Info Guide2012-13 - St. Scholastica Academy

ENGLISH III - Juniors / Accelerated Sophomores - 1 term
English III covers British literature from its origins to the nineteenth century and includes British history
and history of the English language. Students will critically read and write about the literature of Britain from the
Anglo-Saxon Period through the Victorian Age. In doing so, students 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 - Seniors / Accelerated Juniors - 1 term
English IV covers World literature and provides an intensive review of the skills and content acquired
in previous English courses, while advancing the reading and writing skills of the students to levels which will
give them an advantage in their college English courses. The course gradually introduces the students to the
special demands of in-class writing which they will meet in college. The literary content of English IV is a
combination of modern world literature and modern / contemporary American and British literature. English
IV actively incorporates modern female authors and modern multi-cultural works into its literary curriculum.
This course returns to genre as its literary guiding structure and extends genre studies to the levels of college
expectations. English IV students write a literary term paper as part of the course.
ENGLISH IV AP - Juniors - 1 term
The English IV AP class is designed to allow students to demonstrate that they can read complex
fiction and non-fiction 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, revision, and more revision.
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.
ENGLISH V - Seniors - 1 term
In the English V course, seniors study literature through a genre approach. They begin with the
development of drama, reading first a Greek tragedy, then a Shakespearean comedy, and finally a modern
prose drama. Then, the poetry unit consists of American and British selections not previously covered in
English II, III, and IV with a particular emphasis on Victorian literature. Students also read some short stories,
reviewing the elements of this genre. Finally, the study of two Southern novels by women writers completes the
literature portion of this course. The students write a literary term paper as a major assessment piece for this
course.
St. Scholastica Academy -21- Information Guide