Freshman English Curriculum - St. Francis Preparatory School



St. Francis Prep English Department Curriculum 2013/14Freshman English CurriculumThis course presents a study of high school language-arts. The curriculum builds on the reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills which the students studied in their grammar, junior high, middle, and intermediate schools. The major areas of concentration include introduction to literary genre and analysis, grammar and composition, vocabulary, and study skills. LiteratureIntroduction to Literary GenreTextbooks: Adventures in Reading (HBJ), ReflectionsNight by Elie Wiesel (Summer Reading)Shakespeare Stealer (Summer Reading)Of Mice and Men --John SteinbeckTo Kill a Mockingbird --Harper LeeA Shakespearean play: Romeo and Juliet, OthelloAll selections from The Odyssey contained in textbook A significant selection of short stories from the textbook which use literary devices that will give the students the foundation in reading prose fiction.Poems from the text which employ poetic devices that will give the students the foundation in reading verse.An additional novel/play of the teacher’s choice, approved by the mon Core ReadingsLiterary Terms/Poetic Devices:allegory, alliteration, allusion, antagonist, aside, assonance, blank verse, character (dynamic/developing, static) and characterization, climax, conflict, consonance, denouement, dialect, diction, dramatic irony, end rhyme, epic, figurative language (simile, metaphor, extended/sustained metaphor, onomatopoeia, oxymoron, hyperbole, personification), flashback, foreshadowing, free verse, iambic pentameter, imagery, irony, meter, narration, narrator, plot, point of view, protagonist, rhyme, rhyme scheme, setting, stanza, suspense, symbol, theme, tone.Grammar/WritingFormal instruction in grammar rules and usage. The curriculum covers the following topics: consistency of tense, fragments, forms of sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), clear pronoun antecedent, apostrophes, run-on sentences, active and passive voice, agreement in number of pronoun and antecedent, singular verb with singular indefinite pronoun, prepositional phrases, pronoun case. Every freshman takes grammar assessment exams.Formal instruction in essay writing. Students begin formal instruction in the literary essay. By the end of freshman year, students have practiced and mastered the five paragraph essay. The writing curriculum covers the following: paragraph and essay structure, transitions between paragraphs, using appropriate diction, tone, proofreading, topic sentences in body paragraphs, adhering closely to a topic, supporting a position, writing for a particular audience. As upperclassmen, the class of 2017 will sit for the PSAT and SAT. The format of the SAT includes a two part writing test: a multiple choice section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving freshmen the foundation skills in grammar and essay writing which the students need to produce excellent results on these college entrance examinations. Study SkillsPresentation of basic skills: academic responsibility, note-taking, outlining, studying, reading comprehension, time management. In particular, the English department has committed to emphasizing the following as part of the school-wide freshman study skills curriculum: reading a short story, writing a paragraph, learning and studying vocabulary. VocabularyCompletion of the words in the vocabulary text Level D. Freshmen must understand the importance of vocabulary development in taking the Critical Reading sections of the PSAT and SAT.Sophomore English Curriculum 2012/13LiteratureThe sophomore program continues the introduction to literary genre that is begun in freshman year. Although much of the literature is drawn from British works, other national texts may be included.Textbook: Adventures in English LiteratureExcerpts from Beowulf; Excerpts from The Canterbury Tales --Geoffrey Chaucer; Optional: excerpts from Morte D’Arthur --Malory; excerpts from Sir Gawain and the Green Knight --The Pearl PoetMacbeth --ShakespeareA 19th c. British novel: either Frankenstein --Mary Shelley; Dracula --Bram Stoker; Great Expectations --Charles Dickens; Jane Eyre --Charlotte Bronte; Wuthering Heights -Emily Bronte; Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge, Northanger Abbey. Jane Austen.Lord of the Flies, William GoldingAn additional novel/play of the teacher’s choice.A significant selection of prose fiction and non-fiction, including articles, which reinforces the literary terms the students learned in freshman year.Poems which emphasize the poetic devices the students learned in freshman year. These poems must cover the forms of the sonnet and may include other forms that developed as part of the English tradition, such as the ode, the ballad, the elegy, and the dramatic mon Core ReadingsGrammar/WritingFormal instruction in grammar rules and usage. The curriculum covers and reinforces the following topics which the students cover in freshman year: consistency of tense, fragments, forms of sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), clear pronoun antecedent, apostrophes, run-on sentences, active and passive voice, agreement in number of pronoun and antecedent, singular verb with singular indefinite pronoun, prepositional