BLOOMINGTON

HIGH SCHOOL SOUTH

Language Arts

English 9 - 1002C

Grade 9

Three Trimesters

During the first two trimesters of this required course, students will focus on major language arts skills: vocabulary, spelling, library use, grammar/mechanics/usage, composition, reading strategies, oral communication, and literature. The third trimester of this course is a composition class that will work intensively with the nomenclature of grammar and mechanics and their application to writing skills. The purpose of the third trimester is to provide intensive work in analytical reading and writing with additional work on grammar, vocabulary, and reading-based questions. Students will write various types of essays (narrative, descriptive, argumentative, persuasive, creative) and model various writing styles. This course will utilize the writing workshop environment in which writing products will move from prewriting to publication.

English 9 HD - 1002H

Grade 9

Three Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): "B" or better in 8th grade English

During the first two trimesters of this required course, students will focus on major language arts skills: vocabulary, spelling, library use, grammar/mechanics/usage, composition, reading strategies, oral communication, and literature. The third trimester of this course is a composition class that will work intensively with the nomenclature of grammar and mechanics and their application to writing skills. The purpose of the third Trimester is to provide intensive work in analytical reading and writing with additional work on grammar, vocabulary, and reading-based questions. Students will write various types of essays (narrative, descriptive, argumentative, persuasive, creative) and model various writing styles. This course will utilize the writing workshop environment in which writing products will move from prewriting to publication. This entire course will provide a variety of enrichment activities. Summer reading required.

English 10 - 1004C

Grade 10

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): English 9 or English 9 HD

This year will continue the emphasis on the major language arts skills: vocabulary, spelling, library skills, grammar/mechanics/usage, composition, reading strategies, oral communication, and literature. The multicultural literature stresses an understanding and appreciation for the universality of the human experience and recognition of the relevance of literature in today's world. The literature will provide a focus for literary analysis in reading and expository writing.

English 10 HD - 1004H

Grade 10

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): "B" or better in English 9

This course covers a wide variety of world literature stressing an understanding and appreciation of the universality of the human experience and recognition of the relevance of literature in today's world. It will include representative works from classical through modern times. This class requires extensive writing and research. There will be a continuing emphasis on vocabulary/spelling, library skills, grammar/mechanics/usage, composition, and speech. This course is strongly recommended for students who are college-bound. Summer reading required.

English 10 HD World Studies - 1004W

Grade 10

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): "B" or better in English 9

This class combines both English 10 HD and World History and Civilization HD, integrating the literature and history of Eastern and Western civilization from its origin to the present. This course, taught by faculty members from Language Arts and Social Studies, awards two English credits and two Social Studies credits. This course will complete the State Proficiencies for both World History 1-2 and English 10 1-2 HD. Please see the course descriptions for English 10 HD and World History and Civilization. SUMMER READING REQUIRED. Students may not withdraw from this course before the end of a trimester.

English 11 - 1006C

Grade 11

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): English 9 and English 10

This course traces American ideas through various periods and literary movements. The course coincides with the American History course so the two courses can reinforce each other. Students will read, research, and write to understand, analyze, and evaluate the cultural aspects of our American literary history. All of the language arts basic skills are integrated into each unit. The course will also focus on oral communication, mass media, and the power of advertising. The course will emphasize hands-on learning whenever possible.

English 11 HD - 1006H

Grade 11

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): English 9 and English 10 with a grade of "B" or be

This course traces American ideas through various periods and literary movements, focusing on literary analysis and critical writing skills. This course continues to emphasize basic language arts skills, particularly vocabulary development; application of grammar/mechanics/usage/ spelling skills within the writing component; oral communication; and library research skills. This course will require extensive research and writing and is strongly recommended for students who are college-bound. SUMMER READING REQUIRED.

English 11 [American Studies] - 1006X

Grade 11

Two Trimesters

This class combines both English 11 (American Literature) and United States History and integrates the literature and history of America from its origins to the present. This course, taught by faculty members from Language Arts and Social Studies, awards two English credits and two Social Studies credits. This course will complete the State Proficiencies for both United States History 1-2 and English 11 1-2. Please see the course descriptions for English 11 and United States History. Student must also sign up for US History, American Studies. Students may not withdraw from this course before the end of the trimester.

