High School English Courses

English 1 is an integrated curriculum. Each unit contains thematically related lessons in five domains: reading and the study of literature, reading informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills.

Topics are presented in ways that help young adolescents relate literacy skills to other aspects of their lives. Writing assignments include narrative, expository, and persuasive/argumentative modes and emphasize the use of details and reasoning to support ideas.

Speaking and listening lessons are emphasized in Semester A. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real‐world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit.

Literature study in Semester B focuses on the analysis of different forms of literature and on comparative studies of world literature and literature delivered in different media. Writing and informational text lessons guide students through the stages of research and demonstrate how to evaluate, integrate, and share the information gathered during research. Students are required to share their ideas and analysis using several different modes, including oral and multimedia presentations. 

College Prep • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

Honors English 1 is an integrated curriculum. Each unit contains thematically related lessons in five domains: reading and the study of literature, reading informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills.

Topics are presented in ways that help young adolescents relate literacy skills to other aspects of their lives. Writing assignments include narrative, expository, and persuasive/argumentative modes and emphasize the use of details and reasoning to support ideas.

Speaking and listening lessons in Semester A emphasize collaborative discussion skills and peer review. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real‐world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit.

Literature study in Semester B focuses on the analysis of different forms of literature and on comparative studies of world literature and literature delivered in different media. Writing and informational text lessons guide students through the stages of research and demonstrate how to evaluate, integrate, and share the information gathered during research. Students are required to share their ideas and analysis using several different modes, including oral and multimedia presentations.

Honors students are expected to complete additional assignments throughout the course that build on the content provided. These assignments, like writing a children’s book and an essay that analyzes the literature of a culture, make these students go above and beyond the curriculum content in creativity and application.

Honors • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In English 2, students learn how to express their thoughts and feelings in writing. Emphasis is placed on the specific traits of the 6-Traits of Writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions. Students also review the 5-step writing process as they practice the skills of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Each unit also includes instruction in the Greek roots of common English words.

In Semester A, students are guided through the 5-step writing process for each of the major types of writing: expository, persuasive, expressive, research, and functional. The writing projects center on each of the five major types. Students will receive comprehensive instruction on the various structures and styles of writing. Students are expected to produce original high quality examples of each of the major types of writing. Writing samples are graded against the 6-Traits of Writing.

In Semester B, students broaden their reading experience with exposure to literature from around the world. Students are given vast exposure to a variety of reading samples, and are encouraged to connect and relate to the various authors and cultures within the contexts of the passages and works Reading strategies, the literary elements, and new vocabulary and Latin roots are introduced. In addition, students are guided through an active reading process in preparation to prepare them for high-stakes testing which will assess their abilities to make inferences, comprehend, and analyze a variety of reading materials. Students are expected to respond to assigned reading materials in a variety of activities and manners. Students will be graded on their abilities to review, summarize, analyze, connect, and respond to reading materials.

Additionally, students will practice important reading strategies such as determining the meaning of unfamiliar words. They will produce an independent vocabulary assignment as evidence of their familiarity with these strategies. Students are also expected to create original materials in an effort to grasp the complexity of the genres.

College Prep • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In Honors English 2, students learn how to express their thoughts and feelings in writing. Emphasis is placed on the specific traits of the 6-Traits of Writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions. Students also review the 5-step writing process as they practice the skills of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Each unit also includes instruction in the Greek roots of common English words.

In Semester A, students are guided through the 5-step writing process for each of the major types of writing: expository, persuasive, expressive, research, and functional. The writing projects center on each of the five major types. Students will receive comprehensive instruction on the various structures and styles of writing. Students are expected to produce original high quality examples of each of the major types of writing. Writing samples are graded against the 6-Traits of Writing.

In Semester B, students broaden their reading experience with exposure to literature from around the world. Students are given vast exposure to a variety of reading samples, and are encouraged to connect and relate to the various authors and cultures within the contexts of the passages and works Reading strategies, the literary elements, and new vocabulary and Latin roots are introduced. In addition, students are guided through an active reading process in preparation to prepare them for high-stakes testing which will assess their abilities to make inferences, comprehend, and analyze a variety of reading materials. Students are expected to respond to assigned reading materials in a variety of activities and manners. Students will be graded on their abilities to review, summarize, analyze, connect, and respond to reading materials. Additionally, students will practice important reading strategies such as determining the meaning of unfamiliar words. They will produce an independent vocabulary assignment as evidence of their familiarity with these strategies. Students are also expected to create original materials in an effort to grasp the complexity of the genres.