phrases, pronoun case. Every sophomore takes grammar assessment exams.In sophomore year, students improve their analytical skills by focusing on the expository essay. The students come to understand the differences between the literary and non-literary essay and receive formal instruction in the literary essay and focus on improving their skills in writing this type essay. The writing curriculum covers the following: essay structure, transitions between paragraphs, using appropriate diction, tone, proofreading, topic sentences in body paragraphs, adhering closely to a topic, supporting a position, writing for a particular audience.The class of 2016 will sit for the PSAT and SAT. The format of the SAT includes critical reading tests and a two part writing test: a multiple choice grammar section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving sophomores the foundation skills in reading comprehension and grammar and essay writing which the students need to produce excellent results on the college entrance examinations. Every sophomore will use the Barron’s SAT Critical Reading workbook to achieve this.VocabularyCompletion of the words in the vocabulary text, Level E. In addition, students are encouraged to be aware of their responsibility for the vocabulary in the written texts. Sophomores come to understand the importance of vocabulary development in taking the verbal section of the PSAT and SAT.Study SkillsEmphasis of basic skills: academic responsibility, note-taking, outlining, studying, reading comprehension, time management.Junior English Curriculum 2013/14LiteratureThe junior program provides a survey of American literature that introduces the students to the major themes, topics, authors, and works.Textbook: Adventures in American Literature The Great Gatsby --F. Scott FitzgeraldThe Catcher in the Rye --J. D. SalingerThe Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain, orBilly Budd, Herman MelvilleDeath of a Salesman --Arthur Miller An additional novel/play of the teacher’s choiceCommon Core Readings.WritingJunior year strengthens, expands, and reinforces the techniques of analytical writing which the students practiced in freshman and sophomore years. Students continue formal instruction in the literary essay, focusing on using the primary texts in their literary analysis. Students sit for the English Regents Examination in June of junior year. On this exam, which will have a new format in 2011, students must write two responses based on reading comprehension and a literary essay discussing works which students have read in junior year. Throughout the year, students consistently practice writing in these formats in preparation for the Regents exam.The class of 2015 will sit for the PSAT and SAT. The format of the SAT includes critical reading exams and a two part writing test: a multiple choice section grammar section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving juniors the foundation skills and the practice in reading comprehension and grammar and essay writing which the students must use to produce excellent results on the college entrance exams. VocabularyCompletion of the words in the vocabulary text, Level F. Students are encouraged to be aware of the importance of intensive vocabulary study for success in reading comprehension on the PSAT and SAT.Study SkillsEmphasis of refining the skills which students learned in freshman and sophomore years: note-taking, outlining, studying, reading comprehension, time management. Junior year stresses the importance of personal academic responsibility for upperclassmen on the brink of college.Senior English Curriculum 2013/14Eng. 6506Advanced Placement English in Literature and CompositionA two semester course As the senior honors class, this course is designed for advanced students who have exhibited a high degree of interest and accomplishment in their English studies at St. Francis. A.P. English focuses on the analysis of poetry, fiction, and drama from the Western canon. In addition to participating in intelligent class discussion, students are required to respond to complex essay questions that ask them to connect style and meaning. Students must apply their knowledge of figurative language, narrative, and dialogue to the works in each genre and write essays that require coherent theses, specific detailed references, and consistent focus. All students in this course must sit for the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature and Composition. The course includes preparation for successful achievement on the exam. This is the only way to take the A.P. Exam in English; students in other English courses may not sit for the exam.Eng. 6610Drama: Shakespeare and CompanyA two semester course. The course examines representative plays of Western drama from its beginnings in ancient Greece through the Renaissance to the contemporary theater of the United States and England. The approach is historical and thematic. The course includes a study of major playwrights including Sophocles, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Beckett, Pirandello, O’Neill, Miller, Williams, and Stoppard. Students focus on how philosophical, political, moral, and cultural attitudes shape each playwright’s vision. Issues we consider include drama as text and performance, stagecraft, playwriting, and