English 11 [HD American Studies] - 1006V

Grade 11

Two Trimesters

An integrated studies approach to literature and history, American Studies will provide students with an understanding of our literature within the context of our history. The classes run back-to-back and continue over two trimesters. Two teachers provide hands-on-learning, integrated projects, field trip learning experiences, and double the help available to you for class and homework. The class awards two English credits and two Social Studies credits and completes the State Proficiencies for English 1-2 and U.S. History 1-2. Please see the course descriptions for English 11 and U.S. History. And summer reading is required.

English Language and Composition, Advanced Placement - 1056

Grade 11

Two Trimesters

This course is an advanced placement course based on content established by the College Board. The American literature component traces American ideas through various periods and literary movements, focusing on literary analysis and critical writing skills. The AP component focuses intensely on writing skills by examining models and by analyzing individual styles. Both the 11 HD and AP Language and Composition teach the application of grammar/mechanics/usage/spelling/syntax within the writing component. Students will do extensive research and writing including weekly, in-class essays and periodic research papers. This course is designed to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement Language and Composition exam given in the spring to earn college credit hours. SUMMER READING REQUIRED.

English 12 [Oral Communication] - 10081C

Grade 12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

Oral communication or speech is designed to help students gain confidence in their ability to communicate clearly and effectively through various speaking experiences. Students learn techniques for effective use of the voice, analyze wellknown speeches and professional performances, and practice the oral interpretation of selected works. This course stresses basic skills in language, writing, research, and critical thinking. It is part of the recommended sequence for those students in the regular diploma level. Students cannot take both English 12-1 and Speech.

English 12 [Literature, Mass Media, and Career Exploration] - 10082C

Grade 12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

This course concentrates on three areas: literature, mass media, and career exploration. Students who take this course may be planning to enter the workforce, attend a two-year or four-year college. The course will emphasize reading skills, vocabulary, and analytical thinking and writing.

English Literature - 1030

Grade 12

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

This is a college preparatory course. English Literature provides a survey of representative literature produced by English speaking authors, including those in the British Isles as well as those in the former British colonies. This course explores the literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the Twentieth Century. A strong emphasis on critical writing and outside assigned novels is basic to this course as well as the study of literary movements and intellectual trends.

Ethnic Literature [African-American Literature] - 1032

Grade 12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

What is American? Is skin color important? Does race continue to matter today? While the United States is famous for being a melting pot for all races and colors, many problems continue to exist for minorities. In African-American Literature we will read works from authors who are often skimmed in literature books, instead of studied. Rather than reading one novel that addresses the subject of race, we will read many books, articles, poems, essays, and speeches. From Negro spirituals to Maya Angelou’s “On the Pulse of the Morning,” African-American Literature covers themes of heartbreak, loss, and freedom. African-American Literature can be found in many time periods, from slavery to the Harlem Renaissance to hip-hop writings today.

English Literature and Composition, Advanced Placement - 1058

Grade 12

Two Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

This course is an advanced placement course based on content established by the College Board. An AP English course in Literature and Composition engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imager, symbolism, and tone. The course includes intensive study of representative works from various genres and periods, concentrating on works of recognized literary merit. This course is designed to prepare specifically and rigorously for the AP Literature and Composition Exam; students are expected to the take the exam. Students may not take both English Literature and Composition and Advanced English/ Language Arts [A202] because of overlap in course content. SUMMER READING REQUIRED.

Advanced English/Language Arts, College Credit [W131] - 1124W

Grade 12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

(No juniors may take this course even in they have completed English 9-11. To enroll in this course, students must meet the minimum of two of the following Indiana University entrance requirements: (1) have a 2.8 GPA, (2) rank In the upper half of the high school class, and (3) have a combined SAT score of 1000 or an ACT composite score of 22 or higher. Students may receive both high school and college credit for this one term course. IU credit for this course is transferable to many major colleges and universities throughout the United States. Please see acp.indiana.edu.)
This course emphasizes critical reading, writing, and thinking with sources in which students experience the varied range of academic writing. Students will master the skills of summary, critique, analysis, synthesis, research, and documentation. Topics for writing evolve from reading and discussing in depth issues under debate in different disciplinary fields and among the general public. Summer reading required.

