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English Dept Course Offerings

English I – Survey Lit

Honors English I is a course, which will prepare students for success in a number of skill areas. Students will read and examine literature from a variety of periods, cultures, and literary genres. They will develop literary analysis and vocabulary skills by reading a Shakespeare drama, Homer’s Odyssey, and a host of other literature. Students will also develop conventional grammar skills and achieve mastery in writing for a variety of occasions by developing writing portfolios in collaboration with their peers and their instructor. Listening and oral communication skills will be enhanced through frequent formal and informal assignments. Finally, as students examine and present their work through various media, they will also enhance their skills in the areas of media literacy and technology.

English II - American Literature

Honors English II is a survey course of American Literature from its beginnings to the present. Students will continue to develop literary analysis and vocabulary skills by reading early American literature, including literature with origins in the oral tradition of Native Americans. They will also explore the literature of explorers, settlers, and other immigrants, in addition to a number of narratives and a host of other literature. Students will also continue to develop conventional grammar skills and achieve mastery in writing for a variety of occasions (particularly literary analysis) by developing writing portfolios in collaboration with their peers and their instructor. Listening and speaking skills will be enhanced through frequent formal and informal assignments. Finally, as students examine and present their work through various media, they will also enhance their skills in the areas of media literacy and technology.
Prerequisite: Honors English I

English III – British Literature

Honors English III is a survey course in British Literature from its beginnings to the present. Students will examine the literary traditions of Britain and its colonies while building upon writing and research skills. Students will read a variety of texts from each major period in British Literature, beginning with Beowulf. They will also refine their listening and speaking skills as well as their grammar, vocabulary, and media literacy. This course will also prepare students for A. P. Literature and A. P. Language and Composition.
Prerequisite: Honors English II

English IV – World Literature

As seniors, Payton students have explored genres of and approaches to literature, applied these things to American and British Literature, and developed skills in rhetorical and literacy analyses. World Literature exposes students to writings from non-native English speaking cultures. Students draw all of their experience with literature together to have interpretive discussions of readings, to compare and contrast ideas as cultural expressions, to synthesize ideas from different cultures and traditions, and to apply these ideas to situations in the world around them. Readings include but are not limited to creation myths, epic traditions, drama, sacred texts, major novels, short stories, and poetry, philosophy, and or fairy/folk tale traditions. Readings will include representative literature from cultures and countries around the globe. Students will be introduced to aspects of literary theory that they will be expected to apply to readings through discussion and writing. Major writings will include college application essays, critical and analytical essays, and research papers.

AP English Language and Composition

Like typical college composition courses, the main goal of AP Language and Composition is to create strong writers who have the skills to write effectively in college courses and in their personal and professional lives. With this in mind, A.P. Language and Composition asks students to read and write many different kinds of essays: argumentative, expository, analytical, personal, even creative. Students read widely and experiment with a variety of essay formats to help them understand how the writers’ audience and purpose shape his or her material. Students are also encouraged to take chances when they write, and to evaluate their own work.
Restrictions: 11th and 12th Grade Students Only

AP English Literature and Composition

The prime objective of the AP Literature and Composition (AP Lit) program is to enjoy reading great literature. To accomplish this end, the program will explore its students’ experiences, interpretations, and evaluations of literature. Activities will include daily reading assignments and discussions, weekly composition of response papers, and the drafting and revision of two major essays each quarter. Special emphasis will be placed in writing on vocabulary, composition techniques, and the development of stylistic maturity in writing. Each student will have a series of one-to-one writing workshops with the instructor throughout the year, and two tutorial format meetings in which the student recites a poem and engages in an in-depth discussion of it with the instructor. In addition, each quarter will conclude with a practice AP Lit exam. The AP Lit program will guide students toward their own independent understandings of the meanings and value of literature, and—of course—prepare the students for the AP Lit exam in May 2009.

