Welcome to English

English I (1 unit credit) Course 111. Library instruction is interspersed throughout the school year as needed. In literature, the students reinforce their writing and reading skills by writing analytically about the basic aspects of the short story and/or poetry. Grammar is stressed throughout the writing elements. Theme, setting, characterization, plot and conflict are stressed.  Basic essay skills are introduced. This is a blocked academic class.  Fee:  $8.00

English II (1 unit credit) Course 211. This course consists of a review of the grammar skills learned in English I. In literature, reading and analytical skills will be stressed through various writing assignments.  Students will also formulate their resumes and read a class novel chosen by the instructor. Pre-requisite: ENGLISH I.  This is a blocked academic class.  Fee:  $8.00

English III (1 unit credit) Course 311. The major concentration in this course is learning to read and write effectively and critically.  The reading selections are from American Literature, which includes short stories, poetry, essays, and dramas from Native American writing to the Modern Era. A novel from an American author will be read and discussed. The formal research paper and the techniques of MLA Style are also introduced in this course. Pre-requisite is ENG. II. This is a blocked Academic Class. Fee: $12.00

English IV (1 unit credit) Course 411. This course covers the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods in England, interrelating the history and the literature of each period. Students will also research Nazi Germany as background for the study of Night by Elie Wiesel and for the study of another novel of the student's choice about the same time period.  Students will also have an intensified writing unit where they will learn to write a variety of critical papers.  Also involved in this unit are proper writing skills review. Students will also learn how to do book and movie reviews. Blocked Academic Class.  Fee:  $8.00

College Prep. English (1 unit credit) Course 110. This class is designed for students in the college preparatory track.  All elements of English I will be covered more in depth.  A unit on Shakespeare will be included.  This is a blocked academic class.  Fee:  $8.00   

 
Speech (1/2 credit) Course 287. Through a variety of speaking situations, students will conquer their fear of speaking before a group, learn to adapt their message to their listeners, and develop verbal and non-verbal skills for speaking effectively.  Students will also develop skills needed to participate effectively in group discussions and have the opportunity to develop skills for persuasive interview situations. Students will develop skills needed to participate effectively in group discussions, story telling, and reading aloud to an audience.  Students may also study mass media, note-taking for college and debate techniques.         This course is required for college preparatory English IV and senior AP English students.

READING I (1/2 unit credit) Course 119.  This is a required course for all freshmen. This course is designed to raise reading levels through reading practice using the Reading Counts Program.  Students will also work to improve basic reading skills in preparation for the Ohio Graduation Test. Various types of reading materials will be emphasized. A reading project will be developed as a final evaluation in this class. This is a split-block academic class. 

COLLEGE PREPARATORY ENGLISH II (1 unit credit) Course 210.  This course is a continuation of the study of English for students that are in a college preparatory track. All elements of English II will be covered more in depth.  The study of Shakespeare will be continued. Prerequisite:  College Preparatory English I. Blocked academic class.  Fee:  $8.00

 READING II (1/2 unit credit) Course 219. This is a required course for all sophomores. This course is a continuation of the freshman level course.  Students will increase reading levels by continuing to work in the Reading Counts Program.  Preparation for the various reading benchmarks established for the Ohio Graduation Test will be emphasized. A reading project will again be developed as a final evaluation. This is a split-block academic class. 

COLLEGE PREPARATORY ENGLISH III (1 unit credit) Course 312.  This course is a continuation of the study of English for students that are in a college preparatory path. The reading selections studied in this course are from American Literature, which includes short stories, poetry, essays, and dramas from Native American writing to the Modern Era.  The novel, The Scarlet Letter, will be read and discussed.  The formal research paper and the techniques of MLA Style are also introduced in this course.  The major concentration in this course is learning to read and write effectively and critically, becoming familiar with major authors and their works, and analyzing literary elements.  Reading, writing, and discussion are key elements in this course. Prerequisite:  College Preparatory English II. This is a blocked Academic class. Fee:  $12.00. 

READING III (1/2 unit credit) Course 319.  In this class students will have time set aside during the school day to read.  Students will read a variety of books from lists that college professors and librarians have suggested along with books of their choice.  It is hoped students will improve their reading skills, prepare themselves for future college courses, and enjoy reading books. This course is required for juniors as a part of AP English.

COLLEGE PREPARATORY ENGLISH IV (1 unit credit) Course 412.  Prerequisite: College Preparatory English III. This course will be offered simultaneously with Speech (1/2 unit credit) and Reading (1/2 unit credit).  The class will meet for a total of 2 blocks of time, one block in first semester and one block in second semester. Essentially, the class will constitute a full-block that meets all year long.  This course is focused upon preparing students for college English courses.  The first part is handled like a typical survey class.   Students will study both the literature and the history of selected time periods.  The second part of the course is focused upon critical and analytical writing.  Included therein are several basic theme types as well as developmental techniques. Grammar and vocabulary are taught within the framework of writing.  Fee: $8.00

AP LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION (1 unit credit) course 415.  This course combines the close study of nonfiction prose with the opportunity to write in-depth about a variety of subjects.  Students will read a variety of complex texts and skillfully analyze the interactions among author’s purpose, audience expectations, and rhetorical strategies.  In addition, students will effectively craft expository, analytical, and argumentative writing forms.  The goal will be to prepare students for the AP Language & Composition exam in May.  Juniors taking this course must also take Reading III course 319 for ½ credit and will earn an additional ½ credit of College Prep English III for a total of 2 credits for the courses.  Seniors taking this course must also take Reading IV Course 413 for ½ credit and Speech I for ½ credit for a total of 2 credits.  These courses will take two blocks of time; one block each semester.  The approximate fee for the AP exam will be $80.00.

CREATIVE WRITING/ THE PROWLER. (½ credit) Course 308.  This elective course will develop creative writing skills through the exploration of a variety of written forms-prose, poetry, drama, and journalism. Consideration will be placed on the development of narrative fiction, characterization, structure, and plot development. Students will participate in a variety of writing contests and publish their works in the school literary magazine The Prowler. The course is a year-ling course but will meet only ½ of the days of the school year.  This course can be taken along with Applied Communications: Yearbook or a study hall.

APPLIED COMMUNICATIONS:  YEARBOOK  (1/2 unit credit) Course 309.  This course plans and produces the school yearbook The Delphi.  This course requires meeting important deadlines, working well with others, and using the Jostens YearTech program to create yearbook pages.  Students will also be required to use the Adobe programs InDesign CS2 and Photoshop CS2.  Students will be required to plan and discuss a yearbook, know the yearbook and photography components, understand the business of a yearbook (income, expenses and budget) and the role of advertising, recognize and plan page layouts of body copy, captions, headlines, and pictures, and understand the legal issues involved.  The students in the class will be The Delphi staff.  This class is a year-long class but will meet only ½ of the days of the school year.  It can be taken in along with Creative Writing or a study hall.  This course is for juniors and seniors and requires the approval of the instructor. 

MEDIA PRODUCTION  (1 unit credit) Course 310. This class plans and produces the weekly radio show CAT SCRATCH FEVER on WDOH.  Students will learn to research and write stories for the radio show and will learn how to use an oral style to communicate ideas.  Students will use the computer program SOUND FORGE to produce the radio show. Students in this class will also produce videos – for both in-school broadcast and possible broadcast television. The students will learn to plan, shoot the footage using video cameras and then edit their story using Avio digital media equipment and various computer editing programs.  Students will learn about a variety of things including the use of different camera angles, lighting, sound, special effects, and communicating on camera. This class is for juniors and seniors only, and students must have prior approval from the teacher.  This is a split-block class for the entire year.