ENGLISH
All students completing a secondary education should acquire skills of communication that will enable them to function in the world of which they are a part. The following courses are included in the school curriculum to help the students to understand, appreciate and use their native language.
There are three basic goals: first, an intention to have the student write logically and correctly in developing ideas; second, an intention to express her thoughts verbally with spontaneity and awareness of Christian ideals of living; and third, an intention to have the student read with understanding and appreciation the literature of the past and present. All courses require teacher recommendation.
The first semester of English I is dedicated to grammar review and the lying of the foundation of good writing skills. On the other class levels, the teaching of writing skills continues developmentally through the senior year, so that a student upon graduation from Archbishop Chapelle will have an excellent command of the tools of writing well, both for practical use and for success in college. All English courses are named after the literature taught. The more advanced the course, the more in depth the study of literature becomes. Dynamics of Effective Study is included as a semester course on the Freshmen level.
Those students who show excellence in English may elect honors courses which will encompass World, American and British Literature, and Humanities. Students who do not elect honors courses will have a choice of courses during 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. They will be advised by counselors and teachers in accordance with their various goals and needs. Juniors and Seniors may also choose Advanced Placement classes, for which they can earn college credit.
Regardless of high school credits earned in elementary school, a Chapelle student must take English each year at Chapelle.
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INCOMING 8TH AND 9TH GRADERS will be placed in courses based on their High School Placement Test scores, standardized test scores and elementary school record.
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ENGLISH 8 (Academic) Reading |
Course Number: 1010 Credit Value: 8TH Grade Credit Only
Prerequisite: Administration Placement
Description: This academic course is designed to increase the students’ reading comprehension through the study of short stories, novels, non-fiction, poetry, drama, myths, speeches, oral histories, and songs. . The course also includes composition and vocabulary.
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ENGLISH 8 (Academic) Language Arts |
Course Number: 1020 Credit Value: 8th Grade Credit Only
Prerequisite: Administration Placement
Description: This academic level course is designed to include the major areas of the language arts curriculum: writing, grammar, correct usage, mechanics, dictionary and library skills, and speaking and listening skills. The course will begin with an in-depth review of English grammar and punctuation. Then, as the year progresses, these rules will be reinforced through mini-lessons and integrated into the requirements for writing assignments.
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DYNAMICS OF EFFECTIVE STUDY |
Course Number: 1008 Credit Value: 1/2
Prerequisite: None
DESCRIPTION: Freshmen are scheduled for this course in either the first or second semester. DYNAMICS provides students with the skills needed to become more successful readers. Through the use of word recognition both reading comprehension and rate-building strategies, and various other reading skills, students attain greater reading confidence and success. The course also introduces Chapelle’s library, and concentrates both on study skills and test-taking strategies.
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DYNAMICS OF EFFECTIVE STUDY (Academic) |
Course Number: 1009 Credit Value: 1/2
Prerequisite: None
DESCRIPTION: Eighth graders and freshmen are scheduled for this course in either the first or second semester. DYNAMICS provides students with the skills needed to be successful learners. The main goal of the course is to aid students in the ability to access information. The areas of study are: critical writing; study skills; library reference and research.
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ENGLISH I Reading and Language Arts |
Course Number: 1100 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Administration Placement
DESCRIPTION: Students who have a reading comprehension deficiency are required to take a basic skills reading course that will include some types of Literature. The course will also include vocabulary, ACT preparation, and the Jane Schaffer format of paragraph writing.
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ENGLISH I (Academic) Introduction to Literature |
DESCRIPTION: This is an academic course designed to study the major types of literature: the short story, the poem, the novel and the drama. The course will also include vocabulary, ACT preparation, and the Jane Schaffer format of paragraph writing.
