English Department
The Hill Regional Career High School English Department believes the study of literature and language to be the most important tool in education. At our school, instruction in English classes is characterized by our diverse population and is structured around the vital needs of our students. As much as possible, students receive instruction appropriate to their aims, suitable to their abilities and consistent with their ambitions. The latitude of such individualization allows each teacher choices in the design of specific units of instruction for the varying nature of each class, within prescribed broader curricular guidelines for grade and achievement levels.
The majority of our classes are designed for students who plan to continue their study in pre-professional or liberal arts colleges. A smaller part of our program is designed for students with reading or study skills deficiencies. While we recognize the fact that our students tend to have more sharply defined career goals than most high school students and that such goals tend to focus on specialized areas of science and business applications, we endeavor to encourage students to participate in and enjoy, the common literary forms of our culture’s rich humanistic tradition. Further, we encourage each student to become familiar with library facilities for research (both within and outside of the school), for self-education and for pleasure.
We view high school English studies to be a refinement of the basic skills of communication: reading, writing, speaking and listening. We seek to examine the various roles language plays as both a tool and an art in our society. We also recognize the need for our students to possess superior skills in computer technology. In order for students to function successfully in the workplace and contribute to the greater community, teachers implement the use of computers in the classroom as a regular part of instruction. We strongly believe that it is only through the development of such sophisticated skills that an individual can be accorded full adult status in today’s swiftly changing society.
#010 HONORS ENGLISH I GRADE 9
Level 1 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: History of good grades in English/Language Arts in previous school; good to excellent attendance record.
Course Description: Honors English I is designed to challenge the promising English student and to offer college-preparatory reading, writing and research practice. It includes extensive drill on grammatical construction, special emphasis on sentence structure and on clarity in short composition, vocabulary development, oral expression, and a survey of literature with an emphasis on the novel and mythology from various cultures encompassing all genres and reflecting a variety of literary forms. The curriculum of this course is aligned with that of Advanced World Civilization.
Course Assessment: Test/Research/Essay – 35%; Quizzes – 35%; Homework/Class work – 30%
#012 ENGLISH I GRADE 9
Level 2 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: None
Course Description: English I is designed to meet the needs of students preparing for college. It includes drill on grammatical forms, and the study of the distinctions between standard and non-standard English. Emphasis is placed on correct sentence structure and on clarity in short composition. The study of literature is developed around a survey anthology of readings from various cultures and reflecting a variety of literary forms including the novel with a special emphasis on mythology. It also focuses on vocabulary development and provides opportunities for succinct, accurate oral expression. The curriculum of this course is aligned with what is covered in World Civilization.
Course Assessment: Tests/Research Papers – 30%; Quizzes – 30%; Homework/Class work: 40%
#020 HONORS ENGLISH II GRADE 10
Level 1 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: Good to excellent academic and attendance records in Honors or English: writing sample; appropriate standard test scores; teacher recommendation.
Course Description: Honors English II is designed to meet the academic needs of and challenge the promising sophomore student. The course offers college-preparatory writing, extensive study of literature and research opportunities. It includes intensive drill on grammatical construction, placing a special emphasis on correct sentence structure, on clarity in short composition and on vocabulary development in preparation for the CAPT, PSAT and SAT. It includes a thematic and historical survey of American Literature from the pre-Colonial to the Civil War periods. Oral expression in every aspect of classroom activities is highly encouraged. The curriculum of this course is aligned with U.S. History I.
Course Assessment: Course Assessment: Tests/Quizzes/Essays – 40%: Homework – 20%; Class participation/Class work– 20%; Projects and Presentations – 20%
.#022 ENGLISH II GRADE 10
Level 2 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: Good to excellent academic and attendance records in English I or English I; writing sample; teacher recommendation.
Course Description: English II is designed to meet the academic needs of and challenge students planning to further their education at higher schools of learning. It emphasizes further examination of and improvement in college preparatory writing, critical reading and analysis and research opportunities. It includes drill on grammatical constructions, opportunities for oral expression and a thematic and historical survey of American Literature from the pre-Colonial to the Civil War Periods. The curriculum of this course is aligned with that of U.S. History I. There is vocabulary development in preparation for the CAPT, PSAT and SAT.
