TZHS English Courses

The English Department requires demonstrated competency for all ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students.  As part of the high school graduation requirements, a student must complete at least 4 credits of English (not including electives) and pass the English Regents.   

ENGLISH 9    Full Year, 1 credit
 

This course begins the four-year English sequence, which includes the New York State Regents Exam at the end of the junior year.  This course requires students to do extensive work reading, discussing, and writing about literature. 

English 9 incorporates a humanities approach to each quarter’s work. These projects are related to the novels studied each quarter. Components of these activities will address the skills required to write extensive research papers. 

Literature: Literature will be connected to the quarterly themes: Choices and Consequences, Power: Use and Abuse, Relationships, Justice and Freedom. Students will read a wide selection of short stories and poems. At least four of the following full length works will be read and analyzed in class:  Twelve Angry Men, Inherit the Wind, Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, Ellen Foster, Animal Farm, We Have Always Lived in the Castle, and Great Expectations.  In addition, students will be required to read independent full-length works. 

Composition:  A major objective of this course is the development of expository writing skills.  Paragraphs and essays will be assigned frequently.  By the end of the course, students will be expected to write well-structured essays of literary analysis. Other curriculum areas will include vocabulary development, grammar, listening and speaking.  Extension and enrichment activities will be offered to all interested students.  Class participation and homework will be 20% of the student’s grade.
   
ENGLISH 9R WRITING LAB Full Year, cycled
   
English 9R Writing Lab is intended to provide an environment in which students can reach their fullest potential in English class. The students who are scheduled will receive individual attention and more instructional time in which to reinforce their writing skills. Selection is based on a student’s performance in eighth grade English, the recommendation of the English teachers, and the results of standardized testing.
   
ENGLISH 9 HONORS DISCUSSION      Full Year, cycled
   
This course is designed to engage the student in extensive work in reading, interpreting, and writing about literature that addresses the human condition.  Literature will be connected to the English 9 quarterly themes: Choices and Consequences, Power: Use and Abuse, Relationships, Justice and Freedom. Students will be expected to conduct in-depth exploration and analysis of literature through writing, class discussion, and debate. Directed research and problem solving throughout this course will be used to guide students through their learning process. The grade earned in this course will count as 20% of the student’s grade in English 9. The successful completion of this course at the end of the year will earn the student the Honors designation on his/her transcript.
   
ENGLISH 10R    Full Year, 1 credit
   
English 10R is designed to give students a broad background in literature from multiple perspectives. The course focuses on four themes: Identity, Culture and Diversity, Perspectives, and Journeys.  The course will prepare students for the English Regents exam, focusing on literary response and further development of communication skills.

Literature:  Students will read short stories, drama, and poems.  At least four of the following full length works will be read and analyzed: Julius Caesar, Fahrenheit 451, The Joy Luck Club, Bless Me, Ultima, Lord of the Flies, Oedipus the King, A Separate Peace, This Boy's Life, Alas, Babylon, and The Chosen. 

Composition:  A major objective of this course is the development of expository writing skills.  Paragraphs and essays will be assigned frequently.  A short research project will be required.  Emphasis will also be on responses to class readings including current events.  Other curriculum areas will include vocabulary development, grammar, listening, and speaking.  Class participation and homework equal 20% of the student’s grade.
   
ENGLISH 10R WRITING LAB   Full Year, cycled
   
English 10R Writing Lab is intended to provide an environment in which students can reach their fullest potential in English class. The students who are scheduled will receive individual attention and more instructional time in which to reinforce their writing skills.  Selection is based on a student’s performance in ninth grade English, the recommendation of the English teacher, and the results of standardized testing.
   
ENGLISH 10 HONORS      Full Year, 1 credit
   
This course is designed to give students a broad background in multicultural literature from multiple perspectives.  The course focuses on four themes: Identity, Culture and Diversity, Perspectives, and Journeys. Students will be required to do extensive reading and writing.  A major emphasis will be placed on the development of analytical writing skills as well as personal response.  Students will learn to read critically and develop skills in literary analysis.  Major literary works to be analyzed include:  The Bluest Eye, Hamlet, Lord of the Flies, Frankenstein, Fahrenheit 451, Oedipus the King, The Grass Dancer, A Doll's House, and various works of poetry.  Students will be required to keep journals and complete one major research project.  Class participation equals 20% of the student's grade.
   
ENGLISH 11R Full Year, 1 credit
   
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the American Literary tradition. Major works to be studied may include: The Crucible, The Great Gatsby, The Color Purple, Macbeth, The Catcher in the Rye, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Poetry, short stories, and nonfiction selections are studied in conjunction with the major works of literature. An independent reading project appropriate to the grade level is assigned, as well as a major research project. Students are required to take the English Regents in June. Class participation and homework = 20% of the student's grade.
   
