English Classes
The goal of all English classes is to prepare the high school student for the life beyond high school, including higher education. Quality literature and in-depth analysis prepare students for further study of English, as well as for any other subject requiring synthesis, analysis, and effective communication of ideas. To that end, English classes are sequenced to present a full range of reading and writing experiences to prepare students to be thoughtful, discerning adults. English classes are designed for students who are self-motivated and dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Please note that English classes require an assessment.
English classes do not accelerate.
Freshman-age students take English 1.
Sophomore-age students take English 2 (or English 1).
Junior and Senior-age students take English 3/4 (or English 1 or 2).
English classes do not accelerate.
Freshman-age students take English 1.
Sophomore-age students take English 2 (or English 1).
Junior and Senior-age students take English 3/4 (or English 1 or 2).
English 1 - Susan Samples, Instructor
susansamples@hotmail.com
English 1 is a literature and writing course focusing on genre and literary devices. Students study how meaning is created in literature. The course is designed for self-motivated students who are dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Readings fit the categories of short stories, poems, plays, and novels. The course syllabus includes many short reading selections from Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Third Course, as well as Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and Gibson’s The Miracle Worker. Students read seven additional novels.
Writing topics and skills are chosen to correlate with the literature and to teach students how to synthesize, analyze, support, and effectively communicate ideas. In addition to weekly writing assignments connected to readings, students will systematically learn to write an essay. They will complete four to five essays during the year, including a research paper.
English 1 will meet twice each week. Students should expect to spend 6 to 8 hours outside of class completing each week’s assignments.
Enrollment for English 1 is limited to students who are 14 by October 1.
An assessment is required for students not taking Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop at Core.
There will be a $25 copy fee for the year.
The following texts will be utilized:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Third Course, copyright 2000
(must be the student edition) ISBN: 0030520622
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit
John Steinbeck’s The Pearl
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Robert Fitzgerald, poetry version)
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
susansamples@hotmail.com
English 1 is a literature and writing course focusing on genre and literary devices. Students study how meaning is created in literature. The course is designed for self-motivated students who are dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Readings fit the categories of short stories, poems, plays, and novels. The course syllabus includes many short reading selections from Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Third Course, as well as Shakespeare’s Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and Gibson’s The Miracle Worker. Students read seven additional novels.
Writing topics and skills are chosen to correlate with the literature and to teach students how to synthesize, analyze, support, and effectively communicate ideas. In addition to weekly writing assignments connected to readings, students will systematically learn to write an essay. They will complete four to five essays during the year, including a research paper.
English 1 will meet twice each week. Students should expect to spend 6 to 8 hours outside of class completing each week’s assignments.
Enrollment for English 1 is limited to students who are 14 by October 1.
An assessment is required for students not taking Reading Workshop and Writing Workshop at Core.
There will be a $25 copy fee for the year.
The following texts will be utilized:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Third Course, copyright 2000
(must be the student edition) ISBN: 0030520622
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0
J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit
John Steinbeck’s The Pearl
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
Homer’s The Odyssey (translated by Robert Fitzgerald, poetry version)
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird
Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
English 2 - Susan Samples, Instructor
susansamples@hotmail.com
English 2 is a literature and writing course focusing on genre and literary devices that takes the concepts from English 1 to a deeper level. The course is designed for self-motivated students who are dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Readings, drawn from world literature, fit the categories of short stories, poems, non-fiction, philosophy, plays, and novels. The course syllabus includes many short reading selections from Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Fourth Course, as well as Antigone and Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Students read 8 additional plays, novels, and non-fiction works. Readings containing adult themes and ideas will be discussed from a biblical perspective.
Writing topics and skills are chosen to correlate with the literature and to teach students how to synthesize, analyze, support, and effectively communicate ideas. In addition to weekly writing assignments connected to readings, students will write 6 to 8 essays, including a research paper.
English 2 will meet twice each week. Students should expect to spend 6 to 8 hours outside of class completing each week’s assignments.
Enrollment for English 2 is limited to students who are 15 by October 1.
An assessment is required for students not taking English 1 at Core.
There will be a $25 copy fee for the year.
