ENGLISH

Developing the communication and literacy skills that empower students to gain a better understanding
​ of themselves and the world around them.

Explore.
​​

Students explore diverse cultures and perspectives through literature.

Analyze.
​

Students engage in a variety of critical thinking and discussion strategies to both form and articulate their ideas, beliefs, and opinions in relation to others.

Communicate.​
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Students develop the skills to communicate effectively in speaking and writing for a range of audiences and purposes.

2022-2023 course offerings

Freshman English                                       CPS/Honors          1 Credit                       Grade 9
 
On the big screen, in the books we read, and even in everyday life, we encounter heroes and villains.  How are the values of our culture reflected in the traits we admire in our fictional heroes?  What forces work against our heroes?  
 
In this class, we use the books we read and the discussions they generate to explore universal ideas such as heroism, challenges, dreams, and social justice issues.  Students will learn the tools for effective communication, both out loud and in writing, and begin to write and speak with an understanding of their audience and purpose. 
 
No matter what their future plans hold, the ability to communicate with clarity, think critically, and work collaboratively will give students an advantage.  
 
 
Sophomore English                                       CPS/Honors          1 Credit                       Grade 10
 
Literature can serve as a reflection of human nature to help us reflect on our current society, gain empathy for others, and become passionate about our beliefs. How can an individual impact his/her society?  What can cause a society to fall? What are the qualities of a good leader? 
 
In this class, we will examine these questions as students read, write, and discuss a diverse selection of literature that focuses on worldly themes. A thematic approach will be used to examine classical and modern works. Themes for this program include Revolution and Rebellion, Imperialism, Justice and Injustice, and The Individual and Society. 
 
This course will prepare students for the collegiate learning experience in its research, organization, and test-taking skills that will be used to prepare for the PSAT’s and MCAS evaluations.  Students also have the opportunity to connect the literature to the outside world through the learning adventures that take place in the units.
 
 
Creative Writing 1                                                                              CPS/Honors             0.5 Credits            Grades 9-12
  
Creative Writing 1 is a course centering upon the development of short stories. Students enrolled in this course will participate in units that establish the foundations of narrative structures, how to develop powerful dialogue, and to use the elements of fiction to develop powerful and expressive writing for a variety of audiences. While the act of writing is a personal endeavor, the process of writing can be a social one, and the course embraces the concept of the writing community: a collaborative effort amongst peers to support each other through peer feedback.

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Creative Writing 2                                                                               CPS/Honors             0.5 Credits            Grades 9-12

Creative Writing 2 is a course centering upon poetics: the craft of writing poetry. Students enrolled in this course will participate in units that explore poetic forms: sonnets, sestinas, terza rima, and open form poetry. The composition of poetry is both an expressive art and an exacting one, calling upon writers to aim, as Coleridge said, to produce “the best words in the best order.” This course embraces the concept of the writing community, and students will collaborate to provide peer feedback as they develop portfolios of their written work.

Note: Creative Writing I is not a prerequisite for Creative Writing II
 

Diverse Themes in American Literature                                CPS/Honors             1 Credit            Grade 11
 
Reading has the ability to take readers on a journey to a time and place different from their reality.  Imagine living during the unfathomable era of slavery, being a member of the social elite in the roaring twenties, or living on Chicago’s Southside before the Civil Rights Act.  How do those experiences connect to our contemporary world?  
 
Through samples from American Literature, both classic and contemporary, students will engage in the exploration of themes such as, but not limited to, “coming of age”, “the American dream”, “the lure of adventure”, “freedom and dignity”, and “self in society”.  In doing so, students will grapple with issues of American culture both historically and currently.  
 
Students will continue to expand their toolbox of communication skills as they begin to understand the power of their voices as future leaders and change makers in our increasingly diverse society.
 

Trying to decide between honors and CPS level courses?
Students electing to take Freshman English, Sophomore English, or Diverse Themes in American Literature (grade 11) for honors credit should do so if they wish to challenge themselves with more complex text selections, deeper and more sophisticated analysis, and an accelerated pace.
 
 
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition           AP                1 Credit           Grade 11-12
    
Perhaps more than ever before, young people are credited with being interested and active participants in their local and global communities. But what does it mean to be an informed and engaged citizen? Where do you stand on social issues? And how do you effectively communicate those ideas to others in a way that might change not only minds but the world?
 
In AP Language and Composition, students will read from a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts in order to become informed contributors to both national and international debates. This will include listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, reading the news, and considering the different viewpoints shared in essays, memoirs, and editorials.
 
Students who elect this course will also work towards becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. This course instructs students on how to discern what the question is asking, how to take a stand, how to develop a point of view, how to construct engaging introductions and move past formulaic responses, and how to develop a unique writing style. Through rigorous study, students will also prepare to participate in the College Board Exam in May.
 
 
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition         AP                1 Credit           Grades 11-12
 
Students who elect this course will participate in a seminar that balances conversation and composition as we examine prose, poetry, and drama, and can expect to pose assertions about readings, to discuss their reasoning and textual evidence, and to experience peer and instructor feedback that challenges them to strengthen their interpretations and to strengthen their spoken and written expression.
 
Though the works of this course are predominantly fictional, the questions the course poses are very real.  Students consider the function of literature: How it communicates human experiences that are often quite different from their own. Students seek to uncover deeper meanings in literary works, pursuing an understanding of both complexity and nuance.
 
Students who enroll in this course should expect to participate in a learning environment styled in a seminar-workshop model: A time and a place to think, to talk, and to grow as readers, writers, and communicators with others who have volunteered to participate in a rigorous, culminating study of literature. In coordination with theater programs in Boston and Providence, AP English Literature and Composition students have opportunities to see professional theater productions, to participate in post-show discussions with actors and with other schools. 
 
 
English 12: Contemporary Literature                      CPS/Honors           0.5 Credits             Grade 12
 
Why are memoirs so appealing to contemporary readers?  What storytelling techniques can make for compelling narratives?  How do journalists piece together a story rich with detail and alive with meaning through evidence and research?  These are a few of the questions students will consider as they engage in a brief study of creative, contemporary nonfiction.  An attempt to develop lifelong readers will impact the selection of texts, including the opportunity to choose a text of interest within the given genre being studied.  Students will read and analyze texts as models to emulate in their own writing with a focus on personal narrative and literary journalism.  In doing so, readers and writers will gain a better sense of who they are and their place in the world.
 
 
English 12: Satire – The Critical Eye                       CPS/Honors          0.5 Credits             Grade 12
    
Saturday Night Live, The Colbert Report, and The Onion are examples of television shows and newspapers that are rich in satire.  When society makes fun of various aspects of our lives with the intention of pointing out faults and hoping to correct them, we have satire.  The genre ranges from gently funny to bitingly harsh. Students will be asked to read a variety of satirical texts, from classic to modern, and will be expected to write their own satirical pieces as well.
 
 
English 12: Mysteries & Monsters in Literature                                       CPS/Honors           0.5 Credits             Grade 12 
 
How do mysteries expose the social inequities of the time period? How do monster novels reflect on the underlying fears of their current society? In this class, students will dive deep into famous mystery and monster novels, discovering that things are not always as they seem to be! By looking into the essential elements of mystery and monster novels, students will analyze
how these genres confront underlying social issues of the time period they are published in. One term will be dedicated to dissecting mystery/detective stories, while another will have a focus on monster narratives. Students will become detectives and work collaboratively to solve a murder mystery using the essential elements/plot devices learned. Students will also write a short story from the perspective of “the monster” to reveal an underlying social/societal commentary.

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