ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Recommended Sequence of English Courses
Grade 9Grade 10Grade 11Grade 12
English I (3,4,5) English II (3,4,5)
*Cultural Literacy (3,4)		 English III (3,4,5)
*Speech & Drama (3)
*Cultural Literacy (3,4)
*Effective Writing (4)		 English IV (3,4,5+)
*Speech & Drama (3)
*Cultural Literacy (3,4)
*Effective Writing (4)
*Themes in
   Literature & Film (3)
Eng as Second Lang IEng as Second Lang I or IIEng as Second Lang II 
Phases are listed in parentheses. Electives are marked with an asterisk (*).
+ Indicates that college credit available.

English I (3, 4, 5) Grade 9
This Freshman course provides students with an introduction to literary genres (short story, novel, poetry, drama, essay, etc.) and serves as the basis for continued study of literature in successive years. Included in this course is a review of the fundamentals of English grammar and composition as well as vocabulary development.

Phase 5 offers exceptional students the opportunity for in-depth analysis of literature and exposes them to the critical evaluation of literary works. Students are expected to complete extensive daily reading from the text and additional outside novels. Extensive writing assignments emphasize research and critical analysis.

Phase 4 challenges advanced students with in-depth study of the literature and encourages students to think independently and critically. Extensive selections from the text are assigned as well as significant outside reading and writing assignments.

Phase 3 provides average students with the fundamental reading and writing skills essential for continued study of literature. Required reading includes selected literary works from the text as well as several additional novels. Basic compositions are also assigned.

Texts:Prentice Hall Literature (Penguin Edition) - Grade 9
Additional paperbacks (all Phases)

English II (3, 4, 5) Grade 10
This survey course in American literature includes a study of the various literary periods and the historical influences of traditional American writers. The curriculum also offers continued development of skills in grammar and composition and focuses on mechanics and usage, reference and study skills, and vocabulary development.

Phase 5 provides exceptional students with an opportunity for the intense study of American literature and requires individual research and analysis of the literature. Assignments include extensive daily reading and numerous outside paperbacks along with significant writing assignments based on student research.

Phase 4 emphasizes readings from both primary and secondary sources as advanced students complete a chronological survey of American literature. Works are analyzed with attention to their literary as well as their historical significance. Numerous selections from the text are supplemented by selected novels from the various literary periods studied. Written assignments are frequent and require student analysis of the literary works.

Phase 3 offers average students the opportunity to study representative works of American literature and emphasizes the literary works in a historical context. Selections from the text are supplemented by several outside readings. Students will be expected to complete composition assignments each marking period based on their reading.

Texts:Prentice Hall Literature - The American Experience
Additional paperbacks (all Phases)

English III (3, 4, 5) Grade 11
This course is a survey of the literature produced in England from the earliest recorded literary works to the present. It includes the major literary figures and characteristics of various ages as well as the political, religious, social and economic events which influenced each age. In conjunction with the literature, students will continue to develop their writing skills through varied composition assignments which require them to comment on, evaluate, criticize, explain, interpret, and/or imitate the literature. Grammar and vocabulary are stressed through a study of their function in the literature, and through the required compositions and essays.

Phase 5 is the first year of a two year Advanced Placement Program. A junior seeking entrance into the AP class must fulfill the phasing requirements listed below. He/She must secure faculty recommendation and must exhibit a high level of academic commitment in Freshman and Sophomore year through a superior grade point average. Juniors entering this course are expected to complete the two-year preparation for the AP Exam. The extended approach to British literature provides Advanced Placement students with the required expertise in written analysis and investigation and figurative techniques. Written communication skills will be carefully scrutinized. Extensive daily reading from the text and additional paperbacks is required along with independent research.

Phase 4 requires advanced students to explore the literary tradition of England through the text as well as through independent research in primary and secondary sources. Extensive reading selections from the text and additional paperbacks are assigned along with lengthy written compositions and critical essays.

Phase 3 introduces average students to significant periods of British literature through a study of representative works and authors. Selections from the text are supplemented by additional paperbacks. Written assignments each marking period are based on the readings.

