philosophy of the english department - Lemont High School

EnglishEnglish II AcademicGrades Course Open To: 10 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Successful completion of English I Academic or consent of Division ChairDescription: This course continues to prepare the average or above-average student in the study of world literatureand composition skills. Attention is given to reading inferentially and making critical judgments regarding literature;subject matter can include a major three-act play, short stories, poetry and non-fiction. In composition studies,individual student weaknesses as revealed in standardized tests and in student writing are closely addressed. Studentswrite a variety of expository papers and a critical literary paper, with an emphasis on demonstrating support forconclusions reached in writing, expressing critical judgments and developing interpretive and comprehension skills.English II HonorsGrades Course Open To: 10 Credit: 1.0 - Honors creditPrerequisite: Grade of B or better in English I HonorsDescription: This course continues the preparation of highly advanced students and encourages them to think andwrite in the higher cognitive levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. Students are trained in rhetoric, compositionand discussion skills, and study literature using techniques and strategies found in teaching for Advanced Placementcomposition and literature. Composition studies help to assess students’ weaknesses, and an emphasis is placedon submitting adequate support for conclusions reached during both expository and critical writing. Students areintroduced to the elements of composing a formal research paper, which are practiced through the preparation of ashort research paper. A wide range of world literature is used, including novels by Buck, Baldwin and Paton; playssuch as Julius Caesar and Antigone; and essays, poems and short fiction from Kafka, Hawthorne and other significantauthors. Special attention is given to inferential reading and developing critical judgments, and literature is exploredusing the Socratic method of discussion. Students are expected to repeat readings to investigate and discoverunderlying meanings and issues. Students must be independent learners with excellent study skills and habits andmaintain high academic standards throughout this fast-paced class. Due to the course’s rigor, students must displayexcellent time management skills learned and practiced in English I Honors in order to meet the demands of thecurriculum. Students must maintain at least a B average in the subject and attend and actively participate in fourGreat Books sessions to be retained in the Honors program. The course is especially useful for students who plan toattend major universities or who will be seeking advanced college placement.Speech CommunicationGrades Course Open To: 10 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course provides students with a variety of speech communication experiences, with an emphasisplaced on the preparation, organization, composition and delivery of the oral presentation. Students studyinterpersonal communication, verbal and non-verbal communication, and listening skills. Students present anumber of speeches throughout the course, including an expository presentation, a research-based persuasionspeech, and a demonstration performance.26 Lemont High School Program of Studies

Lemont High School Program of StudiesEnglishEnglish III PracticalGrades Course Open To: 11 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Successful completion of English II Practical or consent of Division ChairDescription: This course is a continuation of studies in composition and literary skills for students who experiencemoderate difficulty in writing and reading skills. In composition, a focus is placed on a number of topics, includingpersuasion and argumentation, literary analysis, and creative writing. Students demonstrating needs in compositionskills are given special attention. To prepare for college, students must satisfactorily complete a mandatory MLAstyleresearch paper while utilizing technological tools. Students also are expected to increase the time, energy andeffort they put forth toward independent learning. Students review the necessary skills to prepare for the English,reading and writing sections of the ACT. Special attention is given to inferential reading and increasing theappreciation and interpretation of good American literature - from Colonial to contemporary - are focused upon,including pieces of fiction, drama, nonfiction and poetry. Works such as The Crucible, Into the Wild, Of Mice andMen and The Catcher in the Rye are studied, with an emphasis placed on critical reading and interpretation.English III AcademicGrades Course Open To: 11 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Successful completion of English II Academic or consent of Division ChairDescription: This course continues studies in composition and literary skills for average to above-average students.A focus is placed on a number of composition topics, including persuasion and argumentation, literary analysis, andcreative writing. In accordance with being prepared for college, students must satisfactorily complete a mandatoryMLA-style research paper while utilizing technological tools. Students are expected to increase the time, energyand effort they put forth toward independent learning. Students review skills needed in preparation for the English,reading, and writing sections of the ACT. Special attention is given to inferential reading and increasing theappreciation and interpretation of good American literature - from Colonial to contemporary - are focused upon,including pieces of fiction, drama, nonfiction and poetry. Works such as The Crucible, Into the Wild, Of Mice andMen and The Catcher in the Rye are studied, with an emphasis placed on critical reading and interpretation.English III HonorsGrades Course Open To: 11 Credit: 1.0 - Honors creditPrerequisite: Grade of B or better in English II HonorsFees: The Bedford ReaderDescription: This course is designed for the most advanced students and furthers the work done in the English Iand II Honors courses. In addition to reviewing skills needed in preparation for the ACT and Advanced PlacementLanguage test, students study and practice various modes of writing, write critical reflections on literature, and writepoetry and short stories, all with a view towards succeeding at the best colleges. Additionally, students complete amandatory MLA-style research paper while utilizing technological tools, with a view towards college preparation.Periods in American literature, from Colonial to contemporary, are studied, including pieces of fiction, drama,nonfiction and poetry. Major works such as The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye and The Things They Carried arestudied, with an emphasis placed on critical reading and inferential skills; close attention is given to student-writtencreative and critical responses to the literature. Students must be independent learners with excellent study skills andhabits and maintain high academic standards throughout this fast-paced class. Due to the course’s rigor, studentsmust display excellent time management skills learned and practiced in previous Honors courses in order to meetthe demands of the curriculum. Students must maintain at least a B average in the subject and attend and activelyparticipate in four Great Books sessions to be retained in the Honors program. The course is especially useful forstudents who plan to attend major universities or who will be seeking advanced college placement. Note: Thiscourses prepares students for the AP English Language exam, which Honors students are required to take as seniors.27

