Mascenic Regional High School

Ms. Penny Culliton

pculliton@mascenic.org

Mr. David Franz

dfranz@mascenic.org

Ms. Carly Giggi

cgiggi@mascenic.org

Ms. Allison Howard

aahoward@mascenic.org

Ms. Amalia Traffie

atraffie@mascenic.org

Core Courses

English Foundations (9-12)

This course has been designed for those students who have a need for individual attention in the area of Language Arts. Special emphasis will be placed on reading comprehension, vocabulary development, visual literacy, listening, and critical thinking skills. The writing program stresses the structure of the sentence and development of the paragraph. Students also practice verbal communication skills by participating in class discussion and sharing information in regular, brief oral reports.

Foundations of Literacy - CP (9)

In this course, students will read and analyze fiction, literary non-fiction, informational texts, and articles and utilize other forms of media in an effort to develop literacy skills that are useful across the curriculum. Students will be guided in developing the structure of their writings, and students will be expected to use and re ne writing conventions introduced at lower grades. This course will emphasize communication and listening skills, close reading for key ideas and details, writing arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and sufficient evidence, and initiating and participating in a range of discussions on topics, tests and issues. Members of the class will be expected to take responsibility for completing some assignments outside of class and for coming to class prepared to work with the material under study.

Foundations of Literacy - H (9)

This course will offer students with advanced reading and communication skills a chance to further develop their ability to use the writing process in response to a curriculum based upon several genres of literature. Students will read and analyze fiction, literary non-fiction, informational texts, and articles and utilize other forms of media in an effort to develop literacy skills useful across the curriculum. Complex texts will require close reading skills and an emphasis on interpreting texts, literally and figuratively, in order to better understand literary technique and style. Students will be responsible for completing most reading outside the classroom and will become comfortable with the demands of a writing-intensive course. This 18course will emphasize communication and listening skills, close reading for key ideas and details, writing arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and sufficient evidence, and initiating and participating in a range of discussions. This course will not only prepare them for future honors-level English courses, but also courses across the curriculum which require intensive reading and writing.

Society in Literature - CP (10)

This course gives students the opportunity to discover and explore issues facing humans in society. We will read and respond to works with themes related to ethics, culture, oppression, class structure, justice and more, in diverse times and places, with the goal of understanding traits which may either unite or divide us at times. Students will be expected to recognize and analyze the use of key ideas and details and to think critically as they formulate arguments in support of claims. Emphasis will be on reasoning skills and use of textual support and sufficient evidence in both written and oral responses to readings. Students will be expected to use writing conventions learned in lower grades as well as incorporate new skills and grow their vocabulary. They will take responsibility for completing some assignments outside of class and for coming to class prepared to work with the material under study. Finally, students will be expected to practice the college-and-career-ready habits of good attendance, engagement, and cooperation.

Society in Literature - H (10)

This honors-level course provides students with the skills necessary to advance to future honors-level or AP courses in the English department. With a focus on issues that impact different societies, students will read and respond to works with themes related to ethics, culture, oppression, class structure, justice and more. Through these texts, students will have the opportunity to develop their own personal perspectives of the world in which they live and apply them in their daily lives. Students will be expected to complete most of the assignments outside of class. This course will help strengthen their skills in literary analysis and there will be an emphasis on reading for key ideas and details, writing arguments to support claims using valid reasoning and sufficient evidence. Students in this course will use the writing process to write more often and more deeply about topics covered, as well as reflect on the processes they use.

American Literature - CP (11-12)

In this course, we will study works by American authors with the goal of better understanding both our country and ourselves. The course will use literature to give students a context in which to examine and think critically about people, ideas, law/government, and power in the context of the history of the United States. The human element in literature will also be incorporated in our studies as we engage with such topics as relationships, conflict, ethics, human nature and psychology, and decision-making/problem-solving. Student input will often play a role as we decide which ideas to emphasize and which specific works to read. Students will practice verbal and written participation, synthesizing sources, and presenting arguments. Students will re ne language and composition skills acquired at lower grades and add to their knowledge of writing conventions. They will be expected to do some reading and writing assignments outside of class and cometoclass prepared to work with the material under study. Finally, students will be expected to practice the career-ready habits of good attendance, engagement, and cooperation.

AP Literature and Composition (11-12)

AP English Literature and Composition is a rigorous course that will prepare students for college level English courses. Through intensive reading of primarily, though not exclusively, British texts, students will come to understand how writers use language to provide meaning and to answer the big questions in life. Students learn to closely analyze literature through a study of art, history, and philosophy. The course will ask students to compare the author’s intent to historical interpretations all the way to our modern day. Text selections are at the collegiate level which means some course content will be geared to mature subjects, themes, and issues. The culmination of the course is the AP Literature and Composition exam in May. Depending on the post-secondary institution attended, achieving a passing score on this exam may earn the student either a college English credit or placement out of an introductory-level course.

Electives

20th Century Film Studies

This one-semester course will begin with an examination of early filmmaking on the East Coast, move through the “talkies” of the late 1920s and the 1930s, and examine Hollywood’s Golden Age of the late 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Not only will students watch and analyze films, but they will learn about the history of Hollywood and discover its origins which are fraught with organized crime and intimidation. Films covered in this course will include exemplary works from the aforementioned eras, modern documentaries, and contemporary films focusing on filmmaking.

Creative Writing

In this course, students will be introduced to the creative craft of written expression through storytelling and poetry. Students will have the opportunity to create non-fiction, fiction, multi-genre stories, and poems. This is a writing intensive course that will be run in a workshop style where students are expected to share writing regularly. Students will study strategies to help conquer writer’s block and develop new ideas for writing. At the end of the course, students will work toward creating a portfolio of revised pieces and learn the process for submitting work for publishing.

Drama

Drama I is a dynamic and engaging semester-long course designed to explore dramatic literature and the performing arts. This course is a comprehensive exploration of the art and craft of theatrical expression, providing students with the opportunity to develop their creativity, communication skills, and understanding of dramatic literature. Throughout the semester, students will delve into the multifaceted world of drama, covering a range of topics and activities that span both theoretical and practical aspects of the theatrical arts. The course is structured to foster a supportive and collaborative environment where students can explore and express themselves in a variety of ways.

The Lure of the Gothic

Gothic Literature will cover some of the world’s greatest authors and texts from the 18th century through the 20th and the 21st centuries. This course will also explore how those texts were reinvented for film and what new elements were added over the years. The Gothic flourished especially in the nineteenth century, creating an expansive vocabulary of new creatures and landscapes. This course will cover everything from the first Gothic novel ever published, The Castle of Otranto, to modern day Gothic influences.

Podcasting for Beginners

In this workshop styled course, students will receive a thorough grounding in all aspects of creating a professional sounding podcast. Students will develop concepts, write scripts, record professional quality audio, work on developing a radio voice, and use mixing equipment and audio editing software to create a finished, publishable product. During this course, we will listen to and dissect exemplar podcasts in the most common genres. Students will be expected to present their podcasts to the class to receive constructive feedback from their peers.