English

Literature reflects our shared humanity, which unites rather than divides people.
• Literary diversity: American, British, World Literature; gender and cultural diversity.
• The spiritual respect for human dignity is at the heart of Saint Joseph High School, clearly indicating why we
value the Humanities.
• Analysis through the architecture of literature: plot, direct and indirect characterization, symbolism, tone,
irony, internal and external conflict, setting, imagery, allusion, etc.
• Wide variety of genres: fiction, nonfiction, dramas, novels, novellas, epics, poetry.
• Depth of scope: from ancient cultures to modern.

Vocabulary allows us to explore more than 500,000 English words in order to find the perfect ones to fit our
needs.
• Membean: providing individualized, personalized, online word study through definitions, full-color visuals,
word roots, examples in use, word webs, videos. The online vocabulary program is custom tailored to each
student’s learning style and ability.

Grammar reminds us that rules provide structure and consistency, which gives way to clarity and
understanding.
• Learning/Reviewing parts of speech and parts of sentences improves students’ understanding in both their
English and World Language classes.
• Students are taught SAT tips and practice in our new Formation program; additionally, a more extensive
SAT prep class is offered after school with Saint Joe’s teachers.

Writing empowers us to express our thoughts with impact, succinctness, and precision.
• C-S-E-A: Claim, Support, Explain, Analyze – an organized, focused, and concise writing method that all
students begin learning as freshmen and repeat in every class through senior year.
• Students apply MLA style to their papers starting at the freshman level.
• Students are actively involved in peer reviewing, peer editing, and peer collaboration.
• AP-Level students submit papers with a pen name so that they are graded anonymously, affording students
the opportunity to reinvent themselves for each new assignment.
• Students participate in an annual, school-wide writing contest; the first place winners’ works in the
categories of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry are published in our nationally award-winning literary magazine,
Vignette.
• Dual Enrollment offers students the option of earning college credit in certain courses offered at SJHS.
The following courses are approved by Seton Hall University in the English Department: English III Honors,
English IV Honors, English AP Literature and Composition, and Public Speaking.

English I - 0210 
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 9
Prerequisite: none 
The English program on the 9th grade level provides a solid foundation for the study of language and the appreciation of literature. Students will study the fundamentals of grammar, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary not as ends in themselves, but rather as prerequisites for proper and effective oral and written communication. By reading short stories, essays, drama, poetry, and novels, students will learn to analyze and to appreciate literature. Course requirements include one-half hour daily reading, regularly assigned typed or written formal papers, weekly vocabulary lessons, and consistent reinforcement of grammar mechanics. 
*Summer reading required

English I Honors - 0212
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 9
Prerequisite: Top scores on the Saint Joseph High School Entrance Test reading and vocabulary section; B+ or above on 8th grade English transcripts; departmental approval.
The English I Honors course provides a solid foundation in the study of language and the appreciation of literature. This course covers Greek mythology, fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. Students will enhance their writing skills through studying grammar and writing techniques. By focusing on literary terms and techniques such as plot, setting, characterization, conflict, symbolism, and various others, students come to understand the architecture of literature while developing a deeper appreciation for it, better preparing them for English Honors courses on the upper levels. Course requirements include daily readings and formal papers, as well as weekly vocabulary and grammar lessons. Students will learn to document and to cite sources in MLA format. Students are required to type all papers.* Summer reading required. Receives greater weighting in student’s G.P.A.

English II - 0220  
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 10
Prerequisite: English I
Sophomores are expected to build on the skills that they gained in English I through exposure to the spectrum of American Literature. Starting with pre-Colonial times, the students will read prose and poetry selections representing the different eras, learning the literary nuances of each.  Students will study different forms of literature, including poetry, drama, novels, and short stories. In addition, students will be required to write frequently and to use MLA citations. Vocabulary and grammar lessons enhance students’ reading and writing skills. Students will develop their note taking skills. * Summer reading required

English II Honors - 0222 
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 10
Prerequisite: “A+” English GPA and strong writing sample in English I or a high “B+” English GPA with strong writing grades  in English I Honors; focused work ethic; departmental approval.
This course builds on the knowledge and skills that students developed in the English I Honors course. Using the context of American literature, students will explore America’s literary evolution from Native American and Colonial origins up to and including contemporary literature. Students will develop a greater fluency in all aspects of English including grammar, vocabulary, reading with an emphasis on writing, and using MLA format. With a goal of three to four supplemental readings in addition to the textbook, students will reinforce their literary analysis and synthesis skills.  * Summer reading required. 

English III - 0230  
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite: English II
Students will develop fluency in all aspects of English – grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, literary critical and analytical thinking, and presentational skills – in the context of British Literature. Through an independent and cooperative learning process, students will continue their progress from English II by studying the literature of the Anglo Saxons, the Renaissance, the Middle Ages, and the Romantic, Victorian, and Modern eras. The curriculum will focus on longer works such as the epic poem Beowulf, Chaucer’s satirical work, and Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and will also include poetry as well as short fiction and nonfiction prose. Students will also continue their work towards mastery of the MLA format through formal writing assignments, and they will receive instructions on SAT strategies, which includes weekly vocabulary lessons.* Summer reading required 

Advanced Placement Language and Composition
5.0 credit, year
Grade Level: 11 and 12
Prerequisite for juniors: English II Honors; “A” minimum English GPA with strong writing grades; focused work ethic; departmental approval.
Prerequisite for seniors: English II Honors, “B+” minimum English GPA with strong writing grades; focused work ethic; departmental approval. 
This rigorous, college-level course will engage students in the detailed study of the writing process. Students will read and analyze a cross-section of complex fiction and nonfiction texts from multiple genres, periods, and cultures, paying particular attention to how the author crafts his or her argument. Students will be introduced to advanced writing techniques, including incorporating rhetorical strategies in their writing as well as understanding and developing the composition of argument, expository, and synthesis essays. Formal, typed papers following MLA format will be required regularly throughout the course. In addition, students will write in-class essays and will complete practice multiple choice questions to prepare for the national exam. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Examination in English Language.*  Summer reading required. Receives greater weighting in student’s G.P.A.
+ Juniors who take this course are required to take AP Literature as seniors

