English

List of 6 items.

• Creative Writing I

  Creative Writing I (1/2 credit; fall semester; open to classes 11-12*; prerequisite: English II)
  
  This semester-long course explores the art of creative writing, focusing on three major areas: creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. After this broad exposure, students will choose a primary area of emphasis for the remainder of the semester. Coursework reinforces the writing process: understanding and stimulating creativity, brainstorming ideas, revising drafts, and establishing a writer’s practice. All students will participate in writers’ workshops to learn both how to give and how to receive constructive editorial assistance. Students will complete an end-of-semester creative presentation as determined by the material produced in class. (*Priority enrollment for Class 12 students.)

• Creative Writing II

  Creative Writing II (1/2 credit; spring semester; open to classes 11-12*; prerequisite: Creative Writing I)
  
  This semester-long course continues the work begun in Creative Writing I with creative non-fiction, fiction, and poetry. Additionally, this course includes an exciting introduction to the art of screenwriting. Students will read screenplays by several of the best practitioners of the art and learn the specific rules and techniques of this popular genre. Once again, students will participate in writers’ workshops to learn both how to give and to receive constructive editorial assistance. As in Creative Writing I, students will complete an end-of-semester creative presentation as determined by the material produced in class. (*Priority enrollment for Class 12 Students.)

• English I

  English I
  (1 credit; required for class 9)
  
  English I emphasizes the critical reading of literary texts in order to explore how different narratives inform our understanding of the world. Writing assignments – including literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, personal narrative, and creative writing — focus on form, audience, voice, and independence of thought. Grammar and vocabulary instruction prepare students for the stylistic expectations of Upper School English. Additionally, students extend their oral communication skills through discussion protocols, group presentations, and individual public speaking opportunities.

• English II

  English II
  (1 credit; required for class 10; prerequisite: English I)
  
  English II emphasizes thematic exploration as well as a deeper understanding of language and voice through an assortment of literary works and genres. The literature studied focuses on the ideas of community acceptance, power, and alienation. Personal writing is continued, and analytical writing is emphasized more strongly: students receive instruction in crafting arguable theses; in composing effective introductions and conclusions; and in finding, incorporating, and analyzing appropriate textual evidence. The study of vocabulary and grammar, particularly as used in constructing more sophisticated sentences, continues to be an important part of this course, as it was in English I.

• AP English Language

  AP English Language
  (1 credit; required for class 11; prerequisite: English II)
  
  AP English Language develops the skills that enable students to read closely, think critically, and write cogently. The course focuses on the analysis of American literature (fiction and nonfiction), which asks students to explore themes such as identity, individualism, freedom, democracy, and opportunity in writing and class discussions. Among many other modes of writing, the writing program stresses analytical argument and rhetorical analysis, especially in timed explications in class, thereby addressing the expectations of the AP English Language exam. Logical development, textual support, and stylistic clarity are hallmarks of successful AP English Language writing.

• English IV (H)

  English IV (H)
  (1 credit; required for class 12; prerequisite: AP English Language)
  
  During senior year, students choose from a variety of individual semester-long seminars. While differing in focus and in the material they emphasize, all seminars stress the skills students need to think critically, read closely and write cogently. Students will be required to do independent work, to read four to five major literary works per semester, and to write a series of essays. Class discussion, independent reading, and various modes of writing provoke the exploration of sophisticated modes of expression and interdisciplinary topics and ensure that students are prepared to excel in college-level analysis and writing. As a final exam, students complete a synthesis essay in the fall. In the spring, the capstone project will include a major paper, presentation, or performance depending on the seminar topic. Seminar offerings change somewhat from year to year, but they have included Shakespeare, Counterculture Classics, Caribbean Literature, The Gothic, Monsters in Literature, Spy Fiction, and The Literature of War.