EnglishEnglish IV PracticalGrades Course Open To: 12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Successful completion of English III Practical or consent of Division ChairDescription: This course concludes the language skill development program for students with a need for furtherdevelopment in grade level in reading and writing. Composition units integrate grammar and usage with studentwriting assignments that coexist with the literature, and include work in exposition, description, narration, letterwriting, and a small mandatory research paper that has a great emphasis on MLA structure and citations; closeattention is paid to revision and proofreading skills in these assignments. British literature from a number of periodsis studied, with an emphasis placed on the classical heritage; Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Renaissance, Restorationand Victorian periods; and the Modern Era. Material from Beowulf, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, Swift, Shelley,Tennyson and many more is included. Special attention is given to inferential reading and to increasing theenjoyment and interpretation of world literature.English IV AcademicGrades Course Open To: 12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Successful completion of English III Academic or consent of Division ChairDescription: This course concludes the four-year program in academic English skills and is designed for the averageto above-average student. Student needs are assessed in early composition work, and a special focus is given to anydeficiencies that exist. Focusing on college-level models of exposition, the class addresses exemplification, definition,comparison and classification, as well as division, causal and process analysis. The processes of argumentation andcritical literary writing are also included. Students work to develop successful college composition skills, whichculminates in the preparation of a research a paper utilizing appropriate research tools and techniques. Englishliterature from a number of periods, ranging from the Anglo-Saxon period and Middle Ages to the 20th Century,is studied. Material from Chaucer, Mallory, Shakespeare, the King James Bible, Tennyson, Browning and others isincluded. Literary studies are set in their historical context, with an emphasis on comprehension and critical analysis.English IV HonorsGrades Course Open To: 12 Credit: 1.0 - Honors creditPrerequisite: Grade of B or better in English III Honors or consent of Division ChairFees: AP English Language exam (paid at fall registration)Description: This course concludes the four-year Honors program and is designed for highly advanced students.Student needs are assessed in early composition work, and a special focus is given to any deficiencies that exist.Focusing on college-level and Advanced Placement writing models, the class addresses exemplification, definition,comparison and classification, as well as division, causal and process analysis. The processes of logic, argumentationand critical literary writing are also included. Composition studies culminate in a research paper, in which studentsutilize appropriate research tools and techniques. English literature from a number of periods, ranging from theAnglo-Saxon period and Middle Ages to the 20th Century, is studied. Students read a major novel and dramaticpieces by Shakespeare, among other selections. Students must be independent learners with excellent study skills andhabits and maintain high academic standards throughout this fast-paced class. Due to the course’s rigor, studentsmust display excellent time management skills learned and practiced in previous Honors courses in order to meetthe demands of the curriculum. Students must maintain at least a B average in the subject and attend and activelyparticipate in four Great Books sessions to be retained in the Honors program. The course is especially usefulfor students who plan to attend major universities or who will be seeking advanced college placement. Note: Allstudents enrolled in this course must take the AP English Language exam in the spring.28 Lemont High School Program of Studies

