English
English courses offered at Mohonasen
The English program at Mohonasen Central School
District is designed to help students reach a level of competency in
the New York State Learning Standards for English/Language Arts.
This includes students being able to read, write, listen, and speak
for: information and understanding; literacy response and
expression; critical analysis and evaluation; and social
interaction. Development of the use of the writing process and a
variety of both classic
and contemporary literature will be the primary vehicles for meeting
and exceeding these standards.
Graduation Requirements
All students are required to pass four years of English to graduate. This can be accomplished through the following sequence:
Grade 9: English 9A or English 9 Honors
Grade 10: English 10A or English 10 Honors
Grade 11: English 11A or English 11 Honors
Grade 12: AP English or 2 English Electives
All students will take the English Regents Exam in June of their eleventh grade year.
Summer Reading Assignments
All students entering grades 9–12, including those who take AP English are required to complete a summer reading assignment. Details about the reading assignment are generally sent home in June and are posted on this website.
Honors and Advanced Placement Courses
The honors and AP curriculum is designed for students who love to read and write. Courses are organized like Regents English classes but are aimed at greater proficiency of skills, a wider range of reading, and a greater depth of understanding. Extra summer reading and independent thinking and working are required. Strong reading and writing skills are necessary for success.
Entry into the program is through recommendation and application. Students need to reapply to the program each year, regardless of whether they were enrolled in Regents or honors courses the previous year.
Academic Intervention Services (AIS)
AIS courses are designed to help students reach the learning standards in English Language Arts. These intensive courses focus on the development of reading, writing, and communication skills. Students also will be provided additional support by certified English teachers while completing and revising assignments for their English classes.
The emphasis in this course is on language
skills: grammar, vocabulary, usage, mechanics, basic composition,
reading skills, and basic literacy forms are studied. Students will
write for a variety of audiences and purposes and they will learn
how to write literary essays, reviews, summaries, and descriptions.
They will review techniques for the research process and produce a
multiple–source paper. There will be practice in formal and informal
speech. Literature is taught by genre: novel, short story, poetry,
and drama. Students will read selections from classic mythology,
To Kill a Mockingbird, and
Romeo and Juliet, among
other texts.
Credit: 1
Grade: 9
Prerequisite: None
Final: Exam
The purpose of this course is to offer students an opportunity for
enriched studies. Students will complete a number of individual
projects and prepare presentations in addition to the work of the
core curriculum. Composition is at an advanced level and independent
research is required. Emphasis is on excellence of thought and
expression. The course is designed to build knowledge, enhance
comprehension skills, develop abstract thought processes, and hone
critical-thinking skills. A special focus is placed on classical
Greek literature.
Credit: 1 Grade: 9
Prerequisite: None
Final: Exam
English 10 builds upon and extends the work
of the previous year. Grammar emphasizes sentence structure and word
order, complex sentences and phrases, and clause modifiers. Students
review Regents tasks 1 and 3 and learn how to write tasks 2 and 4.
They also practice more advanced research
skills for multiple-source papers. Literature units introduce
comparison and contrast of genres and subjects. These include
The Tempest,
Of Mice and Men,
Animal Farm, as well as
poetry and short stories. Emphasis is placed on analysis,
interpretation, and concept development.
Credit: 1
Grades: 10
Prerequisite:
English 9 or
English 9H
Final: Exam
In addition to the English 10 Regents course
work, students will be required to do extensive independent reading
and writing.
Credit: 1
Grades: 10
Prerequisite:
English 9 or
English 9H
Final: Exam
The focus is on American literature, which is
presented both thematically and chronologically. Students have the
opportunity to experience the literature as well as the cultural and
historical influences upon major novelists, poets, dramatists, and
non–fiction writers. Language studies include regular vocabulary,
grammar and usage, mastery of the comparison–contrast essay,
resumes, and letter of application. Literary essays and a
multiple–source research paper are required. Students are given
intensive practice in listening intelligently and writing and
speaking clearly, thoughtfully, and correctly. Required texts
include Macbeth,
The Crucible,
Scarlet Letter, and
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
Credit: 1
Grades: 11
Prerequisite:
English 10 or
English 10 H
Final: Exam/Writing Project
*Students will take Regents Exam in June.
