12 A English Class Overview

General Goals Prepare students for the likely demands of a typical freshman literature/composition course required by a four year college Provide a solid foundation for students who may pursue higher level literature or writing courses beyond their freshman year at college Encourage students to actively think and reflect about material studied and express their ideas in class discussions Prepare for college both in terms of SKILLS needed AND general KNOWLEDGE needed

Major Components World Literature Classic and Contemporary Composition Grammar Discussion SAT prep Debate Oral Presentations with Visual Aids Each element is linked to specific high school CCSS

Composition Reflective/Personal Narrative Writing Creating Tone/Voice Creative Writing Literary Analysis Personal Philosophy Essay Short Responses to Non-Fiction Readings

The Year in Literature To Sir, With Love- E.R. Braithwaite Antigone and Oedipus Rex- Sophocles Medea- Euripides Selected readings from Ancient Greek and other world philosophies/mythologies Beowulf (selected episodes) Middle English excerpts- various poets The Canterbury Tales (General Prologue and selected tales)- Chaucer Shakespeare’s Macbeth Animal Farm- George Orwell Anthem- Ayn Rand Death of a Salesman and/or The Crucible- Arthur Miller

Lit Group Projects Archetypal (Circle) story presentation World Mythology/Religion presentation Medieval Times presentation Shakespeare mini- performance Russian Revolution presentation

Liberal Arts/Humanities My hope is that the 12A course is much more than merely an English Language Arts course. As we study literature of different ages, we hope to see how it relates and connects to the history, culture, philosophy, arts and other academic disciplines of its particular period.

Having a broad set of knowledge is good!!!! Susan Migliorisi, associate director of admissions at BC, refers to their core curriculum as “an opportunity to explore different parts of yourself. Even if you know you want to be an accountant and not a scientist.” Zach Weilgus, BC admission staff, says the core is “designed to cultivate intellectual curiosity and broaden your skillset. Down the line if you change your job, or even your career , you won’t be starting from scratch.”

It’s not just “What do you know?”, but ALSO “What do you think?” Express your thoughts and feelings in your writings and by getting involved in class discussions. In college you may have much larger class enrollment than in high school- make yourself stand out from the crowd!

Weighting 60% Tests, Quizzes, Compositions, Projects 20% Homework, In-Class Exercises 20% Class Preparation and Participation