American Literature is a comprehensive course of reading, writing, vocabulary building and grammar reinforcement. The course takes a chronological approach to American literature, with digressions based on thematic considerations. Time will be set aside for PSAT preparation and a "process" method of writing a research paper.

Students will participate in class discussion and cooperative learning activities. Lectures (with AV support when possible) and actual film presentations will be used at appropriate times to stimulate student interest in the assigned reading material and to facilitate student understanding of aspects of that material. Study guides will be used regularly to help students focus on key elements in their reading assignments. These assignments will be diverse in structure and content.

Performance evaluation will ensure that each student demonstrates understanding of course material, whatever his strengths or weaknesses. Graded assignments include unit tests, reading/grammar/vocabulary quizzes, special projects/reports, oral presentations, and writing assignments. Primary focus will be placed on writing. To this end, students will be guided through an ongoing writing program, which includes journal entries, reaction papers, and most importantly, the four/five paragraph essay.

Students will complete a research paper in MLA format during the third quarter according to a timetable provided by the teacher. Each step of the research paper process will be worked on in class, as well as at home. Strict guidelines will be given for proper planning, research, formatting, parenthetical citation, and writing of the paper.

AP English Language engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. As in the college course, its purpose is to enable students to read complex texts with understanding and to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers. Reading selections include major works from English literature (Beowulf, Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, Hamlet, speeches by Queen Elizabeth, Pride and Prejudice), as well as older and contemporary prose works in a wide variety of genres (biography, essay, political, scientific, journalistic, speeches). Students read two prose works of their choice by authors listed in the AP English Language course guide (one pre-1900 and the other post-1900). Writing assignments involve both analysis of prose selections and imitation of the genres studied. A major focus of the course is the analysis of argument. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the ways in which generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing.  

 

The British Literature course presents the English literary tradition in a chronological fashion. The readings begin with Beowulf and the Anglo-Saxon period, and proceed through the major literary periods to the present. A representative sampling of English works from each period is studied.

 

Our primary purposes are to strengthen reading, writing, speaking, listening and comprehension skills, while students become familiar with the origins and evolution of the English language. The reading assignments are selected from open sites such as: Gutenberg, the Poetry Foundation, Folger Library. Supplemental materials will be accessible via pdf.

 

The development of strong writing skills is an important class priority. Considerable time is spent addressing all major areas of writing proficiency. We will concentrate on proper MLA format, including how to incorporate and use quotes to strengthen writing. Students will demonstrate understanding of texts through different writing methods. There will be a writing assignment for every work throughout the year. A formal research paper is completed in the second semester. This assignment affords students the opportunity to enhance their research skills and to reinforce their ability to develop a sustained analysis of a specific topic.

 

Vocabulary and grammar is covered with specific emphasis on topics tested on the PSAT, SAT, and ACT exams; grammar study includes extensive review of past tests. Grammatical errors frequently found on students’ papers are also carefully scrutinized.

The College English Honors course involves frequent student presentations, requires the completion of the senior research paper, and concludes with the reading of more contemporary works, both literary and non-literary. 

The Freshman Composition and Literature course provides a comprehensive curriculum in reading, writing, vocabulary and grammar. Students are challenged to develop linguistic skills into a strong, college-bound academic foundation, and use the literary arts as a lens through which they can examine the nexus between literature and Salesian values.

 

The literature component of the course features a variety of genres, authors and styles from varying periods that are analyzed for literary merit, as well as cultural significance and social values. There is a focus on prose fiction (Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea, William Golding’s Lord of the Flies, J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye), drama (William Shakespeare’s The Tragedy of Julius Caesar) and a collection of short stories, essays, articles, poems and speeches. Students develop active reading skills and analyze the nuances of literary devices through a combination of independent reading, cooperative learning, guided instruction and class discussion, while comprehension and mastery of skills are measured using a diverse series of assessments.

 

Linguistic skills are developed through a rigorous study of vocabulary (Sadlier and Oxford’s Vocabulary Workshop Levels D and E), and a progressive Writing and Grammar Workshop curriculum. The year’s focus is formal writing using academic style and tone, targeted SAT preparedness, as well as research paper writing using Modern Language Association guidelines. Project-based learning is employed throughout the year. Various learning methods and tools are employed, such as peer review, timed essays, and online workshops.

The primary component of the course is literature. Students read selected works accessible through their iPads and in-classroom textbooks throughout the course of the year. In general, the students are assigned approximately 30 minutes of reading per night and reading questions that must be completed. To insure that students are keeping up with the reading and homework, there are frequent written quizzes and homework checks; in addition, students are expected to contribute during class discussion in regards to the reading. Class discussions focus on a full range of issues arising from the text under consideration - plot intricacies, character assessment, theme analysis, stylistic details and contemporary concerns are considered in conjunction with a close reading of portions of the text. Part of the class involves synthesizing major points, which are then written in the student's notebooks. The curriculum also includes several formal Writing Workshop assignments that will be graded. These assignments are varied and focus on different techniques and activities to build writing skills. The Writing Workshop assignments are designed to prepare students for the final research paper which will involve researching, organizing, and developing a given topic. Notebooks are checked periodically each semester. Students are required to keep all written work, class notes, and supplemental handouts organized and accessible in their notebooks. In addition to quizzes and tests on literary works, students will have weekly homework in and vocabulary quizzes on Sadlier and Oxford's Vocabulary Workshop Levels D and E.

 

Upon completion of each major literary work, students are required to write an essay. These essay questions will be presented in a variety of forms throughout the course. Essay questions may be presented on unit tests and will count for a large portion of the test grade. Essays may also be required to be prepared and completed at home and handed in typed and properly formatted. A good deal of time is spent during the year reinforcing the basic ideas of clear essay organization. Specifically, students are shown how to write effective introductions and how to present supporting details in the developing paragraphs. Periodically, essays written by students are shared with the class as a whole.  In this way, each student's specific strengths and weaknesses are addressed, and relevant grammatical concepts are reviewed. These grammatical concepts will be reinforced with PSAT and SAT practice test material.