English

The course meets the Arizona state standards for freshmen English, focusing on grammar and the writing of persuasive and expository essays with individual modifications being made in accordance to needs found in IEPs. Students will practice critical thinking skills while exploring a variety of short stories, non-fiction texts, poetry, and approved novels in which they are taught literary elements and figurative language.

As directed through the current Arizona Department of Education’s state standards, students review the fundamentals of grammar, write a variety of essays and focus on improving their communicative skills using the standard conventions of written English with individual modifications being made in accordance to needs found in IEPs. . Additionally, students become familiar with the common elements of literature while developing career and college ready vocabulary. In this sophomore level class, students will experience district-approved novels, as well as a variety of short stories, non-fiction texts, essays, and poetry selections.

The current Arizona State Standards are reflected in this level 3 curriculum which provides students the opportunity to explore district-approved novels, short stories, non-fiction text, essays, and poetry with individual modifications being made in accordance to needs found in IEPs. Through critical thinking, evaluation, analysis, and synthesis, students will explore the literary merits of each piece of text.

This course includes a curriculum directed by the current Arizona State Standards with a focus on college and career readiness writing i.e. applications; resumes; essays with individual modifications being made in accordance to needs found in IEPs. Students will also study and analyze various literary and informational text. This course is designed to explore practical applications of English skills that include presentations and a “career path research paper.”

The course meets the Arizona state standards for freshmen English, focusing on grammar and the writing of persuasive and expository essays. Students will practice critical thinking skills while exploring a variety of short stories, non-fiction texts, poetry, and approved novels in which they are taught literary elements and figurative language.

As directed through the current Arizona Department of Education’s state standards, students review the fundamentals of grammar, write a variety of essays and focus on improving their communicative skills using the standard conventions of written English. Additionally, students become familiar with the common elements of literature while developing career and college ready vocabulary. In this sophomore level class, students will experience district-approved novels, as well as a variety of short stories, non-fiction texts, essays, and poetry selections.

The current Arizona State Standards are reflected in this level 3 curriculum which provides students the opportunity to explore district-approved novels, short stories, non-fiction text, essays, and poetry. Through critical thinking, evaluation, analysis, and synthesis, students will explore the literary merits of each piece of text.

This course includes a curriculum directed by the current Arizona State Standards with a focus on college and career readiness writing i.e. applications; resumes; essays. Students will also study and analyze various literary and informational text. This course is designed to explore practical applications of English skills that include presentations and a “career path research paper.”

This freshman-year English course invites students to explore diverse texts organized into thematic units. Students will engage in literary analysis and inferential evaluation of great texts both classic and contemporary. While critically reading fiction, poetry, drama, and literary nonfiction, students will master comprehension and literary-analysis strategies. Interwoven in the lessons across two semesters are activities that encourage students to strengthen their oral language skills and produce clear, coherent writing. Students will read a range of classic texts including Homer’s The Odyssey, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Richard Connell’s “The Most Dangerous Game.” They will study also short but complex texts, including influential speeches by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. Contemporary texts by Richard Preston, Julia Alvarez, and Maya Angelou round out the course.

For many hundreds of years, literature has been one of the most important human art forms. It allows us to give voice to our emotions, create imaginary worlds, express ideas, and escape the confines of material reality. Through creative writing, we can come to understand ourselves and our world a little bit better. This course provides students with a solid grounding in the writing process, from finding inspiration to building a basic story to using complicated literary techniques and creating strange hybrid forms of poetic prose and prose poetry. By the end of this course, students will learn how to discover their creative thoughts and turn those ideas into fully realized pieces of creative writing.

This sophomore-year English course invites students to explore a diverse selection of world literature organized into thematic units. While critically reading fiction, poetry, drama, and expository nonfiction, students learn essential reading comprehension strategies and engage in literary analysis and evaluation of both classic and contemporary works. Interwoven in the lessons across two semesters are activities that encourage students to strengthen their listening and speaking skills and produce clear, coherent writing. Throughout the course, students read a range of classic and contemporary literary texts including Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, George Orwell’s Animal Farm, and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. In addition to reading a wide range of literary texts, students read and analyze complex informational and argumentative texts including Sonia Sotomayor’s "A Latina Judge's Voice," Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince, and the contemporary informational text Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science.

This junior-year English course invites students to delve into American literature, from early American Indian voices through thoughtful contemporary works. Students will engage in literary analysis and inferential evaluation of great texts, the centerpieces of this course. While critically reading fiction, poetry, drama, and expository nonfiction, students will master comprehension and literary-analysis strategies. Interwoven in the lessons across two semesters are tasks that encourage students to strengthen their oral language skills and produce creative, coherent writing. The literature featured represents diverse voices and experiences. Students will read a range of short but complex texts, including works by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Michio Kaku, Emily Dickinson, Sojourner Truth, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Judith Ortiz Cofer, Mark Twain, Langston Hughes, Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., Naomi Shihab Nye, Amy Tan, and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

It was a dark and stormy night, and the vampires, ghouls, and undead were on the prowl... Gothic Literature is riddled with the spooky, but did you know that this genre is so much more than a scary form of entertainment? In Gothic Literature, you’ll learn about how some of the world’s greatest authors from the 19th century through today used Gothic elements to tackle issues that needed serious attention: the class system, gender norms, racism, social injustice, and more! Grab your monster gear and explore why Gothic Literature has retained its appeal even with today’s audiences.

Since the beginning of time, people have gathered around fires to tell stories of angry gods, harrowing journeys, cunning animals, horrible beasts, and the mighty heroes who vanquished them. Mythology and folklore have provided a way for these colorful stories to spring to life for thousands of years and helped humans make sense of the world. Explore how these compelling tales continue to shape society even today.

This senior-year English Language Arts course invites you to explore a diverse collection of texts organized into thematic units. You will engage in literary analysis and inferential evaluation of both classic and contemporary literature. While critically reading fiction, poetry, drama, and expository nonfiction, you will learn comprehension and literary-analysis strategies. Tasks will encourage you to strengthen your oral language skills and produce creative, coherent writing. You will read a range of classic texts including the ancient epic Gilgamesh, William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. You will study short but complex texts, including essays by Jonathan Swift and Mary Wollstonecraft, and influential speeches by Queen Elizabeth I and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Contemporary texts by Seamus Heaney, Derek Walcott, and Chinua Achebe round out the course.