English
What is this course all about?
Through a sequence of rigorous, instructional modules, students in this yearlong, rhetoric-based course develop advanced proficiency in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. The cornerstone of the course - the assignment template - presents a process for helping students read, comprehend, and respond to nonfiction and literary texts. Modules also provide instruction in research methods and documentation conventions. Students will be expected to increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors and to apply those strategies in their own writing. They will read closely to examine the relationship between an author’s argument or theme and his/her audience and purpose.
How will this course help me be College and Career Ready?
This class will prepare college-bound students for the literacy demands of higher education.
In the theme of a 21st learning environment, analog and digital instruction will be integrated for learning, communication, and collaboration. Scholars will develop an awareness of their Digital Footprint and Internet safety, learning how to navigate safely online.
What concepts and skills will I master in this course?
Scholars will work with and be able to work toward mastery of the following skills and concepts: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos; Argument and Counterargument; Argument Structure; Synthesize Multiple Perspectives; Author’s Purpose; Rhetorical Situation; Analyze and Respond to Rhetorical Situation; Paraphrase, Summarize and Make Inferences; Reflect on Personal Goals; and Oral Presentations.
How will I be graded?
Scholars will be graded based on a rubric that will be given for each assignment, which will be focused toward one of the concepts and/or skills listed above. Each of these will be graded on a scale of 0-4 which will be focused on showing mastery of a skill, or learning of a concept. 40 - Thorough Understanding, 30 - Sufficient Understanding, 20 - Partial Understanding, 10 - Emerging Understanding, 0 - No Evidence of Understanding
What is this course all about?
Advanced Academic Language Literature is designed to help students develop and advance their English Language skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
How will this course help me be College and Career-Ready?
Enhanced Communication Skills: AAL focuses on improving your speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in English, which are crucial for effective communication in both academic and professional settings.
Academic Preparedness: The course helps you understand and produce complex academic texts, participate in discussions, and give presentations, preparing you for the rigors of college coursework.
Career Skills: AAL equips you with the ability to write professional emails, reports, and resumes, and to perform well in interviews and workplace interactions.
Cultural Competence: Understanding nuances in English helps you navigate social and professional situations more effectively, enhancing your adaptability in diverse environments.
What concepts and skills will I master in this course?
Language Proficiency:
- Speaking: Improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence in verbal communication.
- Listening: Develop the ability to understand and interpret spoken English in various contexts.
- Reading: Enhance comprehension skills for academic texts, literature, and informational materials.
- Writing: Learn to write clear, coherent, and structured essays, reports, and other academic and professional documents.
Academic Skills:
- Critical Thinking: Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from various sources.
- Research Skills: Conduct research, evaluate sources, and incorporate findings into written and oral presentations.
- Study Skills: Develop effective note-taking, summarizing, and test-taking strategies.
What is this course all about?
Students will explore four units over the year, with a summative writing project for each unit. These summative writing projects will be an Argumentative Essay, a Literary Analysis, a Research Report, and a Short Story. Additionally, throughout the year we will be reading rigorous and engaging texts, including Shakespeare’s Macbeth among others.
How will this course help me be College and Career Ready?
Four years of English is required for entry into both the CSU schools and UC schools in California. Additionally, it is a requirement that this class is passed in order to graduate high school. The skills taught in ELA are not only important for graduation and for college, but also are necessary in careers. This course teaches grammar, vocabulary, communication, critical reading and thinking, and media literacy.
What concepts and skills will I master in this course?
By the end of this course, students will have achieved proficiency in four different types of writing: informative, argumentative, literary analysis and creative writing. Additionally, students will have learned how to critically analyze various types of texts, and how to communicate their ideas effectively with others.
What is this course all about?
This course focuses on reading fiction and non-fiction stories varying in length and level of complexity. This course will require that student develop and apply various skills such as comprehension, analysis, critical thinking, collaboration, writing, speaking, and listening.
