English

Gwynedd Mercy Academy instructs students in a comprehensive, developmental composition curriculum. Based on the principles of correct grammar and usage skills, as well as continuing advancement in vocabulary, the program encourages students to write in a clear, effective, and meaningful manner. Research is an integral part of writing; each year, therefore, students expand their understanding of how to use current research tools including electronic resources such as contemporary library catalogues, Internet sites, and relevant computer software.

The English Department realizes that reading supports and enhances vocabulary and writing skills. Summer reading, therefore, is an integral part of the curriculum for all four years.

HONORS ENGLISH

To remain in Honors English, students must maintain a 90 average or above.
To enter the Honors English course from a College Prep course, students must maintain a 95 average or above.

AP ENGLISH

To remain in AP English, students must maintain a 90 average or above.
To enter the AP English course from an Honors course, students must maintain a 95 average or above.
To enter the AP English course from a College Prep course, students must maintain a 98 average or above.

Note: In addition to the above standards for acceptance into each upper-level course, students must excel in composition, demonstrate strong class contribution, and obtain department approval.

English 9 - Raise Your Voice: Finding and Developing Personal Voice

2 Semesters

In this course, students are challenged to grow as both responsive readers and effective writers. Students analyze essays, speeches, short stories, and novels as a basis for their focus on what it means to be a persuasive communicator. Fundamental writing skills are developed through the reinforcement of grammar and mechanics and the introduction of a well-rounded vocabulary. Course focus includes the recognition of literary terminology and devices; critical reading and analysis; research techniques, including an introduction to MLA formatting; and the examination of historical, cultural, and social contexts relevant to all readings. Ninth graders establish a writing portfolio that will serve as a collection of writing that reflects student growth over time and includes evidence of self-reflection.

Honors English 9 - Raise Your Voice: Finding and Developing Personal Voice

2 Semesters

In this advanced course, students are challenged to hone their voices as effective writers and develop perspective as empathetic readers. An expansive study of literature is comprised of essays, speeches, short stories, contemporary and classic novels; independent reading preparation and presentation; and the utilization of literary and research techniques, including MLA style. Students will be encouraged to stretch their critical and analytical abilities examining the historical, cultural, and social contexts in connection to all readings. The ability to express oneself orally, and to work both independently and in small groups, are essential elements of the course. Ninth graders establish a writing portfolio that will serve as a collection of writing that reflects student growth over time and includes evidence of self-reflection.

English 10 - Fantastic Texts and How to Read Them

2 Semesters

College Preparatory English 10 is a full-year course entitled “Fantastic Texts and How to Read Them” and will focus on the main literary components that go into the creation of a literary text.

Course focus will be on developing active reading, effective writing, and confident verbal communication skills. The class will include exposure to a variety of literary forms, including novels, short stories, speeches, and essays which explore diverse voices in literature. Throughout the year, students will develop active reading skills by analyzing the literary elements present in each work and examining how they help reinforce the central ideas of the text. Students will also practice finding and citing strong textual evidence to effectively support their analyses. Aside from this, students will examine the tone, diction, and organization of various texts to continue development of their formal writing and research skills. Students will also add to their writing portfolios established in Freshman year to continue their reflections of growth. Additionally, students will be required to share their personal responses to the readings both in class and through online technologies as well as present an oral presentation each semester and submit an end-of-the-year research paper.

Honors English 10 - Fantastic Texts and How to Read Them

2 Semesters

Honors English 10 is an advanced, full-year course entitled “Fantastic Texts and How to Read Them” and will focus on the main literary components that go into the creation of a literary text. Course focus will be on enhancing active reading, effective writing, developmental research, and confident verbal communication skills. This class will include exposure to a variety of literary forms, including novels, short stories, speeches, and essays which explore diverse voices in literature. The course is reading and writing intensive. Text selections and their supplements are carefully chosen to ensure a challenging experience for students. Throughout the year, students analyze literary elements present in each work and examine how they help reinforce the central ideas of the text. Students will also practice finding and citing strong textual evidence to effectively support their analyses. Aside from this, students will examine the tone, diction, and organization of various texts to further inform and hone their formal writing and research skills. Students will also add to their writing portfolios established in Freshman year to continue their reflections of growth. Additionally, students will be required to share their personal responses to the readings both in class and through online technologies as well as complete an independent reading presentation and submit an end-of-the-year research paper.

Prerequisite: 90 or higher in Honors English 9 or 95 or higher in English 9, and department approval.

English 11 - Four Literary Forms

2 semesters

In this course, students will study four modes of discourse—dramatic, poetic, narrative fiction, non-fiction—that have shaped the English language from Shakespeare to Amanda Gorman.  The purpose of this course is to understand the literary mechanisms that have shaped these modes of writing for hundreds of years.  Students will, of course, read representative works that illustrate the fundamental characteristics of these modes, but they will also have the opportunity to create their own versions of some of these modes through a variety of project-based assessments.  Additionally, students will give presentations, write expository essays, and engage in in-class writing assessments.

