English

The purpose of Trinity’s English Department is to build lifelong readers and writers with a strong foundation in reading, writing, research and communication. Starting in the 9th grade, Trinity’s Reading and Writing Workshop is a differentiated reading- and writing-intensive course geared to prepare our students for a variety of dynamic courses ahead. Standard college prep, Honors, AP, and IB level courses all serve our students’ many abilities. English electives include Public Speaking and Communication, Contemporary Lit, Rock and Roll Lit, and Creative Writing.

In a typical day in English, our students can be found engaged in a wide variety of creative and challenging activities: Writing stage directions for group performances of Romeo and Juliet, considering the role of the translator in world literature, adding a new chapter to The Catcher in the Rye, writing and publishing letters to the editor, analyzing connections between The Odyssey and contemporary art, writing a personal vignette like those in The House on Mango Street, or analyzing persuasive appeals in the protest songs of Marvin Gaye and Nina Simone.

Trinity’s teachers bring fresh perspectives to the classroom and prepare students to engage with each other and the world around them. Students are encouraged to question, argue, think, and write critically about themes and issues in both nonfiction and fiction. Our unique approach to English leads students to new ways of understanding the human condition and establishes an appreciation for the power of written and oral communication.

Graduation Requirement: 4 years of English courses are required for graduation

CURRENT COURSES OFFERED (2023-24)

English 8

Grade 8

1 credit

English 8 is a course designed to welcome and engage students with a variety of literature, including fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. Students will engage in the writing process with daily journals and writing workshops throughout the year, aimed at developing clear and coherent writing skills for audiences ranging from personal and professional emails to argumentative essays. Students will learn active listening strategies, strong note-taking skills, and close reading annotative skills. Students will engage in small and large group discussions and will practice applying information, advancing from basic recalling and reporting to collecting evidence to support a claim.

Units of Study

Journaling - Drafting and Editing Process

Mythology - Annotating and Recognizing Thematic Elements

Grammar / Sentence Structure Emails - Personal and Professional Communication

Screenplay - Presentation and Communication

Novel - Close Reading and Annotating

Short Stories - Literary Elements

Creative Writing / FPS - Critical Thinking Skills
Reading and Writing Workshop 9

Grade 9

1 credit

English Reading and Writing Workshop 9 prepares freshmen for all of Trinity’s English opportunities. Starting with close reading, annotation, and recognizing literary techniques, students begin to understand the writer’s craft and practice those professional writing moves on their own. Using a workshop approach, students engage in daily notebook writing practice aimed at learning the drafting and editing process, which leads to polished pieces like critical reviews, letters to the editor, memoirs, and writing for an online audience. Workshops allow students to learn how to give and receive constructive criticism on their peers’ writing as well as their own. Throughout both semesters, students will explore their interests by reading independently from a selection of fiction and nonfiction books.

In the second semester, students are ready for higher-level literary analysis, research, and beginning rhetoric. The year of Reading and Writing Workshop 9 provides a level of confidence and independence in reading and writing that ensures each student's success in all levels of the Trinity English program.

Units of Study

Nonfiction Narrative - Voice and Revision

Poetry - Annotation and Poetic Techniques

Argument and Persuasion - Research and Communication

Epic Poem - Introduction to Analysis

Short Stories - Close Reading and Literary Elements

Novel - Close Reading and Analytical Writing

Drama - Close Reading and Public Speaking through Performance

Multigenre Writing - Research and Creative Writing
English 10

Grade 10

1 credit

Prerequisite: Reading and Writing Workshop 9

English 10 seeks to enhance students' skills in reading literature critically, writing analytically and creatively, and incorporating research into analysis. Students read selectively from American authors and respond in a variety of ways to poems, short stories, drama, essays, and novels. With close reading, students learn to cast a critical eye on various selections from the American literary canon. Through a close reading of these texts, students will explore what it means to be an American.

Units of Study

Theater Through a Historical Lens - Literary Devices and Terms

Contemporary Nonfiction and American Philosophy - Multimedia Presentations

American Modernism - Literary Analysis

Multiculturalism and Identity - Comparative Multigenre Study

Social Realism - Incorporating Research into Analysis
English 10 Honors

Grade 10

1 Credit

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or higher in Reading and Writing Workshop 9 and teacher recommendation

English 10 Honors seeks to enhance students' existing skills in critical reading and writing. Students will develop their writing skills, responding to a variety of literature including poems, short stories, drama, essays, and novels. Through quick writes, dialectical journals, quotation responses, and analytic essays, students will produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, voice, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. Additionally, students will complete an extended research project in conjunction with the librarian. The goal of the project is to develop research skills that will serve them for the remainder of their education. Students who enter 10 Honors are expected to be strong readers and abstract thinkers.

Units of Study

Contemporary Fiction- Relationships and Communication

Poetry- Voice and Presentation

Drama- Critical Reading and Annotation

Short Stories- Literary and Linguistic Style

Novel- Incorporating Research into Analysis
English 11

Grade 11

1 Credit

Prerequisite: English 10

Through our study of a variety of world literature, both contemporary and canonical, English 11 will hone students’ skills in critical reading, analytical writing, and oral communication. With an emphasis on literary analysis, students will practice close-reading strategies, build oral communication skills through formal presentations and informal literary discussions, take a systematic approach to conduct meaningful research, and write with clarity and precision in support of an original claim. Students will leave English 11 with a greater understanding of the complex relationships between literature and the human condition.

