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