Besides the core curriculum of English 11A,
students will do an in–depth study and exposition. Increased mastery
of English syntax, style, and vocabulary will be emphasized. Class
activities include various critical approaches to the exploration of
literature, including technique and structure. Students also will
participate in reader–response writing and discussion.
Credit: 1
Grades: 11
Prerequisite:
English 10 or
English 10 H
Final: Multi–Genre Writing Portfolio Project
*Students will take Regents Exam in June.
AP English Literature and Composition
This rigorous and demanding course is
designed for serious students of literature who are planning to
enter college. AP English engages students in the
careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature.
Through close reading of selected literary works, students deepen
their understanding and enhance their pleasure in literature. To
achieve these goals, students study individual works, their
characters, action, structure, and language. Students are exposed to
both large–scale literary elements, such as form and theme, and
smaller scale elements, such as figurative language, imagery,
symbolism, and tone. A high level of verbal competence and skill in
writing is required, as well as the ability of sustained independent
inquiry.
Credit: 1
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Research Paper
*AP Exam is given in May.
English 123: College Composition
College composition is an intensive study in
the method, forms and style of composition, and in detailed analysis
of the writing process. Students will acquire a foundation in the
writing process by developing effective communication skills with an
emphasis on expository writing, particularly the essay. Students
will write a minimum of 24 evaluated pieces, including a documented
piece of writing. They also will deliver an oral presentation.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisites:
English 11 or
English 11H and at least a 75 on the English
Regents Exam
Final: Research Paper/Oral Presentation
College Credit: 3 UHS credits through SCCC
English 124: Introduction to Literature
This course introduces students to the
interpretation of literature and the examination of literary genres,
devices, and critical theory. Students read and discuss short
fiction, drama, and poetry. Organizational pattern and composition
techniques studied in English 123 are strengthened and refined by
applying them to writing essays about assigned readings.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisites:
English 123: College Composition
Final: Research Paper/Exam/Oral Presentation
College Credit: 3 UHS credits through SCCC
Introduction to Philosophy: SCCC
This is a college–level survey course in the
history of western philosophy incorporating a cross–disciplinary
English–social studies approach. It employs a chronological look at
the lives, ideas, and cultural–historical backgrounds of the major
philosophers that have impacted western history and thought.
Students explore the central questions that have preoccupied
philosophers and laymen alike. Students are required to think
critically and process difficult and abstract material. Text used:
Philosophy: History and Problems
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H and at least a 75 on the
English Regents Exam and in the course OR
US History or
AP US
History and at least a 75 on the US History Regents and in the
course as well as permission from the instructor.
Final: Paper/Exam
College Credit: 3 UHS credits through SCCC
Language and the Arts: Film as Literature
This course will examine classic and
contemporary cinema as a modern “literary” form. Through an
exploration of a variety of films, students will develop a better
understanding of the art form and its place in the contemporary
world. Students will be expected to complete occasional reading
assignments in conjunction with the study of various films.
Assessments will include a variety of writing assignments including
critical and analytical essays, movie reviews, creative writing,
personal response, screenplay excerpts, etc. Consistent attendance
is critical for success in the course as most films will be viewed
in class. Absences will require the completion of separate,
substitute assignments. Class participation and active, alert
viewing participation will amount to 20 percent of the final grade.
Film lists will vary from semester to semester. Parental permission
is required as some of the films will be rated R. Possible R–rated
titles will include, but are not limited to,
The Graduate (1967),
Do the Right Thing (1989),
and Crash (1984).