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ENGLISH I (Honors) Literary Types |
Course Number: 1120 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Administrative Placement
DESCRIPTION: A course of Honors quality designed for a more in‑depth study of the major types of literature: the short story, the poem, the novel and the drama. The course will also include vocabulary, ACT preparation, and the Jane Schaffer format of paragraph writing.
| ENGLISH II Modern World Literature |
Course Number: 1200 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English I
DESCRIPTION: A course concerned with the study of World Literature that will include poetry, novels, drama, mythology, and short stories. The course will also include grammar review, ACT preparation, and vocabulary. Students will use the Jane Schaffer format to compose five paragraph essays.
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ENGLISH II (Academic) World Literature |
Course Number: 1210 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English I (Academic)
DESCRIPTION: An academic course designed to study World Literature. The course includes the study of poetry, novels, drama, mythology, and short stories. The course will also include grammar review, ACT preparation, and vocabulary. Students will use the Jane Shaffer format to compose five paragraph essays.
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ENGLISH II (Honors) World Literature Studies |
Course Number: 1220 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English I (Honors)
DESCRIPTION: This course is concerned with an in‑depth survey of World Literature stressing its historical aspects. The course will include the study of poetry, novels, drama, mythology, and short stories. The course will also include PSAT preparation, vocabulary, and composition. The Jane Schaffer format will be used for the five paragraph essay.
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ENGLISH III American Heritage |
Course Number: 1300 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English II
DESCRIPTION: A basic course concerned with a complete survey of American Literature. The course will also include composition and vocabulary. All Juniors will be required to do a term paper.
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ENGLISH III (Academic) American Literature |
Course Number: 1310 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English II (Academic)
DESCRIPTION: An academic course concerned with a complete survey of American Literature. The course will also include composition and vocabulary. All Juniors will be required to do a term paper.
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ENGLISH III (Honors) American Literature Studies |
Course Number: 1320 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English II Honors
DESCRIPTION: An Honors course concerned with an in‑depth survey of American Literature and its historical implications. The course will also include composition and vocabulary. All Juniors will be required to do a term paper.
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ENGLISH IV British Literature |
Course Number: 1400 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English III
DESCRIPTION: This course traces the history of British literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to contemporary writers through the study of literature from each time period. In addition to the literature component of the class, students enrolled in this course prepare for college writing and for the ACT test in the following areas: English, reading, and test taking strategies.
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ENGLISH IV (Academic) British Literature |
Course Number: 1410 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English III (Academic)
DESCRIPTION: High academic course designed to give the student a background in the world of important British writers. The thematic approach is used to increase interest in various types of literature. The course will also include composition and vocabulary. A term paper will be required.
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ENGLISH IV (Honors) British Literature |
Course Number: 1420 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English III (Honors)
DESCRIPTION: Honors course designed to give the students a background in the world of important British writers. The thematic approach is used to increase interest in various types of literature. The course will also include composition and vocabulary. A term paper will be required.
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ENGLISH IV (Advanced Placement) Language and Composition |
Course Number: 1430 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English III (Honors)
Recommendation of A.P. Teacher
Screening of Junior AP candidates will be strict, as AP students must be highly motivated.
DESCRIPTION: The course includes the reading and analysis of varieties of discursive prose and the study of the process of writing--from the discovery of the topic to the preliminary drafts to the final edit draft. Students should study examples of prose from various fields and periods that will serve as models of effective styles the course offers a variety of writing assignments calling for the use of different styles or tones. Through such study and practice, students gain an understanding of the principles of effective writing and become effective writers.
The organized study of the structures of sentences, paragraphs, and larger discursive patterns introduces students to the semantic, structural, and rhetorical resources of the language. They learn to recognize and work with: 1) kinds and levels of diction (casual to formal); 2) varieties of sentence structures; 3) logical and functional relationships of sentences within paragraphs and of paragraphs within essays; 4) modes of discourse (narration, description, analysis); 5) aims of discourse (information, persuasion, and expression); 6) various rhetorical strategies (logical, emotional, and ethical appeals); 7) appropriate relationships among author, audience and subject. The focus will be on the surface features of the text and on the underlying assumptions that inform it.
