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Welcome to the SJB English Department
The English Language Arts curriculum is centered on the development of students’ literacy and research skills over their four years to attain a level of proficiency that prepares them to succeed in their collegiate and career pursuits. In alignment with the Next Generation Common Core ELA standards, students are exposed to a range of complex texts from a variety of literary genres which they critically explore for comprehension, analysis, and synthesis. Areas of instruction also include fundamentals of composition, acquisition of vocabulary, and mechanics of writing.
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Electives
CREATIVE WRITING
“It’s none of their business that you have to learn to write. Let them think you were born that way.”~Ernest Hemingway
OVERVIEW: Creative Writing stimulates your creativity, improves your writing skills, and teaches you how to give and receive constructive criticism, all while helping you express yourself and relieve stress in a positive, relaxing atmosphere.
CLASS ACTIVITIES: Explore how to tap into your creativity that has been squashed since you stopped playing with empty boxes and learned to memorize facts. Listen to music for inspiration, dive into your emotions for writing reflectively about your life, discover sensory language and make written words come alive, dabble in various genres of writing, create a character and make him/her come alive for your reader...and much more...
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
rediscovering your imagination, stepping out of your comfort zone, and creating something new
LITERATURE OF CRIME AND MYSTERY
OVERVIEW: People are always fascinated with crime especially the brutal act of murder. This course will follow the chronological development of the genre of crime and mystery.
CLASS ACTIVITIES: in depth analysis of short stories, novels and film which explores the means, motive and opportunity for the crimes committed
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
solving puzzles, following clues, exploring the mind of those who committed the crime
cONTEMPORARY FICTION
“I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”- JK Rowling
OVERVIEW: Not only does regular reading help make you smarter, it actually increases your brain power! Reading melts away stress, boosts your vocabulary, improves empathy, and can encourage life goals.
CLASS ACTIVITIES: In this class we read best selling novels and discuss a wide range of topics. When conducive, we view the movie of the book.
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
indulging in their love of reading, discovering their dormant passion for reading
FILM STUDY
“Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my!”
OVERVIEW: Hollywood is an industry that has been pleasing American audiences for over 100 years! This course explores the historical, economic, and occupational aspects of the film industry.
CLASS ACTIVITIES: Watching classic movies, learning about legendary stars, discovering the many fascinating happenings that take place behind the scenes, and behind the camera, while a film is being made.
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
history, visual storytelling, cinema, nostalgia, entertainment
SPEECH
“Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
OVERVIEW: Communication is the backbone of our society. In order to communicate more effectively, one needs skills to speak and listen effectively. This course will enable you to overcome your fear of public speaking and inspire others.
CLASS ACTIVITIES: Students prepare and deliver various speeches including: Demonstration, Personal Experience, After dinner and Farewell Speech.
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
Increasing self confidence, demonstrating knowledge, motivating change
COMMUNICATION
“The most important thing in communication is hearing what isn’t said”
OVERVIEW: Humans send and receive messages every second of every day. This course focuses on how people encode and decode these messages.
CLASS ACTIVITIES: film/television analysis, nonverbal communication exercises, speech evaluation, Socratic seminars, WebQuests, team debates
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
Advertising techniques, mass media arts, propaganda methods, persuasive means, argumentative tactics, legal/ethical case studies
WORD POWER/TEST PREP
OVERVIEW: Test taking can be a stressful task for anyone! This course helps to alleviate some of the anxieties that go along with taking standardized tests (ACT, SAT & Regents Exams).
ClASS ACTIVITIES: test taking strategies, reading comprehension approaches, group debates, essay writing workshops, college selection process
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING:
Increasing and maximizing their test results on the SAT, ACT and Regents Exams.
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