EnglishELECTIVE COURSES - ENGLISHAdvanced Dramatics HonorsGrades Course Open To: 11-12 Credit: 0.5 - Honors creditPrerequisite: Successful completion of DramaticsDescription: This course provides students with an overview of theatre history and acting styles. Concepts of voice,movement, character analysis, staging and directing in each historical era are introduced, modeled and performed.The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Advanced Placement English LiteratureGrades Course Open To: 12 Credit: 1.0 - weighted for APPrerequisite: Grade of B or better in English III Honors, or consent of Division ChairFees: AP English Literature exam (paid at fall registration)Description: This fast-paced course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement English Literatureexam, and places an emphasis on high-level critical reading and writing. Covering the masters of world literature,students explore the historic, cultural, economic and social forces that shape the nations - as well as the writers - ofthis literature. The course is designed for highly motivated, self-sufficient students, and provides them with toolsnecessary to excel in rigorous college courses that are reading or writing dependent. Note: All students enrolled inthis course must take the AP English Literature exam in the spring.Advanced Speech CommunicationGrades Course Open To: 11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: Successful completion of Speech CommunicationDescription: This course builds on and further develops speaking skills taught in Speech Communication, andrequires students to make a number of formal presentations. Students select individualized goals for improving theirown communication weaknesses, and also present competitive forensics speeches. Rhetoric, debate and small-groupcommunication are also covered. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.The American StageGrades Course Open To: 11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course explores the history of American theatre craft, from its earliest roots to the theatre of today.Students explore American plays, playwrights, theaters and actors. The course is appropriate for college-boundstudents.Cinema Studies IGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course introduces students to film terminology and cinematic effects. The study of the history offilm shows the progression from silent film to “talkies,” from black and white to color, and from film compositionand props to computer generation. Students analyze a variety of genres, including westerns, combat, film noir,musicals, horror, animation and comedy. Students share findings in oral presentations and produce writtenreflections, with some of the presentations bring group oriented and others being completed individually. Studentsdevelop a shot-by-shot analysis and put together a final film proposal.Lemont High School Program of Studies29

EnglishCinema Studies IIGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: Successful completion of Cinema Studies IDescription: A continuation of Cinema Studies I, this course further defines specific characteristics that distinguishfilm from other media and art forms. Cineliteracy is further documented, and students have the opportunity toanalyze additional cinematic selections from a number of genres, such as combat films, comedies and foreign films.Oral presentations, written reports, shot-by-shot analyses and film proposals are again included in the curriculum.Students follow recent developments in the cinema field, creating reflective responses through a “cinema log.”Competitive SpeechGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course, which students may take more than once, provides instruction in critical thinking, publicspeaking and competitive forensic events. A workshop dedicated to students’ proficiency in competitive forensicevents, the course is directly associated with the school’s Speech Team. Students are required to become proficientin one category in each of the three diverse competitive forensic events – Public Address (Original Oratory,Oratorical Declamation, Special Occasion Speaking, Original Comedy and Informative Speaking), Limited Prep(Extemporaneous Speaking, Radio Speaking and Impromptu Speaking), and Interpretation (Dramatic Duet Acting,Dramatic Interpretation, Humorous Duet Acting, Humorous Interpretation, Prose Reading and Poetry Reading).Students must attend and compete at all but two of the school’s scheduled invitational tournaments during theseason, totaling nine tournaments from October-February. Students also are required to attend a minimum of onepractice session per week, per event, outside of scheduled class time.Creative Writing IGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: In this course, students write their own short stories and poetry and discuss their works in workshopfashion. Peer editing and student-teacher conferencing are key components of the class. A portion of the course isused for lessons in composition, the study and discussion of poetry and short story models, and student writingworkshops. The class provides enjoyment for students who like to write for others, and assists all students insharpening their writing skills. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Creative Writing IIGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: Successful completion of Creative Writing IDescription: This course revisits and refines the knowledge and skills learned in Creative Writing I, and introducesmore sophisticated literary devices and forms. Students compose works of short fiction, non-fiction, poetry anddrama. In an effort to bring students’ writing to a more professional level, published works are read, analyzed anddiscussed. Classes are conducted in a workshop fashion, emphasizing sharing and discussion. Students are expectedto offer and accept constructive criticism of each others work maturely and respectfully. This class is for students whoenjoy writing and seek to have their work published. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.30 Lemont High School Program of Studies

