ENG101 - English 9:  Classics in Translation     1 year
           1 credit
After delving into Greek and Roman mythology, this course immerses students in translated selections of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Sophocles' Antigone, Euripides' Trojan Women, and Virgil's Aeneid.  Other selections studied include Shakespearean plays, portions of Dante's Inferno, and Ibsen's A Doll's House.  In addition to discussing and writing about literature, students also progress in their expository writing skills from single-paragraph essays to the five-paragraph composition.  The student and teacher conference this expository writing and revise the essay after the conference to help the student appreciate her efforts and learn from her mistakes.  In class as well as during the writing conference, student and teacher focus on building vocabulary, improving grammar, and learning Modern Language Association (MLA) documentation and format.  Leisure reading and the importance of reading as a life-long skill are also major components of the course work incorporated into this class.

ENG102 - Honors English 9:  Classics in Translation    1 year
(Prerequisites:  A- in eighth-grade English work, 90% on standardized  1 credit         1 credit
reading and cognitive tests, letter of intention, and timed writing experience)

Students will be reading several primary texts of classical literature, including Ovid's Metamorphoses, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, two of the plays in Sophocles' Oedipus cycle (Oedipus the King and Antigone), Euripides' Medea and Hippolytus, Dante's Inferno, and William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Romeo and Juliet, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.  Students will also be reading a number of contemporary poems containing classical allusions.  Students will use Pierre Grimal's Dictionary of Classical Mythology, The MLA Handbook, and Warriner's Handbook Fourth Course as reference works.

Students will write and conference a number of short and long expository essays using the Modern Language Association (MLA) style, learn to write both comparison and contrast papers, and focus on the following in their writing:  organization, thesis statements and topic sentences, the use of specific support, parenthetical citations, voice, tense, and conciseness.  Students will also write short skits and dialogues to ensure their learning of the stories and characters of the Greek and Roman myths and basic rules of writing and grammar.  Finally, students will learn vocabulary words from the texts and Latin and Greek Roots Vocabulary Volume III.

ENG201 - World Literature        1 year
           1 credit
This course surveys major selections of the world's literature in translation.  The students will read and analyze the various novels, stories, plays, and poetry as individual works of literature but also consider them as cultural artifacts.

The quarters are divided thematically with the first quarter focusing on Women in the World. Selections for this quarter include Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya and When I was Puerto Rican  by  Esmeralda Santiago. Summer reading selections also support this theme: Women of the Silk by Gail Tsukiyama and Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire.

Second quarter will focus on three plays that exemplify the Western Dramatic Tradition: The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand,  and Othello by William Shakespeare.

Third quarter focuses on short stories from Asia and Africa as well as selections from The Time and the Place  by Naguib Mahfouz, Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, and The Bible. Students will also study Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

Students will finish out the year with an international film festival and an independent book project. Students will select two books from an approved list and work on two projects during this quarter.

Students will write a number of short and long expository essays using MLA style and focus on the following in their writing: organization, thesis statements and topic sentences, the use of specific support, parenthetical citations, voice, tense, and precision in language. They will also do some preparation for the PSAT in the form of sample testing, grammar work, and Latin and Greek Roots vocabulary study.

ENG202 - Honors World Literature (10)      1 year
(Prerequisites: B+ in English 9; recommendation from    1 credit
English 9 instructor; approval of the student's writing portfolio)

This course surveys major selections of the world's literature in translation.  The students will read and analyze the various novels, stories, plays, and poetry as individual works of literature but also consider them as cultural artifacts. The course prepares students for work in Advanced Placement classes by focusing on literary analysis, discussion, timed writing, literary terms, and vocabulary practice.

This course is arranged thematically by quarter. First quarter and summer reading focus on Cultures in Transition. Literature for this quarter includes: Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and When I was Puerto Rican by Esmeralda Santiago. Summer reading selections include: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Zenzele: A Letter for My Daughter by J. Nozipo Maraire, and Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys.

The second quarter highlights masterpieces of Western Drama with William Shakespeare's Othello, Edmond Rostand's Cyrano de Bergerac, and Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. Third quarter focuses on the short story as a literary genre and tales from Asia, including The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby, The Time and the Place  by Naguib Mahfouz, selections from The Bible, and other short works from classic writers of world literature.

Fourth quarter focuses on prose character studies with Honore de Balzac's Eugenie Grandet, Voltaire's Candide, Alexander Solzhenitsyn's One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, and selections from Victor Hugo's Les Miserables. The quarter will conclude with an International Film Festival.

Another reference text and workbook, Essential Literary Terms with Exercises, will be required for this course.  Students in World Literature Honors will approach the literature critically by using close-reading techniques and other literary analysis methods. In addition, students will be required to read one novel or memoir that is related to the curriculum during each quarter as an exercise in independent reading, collaborative learning, presentation skills, and reflective reading.

