Bogota Junior/Senior High School
Bogota, New Jersey
English Department
COURSE GUIDE
2006-2008
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
ENGLISH I FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English 8
Grade: 9
English I encompasses the fundamentals of grammar, usage, and mechanics as well as
literature, writing skills, vocabulary, and research skills. The course effectively relates theory to usage through instruction, practice, review, and testing.
The writing program is presented as a process with a planned progression for the attainment of specific skills. Provisions are made for revision related to the appropriateness of language, clarity, forcefulness, and vitality of expression.
The literary selections develop in students an awareness of the contents of literature as well as sensitivity to literary values. The relationship of literary values to human development is stressed.
ENGLISH I – HONORS FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English 8, (Teacher recommendation)
Grade: 9
Honors English I incorporates the objectives of English I and expands on its contents and materials. The course offers varied opportunities for students to develop critical reading/thinking skills and increased writing proficiency through various language arts experiences. Literary selections are varied and include short stories, poetry, novels, essays, and dramas (Greek, Shakespearean, and modern).
Writing is taught not only as a way to present a finished composition, but also as an exploration of style and form. In addition, students will be introduced to advanced print and electronic library resource materials and instructed in research skills.
ENGLISH II FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English I
Grades: 10
English II encompasses the fundamentals of grammar, usage and mechanics, as well as literature, writing skills, vocabulary, and research skills. In addition, it places greater emphasis on the development of literary appreciation as it specifically relates to American authors. Included in this appreciation is an awareness of other aspects of American life – economic, social, political, religious, and philosophical. Such emphasis correlates the development of American literature to the development of the nation as a whole. Students will relate the literary experiences presented to their own lives, thus building their concepts as members of society. In addition, students, using available technology, will continue to develop research skills through various research projects.
ENGLISH II – HONORS FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English I (Teacher recommendation)
Grade: 10
Honors English II incorporates the objectives of English II and expands its content and materials. Since it is intended primarily for students of high ability whose plans may include further education at the college level, the course includes several objectives, content, and materials that will prepare students for an academically demanding program.
Specifically, English II (Honors) encompasses the fundamental principles of grammar, usage, and mechanics. In addition, students are guided in a structured study of American literature: its forms, terminology, unity, and intentions. The vocabulary program seeks to go beyond increased “recognition” vocabulary; use of new words in speech and writing will be emphasized. Students, using available technology, will continue to develop research skills through various research projects and papers.
ENGLISH III FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English II
Grade: 11
English III encompasses the objectives of earlier grades with regard to the fundamentals of usage, mechanics, vocabulary, and writing skills. In addition, the course seeks to develop, through reading analysis, an understanding of the epic, ballad, lyric, and sonnet as they relate to British literature, as well as the continued study of other forms of literature. Finally, the course stresses the development of research skills.
ENGLISH III – HONORS FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English II (Teacher recommendation)
Grade: 11
Honors English III incorporates the objectives of English III and expands on its content and materials. It encompasses the objectives of earlier grades with regard to usage and mechanics. Greater emphasis is placed on the development of vocabulary and writing skills. In addition, the course seeks to develop, through reading and analysis, an understanding of the epic, ballad, lyric, and sonnet as they relate to British literature. Furthermore, the course stresses the development of research skills. Completion of a research paper is a requirement of the course.
AP English III incorporates the objectives of English III H and expands on its content, materials, and techniques to help students acquire skills needed for the AP classroom. Emphasis is placed on the development of critical thinking skills as well as on the techniques and content-specific strategies that can be used to prepare students for success in AP course work. Students will develop strategies to become more skilled in the literary analysis that precedes the writing of analytical compositions, timed and untimed. Specifically, they will develop strategies that enable them to ask and generate questions, engage actively with the text, and analyze and document their own thinking while reading. They will use these strategies to analyze passages, prose or poetry, by focusing on speaker, situation, key sentences, shifts, and syntax. They will review previous AP exams and the exam scoring process. In addition, students will familiarize themselves with the electronic media available to support their studies.
ENGLISH IV FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English III
Grades: 12
English IV encompasses the objectives of earlier grades with regard to the fundamentals of usage and mechanics and the development of vocabulary. Attention is given to sharpening various writing skills, including critical essays, five-paragraph essays, and the research paper. In addition, the course seeks to develop, through reading analysis, an understanding of genre, ancient mythology, and the variety of Eastern and Western religious traditions as they relate to World Literature.
ENGLISH IV – HONORS FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: English III (Teacher recommendation)
Grades: 12
Honors English IV encompasses the objectives of earlier grades with regard to usage, mechanics, and the development of vocabulary. Attention is given to refining the skills required for writing endeavors involving essays, college applications, and the research paper.
