English/Language Arts

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English 9

Grade level 9. Full year course. No prerequisites. Required for graduation. Students study composition, grammar, and literature. There will be an emphasis on the four types of text, both with writing and reading. The students will study vocabulary and literary terms, and read various stories, poems, non-fiction, essays, and novels. Required reading will include Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. 

English 10

Grade level 10. Full year course. Prerequisites: English 9. Required for graduation. Course features are: weekly vocabulary tests, grammar review, Greek and Latin roots, daily journals, writing skills, research paper, and some memorization. Literature study includes plays, poems, short stories, novels, etc. Required readings include To Kill A Mockingbird, Julius Caesar, The Diary of Anne Frank, A Separate Peace, The Lord of the Flies, and Our Town.

English 11

Grade level 11. Full year course. Prerequisites: English 9 and 10; Computer Technology. Required for graduation. This course will help students master the fundamentals of technical writing, English composition, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation, as well as United States literature. In addition, students will employ the writing process in a variety of writing forms, including business and technical applications. Group activities, audience awareness, accuracy, clarity, and economy will be emphasized Students will spend the first semester of the course building an inventory of practical communication skills; during the second semester those skills will be tested in the form of longer, more detailed research projects which will be presented both orally and in writing.

English 12

Grade level 12. Full year course. Prerequisites: English 9, 10, and 11. Required for graduation. Literature study includes plays, novels, short stories, poems, etc. Weekly tests are given in spelling and in vocabulary. Important foreign terms and abbreviations are taught. Basic grammar is reviewed. A unit on logic and logic fallacies is covered. Students study a list of 120 common Latin and Greek roots and prefixes. Required readings include: Animal Farm, Macbeth, A Tale of Two Cities, Pygmalion, and Gulliver’s Travels. No term paper is required for this class. Essays will be assigned over some of the readings.

Composition I/Composition II

Grade 12. Two semesters. Prerequisites: English 9, 10, 11, and passing score on CCCC test or ACT scores of 20+ in English and 18+ in Reading. May be substituted for English 12. Each semester may be taken for three hours college credit. The first semester is designed to improve the reading and writing skills of students. The emphasis is on fundamental principles of written English in structurally correct sentences, paragraphs, and expository themes. Critical analysis of essays will be used to aid in developing the student's thinking, support of thesis and style. Students will be introduced to the basic components of research by writing a documented essay in MLA style. The second semester is a study of poetry, short story, drama, and essays as literary forms. Improvements in research techniques by writing an investigative paper in the MLA style and with emphasis on accuracy and fluency in expressing sound ideas in class discussions and frequent short essays. 

Drama

Grade levels 10, 11, 12. Full-Year course. No prerequisites. May be repeated for Credit. Students will read and study plays, do solo and duet acting, and improvisations. The students will prepare for and participate in the League Drama Competition. Students will also gain practical knowledge about lighting, sound, set preparation, make-up, and all other aspects of producing a play while working on the school play production. The students will then write and produce their own short productions.

Introduction to Journalism

Grade levels 9, 10, 11. Full year course. No prerequisites. Students will learn the basic elements of media law, yearbook/newspaper copy writing, design principles, editing skills and study the history of journalism. Students will also learn basic digital and 35-mm photography and darkroom skills and possible work on one issue of the Cardinal Times or a section of the Talon. Typing skills helpful but not a prerequisite. Students will tour current newspaper and yearbook production plants if possible.

Literature/Novels

Grade levels 9, 10, 11, 12. Full year course. No prerequisites. Students will read novels individually as well as reading a novel as a class. Novels chosen will be tailored to the class makeup. Possible novel choices are The Chosen, Ordinary People, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

Newspaper

Grade levels 10, 11, 12. Full year course. Instructor consent only. Newspaper is a production course where students apply basic elements of writing, editing and design to developing an informative school newspaper. The staff sets up Cardinal Times publication and distribution dates. Typing and computer skills a plus. Students will also travel to regional and state competitions and conferences.

Reading/Writing Workshop

Grade level 9, 10, 11. Full year course. Prerequisite: Recommendation from Administration. This is a remedial reading/writing class for those who need to work on their skills. It is required for those who qualify.

Speech

Grade level 11. Semester course. No prerequisites. Required for graduation. The student will learn how to organize and effectively communicate information. The student will give all types of speeches; informative, persuasive, and demonstration. 

Yearbook

Grade levels 10, 11, 12. Full year course. Instructor consent only. Yearbook is a production course in which students apply basic elements of copy writing, quadrant design, editing, and basic photography to the production of the school yearbook, the Talon. Typing and computer skills a plus. Students will also travel to regional and state competitions and conferences.