Course Assessment: Tests/Quizzes/Essays – 30%; Homework – 20%; Class participation/ Class work – 30%; Projects and Presentations – 20%.
#030 HONORS ENGLISH III GRADE 11
Level 1 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: Excellent academic and attendance records in Honors or English II; writing sample; high standardized test scores; teacher recommendation.
Course Description: Honors English III is designed to meet the academic needs of and challenge the superior English student through an offering of intensive reading, writing, and research opportunities. The course stresses literary analysis, well-organized compositions, analysis of literary use of the language, grammatical forms and usage, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation, and a thematic and historical survey of American Literature from the Civil War to the Contemporary periods. The curriculum of this course is aligned with that of U.S. History III.
Course Assessment: Tests/essays/research papers– 30%; Quizzes – 25%; Homework – 25%; Class work – 10%; Class participation – 10%.
#032 ENGLISH III GRADE 11
Level 2 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: English II
Course Description: English III is designed to meet the needs of and challenge students planning to further their education at higher schools of learning. It stresses writing well-organized compositions, creative writing, oral expression and proofreading for correct grammatical usage. Developed around a survey text of American Literature from the Civil War to the Contemporary periods, it stresses the interplay of historical forms and literature in the formulation of American values and images appropriate to each respective period. The curriculum of this course is aligned with that of U.S. History II.
Course Assessment: Tests/essays – 30%; Quizzes – 20%; Homework – 20%; Class work – 20%;
Class participation/Preparation – 10%.
#035 ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE III GRADE 11
Level AP Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: Excellent academic and attendance records in Honors or English II; letter of permission or acknowledgment from parent; writing sample; teacher recommendation.
Course Description: Advanced Placement English Language III is an accelerated program designed for the superior English student. The course 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. Both writing and reading should make students aware of the interactions between a writer’s conventions and the resources of language that contribute to the effect of writing. Students take the nationally standardized AP English Language Exam in early May and may receive college credit for the course.
Course Assessment: Tests & portfolio (critical and analytical writing) – 50%; Quizzes & Class work – 30%; Vocabulary, Homework & Class participation – 20% (varies).
#040 HONORS ENGLISH IV GRADE 12
Level 1 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: Good to excellent academic and attendance records in Honors or English III; appropriate standard test scores; teacher recommendation.
Course Description: Honors English IV is designed to meet the academic needs and challenges of the college-bound high school student through an offering of intensive reading, writing and research opportunities. The course stresses literary analysis, writing well-organized compositions, analysis of the literary use of the language, grammatical forms and usage, Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) preparation, and a thematic and chronological survey of World Literature with an emphasis on British Literature.
Course Assessment : Tests & Quizzes – 35%; Critical and analytical writing – 35%; Homework – 20%; Class work & class participation – 10%
.#042 ENGLISH IV GRADE 12
Level 2 Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: English III
Course Description: English IV is designed for the student planning to attend college or professional school. It emphasizes improvement in writing through a study of rhetoric and regular writing assignments in addition to college essays and scholarship applications. It offers a review of correct grammatical forms and standard usage as students are encouraged to revise and proofread their own and classmates’ papers. Students read, discuss and evaluate works of World Literature offered in a survey course using a thematic approach. Fundamental to the course is the opportunity for students to learn the important role language itself plays in communication.
Course Assessment: Tests/essays – 40%; Homework – 20%; Class work – 20%; Tests/quizzes – 20%.
#045 ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LITERATURE IV GRADE 12
Level AP Credit 1.0 FULL YEAR
Prerequisites: Excellent academic and attendance records in Honors or English III; letter of permission or acknowledgment from parent; writing sample; teacher recommendation.
Course Description: Advanced Placement English Literature IV is an accelerated program designed for the superior English student. The AP course in Literature and Composition includes an intensive study of literary works from various genres and periods, concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. The course engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through close reading of selected texts, students will consider a work’s structure, style and themes as well as small-scale elements such as the use of figurative language, imagery and symbolism. Students take the nationally standardized AP English Literature Exam in early May and may receive college credit for the course.
Course Assessment: Tests & essays (critical and analytical writing/research papers) – 50%;
Quizzes & Class work – 25%; Vocabulary, Homework & Class participation – 25% (varies).