English
The study of English at Paul D. Schreiber High School gives students the opportunity to develop and master the basic and advanced communications skills of writing, reading and speech. It further provides students with the opportunity to study and appreciate great literature. All students must take four years of English. The required courses are Freshman English in 9th grade, and Sophomore English in 10th grade. Courses for the eleventh and twelfth grades may be selected from the list of selectives below, if the above courses have been satisfactorily completed. A course in English is required each semester that a student is enrolled at Schreiber High School.
As a graduation requirement, in addition to meeting course requirements, students must pass the Common Core English Regents exam. Additionally, all Schreiber students are encouraged to complete summer reading, to be chosen from a yearly updated grade-level list that is emailed home by the district, distributed by Schreiber and Weber English teachers, and posted on Portnet.
REQUIRED COURSES
FRESHMAN ENGLISH **
Term: Full Year
Freshman English introduces ninth graders to all aspects of the English program. This segment emphasizes close reading and annotation, essay writing, and active listening. Students will study the short story, the novel, poetry, and the drama.
SOPHOMORE ENGLISH**
Term: Full Year
This course is designed to further student critical thinking and writing skills. In addition to creative and analytical writing, students will work on the argument essay and personal narrative. Close reading and annotation skills will also be emphasized.
SOPHOMORE ENGLISH HONORS **
Term: Full Year
English 10 Honors is designed to extend and reinforce the analytical and language skills students mastered at the end of ninth grade, and to encourage them to use these skills in increasingly independent ways. Students are expected to read (25–35 pages) daily with care and actively participate in class discussions. Students will read a broad range of texts, including 19th century British literature. The writing process will be emphasized throughout the course with the expectation that students write with complexity and a sophistication of style. Vocabulary acquisition and grammar/usage skills are an integral part of the program. Prerequisites: A minimum grade of a “B+” in English 9 and English teacher recommendation.
JUNIOR SELECTIVES
AMERICAN LITERATURE **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 Only
This is a survey course, drawing upon examples of significant American literature from an early period of our literary history to modern times. Theme and technique will be stressed, as well as close reading and discussion. Students will be required to write analytical responses on the works of major authors such as Hawthorne, Twain, Emerson, Thoreau, Dickenson, Fitzgerald, and Miller.
CREATIVE WRITING **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 Only
This course is for students who like to write. Typical activities include keeping a writer’s journal, doing exercises in prose and poetry, and completing long-range writing assignments such as a short story. Reading one’s work aloud is a key method of helping each writer learn how to criticize another’s work, as well as how to revise one’s own piece. Literary analysis and the use of rhetorical devices will be stressed.
PERSUASIVE WRITING **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 Only
The philosophy of Persuasive Writing is that good writing is a process. According to writing process theory, the steps of prewriting, drafting, conferencing, editing and revising will be employed. Students will read a wide range of literature that will serve as a basis for their literary analysis. Class discussions, informational sessions on aspects of essay-writing techniques (introductions, transitions, paragraph structure, style) and instruction in peer revision are essential to student success in this course.
TRENDS IN LITERATURE- CULTURAL CONFLICTS **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 Only
This course traces themes and trends throughout the literary approach to Cultural Conflicts. This strand will examine cultural conflicts that result from imperialism, immigration, and cultural diffusion. Students will analyze and discuss the influence of these forces on individuals, families, traditions, religious beliefs, and notions of identity. Texts will encompass a global perspective, and will range from novels, poetry, plays, short stories and film.
UTOPIA/DYSTOPIA END OF THE WORLD REFLECTIONS**
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 Only
This course explores a survey of dystopian and post-apocalyptic narratives. Students will discuss the social commentary each text provides, paying careful attention to the warnings presented. Students will examine how each author identifies how humans cope under an unjust government, a world without resources, and how technology comes with its perils.
WORLD LITERATURE **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11 Only
Students in this course will read diverse literary texts written by authors from around the globe. These multi-genre texts address “big and basic” philosophical questions from different perspectives that span across space and time- How did life on earth begin? What is the meaning of life? What happens when we die? Starting with Early Literature, including the Bible and ancient mythology, moving through the Middle Ages, Renaissance, all the way up through the Modern era, students will time travel and make connections between these literary works and other disciplines, including art and music.
ENGLISH REGENTS AIS
Meeting twice per six-day cycle, this course offers extra support to students who are preparing to take the NYS Regents Common Core English Exam. While working through a series of practice tasks and receiving individualized coaching, students will become better acquainted with the types of readings, multiple choice questions, and essay topics typically encountered on the test. This class also provides supplementary instruction which will help students be more successful in their English elective.