Advanced English/Language Arts, College Credit [A202] - 1124A

Grade 12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): Seniors must have passed English 9 – 11

(Additional Prerequisites: Seniors must have also passed W131 or have scored 670 on the verbal portion of the SAT. Students must be in their senior year to enroll and must meet Indiana University entrance requirements. Students may receive both high school and college credit for this one term course. IU credit for this course is transferable to many major college and universities throughout the United States. Please see acp.indiana.edu. This course counts as elective credit, not English credit, at IU.) This college preparatory course, English Literature, ACP 202, Literary Interpretation, emphasizes a close, thoughtful reading of representative literary text in poetry, drama, fiction, and the novel. This course explores the relationships between form and meaning, specifically how genre shapes our literary understanding and experience. Students will develop the ability to read and write with precision, responsibility, and imagination through class discussion and the writing of several short, critical responses.

Speech - 1076

Grades 9-12

One Trimester

This course is appropriate for 9-12 graders who want to become proficient in public speaking. Within the course, students will not only learn the fundamentals of public speaking, but also have the opportunity to practice oration on a regular basis. Students will have opportunities to make different types of oral presentations including: (1) viewpoint, (2) instructional, (3) demonstration, (4) informative, (5) persuasive, and (6) impromptu. The course is more advanced than the English 12-1 level due to the rigorous expectations. The class allows for debate as well, providing students with class time to prepare, research, and practice debate procedures. Students taking this course should be serious about the study of rhetoric. Students cannot take both English 12-1 and Speech.

Creative Writing - 1092

Grades 10-12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): English 9 and strong writing skills

This course is an elective course with an emphasis on writing short stories. Plot and character development are studied, along with other short story elements such as dialogue, description, tone and setting. Reading and writing short stories make up the framework of the course. Also an integral part of the course is peer critique as students share their creative products. Publishing a class literary magazine is the course culmination.

Film Literature - 1034

Grades 10-12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): B or better in English 9; C or better in all English classes

Film Literature studies the diversified ideas and concepts that interact when written literature is adapted to film or when a work of literary art is originally conceived for film presentation. This course includes: (1) the impact of film on the ways in which people perceive the human condition, (2) the ways in which the roles of men and women and various ethnic minorities are portrayed, (3) visual interpretations of literary techniques and auditory language effects, (4) a history of film as a medium of literary interpretation, and (5) the limitations and special capacities of the two media to present the work. In a comprehensive speech component, students are given opportunities to present and discuss their ideas as well as opportunities to role-play as movie directors to stage scenes. Students also have frequent writing assignments in which they explore and analyze issues of interpretation, production, and cross-genre adaptation.

Genres of Literature [American Crime Fiction] - 1036

Grades 10-12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): B or better in English 9; C or better in all English classes

Attention readers! Take a bird’s eye tour of America’s dark and savage underbelly through the popular fiction of the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50’s. Walk down the mean streets of Prohibition, the Great Depression, and the years between the wars with hard-boiled detectives, les femmes fatales, gangsters, and regular people that plunge head-first into trouble and come out the other side . . . if they’re lucky. These writers are the literary grandchildren of Edgar Allan Poe—creator of both the detective story and the psychological thriller-and so the course begins with him. We study Ernest Hemingway as a creator of the hard-boiled rhythms of the writing then read Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler, masters of the American pulp detective story. We continue to the roman noir—or black novel: James M. Cain’s Double Indemnity and David Goodis Dark Passage. This course is an elective.

Etymology [Greek and Latin Derivatives] - 1060

Grades 10-12

One Trimester

Etymology provides instruction in the derivation of English words and word families from their Latin and Greek origins. It also provides the connotative and denotative meaning of words in a variety of contexts. Students study the origins and meanings of English words, including roots, suffixes, prefixes, and reasons for language change. This course introduces students to tools and resources for etymological study and encourages them to be curious about the English language. The analytic study of word history and semantics is reinforced through a written and oral component that involves specific analyzes of texts that require etymological sensitivity. As it enables students to increase their vocabularies, this course helps prepare students to perform well on the SAT. This course is particularly valuable for students who are college bound.

