Catholic High School requires four credits of English and places a strong emphasis on writing, reading, and critical thinking skills.

English 9

Ninth grade students will learn grammar, mechanics, MLA format, vocabulary, and composition usage skills. They will learn to write correct paragraphs, theses, and formal five-paragraph essays. They will practice the four modes of discourse: exposition, narration, description, and persuasion. Students will learn grammar concepts, including punctuation, syntax, and correct sentence formation. They will learn to gather and synthesize research information, culminating in a required basic library paper, aligned with their science fair projects. Students will have an opportunity to develop their creative writing skills through poetry, short stories, and other genres. In literature, students will study a variety of literary themes, forms, and genres, including short story, poetry, drama, and novel. Students will read a minimum of two reading books each summer and one outside reading book each quarter.                                                                              

One Credit

English 10

Tenth graders will expand their listening, speaking, reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar skills through regular essays and other assignments. The course places more emphasis on formal expository and persuasive writing, although students will also learn to identify and develop style and voice through narration and description. In conjunction with the science department, students will follow a standard writing process to create a properly cited research paper. Reading will focus on American literature from 1650 to 1900. Students will read at least two books each summer and an American novel each quarter.                                                       

One Credit

English 11

Eleventh grade students continue to expand their listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills.  All reading material will be by or about British authors, from Anglo-Saxon England to 1900. In addition to the summer reading novels and the literature in our textbooks, students will read one novel or play by a British author each quarter. Students will develop their grammar and composition usage skills through the writing of numerous essays and reports.  Writing assignments will include timed, in-class writing based on sample SAT essay topics; reports requiring outside research that explore literary or historical topics; and essays about literature.  Students will write one literary analytical research paper, due in the spring.

One Credit

AP English-Language and Composition

Eleventh grade Advanced Placement students will concentrate on writing essays in various forms (narrative, exploratory, expository, and argumentative) and of increasing complexity in both style and content.  These essays will be based on class readings of prose, both fiction and nonfiction, written in a variety of periods and rhetorical contexts.  The readings and essay writing will prepare the students for the test in AP English Language and Composition, given in the spring. 

One Credit

English 12

Twelfth grade students will continue to expand their listening, speaking, reading, writing, and grammar skills through regular essay and report writing and through oral presentations.  Assignments will include one literary analytical research paper in the fall and one computer-based research project on a literary topic in the spring.  Students will read selections from a variety of world cultures, including literature from several major religious traditions and excerpts from some of the world’s greatest epic poetry.  In addition to the summer reading novels and the selections in our textbook, students will read one novel or play per quarter.

One Credit

AP English-Literature and Composition

Twelfth grade Advanced Placement English students will develop their abilities to understand and respond to works of literature through class discussions, research projects, and the writing of critical essays, including one research paper.  The readings and essay writing will prepare the students for the test in AP Literature and Composition, given in the spring.  A score of “4” or higher on this exam will allow students to exempt up to two freshman English classes at many colleges.  The course is shaped around four thematically connected units that include novels, plays, short stories, and poetry from a variety of authors, cultures, and time periods.  Emphasis will be on in-depth reading and evaluation of literature for the purpose of understanding its literary elements as well as its universal themes.  Students will also prepare for the AP exam by taking sample AP tests and writing representative AP essays.                                

One Credit

Prerequisite:  Must have passed all English classes with at least a B and have permission of the AP English teacher.

Public Speaking

Students will learn the art of correct speaking, including articulation, pronunciation, projection, gestures, movements, and other requirements for effective speaking. The course is designed for students from grade 9 through grade 12.                

0.5 Elective Credit

Journalism/Yearbook

Students learn to deal with budgets and deadlines while choosing and implementing a theme for the year’s publication of the yearbook. Students are expected to take photographs for the publication. Journalistic writing is emphasized including headlines, reporting techniques, angle, quotes and writing style.  Students will also learn different aspects of advertising and marketing.

                            One Elective Credit

Journalism/Newspaper

This course familiarizes students with the basic principles of modern journalism. During the course, students will write, edit, and prepare the student newspaper for publication. Students acquire experience with various styles of journalism by writing news stories, writing headlines, and performing the technical aspects of producing a written publication. Students gain the skills that will enable them to judge presentations of the news media with a critical eye.                  

One Elective Credit

Film Exploration

In this film appreciation course, students will learn the vocabulary of film cinematography, movement, sound, writing, and acting, and analyze these elements in representative films. The course will also include a unit on film history, especially as it is reflected in the Hollywood studio system and the Academy Awards. Finally, the class will learn to analyze film reviews and be asked to write their own. Throughout the class, students will watch and respond to movies that impact life, transcend technicalities, and make us ask and grapple with difficult ethical questions.

Prerequisite:  Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only

One Elective Credit

Creative Writing and Epiphany

Creative Writing/Epiphany is a workshop class wherein students not only develop their creative writing skills but also publish the school’s literary magazine. By focusing on a variety of genres written by published poets, fiction and non-fiction authors, and playwrights, and by continually reading, experimenting, practicing, sharing, and revising, students will develop their craft. In so doing, they will build confidence in their writing skills while learning how to give constructive feedback to their peers. Epiphany is an annual publication that solicits, edits, and publishes original and inspiring literary and artistic work generated by CHS students. 

Prerequisite:  Juniors and Seniors only

One Elective Credit