English

Year One

English 9 – 1 credit

This course exposes students to various forms of literature from all parts of the world and deals with the universal problems of human nature. Elements of a balanced literacy approach will be utilized to guide students to master various forms of communication. Goals of the course include development of an independent reading habit and strengthening of sentence and writing skills. Culminating activities include preparation of a documented interdisciplinary English/social studies research paper.

English 9 H (5% weight) – 1 credit

This first high school honors level course lays the foundation for Regents mastery, preparation for taking AP courses, and other forms of advanced study. The curriculum emphasizes textual analysis in relationship to a variety of reading, writing, speaking and listening experiences, including a complete research paper.

English 9 Enrichment – 1 credit

This year long course is offered to selected students concurrently with English 9R.  The course will emphasize nonfiction and fiction alike.  There will be a focus on improving reading and writing skills across the curriculum.  The course will foster independent reading, develop persuasive writing skills, introduce the PSAT exam, and reinforce content area vocabulary.

Year Two

English 10 – 1 credit

This course concentrates on providing the foundation for a sequential program of English Language Arts through the high school years.  Particular emphasis is placed on development of composition skills and on pursuit of a genre approach to the study of literature.

English 10 H (5% weight) – 1 credit

This course challenges students to develop the knowledge and competencies associated with superior academic success by engaging them in reading, writing, speaking, and listening experiences that enable them to apply and expand interpretation skills as they analyze and synthesize information and ideas to meet and exceed ELA Regents standards.

English 10 Enrichment – 1 elective credit

This year long course is offered to recommended students concurrently with English 10R.  The course will emphasize communication skills, academic vocabulary career exploration, close reading of a variety of texts, and writing improvement in all genres, including the writing required on the Regents, SAT and ACT examinations.   

Year Three

English 11 R – 1 credit

This course continues a sequential approach to the development of reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills and includes a survey of American literature, as well as an in depth study of Macbeth.  During this course students will take the Comprehensive English Regents Examination.

English 11 R H (5% weight) – 1 credit

Literary criticism, careful analysis of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a broad selection of American fictional and nonfictional writings, and application of critical thinking strategies to all four ELA skills form the basis of this course that culminates in the English Language Arts Regents.  Emphasis is placed on college level proficiency.  Students are expected to achieve Mastery Level on the Regents Exam.

Advanced Placement English – Language and Composition (10% weight) – 1 credit

This full year composition and rhetoric course integrates the best of classic and modern literature, philosophy, and literary criticism and prepares students for the AP examination in Language and Composition, which students are require to take.  Students may earn up to six college credits as well as placement in an Advanced English course in college.  Students are expected to achieve mastery level on the English Regents Exam.  Prerequisite:  Teacher recommendation, class average of 90, and a minimum score of 3 on a placement test.

English 11 Enrichment – ½ elective credit

This one-semester course is offered for recommended students concurrently enrolled in English 11R.  The curriculum reinforces the skills and knowledge taught in English 11R and emphasizes in-depth instruction in the improvement of reading and writing skills across the curriculum.

College Reading and Writing Readiness – ½ credit

This one-semester course reinforces the skills needed to be successful readers and writers across the curriculum.  Special skills needed to perform successfully on standardized tests and writing effectively through the study and analysis of nonfiction and fiction texts will be major components.  The course is open to juniors and seniors.  

Year Four

English 12 – ½ credit

This course provides an overview of British and world literature, offers further development of writing skills and provides a research paper experience.    

English 12 H (5% weight) – ½ credit

This intensive one-semester course exposes students to masterpieces of British and world literature and requires that they apply the superior proficiency they have worked toward in literary criticism, writing skills, and information gathering to a college-level research paper.

English 12 - Project Advance (10% weight) – 1 credit

This full year course, which fulfills the senior English requirement, is designed to teach seniors how to write logical organized college-level essays and how to "read‖ cultural literature from a semiotic point of view.  This course affords the opportunity to earn six freshman English credits from Syracuse University. Prerequisite:  85 or better on English Regents Exam and recommendation from the English teacher.