theater and film criticism. Eng. 6620World Literature: Great Authors of Many NationsA two semester course This course considers literature of the Western and non-Western canon, exclusive of England and the United States. The curriculum includes reading and analysis of the great writers and works of Continental Europe, South America, Russia, Asia, and Africa from civilizations past and present. Students will particularly focus on the texts as products of the culture in which they were written and the effect of reading works in translation. The course includes all literary genres: poetry, novels, short stories, drama.Eng. 6630Gothic Literature: The Mysterious and the GrotesqueA one semester course This course fosters an understanding of American “Gothic” literature: the study of the supernatural, the darkness, the mysterious, and the grotesque. We will trace the origins and development of Gothic literature in Europe, but will concentrate on American authors. Students will also explore Gothicism in popular culture. The course includes all literary genres: poetry, novels, short stories, drama.Eng. 6680 Fiction: The Short Story, The Novella, The NovelA one semester course This course is an examination of prose fiction. Students will read and analyze prose fiction in all its forms: the short story, the novella, and the novel. Students study the historical development of prose fiction, especially the major British, American, and European Continental writers who significantly have advanced the form in the nineteenth century, the twentieth century, and contemporary literature. Eng. 6690 Poetry: “The Best Words in their Best Order”A one semester course This course examines how poems create their effects on readers. Students study how a poem begins as a “spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings” in the poet and finishes as evocative language on the page. Students analyze how the poet takes his source of inspiration, crafts it into imagery, and gives insight into human experience. The course includes poems from the entire history of English verse including epic poetry and narrative poetry. The curriculum also includes a selection of “lyrical” novels.Saint Francis Prep Writing Curriculum 2013/2014Freshman YearFormal instruction in grammar rules and usage. The curriculum covers the following topics: consistency of tense, fragments, forms of sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), clear pronoun antecedent, apostrophes, run-on sentences, active and passive voice, agreement in number of pronoun and antecedent, singular verb with singular indefinite pronoun, prepositional phrases, pronoun case. Freshmen take grammar assessment exams.Formal instruction in paragraph and essay writing. Students begin formal instruction in the literary essay. By the end of freshman year, students have practiced and mastered the five paragraph essay. The writing curriculum covers the following: essay structure, transitions between paragraphs, using appropriate diction, tone, proofreading, topic sentences in body paragraphs, adhering closely to a topic, supporting a position, writing for a particular audience.As upperclassmen, the class of 2017 will sit for the PSAT and SAT. The revised format of the SAT includes critical reading tests and a two part writing test: a multiple choice grammar section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving freshmen the foundation skills in reading comprehension and grammar and essay writing which the students need to produce excellent results on the college entrance examinations. Sophomore YearFormal instruction in grammar rules and usage. The curriculum covers and reinforces the following topics which the students cover in freshman year: consistency of tense, fragments, forms of sentences (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex), clear pronoun antecedent, apostrophes, run-on sentences, active and passive voice, agreement in number of pronoun and antecedent, singular verb with singular indefinite pronoun, prepositional phrases, pronoun case. Sophomores take grammar assessment exams.In sophomore year, students improve their analytical skills by focusing on the expository essay. The students come to understand the differences between the literary and non-literary essay. Students receive formal instruction in the literary essay and focus on improving their skills in writing this type essay. The writing curriculum covers the following: essay structure, transitions between paragraphs, using appropriate diction, tone, proofreading, topic sentences in body paragraphs, adhering closely to a topic, supporting a position, writing for a particular audience.The class of 2016 will sit for the PSAT and SAT. The revised format of the SAT includes critical reading tests and a two part writing test: a multiple choice grammar section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving sophomores the foundation skills in reading comprehension and grammar and essay writing which the students need to produce excellent results on the college entrance examinations. Every sophomore will use the Barron’s SAT Critical Reading workbook to achieve this.Junior YearJunior year strengthens, expands, and reinforces the techniques of analytical writing which the students practiced in freshman and sophomore