JUNIOR/SENIOR SELECTIVES
SHAKESPEARE: BEYOND THE TRAGEDIES **
Term: Semester
This course provides the opportunity to study a sampling of Shakespeare’s greatest plays. Students will read and discuss representative plays from each of the types of Shakespearean drama: including the traditional tragedies, comedies and histories, as well as the non-traditional problem plays and romances. The following are among the works most commonly read and studied: Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Measure for Measure or The Merchant of Venice, Macbeth, Richard III and The Tempest. Students will write journals, essays and creative pieces in response to the plays. Every effort will be made to schedule a field trip to see a live performance of a Shakespearean play.
THEATRE ARTS
Term: Semester
This course is designed for students who have a strong interest in theatre. It provides an opportunity to build confidence and poise in performing in front of an audience. Students will act on-stage in modern scenes, Shakespearean scenes, and monologues. They will learn about the various aspects of play production, read and watch plays and critique them. Stage performances and written essays will be among the course requirements. This course may be taken additional times for elective credit.
SENIOR SELECTIVES
ENGLISH 12 - COLLEGE WRITING **
Term: Semester
Grade: 12
This course is for students who wish to further develop their expository writing skills in preparation for college level writing. They will learn how to approach essay writing as an opportunity for creative inquiry and personal expression. Students will generate topics for pieces of writing in a range of nonfiction modes, such as research-based informative and persuasive writing, various types of narrative and descriptive writing, and different styles of argument writing.
The course will teach writing as a process, so students will regularly complete informal writing-as-thinking activities, learn various approaches to brainstorming and outlining, acquire revision strategies and editing skills, and participate in peer-review and workshop sessions, the emphasis of which will be on developing a unique voice and polishing style. Students will also read a range of contemporary creative nonfiction, from long-form investigative journalism to podcasts to memoirs and personal narratives.
ENGLISH 12 - COMMUNICATION ARTS **
Term: Semester
Grade: 12 Only
This course is designed to help students gain confidence and technique in the art of public speaking. Students will practice the extemporaneous method to complete informative and persuasive speeches. Class activities include impromptu speaking, peer evaluation, and a close analysis of famous speeches. TedTalks and podcasts will also be analyzed.
ENGLISH 12 - ETHICS IN LITERATURE **
Term: Semester
Grade: 12 Only
Through a variety of literary genres, this course explores success and the American Dream. Narrative nonfiction pieces from newspapers and periodicals are critically analyzed through comparisons with the works of poets, filmmakers and authors such as Budd Schulberg, August Wilson, Clifford Odets, John Updike and David Mamet. As students explore themes and conflicts, they generate philosophies and strategies for how to succeed.
ENGLISH 12- FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES: ENGLISH**
Term: Semester
Grade 12 Only
Facing History and Ourselves is a nationally recognized, semester long English course for seniors, which fulfills their English requirement. Students will study the human experience throughout history and literature, with a focus on individuals and societies. They will confront the complexities of history and literature that promote critical thinking and moral behavior, regarding individuals and groups within a society, the decisions that they make and the consequences of those decisions. This course will include fiction, nonfiction and a research component.
ENGLISH 12 - FILM AND LITERATURE **
Term: Semester
Grade 12 Only
Students will learn the language of film and visual literacy through the analysis of film techniques, tools, and styles. In addition to viewing both classic and current films, students will read book excerpts, articles, scripts, and criticism. There will be writing assignments, in class-activities, and class discussion.
ENGLISH 12 - JOURNALISM **
Term: Semester
Grade: 12 Only
This is a workshop-style class in which students explore their own interests in a variety of writing assignments (opinion essays, critical reviews, feature profiles; Q/A interviews; news reporting) designed to hone their journalistic skills: objective reporting; accurate research; concise writing; careful editing, independent reading for content, research, and style (visuals/layout). In addition, students learn to use Microsoft Publisher to design their work just as it might appear in national print publications, culminating in a portfolio of articles. Students who elect this class should be willing to spend time independently, in class (and out), interviewing, researching, and reporting.
ENGLISH 12 - MODERN LITERATURE **
Term: Semester
Grade: 12 Only
This course will present a variety of modern and postmodern literature that demonstrates some of the major themes and concerns of fiction in the 20th Century. Concentrating on novels, plays, short stories and poetry, students will examine modern writing in order to gain an appreciation for literature that gives voice to the issues and themes which impact contemporary society. Exploring the current trends in literature will help enable students to develop an insightful understanding of today’s world. Some of the authors studied include Ernest Hemingway, Arthur Miller, Sylvia Plath, August Wilson, Ken Kesey, James Baldwin, and Raymond Carver. (Not offered in 2022-2023).
