English

English Curriculum

The English curriculum at Williams seeks to develop students' critical reading, writing, and speaking skills, and to foster an appreciation of literature. Students learn to read actively by underlining and taking notes on the works, responding in reading journals, and referring to the text to support their opinions in discussion. Practice is given in finding main ideas, locating supporting details, drawing inferences, distinguishing fact from opinion, and building vocabulary. The writing program utilizes computers to emphasize the importance of drafting, revising, and proofreading.

Grade 7
This course emphasizes the development of writing and critical reading skills. Students use computers to draft and polish their papers for both creative and analytical assignments. Instruction includes lessons on spelling, punctuation, grammar, and vocabulary, as well as content revision. Students read novels, short stories, poetry, and one play. The literature often involves themes of diversity and coming of age; frequently units coordinate with history lessons.

Grade 8
Students build on the reading and writing skills developed in seventh grade. They continue to draft their papers on the computer and learn how to edit and revise effectively. They become more proficient at writing analytical essays that trace character development or explore symbolism, and yet they have ample opportunity to write stories and poems. Students examine a variety of literary genres and study Shakespeare for the first time.

English I (Grade 9)
Freshmen begin a more formal study of literary genres and techniques. They read both classic and modern works, including The Odyssey, Oedipus the King, Twelfth Night, and To Kill a Mockingbird, and examine the elements of classical tragedy and neoclassical comedy. Students write essays frequently and spend an entire quarter learning how to produce a research paper.

English II (Grade 10)
Sophomores study representative works of British literature and examine how each relates to the time period in which it was written. Among the texts are Canterbury Tales, Macbeth, Jane Eyre, and 1984. Major topics include order and disorder in society, irony and satire, imperialism, and the power of language. In addition to frequent papers, students write an essay that incorporates elements of literary criticism.

English III (Grade 11)
The first quarter of this course offers students a workshop approach to improving their writing. Students take their papers through many drafts, from freewriting to polishing, and focus on clarity of expression as well as audience and purpose. Assignments emphasize narrative, persuasive, and analytical writing. The remaining three quarters are devoted to the study of American literature. Students read such works as The Scarlet Letter, Death of a Salesman, and Song of Solomon. Frequent writing assignments coordinate with the literature.

English IV (Grade 12)
The first quarter of this course is devoted to the study of Hamlet and supplementary texts. Students then choose electives to run through second, third, and fourth quarters. As always, students develop and polish their writing skills through a variety of analytical and creative assignments. Although no section is specifically designated an AP section, English IV prepares all students to take the AP exam if they so desire.

ENGLISH ELECTIVES

Other Gods and Other Monsters (Grade 12)
Beginning with the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, this course will focus on challenges to identity. The meeting of differing cultures, through immigration, colonization or creation provoke questions about values and fulfillment, especially in terms of conflicting ideals. The works read will be taken from a range of times and traditions: Shakespeare to Caryl Phillips to Walcott and Suzan-Lori Parks.

Writing as Readers (Grade 12)
Through examining the intricacies of the reading process, students will practice the art of writing in a number of different genres, including short fiction, poetry, review, stream of consciousness, and creative nonfiction. Frequently utilizing the workshop setting, we will analyze and critique the work of published authors as well as the work of students in the class. Students will develop their understanding of writing and control over language, ultimately using computer software to write, produce, and broadcast radio essays modeled after NPR’s This American Life. We will read Cormac McCarthy, Virginia Woolf, Michael Pollan, Seamus Heaney, Raymond Carver, Elizabeth Bishop, and others. Enrollment in this course requires a signature from the Department Head.

Folk and Faerie Lore (Grade 12)
Beginning with the legend of the Pied Piper, which continues to puzzle anthropologists even to this day—students will be encouraged to range over the wide world of folk and faerie lore. Some may choose to examine traditional tales from their own ethnic heritage. Others may wish to engage in comparative studies; e.g. to investigate the nearly universal belief in the existence of “the little people,” or the remarkable similarity of legends originating in remarkably dissimilar cultures. Some might look into psychologists’ theories as to the significance of folk beliefs, or as to the underlying meaning of specific tales. All are welcome to suggest topics of particular interest to them. Students will submit a research paper and will make an oral presentation of their findings. Their contributions are essential to the success of the elective.

Strange Plays (Grade 12)
The experimental plays of the modern period and their contemporary descendants will serve as the focus of this course. In particular, we will examine the formal innovations of modernism and apply them to a study of works by contemporary American playwrights. In each case, a play from the earlier period will be set against a work from the present era in order to highlight the formal similarities. The various “—isms”: realism, aestheticism, absurdism, expressionism, as well as epic theatre, will of necessity be explored in detail. The works of Strindberg, Shepard, Wilde, Beckett, Brecht, Wolfe, and Parks will serve as the foundation of the course. A willingness to act and stage short scenes will be a requirement. Writing exercises will include analysis and imitation of various styles.

Journalism (Grade 10–12)
This course considers all facets of newspaper production, including the writing of news, sports, and editorials, the editing process and application of Associated Press standards, and the fundamentals of digital photography and publication design and layout. Besides developing their own journalistic skills, students will learn to be critical consumers of media and will explore the world of journalism by reading and evaluating a variety of professional and student newspapers as well as an investigative journalism nonfiction text. To be successful in this course, students must be driven, self-motivated, organized team players with good time-management skills and the willingness to revise copy numerous times. This course may be repeated for credit if a student requires another year to master the skills necessary to serve as an editor in the Advanced Journalism class. Prerequisite: Instructor approval. Full year course—1/2 credit.

Advanced Journalism (Grades 11–12)
This course is designed for experienced journalists. It incorporates and adds to the syllabus of the Journalism course. Advanced Journalism students will be the editors of The Blueprint. Editorial responsibilities will include establishing a beat system within the school, mentoring Journalism students, editing and laying out all issues of the newspaper, finding and providing news leads to journalism students, increasing public relations exposure, and working with our printer and our publications budget. As editors, Advanced Journalism students are required to commit to approximately 16–20 evening hours per issue to layout the newspaper during our pre-publication weeks. Because the additional half credit of the course is earned through evening and sometimes additional classroom hours, students may sign up for a seven-credit load if Advanced Journalism is the seventh credit. Students may repeat this course for credit but will serve as an editor of a different section of the newspaper. Prerequisite: Journalism and approval of the instructor.

English Faculty

Tom Kelly
Chair