Honors English 11 - Classics vs. Moderns & From Book to Film

2 Semesters

Classics vs. Moderns – A Literary Debate
Which is better: the “classic” novel or the “modern” novel? At times, contemporary readers can be heard championing “modern” fiction as the next frontier while declaring the “classics” dead. At other times, readers anoint the “classics” as monuments of genius and accomplishment while denouncing modern fiction as uninventive and ephemeral.

In the first half of the year, students will explore this debate with the assistance of Jonathan Swift’s “Battle of the Books,” a satire that triggered waves of argument among readers and scholars. From here, students will look at two representative novels: one “classic” and one “modern.” The goal in this course is not to determine which is “better”; instead, students will take time to understand the relationship between the “classic” novel and the “modern” novel. Of particular interest will be each novel’s influence on its respective generation, how each contributes to literary history, and how each deserves its place along the timeline of literary excellence.

From Book to Film: Translating the Literary Experience to the Big Screen
Have you ever watched a movie, and said, “The book was better”? Or, perhaps, you said the opposite. In this semester-long course, we’ll explore the perilous exchange between the literary medium and the film medium. Students will read major literary works, watch films that have been adapted from their literary counterparts, and learn about the various difficulties of exchange between the two media. Sometimes, the transfer works; sometimes, it doesn’t. Students will read secondary material that sheds light on the book-to-film adaptation genre, and they will frequently be expected to offer insightful commentary of their own on the genre as they learn more about its creative potential.

Students will write complex informational pieces, such as analysis, evaluation, and a research paper. Additionally, students will give mini-presentations, contribute to class discussions, and be expected to complete reading/viewing assignments at home. NOTE: students will not be watching full-length movies in class, but instead they will occasionally watch 3-10 minute clips of movies for the purpose of in-class instruction, analysis and discussion. Finally, students will submit a capstone project that combines the first-semester Classics vs. Moderns course with the second-semester Book-to-Film course.

Prerequisite: 90 or higher in Honors English 10 or 95 or higher in English 10, and department approval.

AP English 11 - AP English Language and Composition

2 semesters

AP Language and Composition is a full-year course open to Juniors who have demonstrated remarkable skill in the study of discursive prose, close reading, and rhetorical analysis. The purpose of the course is to examine two specific areas of written discourse: argumentation and rhetoric. Students enrolled in this course will experience a demanding curriculum that emphasizes quality writing and the value of effective communication. As students learn the nuances of the writer’s craft, they naturally discover their own unique voices in their writing, thus generating a genuine relationship between the writer and her writing. Students will read a variety of non-fiction texts that bear significance within their own social and cultural contexts. At the end of the course, students take a nation-wide AP Exam.

Prerequisite: 95 or higher in Honors English 10, or 98 or higher in English 10 and department approval.

English 12 - Contemporary Fiction, Non-Fiction, and Expository Writing

2 Semesters

English 12 is a full-year course with two distinctive semester-long themes. During the first semester, students will study a variety of recently published works of non-fiction. Through close reading and class discussion, students will experience an introductory-level college course that prepares them to write across the curriculum.

During the second semester, we will transition into an exploration of contemporary fiction texts. Similarly, students will alter their writing to account to this genre and its use in college writing.

The final capstone project will be a Personal Interest Project (PIP) – students will pursue an idea, problem, or project of their choosing and present their successes (or failures) in a comprehensive presentation.

Honors English 12 - Detective Fiction and True Crime Narrative

2 Semesters

Honors English 12 is a full-year course that will juxtapose two popular genres of writing: detective fiction and true crime. While the classic detective story often finds inspiration from actual events, authors have the liberty of creating fictional worlds that are grounded in the foundations of the genre.

True crime, however, is an ever-changing genre that now utilizes a variety of media to tell stories. Rather than read the splashy, sensationalist texts that previously dominated the market, students will explore texts that are meticulously researched and expertly written.

In this reading and writing intensive course, students will write analytically and engage in scholarly research.

Prerequisite: 90 or higher in Honors English 11 or 95 or higher in English 11 and department approval.

AP English 12 - AP Literature and Composition

2 semesters

AP Literature and Composition is a full-year course open to Seniors who have demonstrated remarkable skill in the study of discursive prose, close reading, and rhetorical analysis. The purpose of this course is to develop a deep understanding of the English language and to strengthen skills in reading analytically and critically while writing clearly and effectively. Students will concentrate on reading and analyzing discursive prose, poetry, and drama as well as writing critical essays. The goal of the course is divided into two components: (1) read complex texts with a greater understanding of their literary values; and (2) respond to their reading with sufficient richness and complexity of language that ultimately communicates their ideas in an effective manner. Students enrolled in this course will experience a demanding curriculum that emphasizes writing and the importance of effective communication. At the end of the course, students take a nation-wide AP Exam.

Prerequisite: 90 or higher in AP English 11, 95 or higher in Honors English 11, or 98 or higher in English 11, and department approval.