3225 WILKENS AVENUE
BALTIMORE MARYLAND 21229
TEL: 410.644.1770

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Required

Students will review the foundations of English grammar and incorporate these concepts into their writing. Students will also read a variety of literature, including non-fiction, short fiction, poetry and drama to examine literary elements of plot, characterization, figurative language and theme. Students will independently study SAT prep vocabulary.

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Required

Students will review the foundations of English grammar and incorporate these concepts into their writing. Students will also read a variety of literature, including non-fiction, short fiction, poetry, drama and novels to examine literary elements of plot, characterization, figurative language and theme. Students will independently study SAT prep vocabulary.

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Required

This regular-section sophomore course is a survey and detailed examination of the four genres of literature: fiction in the form of the short story and novel; nonfiction in the form of the essay, autobiography and biography; poetry, narrative, lyric and dramatic; and drama. The primary text is Adventures in Appreciation, and considerable practice in written, oral and analytical skills is given.

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Required

This honors-section sophomore course also includes a survey and detailed examination of the four genres of literature: fiction in the form of the short story and novel; nonfiction in the form of the essay, autobiography and biography; poetry, narrative, lyric and dramatic; and drama. The primary text is Adventures in Appreciation, and considerable practice in written, oral and analytical skills is given. In addition, the honors course learns to discern the difference between literal and figurative language, the difference between connotative and denotative meanings and to recognize figures of speech in literature.

 

Semester/Full Year: Full Year

Required/Elective: Required

This course follows the progression of literature through American history. The students begin with early colonial writings and move through the timeline up to contemporary works. Genres covered include non-fiction, fiction, poetry and drama. The primary texts for this course are assigned novels with supplemental essays, poems and biographies. Students are assigned independent reading throughout the year that becomes the basis of their literary analysis paper. Students are given lengthy in-class instructions on proper citations, conducting research and developing topics before completing the assignment.

 

Semester/ Year course: Full Year

Required/ Elective: Required

This is the standard British Literature survey course based on the chronology of British Literature from Beowulf to the Modern Era with emphasis on Chaucer, Shakespeare, The Restoration and the Romantic Era. Selections cover Prose, Poetry, Drama and Journalistic writings. Papers of analysis and research are required each semester.

Semester/ Year: Full Year

Required/ Elective: Required

This course covers the same survey writings as British Literature #140 with a greater emphasis on the novel, particularly novels of the modern era, to include Orwell, Huxley, Graham Green and other contemporary novelists. Research and analysis writing assignments are required in greater numbers for this course. Enrollment is by permission of the instructor

Required/ Elective: Elective

This course prepares the student to take the nationally administered AP exam in May of the senior year. The foundation of the course is based on a detailed survey of British Literature. Analysis and identification of the principles and dimensions of literature are explored using the Norton Anthology, Perrine’s Literature –Structure, Sound, and Sense and A Handbook to Literature (Thrall, et. al.)   Writing assignments focus on analysis of a work, to include explication of the author’s purpose and style, and the critical opinion of the student regarding the work. Enrollment requires permission of the instructor.

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Elective

This course is a survey of the history of journalism as well as a workshop for producing The Cardinal, the school newspaper. Students learn about the issues confronting the medium in a constantly changing world. Newspapers – both daily and weekly – and the Internet, particularly the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Sharepoint Web site, are utilized on a regular basis. Publication of all aspects of The Cardinal, including news writing, sports writing, copy-editing, photography, design, illustration, proofreading and headline writing, will be done by members of the class. Students also produce essays and news stories for study in class. Speakers from both the local and national media are a regular part of the agenda.

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Elective

Yearbook students go out into the world with polished writing, analytical, communication and leadership skills. The yearbook course has been designed to provide students with the journalism skills and ability to apply those skills to the actual production of the yearbook. Units of study include teamwork, responsibility, brainstorming, content, coverage, concept, production, reporting, writing, headlines, captions, editing, photography, typographing, design, graphics, and finances. Actual work results in the current volume of the school’s yearbook. The publication strives to maintain a tradition of excellence in which the school and the community can take pride.  To gain specific insight into the journalism skills involved in producing the yearbook, the course will be taught using the Jostens 1,2,3 Yearbook Journalism Curriculum including the 1,2,3 Student Yearbook Guide textbook.

 

Semester/Full Year: Semester

Required/Elective: Elective

This class provides students with a creative outlet in a comfortable setting. The first quarter focuses on poetry with a combination of free writing and structured types of poetry. A few types of poetry covered are tankas, haikus, limericks and cinquains. The second quarter focuses on short stories. Students practice with short writing prompts and activities designed to prepare them for composing their own stories. Peer review and constructive criticism help the students complete a final version of their story.

Semester/Full Year: Semester

Required/Elective: Elective

This course covers two well-known Shakespeare plays. We will read and analyze each play then watch two versions of the movie. The first version will be the “traditional” version. These were produced to remain as close to the text as possible. Following that students will see the “updated” version of the play. After reviewing all three students will begin working on a project that highlights something of interest from their study. They will need to touch on the similarities and differences between the three while developing an argument of their own. The texts include Romeo and Juliet and The Taming of the Shrew.

Semester/Full Year: Full Year

Required/Elective: Elective

There are three primary components in the design of this course: 1. development of an understanding of the communications process, 2. development of interpersonal communications skills, and 3. development of public speaking skills. The course will include what it means to be an ethical speaker and consumer of messages, identification of the elements central to a logical and well-organized message, identification of various types of public speeches, presentation of several different public speeches and identification of the aspects of critical listening and their relationship to the speaking process.

Semester/Year Course: Full Year

Required/Elective: Elective

This course traces the history of Europe during the 19^th and 20^th centuries through representative literary works from France, Germany, and Russia, focusing on novels and plays. In addition to assigned readings, students will also read independently and write literary analyses during each quarter.