In addition, the course seeks to develop students’ understanding of the power of selected fine literature of the world and to aid students in integrating this understanding with critical reading that stimulates critical response. Students are responsible for completing outside reading assignments independently and are expected to demonstrate their understanding of the materials read through discussion and writing. Unlike the “selections from great works” approach employed for English IV, the Honors syllabus offers an entire literary text from each of the different civilizations studied.
COMMUNICATION ARTS FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisite: None
Grades: 10 – 12
The main objective of this course is the strengthening of the students’ self-confidence,
poise, and self-reliance through oral presentations in the classroom. The study of public speaking will add to the students’ abilities to write, think, read, and listen.
CRITICAL / CREATIVE WRITING FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: None
Grades:
This course is designed for those students who are interested in developing and broadening their writing. It encourages students to view writing as a process as well as a product. Models of various modes of writing are studied and analyzed, and students are expected to gain competence in each of the modes through extensive pre-writing, drafting, revising, peer editing, and grammar review.
DEVELOPMENTAL READING FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: None
Grades:
Developmental reading encompasses the basic and developmental reading skills. The course is for students who desire to improve their reading ability. They are pre-and post-tested for the purpose of measuring improvement and ascertaining levels of competency for individualized instruction throughout the year.
HUMANITIES FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: None
Grades: 10 – 12
This course is a study of western culture using historical, aesthetic, and philosophical approaches. The major areas of study are the Greco-Roman period, the Middle Ages in Europe, the Renaissance and the Reformation. The following topics are investigated: philosophy, art history, religion, architecture, music, government, and politics.
JOURNALISM I FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisite: None
Grades: 10 – 12
Journalistic techniques are studied using the criteria needed to assemble a newspaper article. Students enrolled in this course help with the preparation of the school newspaper, The Klaxon.
JOURNALISM II FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisite: Journalism I
Grades: 11 – 12
Journalism II will offer a review of journalistic techniques in both the print and broadcast area, as well as an analysis of the media system through discussions of media theory, practice, and influence. However, the emphasis of the course will be directed at a “hands-on” practical approach to reporting for the print and broadcast media.
Students will be required to work on the school newspaper, The Klaxon, and will be responsible for its publication. In addition, students will comprise an “in-school” videotape news group, which will create news and interview programs for the school population. Related broadcast activities will involve some work with the local cable television outlet United Artist TCI in the production of the Bogota news information show “Bogota Beat”.
WRITING I FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites:
Grades:
In Writing I, detailed instruction is given in how to organize and write an introduction, since this gives the students an outline to follow in developing the body of an essay. Students are also taught to write simple, concluding paragraphs. They are instructed in the use of specific incidents to support their ideas and in the use of appropriate transitions to make these ideas more coherent.
Basic organization patterns, including chronological and spatial development, comparison and contrast, and argumentation are taught to assist students in treating topics. Proofreading techniques are of concern and students are encouraged to check their papers for proper capitalization, punctuation and spelling.
WRITING II FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Prerequisites: Writing I
Grades:
Writing II is a reinforcement of the work of Writing I and an effort to develop students’ skills to plan and to structure the writing of several paragraphs. Specifically, students are encouraged to meet established standards for the principles governing correct grammar, usage, and mechanics, and to be critical and disciplined in their own writing.
BASIC SKILLS LANGUAGE ARTS FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
Grades: 9 – 11
Basic Skills Language Arts is for students who were identified by the district and/or state mandated tests as below proficient in language arts. Throughout the year students will work on the NJ Core Standards. The course will focus on revising and editing, writing strategies, and narrative and persuasive reading.
HSPA LANGUAGE ARTS FULL YEAR 5 CREDTIS
Grade: 12
The HSPA course is designed for students who failed the HSPA. Throughout the year students will concentrate on the writing prompts and narrative and persuasive reading. The students work on their weaknesses in preparation for the HSPA retest and/or SRA process. Students concentrate on test taking strategies for multiple choice and open-ended questions and practice writing strategies for the picture prompt and the persuasive essay.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE (ESL) FULL YEAR 5 CREDITS
(Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
Grades: 7 – 12
E.S.L. is a course mandated by the New Jersey Department of Education. Limited English proficient students are screened upon registration and are placed in the appropriate level based on state established norms. The goals for this course are for students to be able to communicate in social settings, to compete academically in all content areas, and to interact socially and culturally in appropriate ways. Students are exited from the program based on spring posttest scores. State norms as well as multiple criteria are used to mainstream students.
SAT (Not presently Offered) – Cross reference Mathematics Department