EnglishCritical ReadingGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Standardized test score of at least two years below grade level scoreDescription: This course is designed to assist students in improving all aspects of their reading performance. Inaddition to raising a student’s reading lexile score, this course also focuses on vocabulary knowledge, reading fluency,strengthening writing and study skills, and enhancing the enjoyment of reading. Group instruction and small groupinstruction are used as determined by the student’s needs and interests.DramaticsGrades Course Open To: 11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course helps to strengthen students’ interpersonal communication skills, such as listening, actingand public speaking. It covers the basic principles of stage acting, and also includes a survey of the history of drama,analytical exposures to basic types of drama and the principles of stage production. Students make a variety ofpresentations, ranging from oral interpretations of readings to presentations in front of an audience, and also analyzepublished and produced dramas. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Elements of ReadingGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Score below the 26th percentile on the Terra Nova Reading Test or teacher recommendationDescription: This course is designed to assist students in improving all aspects of their reading performance. Inaddition to raising a student’s reading lexile score, this course also focuses on the six key strategies for constructingmeaning from text – predicting, fiction and non-fiction summarizing, connecting, questioning, inferring andimaging. These key strategies address reading comprehension in all content areas. This course also enhances theenjoyment of reading. A continuum of supportive instruction involving group and individual support is used asdetermined by the student’s needs and interests.English Language Learners IGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 2.0Prerequisite: Proficiency test and consent of English Language Learners teacher or guidance counselorDescription: This is a basic course designed for new arrivals to the United States who have not previously studiedEnglish. It stresses the four primary language competencies of listening, speaking, reading and writing, whileemphasizing basic grammar and survival vocabulary. Cultural components of American geography, customs, famouspeople and historical events are also examined.English Language Learners IIGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 2.0Prerequisite: Successful completion of English Language Learners I, proficiency test and consent of EnglishLanguage Learners teacher or guidance counselorDescription: This course reviews and expands the grammatical structures and vocabulary learned in of EnglishLanguage Learners I, and continues to emphasize listening, speaking, reading and writing on an intermediate level.Students read adaptations of works by Homer, Shakespeare and Dickens, as well as selections from newspapers,magazines and readers. Students write journals, letters, short essays, skits, and also perform basic research. Culturalemphasis is placed on America’s regions, cities, famous citizens and history.Lemont High School Program of Studies31

EnglishHumanities IGrades Course Open To: 10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course utilizes a dynamic curriculum to encourage students to look at what it means to be humanfrom the perspective of various religions, philosophy, psychology, literature and the arts. Students are encouraged toreflect on and discuss questions regarding freedom, love, knowledge, God, happiness, death, sexuality, nature, goodand evil. The class features discussions, readings, writings and reflections - among other activities - on the variousfields of humanities. Readings are assorted, varying from ancient philosophical texts to contemporary opinion pieces,and examine core questions from historical and modern perspectives. The course aims to focus on the self, includingan exploration of student-produced philosophical questions. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Humanities IIGrades Course Open To: 10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: A continuation of Humanities I, this course not only continues the discussion of what it means to behuman, but also familiarizes students with global and non-mainstream cultures, asking them to explore segments ofthe population unknown to them with an open mind and from multiple perspectives. The class features discussions,readings, writings and reflections - among other activities - on the various fields of humanities through a global lens.Readings are assorted, varying in era and genre and examining core beliefs and philosophies of an array of cultures.The course is appropriate for college-bound students.JournalismGrades Course Open To: 11-12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Grade of B or better in English Practical II or III or of C or better in English Academic II or IIIDescription: This course introduces students to the basic principles of journalistic writing and assists them inpreparing copy for use in actual newspapers. Specific types of journalistic writing, including feature stories,editorials, columns and sports stories, are covered, as are headline writing, constructing leads, structure of newsstories, and page and ad layouts. Students are presented with examples of outstanding journalistic literature, andalso begin to learn about newspaper production, public relations, photojournalism and layout software. Studentsare required to observe the conventions of good usage, and close attention is given to writing clearly and concisely.Students enrolled in this course may assist in the writing, editing and production of the Tom-Tom, the schoolnewspaper, by researching and writing articles, seeking advertising from merchants, preparing advertisements andtaking photos, among other duties. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Literature of the SupernaturalGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course concentrates on literature that deals with the unknown in man, the supernatural and death,as well as on literature that addresses knowledge of self, science and family relations. The discovery of understandingis a major focus of the course, and students improve their understanding of the supernatural genre throughdiscussion, research and short creative projects. Works from well-known writers of the supernatural, such as EdgarAllen Poe, Isaac Asimov and Stephen King, among others, are read and discussed. A goal of the course is for studentsto understand how the genre influences one’s personal philosophy, experiences and religious convictions. The courseis appropriate for college-bound students.32 Lemont High School Program of Studies

