Sandia Prep - Curriculum Guide: 2016-2017

ENGLISH
Our English program provides students
with the opportunity to explore
literature in depth, with a particular
emphasis on American and British
works. We seek to teach our students
to identify recurring themes in this
literature and to help them gain a
familiarity with its various forms.
One of the most essential components
of our English curriculum is writing.
We expect, teach, and encourage
our students to gain skill and power
in many forms of their own written
expression.
During each senior semester, students
chose an English course that most
appeals to them. These semesterlong
courses offer a variety of topics
including global literature, short stories,
British literature, and works concerning
the contemporary apocalyptic scene.
English 6
Sixth-grade English offers the opportunity
for more intensive study of both reading
and writing. Each literary genre is
introduced through a wide selection
of readings, both current and classic,
including the study of myth. Students
read extensively and deeply, beginning
the process of literary analysis. Writing
is an ever-present instruction in English
6. From clear expression through
syntax, vocabulary, and grammar to the
development of ideas and individual
voice, sixth graders practice formal essays,
journals, narratives, and creative writing.
English 7
Seventh-grade English deepens the study
of reading and writing begun the previous
year. A mixture of novels, short stories,
plays, and poetry are chosen to encourage
students to develop some independence
in discovering meaning. Through class
discussion, students discern literary threads
and connections, which they then write
about. As in the sixth-grade class, English 7
requires writing of all kinds.
English 9
Through rich and vigorous classroom
discussions, students engage with literature
— both classical and contemporary —
and expository essay-writing to enhance
analytical thinking. Students learn how
to strengthen their skills as writers of
formal literary criticism. Student editing is
encouraged when appropriate. Informal inclass
writing and regular vocabulary study
are also included in the course.
English 10
Sophomore English looks at works chosen
from many cultures, studied with an eye
to their point of view or to the narrator’s
context within his or her culture. Emphasis
is on the student’s development of his or
her writing, the student’s interpretive skills,
and the student’s greater craft in structuring
an argument and in using precise language
in presenting that argument.
English 10 - Writing Workshop
Elective
In our globally connected world, we
recognize the valuable role effective writing
English 8
plays in our students’ success, yet we also
The texts in this class are varied, both in
recognize that not every student’s strength
genre and period, and writing of all kinds
lies in his or her writing skills. Because we
is extensive. The focus of the eighth-grade
want every Prep graduate to be a confident
year of English is on student discovery.
writer, a full-year Writing Workshop
Students in English 8 learn to think through
elective is offered to sophomores. Our goal
a text independently, forming ideas about
centers on helping students develop their
meaning, and sharing them in class
skills, from grammar and punctuation to
discussion. Analysis papers develop a thesis
style and clarity. Taught by members of the
the student has proposed and is adept at
English Department, the Writing Workshop
supporting.
will include lessons on written expression
across disciplines, supplementing the
11 12
instruction students receive in other classes,
and focusing on how to write effectively
in science, history, and literature, among
other fields. Additionally, students will
learn how to adapt to various style formats:
Chicago Manual of Style in history,
MLA in English, and APA in science and
psychology. One day a week will be set
aside to help students with their writing
assignments, such as a lab report in science
or a research paper in history. Importantly,
the Writing Workshop will add only
minimally to a student’s homework load,
with most assignments completed inside
the classroom. We know this isn’t every
student’s idea of a thrill ride, but our intent
is to create an enjoyable, dynamic class.
Who knows: you may even discover a
hidden passion. Note: This English elective
does not count towards the 4 English
credits required for graduation, but does
count as a general elective.
English 11 - American Literature
Students explore selected works from the
American canon that reflect the diversity
and complexity of the evolving American
experience. Beginning with selections
from the Native American oral tradition,
this survey course then traces evolution
of American literature from the early
Colonial Period to the modern era. Students
study works of fiction, nonfiction, and
poetry as they become familiar with key
themes in American literature and their
corresponding historical, political, and
economic contexts.