Course Catalog

English 10 is a two-semester course that is 100 percent aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. The course is designed to develop students' reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through focused exploration of topics and lessons intentionally grouped to reinforce connections. Students will learn to closely read and analyze literary and informational texts, apply reading strategies, and examine how authors use language and structure to develop ideas across genres and cultures. They will also write across genres, create and deliver multimedia presentations, and engage in independent reading studies of their choosing. In addition, the course covers evaluating sources, synthesizing information from multiple media, and conducting research with proper citation practices. Practice activities featuring technology-enhanced items, worksheets, and guided notes support student mastery throughout the course. Clarifying Big Ideas (CBI) lessons model critical thinking skills and strategies, address common misunderstandings, and articulate the big ideas that underpin learning. These skills and strategies are woven throughout the course to allow students to practice applying them in context. There are no required materials for this course. This course features career exploration powered by Roadtrip Nation.

The focus of the English 10 course is the writing process. Three writing applications guide the curriculum: persuasive, expository, and narrative writing. Each lesson culminates in a written assignment that lets students demonstrate their developing skill in one of these applications. English 10 follows the model of English 9 by including at least one anchor text per lesson, but the essays, articles, stories, poems, and speeches are often presented as models for students to emulate as they practice their own writing. So that these readings may serve as proper examples for students, a high proportion of texts for this course are original pieces. English 10 also continues to develop students' reading, listening, and speaking skills. Readings include poems, stories, speeches, plays, and a graphic novel, as well as a variety of informational texts. The readings represent a wide variety of purposes and cultural perspectives, ranging from the Indian epic the Ramayana to accounts of Hurricane Katrina told through different media. Audio and video presentations enhance students' awareness and command of rhetorical techniques and increase their understanding of writing for a variety of audiences. This updated course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English 11A explores the relation between American history and literature from the colonial period through the realism and naturalism eras. English 11B explores the relation between American history and literature from the modernist period through the contemporary era and presents learners with relevant cultural and political history. Readings are scaffolded with pre-reading information, interactions, and activities to actively engage learners in the content. The lessons in both semesters focus on developing grammar, vocabulary, speech, and writing skills. This course features career exploration powered by Roadtrip Nation.

English 11 is a two-semester course designed to help students examine the belief systems, events, and literature that have shaped the United States. The course prompts students to survey the major movements of American literature and nonfiction, analyzing and evaluating texts by a range of authors. Feedback-rich interactive exercises, assignment prompts, and discussions challenge students to present original ideas, collaborate with peers, interpret and incorporate non-text media, and communicate clearly and persuasively through both writing and speaking. Texts are presented with introductory videos, vocabulary support, and question prompts that aid in comprehension and analysis. Written assignments are framed by direct instruction about the skills students must apply, prompts that guide students through each step of the writing process, and self-evaluation rubrics. Required materials for this course include online or print copies of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, and The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday. This updated course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

In keeping with the model established in English 11, these courses emphasize the study of literature in the context of specific historical periods, beginning with the Anglo-Saxon and medieval periods in Britain. Each lesson includes tutorials and embedded lesson activities that provide for a more engaging and effective learning experience. Semester B covers the romantic, Victorian, and modern eras. End-of-unit tests ensure mastery of the concepts taught in each unit, and exemptive pretests allow students to focus on content that they have yet to master. This course features career exploration powered by Roadtrip Nation.

English 12 is a two-semester course designed to allow students to closely analyze texts from throughout history and consider how humans define and interact with the unknown, the monstrous, and the heroic. The course prompts students to survey major works of British and world literature and nonfiction, analyzing and evaluating texts by a range of authors. Feedback-rich interactive exercises, assignment prompts, and discussions challenge students to present original ideas, collaborate with peers, interpret and incorporate non-text media, and communicate clearly and persuasively through both writing and speaking. Texts are presented with introductory videos, vocabulary support, and question prompts that aid in comprehension and analysis. Written assignments are framed by direct instruction about the skills students must apply, prompts that guide students through each step of the writing process, and self-evaluation rubrics. There are no required materials for this course. This updated course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English 6 is a two-semester interactive and feedback-rich course designed to build students' communication and reading comprehension skills. Reading comprehension lessons strengthen students' critical analysis skills as they study how nonfiction and literature can be used to share ideas. Writing lessons combine free-response exercises with drafting strategies and exemplars to help students communicate clearly and credibly in narrative, argumentative, and informational styles. Speaking and listening lessons guide students in developing skills specific to public discourse as they evaluate one another's speeches and adapt to different audiences and situations. In language lessons, students build the foundational grammar skills they need to articulate their ideas and understand challenging words. There are no required materials for this course. This course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English 7 is a two-semester interactive and feedback-rich course designed to build students' communication and reading comprehension skills. Reading comprehension lessons strengthen students' critical analysis skills as they study how nonfiction and literature convey ideas. Writing lessons combine free-response exercises with drafting strategies and exemplars to help students communicate clearly and credibly in narrative, argumentative, and informational styles. Speaking and listening lessons guide students in developing skills specific to public discourse as they evaluate one another's speeches and adapt to different audiences and situations. In language lessons, students build foundational grammar skills they need to articulate their ideas and understand challenging words. There are no required materials for this course. This course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English 8 is a two-semester interactive and feedback-rich course designed to build students' communication and reading comprehension skills. Reading comprehension lessons strengthen students' critical analysis skills as they study how nonfiction and literature convey ideas. Writing lessons combine free-response exercises with drafting strategies and exemplars to help students communicate clearly and credibly in narrative, argumentative, and informational styles. Speaking and listening lessons guide students in developing skills specific to public discourse as they evaluate one another's speeches and adapt to different audiences and situations. In language lessons, students build foundational grammar skills they need to articulate their ideas and understand challenging words. There are no required materials for this course. This course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English 9 is a two-semester course that is 100 percent aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. The course is designed to strengthen students' reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through thematically connected lessons that build upon one another, ensuring standards are scaffolded and covered in increasing depth. Students will learn to closely read and analyze diverse, authentic, and complex texts, apply reading strategies, and examine how authors develop themes and ideas across genres. They will also write across genres, create and deliver multimedia presentations, conduct research, and engage in independent reading studies of their choosing. In addition, the course covers evaluating sources, synthesizing information from multiple media, and conducting research with proper citation practices. Features such as guided notes and graphic organizers support student mastery throughout the course. Clarifying Big Ideas (CBI) lessons model critical thinking skills and strategies, address common misunderstandings, and articulate the big ideas that underpin learning. These skills and strategies are woven throughout the course to allow students to practice applying them in context. There are no required materials for this course. This course features career exploration powered by Roadtrip Nation.

