Academics

2008-2009 IB GROUP 1: NATIVE LANGUAGE COURSES

The four-year program in Native Language Courses  includes the year-long English 9 and English 10 courses which function as a sequence to prepare students for  Standard Level or Higher Level IB classes junior and senior years.  These freshman and sophomore classes expose students to literature in various genres and from a variety of cultures, teach basic composition skills, address shortcomings in grammar and usage, and teach the specialized vocabulary of literary criticism.

The SL and HL IB classes will expose students to a wide variety of literature and require of them a more sophisticated analysis of literature, correct use of the vocabulary of literary criticism, and some knowledge of genres, styles, structure, and literary history.  Students will be required to write critical, interpretive, and research papers, and to give oral reports.

2007-2008 9TH & 10TH GRADE COURSES

GROUP I:  Language A1
(Native Language)
English 9 – Full-year course - 9th grade requirement
This is an introductory course exploring a variety of literature through writing, critical analysis, discussion, and presentation. Students write both expository and creative pieces and participate in individual and group presentations that require research, creative thought, and cooperative effort. In all of these assignments, the emphasis is on developing students’ writing and communication skills, their ability to support and organize ideas, and their awareness of elements crucial to an understanding of what they read. While the focus is on writing and literature, students also participate in writing-related grammar workshops in order to achieve greater clarity and a tighter structure in their writing. Students study a variety of poems, short stories, articles, letters, plays, and novels, including such works as Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 451, The Odyssey, To Kill a Mockingbird, Othello, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Antigone, and The Joy Luck Club.

English 10 – Full-year course - 10th grade requirement
In the fall semester, the course integrates critical reading (mostly of fiction and poetry) with creative writing (mostly of short stories) to give students a theoretical and a practical understanding of the basic rhetorical strategies and technical concepts they will encounter in the study of literature. In the spring term students begin to work with most of the main literary genres and, through the writing of analytical and expository essays on the literature, employ concepts learned in the first term. In both semesters students learn to see writing as communication – to recognize, in other words, that though what they wish to say is always of paramount importance, precision of expression and correctness (conformity with generally accepted English usage) are vital to being understood. Texts include such works as Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five; Dickens, Great Expectations; Burgess, A Clockwork Orange; Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo and Juliet; McPhee, The John McPhee Reader; The Norton Introduction to Poetry; Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych; and Erdrich, Love Medicine.

IB 11th and 12th Grade IB Group 1

(Native Language)
Standard Level English A1 – Two-year sequence
The focus of this two-year course is on literary criticism, appreciation, and on building skills that enable students to meet the requirements of the IB assessments and exams. Students engage in a number of activities that help them find the tools necessary to recognize literary elements and authors’ styles.  As they do this, they also find an appreciation of works from different ages and/or cultures, the similarities and differences between them, and develop sound, personal responses to what they read. In order to formulate these responses to literature, students will be asked to express themselves with clarity, coherence, precision and fluency, both in written and oral communication. 

Higher Level English A1 – Two-year sequence
The focus of this two-year course is on literary criticism and on building skills that enable students to meet the requirements of the IB assessments and exams. Students learn ways of approaching and studying literature that enable them to speak and write clearly, structuring ideas and supporting them with precise and relevant examples. Students likewise demonstrate their understanding of the structure, style, and techniques employed by authors in order to create desired effects on the reader. Finally, as students begin to recognize literary elements, they also find an appreciation of works from different ages and/or cultures, the similarities and differences between them, and develop sound, personal responses to what they read.

2007-2008 ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE COURSES

ESL I
ESL I introduces the student to basic elements of grammar, syntax and vocabulary.  Students learn verb tenses, idiomatic expressions, general vocabulary and reading skills. Spelling and listening skills are reinforced through dictation exercises.  The course requires oral presentations and emphasizes participation.
 
 
ESL II
Students will develop correct grammar and usage, such as eliminating sentence fragments, run-on sentences, comma splice errors, incorrect subject-verb agreement, or incorrect punctuation of complex sentences.  Students will be expected to learn how to write reviews and summaries, paraphrase, revise, and demonstrate a range of skills necessary for the development of effective expository prose.
 
ESL SUPPORT
ESL students who are enrolled in mainstream English, history, or anthropology courses may be required to attend this class.  Students will work on writing five paragraph essays, as well as skills that enhance their ability to read and comprehend content-based course work. They will also study idiomatic expressions, vocabulary, and grammar.