Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achube's celebrated novel, to Marjane Satrapi’s graphic memoir Persepolis. Other writers featured in this course may include Herman Hesse, Julia Alvarez, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Dai Sijie. Prerequisites: Eleventh grade students must be enrolled in English 3, English 3 Honors, or AP English Language and Composition concurrently.

Survey of Poetry
2.5 credits
Grades 11,12
This extensive exploration of the genre of poetry incorporates a discussion of poetic forms as well as the techniques employed by various poets. Students will read representative works from literary periods and respond with written analysis of the poetry. Students may be required to demonstrate their understanding of poetic techniques through the writing of poetry. Please note: This course may also be offered in an in-class support course. Prerequisites: Eleventh grade students must be enrolled in English 3, English 3 Honors, or AP English Language and Composition concurrently.

Survey of 20th Century American Literature
2.5 credits
Grades 11,12
This one-semester survey course will afford students with the opportunity to extend their studies in American Literature. By focusing on major works from the Realistic, Modern and Postmodern periods, students will bridge their studies in the classroom with the world they see around them. Additionally, students will continue to develop their abilities to write for authentic purposes and audiences. A culminating project will showcase students’ abilities to apply their knowledge in an academic setting. This course may also be offered as an in-class support course.

Topics/Themes: In depth inquiry into the subsets of Realism, Modernism, and Postmodernism (the primary focus will necessarily be Modernism), the literature of alienation, the manifestation of earlier movements in later works.
Student Skills: Students will develop a firm connection between the literature of the 20th century and our world today. Additionally, they will continue to develop their reading, writing, analytical, and research skills.

Prerequisites: Eleventh grade students must be enrolled in English 3, English 3 Honors, or AP English Language and Composition concurrently.

Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition
5 credits
Grade 12
A college-level elective for seniors, Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition is designed to acquaint students with classical works of literature of all genres. According to the College Board, the course of study should be inspired by the special expertise and interest of the instructor rather than by a nationally prescribed syllabus. British and American writers are stressed, though non-English language writes may be included in translation. The course is structured around challenging reading assignments, mature class discussions, and several critical essays. AP students prepare for the Advanced Placement Examination in Literature and Composition. Prerequisites: Minimum grade of 85 in previous English courses and an assessment of literary analytical skills (essay and objective).