Texts:Prentice Hall Literature - The British Tradition
Additional Paperbacks are required for all Phases

English IV (3, 4, 5) Grade 12
This Senior level course presents a survey of world literature beginning with the earliest recorded literary works. Emphasis is placed on the literature of major civilizations, such as Greece and Rome, and includes literature from Eastern and Western Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. There is continued effort to broaden the content of the course to reflect the multicultural and multi-ethnic nature of the student body. Grammar, composition and vocabulary development culminate in the completion of a research paper required of all students.

+Phase 5 This college level course, Great Books of the Western World I and II, completes the two year preparation for the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam, and is also available for college credit (3 credits per semester) through Seton Hall University's "Project Acceleration" program. Students must register for either the AP Exam, or college credit, or both. The first semester explores the classics of world literature from Gilgamesh and the ancient Greeks to Shakespeare. The second semester examines literary works from the Enlightenment and Romanticism to modern times. A formal research paper is required each semester.

Phase 4 provides advanced students with the opportunity to analyze the literature with regard to relevant religious, social, political and economic factors. The course involves the study of extensive selections from the text along with significant outside readings and written assignments, including a research paper.

Phase 3, geared for the average student, emphasizes works from the text itself with guided analysis. Several additional paperbacks are assigned, and written compositions as well as a research paper are required.

Texts:Prentice Hall Literature - World Masterpieces
MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers
Norton Anthology of Western Literature 8th Ed (Phase 5)
Additional paperbacks are required for all phases.

*Speech and Drama (3) Grade 11, 12
In the first semester of this course, students will learn to compose and deliver speeches for various purposes, and to compose and deliver arguments for debate. In the second semester, students will learn the various aspects of play production, including acting, directing, staging and set design.
Text: Essentials of Speech Communication

*Effective Writing (4) Grade 11, 12
This course is designed to strengthen, improve and refine skills of self-expression in written form. The class is organized as an intensive workshop that offers the student a variety of writing experiences. Students should possess an avid interest in writing and a willingness to experiment with new forms of effective writing.
Prerequisites: Pre-registration interview with instructor, submission of a writing sample, and written approval by the instructor.

*Cultural Literacy (3,4) Grade 10, 11, 12
This course is designed to foster an interest in and appreciation for high culture and art. Units will focus on topics such as visual arts, music, theater, cinema, artifacts, cuisine, and architecture. The curriculum will include outings wherever possible. Projects and assignments will require an appreciation of the specimens of culture profiled. Phase 4 students will be required to produce more analytic commentary and writing, while phase 3 students must demonstrate a general familiarity with artistic expressions and the circumstances from which those expressions have arisen. Students are not expected to be musically or artistically inclined.

*Themes in Literature and Film (3) Grade 12
This course is designed to encourage the reluctant reader to recognize and analyze the connection that historical events, human emotions and culture have to literature and film. Each marking period will explore a different theme using various literary genre (short fiction, poetry, essays) as well as appropriate movies and documentaries. The student will be asked to apply his/her own experiences in class discussion and writing. Projects may include research, creative writing, and creation of original videos.
Prerequisites: This course is open to seniors who are Phase 3 English

English as a Second Language (ESL) I (3) Grade 9, 10
This course, designed for students who have little or no communication skills in English, is presented in two stages. The brief introductory course is an integrated program designed for the beginning student. The Basic Course, stage two, begins at the elementary level and, through special "modules", helps the student to develop oral, written and reading skills. Supplemental modules assist students in the development of skills in the following areas: conversation, pronunciation, listening comprehension, vocabulary, and reading. (Fee)
Text: New Horizons in English
Prerequisite: Recommendation of English department and/or Administration

English as a Second Language (ESL) II (3) Grade 10
This course is a comprehensive language learning program intended to complement the traditional work on grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary and the four skill areas of speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students are encouraged to express themselves via all standard methods of communication as they learn about facets of everyday American life, thus combining the development of their communication skills with an understanding of American culture and customs. (Fee)
Text: New Horizons in English
Prerequisite: Recommendation of English department and/or Administration