HS01001G English 9

Full Year 1.00 credit

In this course, attention is given to writing and the development of communication skills including accurate language usage in written and oral form. A wide breadth of literature, primarily British and American, is read and studied. Comprehension and interpretation of fiction and nonfiction texts is a main focus throughout the year.

HS01001E * Advanced English 9
Full Year 1.00 credit
Prerequisite: By recommendation of grade 8
Integrated Language Arts (ILA)teachers/counselors.

Students selected for this course work intensively on writing and literature at advanced levels. Considerable writing, including essays and research papers, is required. Critical interpretation skills are a main focus.

HS01054G12 American Literature
Full Year 1.00 credit

Grade 10

This course includes instruction in communication skills and literature. There is a strong emphasis on American literature and the development of composition using the "writing as a process" approach. Vocabulary and essays are included in this course with a focus on American literature after 1900 during the second semester.

HS01002E * Advanced American Studies

Full Year 1.00 credit

Grade 10

Prerequisite: By recommendation of

grade 9 English teacher

This course integrates the study of American history and American literature. During the study of each theme, students have opportunities to develop their communication skills, including grammar, writing, oral presentations and discussions, vocabulary, composition, and critical analysis while studying the history, art and literature related to the themes. Research techniques and the development of SAT-level vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing skills are also emphasized

HS01003G Junior Seminar: Critical Reading,

Writing, and Thinking

Full Year 1.00 credit

Grade 11

Junior Seminar students will analyze multiple interpretations of stories, drama, poetry, and nonfiction pieces. They will gather relevant information from a variety of authoritative print and digital sources. Students will produce high quality written work in various rhetorical modes. They will use technology to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments and information. Students will initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.

HS01005H ** Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Full Year 1.00 credit Grade 11

Prerequisite: By recommendation of grade 10 English teacher

This course combines the exploration of writing studies with the application of tutoring skills. Working in collaboration with the BHS Writing Center, students will read, reflect, and respond to influential essays from the fields of composition and tutoring studies. Students will engage in a variety of writing assignments and will consistently reflect upon their own habits and practices in order to further develop their writing skills. As a result, students will gain new insight into their own writing practices, helping them transfer what they know about writing from one course or subject to another. Through a range of course assignments, students will conduct hands-on research and examine practical approaches to peer tutoring, which will teach them to assist others in various stages of drafting and revising. Upon successful completion of this course, students with a semester average of 90 or higher are encouraged to apply to become peer tutors in the BHS Writing Center.

HS01006H **Advanced Placement, UConn ECE English Literature and Composition Full Year 1.00 credit Grade 12

Prerequisite: By recommendation of grade 11 English teacher

This course requires substantial and challenging reading, critical thinking, and analytical writing. Readings will include selections from various nonfiction as well as fiction genres. Students will consider the readings in light of a variety of critical approaches. Writing will be our primary medium for exploring meaning. Students will study and employ important grammatical, syntactic, and stylistic elements as a strategy to improve their own writing. Students will interact with the writing process across a range of compositional and assessment strategies. Students will satisfy the requirements for English 111, as described in the curriculum handbook of the University of Connecticut. English 111 is a seminar in writing about some of the world’s best literature. Academic Expectations: Advanced Placement, UConn ECE English is a demanding course which will yield substantial benefits to the conscientious student. Everybody involved in this course is expected to demonstrate mature initiative, thorough preparation, and willing cooperation. Students who complete this course with a “C” or better will be awarded University of Connecticut credit. As well, students who complete this course are prepared to take the Advanced Placement examination. We expect each member of this class to achieve University of Connecticut credit, as well as take the Advanced Placement examination. Students are individually responsible for costs associated with University of Connecticut credit and the Advanced Placement examination. Financial assistance is available for AP test fees with demonstration of need. Please see counselor.