English III Honors - 0232  
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite: “A+” English GPA and strong writing sample in English II or a high “B+” English GPA with strong writing grades in English II Honors; focused work ethic; departmental approval. 
This course is designed in conjunction with previous English Honors courses to prepare students to take AP Literature & Composition during senior year. Beginning with the epic Beowulf, students will study prominent British authors such as Malory, Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, Johnson, Wordsworth, Keats, Marlowe, Coleridge, Spenser, Shelley, Austen, Woolf, Lawrence, and Joyce. Students will learn the dynamics by which literature grows, expands, and develops to reflect the lives, values, and cultures of the people it represents; additionally, students will study the evolution of the English language as it is represented in literature. The curriculum also includes vocabulary study and grammar lessons that students will master through homework, as well as writing assignments, typed in MLA format, designed to enhance critical thinking and a deeper understanding of literature. Through exposure to acclaimed British literature with an emphasis on literary analysis, students will enhance their analytical skills and develop critical thinking proficiency.  This is a “Dual Enrollment Course,” meaning students have the option to earn college credits (for an additional fee) through Seton Hall University.* Summer reading required. Receives greater weighting in student’s G.P.A.

English IV - 0242  
5.0 credit, year
Grade Level: 12 
Prerequisite: English III
Students will explore the works of classic authors in World Literature, including both Eastern and Western cultures. Through exposure to literature from all eras and cultures, students will enhance their knowledge of poetry, short stories, novels, and drama. Students will increase their vocabulary and SAT knowledge through workbook exercises and reading assignments. Each individual will complete and submit a research paper and will be expected to utilize the fundamentals of citing outside sources in MLA format in preparation for college writing 
assignments. * Summer reading required

English IV  Advanced Placement Literature & Composition - 0240 
5.0 credit, year
Grade Level: 11 and 12
Prerequisite for seniors: English III Honors; high “B+” minimum English GPA with strong writing grades; focused work ethic; departmental approval.
This rigorous, college-level course will engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of literature.  Through in-depth reading of texts of the highest merit in the canon of Western literature drawn from multiple genres, periods, and cultures, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. Writing assignments and class discussion will focus on literary analysis. Formal, typed papers following MLA format will be required regularly throughout the course. Students will also write in-class essays as well as practice multiple-choice questions in order to learn exam strategies. Students are required to take the Advanced Placement Examination in English Literature. This is a “Dual Enrollment Course,” meaning students have the option to earn college credits (for an additional fee) through Seton Hall University.* Summer reading required. Receives greater weighting in student’s G.P.A.

English IV Honors - 0241
5.0 credits, year
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite: high “B+” minimum GPA in English I, II, & III Honors; strong writing grades & writing sample; focused work ethic; departmental approval.
This course continues to build on the knowledge and skills that students developed in English I, II, & III Honors, focusing now on the poetry, fiction, and nonfiction of World Cultures. Students will explore literature from a world-wide experience, starting with the ancient civilizations and culminating with contemporary authors in the modern world. Students will develop a greater understanding of interpretive and analytical reading with a continued emphasis on writing in the MLA style. In addition to the textbook, there will be supplementary readings through which students will reinforce literary, analysis, and research skills. This is a “Dual Enrollment Course,” meaning students have the option to earn college credits (for an additional fee) through Seton Hall University.* Summer reading required. Receives greater weighting in student’s G.P.A.

Journalism - 0236  
2.5 credits, semester
Grade Level: 11 and 12
Prerequisite: none
The Journalism course introduces students to the exciting world of print, online, and broadcast media. Law, ethics, and the history of journalism will complement the major units of study, which include reporting, writing, editing, and layout. Students will learn the skills necessary to communicate through different media, to critique their own writing and the writing of others, to recognize the legal and ethical responsibilities associated with free press, and to appreciate the importance of doing research and meeting deadlines. Collaboration with the Saint Joseph High School student newspaper will be a major component of the course.

Advanced Journalism - 0237
2.5 credits, semester
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisite: Journalism with a “A” minimum average; departmental approval; writing sample
The Advanced Journalism course continues the students’ work in the world of print, online, and broadcast media by connecting them with real-world opportunities. Students will put into practice the skills necessary to brainstorm, research, write, and edit news and feature stories for school publications; record and edit digital video for the school’s social media accounts; and collaborate with media outlets such as the Tap Into network and MyCentralJersey.com. Working with the Saint Joseph High School Communications Department and Athletic 
Department will be an essential part of the course. Students will be required to attend school events after school and on weekends to cover sporting and extra-curricular activities.

Public Speaking: Speech and Personal Communication - 0238      
2.5 credits, semester
Grade Level: 11 and 12 
Prerequisite: None
This course explores the principles of interpersonal communication as well as the ways of recognizing and understanding how and why people communicate the way that they do. Students will develop the skills needed to make them more comfortable and effective communicators; specifically, these skills will include learning to listen with awareness, sensitivity, and purpose. Students will learn to prepare and to deliver a variety of speeches – informative, convincing, thought provoking, and entertaining. Students will be challenged to think and to listen critically and analytically as well as to have a better sense of confidence in their abilities to express themselves in both creative and effective ways. This course may count as a Fine Arts requirement. This is a “Dual Enrollment Course,” meaning students have the option to earn college credits (for an additional fee) through Seton Hall University.