English

English Overview

DESCRIPTION OF EXCELLENCE

Teachers of English seek to inspire students to delve enthusiastically into literature and literary nonfiction and encourage analysis through the lens of God’s truth. Through cultivating critical thinking in students, teachers also train them to express their ideas and beliefs in conversation and writing.

The English department offers three different types of courses: college preparatory, honors, and Advanced Placement (AP). In a college preparatory English course, the workload and expectations are designed to prepare students for college-level coursework and beyond. Our honors courses are intended for students who are highly skilled and motivated in English and who possess a strong work ethic. AP courses allow students to take a college-level course in a supportive environment; students should expect the corresponding rigor and time required. 

Summer reading is required for honors and AP English students at the sophomore, junior, and senior levels.

• Summer reading for incoming honors sophomores: Background to Fahrenheit 451 + Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451
• Summer reading for incoming AP Language juniors: After purchasing the Norton Reader, complete the assignment linked here: AP Language summer reading assignment
• Summer reading for incoming AP Literature seniors: Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake + summer reading homework

English Course Map

English 9

English 9, a college preparatory course, introduces vital and foundational concepts that will serve students throughout their high school careers. Students study various literary genres: the short story, the play, the epic poem, poetry, and the novel. The course focuses on grade-level texts in order to strengthen reading comprehension and analysis, which provides the basis for academic writing. Writing centers on paragraph development using specific evidence to support a claim and draw logical conclusions. Using this paragraph structure, students write analysis and argumentative essays. Throughout the year, students deepen and apply their study of grammar and vocabulary.

Though summer reading is not required for this course, students will find that establishing a reading habit over the summer helps them get a head start on the reading experience they will have during the year. While we encourage them to read books of their own choosing, we also recommend the following titles as indicative of the type of literary rigor they may encounter in the English 9 classroom: Lois Lowry’s The Giver, Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, and Patricia McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. Parents may wish to have students read at least one of these titles, as doing so will help them enter the course better prepared for its pace and expectations.

English 9 Honors*

English 9 Honors engages students in challenging writing and reading, including a broad selection of literary genres, including epic and conventional poetry, drama, short stories, and novels. Within the course, students practice close reading and literary analysis, strengthen grammar and vocabulary, and refine their writing through an emphasis on the writing process. They demonstrate their learning through analytical writing, projects (both individual and collaborative), traditional assessments (reading quizzes, tests, finals, etc.), and discussions, with regular opportunities for creative expression through writing, artwork, and short presentations.

Is English 9 Honors right for me? English 9 Honors is intended for motivated, self-directed students who are ready for the pace and expectations of advanced coursework. Students should come in able to write clear, fluent, well-organized paragraphs. Independent reading is a significant component of the course, and students should enter reading at or above grade level. Because learning builds day to day through reading, writing, and discussion, regular attendance is essential. 

Though summer reading is not required, students will find that establishing a reading habit over the summer helps them get a head start on the reading experience they will have during the year. In addition to recreational reading over the summer, we recommend the following titles both as a preview of Honors English 9 rigor and as a way for students to enter the course more prepared: Michael Zusak’s The Book Thief, C.S. Lewis’s Out of the Silent Planet, Jean Wakatsuki’s Farewell to Manzanar, and/or John Knowles’ A Separate Peace. Parents may wish to have students read at least one of these titles, as doing so will help them enter the course better prepared for its pace and expectations.

*Though internal honors credit is given, the UC does not calculate an honors grade point for this course. Other colleges may assign honors credit.

English 10

English 10, a college preparatory course, builds upon the foundations set in English 9. Students study a variety of literary genres and learn to analyze and respond from a biblical worldview. The course stresses the development and application of literary analysis to improve close reading skills. As students practice and enhance their understanding of grammar and punctuation rules, they also develop their composition skills by honing their argumentation and effectively integrating evidence into their argumentative essays and research papers. 

Though summer reading is not required for this course, students will find that establishing a reading habit over the summer helps them get a head start on the reading experience they will have during the year. While we encourage them to read books of their own choosing, we also recommend the following titles as indicative of the type of literary rigor they may encounter in the English 10 classroom: George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Erich Garcia Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, and Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Parents may wish to have students read at least one of these titles, as doing so will help them enter the course better prepared for its pace and expectations.

