English Curriculum

Courses

The English department guides students through an in-depth program in critical reading, literary analysis, interpretation, discourse and writing. The department offers nine courses on two levels — the standard courses English 1-4 and the advanced courses, which comprise Advanced English 1, Honors English 2, AP English 3 (Language and Composition), and AP English 4 (Literature and Composition). Journalism is offered as an elective. In fulfillment of the four-year English requirement, students read, discuss, analyze and write in response to over 40 major works from the canons of world, American and British literature. With the aim of developing strong competencies in analytical, argumentative, creative and personal writing, all English courses are writing-intensive and deeply supportive of independent thinking and original expression. Each course includes instruction in vocabulary acquisition, grammar, usage, mechanics and style; additionally, each year's curriculum includes a substantial research assignment. The overarching goal of the department is to give our students every opportunity to become effective readers, thinkers and writers.

  • AP English Language and Composition

    Prerequisite: A in English II or A- in H English.  Final eligibility determined by the department.

    The third year of English includes integrating literature, writing, grammar and vocabulary. The course seeks to improve the students' control of the skills of communication: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Offering the students a variety of texts—both fiction and non-fiction—from the American canon to read and enjoy, the course aims at making them critical readers with fertile imaginations and a keen interest in reading. The writing skills of the previous years are reviewed and expanded.  Students are asked to consider the role writing plays in the field of American Studies.

    This AP course includes more challenging reading and writing assignments aimed at preparing the students for successful completion of the Advanced Placement English Language examination given in May. Many more short writings are also included with the focus on rhetoric, analysis, and support of ideas. Emphasis is placed on usage of the language and students are taught how to adapt their style and vocabulary based on the rhetorical situation.

  • AP English Literature and Composition

    Prerequisite: A in English III or AP English Language.  Final eligibility determined by the department.

    Advanced Placement English IV includes challenging reading and writing assignments aimed at refining the students’ critical thinking and communication skills and preparing the students for the successful completion of the Advanced Placement examination in literature and composition given in May. Required texts include novels, plays, poetry, short stories, and essays from both British and world literature. Students will write on every work they read, focusing on the details and style of the text. Vocabulary and rhetorical techniques enrich the curriculum as students incorporate both into the development and control of their own writing voice and into their increasingly sophisticated analysis of the literature. 

  • English I

    Prerequisite: None

    A one-year course, English I integrates grammar, writing, literature and vocabulary. Grammar lessons focus on an understanding of the basic sentence structures in the English language and of the grammatical rules that follow from those. The course also provides instruction in and opportunities for written expression, helping the students develop their ability in writing sentences, paragraphs, and full formal essays. In literature the students are introduced to the basic elements of the various literary genres for the purpose of developing their critical reading skills. Besides being taught as a separate unit, vocabulary is also integrated with literature. Vocabulary and grammar skills are also taught in preparation for the PSAT taken in the sophomore and junior years. During the summer prior to English I, accepted freshman students complete an independent reading assignment. This assignment is due the first week of school in September and students will receive credit.

  • English II

    Prerequisite: None.

    English II is a one-year course in world literature that strengthens the grammar, writing, literature and vocabulary skills acquired in grade 9. Writing assignments include short pieces, in-class timed writing, paragraph-length responses to reading, longer analytical essays, and a research paper. These assignments focus on the development of rhetorical structure and argumentative technique, in order to prepare students for the upcoming research program and the final two years of high school English. Literature assignments come from a variety of challenging works–-novels, essays, short stories, plays, personal narratives and poetry—that depict the different ways people interact with both foreign cultures and their own. Discussion is a central element of the course.

  • English II (H)

    Prerequisite: A- in English I.  Final eligibility to be determined by department.

    Honors English II, while covering much of the same material as English II, (literature, writing, grammar and PSAT preparation) is designed to include a greater depth of study of the material. Students entering the course will be expected to have a solid foundation in English grammar and to have advanced writing skills. Reading and writing assignments will be more varied, with an emphasis placed on further development of critical thinking skills. This course is strongly recommended as a preparation for AP English III.

  • English III

    Prerequisite: None.

    Integrating literature, writing, grammar and vocabulary, English III, a one-year course, seeks to improve the students' control of the skills of communication: reading, writing, speaking and listening. Offering the students a variety of texts—including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction—from the American canon to read and enjoy, the course aims at making them critical readers with fertile imaginations and a keen interest in reading. The writing skills of the previous years are reviewed and expanded. While studied as a separate unit, vocabulary is also incorporated with literature. Students are asked to consider the role writing plays in the field of American Studies.

  • English IV

    Prerequisite: None.
    While maintaining an emphasis on critical reading and thinking, and a reinforcement of the essential skills of grammar, usage, writing, and vocabulary, English IV is based on a thematic senior seminar model. The curriculum is intended to expose students to a concentrated seminar-type course with an emphasis on a specific thematic area. Possible topics could include Los Angeles Film and Fiction, Modern and Contemporary Drama, Literature of the Americas, and Women and Narrative. The thematic focus of the course may rotate from year to year, giving the students a greater variety of content and exposure to faculty, while retaining the focus on core skills. 

  • Journalism I

    Prerequisite: None

    Journalism is a one-year elective course. The class’s purpose is to publish the school newspaper, The Veritas Shield. Over the course of the year students will have the opportunity to write in a variety of forms that the newspaper publishes, including news reporting, opinion writing, feature writing, movie reviewing, and more. The paper is designed to be flexible and to accommodate the interests of the students in the class at the time. In addition to writing, Journalism I students will gain experience pitching article ideas, using InDesign for page layout, editing photos, soliciting advertisements, and managing circulation.

  • Journalism II

    Prerequisite: Journalism I and department approval.

    Journalism II is a one-year elective course that builds on Journalism I (see separate course description). Second-year journalists can expect to take on more ambitious writing assignments than they did in their first year. They will also assume editing responsibilities. The Veritas Shield relies heavily on peer editing, a process in which second-year journalists assume leadership roles. In addition to providing feedback to peers, engaging in the editorial process means that second-year journalists have input on published content.

  • Journalism III

    Prerequisite: Journalism II and department approval.

    Journalism III is a one-year elective course that builds on Journalism I and Journalism II (see separate course descriptions). Third-year journalists can expect to take on significant leadership roles of the Veritas Shield. Leadership of the paper includes managing article pitch sessions, article assignments, the production calendar, the peer-editing process, page assignments, and the layout process. These responsibilities require substantial time outside of class. Leaders of the Shield will gain experience in a workplace-like setting as they learn to manage a team of writers and editors.

English Faculty

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