English, ELA 1-4

Exploring human communication is all its diverse forms: reading, writing, speaking, listening, and viewing.

ELA 1: ELA 1’s multicultural literature focuses on a “Coming of Age” theme. All of its short stories, novels, poetry, plays, essays, and biographies focus on young people realizing who they are and/or gaining a better understanding of the world in which they live. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information gathering skills:

Reading skills include summarizing, paraphrasing, and making inferences/drawing conclusions.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and establishing their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include engagement in meaningful conversations to establish and refine their beliefs and understandings and appropriate, professional conversational behaviors.
Research skills include integrating information from three to four sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 2: ELA 2 explores the world, diverse perspectives, and different historical time periods through its inclusion of multicultural literature. All of its short stories, novels, poetry, plays, essays, and biographies take place on a different continent or historical time period. These texts allow students to consider how the world has changed, remained the same, and/or can be improved for future generations. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include making inferences/drawing conclusions as well as moving beyond comprehension to connect their reading to the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and refining their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and engaging in unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from four to five sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 3: ELA 3 focuses on American literature from a thematic perspective. Students will read a wide sampling of literary selections in order to understand the varied interrelationships of literature, society, and the individual. All of its short stories, novels, poetry, plays, essays, and biographies focus on the various American experiences and ask students to consider how our nation has changed, remained the same, and/or can be improved for future generations. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include drawing and defending inferences and conclusions as well as connecting their reading to the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and mastering the use of their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and engaging in unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from five to seven sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 4: Contemporary Ethics is an option for students in their senior year. The course delves into modern issues including but not limited to: reliance on technology, human interactions with their environment, a number of -isms (ex. classism), and more through a wide variety of texts. This course prepares students for college and the workplace by allowing them to read, view, and listen to different forms of texts, interrogate the information and their own thinking, and refine their understanding of their local societies and the world as a whole. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include drawing and defending inferences and conclusions as well as connecting their reading to the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and mastering the use of their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and engaging in unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from six to seven sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 4: Pilot is an option for students in their senior year. The course prepares students for college and the workplace by allowing them to read, view, and listen to a sampling of short stories, informational texts, poetry, drama, and film, interrogate the information and their own thinking, and refine their understanding of human behavior and an author’s choice. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include drawing and defending inferences and conclusions as well as connecting their reading to the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and mastering the use of their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and engaging in unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from six to seven sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 4: Technical and Professional Communications* Technical and Professional Communication is a year-four option for working seniors. The purpose of the course is to refine professional communication skills for both professional and collegiate engagements. Students will practice the standards of professional written English, use modern informative texts from diverse perspectives to advance their reading and analysis skills, and write in a variety of modes dependent on audience and purpose through a feedback-driven writing process. The course will include seven substantial writing tasks, a research project, and opportunities for students to practice speaking in a professional setting and formalize their professional resume. In completing uniform writing tasks, students will be given the flexibility to customize their approach to make their work applicable to their plans after graduation

*This course is designated as a pilot and may or may not be offered in subsequent years.

ENGLISH HONORS COURSES

ELA 1 Honors: ELA 1 Honors’ multicultural literature focuses on a “Coming of Age” theme. All of its short stories, novels, poetry, plays, essays, and biographies focus on young people realizing who they are and/or gaining a better understanding of the world in which they live. ELA 1 Honors requires students to read, analyze, and synthesize texts and tasks independently more frequently than ELA 1. Students who enter this course need to be willing to develop executive functioning skills, willing to take and use feedback, and engage in increasingly difficult texts and tasks. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include summarizing, paraphrasing, and making inferences/drawing conclusions.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and establishing their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include engagement in meaningful conversations to establish and refine their beliefs and understandings and appropriate, professional conversational behaviors.
Research skills include integrating information from three to four sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 2 Honors: ELA 2 Honors explores the world, diverse perspectives, and different historical time periods through its inclusion of multicultural literature. All of its short stories, novels, poetry, plays, essays, and biographies take place on a different continent or historical time period. These texts allow students to consider how the world has changed, remained the same, and/or can be improved for future generations. ELA 2 Honors requires students to read, analyze, and synthesize texts and tasks independently more frequently than ELA 2. Students who enter this course will refine their executive functioning skills, be willing to take and use feedback, and engage in increasingly difficult texts and tasks. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include making inferences/drawing conclusions as well as moving beyond comprehension to connect their reading to the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and refining their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and engaging in unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from four to five sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 3 Honors: ELA 3 Honors focuses on American literature from a thematic perspective. Students will read a wide sampling of literary selections in order to understand the varied interrelationships of literature, society, and the individual. All of its short stories, novels, poetry, plays, essays, and biographies focus on the various American experiences and ask students to consider how our nation has changed, remained the same, and/or can be improved for future generations. ELA 3 Honors requires students to read, analyze, and synthesize texts and tasks independently more frequently than ELA 3. Students who enter this course will use their executive functioning skills, be willing to take and use feedback, and engage in increasingly difficult texts and tasks. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include drawing and defending inferences and conclusions as well as connecting their reading to the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and mastering the use of their own authentic voice when writing.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and engaging in unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from five to seven sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards

ELA 4 Honors: Honors ELA 4 is an option for students in their senior year and are ready to take on the challenge of honors level curriculum. During the course, students explore diverse selections of texts from Western Europe spanning the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. ELA 4 Honors requires students to read, analyze, and synthesize texts and tasks independently more frequently than other ELA 4 classes. Students who enter this course will use their executive functioning skills, be willing to take and use feedback, and engage in increasingly difficult texts and tasks. Within each text, students will develop skills specified by the Common Core State Standards designed to improve, and refine students’ reading, writing, speaking, listening, and information-gathering skills:

Reading skills include drawing and defending inferences and conclusions as well as connecting their reading to themselves, other texts, and/or the world in which they live.
Writing skills include going through the writing process to draft, revise, and publish works, including and using outside sources of information, and varying the use of their own authentic voice based on the given purpose and audience.
Speaking and listening skills include questioning information, revising understandings, and driving unstructured, respectful conversations with peers.
Research skills include integrating information from eight to nine sources, locating information, evaluating information for its relevance, and documenting according to APA standards