Students will write a number of short and long expository essays using MLA style and focus on the following in their writing: organization, thesis statements and topic sentences, the use of specific support, parenthetical citations, voice, tense, and precision in language. They will also do some preparation for the PSAT and the AP English test by doing timed in-class writings and practicing common ACT/SAT grammar points.

ENG301-British Literature (11)           1 year
               1 credit
Juniors begin their study of the rich literature of the British Isles as they read selections from Beowulf and The Canterbury Tales to Shakespeare and other modern works.  Students engage in extensive study of poetry and prose of a variety of genres from a variety of authors.  This course is rigorous in scope and encompasses 1500 years of British literary accomplishment.  In addition to the literature, students write analytical essays about particular literature selections and a research-based term paper.  Students also learn how to craft literary criticism and persuasive arguments while they acquire a working knowledge of literary terms and techniques.  Furthermore, students are expected to produce thoughtful reflections on what they have read and creative interpretations of the literary selections.

Students continue their vocabulary studies and tests, practice test-taking techniques and writing skills for standardized tests.

ENG302 - Advanced Placement British Literature (11)        1 year
(Prerequisite:  B+ in English 10, recommendation of English 10 teacher,      1 credit
and portfolio of student writing)

Advanced Placement British Literature is the first half of the students' preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in Literature and Composition, which is taken at the end of the senior year.  Students are expected to have above-average motivation as well as strong skills in reading comprehension and composition.  The syllabus is organized chronologically, and students learn how social history has influenced the development of British literature from Beowulf to the modern period.  Class discussion emphasizes close reading and careful analysis of literary selections such as Macbeth, Brave New World, and A Tale of Two Cities.  Core material is supplemented with readings and exercises designed to prepare students for the multiple choice section of the AP exam.  Compositions, which are individually conferenced and revised, are sometimes timed, in-class essays with topics modeled upon the AP essay section.  Preparation for the SAT is also a component of the course.

ENG401 - American Literature (12)           1 year
                1 credit
Students are presented with the development of American literature from traditional to modern forms within each of the major genres:  the novel, drama, poetry, short fiction, and nonfiction prose.  Emphasis is on the building of skills needed for reading, analyzing, and evaluating literature independently in preparation for college studies.  Expository compositions are conferenced individually with the teacher and revised.

ENG402 - Advanced Placement American Literature (12)        1 year
(Prerequisite: B- in Advanced Placement British Literature and                   1 credit
approval of the instructor and the Principal)

Building on Advanced Placement British Literature, this course attempts to challenge the advanced student and prepare her to take the Advanced Placement Examination in Literature and Composition in the spring of her senior year.  The course expects from the student above-average interest, motivation, and skill in reading comprehension and composition.  The course surveys American literature with emphasis on the chronological development of the literature as well as the thorough analysis of each work.  The core material is supplemented in the AP class by readings and exercises that are preparatory for the exam.  Tests and composition assignments are  modeled on the AP questions.  Compositions, which are individually conferenced with the teacher and revised, are sometimes timed, in-class essays.  This course may be taken for college credit through the 1-8-1-8 program.

English 501-Newspaper (10-12)       1 year
           1 credit
(Prerequisites: B+ in English the year the student applies on staff; letter of recommendation from the student's English teacher that attests to the student's writing ability, work ethic, and interest in the class; a completed application form; participation in a beginning journalism workshop offered in June at Villa Duchesne for ¼ credit; and instructor approval)

Newspaper staff members produce the quarterly student newspaper, Tower Talk. Members of the staff learn and practice reporting, photography, page design, news writing, and photo editing skills. The students learn to use Adobe InDesign CS3 and Adobe Photoshop CS 3for PCs as well as Canon digital cameras. In addition to producing the newspaper, students learn skills in time management, leadership, and editing.

Students may have outside reading assignments related to journalism history or modern media practices.

Editors are appointed at the end of each year. Editors build on their leadership and organizational skills and, if certain requirements are met, can achieve Honors designation for the course.

This elective does not fulfill the English requirement for graduation.

English 502-Yearbook Production (10-12)      1 year
        1/2 credit for  new staffers;
        1 credit for Editors
(Prerequisites: B+ in English the year the student applies on staff; letter of recommendation from the student's English teacher that attests to the student's writing ability, work ethic, and interest in the class; a completed application form; participation in a beginning journalism workshop offered through Herff Jones at DeSmet High School in July; and instructor approval)

Yearbook staff members produce the yearly edition of Entre Nous. Members of the staff learn and practice reporting, photography, page design, news writing, and photo editing skills. The students learn to use Adobe InDesign CS3 and Adobe Photoshop CS3 for PCs as well as Canon digital cameras. In addition to producing the yearbook, students learn skills in time management, leadership, and editing.

The class meets three mornings a week for a full year.

Editors are appointed at the end of each year. Editors build on their leadership and organizational skills and, if certain requirements are met, can achieve Honors designation for the course.