Honors English II: American Literatures

COURSE TITLE:                     Honors English II: American Literatures
LEVEL:                                   
10th Grade (Honors)
LENGTH/CREDITS:                Full Year and 1.0 Credit
PREREQUISITES:                   One of the English I Courses
COURSE DESCRIPTION:         Utilizing African-American, Asian-American, European-American, Latino, and Native American literatures (and one non-American work, a Shakespeare play), this course explores the philosophical movements, major writers, and themes of American literatures. This course further develops reading comprehension skills while continuing to develop the processes of effective critical reading and thinking; emphasizes writing in a variety of forms and for a variety of purposes; stresses the fundamentals of grammar and usage and the study of vocabulary and spelling, both for the purpose of improving the student’s own reading and writing; and expands the student’s models of speaking, listening, and viewing. Integrated with the sophomore Reading, Social Studies, Science, Math, and Spanish courses, the sophomore will research and write, “The Sophomore Project Essay” and prepare a formal presentation of their research. In preparation for English II: American Literatures Reading, over the summer all incoming students will read a work of literature, selected by the English Department; an assessment of the summer reading will be part of the first grading period.