ENGLISH 11R WRITING LAB  Full Year, cycled
   
English 11R Writing Lab is intended to provide an environment in which students can reach their fullest potential in English class. The students who are scheduled will receive individual attention and more instructional time in which to reinforce their writing skills.  Selection is based on a student's performance in tenth grade English and the recommendation of the English teacher.
   
ENGLISH 11 HONORS   Full Year, 1 credit
   
This course is designed to give students a broad background in the American literary tradition.  Major works to be analyzed include: The Crucible, The Scarlet Letter, Huckleberry Finn, Ethan Frome, The Awakening, The Great Gatsby, Death of a Salesman, The Catcher in the Rye, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Macbeth. Poetry and short selections will be assigned from the anthology The American Experience. Essays focused on literary analysis will be assigned regularly. In addition, a research paper during the second semester will be required. Students registering for this course should have demonstrated strong ability in literature interpretation, essay writing skills, and independent research. Students will take the Regents exam in January and an Honors level final in June. Class participation equals 20% of the student's grade.
   
ENGLISH 12R   One semester, 1/2 credit
   
English 12R will provide the student with opportunities to become a more effective writer and critical reader.  Literature will be primarily non-fiction, concentrating on two themes: Challenges and Reflections.  Reading selections include Into the Wild and Night among others. A significant emphasis will be placed on writing personal essays to prepare students who will be writing college admissions essays.  The course will conclude with a senior portfolio project in lieu of an exam. Class participation equals 20% of the student's grade.
   
ENGLISH 12 HONORS: WORLD LITERATURE One Semester, 1/2 credit
   
English 12 Honors is designed to give students a broad background in World Literature. Major works to be analyzed include: The Inferno, The Canterbury Tales, Othello, The Tempest, A Doll’s House, The Brothers Karamozov, Siddhartha, The Stranger, Night and Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Poetry and short literary pieces will be assigned from the anthology World Masterpieces to cover additional cultures and time periods. Essays requiring in-depth literary analysis will be assigned regularly. The first quarter will include a unit of study on writing strategies for the college essay. In addition, a research paper will be required. Class participation equals 20% of the student’s grade.
   
AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION Full Year, 1 credit
   
Prerequisite:  Successful completion of English 11 Honors and recommendation by 11H English teacher.

Candidates for this course must be seniors who have demonstrated high ability in both literature interpretation and essay writing skills. This course is of college level difficulty. Students engage in intensive analytical study of many classic works of drama, fiction, and poetry, with frequent writing assignments. A research project is required. Full-length works are selected from among: 

 Drama:  King Lear, Othello, Enemy of the People, A Doll’s House, and Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

 Novels: Pride and Prejudice, Wuthering Heights, Heart of Darkness, Bless Me, Ultima, As I Lay Dying, Invisible Man, Catch 22, and The Things They Carried.

 Texts:  Sound and Sense (poetry), Writing About Literature

 The regularly assigned papers, both timed and untimed, will involve questions similar to those required on the Advanced Placement Exam. Active class participation (20% of the course grade) is essential.
   
SECOND SEMESTER SENIOR ENGLISH PROGRAM

In the second semester of senior year, English 12R and 12H students must take either Senior Seminar or two the following quarter-long mini courses:
   
SENIOR SEMINAR     One Semester, 1/2 credit
   
This course is offered in conjunction with Participation in Government III.  Working with a member of the community or their teacher, students will develop projects to explore a career opportunity and/or personal interest.  In addition, students will be required to keep a journal, give a Power Point presentation, and produce a research paper reflecting their program experiences.
   
EXAMINING AMERICAN POPULAR CULTURE  One quarter, 1/4 credit
   
The purpose of this course is to analyze popular culture (television, film, magazines, advertising, etc.) in the same way we look at literature. This class combines class discussion/analysis and independent study/research. Topics covered may include: American consumerism, mythic characters of American culture, race and gender in popular culture, advertising and influence, etc. The final project of the course is a research paper on a topic of each student’s choice.
   
OH, THE HORROR! One quarter, 1/4 credit
   
What is it about terror and the supernatural that captivates us? Whether you prefer sitting tensely in a dark theater, heart racing, or lying in a bed at 3 a.m. on a rainy night reading page after page of the latest spine-tingler, horror stories have the ability to fascinate and thrill us all. Why is it that we love to be scared? This course will explore the answers to this question through different forms of the horror story. Students will examine the elements and techniques that are used to create horror, build suspense, set mood, and surprise the reader or audience. Students will discuss the psychological impact horror stories have on their audiences and why we continually go back for more.  Students will read from the text American Gothic Tales edited by Joyce Carol Oates, in addition to other short stories. The course will culminate in a project in which each student will pick a work of horror and perform an in-depth analysis of its effectiveness at evoking a sense of fear or terror through a discussion of the elements and techniques employed by the author/film-maker.
   
