Grade 11 Courses

English 3                                                                                                                                         

Prerequisite: Enrolling students should have successful completion of English 2

Suggested Course Preparation: Students study American Literature through novels and excerpts from The Language of Literature anthology by McDougal Littell. First semester, major works include The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. The fall semester also includes a Minority Voices Nonfiction Unit to show alternative perspectives and experiences with the course theme of the American Dream. In addition to close reading of the text, writing prompts include argumentative, informative and synthesis genres with emphasis on revising and editing. Second semester includes a The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. Students will research in preparation for a formal debate and study a Women's Unit with selected authors from the anthology and modern periodicals.

Course Description:  Writing, close reading, speaking and listening, language development and in-depth literary analysis. Students should know and use academic language, contextual and root-based vocabulary to succeed when reading, writing, and taking assessments.

Major Projects/Assignments:

Approximate homework assigned daily:  30 to 45 minutes

Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition

Suggested Course Preparation: a grade of A in a sophomore English class.  Students must complete the summer reading assignment.

Students should be able to do the following:

1. Reading: Students should read independently and critically to meet the requirements of this college level course, in order that they can not only succeed but also bring insight to class discussions, to writing assignments, and to future readings. 
2. Writing: Students should write essays to meet college level writing standards set by the AP College Board. Their writing defends a complex thesis and contains thoughtful commentary.  Writing should be free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

Course Description: This course is “designed to help students become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts and to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes.” (Advanced Placement collegeboard.com). Students in the Advanced Placement Language and Composition class will read a variety of both fiction and nonfiction prose selections, deepening their awareness of rhetoric and how language works. Special emphasis is given to the non-fiction readings, as students prepare for the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Exam given in May. Through close reading and frequent writing, students develop their ability to work with language with a greater awareness of purpose and strategy.  Course readings feature expository, analytical, personal, argumentative, and narrative texts from a variety of authors and historical contexts.

Approximate homework assigned daily: 1 to 2 hours 

Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition

Suggested Course Preparation: a grade of A in a sophomore English class.  Students must complete the summer reading assignment.

Students should be able to do the following:

1. Reading: Students should read independently and critically to meet the requirements of this college level course, in order that they can not only succeed but also bring insight to class discussions, to writing assignments, and to future readings. 
2. Writing: Students should write essays to meet college level writing standards set by the AP College Board. Their writing defends a complex thesis and contains thoughtful commentary.  Writing should be free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

Course Description: This course is “designed to help students become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts and to become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes.” (Advanced Placement collegeboard.com). Students in the Advanced Placement Language and Composition class will read a variety of both fiction and nonfiction prose selections, deepening their awareness of rhetoric and how language works. Special emphasis is given to the non-fiction readings, as students prepare for the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Exam given in May. Through close reading and frequent writing, students develop their ability to work with language with a greater awareness of purpose and strategy.  Course readings feature expository, analytical, personal, argumentative, and narrative texts from a variety of authors and historical contexts.

Approximate homework assigned daily: 1 to 2 hours