HS04350G Mythology 1/2 year .50 credit Grades 11 or 12

This course will focus on the various gods/goddesses and stories that form Greek mythology. Time will be spent focusing on the mythology of other cultures as well, including mythical religions from Rome, China, India and the Netherlands. Students will study and read interesting myths about the various deities, analyzing the creation of the gods/goddesses as a means of explaining how/why things happened on Earth. Included will be the study of the epic hero through the research of figures including Hercules, Perseus, Theseus, and Jason. Additionally, this course will take an extensive look at religious conceptions of hell derived from various cultures. Included in this section will be some studies of the various ideas involving creation and the Apocalypse. By the end of course, students will have a clearer understanding of what mythology is, why it was developed, and how it has survived in various forms throughout the centuries. Several writing assignments, a research presentation, videotape projects, and mythology web quests will be required to successfully complete the course.

HS01149G Issues and Methods in Writing and Peer Tutoring 1/2 Year .50 credit Grades 10, 11 or 12

This course combines the exploration of writing studies with the application of tutoring skills. Working in collaboration with the Berlin High School Writing Center, students will read, reflect, and respond to influential essays from the fields of composition and tutoring studies. Students will conduct hands-on research, will examine practical approaches to peer tutoring, and will apply their knowledge by tutoring their peers in the BHS Writing Center. Constant self-reflection will act as a fundamental element of growth in this course. As a result, students in this course will gain new insight into their own writing practices, which will help them transfer what they know about writing from one course or subject to another. Students will also engage in the type of reading they are likely to encounter in college, namely expository essays, articles, and nonfiction books. Sophomores with teacher recommendations will be considered.

HS11101G - 21st Century Journalism and Media Literacy   1/2 Year   .50 credit 
Grades 10, 11, and 12

            NCAA Eligible

This course is a study of the ways in which information is gathered and communicated through print and digital platforms. Students will learn to be discerning consumers of media while also engaging in ethical research, applying interviewing and reporting techniques, and writing for online media as well as traditional print. Students will develop skills in writing, speaking, performing, and collaborating through various performance-based assessments. Articles and productions may be submitted to The Redcoat Review and shared with the wider Berlin High School community.

HS01151G Speech 1/2 Year .50 credit Grades 11 or 12

This class provides students with a chance to learn and practice the skills of public speaking. Students will analyze such literary concepts as audience, tone, bias, and purpose by asking students to analyze those elements in the works of others and then incorporate those into their own speeches. There is an emphasis on the writing process, peer collaboration and feedback, and oral presentation skills. The final exam for this course is a formal speech delivered to an audience of peers and teachers.

HS01065G American Voices & Modern Issues 1/2 Year .50 credit Grades 11 or 12

American Voices & Modern Issues explores the diversification of the American culture by introducing students to key historical, cultural and literary events in our history through the experiences, eye witness accounts, and memories of those individuals who experienced them first-hand. The course includes thematic units that establish the historical, cultural, social, and political contexts of the changing voices of America through primary source documents, short stories, novels, memoirs, essays, and poetry. Students engage in discussions and debate about current issues and policies facing American society today. Students will connect literature with relevant current events that connect conflict, style, and theme.

HS01104G Creative Writing 1/2 Year .50 credit Grades 11 or 12

Sophomores with teacher recommendations will be considered. A semester course designed as an outlet for student creativity. The goal is to provide opportunity, guidance, and feedback for student writers. The class will present various genres, styles, and activities to provide students with a wide range of inspiration for their writing. Students will share their writing with the class and have it discussed in a workshop setting. Through this setting, students will learn the importance of drafting and revision as well as the giving and taking of constructive criticism. Substantial amounts of writing and reading are required. Student selected texts will support their writing study in the areas of memoir, poetry, children’s literature, and a variety of modern genres. By the end of the course, students will be expected to produce a portfolio of writings from several different genres and submit to a local or national publication.

HS01099G Sports Literature 1/2 Year .50 credit Grade 12

This course will focus on various pieces of non-fiction, based on historical American sports stories. Time will be spent focusing on a variety of sports, both collegiate and professional. The material will be in a variety of genres, such as memoirs, autobiographies, and news and magazine articles. Along with the required readings, students will be responsible for a number of writing assignments and a research presentation, using a variety of media formats. By the end of the course, students will have experienced a variety of literary genres, while focusing on many of the stories that have shaped American sports history. Sophomores and Juniors with teacher recommendation will be considered