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English Department

Open to: 9
Credits: 1
Duration: Two Terms

English 9 A & B- Prerequisite: Required of all 9th grade students. In the English 9 course students focus on developing important communication skills--reading/viewing, writing, speaking, listening, and research. They read and respond to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama organized into thematic units. In addition, students will work to increase vocabulary and improve grammar skills.

Open to: 9

Credits: 1

Duration: Two Terms

English 9 Honors A & B - Prerequisite: Recommendation of English 8 teacher and completion of application process. English 9 Honors provides the advanced student an opportunity for in-depth study and practice in reading and literary analysis--both written and oral. Students will read in a variety of genres and write in a variety of formats, with an emphasis on expository essays. Coursework will prepare them for English 10 Honors. Students will participate in an honors seminar - reading group. Completion of summer reading assignments is required.

Open to: 10
Credits: 1
Duration: Two Terms

English 10 A & B- Prerequisite: English 9 A & B.
This course is required for all sophomores and focuses on specific skill building in the area of communication, both written and spoken, while structured around traditional readings in literature as well as novels. Sample skill building outcomes will include: understanding literary terms, outlining, summarizing, organizing, process writing, listening skills, increased vocabulary, researching, more proficient grammar, self-growth, team-working skills, and state and national testing preparation.

Open to: 10
Credits: 1
Duration: Two Terms

English 10 Honors A & B- Prerequisite: Recommendation of English 9 teacher and completion of application process. English 10 Honors provides the advanced student an opportunity for in-depth study and practice in reading and literary analysis--both written and oral. Students will read and write in a variety of genres, with an emphasis on expository essays. Course work will prepare them for English 11 Honors. Students will participate in an honors seminar-reading group, which will meet both in and outside of class. Completion of summer reading assignments is required.

Open to: 9-12
Credits: 1
Duration: Two Terms

English 11 A & B- Prerequisite: English 10. English 11 centers around a study of a variety of American literary works, emphasizing important themes in American history and society. Students will continue working to improve their communication and reading skills through reading and writing in a number of genres. In addition, students will also work to improve research and presenting skills throughout the trimester.

Open to: 11-12
Credits: 1.5
Duration: Three Terms

AP English Language and Composition- Prerequisite: Recommendation of English 10/11 teacher and completion of application process. AP English and Composition teaches rhetoric and logic, close reading analysis of diction and syntax, and the development and articulation of arguements in non-fiction, fiction, and visual texts.

Open to: 11-12
Credits: 1.5
Duration: Three Terms

AP English Literature and Composition.- Prerequisite: Recommendation of English 10/11 teacher and completion of application process. AP English 12 is designed to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students will consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. AP English will consist of a combination of literature and writing activities including vocabulary, grammar, and in class as well as out of class projects.

Open to: 11-12
Credits: .5
Duration: One Term

Creative Writing- Creative Writing consists of long-term writing workshops--poetry, prose, and drama. Students examine the creative process, learn and apply the writing process, read current authors, enter contests, submit for publication, read aloud and assess their own and classmates' work. A semester independent reading project is required.

Open to: 9-12
Credits: .5
Duration: One Term

Yearbook
Prerequisite: Permission from instructor. Open to grades 9-12 who have completed the application and interview process. Twelfth grade applicants must have one year of yearbook staff experience unless approved by instructor. This is a class for students who are interested in Fruitport High School and its yearbook. Students in this class learn the principles of layout and design, caption, feature, and straight news writing. Students will design and publish the yearbook using a web-based program. Students also market and finance the yearbook; they are responsible for all aspects of yearbook production from conception to completion. The class may be repeated for credit.

Open to: 11 - 12 (Elective)
Credits: .5
Duration: One Term

Shakespeare & His Contemporaries- Prerequisite: English 11. In Shakespeare and His Contemporaries, students will come to better understand Shakespeare and the times in which he wrote through examination of his contemporaries and their works. They will also explore the way in which Shakespeare transcended the values and experiences of his time and captured instead universal themes of the human experience. At the conclusion of the course, students will be required to produce a multi-genre research project.

Open to: 11 - 12 (Elective)
Credits: .5
Duration: One Term

Contemporary Literature- Prerequisite: English 11. In Contemporary Literature, students will read for understanding of contemporary issues such as alienation of the individual, man's search for meaning, and stability in a constantly changing world. Students will also work on expanding their vocabulary and using a variety of insights into techniques of reading and writing. Student writing activities will be based on creative pieces, analysis of literary works, organization of research and development of communication skills. At the conclusion of the course, students will be required to produce a multi-genre project.

Open to: 11 - 12 (Elective)
Credits: .5
Duration: One Term

Film as Literature- Prerequisite: English 11. In Film as Literature, students will address the examination of film as a literary form. Students will apply methods for studying literature to the study of film. Some of the films may include Plan 9 from Outer Space, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Waking Ned Devine, Dodgeball, and Almost Famous. The culminating activity will be a multi-genre research project.