English

Foundations of Composition serves as a foundation to help students excel in future courses and improve self-expression through the mediums of writing.  This course seeks to strengthen writing skills through frequent writing assignments and a close study of what constitutes “good writing.” Students are expected to consistently self-assess their own writing styles, give constructive feedback to classmates, and adapt to various modes of writing. 

English I focuses on the various literary genres. Students will critically read and write about various forms of literature : short story, nonfiction, novel, poetry, and drama.  In doing so, students will gain an understanding of the key elements and stylistic aspects of each genre. The course also involves some preparation for the ACT with an emphasis on vocabulary acquisition.  Finally, the course requires a significant amount of writing, including a research paper. This class will encourage students to look beyond the surface and find deeper meaning when reading various forms of literature. Through this exploration, students will become critical thinkers, analytical readers, and proficient writers. 

English II offers students the chance to study world literature and literary criticism at a level appropriate to freshmen students. The purpose of this course is to promote intellectual growth by strengthening students' abilities to read analytically and creatively, by filling in or reinforcing students' knowledge of the outlines of history, and by making students conversant with many major cultural landmarks and developing their sensitivity to cultural diversity through a critical study of English translations of selected world masterpieces from both ancient civilizations and the modern world. The emphasis of the course is on reading for pleasure and as a lifelong pursuit, on writing clear and concise prose, on honing skills in research and presentation, and on developing finely tuned skills in critical thinking. Formal grammar is covered as needed in writing instruction, as well as through ACT preparatory exercises in the vocabulary workbook.  Students acquire new vocabulary from the literature and from vocabulary units built into the course.  Practice in formal writing, including a documented essay, occurs throughout the course.

English III covers a journey through European literature from the medieval period, through the Renaissance,  the Enlightenment, Neoclassic, Romantic and the Victorian ages. Students will critically read and write about the literature of Europe and, in doing so, will gain an understanding and appreciation of the major literary movements and popular literary themes, especially in relation to current social, political and personal events/concerns. Finally, the course requires a significant amount of writing, in which students learn to write formal essays of literary analysis. A documented essay allows students to incorporate scholarly writings and literary criticism into their essays, thus creating a formal research paper of literary analysis.

English IV provides a survey of American literature from its origins to modern times. The course emphasizes a cultural and historical perspective that stresses the interaction of literature and history. For this reason, the literary selections are presented in chronological order, with corresponding novels chosen as representatives of the major themes and/or movements of each literary period. Composition in English IV stresses literary analysis, including incorporating scholarly research as secondary support for the thesis. Formal grammar is covered as needed in writing instruction, as well as through ACT preparatory exercises in the vocabulary workbook. Students acquire new vocabulary from the literature and from vocabulary units built into the course.

The English Composition Dual Enrollment course serves as an introduction to analytical writing and research-based inquiry. Both English 1001 and 2000 are General Education courses attached to Louisiana State University’s English department. English 1001 seeks to help students conduct research, articulate complex disciplinary problems, evaluate and analyze primary and secondary sources, and integrate relevant information into original discourse. English 2000 seeks to further students’ abilities in what they learned during English 1001, but also applies that knowledge to disciplinary and interdisciplinary writing. Students will select a discipline to work within at the beginning of the semester and research and participate within the discipline’s discourse. Both courses stress the importance of the writing process and require students to produce at least three drafts of four college level papers per semester.

The English V AP Literature & Composition class is designed to allow students to demonstrate that they can read complex fiction and nonfiction texts with insight. Readings, writing assignments, and activities provide intellectual challenges and a workload consistent with a typical undergraduate university literature/Humanities course. Students learn to discover meaning in literature by being attentive to language, imagery, characterization, subtle shifts in tone or attitude, and the various techniques authors use to evoke emotional responses from their readers. Students must justify their interpretations with supportive references to details and patterns found in the text. Students also study rhetoric and composition with attention to particular forms: analytical, expository, and argumentative. The best student writers tend to be the best critical readers, thus students are involved in the writing process as it relates to literary analysis: planning, prewriting, composing, revising, and more revising. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers.

In this class, you will read a variety of contemporary YA literature. We will explore different genres from romance to thrillers. Here are just a few authors/titles that we may read: Nicolas Sparks/ The Last Song, Ransom Riggs/Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, James Dashner/The Maze Runner, Markus Zusak/The Book Thief, and Ridley Pearson/Kingdom Keepers I: Disney After Dark. You may not recognize the following titles because they were just published in January and February of 2018: The Cruel Prince; Love, Hate, and other Filters; and American Panda.  In response to the readings, you and your classmates will engage in discussions about contemporary, realistic, and controversial issues.

This elective course focuses on contemporary and classic dystopian literature, including multiple short stories and novels like Lowry’s The Giver and Orwell’s 1984. Students  will explore controversial issues of morality, governmental control, technology, the sanctity of human life, freedom, and scientific discovery. This course will allow students to consider both the despair and the hope that writers feel about humanity, while also offering a chance to discuss important and sometimes controversial issues. As a class, students will discuss, research, write, debate and actively explore the cultural issues addressed in each literary work. Sophomores need teacher and parent permission prior to registering due to the sensitive nature of some of the topics discussed.

The AP English Language and Composition course serves as a prerequisite to AP English Literature & Composition and is highly recommended for those taking AP Literature in their senior year. As prescribed by THE COLLEGE BOARD, an AP course in English Language and Composition will train the students to become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of historical periods, academic disciplines, and rhetorical contexts. The course will also give the students the practice and helpful criticism necessary to become flexible writers who can compose in a variety of modes for a variety of purposes. Through reading and writing, the student will become aware of the interactions among the author, the audience, the subject itself, generic conventions, and the resources of language, including syntax, word choice, and tone. Students who do not take this course prior to AP English Literature & Composition are at a disadvantage in preparing for the AP test because they will lack the rhetorical skills needed to read & write about complex pieces of literature. 

In this course students will explore multiple genres of writing, from poetry to short fiction and creative non-fiction. We will focus on the craft of writing, which will involve reading the works of published writers and demystifying their craft. We will also delve deeply into the writing process. Students will be expected to publish their work in class during writing workshops, where they critique each other's writing. The ultimate goal is to create a portfolio of work for publication in SSA’s literary magazine, The Osirian.

This course investigates the writing and reporting of articles on current events, public issues, personalities, culture and entertainment for both print and electronic media.  A school newspaper will be a required element to this course.