ENGLISH
Students learn research, MLA (Modern Language Association) writing style and format, and literary theories through multiple genres such as fiction, non-fiction, poetry. Empathy, cultural fluency, and social awareness are fostered through reading and discussing diverse experiences in both traditional and contemporary texts. Emphasis is placed on women’s voices throughout all grade levels.
Communicating within the classroom, in written expression, and on academic assessments is paramount to the SDA English program. Reading is not just about interesting stories, however. It is about expanding one’s understanding of the human condition, the planet we inhabit, and the forces at play which, as graduates of SDA, will impact success and survival. Collaborative group work and innovative, modern projects on seemingly traditional works of literary merit, allow teachers and students to not just reinforce their own values in what they read, but also learn from other perspectives in order to understand material more deeply.
AP English Language and Composition is an introductory college-level composition course that is organized around nine units, as outlined by the AP Course and Exam Description by the College Board. Each unit stems from the four Big Ideas and Enduring Understandings of the course: Rhetorical Situation, Claims and Evidence, Reasoning and Organization, and Style. In this rigorous course, students hone critical thinking, analytical, and writing skills. Students are challenged to gather, evaluate, and synthesize sources from various materials as well as write persuasive, evidence-based arguments. By the end of the course, students master topics such as the rhetorical situation, claims and evidence, organization, lines of reasoning, and style. Periodically, students will be expected to complete scaffolded and timed writing exercises, in order to practice writing the three types of essays found on the AP Exam: rhetorical analysis, argument, and synthesis. Course credit and possible advancement at the university level is available to students scoring a 3 or more on the examination. {Note: not every university grants passage credit}
AP English Literature and Composition is an introductory college-level literary analysis course with intensive reading and writing expectations and the requirement to complete all nine units of the College Board curriculum on literary study. Students cultivate their understanding of literature through reading and analyzing texts as they explore concepts like character, setting, structure, perspective, figurative language, and literary analysis in the context of literary works. Plays, novels, literary criticism, and poetry which tells a story are the texts required for this class.
Texts may include Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, and Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day.