English 10 Honors*

English 10 Honors is an accelerated, challenging course that builds on the skills developed in English 9 Honors. Throughout the year, students read diverse selections of literature and analyze how authors’ cultural and personal value systems shape meaning, comparing those perspectives to biblical teachings and their own worldview. Students will continue their grammar and vocabulary development as they practice the craft of writing, learning how to engage various audiences, support ideas with evidence, and write effectively in genres, including literary analysis and persuasive essays. Assessments include timed writing, analytical and persuasive essays, projects (both individual and collaborative), traditional exams (reading quizzes, tests, finals, etc.), and discussions. This course is designed for students who intend to enter AP English Language and Composition and AP English Literature and Composition as upperclassmen and will provide a strong foundation for college-level reading, analysis, and writing. A summer reading assignment is required.

• Summer reading for incoming 10 Honors students: Background to Fahrenheit 451 + Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451

 *Though internal honors credit is given, the UC system does not calculate an honors grade point for this course. Other colleges may assign honors credit. 

American Literature

African American Literature

This college preparatory course surveys African American literature from the 18th to 20th centuries from both a historical and literary perspective. We will study a range of genres, including novels, short stories, poetry, and autobiographies by African Americans. Texts are explored not only from the perspective of race, but from the larger context of cultural themes, social movements, and literary and artistic connections. Students will develop their writing skills through close reading and response, a series of literary analyses and argumentative essays, and by creating their own original poetry. 

Though summer reading is not required for this course, students will find that establishing a reading habit over the summer helps them get a head start on the reading experience they will have during the year. While we encourage them to read books of their own choosing, we also recommend the following titles as indicative of the type of literary rigor they may encounter in the African-American literature classroom: Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, and Richard Wright’s Black Boy. Parents may wish to have students read at least one of these titles, as doing so will help them enter the course better prepared for its pace and expectations.

Additional Expectations: The workload and expectations are designed to prepare students for college-level analysis and writing, emphasizing critical thinking and effective communication skills.

Note: Juniors and seniors may choose between American Literature, African American Literature, British Literature, and Screenwriting. The courses are comparable in work and requirements. If juniors wish to join the AP track, they select AP Language & Composition, followed by AP Literature & Composition their senior year if they remain in Advanced Placement classes. Philosophy in Literature (H) provides an honors-level course for students who are not pursing AP; the workload and rigor are commensurate to an AP course.

British Literature

British Literature surveys selected authors and work beginning in the Anglo-Saxon period and continuing through contemporary times, emphasizing the historical context of literary works as well as their influence on culture. Students read a minimum of four complete major works, such as Shakespeare's Macbeth and Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Students will also read excerpts from Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales,  as well as from other classics from the British literary canon. Over the course of the year, students develop their vocabulary and sharpen their writing skills through a series of literary analyses and timed essays. 

Though summer reading is not required for this course, students will find that establishing a reading habit over the summer helps them get a head start on the reading experience they will have during the year. While we encourage them to read books of their own choosing, we also recommend the following titles as indicative of the type of literary rigor they may encounter in the British literature classroom: Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, Jean Rhys’s Wide Sargasso Sea, and Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations. Parents may wish to have students read at least one of these titles, as doing so will help them enter the course better prepared for its pace and expectations.

Additional Expectations: The workload and expectations are designed to prepare students for college-level analysis and writing, emphasizing critical thinking and effective communication skills.

Note: Juniors and seniors may choose between American Literature, African American Literature, British Literature, Philosophy in Literature (Honors course), and Screenwriting. The courses are comparable in workload and requirements. If juniors wish to join the AP track, they select AP Language & Composition, followed by AP Literature & Composition their senior year if they remain in Advanced Placement classes. Philosophy in Literature (H) provides an honors-level course for students who are not pursing AP; the workload and rigor are commensurate to an AP course.