Units of Study

Nonfiction Analysis-Memoir

Poetry Analysis

Writing Process - Short Drama

Fiction Analysis - Novel

Drama Analysis

Oral Communication - Novella

Comparative Literature - Short Stories
English 11 Honors

Grade 11

1 credit

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or higher in English 10 Honors, or grade of A or higher in English 10, and teacher recommendation

English 11 Honors continues to challenge students' critical reading and writing skills. It is a rigorous writing-based course designed to build the student's ability to create expository, argument, analysis, and narrative writing. Through both independent reading and full-class novels, the students will interpret and analyze a variety of world literature — both contemporary and foundational. The class emphasizes oral communication through class discussions and presentations.

Units of Study

Short Stories

Fictional Narrative

Poetry

Research & Presentations

Drama & Screenplays

Memoir

Introduction to Rhetorical Analysis
English 12

Grade 12

1 Credit

Prerequisite: English 11 or English 11 Honors

English 12 focuses on the process of critical reading and acquiring an appreciation for the author’s purpose, craft, and meaning. Students will learn how to articulate their interpretations verbally and in writing. Students in this class also complete a senior project.

This course is designed with one foot in the relative safety of high school, while the other foot navigates the more rigorous terrain of college academics. The class will serve as a capstone to a Trinity career, calling upon the reading and writing skills these students have acquired over the last few years. Students will build on these skills while working independently on a senior project, collaborating on group projects, and developing a final presentation to be delivered in front of an audience.

Units of Study

Introduction to Theater: Communication and Language

Shakespeare on the Stage and Page

Digital Writing and Design

Media Analysis

Crafting a Narrative

Interpreting Research: Independent Strategies

Defining Process

Building an Argument for Presentation and Print

The Senior Presentation
IB English A: Literature - Grade 11

Grade 11

1 Credit

Prerequisites: Grade of B+ or higher in English 10 Honors, or grade of A or higher in English 10, and teacher recommendation

Additional Fee: IB examination fees will be incurred in the second year of the course.

IB English A: Literature is the first part of the two-year IB English A: Literature HL course. Students will study a range of texts from different periods, styles, and genres while developing the ability to engage in close, detailed analysis of individual texts. Students learn to read and write analytically through Socratic classroom discussion and written models focusing on formal, expository projects. The class is a requirement for students pursuing the IB diploma but is open to advanced English students who are curious readers and developing critical writers.

Units of Study

Reading Analytically – New Criticism and Post-colonialism

Writing Analytically - Body Paragraphs/Full Papers

Non-fiction Read / Write - Comparison Body Paragraphs & Practice HL Essay 1

Read / Write Contemporary Fiction - Practice HL Essay 2

IB Syllabus HL Essay Authors - Read/Write/Close Study

Works in Translation – Group Presentations

Works in Translation – Close Study/Read/Write
IB English A: Literature HL - Grade 12
- Grade 12
  
  1 Credit
  
  Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation based on the expectation of B or higher in IB English A: Literature
  
  Additional Fee: Students in this course are expected to take the IB exam. A fee applies to all students taking this exam.
  
  This course is the second year of the two-year IB English A: Literature HL course. This course explores the human condition and the craft of the writer through a detailed study of a variety of literary genres. The course prepares students for the IB Language A: Literature HL Individual Oral and spring written examinations.
  
  As we study how writers explore the world and humanity, we learn more about others and ourselves. In the first semester, which focuses on Time and Space and Intertextuality (two of the program's three Areas of Exploration), students will take a deep dive into the work of several writers and genres, including works in translation. Throughout these studies, students will research the historical and cultural context of each work, perform close readings of brief passages, analyze the effects of the writers’ choices, and develop oral and written commentaries that combine close reading, contextual understanding, and knowledge of literary devices to share students’ interpretations of the works or pieces of the works. Though each semester will provide opportunities for students to practice and improve their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through a variety of formative and summative assessments, the first semester will focus primarily on delivering well-composed impromptu remarks. In the second semester of the course, which focuses on Intertextuality and Readers, Writers and Texts (the third Area of Exploration), students will study the work of dramatists, prose writers, and poets and practice writing comparative analyses. Students will learn through a mixture of close reading and annotation, class discussion, informal writing, performance-based approaches to analyses, and mentor text study. Success in the course depends on students’ willingness to collaborate, engage deeply in the reading, and devote time and consideration to their writing. Students must be open-minded, curious, respectful of all classmates, and able to work independently.
  