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Exam
Mass Media
This course studies techniques for gathering,
evaluating, and utilizing information sources. Through collaborative
and independent projects, students will become more critical
consumers of information technology. The focus is on newspapers,
books, magazines, radio, recording, advertising, public relations,
television, and literature. The central question asked is: How do
written, spoken, and visual communications influence us? A computer
program is provided to support the text. Students are required to
write an autobiographical essay, conduct research, keep a reading
journal, and analyze and respond to gathered information.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Exam
Media Focus I
This course guides students to become active
viewers and producers of media. They learn to understand the
language of film, to analyze commercials and political ads, and to
interpret the visual messages and techniques used in TV news
programs. After being given lessons and demonstrations with all
necessary equipment, the students will produce their own assignment
using individual ingenuity and creativity.
Credit: .5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Project/Exam
Media Focus II
This course introduces students to the
components of film from the use of setting to tell a story to the
elements of script writing. Students are taught to analyze films
based on camera techniques, structure and format, and genre.
Students will write a 2-3 page film review for every film viewed in
class, paying attention to the specific details that were discussed
in class. While learning about basic film techniques students also
will learn about the component to writing a movie script culminating
in the creation of their own script idea and the first 25 pages of
their script. Each student is responsible for writing the first 25
pages of a film they would like to create.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: 25 Page Script
Theater I
Primarily directed toward performance, this
course is intended for the student who is interested in theater as a
unique craft. The curriculum includes training in special skills
related to theater performance and production. Students study the
means of creating and producing drama as they engage in individual
and group theatrical and theater–related tasks. The course covers
stage language, voice and diction, stage movement, character,
analysis, and the fundamentals of play production.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Paper/Performance
Theater II
This course continues skill development for
theater, but delves more deeply into aspects of play production,
such as setting, lighting, costuming, and makeup. Students are
encouraged to take Theater I, but it is not a prerequisite.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Paper/Performance
Public Speaking
This course provides students an opportunity
to develop an informed, proactive voice as citizens through the
medium of speech. The class examines how speakers use language to
affect audiences. Students explore and present speeches for a wide
range of purposes and audiences. Oral presentations include speeches
which entertain, inform, and persuade. Impromptu speeches and
critical listening are required. The question addressed will be: How
do individuals use oral language to affect audiences? Students are
required to do peer and self-evaluations. Students who are
intimidated by public speaking are encouraged to take this course to
improve their confidence.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Project/Speech
World Mythology
This course examines and compares the
mythologies of Greece and Rome, the Middle East, Northern Europe,
the British Isles, the Far East, Africa, and the
Americas. Thematic units include creation myths, fertility myths,
and hero myths. Students will analyze and compare common themes in
mythology, such as man’s definition of his universe and his role in
it; how man can balance the needs and desires of the self with his
responsibilities to family and community;
how much control man has over life; what man must do to survive in
his world; how to live a satisfying life; and how to face the
inevitability of death. Students will examine the role that
mythology played in shaping culture, its role in religion, and its
evolution into literary genre.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Paper/Presentation
Introduction to Philosophy
A survey course in the history of western
philosophy incorporating a cross-disciplinary English-Social Studies
approach. It employs a chronological look at the lives, ideas and
cultural-historical backgrounds of the major philosophers that have
impacted western history and thought. Students explore the central
questions that have preoccupied philosophers and laymen alike.
Students are required to think critically and form their own
conclusions and “personal philosophies,” which they will articulate
and defend. Sophie’s World,
a novel by Jostein Gaarder, is used as the basic text. In this work,
an inquisitive high school girl receives an anonymous and mysterious
“course” in philosophy, which profoundly effects her life. This text
will be supplemented with handouts and relative selections and
samples of other texts. Assessments are frequent DYRT quizzes, HW
completion, journal writing, quizzes and some formal tests. While
not an “easy” course, the grading is heavily based on completion of
specific reading and HW assignments.
Credit: 0.5
Grades: 12
Prerequisite:
English 11 or
English 11H
Final: Paper/Exam
