This course attempts to place the student as close to college standards as is possible in the high school setting. It includes a continued study of vocabulary, advanced composition skills, short stories, drama, poetry, and novels. Literary analysis demonstration is assessed through objective questioning, writing, and class discussion. Career and technical writing is also emphasized in this course. As a final exam, each student completes a research project related to his or her career/technical program. This project includes both a documented paper and a multimedia presentation.
Seniors in Honors English are required to prepare and present a Senior Project to their English teacher, Career Center staff members and other copmmunity leaders who serve on a judging panel. The topic of the presentation must be something that the student can personally relate to and one in which the student has a strong opinion or conviction. Frequently the topics chosen revolve around the student’s future career goals, philanthropic services in which they have been involved or an obstacle or challenge the student has overcome. In addition to a written paper, each senior must presents his/her topic in a Microsoft Powerpoint presentation, approximately 15 to 20 mintutes in length. The project is designed to show the students’ mastery over assimilating information and presenting it in a logical fashion, as well as their formal writing and public speaking skills. In making their presentation, they must also answer any questions posed by the judges in an effective manner.
Senior Books
Flachmann, K. (2011). Reading and Writing Paragraphs (5th edition). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Flachmann, K. (2011) Reading and Writing Essays (5th edition). New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Technical Writing Nist, S. and Mohr, C. (2002).
Advancing Vocabulary Skills (third edition). New Jersey: Townsend Press.
A Separate Peace, a novel by John Knowles
A Doll’s House, a play by Henrick Ibsen
The Glass Castle, a memoir by Jeannette Walls
*Other books, short stories, poems, etc. TBA
^ Junior and senior classes will also use the following classroom set of books:
Elements of Language, Sixth Course. Holt, Rinehart and Winston.