Speech – ½ credit

This course, which fulfills the twelfth grade speech requirement, provides students with a variety of public speaking experiences.  They develop their speaking and listening skills by learning and applying techniques of planning, delivering and evaluating oral presentations.  Open to 12th Graders only.

College Speech (10% weight) – 1½ credit

This course is designed for the Honors level 12th grade student.  The course consists of a series of sophisticated communication exercises which will fulfill or surpass those which are included in a similar course taken in college.  At Ramapo High School, where the student must be recommended by the 11th grade English teacher, three credits are available from Syracuse University Project Advance.

Advanced Placement English – Literature and Composition (10% weight) – 1 credit

This course integrates the best of classic and modern literature, philosophy and literary criticism and prepares students for the English AP Exam in Literature and Composition, which students are required to take.  Students may earn up to six college credits as well as placement in an Advanced English course in college.  Prerequisite:  Teacher recommendation, completion of a summer reading assignment, and an 85 or better on English Regents Exam.

English Electives

Creative Writing 1 – ½ credit

This course is designed to instruct students in creative and imaginative writing.  The course demands interest in writing on the part of the student and should be taken after conferring with the present English teacher and the department chairperson.

Creative Writing 2 – ½ credit

This course is designed to afford students with opportunities to put into practice, refine and further develop the varied skills developed in Creative Writing 1.  Prerequisite:  Creative Writing 1

Drama 1 – ½ credit

This course is designed to provide an appreciation of all aspects of the theatre including the problems associated with dramatic production.  The history of the theatre as well as other aspects of the discipline will be studied.

Drama 2 – ½ credit

This course is designed as an improvisational theatre workshop.  Concentration includes in-depth character study as well as the study of acting techniques.  An introduction to readers’ theatre is included in this. Prerequisite:  Dramatics 1

Journalism – ½ credit

This course is designed to study the newspaper in all its varied aspects, as well as provide students with an opportunity to develop skills in the many facets of newspaper production.  Often there is a connection with the school newspaper but it is not a requirement for enrollment in the course.

Media Communication 1 – ½ credit

This is a theory and hands-on production course covering media study and television.  Students will study current professional programs to create their own shows in the studio and on television.

Media Communication 2 – ½ credit

Students will create television productions as they learn camera, control room, lighting, audio, and editing techniques. They will have an opportunity to help produce the East Ramapo Video Magazine. Prerequisite:  Media Communication 1  

Television and Radio Production – ½ credit

This hands-on course covers all aspects of radio and TV station operations, including history, management, script writing, commercial and advertising techniques, news casting, interviewing, and technical support such as camera work and lighting.  Those interested in television programming will create their own news show.  For the radio portion, students at Ramapo High School will take responsibility for broadcasting a radio show throughout the school each morning from a fully operational radio studio that they manage.  

Writing for the Real World – ½ credit

In this course, students will gain experience in the kinds of writing that will make them successful in college.  One half of the course deals with expository writing (writing to describe, persuade, explain, compare/contrast, classify, etc.)  In the other half, students will experience, in step-by-step process, how to write an effect research paper.  

English SAT Preparation – ½ credit

This course, offered jointly by the English and Mathematics departments, utilizes a variety of approaches, including a computer-assisted program, to improve problem solving, study and PSAT and SAT skills.  

Law and Literature – ½ credit

This one-semester course is offered to all students.  Through an exploration of law in literature and literature in law, students develop reading, writing and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in life and higher education, as well as an understanding of the intellectual foundations of our legal system.  Students will read and write about fiction and non-fiction with legal themes and connected to the broad field of law.  

Rapping Poetic – ½ credit

Through this course, students create original lyrical pieces in the form of poems, raps, and/or songs, using traditional and contemporary writers as models.  Self-expression is promoted within the context of acceptable language.  All topics are student-generated and instrumental music is often played to inspire creativity.  The course culminates in a guest-invited performance of student work.   Prerequisite:  English 9