ENGLISH
[su_expand more_icon=”icon: angle-double-down” less_icon=”icon: caret-right”]The SDA English Department is where students find their voices, learn to advocate for themselves more fully, and prepare to present themselves to the world with confidence and fluency. SDA provides thorough experience to all students emphasizing academic integrity, reading, writing, vocabulary, critical analysis, media literacy, the ability to understand stories from many different cultures, success on standardized tests such as the SAT and AP, and public speaking.
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.[/su_expand]
[su_accordion][su_spoiler title=”ENGLISH 9/ HONORS” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]English 9/ Honors In ninth grade, students explore literature using a thematic approach which encompasses all genres of writing: poetry, nonfiction, short stories, novels, and plays. There is a focus on writing with particular emphasis on the different modes of writing and the writing process beginning with topic sentences, expository evidence and interpretation in an analytical paragraph or paper. Mechanical skills and vocabulary development are stressed throughout the year. In addition, students learn the steps of research and writing an MLA style research paper. Core texts to ground students in an informed library of knowledge may include Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, Martel’s The Life of Pi, and Orwell’s 1984 – which grapple with themes of fate, survival, and justice. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”ENGLISH 10/ HONORS” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]During grade ten, students explore predominantly American literature with an emphasis on building critical thinking skills about an individual’s position in (or working against) societal rules. Core texts on this theme may include Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Pataki’s The Traitor’s Wife. Mechanics and vocabulary development are stressed in conjunction with writing. Writing instruction in this year concentrates on expository writing requiring literary analysis and outside research. An MLA-style research paper is a major project. Group projects, contemporary interpretations of traditional tropes, and peer reviews are hallmarks of this academic year. The ultimate benchmark of sophomore English study is for a student to present a term paper on a topic of their choice adhering to MLA style and standards and demonstrating the student’s original creative expression. [/su_spoiler][su_spoiler title=”ENGLISH 11″ open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]Self-advocacy and academic integrity are hallmarks of SDA junior year, especially in the Humanities. Eleventh graders will learn how to tackle standardized tests including the SAT Reading and Writing and understand the many forms of argumentative writing. In recognition of the power of the written word and the value of multiculturalism, exploration of representative selections of British and World writing and political discourse is the focus of this thematically arranged course. Language, vocabulary, and writing skills development are emphasized throughout this course. Students are encouraged to contrast traditional works of literature with more modern and international content from the fields of Epic Poetry, Speculative Fiction, Drama, Modernism, and Contemporary prose. Personal narratives, speech writing, and declamations given in front of the classroom lay the groundwork for college essay writing. [/su_spoiler] [su_spoiler title=”ENGLISH 11: AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND CMPOSITION” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]Prerequisite: Departmental Approval, application
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} [/su_spoiler][su_spoiler title=”ENGLISH 12: EXPLORING RESILIENCE WITHIN DRAMA ” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]SDA students by senior year will be well on their way to becoming informed, community-oriented citizens of the world. This course provides a thematic approach to the exploration and study of world literature beginning with a focus on the social, political and artistic roles of a writer. The study of short fiction, the novel, poetry, nonfiction and drama is included. Students are required to read, analyze, and discuss literary works; critical as well as reflective essays responding to literature is required. Oral communication skills in class discussion are encouraged and expected. Connections among the literature across boundaries of culture and time are highlighted. Vocabulary development is infused throughout this course as well. Core texts may include Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Plath’s The Bell Jar, Williams’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, and Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. [/su_spoiler][su_spoiler title=”ENGLISH 12: AP ENGLISH LITERATURE” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]Prerequisite: Departmental Approval, application
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. [/su_spoiler][su_spoiler title=”ELECTIVE: FILM STUDIES” open=”no” style=”default” icon=”plus” anchor=”” anchor_in_url=”no” class=””]SDA students in their last two academic years may take the elective of Film Studies to better appreciate and understand the history, techniques, debates, and artistry within classic and modern movie-making. Films of artistic merit and popular significance will be screened according to geographic and topical parallels, and students will write essays and bring their interpretations to class for rich and occasionally controversial conversations. The ultimate goal of the course is to enliven students’ awareness of this art form and encourage active participation as a viewer and student of the cinematic arts. [/su_spoiler][/su_accordion]