Since students will analyze and practice the rhetorical features of writing listed above, the course assumes a basic knowledge of the linguistic and grammatical conventions of the English language; this does not mean, however, that the course title of course: should either narrowly prescribe one dialect or style for a particular occasion. Beyond its intrinsic humanistic value, that study, like the course itself, will help student to discover the rich resources of language and to claim them as their own. The following authors and works indicate the possible range and quality of reading in such a course: Joseph Addison, Richard Steele, Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Charles Lamb, William Hazlitt, Thomas Carlyle, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Stewart Mill, Henry David Thoreau, Matthew Arnold, Thomas Henry Huxley, Virginia Woolf, H. L. Mencken, George Orwell, Tom Wolfe, E. B. White, Loren Eiseley, Kenneth Clark, James Baldwin, Richard Selzer, Mary McCarthy, Norman Mailer, Annie Dillard, Stephen
J. Gould, John McPhee, Langston Hughes, Barbara Tuchman and Lewis Thomas. Students will receive issues of the Literary Cavalcade Magazine throughout the course. Students will be required to take the National A. P. Exam.
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ENGLISH V (Academic) Introduction to College Writing |
Course Number: 1435 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English IV (Academic) Senior Status
DESCRIPTION: Students enrolled in English V Academic focus on formal, structured writing. This course provides an opportunity for students to refine their writing skills for college as well as their analyzation and evaluation skills. Students read selected essays, as well as a play, and the reading selections form a basis for in-depth writing assignments. At least four major pieces of writing will be completed each quarter. The types of writing will include narrative, descriptive, persuasive, compare/contrast, cause/effect, and literary critique. Students will utilize and refine their research skills by completing two research projects in the second semester.
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ENGLISH V (Honors) A Survey of Western Drama and Theater |
Course Number: 1450 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Senior Status;
A or B average in English IV (Honors)
and Teacher Recommendation
DESCRIPTION: This course traces the development of Renaissance drama through modern drama with some attention to Greek roots, as well. Emphasis is placed on understanding theme, characterization, and structure, as well as stage and theatrical
conventions. A minimum of two plays are read each quarter, with much of the reading done at home. The fourth quarter focuses on intensive study of five modern one-act plays with five essays geared to meaningful critiquing methods. Additional work includes a minimum of two essays per quarter, grammar and vocabulary. ACT prep is done in the first quarter.
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ENGLISH V (Honors) Women in Humanities |
Course Number: 1460 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Senior Status
A or B average in English IV (Honors)
and Teacher Recommendation
DESCRIPTION: Students will become aware of the significant contributions of women writers, and they will also increase their awareness of the way women write and what they tend to emphasize in their writings. Furthermore, the students will explore the historical experience of women in America from the Colonial period to the present. The class emphasizes composition, especially writing about literature and persuasive writing.
The class plans and enacts several service learning projects during the year. Participation in the projects is optional and journal entries on the experiences are calculated as extra grades for students who wish to participate.
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ENGLISH V (Advanced Placement) Literature and Composition |
Course Number: 1470 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: English IV (AP)
Screening of AP candidates is strict and includes an interview involving the AP V teacher, as well as the AP IV teacher. AP students must be highly motivated. Acceptance into the AP program carries the expectation that the student take the AP exam given by the College Board in May.
DESCRIPTION: Advanced Placement, English Composition and Literature, is a year long seminar course designed for twelfth grade students who have demonstrated a proficiency in the reading and writing skills generally expected in college. A college-level course, Advanced Placement English may better prepare students for the Advanced Placement examination, which may facilitate exemption of basic English classes in college. The teacher acts as a discussion leader and facilitator, expecting the student to assume responsibility for her own learning. Unit topics and literature readings will include: the tale, poetry, comedy and tragedy in drama, the epic, satire, the novel, the social drama and the short story. Some of the authors to be studied are: Boccacio, Chaucer, Conrad, Shakespeare, Euripides, Homer, Milton, Austen, Swift, Joyce, Dostoevsky, Eliot, Shaw and others. Each unit requires both in school timed writings and prepared papers. Students will write at least once a week, with some creative writing assigned to each unit. Students will review additional works of literature outside the classroom once per month. Students will receive issues of the Literary Cavalcade magazine throughout the course.
