English
Faculty
|
Beth Black Highlander Advisor |
594-2777 (VM) | BBlack@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
|
Mercedes Foster ASB Advisor |
*594-2626 x#562 (VM) | MFoster@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
| Debora Hill | 594-2759 (VM) | DHill@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
| Janet Labberton | 594-2623 (VM) | JLabberton@piedmont.k12.ca.us |
| Elise Marks | 594-2776 (VM) | EMarks@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
| Rosie Reid | *594-2506 x #506 (VM) | RReid@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
| Celia Rogers | 594-2584 | crogers@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
|
Kim Taylor Drama |
594-2846 (VM) | KTaylor@piedmont.k12.ca.us |
|
Jody Weverka Clan-O-Log Advisor |
594-2845 (VM) | JWeverka@piedmont.k12.ca.us website |
| Department Office Phone | 594-2635 |
(VM) = Voice Mail only
* Numbers with asterisks cannot be dialed directly. Dial 594-2626, and at the prompt press the pound sign (#) and the extension number without further waiting.
Course Descriptions
English 1–2
5300
(Year) (9)
The freshman English curriculum will focus on genre study of short story, drama, poetry, and novel. These four categories will be explored for their form through various world authors from a variety of time periods. As freshmen begin to shape their place in a new school environment, they examine the themes of identity, alienation, community, maturation, and exploration, both in their own lives and in literature. Descriptive and autobiographical writing encourages students to write vividly about themselves and the world around them, but it also emphasizes an attention to detail that serves them well in their analysis and evaluation of literature. As students become fluent in the use of figurative language and symbolism in their own writing, they analyze the use of these techniques in class texts. Many of these texts also encourage students to look beyond their own world and explore identity in other settings, as they do in the 9th grade World Cultures and Geography class.
English 3–4
5310
(Year) (10)
The sophomore English curriculum extends the ninth grade study of literary terms such as symbol and theme to focus on the analysis and appreciation of tone, voice, and point of view. Students explore perspective not only as a way of understanding the speaker/audience relationship in a text, but also as a way to hone this skill in their own persuasive writing. Literature focuses on multiple points of view drawing attention to issues of gender, race, class, and community. The context of these themes often dovetails with the 10th grade World History curriculum and the analysis of these themes extends to students’ own reflective writing.
English 5–6
5325
(Year) (11)
Junior English curriculum focuses on American Literature, dovetailing with the concurrent U. S. History course. In this context, the students examine the issues of justice, democracy, idealism, and power. As they explore the complexities of what it means to be an American, they examine the effects of race, gender, and class. Analysis of such themes is far more complex than at the previous grade levels, as students delve into style, structure, and diction in their close reading. Through reflective writing they will strive toward a higher level of analysis; as they explore the characters' relationships to society, they will develop a deeper understanding of the own connections
to their world.
English 5–6 Honors
5330
(Year) (11)
This is an advanced class for juniors and satisfies the junior year of English requirement. This advanced course would push students whowish to dive deeper into their language arts abilities to become skilled readers of American prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and become skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading will make students aware of the interactions between a writer's purpose, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Summer reading is assigned and required in advance of the course.
This course will not be awarded an extra grade point for the 2011-12 school year by UC/CSU. College credit may be obtained only by scoring 3 or above on an Advanced Placement Test in English Language and Composition administered in the spring.
English 7–8
5340
(Year)(12)
Senior English curriculum connects and synthesizes the skills and ideas introduced in the previous grade levels. Students learn to look beyond the themes in an individual text and to appreciate the text as a reflection of a larger movement or school of thought (e.g. existentialism and romanticism). In addition, students read literary criticism in order to improve critical thinking skills. As they prepare to shape their own independent lives, seniors explore the search for self in literature.
AP English Literature
5350 (Advanced Placement)
(Year) (12)
Prerequisite: Criteria for enrollment in AP English will be announced in the spring
The Advanced Placement English curriculum follows the requirements of a college level English course, one in which students read widely and in depth, and engages in high level discussions of their critical, close reading. In both their discussion and writing, students will examine the way in which a text is written rather than what the text is "about", focusing on technique and style more than plot and theme. Although the readings vary from year to year, AP English focuses mainly on poetry and emphasizes works preceding the 20th century. This honors course emphasizes literary analysis in precise focused writing; through speaking, listening and reading, but mainly through their own writing, students become more aware of the resources of language. While concentrating on works of recognized literary merit, students develop critical standards for the independent appreciation of any literary work. Summer reading is assigned and required in advance of the course. College credit may be obtained by scoring 3 or above on an Advanced Placement Test administered in the spring.
Creative Writing
5366 (Year) / 5226 (Semester)
(Year or Semester) (10,11,12)
Prerequisite: Completion of English 1–2 with a grade of B or higher or teacher recommendation.
Creative Writing is a course designed for students who are passionate about writing and serious about developing their creative writing skills. Creative Writing focuses on fictional genres such as short stories, poems, and plays and creative non-fiction such as memoir writing and restaurant reviews. Students should expect to write a great deal in a workshop environment that includes receiving regular feedback from peers and the instructor.
Public Speaking
5377
(Semester) (9, 10, 11, 12)
This course is designed to introduce students to public speaking skills. Students prepare weekly presentations that range in length from 1- 10 minutes. All oral presentations will be derived from research topics specified by the instructor or determined by state and local speech association contests. Students will also gain experience with impromptu speeches as well as debate, argumentative, expository, declaratory and descriptive speeches.
