English I |
Composition 1 |
The course begins with an introduction to the idea of identity and then follows this topic by presenting units focused on short stories, poetry, drama, film, non-fiction, and a novel, all of which present incidents that are significant milestones in the lives of young people. Specific elements of genre study and writing skills are emphasized, as well as critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed for school and throughout life. Students are expected to learn and apply reading, writing, oral, and collaborative strategies to their own learning styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Acceptance into Honors is dependent on 8th grade NWEA scores.
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Composition I is an instructional workshop designed to help students become confident and capable writers. During Writing Workshop, students have time to work independently and with their peers. They engage in the writing process by selecting topics, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing their original work. They receive explicit instruction in the craft of writing from exploring genre, to organizing their pieces, to word choice, style, and mechanics. The workshop structure encourages students to think of themselves as writers and take their writing seriously. It gives students the skills to express their important thoughts and celebrates the fact that their stories and ideas matter and are worth expressing.
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English II |
English III |
In this class, students will read texts from a variety of genres, time periods, and cultures. Students will complete at least one service learning project tied to our course skills and ideas. Students will study literary criticism and apply it, analyzing texts. Students will write often and for many different purposes; they will participate in the writing process, taking some pieces from pre-writing through the revision process. The editing portion of the writing process will be informed by our study of Standard English conventions. Finally, students will grow their vocabularies through direct vocabulary study and determining the meaning of words in context.
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The units of instruction center on an investigation of the idea of the American Dream and the American Nightmare. Students read and think about important questions presented in American literature - questions about freedom, justice, and the pursuit of happiness. Students read works of fiction and non-fiction, as well as short stories and poems, honing their skills of analysis and synthesis. During the first three quarters, students will also prepare for their college entrance exams and other standardized tests and finish the year with an independent research project.
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Reading & Writing for Global Discourse |
Community Action |
The units of instruction focus on world texts, with an emphasis on British literature, in order to broaden the literary landscape of high school individuals. The units begin with a look into literary lenses, working towards a definition and an understanding of the commonalities and differences among human cultures as represented in literature, media, and non-fiction from around the world. Students read widely and deeply to build higher-level critical thinking skills necessary for college. They are asked to write analytically, creatively, persuasively, and to compose a research paper. Students regularly reflect on their growth in relation to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, and they take their writing from the brainstorming to the revising to the publishing process.
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This course uses a critical social justice lens to build skills in reading and writing through community action and current events. It, therefore, requires some commitment outside of the regular school day on a quarterly basis. Students will build critical thinking by analyzing a variety of current events media including news radio, video media, and news articles with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the impact of world affairs on their local lives. Students will explore local social issues by conducting direct and indirect research. Students will conduct argument evaluations to become critical consumers of media and more effective writers. Students will subsequently write arguments with the aim of persuading and mediating in real-world situations. Student learning is assessed through performance tasks which may include community event planning (marketing, press releases, design, set-up, take-down, etc.), neighborhood canvassing (identify local needs, plan for and implement solutions), local presentations, and school-wide events. Note: This course will only run if enough students register to make a full section. Students will be placed in the traditional equivalent English IV course in the event that the course does not fill up.
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AP Language & CompositionThis college level course focuses on discovering how words are used to empower and overpower and how we can take that power for ourselves. The course cultivates the reading and writing skills that students need for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement. The course guides students in becoming curious, critical, and responsive readers of diverse texts, and becoming flexible, reflective writers of texts addressed to diverse audiences for diverse purposes. The course cultivates the rhetorical understanding and use of written language by directing students’ attention to writer/reader interactions in their reading and writing of various formal and informal genres (e.g., memos, letters, advertisements, political satires, personal narratives, scientific arguments, cultural critiques, research reports).
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AP Literature & CompositionDesigned to be a college level course, rich in higher level thinking, AP English Literature and Composition will challenge, inspire, and enrich the eager literature student. Using works that range from the ancient Greece to the twenty-first century, as well as several genres and modes, the reading, writing, listening, and speaking experiences will broaden human understandings about the world around us today. Students, therefore, should expect a rigorous undergraduate English experience with intellectual challenges and a considerable workload that culminates with the AP English and Literature Exam in May. Upon earning a 3 or higher, the student will be awarded college credit, accepted at most colleges and universities.
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Dual Credit English 101Dual Credit English 101/102 are writer’s workshop style courses in which students write for a variety of audiences and purposes. Throughout the school year, students will engage and peer-review and self-reflection. At the end of each semester, students are expected to compile, review, and reflect on their writing in a summative portfolio of their work.
Dual Credit English 101 focuses on foundational writing skills, including targeted grammar, style, and structure instruction. Students develop critical and analytical skills in writing and reading of expository prose. Writing assignments, as appropriate to the discipline, are part of the course including an in-depth exploration of argument, narration, and persuasion. |
Dual Credit English 102Dual Credit English 101/102 are writer’s workshop style courses in which students write for a variety of audiences and purposes. Throughout the school year, students will engage and peer-review and self-reflection. At the end of each semester, students are expected to compile, review, and reflect on their writing in a summative portfolio of their work.
Dual Credit English 102 picks up where English 101 leaves off. Students explore non-traditional argument, including Rogerian argument. The course emphasizes research, and students learn methods of research and writing of investigative papers. Students can expect to write for a variety of purposes including definition, cause-effect, and analysis both literary and visual. |
DebateIn this year long course, students will learn to make arguments and improve their public speaking. Students will develop, analyze, and respond to arguments using research. This class will draw on the way argumentation shapes current events. The best way to understand argumentation is to engage in it. As such, class time will be used both to teach debate theory and as a lab to prepare for competition.
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DramaThis beginning course features an introduction to acting, dramatic literature, and some technical aspects of theatre, such as scene, costume, and lighting design; scene construction; and lighting mechanics. Students will be expected to perform physical and vocal warm ups; explore simple dramatic elements through theatre games and improvisations; read and analyze plays, scenes, and monologues; and create simple designs for the stage. Study will include basic actor training, as well as the role of the audience, as we will attend legitimate theatre productions. We will produce a variety of public performances in a variety of venues, possibly including lunch, SLC, and our neighboring schools.
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Journalism: Newspaper |
Honors Philosophy
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This class will broaden your knowledge and appreciation of journalistic writing and inquiry. This course will additionally prepare you for global and local media pluralism. It will prepare you to serve the openness of the political process, to protect the rights of minorities, be they political, national, religious, or any other. It will teach you the analytic, research, and reporting skills necessary to ethically defend freedom of speech. You will become self-directed learners who have all the skills necessary to take on new topics and trends.
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Students in this course will elevate themselves to the elite status of philosopher, lover of wisdom. As a philosopher, students will gain valuable skills: they will hone their ability to think critically, they will grow as readers and writers, they will become skilled in the art of conversation, and they might even earn higher scores on standardized tests. The real reward of philosophy, however, is the experience of awakening to the world in all its wonder--an experience that might change their lives forever.
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Writing Center |
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Writing Center Instructors is that rare high school course that truly puts the power of learning into the hands of the student. During the first semester, students prepare research papers and study theories of egalitarian learning to discover what it means to be a good peer tutor of writing. Students put that theory to work by launching Solorio’s Writing Center, a student-run, student-centered space that will provide peer tutoring to Solorio students. Students will engage in a variety of other activities and assignments to deepen their understanding of writing center theory, as well as develop as writers/tutors themselves.
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