23-24 Thornton Academy Program of Studies ThorntonAcademy_POS 2023-24 FINAL | Page 27

Senior English
Senior English Foundations
Senior English Honors
Senior English for the Real World
AP Literature & Composition
English Composition
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SENIORS

While continuing their experience of literature , all seniors will be working on their upcoming transition to life after high school . Seniors will be taught skills necessary for various next steps , and encouraged to develop the habits of mind that lead to lifelong resilience and learning . All senior English classes receive direct grammar instruction through an online program .

Senior English

1 Credit Prerequisite : Teacher recommendation
This college preparatory course will use 20th- and 21stcentury fiction and nonfiction texts to help students examine the connection between culture and personal identity , and to identify their own core values going forth from high school . Special attention will be paid to close reading of diverse texts , analysis , and honing writing skills across genres . Texts will include both fiction and nonfiction , such as Fahrenheit 451 , The Stranger in the Woods , Educated , and The Life We Bury . The year will culminate with a multi-genre project that requires students to examine a topic through the production of a variety of genres that are informative , literary or creative , and functional .

Senior English Foundations

1 Credit Prerequisite : Teacher recommendation
This course is designed for those students who plan to enter the workforce , military , or vocational training directly after graduation . Students will continue to develop their reading , writing and oral communication skills and will explore the impact of non-fiction and fiction to their daily lives and views . They will read The Poacher ’ s Son and The Stranger in the Woods , many non-fiction pieces , and keep a blog about their reaction to this work that will include a series of 5 paragraph essays and many informal journals . Emphasis in the spring will be on work-related learning and skills enhancement .

Senior English Honors

1 Credit
Prerequisite : Junior English Honors or AP Language & Composition , or teacher recommendation
This accelerated and demanding course will further develop the skills of reading , writing , and discussing literature in preparation for life after high school . Students will read from a selection of whole-class texts , as well as completing their own independent reading . Additionally , they will participate in structured , student-centered discussions to further their communication and analysis skills . Daily informal writing will enforce skills and build confidence . Larger written components will include research papers and autobiographical writing ; as well as persuasive , informative , and narrative works . Past wholeclass texts have included Educated , Hamlet , Interpreter of Maladies , The Stranger in the Woods , and Slaughter-House Five .

Senior English for the Real World

1 Credit Prerequisite : Teacher recommendation
This course is designed for those students who plan to enter the workforce , military , vocational , or community college directly after graduation . Students will read a combination of fiction and non-fiction as well as develop the writing and critical thinking skills necessary for the adult world . Students ’ individual post graduation plans will be explored in order to find , cultivate , and refine their goals . Major topics include personal identity , lifestyle and careers , societal issues , and research .

AP Literature & Composition

1 Credit
Prerequisite : Honors Junior English or AP Language & Composition , or teacher recommendation
This college-level course offers students who have shown exceptional ability and keen interest in English an opportunity for intensive reading , writing , and discussion . Course readings will span time ( from Chaucer and Shakespeare through contemporary authors ) as well as genre ( short fiction , novels , poetry , and drama ). Students will hone the analytic and rhetorical tools necessary for sophisticated and original literary analysis through class activities such as seminar discussions , collaborative projects , writing conferences , and peer review workshops . The course also includes structured exam practice and it is expected that all students will sit for the AP exam in May .

English Composition

1 Credit Prerequisite : Teacher recommendation
Eligible students will receive credit in English at Southern Maine Community College ( SMCC ). English Composition is an introduction to college writing across the curriculum . This class will introduce and help students to hone their writing using standard rhetorical modes . Emphasis will be placed on writing as a process , including creating first drafts then revising , rewriting , and proofreading them for accuracy , clarity , and succinctness of written expression . The course will also explore the distinctions between spoken and written , formal and informal uses of language . The course also examines the role of research and the task of producing a formal research paper that follows MLA style and documentation practices .

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