years. Students continue formal instruction in the literary essay, focusing on using the primary texts in their literary analysis. Students sit for the English Regents Examination in June of junior year. On this exam, which will have a new format in 2011, students must write two responses based on reading comprehension and a literary essay discussing works which students have read in junior year. Throughout the year, students consistently practice writing in these formats in preparation for the Regents exam.The class of 2015 will sit for the PSAT and SAT. The revised format of the SAT includes critical reading exams and a two part writing test: a multiple choice section grammar section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving juniors the foundation skills and the practice in reading comprehension and grammar and essay writing which the students must use to produce excellent results on the college entrance exams. Senior YearIn all the courses of senior year, students work to achieve the level of mature writing expected of secondary school graduates who will attend college. Students are introduced to the techniques of literary research and how to incorporate sources into their literary analysis. Students practice both the “on demand” writing of in-class essays and the formal “at home” papers.In the fall, the class of 2014 will sit for the SAT which includes critical reading tests and a two part writing test: a multiple choice grammar section and a 25 minute essay. English teachers are committed to giving seniors the foundation skills and the practice in grammar and essay writing which the students must use to produce excellent results on this portion of the SAT.Seniors also must write the personal essay on their college applications. The English department offers assistance with the composition and editing of these essays in formal classroom instruction, individual tutorials, and in the SFP Writing Center.Writing CenterSelected students from all classes attend regularly scheduled sessions in the St. Francis Prep Writing Center. Individual and small-group instruction emphasizes the parts of the writing process in which each student needs improvement. The Writing Center staff is particularly committed to assisting with the college essay, the SAT essay, and the English RegentsEnglish Enrichment CurriculumThe English Enrichment course is designed for English language learners for whom English is a second language and whose writing skills need improvement. Students concentrate on the grammar and essay construction issues vital for English language learners. The course focuses on giving the students the skills necessary to write clear and effective essays in St. Francis Prep’s college preparatory curriculum. Thus, students learn how to improve their essay writing in all their academic subjects. Students are placed in this class after a careful evaluation of their writing skills. This evaluation may take place during the admissions process or on the recommendation of a student’s St. Francis Prep English teacher in consultation with the chairperson of the English department. This course must be taken in addition to the regular full unit of English and is a two semester course for which the student receives one unit.Each English Enrichment class enrolls no more than twenty students in order to maintain flexibility for the instructor to develop an individual plan of instruction based on each student’s writing needs.The course provides individual, small group, and classroom instruction--all of which is tailored to pace every student’s own progress in improving their essay writing.The philosophy which drives the course is that success/improvement in writing come by studying all areas of the language arts. Therefore, the course stresses how reading literacy and comprehension is a key to writing improvement. An understanding of the grammar of English usage is essential with key comparisons made to the formation and usage of language in the student’s native language. The course aims to improve student literacy in writing not only in their English and language arts courses, but also in other academic disciplines where fluency in writing should be a priority in academic success such as the arts and humanities, social sciences, hard sciences, religion and philosophy and theology. The “writing across the curriculum” which is driving force behind the St Francis Prep Writing Center is equally important in the English Enrichment curriculum.At the start of each semester, the instructor conducts an in-depth evaluation of the student’s writing needs; this analysis includes composition, grammar and usage, reading and writing comprehension. After this, the instructor will construct an individual plan of improvement for each student, along, with the input of each student’s English course instructor and the chairperson of the English department. There will also be outreach/consultation/ communication with teachers in other academic disciplines Daily routine includes varies depending upon the teacher’s determination of individual, small-group, and large group needs. Course contains very busy hands-on classroom experiences with daily feedback on student writing and language use, grammar lessons, essay review. ................
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