The following texts will be utilized:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Fourth Course, copyright 2000
(must be the student edition) ISBN: 0030520630
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0
Elie Wiesel’s Night
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar
Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street
Ernest Gaines’ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
George Orwell’s Animal Farm
Chaim Potok’s The Chosen
Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
susansamples@hotmail.com
English 2 is a literature and writing course focusing on genre and literary devices that takes the concepts from English 1 to a deeper level. The course is designed for self-motivated students who are dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Readings, drawn from world literature, fit the categories of short stories, poems, non-fiction, philosophy, plays, and novels. The course syllabus includes many short reading selections from Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Fourth Course, as well as Antigone and Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Students read 8 additional plays, novels, and non-fiction works. Readings containing adult themes and ideas will be discussed from a biblical perspective.
Writing topics and skills are chosen to correlate with the literature and to teach students how to synthesize, analyze, support, and effectively communicate ideas. In addition to weekly writing assignments connected to readings, students will write 6 to 8 essays, including a research paper.
English 2 will meet twice each week. Students should expect to spend 6 to 8 hours outside of class completing each week’s assignments.
Enrollment for English 2 is limited to students who are 15 by October 1.
An assessment is required for students not taking English 1 at Core.
There will be a $25 copy fee for the year.
The following texts will be utilized:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Fourth Course, copyright 2000
(must be the student edition) ISBN: 0030520630
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0
Elie Wiesel’s Night
Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston’s Farewell to Manzanar
Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street
Ernest Gaines’ The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman
George Orwell’s Animal Farm
Chaim Potok’s The Chosen
Alan Paton’s Cry, the Beloved Country
Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
British Literature - Susan Samples, Instructor
English 3 and English 4
susansamples@hotmail.com
English 3/4 is unique in that it is an upper high school level literature and writing course taught using American literature and British literature on a two-year rotating schedule. (Students earn one English credit per year, but may take the class two years in a row since the material alternates.)
This year’s English 3/4 syllabus utilizes British literature to deepen students’ understanding of literary devices, styles, and techniques in a variety of genres.
Readings, drawn from British literature, fit the categories of short stories, poems, non-fiction, plays, and novels. This year’s course syllabus includes many short reading selections from Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Sixth Course, as well as 10 to 12 additional plays and novels.
Writing topics and skills are chosen to correlate with the literature and to teach students how to synthesize, analyze, support, and effectively communicate ideas. In addition to weekly writing assignments connected to the readings, students will write up to eight essays, including a major research project.
English 3 and English 4 will meet twice each week. Students should expect to spend 8 to 10 hours outside of class completing each week’s assignments. Students taking this course will need to be self-motivated and dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Enrollment for English 3/4 is limited to students who are 16 by October 1.
An assessment is required for students not taking English 2 at Core.
There will be a $25 copy fee for the year.
The following texts will be utilized:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Sixth Course, copyright 2000
(must be the student edition) ISBN: 0030520673
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by James Winny
Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock (can be downloaded from the Internet)
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
Jane Austen’s Emma
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress
Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities
H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds
C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
English 3 and English 4
susansamples@hotmail.com
English 3/4 is unique in that it is an upper high school level literature and writing course taught using American literature and British literature on a two-year rotating schedule. (Students earn one English credit per year, but may take the class two years in a row since the material alternates.)
This year’s English 3/4 syllabus utilizes British literature to deepen students’ understanding of literary devices, styles, and techniques in a variety of genres.
Readings, drawn from British literature, fit the categories of short stories, poems, non-fiction, plays, and novels. This year’s course syllabus includes many short reading selections from Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Sixth Course, as well as 10 to 12 additional plays and novels.
Writing topics and skills are chosen to correlate with the literature and to teach students how to synthesize, analyze, support, and effectively communicate ideas. In addition to weekly writing assignments connected to the readings, students will write up to eight essays, including a major research project.
English 3 and English 4 will meet twice each week. Students should expect to spend 8 to 10 hours outside of class completing each week’s assignments. Students taking this course will need to be self-motivated and dedicated to making the most of their educational experience.
Enrollment for English 3/4 is limited to students who are 16 by October 1.
An assessment is required for students not taking English 2 at Core.
There will be a $25 copy fee for the year.
The following texts will be utilized:
Holt, Rinehart, Winston’s Elements of Literature Sixth Course, copyright 2000
(must be the student edition) ISBN: 0030520673
The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg
ISBN: 978-0-393-91151-0
Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by James Winny
Alexander Pope’s The Rape of the Lock (can be downloaded from the Internet)
Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion
Jane Austen’s Emma
John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress
Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities
H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds
C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters
William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
