Rocklin High School

Grade Level: 9

Prerequisites: None

 

Study will encompass the four areas of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Students will read classical works (of many genres), which highlight a variety of authors and multicultural themes. Focusing on the writing process, students will write a character analysis essay, a thematic essay, a research outline and speech, and a narrative. Students will speak in a variety of situations that include group presentations, individual presentations, and dramatic readings. Students will also learn to perform close readings of expository texts, while they develop annotation skills. Students will demonstrate competency in active listening through note taking and other related activities.

Grade Level: 9

Prerequisite: Grade of an “A” in 8th grade Language Arts class.

 

This is an accelerated course encompassing the four areas of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Students will read both classical and contemporary works (of many genres), which highlight multicultural themes. Students will focus in depth on the writing process, research inquiry, and literary analysis papers. Students will speak in a variety of situations that include group presentations, individual presentations, panels, and dramatic readings. Students will demonstrate competency in active listening through note taking and other related activities.

Summer Reading Recommendations: Students are highly encouraged to read two short novels by the first day of school: Call of the Wild by Jack London and either House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros or Cannery Row by John Steinbeck. It is suggested that students purchase their own copies of the novels in order to highlight important passages, however, a limited number of copies of the novels can also be checked out at the RHS Library.

Grade Level: 10

Prerequisite: None

 

This course emphasizes the four major areas of communication: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The literature-based course follows the guidelines set in the model curriculum standards. Students will participate in a reading program selected from a variety of genres, including poetry, short stories, and novels. Students will study in-depth and sophisticated nuances as well as the larger meaning of these works. Students will compose analytical, argumentative, and narrative writings. As part of a Career Unit, students will research a career, create a resume, and complete a class presentation regarding the career as well as participate in a mock interview. Students will demonstrate competency in active listening through note taking, research, writing well organized essays, and other related activities.

Grade Level: 10

Recommended: Grade of “B” or better in ELA I

 

Language Arts II Honors is an accelerated course designed to advance communication skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). This course emphasizes extensive reading and analyzing complete works of literature with depth and complexity at an increased pace. By challenging students in this manner, the expectation is that honors students intend to enroll in a future Advanced Placement English course and take the corresponding AP exam. Students are exposed to a variety of texts and authors and should be prepared for on-demand and polished writing, discussions, presentations, projects, and other assessments. Regular attendance is crucial. Students must be willing to utilize the entire class time and be motivated to complete work at home. Work completed should be the student's best effort and highest quality. Students who enroll in this course should enjoy reading, demonstrate active participation in their own learning, and be strong in their reading and writing skills. 

 

Summer Reading Recommendations: Strongly recommended summer reading includes one of the following books: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, or The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien.

Grade Level: 11

Prerequisite: None

 

In the eleventh grade, students will explore primarily American literature as it relates to the decades of history, focusing on the 1860s to the present. Reading both fiction and non-fiction texts, research, writing, and discussions will guide students to demonstrate their understanding of literary elements, rhetoric, discourse, and writing structures. Students will develop an awareness of the connection of themes and their relevance to contemporary issues. In addition, students will demonstrate competency in whole-class discussion (Socratic seminars), literary essays, and a researched persuasive paper and speech.  

Grade Level: 11 - 12

Recommended: Grade of “B” or better in Language Arts II OR successful completion of Language Arts II Honors.

Fee: College Board testing fee ($TBA)

This course offers intensive instruction in reading, writing, and rhetoric, exposing students to diverse texts and genres. Emphasizing rhetorical analysis, it explores how context, audience, and speaker interact. Students learn argumentation fundamentals, examining effective techniques used by authors. The aim is to prepare students for the AP exam in May, potentially earning college credit. This college-level course demands readiness for a rigorous, fast-paced environment. Students must commit to utilizing class time and an additional 60 minutes nightly, producing high-quality work. Formative and Summative Assessments include essays, presentations, debates, multiple-choice tests, and Socratic Seminars, all under time constraints. These assessments develop skills essential for success in On-Demand writing which has become a more common form of assessment on college campuses. 

