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Ms. Baker Mr. Burd Ms. Burkey Ms. Drexel Mr. Haller Ms. Hashagen Mr. Hodgkiss Ms. Oliver Mr. Pagliaro Ms. Roehler

Class Descriptions

ELD Language Arts

| Resources | AZ Standards

Wickenburg English Department - Language Arts

BASIC ENGLISH:  Students focus on the basic concepts of English. The fundamentals of reading, writing, listening and speaking are addressed. Students will review basic grammar and library skills. Reading comprehension strategies are practiced and literary works are read, listened to, discussed, analyzed and written about. Stories are acted out and speeches given. Groups draw story boards. The writing process focuses on pre-writing skills and developing descriptive sentences. Number notes are used to write the stand alone paragraph leading to the multi-paragraphed essays while introducing MLA format. Researching information on topical subjects is done using the computer. Evaluation will include test, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities. The class is smaller in size and accommodates ninth to twelfth graders. School internet access is required.

BASIC READING:  Basic Reading is designed to help students improve their reading skills and prepare them for taking the AIMS test. This class is be mostly individualized based on the students reading needs. The only way to get better at something is to practice; reading is no exception. Therefore, students will practice reading daily to increase their reading ability.

ENGLISH 9:  Students will review basic grammar and library skills. Emphasis will be on sentence and paragraph development, as well as on the use of a variety of sentence lengths and structures. The writing process focuses on the development of the five-paragraph essay while introducing MLA format. Reading focuses on literary appreciation, as well as on the application and analysis of literary terms and devices. Individual reading and book reviewing is done from a required reading list. Works read in this course may include, but are not limited to, such works as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Dumas’ The Count of Monte Cristo. Evaluation will be by test, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities. School internet access is required.

ENGLISH 9 HONORS:  This course is for self-motivated college bound students. Honors English 9 is the first step in preparing students for the more challenging advanced placement courses offered during the 11th and 12th grades. The writing process is emphasized; students will expand the five-paragraph essay into a more in-depth examination of literary issues. Reading focuses on literary appreciation using the application and analysis of literary techniques and devices. Individual reading is required. Books read in this course are selected from a college bound reading list and may include such works as Homer’s The Odyssey and Dickens’s Great Expectations, Students are expected to utilize technical literary vocabulary in analysis and review of novels, short stories and plays. Evaluation will include (but not be limited to) tests, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities. School internet access is required.

ENGLISH 10:  Students will review grammar, reading and writing skills. Emphasis will be on the development of more complex levels of sentence, paragraph and composition building. Oral communication skills will be developed and students will present various types of speeches. Writing includes analysis and explanation of complex character and plot development in short stories, novels and plays. Works read in this course may include, but are not limited to, such works as Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird as well as a selection of non-fiction essays. Students will research and prepare a mini-research paper. Individual outside reading is a continued requirement. Evaluation will be by test, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities. School internet access is required.

ENGLISH 10 HONORS:  This course is for self-motivated college bound students. Emphasis will be on the development of more complex levels of sentence, paragraph and composition building. Oral communication skills will be developed and students will present various types of speeches. Writing includes analysis and explanation of complex character and plot development in short stories, novels and plays. Students will progress from the five-paragraph essay to the more advanced mini-research paper. Critical analyses of literary genre will focus on the universal themes found in literature. Individual outside reading is a continued requirement. Books read in this course are selected from a college bound reading list and may include such works as: Hugo’s Hunchback of Notre Dame and Shelley’s Frankenstein. Evaluation will include (but not be limited to) tests, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities. School internet access is required.

ENGLISH 11:  Students will expand the five-paragraph essay to an in-depth examination of issues and events using analysis and synthesis in interpretation. These examinations will include a research paper utilizing the MLA format. The ability to understand, interpret and explain significant works of American literature becomes the focus for the students. Works read in this course may include, but are not limited to, such works as Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Miller’s The Crucible. The study of grammar is integrated into the entire reading/writing course of study making use of students’ skills from English 9 and 10. Evaluation will be by test, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities.

PRE-ADVANCED PLACEMENT/ENGLISH 11 HONORS:  English 11 Pre-Advanced Placement is the final preparative course for entry into Advanced Placement English. This course is for self-motivated college bound students. Some of this curriculum is based on the College Board’s advanced placement test in Language and Composition. Students will write in-depth examinations of issues and events using analysis and synthesis in interpretation. These examinations will include a research paper utilizing the MLA format. The ability to understand, interpret and explain significant works of classical American literature becomes the focus for the students. The study of grammar is integrated into the entire reading/writing course of study. Individual outside reading is a continued requirement. Books read in this course are selected from a classic literature list and may include such works as: Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, and Lawrence’s Inherit the Wind. Evaluation will include (but not be limited to) tests, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities.

ENGLISH 12:  Advanced literary techniques and devices are used to study and analyze works of world literature. Reading focuses on world literature from the classic to the modern as it reflects the ideals and value systems of diverse human societies. Works read in this course may include, but are not limited to, such works as Isben’s A Doll’s House and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Writing emphasizes the analysis, synthesis and evaluative processes as they apply to expository and persuasive compositions, literary critiques, business letters, and résumés. The study of grammar is integrated into the entire reading/writing course of study making use of students’ skills taught at the lower levels. Evaluation will be by test, written compositions, oral participation and cooperative activities.

ENGLISH 12/AP Literature and Compositon:  This course is designed to comply with the course requirements in the AP English Literature and Composition Description as well as the state standards. Reading and writing are taught as an integrated package in this course. Each supports the other in numerous ways and it is critical for the student to see these connections. Therefore, one emphasis of this course is the intensive study of literary works from various periods, countries and genres so the student can experience the variety of literary works. The active reading of these works encompasses a thorough understanding of the complexity of the work, the artistry of the language and the social/historical implications of the time period represented in the piece.

Speech and Debate:  Students will focus on meaning and communication as they listen, speak, view, read and write in personal, social, occupational, civic and entertainment contexts. Students will learn to communicate information effectively and demonstrate their expressive abilities by creating vocal performances that enlighten and engage an audience. Students will explore and use the characteristics of different types of texts, aesthetic elements and mechanics to construct and convey meaning. Students will develop and apply personal, shared and academic criteria for the employment, appreciation and evaluation of their own and others’ oral, written and visual texts.

Journalism 1:  Journalism 1 will get you writing quickly and confidently. It is a comprehensive apporach to learning the fundamentals of news writing. The course emphasizes reportorial writing, gathering of information and interview techniques. This class is the foundation course for The Campus newspaper staff, but will help you with writing in other courses, as well. It will help you to become a better thinker, and a wiser, more critical consumer of the media. The class is fast paced and topical with hands on learning.

Yearbook:  This course is designed to give students who are interested in yearbook an overview of different types of writing and knowledge of publications production. Throughout the year students will be responsible for photographs included in the yearbook and editing/designing the yearbook pages.

Created By: Brandi Dunnington
Last Updated: Monday, January 26, 2009

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