  Units of Study
  
  Analyzing Rhetoric and Investigating the Impact of Historical and Cultural Context
  
  Analyzing Fiction/Drama and the Craft of the Writer
  
  Analyzing and Interpreting Poetry
  
  Preparing for the Individual Oral (IO)
  
  Intertextuality: Past and Present- Comparing Classic and Contemporary Works
  
  Preparing for Paper 1 and Paper 2 Exams
AP Language and Composition

Grade 12

1 credit

Prerequisites: English 11 Honors or grade of A- in English 11 and teacher recommendation

Additional Fee: Students in this course are expected to take the AP exam. A fee applies to all students taking this exam.

AP Language and Composition is a reading and writing-intensive course that focuses on the art of rhetoric. Students will learn to write logically and persuasively for a variety of purposes, read and analyze a broad and challenging range of nonfiction texts, and deepen their awareness of the writer’s purpose and how language works. Major projects include researching world leaders and their famous speeches, analyzing the patterns of individual writers’ various works, reading current opinion pieces, and crafting logical responses to them. Students should be skilled at critical reading and writing, as the course requires daily close reading and responses. The course is an excellent introduction to required college composition courses for college freshmen. All students are expected to complete a senior project in the first semester and take the AP Language and Composition exam in the spring.

Units of Study

The Rhetorical Situation

Rhetorical Analysis

Argument and Synthesis

The Senior Project

Current Non-Fiction

AP Test Review
Elective Beginning Communication - Grades 8-12

Grades 8-12

0.5 Credit

In this course, students will practice the art and craft of foundational communication. Each day, students will participate in individual and group games and exercises that will build up their stage presence and confidence as speakers in both academic and real-world settings. For academic settings, students will learn basic presentation skills, including slideshow design and presentation technology. Students will practice group discussion and debate, using conversation skills to advance academic arguments. Students will also study professionals at work as they practice interviewing skills and create an “elevator speech” for a business setting. Additionally, students will practice social speeches, including toasts and introductions. This is a hands-on, highly participatory class where students can expect to give and receive constant feedback. Throughout the course, students will reflect on their growth as speakers and listeners.

Units of Study

Speaking Confidence

Conversation Skills

Stage Presence

Basic Presentation

Interviewing and Business Etiquette

Social Speech
Elective: Creative Writing

Grades 8-12
0.5 credit

Creative Writing offers an introduction to fiction writing in a collaborative, relaxed atmosphere. Short stories are read and discussed that model basic elements such as description, dialogue, action, and plot. Students learn and grow as writers both by writing but also through the elements of peer review, workshop, and revision. Individual pieces are revised and changed and then re-submitted in a final portfolio at the end of each quarter. This semester elective can be taken more than once for credit with the instructor’s permission.

Units of Study

Description

Dialogue

Plot

Revision

Story Arcs and Planning
Elective: Communication and Public Speaking

Grades 10-12

0.5 credit

Prerequisite: Teacher permission

In this course, students will begin with an introduction to communication that helps to build confidence in basic communication, storytelling, and presentation skills. From there, students will create more complex speeches and presentations. As students become familiar with the rhetorical relationship between speaker, text, audience, and context, they will become skilled at tailoring their speeches to different kinds of audiences and situations. Types of speeches will include an Informative Speech, a Demonstration Speech, a Persuasive Speech, a Celebratory Speech, and a Business Proposal. As they write, organize, and practice their speeches, students will receive constant individual and peer feedback. Throughout the course, students will reflect on their growth as speakers and listeners.

Units of Study

Beginning Communication

Introduction Speech

Pet Peeve Speech

Effective Presentations

Demonstration Speech

Sales Pitch

Motivational Speech

Graduation Speech
Contemporary Literature & Composition - Grades 9-12

Grades 9-12

1 credit

This course will expand on students’ skills in the major areas of communication: reading, writing, researching, speaking, and critical thinking. Students will practice and apply these skills as they continue to improve their abilities as creative, independent, and critical thinkers. Students will demonstrate their progress and mastery of skills through a variety of writing pieces and project-based assessments. The units will be taught thematically with overarching guiding essential questions that require students to synthesize their reading, research, and writing in order to fully answer. All reading pieces will be contemporary with an emphasis on 21st Century literature and media. Students will hone their research skills to demonstrate that they are responsible and critical consumers of digital information while continually practicing their presentation skills to become engaging and effective communicators.

Units of Study

Home & Family

Identity & Culture

Love & Relationships

Conformity & Rebellion

Heroes & Villains

Art & The Artist
Elective: Rock & Roll Lit

Grades 9-12

0.5 credit

In this course, students will study the history and literature of Rock and Roll from the bluesmen of the 1920s through the indie rock movement of the early 2000s. Students will read short stories, rock criticism, and excerpts from well-known biographies and autobiographies while maintaining a focus on the close-reading of song lyrics. Students will develop an appreciation for active listening, perform close-readings regularly, write album reviews, and perform and present research and analysis on artists or movements of their choosing. This is a semester-long elective for students in grades 9-12--especially those with a particular interest in rock and roll music and/or poetry analysis.

Units of Study

The Blues

Rock and Roll Pioneers

The Beatles

Love Songs

Protest Songs

Sad Songs--Alienation, Depression, Isolation, Addiction, Death

Existentialism and Religion: Why are we here? What’s all this for?

Pastoral Songs

Teen Angst

Narratives