Honors students are expected to complete additional assignments throughout the course that build on the content provided. These assignments, like analyzing how a producer puts a movie together to develop a theme and writing lyrical poetry using literary devices, makes these students go above and beyond the curriculum content in creativity and application. 

Honors • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In English 3, students will acquire the language, reading, writing, and speaking/listening skills necessary for success in college, career, and beyond. Students will become critical readers and thinkers as they dive deeply into the texts presented throughout this course. Students will learn how to effectively research and integrate their findings, as well as cite their sources. 

College Prep • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In Honors English 3, students will acquire the language, reading, writing, and speaking/listening skills necessary for success in college, career, and beyond. Students will become critical readers and thinkers as they dive deeply into the texts presented throughout this course. Students will learn how to effectively research and integrate their findings, as well as cite their sources.

Honors students read additional literary works and complete additional assignments requiring more advanced analysis and critical thought. Honors students are expected to work at a more independently inquisitive level and commit to learning at a higher and more rigorous level, creating work reflective of this rigor. 

Honors • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

Why do people do what they do? English 4 will give you a front row seat to study the motives that have driven people’s actions for centuries. Along the way you will encounter epic heroes defying danger, tormented minds succumbing to the power of greed and ambition, enlightened thinkers striving for individual rights and freedoms, sensitive souls attempting to capture human emotion, and determined debaters taking a stand on critical issues. You will read to analyze the way language is used to express human motivation and research to examine the results of actions in the real world. The lessons in each module will give you the tools you need to gain insights from what you read and to use your knowledge in creative and analytical writing. 

College Prep • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

Why do people do what they do? Honors English 4 will give you a front row seat to study the motives that have driven people’s actions for centuries. Along the way you will encounter epic heroes defying danger, tormented minds succumbing to the power of greed and ambition, enlightened thinkers striving for individual rights and freedoms, sensitive souls attempting to capture human emotion, and determined debaters taking a stand on critical issues. You will read to analyze the way language is used to express human motivation and research to examine the results of actions in the real world. The lessons in each module will give you the tools you need to gain insights from what you read and to use your knowledge in creative and analytical writing.

Honors students are expected to work at a more independently inquisitive level and commit to learning at a higher and more rigorous level, creating work reflective of this rigor. 

Honors • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

Moving between the world in which Shakespeare lived and the present day, this course will introduce different kinds of literary analysis that you can use when reading Shakespeare. This journey through Shakespeare’s life will transport you to another era and will give you a new perspective on his timeless works.

You will understand the plots and themes presented in the readings, as well as their implications for both Shakespeare’s time and the present day. As you review topics such as Shakespeare's contemporaries and the politics of modern performance, you will learn a range of critical tools that you can use to unlock the meaning and relevance of Shakespeare’s plays.

Centuries later, William Shakespeare remains the central author of the English-speaking world; he is the most quoted poet and the most regularly produced playwright — and now among the most popular screenwriters as well. Why is that, and who "is" he? Why do so many people think his writing is so great? What meanings did his plays have in his own time, and how do we read, speak, or listen to his words now? We'll consider these questions as we carefully examine some of Shakespeare's plays from different perspectives. You will also write a literary analysis paper and a research paper regarding Shakespeare and/or his works. Later, you will create a portfolio to showcase the concepts that you've learned throughout the course. 

College Prep • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

Moving between the world in which Shakespeare lived and the present day, this course will introduce different kinds of literary analysis that you can use when reading Shakespeare. This journey through Shakespeare’s life will transport you to another era and will give you a new perspective on his timeless works.

You will understand the plots and themes presented in the readings, as well as their implications for both Shakespeare’s time and the present day. As you review topics such as Shakespeare's contemporaries and the politics of modern performance, you will learn a range of critical tools that you can use to unlock the meaning and relevance of Shakespeare’s plays.