English 9 introduces students to informational and literary genres. Students investigate the elements of nonfiction and literature through the critical analysis of texts that range from essays, speeches, articles and historical documents to a novel, a play, poetry, and short stories. The range of texts includes canonical authors such as William Shakespeare, Franz Kafka, and Elie Wiesel, as well as writers from diverse backgrounds, such as Alice Walker, Li-Young Lee, and Robert Lake- Thom (Medicine Grizzlybear). As they develop their writing skills and respond to theses, students learn to formulate arguments and use textual evidence to support their position. Throughout the course, students learn to engage with a variety of media types through which they process and synthesize information, discuss material, create presentations, and share their work. English 9 supports all students in developing the depth of understanding and higher-order skills required by the state standards. Students break down increasingly complex readings with close reading tools, guided instruction, and robust scaffolding as they apply each of the lesson's concepts back to its anchor text. Students build their writing and speaking skills in journal responses, discussions, frequent free-response exercises, and essays or presentations, learning to communicate clearly and credibly in narrative, persuasive, and explanatory styles. Throughout the course, students are evaluated through a diversity of assessments designed to prepare them for the content, form, and depth of state exams. The first semester of English 9 can be paired with one of two second semesters that each employ a different example of a full-length Shakespeare play. One option includes "Macbeth," and the alternative option includes "Romeo and Juliet." This course is built to state standards. This updated course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English Foundations I supports adolescent literacy development at the critical stage between decoding and making meaning from text. Through intensive reading and writing skills instruction, deep practice sets, consistent formative feedback, graduated reading levels, and helpful strategy tips, the course leads students to improved comprehension and text handling. Semester A provides instruction in basic reading skills and vocabulary building. The student learns what a successful reader does to attack words and sentences and make meaning from them. Semester B provides instruction in basic writing skills, introduces academic tools, and demonstrates effective study skills. The student learns step-by-step processes for building effective paragraphs and learns how to use academic tools such as reference books and outlines. To provide additional support, the course uses text features and visual clues to draw students' attention to important information. The use of text features is also designed to help students internalize strategies for comprehending informational text. Characters appear throughout the instruction to offer tips and fix-up strategies in an authentic, first-person, think-aloud format. Their inclusion makes transparent the reading processes that go on inside the mind of a successful reader. This extra metacognitive support serves to bolster student confidence and provide a model of process and perseverance. Numerous practice opportunities are provided in the form of assessments that move from no stakes to low stakes to high stakes throughout a unit. This practice is centered on authentic and age-appropriate passages that are written in a topical framework and use controlled syntax and vocabulary. The difficulty of these passages gradually increases from a 3rd- to 5th-grade reading level over the duration of the course. Additional support is offered through significant formative feedback in practice and assessment. This course guides students through the reading, writing, and basic academic skills needed to prepare for success in academic coursework. At the end of the course, the student should be poised for continued success in the academic world. The content is based on extensive national and state standards research and consultation with reading specialists and classroom teachers. This course is built to state standards for reading and writing and informed by NCTE/IRA reading and writing standards. This updated course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.

English Foundations II offers a year of skill building and strategy development in reading and writing. Semester A is a reading program designed to help struggling readers develop mastery in the areas of reading comprehension, vocabulary building, study skills, and media literacy. Semester B is a writing program that builds confidence in composition fundamentals by focusing on the areas of composing, grammar, style, and media literacy. Each semester is composed of 10 mini-units, which offer interactive instruction and guided practice in each of the four learning strands. Students read for a variety of purposes and write for a variety of audiences. The workshops stress high interest, engaging use of technology, relevant topics, and robustly scaffolded practice. Students learn to use different types of graphic organizers as they develop and internalize reading and writing process strategies. They build confidence as they develop skills and experience success on numerous low-stakes assessments that encourage growth and reinforce learning. The reading component of the course is built to state standards and informed by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), International Reading Association (IRA), National Reading Program (NRP), and McREL standards. The writing component of the course is built to state standards and informed by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) standards. This updated course was originally created for Apex Courses and is now available in Courseware.