EnglishMagazine LiteratureGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: Placement in either English Practical or English AcademicDescription: Concentrating on literature themes as presented in Read and Scope magazines, this course can appealto all students, but mostly to those who ordinarily do not enjoy reading and/or writing. Students study the themesof war, humor and responsibility through short stories, poetry, drama, current events, articles, real world writingactivities and individual and group projects, all of which relate to the material presented in the magazines.Mass MediaGrades Course Open To: 11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: Offered as an introduction to the subject of media issues, this course provides students with skillsnecessary to successfully comprehend, analyze, synthesize and evaluate the areas and information the public receivesfrom the media. Students research, discuss, listen to and view a variety of media, including television, advertising,film, newspapers, radio broadcasting, the recording industry and the Internet. Students create projects that helpconsumers make judgments as to the effectiveness and quality of the information they are given through a variety ofmedia sources. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Modern FictionGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: This course helps to increase students’ reading ability in comprehension and analysis, two areasthat are utilized in college courses and are tested on the PSAE and ACT exams. Students learn to criticallyreview information by sharpening their skills both by analyzing a novel for literary and social significance, andby determining how literary content transcends time. Students also expand their knowledge in regards to worldcultures. Students increase reading ability and awareness of literary devices through methods of marking the text,and apply these comprehension skills to class discussion and written literary analysis. The selected readings are fromcontemporary authors who are referred to in college-level English, social studies and political science courses. Thecourse is appropriate for college-bound students.Reading for English Language LearnersGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 1.0Prerequisite: Enrollment in the English Language Learners program and difficulty with the English languageDescription: This course is intended for students that have difficulty with the English language, and is designedto improve word recognition, reading comprehension, listening comprehension, vocabulary development, readingfluency and critical thinking skills. Group instruction and individualized instruction are used in accordance withstudents’ needs and interests. Reading strategies are implemented to assist students’ content area reading skills.Among other things, students learn to use context clues to define difficult and unknown words; determine themain idea of sentences, paragraphs, and short selections; improve reasoning and critical thinking skills; and learncomponent skills accurately in order to give rapid automatic responses to questions while reading.Lemont High School Program of Studies33

EnglishScience Fiction IGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: NoneDescription: Through a survey of the science fiction genre, this course examines social values and trends as projectedby various science fiction authors, exploring the many possible futures of mankind. Students are asked to analyzetheir own values and ideas, and to determine how these beliefs may influence them in the future. Students activelyengage in discussion and develop and create projects relating to their own futuristic ideas in the area of sciencefiction. The culmination of the course includes the independent study of a sci-fi novel of the student’s choice and aproject that is presented to the class. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.Science Fiction IIGrades Course Open To: 9-10-11-12 Credit: 0.5Prerequisite: Successful completion of Science Fiction I or consent of Division ChairDescription: This course provides literature for the creative logical thinker, and as a continuation of Science FictionI, further explores the many possible futures of mankind. Students pay close attention to science fiction authors’presentation of technology and science, as well as the power that prediction plays in the genre. Discussion, debateand projects critically analyze leading authors and their stories as apocalyptic and/or futuristic visionaries in the areasof science and technology. Students complete a project relating to their own futuristic views by creating their ownworlds through creative writing options. The course is appropriate for college-bound students.34 Lemont High School Program of Studies