Communication Arts: Junior Year
Junior Teaching Team
Junior English Course Descriptions:
Overarching theme: American themes and values
Junior College Prep: This skills-based course completes the department's three-year scope and sequence in the areas of reading, literary analysis, writing, grammar/usage, oral communication, and research. Students explore American themes and values through short stories, short essays and articles, novels, poetry, and drama.
Core texts include The Great Gatsby, Their Eyes Were Watching God, and a series of shorter canonical and current works.
Through the literature, students review and deepen their analysis of language and rhetorical devices, and they are introduced to literary criticism. Building on the Sophomore English focus of persuasion, students study the following elements of argumentation: identifying logical fallacies, refuting the opposition, and employing rhetorical and stylistic strategies. This writing intensive course includes sophisticated literary analysis and argumentative process essays and a minimum of two in-class essays each semester. Instruction in the formal research process culminates in an extensive paper second semester. Students are assessed regularly in the area of full-class and small-group discussions, and they are required to deliver one formal speech. Intensive work with ACT test preparation is used to sharpen reading, editing and revising skills.
* * * * *
Junior English: American Studies: Due to its interdisciplinary nature, this skills-based course must be taken in conjunction with US History: American Studies (College Prep).
Students are scheduled for consecutive periods of history and English, allowing separate or integrated study of the two disciplines, as well as activities which center on thematic movements in our country's history and literature.
Core texts include The Jungle, The Great Gatsby, The Things They Carried, and a series of shorter canonical and current short stories short essays and articles, novels, poetry, and drama.
Through the literature, students review and deepen their analysis of language and rhetorical devices, and they are introduced to literary criticism. Building on the Sophomore English focus of persuasion, students study the elements of argumentation: identifying logical fallacies, refuting the opposition, and employing rhetorical and stylistic strategies. This writing intensive course includes sophisticated literary analysis and argumentative essays, and a minimum of two in-class essays per semester. Instruction in the formal research process culminates in an extensive paper second semester. Students are assessed regularly in the area of full-class and small-group discussions, and they are required to deliver one formal speech. Intensive work with ACT test preparation is used to sharpen reading, editing, and revising skills.
* * * * *
Junior Accelerated English: In this course, students are expected to be proficient in the areas of reading, literary analysis, writing, grammar/usage, oral communication, and research so that they may work through the curriculum at a faster pace and at a greater level of sophistication than at the college prep level. Students explore American themes and values through the study of both short works of fiction and non-fiction as well as six major texts, including The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter and Their Eyes Were Watching God. In addition, students analyze poetry for form, technique, and content. Through the literature students analyze language and rhetoric at a greater level of sophistication, and they are introduced to literary criticism. Building on the Sophomore English focus of persuasion, students study the following elements of argumentation: identifying logical fallacies, refuting the opposition, and employing rhetorical and stylistic strategies. This writing intensive course is more rigorous in terms of quantity and depth of work. Students expand their work in literary analysis and persuasive writing in order to explore various modes as well as the development of voice, purpose, and audience. Students write six process essays (including a research paper) and six in-class essays (graded according to an adapted AP scoring guide) during the year. Students are assessed regularly in the area of full-class and small-group discussions, and they are required to deliver one formal speech per semester. Intensive work with ACT and SAT test preparation is used to sharpen reading, editing, and revising skills. Students engage in vocabulary study throughout the year.
* * * * *
AP Junior English: Language and Composition: This is a college-level course, and student may obtain college credit by taking the Advanced Placement Examination, an expectation of all students. In this course, students are expected to be proficient in the areas of reading literary analysis, writing, grammar/usage, oral communication and research, so that they can work through the curriculum at a faster pace and at a greater level of sophistication than at the college prep or accelerated level. Students study British and American fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, including such longer works as The Great Gatsby, Wide Sargasso Sea and Shakespearean drama as a vehicle for critical analysis of language and rhetoric. This writing intensive course focuses on literary analysis, rhetorical analysis, and argumentation, and is more rigorous at the honors level in terms of both the quality and complexity of the writing assignments. Students write at least six process essays, including a research paper, which require them to assume an increasing degree of independence as the year progresses. In addition, they write numerous short papers and at least six in-class essays per semester. Students will be assessed regularly in the area of full-class and small-group discussions, as well as formal presentations. Work with ACT, SAT, and AP test preparation is used to sharpen reading, editing, and revising skills. Student engage in independent and intensive vocabulary study throughout the year.
Please consult the Stevenson Coursebook for electives available in the Junior Year.