ENGLISH 12 - MYTHOLOGY **
Term: Semester
Grade: 12 Only
This course introduces students not only to the gods, goddesses, heroes, and monsters from classic Greek mythology, but also introduces them to creation myths, legends, and fairy tales from all around the world. Students will read ancient Greek tragedies and learn about the conventions of the ancient theater. The course also traces the longevity of the great archetypes and the heroic tradition through art, film, and modern retellings.
ENGLISH 12 - PLAYWRITING AND SCREENWRITING
Term: Semester
Grade: 12 Only
Students will read, watch, and analyze models of successful and acclaimed writing. Students will then participate in exercises designed to teach and practice specific skills necessary for writing for the stage or screen: creating characters, plotting a story, writing dialogue, and working with literary devices. By the end of the semester students will have written a one-act play and a short screenplay. (Not offered in 2023-2024).
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH
ADVANCED PLACEMENT LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION **
Term: Full Year
Admittance will be based on the following criteria: teacher recommendation and a minimum of a B+ average in English. Juniors must take a Regents exam in English at the end of their junior year and will take the Advanced Placement Language and Composition Examination given in May of the school year.
This course will provide a writing community for 11th grade students with an outstanding record of achievement and interest in rhetoric. It is a one-year program that focuses on the art of writing persuasively. It will speak to all of those strategies and techniques a writer uses to make a case or drive home a point, including voice, diction, purpose, thesis, patterns of development, research, organization, revision and rhetoric.
The students will analyze predominantly non-fiction writing and will explore expository and analytical writing in a variety of modes and for a variety of purposes. Course participants will focus on becoming critical readers, displaying strong voice and style in their writing, responding to voice as listening writers, and applying revision and self-assessment to their own writing.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION **
Term: Full Year
Prerequisite: Open to Senior-level students who meet the following selection criteria:
Seniors may take this course in lieu of two semester English electives. Admittance will be based on the following criteria: teacher recommendation. Seniors must take the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition Examination given in May of the school year.
This is a yearlong course that concentrates on close textual analysis of the works of major lyric poets, dramatists, novelists, and essayists. The emphasis of this course, in terms of literature, will be placed on helping students engage in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. They will work to develop critical standards for interpreting the effects writers create by means of the artful manipulation of language. To achieve these goals, students learn to read and comprehend some of the finest poetry, plays, novels, short stories, and essays written at various times in various cultures.
They learn how to discover meaning in literature by being attentive to language, image, character, action, argument, and the various techniques and strategies authors use to evoke emotional responses from readers. Students are expected to justify their interpretations by reference to details and patterns found in the text and to compare their interpretations with those proposed by others. The goal of the written assignments is to increase students’ ability to explain clearly, cogently, even elegantly, what they understand about literary works and why they interpret them as they do. The literature includes, but is not limited to, Beowulf, The Things They Carried, Heart of Darkness, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. The work of the course will emphasize preparation for the Advanced Placement Examination in Literature and Composition, which students will take in May of the school year. Additionally, students are required to complete a summer reading.
SENIOR EXPERIENCE
FILM AND LITERATURE **
1/2 credit for NCAA Approval
Term: Full Year
Grade: 12 Only
During the first semester, students will learn the language of film and visual literacy through the analysis of film techniques, tools, and styles. In addition to viewing both classic and current films, students will read book excerpts, articles, scripts, and criticism. There will be writing assignments, in class-activities, and class discussion.
Beginning in the second semester students will read, watch, and analyze models of successful and acclaimed writing. Students will then participate in exercises designed to teach and practice specific skills necessary for writing for the stage or screen: creating characters, plotting a story, writing dialogue, and working with literary devices. This course is part of the Senior Experience program and will culminate in a project that reflects what students learned about the medium with tangible results.
SHAKESPEARE: BEYOND THE TRAGEDIES, FROM LONDON TO HOLLYWOOD
Term: Semester
This course goes beyond the typical tragedy and samples five different types of Shakespeare’s plays, including a comedy, history, problem play and romance, while also viewing them from the perspective of their film versions. The following are among the more commonly read plays: Twelfth Night (comedy), The Merchant of Venice (problem play), The Tempest (romance), Othello (tragedy) and Richard III (history). In addition to watching Shakespeare’s plays, seniors will fulfill the Senior Experience requirement by coordinating Shakespeare Day at Schreiber and/or bringing Shakespeare to the community at large by way of a project/production/internship that celebrates the Bard’s works. Students will be given release time to complete this project.
THEATRE ARTS SENIOR EXPERIENCE
Term: Semester
Grade: 12
PREREQUISITE: Prior theatre experience and the ability to complete the project component.