Journalism - 1080

Grades 9-12

Two Trimesters

Journalism is the study of the art of reporting and the profession of journalists. Beginning journalism students receive instruction in all areas of journalism needed to pursue Staff positions of either yearbook (GOTHIC) or newspaper (OPTIMIST). Among the areas covered are: interviewing, beat reporting, feature writing, news stories, layout design, advertising, journalistic ethics, professional standards. This course includes extensive reading of models of excellent journalistic techniques and evaluates and analyzes journalistic writing through discussions and critiques. This is not a student publications course.
NOTE: May count for up to two (2) English credits of the required nine credits, if the student takes a two-credit English Advanced Placement course and AP test, or a two-credit English dual credit course.

Student Publications [Newspaper] - 1086N

Grades 10-12

Three Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): Journalism; would-be photographers Photography; approved application.

After completing Journalism 1-2, students may apply for a staff position on the school newspaper, the OPTIMIST. Newspaper staff plan each issue, write and edit stories, write headlines and photo captions, layout and paste up pages, take and process photographs, sell advertising, and manage the business aspects of newspaper production. Students must apply for these staff positions.

Student Publications [Yearbook] - 1086Y

Grades 10-12

Three Trimesters

Prerequisite(s): Journalism; would-be photographers Photography; approved application

After students have completed Journalism 1-2, they may apply for the staff of the school yearbook, the Gothic. Staff members write and edit copy, lay out pages, take and process photographs, check page proof, sell advertising, and manage the business aspects of yearbook production. Students must apply for these staff positions.

Poetry - 1044

Grades 10-12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): C or better in English 9; Juniors & Seniors — English 10 & English 11.

This one term course will provide a study of poetry as a literary form. Students will explore poetic themes and devices. Not only does the course focus upon interpretation but also upon a variety of structures, devices, and themes which differentiate one type of poetry from another. The class gives particular attention to aural devices and the effect sound plays on the overall interpretation of the poem. Examples of such aural devices include meter, alliteration, assonance, and rhyme. Oral interpretation, discussion, and critical and creative writing are all elements of the course. This course presents poetry as a form of literary expression that has prevailed throughout the ages. Reading poetry for pleasure is also emphasized.

Peer Tutoring [English/Language Arts] - 0520

Grade 12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): B average, application and interview

This course offers students an opportunity for one on one and small-group tutoring in 9th grade Language Arts. A peer tutor would do the following:

1. Read tests aloud
2. Read assignments aloud
3. Help with writing assignments (provide ideas, structure for essays).
4. Facilitate small group discussion

This opportunity is open to seniors only. In addition to working in the classroom, students will be expected to follow an independent curriculum that focuses on the teaching of reading and writing. Tutors will be actively engaged in personal reading and writing. Students must submit an application to the department chair before enrolling in this class. the application is available on the Language Arts Website.

Mass Media - 1084

Grades 9-12

One Trimester

This is a project driven course where students work both individually and in small groups. A variety of projects introduce the students to effective strategies used across a variety of communications media. There is an emphasis on video production as the class is charged with the producing a weekly TV news magazine which is broadcast to the entire school. The class has a newsroom feel to it as the students must meet deadlines, communicate with “clients,” gather information, write scripts, interview other students and teachers, and participate in roles both in front of and behind the camera. This class is a prerequisite for the Mass Media Advanced Editing course.

Mass Media [Advanced Editing] - 1084M

Grades 9-12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): Mass Media, Application, and Teacher Approval

This lab course is primarily for the student interested in advanced video editing skills. Editing will be done in the Apple environment. Emphasis will be placed on such editing principles as audience analysis, purposeful storyboarding, and appropriate use of graphics, special effects and audio. Placement in this class is through application and teacher approval.

Technical Communication [Web 2.0 Composition] - 1096

Grades 10-12

One Trimester

Prerequisite(s): C or above in English 9

This course is the study and application of the processes and conventions needed for effective technical writing-communication. Using the writing process, students demonstrate a command of vocabulary, English language conventions, research and organizational skills, an awareness of the audience, the purpose for writing, and style. This composition course focuses specifically on the creation of Web-based texts. Students will produce podcasts and blogs, write in the context of a social networking group, create a class wiki, and write pieces for publication on online sites. Students will also explore the ethical requirements of Web-based writing. This is a writing intensive course, and writing for different purposes in conjunction with different forums and formats will be stressed. All student writing is intended to be not only publishable, but published.

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