Screenwriting and Literature

Screenwriting is a grade 11-12 English course wherein students engage in close reading of complex and professional texts (screenplays, news stories, novels, plays). In conjuntion with reading, students will analyze historical and existing professional screenwriting standards and models, and they will apply both to a focused feature-length screenplay project. Comparing texts will enable students to learn how to adapt any text into the visual storytelling techniques of a screenplay. Skills taught and practiced will be scaffolded: students begin by learning to write a shot, then a scene, followed by a sequence, and then an act. Other related skills include learning how to complete a scene, use dialogue properly, understand and use three-act structure. As students identify and develop meaningful themes for their own work, they will come to appreciate and power of the moving image. 

Additional Expectations: The workload and expectations are designed to prepare students for college-level analysis and writing, emphasizing critical thinking and effective communication skills.

Note: Juniors and seniors may choose between American Literature, African American Literature, British Literature, Philosophy in Literature (Honors course) and Screen Writing and Literature. The courses are comparable in workload and requirements. If juniors wish to join the AP track, they select AP Language & Composition, followed by AP Literature & Composition their senior year if they remain in Advanced Placement classes. Philosophy in Literature (H) provides an honors-level course for students who are not pursing AP; the workload and rigor are commensurate to an AP course.

Philosophy in Literature Honors

Why is there something rather than nothing? What is a human? What can I know and how? What is right and wrong? Philosophy in Literature will explore several ways of viewing the world--worldviews like Christian Theism, Naturalism, Nihilism, Existentialism, Postmodernism, etc.--and how these worldviews influence and surface within works of literature to answer some of humanity’s basic questions like the ones mentioned earlier. This course will help you develop the skill set to encounter not only various literary texts, but also those expressed through media, advertisements, etc. We will think about the ideologies (i.e., worldviews) that drive their creation and expression. As we engage with works from literary giants like Dostoyevsky, Camus, O’Connor, etc.,  you will also grapple with your own beliefs about the world and will produce a multimodal artifact (e.g., visual art, performance art, poetry, a short story, etc.) that exemplifies a worldview. The goal of this course is that you will not only be an informed examiner of various texts but you will also understand the assumptions these texts are making about reality, humanity, what we can know and how, and what is right and wrong. Like Sire, “On one issue I remain constant: I am convinced that for any of us to be fully conscious intellectually we should not only be able to detect the worldviews of others but be aware of our own - why it is ours and why, in light of so many options, we think it is true” (Sire, 2000, p. xiv).

Note: Juniors and seniors may choose between American Literature, African American Literature, British Literature, Screenwriting, and Philosophy in Literature. The courses are comparable in work and requirements. If juniors wish to join the AP track, they select AP Language & Composition, followed by AP Literature & Composition their senior year if they remain in Advanced Placement classes. Introduction to Philosophy Honors  may be taken in the junior or senior year; the workload and rigor are commensurate to an AP course. 

Regular Philosophy in Literature is no longer being offered for 2024-25

AP English Language and Composition

Words can change and shape the course of history, as students learn in AP English Language and Composition. This intensive course pushes students to extend their critical thinking skills beyond literature to the visual and textual media of today’s culture. Analyzing the sometimes subtle differences between a logical argument and calculated manipulation, students examine a variety of genres, ranging from political cartoons and modern advertisements to diverse essays, speeches, and letters. Inspired by the organization, style, and grammatical structure of great communicators as guidance for their own writing, students will mature beyond formulaic writing patterns, developing their own unique and persuasive voice. 

Additional Expectations: A summer reading assignment is required, and the class workload and expectations are intended to prepare students for college application essays, college-level analysis, and college writing.

AP English Literature and Composition

AP English Literature and Composition is a challenging course intended for students who love to read, debate, analyze, and write. Sampling literary works from a variety of different genres and eras, the course focuses on answering two questions: “What does the author say?” and “How does he or she say it?” While these questions may seem surprisingly simple, the analysis garnered through course discussions, group work, and activities reveals the subtleties and nuances that make literature richly complex. Students who join AP English Literature should expect rigorous application of critical thinking skills in both their reading and writing assignments.

Additional Expectations: A summer reading assignment is required, and the class workload and expectations are intended to prepare students for college application essays, college-level analysis, and college writing.