 

Teacher’s Note: Students opting to enroll in this course are embracing a challenging academic journey. This course, distinct from traditional English classes, presents unique challenges that all students encounter. Consequently, fluctuations in performance are to be expected, forming an integral part of the learning process. It is crucial for students enrolling due to an obligation or a perceived necessity to take an AP class to recognize the inherent difficulty of this course.

 

In my experience as the instructor, students who approach the material with genuine interest, dedicating themselves to mastering the skills imparted, are more likely to thrive in the class. Beyond high school, these acquired skills become invaluable assets. The course welcomes any student ready to embrace the challenge, emphasizing the necessity of dedicating time—time to read, time to write, and time in the classroom. Through this commitment, all students can enhance their reading and composition skills, qualities highly sought after by colleges.

 

I would advise against enrollment only for students with a history of frequent absences. While unforeseen circumstances such as injuries, illnesses, or family emergencies are manageable and accommodated, consistent absenteeism throughout the semester (regardless of the reason for the frequent absences) makes it challenging to assist a student in achieving their academic goals for the class.

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisite: None

With a passing grade, this course allows students to enroll in college English at all CSUs, California Community Colleges, and some UCs without a placement test or an extra course and will prepare college-bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher education. Through a sequence of eight rigorous instructional modules, students in this yearlong, rhetoric-based course develop advanced proficiency in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. Students will be expected to increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors and to apply those strategies to their own writing.  They will read closely to examine the relationship between an author’s argument or theme and his or her audience and purpose; to analyze the impact of structural and rhetorical strategies; and to examine the social, political, and philosophical assumptions that underlie the text.  By the end of the course, students will be expected to use this process independently when reading unfamiliar texts and writing in response to them. The ERWC is closely aligned to the seven criteria of the UC English requirement. Students successfully completing this course develop skills, knowledge, processes, and dispositions in the following areas of academic literacy: reading rhetorically, writing rhetorically, listening and speaking rhetorically, and habits of mind.

Grade Level: 12

Prerequisite: None

 

Twelfth grade Language Arts continues to stress the four major areas of communication:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing with a focus on preparation for four-year college and university work. Students will write in a variety of styles for different purposes and audiences as they read, analyze, and discuss traditional and contemporary world literature, including novels, plays, poetry, and non-fiction texts. Students will also engage in collegiate research writing  and take on leadership roles in intensive, student-centered seminar-style collaborative academic discussions. 

Grade Level: 12

Recommended: Grade of “B” or better in AP English Language & Composition

Fee: College Board testing fee ($TBA)

AP Literature and Composition is an accelerated course (college level) designed for students intending to take the AP test (Literature and Composition) in the spring. Breadth and depth of the reading are the key features of the AP program in English. Students will closely read a variety of complex literary works from classical Greek philosophy and drama to the modern novels and plays in preparation for frequent on-demand  and polished writing. Writing assignments will focus on critical analysis and research skills. In addition to core texts, the course also requires extended reading and research as assigned by the instructor. Students who pass the test may be eligible to receive college credit, advanced placement in college courses or both, depending on the policies at the particular collegiate institution.

Core Texts: These are the texts we will be reading (in this order) throughout the year. If possible, you will want to purchase the particular editions listed, as it may be helpful  to participate in seminars.

Antigone -  Sophocles (Oxford Paperback ISBN - 0-19-506167-5)

Oedipus the King- Sophocles (Oxford Paperback)

Canterbury Tales- Geoffrey Chaucer (Dover)

Othello - Shakespeare  (Folger - ISBN 0671722816)

Frankenstein  - Shelley  (Penguin - ISBN 978-0-14-3105039)

As I Lay Dying - Faulkner (Vintage - ISBN 0-679-73225-X)

Death of a Salesman  - Miller (Penguin - ISBN 0-14-048134-6)