English Department

REQUIRED:  4 YEARS

ENGLISH  9
The freshmen English course is designed to introduce the students to the work of the secondary level. The syllabus includes an introductory study and library skills program and subsequent intensive study in the disciplines of reading, writing, grammar, speaking, vocabulary and listening comprehension. S.A.T. work, techniques of reading comprehension and analogy completion, is introduced at this level.
    PREREQUISITE:  None

ENGLISH 10
The sophomore course builds upon the foundation laid in English 9. It therefore includes intensive study in the disciplines of reading, writing, speaking, vocabulary and listening comprehension.  It aims to encourage the students to become more sophisticated in their critical viewpoints and improve their ability of self-expression with a continual exposure to good literature. S.A.T. work, techniques of reading comprehension and analogy completion, as well as vocabulary skills and sentence structure analysis, are part of the syllabus.
    PREREQUISITE:  English 9

ENGLISH 11
A chronology of American Literature, designed to show the student that writing and literary styles evolve from the experiences of a people, predominates this course. The syllabus combines concepts learned iii English 9 and 10 with continued and more in-depth study of the basic skills of vocabulary, writing, reading and listening comprehension. The work prepares all students for the State Regents Comprehensive examination.  Intensive S.A.T. preparation continues in all areas.
    PREREQUISITE:  English 9 and 10

ENGLISH 12 - WORLD LITERATURE
World Literature is a study of the modern world in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama.  It includes a composition component which encompasses the techniques of exposition, narration, description, persuasion, comparison/contrast, cause/effect analysis, process analysis and research techniques.  All students are required to write a term paper.
    PREREQUISITE:  English 11

ENGLISH 12 - ENGLISH LITERATURE
English Literature is a course in which selected works from the Anglo-Saxon period to the 20th Century are presented. Among the authors studied are Shakespeare, Chaucer, the Brownings, Joyce, Conrad and O’Connor. The reading and analysis include works of poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and of drama. The writing component of the course involves techniques of exposition, persuasion, argumentation and research.  All students are required to write a term paper.
    PREREQUISITE:  English 11

ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH
The Advanced Placement Program is a cooperative education endeavor with the College Entrance Examination Board. A course in Advanced Placement English is designed for the student who has demonstrated sophisticated critical thinking, the ability to express herself through the spoken and written word, and has an outstanding command of all English skills. To develop these skills further, the course emphasizes vocabulary study, reading comprehension, composition writing, term paper techniques, and library analysis. Many colleges will grant credit and appropriate placement to students who do well in the examination. This special examination will be given in May, and a fee is required by the College Entrance Board.
    PREREQUISITE:  A mark of 90 in the Regents and/or approval of the department
                                    chairperson and English 11 teacher
    FEE:                        Approximately $82 for testing

ENGLISH 12 - REGENTS REVIEW AND ENRICHMENT
A one-semester course that is required for seniors who have yet to demonstrate mastery of the New York State standards by achieving a passing grade on the Comprehensive English Regents Examination.

ENGLISH 12 HONORS
An entire year course that will focus on the examination and discovery of one's self in the world.  Students will read novels and other appropriate forms of literature that will enhance the theme of "Self."  Students will be required to use both the written and spoken word in a multitude of class settings.  Students will be required to write at least one term paper.
    PREREQUISITE:  English 11 and permission based upon current G.P.A.

DRAMA - Senior Elective - (25 Students)
This course will cover the history of theater from classical ("Lysistrata") to modern ("Steel Magnolias") with a special emphasis on the roles of women.  In addition to studying dramatic literature, students will also be introduced to the various aspects of theatrical production:  acting, lighting, scenic design, publicity, etc.  The full-year class will culminate with a small performance.  Suggested plays include "Lysistrata," "Much Ado about Nothing," "Pygmalion," and "Steel Magnolias."
    PREREQUISITE:  Permission of English 11 teacher

ENGLISH INTERNSHIP - For seniors only who wish to be a Teacher's Aide in a ninth grade reading class.  Students will work one-on-one or with small groups of freshmen who need assistance in language arts.  Students will receive one-half credit for each semester that is successfully completed.
    PREREQUISITE:  Passing grade of at least 80% on the English Comprehensive
                                    Regents examination, interview and approval by the English
                                    chairperson

INTRODUCTION TO FILM – Full Year – Senior Elective
This course will analyze film as both a literary and visual art form.  From a literary perspective, works such as Shakespeare’s Richard III will be read and two different film adaptations will be screened in order to show a range of possible cinematic interpretations.  Other works of literature to be studied and screened include Jane Eyre, Amadeus, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.  The visual elements of film, such as cinematography, editing and production design, will be examined in masterpieces such as Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane, Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, and Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon.  The course will also cover different genres and artistic movements such as German Expressionism, Italian Neo-Realism, French New Wave, musicals, westerns, comedies, and documentaries.  The course is designed to help students develop as interpreters of visual imagery because of the ever-increasing need for such skills in contemporary society.  This course fulfills the State Fine Arts requirement.
    PREREQUISITE:  Permission of English 11 teacher