| PUBLICATIONS I Newspaper |
Course Number: 1500 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Basic Skills Test and
Teacher Recommendation
Sophomore/Junior/Senior Standing
DESCRIPTION: Open to Juniors and Seniors with department approval. The course is designed to cover the basics of news writing as well as techniques of copy‑editing, proofreading, headline writing and advertising. Students will form the staff of the school paper.
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PUBLICATIONS II Newspaper |
Course Number: 1510 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Publications I, Basic Skills Test,
Junior/Senior Standing,
Teacher Recommendation
DESCRIPTION: The course is designed to cover the basics of news‑writing as well as techniques of copy‑editing, proof‑reading, headline writing and advertising. Students will form the staff of the school paper.
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PUBLICATIONS I Yearbook |
Course Number: 1520 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Basic Skills Test, Junior or
Senior Standing, Teacher Recommendation
DESCRIPTION: A course, which concerns the duties, related to the composition of a yearbook as an annual publication. Particular emphasis will be directed to selection, layout and photography. A major area of interest will be devoted to copy including captions, headlines, interviews and dedications. This course is open to Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors.
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PUBLICATIONS II Yearbook |
Course Number: 1530 Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: Yearbook I, Basic Skills Test,
Teacher Recommendation
Senior Standing
DESCRIPTION: A course that concerns the duties related to the composition of a yearbook as an annual publication. Particular emphasis will be directed to selection, layout and photography. A major area of interest will be devoted to copy including captions, headlines, interviews and dedications. This course is open to Juniors and Seniors.
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WEB MASTERING |
Course Number: 1535 Credit Value: 1/2
Prerequisite: Teacher Approval
Sophomore, Junior or Senior Standing
DESCRIPTION: Concepts of web communication will be studied and explored. Students will design, develop, and maintain web pages using Front Page. Students will demonstrate technical knowledge of the equipment and an ability to use a variety of input devices, file formats and transfer methods. Students will gain proficiency in the use of Internet browsers used to navigate the web and will study connectivity issues as needed. Security and privacy issues, copyright infringement, trademarks and other legal issues relating to use of the web will be studied. Students will use appropriate search methods and applications to retrieve and evaluate information and use a variety of web communications. Career possibilities related to the Internet and web design will be explored. Honors credit option available.
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CREATIVE WRITING I (Academic/Honors) Poetry and the Personal Essay |
Course Number: 1540 Credit Value: 1/2
Prerequisite: Junior or Senior Standing
(Honors/Academic)
Sophomore Standing Honors
This course is only offered in the fall semester.
DESCRIPTION: The course is designed to allow students to express their creativity and to develop their individual writing styles through directed writing of poetry and personal essays. Students will be instructed in the technical aspects of the writing process from writing to editing to publishing. Students will assist in the publication of the literary magazine in which their work will appear. Composing on and printing from the computer will be encouraged as will submitting work for contests throughout the semester.
In Creative Writing students will write various kinds of poetry including haiku, tanka, cinquain, diamante, sonnet, ballad, narrative, and lyric. Types of personal essays will include descriptive, narrative, and persuasive. Models of all genres will be studied and used as guides for the students' writing.
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CREATIVE WRITING II (Academic/Honors) The Short Story and the One-Act Plan |
Course Number: 1545 Credit Value: 1/2
Prerequisite: Junior or Senior Standing
(Honors/Academic) Sophomore Standing (Honors)
This course is only offered in the spring semester.
DESCRIPTION: In Creative Writing II students will write various kinds of short stories and one-act plays. Students will learn structural techniques and the techniques of humorous and science/fiction/fantasy writing. Models of all genres will be studied and used as guides for the students' writing.