Language Arts
Each student is required to complete four units of English for graduation. Most English courses are categorized in one of two tracks. A general description of the two tracks follows:
Academic Track: Courses are integrated, literature-based courses that are designed to prepare students for post-secondary education whether it be at a four or two year institution, a technical school, or for vocational life and job skills.
Accelerated Track: Courses are designed for students who have a superior command of the basic language skills and who seek challenging experiences in the use of those skills.
ENGLISH I - English I is a survey course utilizing all language components for an integrated learning experience. Students will be introduced to the genres of literature representing poetry, drama, short story, nonfiction, and the novel. They will practice several types of process writing in a range of forms from a single paragraph to several developed paragraphs modeling the following: descriptive, narrative, and expository including process, comparison/contrast, and cause and effect. Students'experiences will be supplemented as necessary to help them become aware and encourage understanding of the diverse world in which they live. This will include audio, viewable, or written supplementation.
Required: 9th grade
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
ENGLISH IA – English IA is an integrated language arts course for accelerated track students. Students will be introduced to the genres of literature and English components using an assortment of drama, poetry, short and long works of fiction and nonfiction by established and contemporary authors from many different countries and time periods. Discussion topics and projects will address literary elements of literature. Many of these will serve as the basis for various types of writing including narrative, literary analysis, comparison/contrast, and persuasion. These assignments will also address such skills as supporting generalities, evaluating the qualities of writing, using logic, and writing and supporting thesis statements. Summer reading is required.
Required: 9th grade
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
ENGLISH II - English II is a continuation of the genre and English components introduced in English I, using an assortment of drama, poetry, short and long works of fiction and nonfiction by established and contemporary authors from many different countries and time periods. Discussion topics will address such elements as plot, characters, theme, symbolism, point of view, setting, tone, and imagery. Many of these topics serve as the basis for various types of writing including narrative, literary analysis, comparison/contrast, and persuasion. These assignments will also address such skills as supporting these statements.
Required: 10th grade
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
ENGLISH IIA – Students will use various works of American Literature to discuss how a nation's thoughts influence and are influenced by its literature. Reading will include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama to enhance reading, thinking, and communication skills and to help prepare students for college. Summer reading is required.
Required 10th grade
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
ENGLISH III - English III will study the elements of literature, including analysis of a complete work, comparison and contrast to another work, author style, and reader response using American literature as the reading base. Also, the course will include analysis of nonfiction work, employment of the writing process for varying lengths of persuasive, narrative, descriptive, expository, and critical pieces, and proper research techniques for producing a research project.
Required: 11th grade
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
ENGLISH IIIA - This course is an in-depth study of all periods of British Literature from Beowulf through the 20 th century. The class, designed for college-bound students, develops skills in critical thinking, researching, writing, speaking, and analyzing literature. Summer reading is required.
Required: 11th grade
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
ENGLISH IV – English IV is a survey of British literature from Beowulf through various historical periods including Medieval and Victorian Renaissance to the 20 th century. Writing assignments, based on literary analysis, will be integrated with the literature.
Required: 12th grade
Credit 1 unit
Length 1 year
ENGLISH IVA – English IVA gives seniors the opportunity to take college-level coursework and earn up to 6 semester hours of college credit through the Post Secondary Education Options Program at Lorain County Community College. The class combines the college's English 161 and 162 courses as well as additional studies in World and British literature. Course objectives include the practice of critical thinking, reading, and writing skills. Students' writing will be based on literature and will include the following types of essays: Analysis, Synthesis, Interpretation, Argumentation/Research.
Prerequisites: 3.0 gpa and a grade of B or higher in all English classes
Elective: 12th grade
Credit: 1 unit, possible college credit
Length: 1 year
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH - A full year, one credit course for seniors who are currently in the accelerated track and have completed their course work with a B average or above. Teacher recommendation and high personal motivation required. Students who qualify have the opportunity to earn college credit through the Postsecondary College Options Program at LCCC in college level literature and composition courses. College credit is a possibility after taking the Advanced Placement test in May. Materials used include a world literature anthology, poetry text, writing text, and several supplemental sources. Emphasis is on careful study of literature, its structure and intent. Works studied include Othello, Hamlet, The Great Gatsby, Turn of the Screw, Wuthering Heights, and more. Students will be required to purchase some supplemental materials. This course is for those students who possess a strong interest in literature and willingness to share insights in class discussion. Also, high level writing skills are necessary to complete the work of this course. The AP exam and summer reading are required . FEE REQUIRED
Prerequisites: 3.0 gpa, B average in all English A classes
Elective: 12th grade
Credit: 1 unit, possible college credit
Length: 1 year
JOURNALISM I - This is a full year course that offers the student an introduction to basic journalistic writing as well as an opportunity to work on the staff of the school newspaper. Students will be required to sell advertising for the school newspaper. Special units include word processing, desktop publishing, journalism law and ethics, and broadcast journalism. Course is only open to students who have been recommended by the English Department and screened by the Journalism instructor.
Elective: 10th , 11th & 12th grades with teacher recommendation and instructor approval
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
JOURNALISM II - Students in Journalism II are responsible for all phases of the production of the MHS yearbook. Each student participates in activities such as advertising and yearbook sales, layouts, copy writing, computer work, and photography.
Prerequisite: 3.0 gpa
Elective: 10th , 11th & 12th grades with teacher recommendation and instructor approval
Credit: 1 unit
Length: 1 year
BROADCASTING
This semester course will teach students the basics of creating a daily, live news program. Students will write and edit copy, operate cameras and other equipment such as video and audio mixers as well as work in front of the camera. Participants will be required to complete as least one feature story and two news show introductions (Students will also be required to occasionally attend extra curricular or after school activities for the purpose of gathering video footage to be used in the daily programming.)
Elective: 9th , 10th , 11th , & 12th grades with an English teacher's recommendation and instructor approval
Credit: ½ unit
Length: 1 semester