This course is designed for students who have a strong background in theatre. It provides an opportunity to hone performance skills and develop the actor's three tools: voice, face, and body. Students will act on-stage in modern and Shakespearean scenes. They will read plays and write about them. Stage performances and written essays are among the course requirements. This course is part of the Senior Experience program and will have a theatre project component. Options include directing, serving as a choreographer, technical director or stage manager for a theatrical production.
READING
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES 1 **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11th grade by recommendation.
Students will be recommended for this course based on results of individual diagnostic testing administered and interpreted by Reading Center faculty. Careful consideration is given to addressing the individual learning needs of students. Course content focuses on reading and analyzing a variety of literary and nonfiction texts, exploring the characteristics of different forms and the techniques authors use to achieve their intended purpose. Language study extends students’ vocabulary through learning about connotations, denotations, word origins, and structures.
With an emphasis on persuasive and argumentative writing, students apply their skills and adapt content, vocabulary, voice, and tone to a specific audience and purpose. All methods and materials utilized are intended to help students succeed in content subject areas as well as on the Common Core English Regents. This course may be taken for ½ credit as the student‘s regular English course or as an additional ½ credit elective.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES 2 **
Term: Semester
Grade: 11th grade by recommendation.
Students will be recommended for this course based on their prior patterns of reading performance and study habits as demonstrated in content area subjects. The course requires critical reading of classic and contemporary literature with emphasis on the writer’s style and purpose. Students will analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and organize information from a variety of sources in order to prepare for the Common Core English Regents. Students apply their understanding of grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing to varied and frequent writing assignments.
Through narrative, expository, and persuasive writings, students build on their understanding of writing as a process of prewriting, drafting, revising, and publishing. They also develop communication skills through listening to and practicing oral presentations. This course may be taken for ½ credit as the student‘s regular English course or as an additional ½ credit elective.
COLLEGE READING
Term: Semester
Grade: 12th grade by recommendation.
This is an elective for 12th grade students reading on or above grade level. To become college and career ready, students must grapple with works of exceptional craft and thought whose range extends across genres, cultures, and centuries. In addition to the analysis of literature students analyze and interpret historical documents aligned to content in history. Students analyze a wide variety of literary genres and will write reflectively using personal narrative and memoir.
Instruction is designed to help all students achieve success, which will be accomplished by including a variety of instructional strategies such as projects, demonstrations, and collaborative learning groups; by conducting formal and informal assessments to provide continual feedback regarding student progress; and by utilizing all available technology for both teacher and student use. Other reading skills include the examination of the author's craft such as the effect of specific work choices and the use of satire and irony. This ½ credit course may be taken as the student’s English course or as an additional elective.
CLOSE READING SHORT WORKS**
Term: Semester
Grade: 12th grade by recommendation.
This course is an elective for 12th grade students reading on or above reading level. This course exposes students to the criteria needed to effectively analyze and respond to literature using the technique of close reading: an approach of reading that uncovers layers of meaning that leads to deeper comprehension. “Reading closely” means developing a profound understanding and a precise interpretation of a literary passage that embraces larger themes and ideas evoked and/or implied by the passage itself.
Using dynamic instructional strategies, students will learn to develop claims and counterclaims, use precise language, and create coherent argument essays with an appropriate tone. Students will integrate multiple sources of information in order to make informed decisions and solve problems. These strategies are especially important during the high school years for preparing students to experience the independence and demands of higher education and careers. This ½ credit course may be taken as the student’s English course or as an additional elective.
FRESHMAN ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SERVICES (AIS)
Term: Full Year
Grade: 9th grade by recommendation.
Meeting twice per six-day cycle, this Academic Intervention Service offers extra support to students who have been recommended for the service based upon performance on required New York State assessments, classroom performance, and/or teacher recommendation. AIS classes supplement the instruction provided in the general curriculum and assists students in meeting the State Learning Standards. Students will receive focused literacy instruction designed to reinforce reading comprehension and analytical writing skills. Students engage in a variety of literary activities designed to promote critical thinking across the curriculum.
*Students receive no credit for this course which meets twice within a cycle.
SOPHOMORE ACADEMIC INTERVENTION SERVICES (AIS)
Term: Full Year
Grade: 10th grade by recommendation.
Meeting twice per six-day cycle, this course is designed for sophomore students who have been recommended by their teachers to receive focused literacy instruction designed to reinforce reading comprehension and analytical writing skills. These skills are necessary to achieve success in Sophomore English. Students engage in a variety of literacy activities in whole class, small group and individual educational settings that are designed to promote critical thinking skills that align with CCLS.
* Students receive no credit for this course.
*This course meets NYS Music/Art graduation requirement
**This course is approved by the NCAA