MUSIC: THE AMERICAN ARTIFACT One quarter, 1/4 credit
   
We will research the evolution of popular music from the 1950’s until the present, concentrating on how it has shaped and been shaped by politics and American society. A thematic analysis of various popular songs/musicians will serve as a dissection of trends in American society and cultures, or sub-cultures. During this study, we will analyze lyrics and research the histories of this art form and particular musical artists. Predictions will be made about future trends in music, based upon past trends and ongoing current events. The course will culminate with a student-created soundtrack.  This personal volume will consist of songs having personal meaning to each student and will be accompanied by an I-search paper identifying how these songs connect to the past, present, and future of each student.
   

SITCOMS: THE COUCH POTATO'S GUIDE TO SHORT STORIES

 One quarter, 1/4 credit
   
Why do almost all Americans know the phrase “Prime Time Thursday Night”?  What power lies in the situational comedy? Through an analysis of recent sit-coms, we will consider how the dramatized short story functions as a tool of entertainment, validation, and morality construction, reconstruction, or deconstruction, for our society. Students will trace one or more sit-com(s) in an effort to address Essential Questions focused on the issues behind how we are affected by the genre. We will examine the presence of archetypal and stereotypical characters in an endeavor to extrapolate what their presence suggests about modern-day life. In an effort to identify the success or lack thereof of particular shows, students will study the creators, individual episodes, long-term plots, and the thematic overtones of particular series.  We will attempt to reconcile the compulsion to trace the programs’ every move, all the while considering how trends and behaviors in the real world are or refuse to be dictated by what happens inside that magical screen. 
   
THE LURE OF MAGICAL REALISM  One quarter, 1/4 credit
   

Magical realism is one of the most appreciated yet least understood aspects of literature.  Why the sudden surge of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings?  What is The Force? Is Ultima good or evil? Why do we seem to care? Through a study of popular works based on magical realism, we will examine Essential Questions geared at determining the lure of humans to magic and the unexplored and/or unexplained realms of the mind. Students will identify the characteristics of magical realism and trace its evolution in American culture over the past 30 years. A literature-based inquiry will lead students to also consider recent movies and songs, such as Practical Magic and “Black Magic Woman.” The course will culminate in a writing portfolio, including a brief hypothesis as to the popularity of the genre, including a discussion of its lure for certain people, and student-created short stories, poems, songs, and/or movies/novellas.
   
WRITER'S WORKSHOP (9-12)  One Semester, 1/2 credit
   
Allow your thoughts to guide your pen as you explore your writing abilities.  This course will challenge students of all grades as they experiment with genre, voice, development, organization, and conventions.  Teacher-student conferences and peer conferences will provide the students with the opportunity to assess their skills and measure progress.  Students may register for this course multiple times; each time choosing their own focus and refining their writing skills.  Evaluation will be on a pass/fail basis through the use of a portfolio.  Along with the portfolio and class participation, a teacher-student contract will be used to determine the development of the students as writers.
   
JOURNALISM (11,12)          Full Year, cycled 1/2 credit
   
This elective is designed for juniors and seniors who have an interest in journalism. Each aspect of putting a newspaper together will be covered from coming up with ideas for articles to layout and publication. The course will involve writing a variety of articles and ultimately publication of Tapress on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. Students will learn how to write editorials, features, news stories, sports articles, movie/book/music reviews, and conduct interviews. Other topics will include advertising, ethical duties/responsibilities of a journalist, the difference between a high school newspaper and a privately owned commercial newspaper or magazine, and whether a journalist actually has the right to keep his/her sources confidential. Class participation will be worth a minimum of 20% of the student’s grade.
   
CREATIVE WRITING (Seniors only)     One Semester, 1/2 credit
   
Creative Writing is a seminar intended for students who wish to deal intensively with their own writing.  Writing exercises will be assigned, covering prose, and poetic forms.  Various literary readings will be discussed in class in an effort to acquaint the writer with recent creative and artistic trends.  Students will be required to submit their work to Tones, the high school literary magazine. Class participation = 25% of the student's grade.
   
LAW AND LITERATURE (Seniors Only) Full Year, cycled 1/2 credit
   

This course will teach students how to argue effectively both orally and in writing by examining legal issues through Supreme Court decisions, classic opening/closing arguments from landmark trials, plays, novels, short stories and actual case files (with the names omitted) that have been reproduced for use in this class.  Students will learn how to analyze complex legal issues and prepare extensive legal arguments while considering audience, subject matter, and tone. 

These skills will be put to the test during statewide Mock Trial Club competitions and whenever the Student Court receives a case.

This course will be taught jointly by an English and a Social Studies teacher.  Students who successfully complete the course will receive 1/2 credit for English and 1/2 credit for Social Studies.  Students must register for this course under both English and Social Studies.