English

The Journalism I course introduces students to mass media and instructs students in various steps of reporting and news writing. Course content includes techniques for gathering the story, writing different types of stories, layout & design, and management & production of newspapers and other media.

Journalism II continues to develop a student’s ability to write in a journalistic style while improving personal writing style. Course content includes the types, styles, mechanics, and editing of news writing.

This course uses a curriculum for yearbook journalism, which will help the yearbook staff understand how to correctly communicate designs to the publisher. The course includes close-ups of common design application and copy preparation procedures required for printing. This course may be repeated for credit.

A continuation of Photojournalism I, students will use the skills they have learned to work on the publication of the school yearbook. Students will use the interpersonal skills learned in Photojournalism I to interview students, collaborate with staff, and photograph events. Advertisements may be sold for publications.

Creative writing is designed to help students develop creative writing skills and prepare manuscripts for publication. Students will create individual creative writing booklets, share work in a writer’s circle, and contribute to a classroom literary magazine. Whenever possible, students will share completed work with live audiences.

Students in Creative Writing I will establish skills for the writing of poetry and prose by reading and writing pieces in both genres regularly. They will explore all aspects of good writing through their studies and daily practice. Students will actively display growth through their ability to workshop, revise, and publish pieces in various genres.

Students in Creative Writing II will expand skills in poetry by exploring traditional and modern forms of poetry and creating their own unique poetic style and voice. They will further skills in prose by studying and writing fiction and nonfiction regularly. Students will actively display growth through the ability to workshop, revise, and publish pieces in various genres.

Students in Creative Writing III will expand their skills in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and begin establishing skills in scriptwriting. Students will work closely with Creative Writing IV to edit, revise, and publish pieces for the literary magazine, establishing skills in technical writing, design, and editing. Students will actively display growth through the ability to workshop, revise, and publish pieces in various genres.

Students in Creative Writing IV will expand their skills across all genres. Students will be responsible for six yearly publications in various mediums, including electronic and print publications. Students will actively strive to concrete their skills as creative and technical writers in this course, and they will display growth through the ability to workshop, revise, and publish pieces in various genres.

Capstone Creative Writing is an honors creative writing course that will prepare students for a career as a published author. Students will complete three full manuscripts in the following genres: novels, play scripts, and poetry. This course will serve as a culminating experience for students in the creative writing magnet.* Students will prepare all three pieces for publication in this course, and they will be prepared for life as a professional writer/ author after high school. Interested students not in the creative writing magnet must get approval from the creative writing teacher to participate in this class.

Literature and Film focuses on a comparative study of several novels and short stories and the films they inspired. Students will read selected literature, view and analyze elements of films, discuss and write analytical and comparative essays, and present independent and group projects to the class. The course emphasizes critical reading of literature and formal writing about films. This is a one semester course.

Ancient Literature and Mythology focuses on developing a sense of cultural literacy, an understanding of multi-cultural literacy, and an enriched vocabulary. Students will study the mythology of Greece and Rome; writings from the Near and Middle East; and selections from Africa, Scandinavia, North, Central, and South America, and Asia. This is a one semester course.

Literature and Film II is a writing-intensive, hands-on, project-based course that will build on the objectives of the Literature and Film I course. Emphasis will be placed on structure and formatting of screenplays, as well as creating film sequences from storyboard to completion. Assignments include screen writing, storyboarding, organizing, and laying out a sequence of film and may also include filming, editing, and presenting a final student-generated short film of not less than 15 minutes. This is a one semester course.

Debate is designed to help students develop a wide repertoire of speaking skills while developing poise and confidence. The students will be exposed to a variety of speaking and debating experiences both in the classroom and in competition through engagement in multiple speech events sanctioned by the Virginia High School League, Tidewater Debate League and the National Forensic League. This course may be repeated for credit.

The student will be introduced to various genres, focusing on a balance of fiction and nonfiction that are anchored by a Big Idea. Increased requirements for research and reporting in all subjects will be supported by the use of print, electronic databases, online resources, and other types of media. The student will distinguish between reliable and questionable sources of information. The student will continue authentic vocabulary development from anchor texts, with attention to connotation, idioms, and allusions, and their impact on a text. Writing will be primarily persuasive, for a wide variety of purposes, and audiences, and will include analysis of sources and textual evidence. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.

The student will read and analyze a variety of literary texts from different eras and cultures, as well as nonfiction text that relates to the unit’s Big Idea. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer and will critique the writing of peers, using analysis to improve writing skills. The student will continue to build research skills by crediting sources and presenting information in a variety of formats appropriate for content. The student will continue authentic vocabulary development from anchor texts. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.

The eleventh-grade student will study both classical and contemporary American literature with nonfiction texts, paired together by the unit’s Big Idea. The student will be able to identify the prevalent themes and characterizations present in American literature, which are reflective of history and culture. The student will use fiction and nonfiction texts to draw conclusions and make inferences, using textual evidence to support their claims. The student will continue authentic vocabulary development from the anchor texts. The student will be able to effectively deliver content to their peers and write clear and accurate personal, professional, and informational correspondence with a focus on persuasion and counterclaim. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.

The AP English 11 course in Language and Composition is primarily a course in effective writing and critical reading. The writing skills that students come to appreciate through attentive and continued analysis of a variety of prose texts can serve them in their own writing as they become increasingly aware of these skills and their pertinent uses. American Literature is the primary focus for analysis and reflection. The instructional level equals that of college freshman English courses. All SOL requirements are met and students take both the English EOC Reading and the Writing SOL Tests. Students also prepare for and take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Test and those who receive an acceptable score on the test may receive college credit and/or advanced standing in college.

The twelfth-grade students will read and analyze British literature, as well as nonfiction texts, to explore other cultures. The student will use organizational skills, audience awareness, appropriate grammar, and both verbal and nonverbal presentation skills to plan and deliver effective presentations to peers. This course contains content designed to provide successful transition and entry into college and careers. This course advances students’ preparation for critical thinking, college and workplace writing, and career-ready communications, and focuses on the fundamentals of academic writing, with a focus on persuasion and argumentation. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.

The AP English 12 course is designed to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students can deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. Writing is an integral part of AP English. Students prepare for and take the College Board’s Advanced Placement Test and those who receive an acceptable score on the test may receive college credit and/or advanced standing in college.

The sixth-grade student will independently read a variety of fiction and nonfiction, focusing on an appreciation of reading and overall comprehension of text. The student will plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives, descriptions, and explanations, and will also respond to short answer critical thinking questions, paying attention to composition and written expression, as well as usage and mechanics. The student will begin the study of word origins and continue authentic vocabulary development from anchor texts. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer. Additionally, technology will be used as a tool to research, organize, and communicate information. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.

The seventh-grade student will continue to read a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction, focusing on becoming more independent and analytical with text. The student will continue to refine written composition skills, with special attention to word choice, organization, style, and grammar. The student will continue authentic vocabulary development from anchor texts and will apply research techniques to gather, organize, and communicate information, properly citing sources. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.

The student will continue to develop an appreciation for literary genres through a study of wide fiction and nonfiction selections. The student will focus on making inferences, drawing conclusions, interpreting cause-and-effect relationships, differentiating between fact and opinion, and drawing conclusions. The student will plan, draft, revise, and edit writing, with an emphasis on exposition and persuasion to include the counterclaim. The student will apply reading, writing, and research skills in all subjects, as well as respond critically to a wide variety of text. The student will reflect on their growth as a writer. The student will continue authentic vocabulary development from anchor texts. Critical thinking, communication, and collaboration will be stressed.