The 2008-2009 AP Lit program will consist of four units: the novel, drama, short stories, and poetry. Each unit will take an approach to its genre that will develop students’ literary skills and disciplines as well as prepare students for the various components of the AP Lit exam. Readings will include four novels, No Country for Old Men, Crime and Punishment, As I Lay Dying, Orlando; excerpts from Genesis, Exodus, and Numbers; three plays, Oedipus Rex, Antigone, and The Taming of the Shrew; excerpts from Aristotle’s Poetics; short stories by Chekhov, Tolstoy, Melville, Joyce, Kafka, O’Connor, Welty, Oates, Carver, and others; and Helen Vendler’s primer and anthology of poetry Poems, Poets, Poetry.
Approval Required.

Honors African American Literature

A survey course designed to introduce students to the African American experience, representing three centuries, as portrayed through literature. This survey will begin with the Negro spiritual and conclude with a contemporary African American text. Students will read a range of authors from Phyllis Wheatley to Amiri Baraka, and texts from Souls of Black Folk to Fences. By reading texts in a range of genres, students will attain an understanding of the cultural experiences and philosophies associated with African Americans, as a people, and their distinct literature. This course will move between careful, rigorous close readings of the texts, and more general discussions about these texts and their position within U.S. political philosophy. Students will be assessed in a variety of formal papers, informal writings, two major research projects, quizzes, and vocabulary. The course is designed as a full year course open to juniors and seniors.

Honors Creative Writing

Honors Creative Writing allows students to develop fluency in the language of literature in order to reap more pleasure from the experience of skilled reading and skilled writing. Students read and discuss published works by classic and contemporary writers, using them as models and springboards foe original pieces of literature. Regular writing workshops offer writers the opportunity to gather and provide feedback on drafts that will be submitted for publication within the school and out in the world. Students spend 5-10 weeks studying each of the following genres: poetry, drama, fiction and literary non-fiction. Each unit includes literary and academic readings, one academic essay, and a portfolio assessment. The culminating project of the year is and extended independent project chosen by the student.
Restriction: 11th and 12th Grade Students Only

Honors Drama: Introduction to Theatre Arts

This course is a year long elective that will provide students with a study of various aspects of theatre arts. The objectives of the course include (1) providing students with a working knowledge of theatre terminology, history, and theory; (2) encouraging students to read plays and view theatre performance critically; (3) developing and improving fundamental performance and production skills. The first and third quarters will focus on world theatre history and theory, and the second and fourth quarters will be mainly performance based. Major topics include history and genre study, play script analysis, design, scene study, criticism, movement, improvisation, and production. In some cases, practical experience will be gained by work on one or more Payton Players’ productions.
Restriction: 11th and 12th Grade Students Only

Journalism Newspaper I, II, III

These courses are year long electives. The objectives of the course are threefold: (1) creating a monthly publication of the Payton Prep Press; (2) learning about newspaper production and journalistic writing; and (3) developing and improving writing and editing skills. In addition to the publication of the newspaper, class activities may include (but would not be limited to) the following: digital photography; consideration of issues in civics, ethics, and politics; sales of advertising space; field trips to city newspapers; and presentations by guest lecturers. The demands of this class and the newspaper itself require highly motivated students who are “self-starters” and have initiative. The ability to work well in groups, reach compromises, and take constructive criticism are essential. Each level of Journalism class requires the previous level as a prerequisite, and requires the student to assume greater leadership roles in the class. Admission to each level of Journalism requires approval of the instructor.

Journalism Yearbook I

The Yearbook class is responsible for producing Payton’s yearbook. Students design the book, perform the layout, gather pictures, and compose the text.
Prerequisite: Journalism: Yearbook I open to grades 11 & 12; instructor’s approval required

Journalism Yearbook II

This course is a continuation of the Journalism I. Students in Journalism II are expected to assume leadership roles in the class and to mentor Journalism I students.
Prerequisite: Journalism I

TEACHER BIOS

Renate Anderson
David Adamji
Tiffany Batiste-Gilmore
Kerry Catlin
Maryann Marchiafava
Jonathan Miller
Michelle Mowery
Molly Spooner
Greg Wright

COURSES

English I – Survey Lit
English II - American Literature
English III – British Literature
English IV – World Literature
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
Honors African American Literature
Honors Creative Writing
Honors Drama: Introduction to Theatre Arts
Journalism Newspaper I, II, III
Journalism Yearbook I
Journalism Yearbook II