How will this course help me be College and Career Ready?
This course will helps student in all areas of literacy (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and give students skill that can be applied to any discipline such as comprehension, analysis, critical thinking, and collaboration
What concepts and skills will I master in this course?
Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, Comprehension, Analysis, Critical Thinking, and Collaboration
What is this course all about?
The AP English Language and Composition course is designed to help students become analytical, rhetorical readers and writers. Students in this course are taught to read critically by focusing their attention on the choices that authors make in relation to social context(s), audience(s), and purpose(s). Most texts used throughout the year will be nonfiction and will come from a variety of formal and informal sources and genres (e.g., academic journals, advertisements, scientific arguments, letters, political cartoons, critical essays, charts and graphs, etc.). In conjunction with reading and analyzing texts of such variety, students will also be required to produce formal and informal writings of the same sort; consequently, the course helps students become skilled, rhetorical writers who compose for various purposes within various contexts. Students learn to write while making their own choices and paying strict attention to social context(s), target audience(s), rhetorical mode(s), and overall purpose(s).
How will this course help me be College and Career Ready?
This course enhances critical reading and writing skills for higher education and careers. Students read complex texts with understanding while being taught to write prose of sufficient richness and complexity to communicate effectively with mature readers. The ultimate goal of building the rhetorical skills the class fosters is to help mold students into individuals who will actively and intelligently engage with the world around them. The course helps students move beyond reading for mere comprehension, and it moves them past composing programmatic responses; it encourages them to think critically and purposefully about the rhetorical choices that authors make, and it leads them to consider the choices they make when deciding to add their voice into any given discourse: civil or academic. Additionally, students can take the AP exam in May to receive AP credit on their transcript. A qualifying score of three (3) or better on the AP exam may earn a student college credit.
What concepts and skills will I master in this course?
Students who take this course develop valuable skills, including identifying and analyzing rhetorical strategies, strong writing abilities, and critical thinking skills for evaluating arguments and evidence. The course teaches essential rhetorical strategies and document analysis applicable across academic disciplines. Overall, this course equips students with a versatile skillset that prepares them for success in college and beyond.
How will I be graded?
Grades will be based on rubrics for each assignment, focusing on the above mentioned concepts and skills. Assignments will be graded on a scale of 0-4, assessing mastery of a skill or understanding of a concept:
4 - Thorough Understanding
3 - Sufficient Understanding
2 - Partial Understanding
1 - Emerging Understanding
0 - No Evidence of Understanding
What is this course all about?
The Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC) equips college-bound seniors with the literacy skills needed for higher education. Through engaging instructional modules, this yearlong, rhetoric-based course enhances students' proficiency in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. Students will deepen their understanding of rhetorical strategies used by authors and apply these techniques in their own writing. They will analyze how an author’s argument or theme relates to audience and purpose, the impact of structural and rhetorical strategies, and the underlying social, political, and philosophical assumptions in texts. By the end of the course, students will independently apply these skills to unfamiliar texts and writing tasks.
How will this course help me be College and Career Ready?
This course prepares students for the literacy demands of higher education by integrating analog and digital instruction for learning, communication, and collaboration. Students will cultivate an awareness of their digital footprint and internet safety, learning to navigate the online world effectively.
What concepts and skills will I master in this course?
Students will work towards mastery of key concepts and skills, including Ethos, Pathos, and Logos; argument and Counterargument; Argument Structure; Synthesizing Multiple Perspectives; author’s Purpose; Rhetorical Situation; analyzing and Responding to Rhetorical Situations; paraphrasing, Summarizing, and Making Inferences; reflecting on Personal Goals; and Oral Presentations.
How will I be graded?
Grades will be based on rubrics for each assignment, focusing on the above mentioned concepts and skills. Assignments will be graded on a scale of 0-4, assessing mastery of a skill or understanding of a concept:
4 - Thorough Understanding
3 - Sufficient Understanding