Centuries later, William Shakespeare remains the central author of the English-speaking world; he is the most quoted poet and the most regularly produced playwright — and now among the most popular screenwriters as well. Why is that, and who "is" he? Why do so many people think his writing is so great? What meanings did his plays have in his own time, and how do we read, speak, or listen to his words now? We'll consider these questions as we carefully examine some of Shakespeare's plays from different perspectives. You will also write a literary analysis paper and a research paper regarding Shakespeare and/or his works. Later, you will create a portfolio to showcase the concepts that you've learned throughout the course.

This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage in deeper critical thinking than most literature courses because students examine and practice sophisticated methods of understanding literature. Students who successfully complete this course will build skills that not only transfer successfully to any university, but they will also have the tools to succeed at any university Literature course. 

Honors • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In this course, we will study plays written by masters of drama in several historical periods, starting with the 6th century BC and continuing through to contemporary society. Drama is a literary art, and we will read, discuss, analyze, and write about the texts to become familiar with dramatic conventions and elements such as plot, character, theme, dialogue, conflict, setting, scene, rhetorical and linguistic devices, and dramatic forms such as tragedy and comedy. In doing so students will discover how playwrights hold a mirror up to society.

We will also pay attention to the cultural contexts of these plays, cultivating an understanding of the history behind them. Students will read a diverse variety of plays and supplemental texts, research playwrights and historical context, perform oral presentations, and write both creative and critical papers and responses which require higher level thinking skills, such as compare/contrast, evaluation, and argumentative to demonstrate proficiency. This course allows for greater understanding of the stages of writing which include pre-writing, drafting, and revision. Students will read deeply and understand underlying philosophies in the literature as they learn to write a literary analysis paper.

Finally, because drama is performative, we will also read scenes and compare them to performances in order to analyze the techniques. The goal of the course will be to deepen the students' enjoyment of drama by giving them the tools to look deeper into the craft and art of dramatic literature that has been influenced by so many different cultures. 

College Prep • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In this course, we will study plays written by masters of drama in several historical periods, starting with the 6th century BC and continuing through to contemporary society. Drama is a literary art, and we will read, discuss, analyze, and write about the texts to become familiar with dramatic conventions and elements such as plot, character, theme, dialogue, conflict, setting, scene, rhetorical and linguistic devices, and dramatic forms such as tragedy and comedy. In doing so students will discover how playwrights hold a mirror up to society.

We will also pay attention to the cultural contexts of these plays, cultivating an understanding of the history behind them. Students will read a diverse variety of plays and supplemental texts, research playwrights and historical context, perform oral presentations, and write both creative and critical papers and responses which require higher level thinking skills, such as compare/contrast, evaluation, and argumentative to demonstrate proficiency. This course allows for greater understanding of the stages of writing which include pre-writing, drafting, and revision. Students will read deeply and understand underlying philosophies in the literature as they learn to write a literary analysis paper.

Finally, because drama is performative, we will also read scenes and compare them to performances in order to analyze the techniques. The goal of the course will be to deepen the students' enjoyment of drama by giving them the tools to look deeper into the craft and art of dramatic literature that has been influenced by so many different cultures.

This course provides an excellent opportunity for students to engage in deeper critical thinking than most literature courses because students examine and practice sophisticated methods of understanding literature. Students who successfully complete this course will build skills that not only transfer successfully to any university, but they will also have the tools to succeed at any university Literature course. 

Honors • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

AP^® English Language and Composition 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 their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. The college composition course for which the AP English Language and Composition course substitutes is one of the most varied in the curriculum.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

The level of rigor in these AP^® English courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.

This course provides high school students with college-level instruction in active, close reading, and analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of works of literary merit, students learn to consider how a work's style, figurative language, theme, and other literary elements contribute to its meaning and cultural significance. This approach to analyzing prose and poetry allows students to establish connections, make observations about textual details, and sharpen their understanding of these nuances through their own writing. This course will effectively prepare students for the AP Exam and to learn beyond the exam by enabling them to read, analyze, and write about complex texts.

Advanced Placement • UC Honors Approved English • NCAA Approved English

The level of rigor in these AP^® English courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement^® examination.