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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS — ENGLISH

The career market reports that refined communication skills are the key to the future. With this in mind, the English program at Marple Newtown provides students with frequent and meaningful opportunities to read, write, converse, speak, research and learn to learn. Skills are acquired in the context of relevant and thoughtful reading and writing activities. While reading literature of classic quality, both traditional and contemporary, students learn to think and write analytically. Correctness is practiced and expected. Language skills and test taking strategies are embedded in the curriculum and thereby learned along with other communication skills. The elective courses offer even further opportunities for students to enhance their knowledge and talent in communications areas such as reading, writing, speaking, dramatics, and test taking.

All students at Marple Newtown High School are expected to take and pass English each year (English 9 through 12), accumulating a minimum of 4.3 credits required for graduation. These English courses are designed to develop and refine composition skills, improve oral communication and critical reading skills, as well as instill an appreciation for literature. In addition to the 4.3 credits required, students have the opportunity to select English Electives in areas of interest.

Courses are leveled to provide students with the appropriate challenge. Students may apply to enroll in honors or advanced placement courses. The assignment of a pupil to a given level will be based upon current achievement, teacher recommendation, and standardized test scores.

This more individualized course serves as an alternative to Literary Genre and is designed for students needing to strengthen their basic English skills. Vocabulary, spelling, grammar, punctuation, as well as basic reading and listening skills will be refined. Emphasis on the development of skills necessary for oral and written communication will be ongoing.

This comprehensive program strengthens basic reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Students will read selected works in various genres to acquaint them with the various forms of literature. Vocabulary and SAT test taking strategies will be emphasized.

This rigorous course is reserved for students having above average skills who can benefit from a fast paced program emphasizing continued development of composition, vocabulary, critical reading and communication skills. Students will become acquainted with the various forms of literature through the study of novels, plays, short stories and poetry. Vocabulary and SAT test taking strategies will be emphasized.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

This one semester, 3 day per week course is a requirement for all 9th grade students. Students receive intensive training in grammar skills through both direct instruction and computer-aided instruction.

This individualized course is an alternative to British Literature, and is designed for students who need reinforcement of basic composition, reading, oral expression, vocabulary, and test-taking skills. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of research resulting in a required oral presentation. Literature study will include works from various genre of British literature.

The study of British literature, including selections from Old English, Middle English, Shakespeare, Modern and 20th century, is the foundation of this course. Listening, speaking, vocabulary skills, SAT test-taking skills, and research are emphasized. Writing focuses on the skills needed to write clearly and logically. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of research resulting in an oral presentation.

This rigorous course is reserved for students with above average skills who can accept the demands of a fast paced, highly challenging program. The underlying philosophies and central themes of British Literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to modern times provide the foundation of the course. Writing, listening, speaking, vocabulary, and SAT test-taking skills are reinforced and refined. Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of research resulting in a required oral presentation.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

This individualized course serves as an alternative to American Literature and is designed for students needing to improve their basic English skills. Instruction is devoted to improvement of writing, vocabulary, critical reading, vocabulary and test-taking skills. Students are presented a variety of readings in American Literature. The fundamentals of research and thesis development are provided so students may complete a required research paper.

Through the reading and analysis of a variety of American literary works, students will learn the evolution of American literature from its inception to present day. Composition, research, writing skills, vocabulary development, and SAT preparation are emphasized. The fundamentals of research are taught, including the development of a thesis. Successful completion of a major research paper is a requirement.

This rigorous course is reserved for students having above average skills and a desire for a comprehensive, fast paced, extremely challenging program. Students will trace the evolution and emergence of varying “voices” in American Literature from our earliest authors to our most contemporary writers. Analytical thinking skills and creative interactions with the texts are stressed. The fundamentals of research are taught, including the development of a thesis. Successful completion of a major research paper is a requirement.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

The AP Language and Composition course is designed to provide students with reading and writing activities to help them gain rhetorical and textual power, making them more alert to an author's purpose, the needs of an audience, the demands of the subject, and the resources of language: syntax, word choice, and tone. Because of the demanding curriculum, students must bring to the course sufficient command of mechanical conventions and an ability to read and discuss prose. The three main components of the course are reading, writing and research.

This individualized course serves as an alternative to World Literature, and is designed for students needing improvement in their basic written and oral communication skills. Reading and analysis of various plays and poems will be included. Expository writing and vocabulary will be included. Each student is required to develop a critical analysis paper.

Human nature and the human condition will be explored by students reading a variety of literature including plays and poetry. Various “literary devices” will be discussed, as they appear in a variety of world literature. The students will read to understand that man’s quest to find reasons for his existence affects others. Students will have the opportunity to study works that may be of individual interest. Further development of reading skills, related vocabulary, and composition skills will be ongoing. This course is a survey of world literature from the epic and contemporary novel to haiku.

