Grade 12 Courses
English 4
English 4
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Grade level: |
12 |
Course units: |
10 Credits – Year Course |
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Graduation requirement: |
English |
University of California/California State University a-g requirement:: |
b |
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Prerequisite: Enrolling students should have successfully completed English 3 (College Preparation or Advanced Placements Language and Composition).
Course Description: English 4 College Preparation is a rigorous college preparatory course designed to teach students the skills and habits needed to succeed in college or career after graduating. Students read a range of different texts from various genres; however, the course emphasizes nonfiction as part of its commitment to preparing students for college the following year. In addition to reading a number of book-length works both fall and spring semester, students read challenging articles provided by the teachers or discovered as part of their own research.
Major Projects/Assignments: Students write a series of papers about the texts they read, each more demanding than those that precede it. Students conduct a year-long investigation into one topic they choose as part of the Expert Project, an assignment that creates a context for advanced instruction in critical reading and writing strategies. As part of the Expert Project, students give a multimedia presentation and write a major paper. Class discussion and online communication are integrated throughout all units, which are organized around a Big Idea or Essential Question about those themes that run through the lives of high school seniors (e.g., identity, power, the future, and other timely subjects that may arise during the course of the semester).
Approximate homework assigned daily: 30 minutes to 1 hour
Advanced Placement English Literature & Composition (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition
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Grade level: |
12 |
Course units: |
10 Credits – Year Course |
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|
Graduation requirement: |
English |
University of California/California State University a-g requirement: |
b |
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Suggested Course Preparation/Critical Skills: Enrolling students should have successful completion of Advanced Placement Language and Composition, with a grade of “B” or better. Advanced Placement Literature is the best fit for students who are able and willing to read analytically, write frequently, and who are motivated independent learners who take initiative, enjoy extended discussions and discourse, and are able to self-advocate.
Course Description: Senior Advanced Placement English Literature prepares students to take the Advanced Placement exam in May, as well as for the rigors of college-level reading, writing, and discussion. This course is organized around units of study that explore topics such as the interplay between violence and free speech, what counts as literature, and the impact of boundaries on the understanding of self. During these units, students read a range of literary texts from different genres, all of which are appropriate to college-level classes. All texts demand college-level reading abilities and close reading during which the students are expected to annotate and take notes in order to analyze the text. Analytical reading of all literary texts is essential to success in this class. Students are also required to engage in formal and informal discussions that explore thematic & textual elements while providing specific evidence to support their claims. All units culminate in expository essays, which students learn to write both for college as well as for the AP exam in the spring. In addition to such required texts as Hamlet, Antigone, Crime and Punishment, Frankenstein, and Heart of Darkness, students read three novels they choose themselves during the spring semester.
Major Projects/Assignments: Students will be assessed formally and informally on their development of critical reading, writing, and speaking/listening skills throughout the year, but major assignments include in-class and process essays, full-class discussion, and group and individual presentations on material relevant to the course's core texts.
Approximate homework assigned daily: 1 to 2 hours a night
Advanced Placement English Literature & Composition (AP)
Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition
|
Grade level: |
12 |
Course units: |
10 Credits – Year Course |
||
|
Graduation requirement: |
English |
University of California/California State University a-g requirement: |
b |
||
Suggested Course Preparation/Critical Skills: Enrolling students should have successful completion of Advanced Placement Language and Composition, with a grade of “B” or better. Advanced Placement Literature is the best fit for students who are able and willing to read analytically, write frequently, and who are motivated independent learners who take initiative, enjoy extended discussions and discourse, and are able to self-advocate.
Course Description: Senior Advanced Placement English Literature prepares students to take the Advanced Placement exam in May, as well as for the rigors of college-level reading, writing, and discussion. This course is organized around units of study that explore topics such as the interplay between violence and free speech, what counts as literature, and the impact of boundaries on the understanding of self. During these units, students read a range of literary texts from different genres, all of which are appropriate to college-level classes. All texts demand college-level reading abilities and close reading during which the students are expected to annotate and take notes in order to analyze the text. Analytical reading of all literary texts is essential to success in this class. Students are also required to engage in formal and informal discussions that explore thematic & textual elements while providing specific evidence to support their claims. All units culminate in expository essays, which students learn to write both for college as well as for the AP exam in the spring. In addition to such required texts as Hamlet, Antigone, Crime and Punishment, Frankenstein, and Heart of Darkness, students read three novels they choose themselves during the spring semester.
Major Projects/Assignments: Students will be assessed formally and informally on their development of critical reading, writing, and speaking/listening skills throughout the year, but major assignments include in-class and process essays, full-class discussion, and group and individual presentations on material relevant to the course's core texts.
Approximate homework assigned daily: 1 to 2 hours a night