Students develop procedures for independent analysis of literary genre (novel, drama, short story, poetry, and prose). Readings are representative of world literature and are arranged thematically. Refinement of reading, composition, oral expression, and listening skills are accomplished by having each student complete a series of written analysis and initiatives. There is emphasis on expository writing as well as an opportunity for creative writing. Students selecting 1715 A.P. will prepare for and take the A.P. exam. Students selecting 1710 Honors will follow the same curriculum as those in A.P. with less focus on A.P. test preparedness. They may take the A.P. exam if they wish.

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation and meet eligibility standards.

This course is designed for students who need to improve their overall reading skills. Students are placed into this course by referral only based upon reading assessments. Study skills, textbook reading strategies, fiction and nonfiction reading, and writing will be emphasized. Students will read books independently to improve reading fluency. Computer software will be utilized as a way to practice reading skills. Groups are small so that individual attention and immediate feedback can be provided.

Prerequisite: Reading specialist recommendation.

English as a Second Language is a required course for non-native speakers of English who need to develop proficiency in English. Emphasis is placed on reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. Students must meet ESL entrance criteria to enroll in this course.

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

This course is offered as an alternative to the required 20th Century American History and English 11: American Literature. This course combines the major epochs of our past with the classics of American Literature. A variety of instructional methods and activities will be utilized to help each student develop a better understanding of our rich cultural heritage from Puritan society to modern times.

This class will meet for two periods each day and will be taught collaboratively by a member of the English Department and a member of the Social Studies Department. In this manner more individualized attention can be provided to develop each student’s reading and writing skills, as well as his/her knowledge of the American experience. Successful completion of a major research paper is a requirement. Although this course is designed to be fast paced and challenging, it is not intended to replace an Honors course or Advanced Placement offering.

This course satisfies both the English 11 and United States History graduation requirements.

This course is offered as an alternative to the required Western Cultures and English 10: British Literature. The study of Western Cultures and the corresponding literature will be studied through and interdisciplinary approach with will extend from the Middle Ages to the Cold War. Each semester will include two major novels or dramas which are integrated into the appropriate historical settings. Field trips are an integral part of this course including a trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This course relies on performance-based assessment and students will be expected to learn and use multimedia presentation skills such as Power Point.

This class will meet for two blocked periods each day and will be taught collaboratively by a member of the English Department and a member of the Social Studies Department. In this manner more individualized attention can be provided to develop each student’s reading and writing skills. Although this course is designed to be fast paced and challenging, it is not intended to replace an Honors course or Advanced Placement offering.

This course satisfies both the English 10 and the Western Cultures graduation requirements.

ELECTIVES

The English Department offers a wide variety of electives designed to encourage students to explore areas of interest in communication and literature. These courses do not meet the basic credit requirements for English, but do carry elective credit.

Through thematically organized selections, students will experience the poet’s vision of his role in society, drawing on sources ranging from the classic and formal to the contemporary. Students will practice poetic techniques and will critically analyze a variety of poems.

Students selecting this course will learn that “The play’s the thing.” By studying, writing, designing and performing classic and contemporary plays, as well as original dramas of their own, students will become proficient in the dramatic arts.

Film is the major form of art/communication in the 20th Century, and this course enables students to study the development of cinema from its beginnings, as well as giving them the information and skills needed to watch, evaluate, and write about any movie of artistic merit. In addition to viewing film highlights and entire movies, students demonstrate their understanding of cinema through written movie critiques, tests, and independent projects.

Practice in varied forms of public speaking will strengthen the student’s ability to communicate ideas and attitudes. Students gain experience in common speaking forms, including persuasive, demonstrative and informative speeches, interview techniques, debate, commercial presentation and oral interpretation. This course is strongly recommended for students pursuing communications courses after high school.

Students receive training and practical experience in the various forms of journalistic writing. Students will understand the form and function of the print media. They will become more perceptive readers and viewers. They will improve their journalistic writing through planning, writing and producing a newspaper. Students will use word processing and desktop publishing for composing and revision.

Students will experience different types of writing: drama, short story, film script, poetry and critical analysis. Important related material on the creative experience, figures of speech, revision and editing will enable students to enjoy a full range of the writer’s pressures and pleasures.

This course is designed for students who wish to extend their scope of writing experiences into other fields such as script writing, interpretive reporting, editorializing, and fiction.

Focusing attention on the wealth of literature published by women of North, South, and Latin America, this course seeks to provide an opportunity for enriched study of the recurring themes present in 20th Century women’s literature. These include, but are not limited to, storytelling and folklore, roles within the family, concepts of beauty, and reactions to war. Students should recognize that, while male and female students of all abilities and backgrounds are welcome, this is a reading and discussion-intensive course, with both written and oral requirements.