Course Titles and Descriptions | English 12 Electives
The Shaker English Department offers students multiple pathways for fulfilling New York State’ s required four years of coursework in English Language Arts. Students in grades 9-11 may take Next Generation ELA standards aligned courses at the regents, or honors level. Juniors who qualify may enroll in Advanced Language and Composition. Seniors may select two semester long courses from a varied array of elective courses, or may choose to enroll in a University in the High School English course, a Syracuse University Project Advance course, or an Advanced Placement offering. All students are required to pass the Common Core English Regents, a skills-based exam offered during junior year.
Course Titles and Descriptions
011 English 9H (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
Prerequisite: Recommendation of the 8th grade English teacher based on multiple measures including the iReady reading diagnostic, and the New York State ELA exam.
This course requires extensive reading across a variety of genres and authors. Through consistent close reading students will develop academic vocabulary and a critical view of the world around them. Students will write regularly – for a variety of purposes and audiences – with the expectation of advanced use of diction and syntax to effectively convey meaning. The rigor of this course requires strong time management skills and a high level of motivation. As the year progresses, the scaffold of text complexity will challenge students, bringing them to a new interpretive and analytical ability level. Summer reading required.
012 English 9R
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
This course is designed to teach skills in reading comprehension, research, interpretation of literature, composition, language use, vocabulary, and informational literacy. The curriculum includes analysis of classical and contemporary literature, as well as of nonfiction pieces. In addition to full-length novels and dramatic works, students will study poetry, short stories, and essays. Vocabulary development is achieved through the study of literature-based words with a focus on academic vocabulary. Reading instruction emphasizes close reading of texts to form evidence-based analyses. Writing instruction includes an emphasis on using evidence from a variety of sources to formulate an argument. Speaking and listening skills are emphasized in rigorous evidence-based conversations about texts. The final examination is departmental and focused on reading texts closely and utilizing textual evidence to support claims.
021 English 10H (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
Prerequisite: English 9H with a Final School Mark of 85; English 9R with a Final School Mark of 95 and teacher recommendation.
This course emphasizes a close reading of British and other world literature including fiction, drama, poetry and the essay. Students conduct independent research based on literary criticism, engage in rich and rigorous evidence-based conversations about text, and analyze and respond to literature through sophisticated writing activities in preparation for the Common Core English Regents Exam administered during junior year. Summer reading required.
022 English 10R (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
Prerequisite: English 9
This course emphasizes close reading of fiction, drama, poetry, and informational texts. Vocabulary and grammar are studied formally and within the context of writing. Students conduct independent research, participate in rich and rigorous evidence-based conversations about texts, and respond to literature through various mediums. Students will learn to write for a variety of audiences and purposes including writing that emphasizes use of evidence from sources to inform or make an argument. The final examination is departmental and focuses on critical reading and writing. Summer reading is strongly recommended.
055 AP Language and Composition (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
This course is open to students in grades 11 and 12.
Prerequisite: English 10H or 11H with a Final School Mark of 85 and teacher recommendation. English 10R or 11R with a Final School Mark of 95 and teacher recommendation.
This course aligns to an introductory college-level writing curriculum, which requires students to utilize the tools of rhetoric to develop evidence-based argumentative and close reading essays that proceed through several drafts and are shared in small workshopping groups. Throughout the course, students develop their writing voice by making purposeful stylistic choices. Additionally, students analyze rhetorical elements and their effects by reading a variety of nonfiction texts from many disciplines and historic periods. Q1 work focuses on TWO summer reading books, which must be completed prior to the start of the course. Juniors enrolled in this class are required to take the Advanced Placement Language and Composition Exam as well as the Common Core English Regents Exam.
031 English 11H (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
Prerequisite: English 10H with a Final School Mark of 85; English 10R with a Final School Mark of 95 and teacher recommendation.
This course combines a survey of American literature with instruction in advanced writing and reading skills. Students are expected to read extensively and to undertake close readings of short stories, poems, essays, plays, and novels. Students will also regularly participate in rich and rigorous evidence-based conversations. Writing focuses on all forms of exposition by emphasizing literary analysis. Students will conduct research projects using evidence from fiction and nonfiction sources to analyze and evaluate a literary text. The final examination for this course is the Common Core English Regents Exam, which is a graduation requirement. Summer reading required.
032 English 11R (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
Prerequisite: English 10R
This course offers a comprehensive study of reading skills, focusing on genres of American literature including novels, dramas, short stories, essays, and poetry. Students will gain competency with writing in the following modes: analytical writing, poetry, personal narrative, and research-based writing. Students will identify and analyze key ideas and details in a wide range of complex and challenging literary and nonfiction works. There will be a focus on how the author’s craft impacts the meaning and purpose of a text. Students enrolled in this course are required to take the Common Core Regents Exam, which is a graduation requirement.
941R English AIS Lab
941A
No credit
Academic intervention services in English are offered through this remedial lab. Students who have failed the Common Core English Regents Exam are required to take the lab until they achieve success on the Regents exam. Students who are in danger of failing the Common Core English Regents Exam are also scheduled for this lab in order to better prepare for this test.
English 12 Electives
It is the philosophy of the English Department that the senior year provides a unique opportunity for the students to select specific English Language Arts content that interests or intrigues them. All of the electives are designed to further prepare students for college and career readiness in alignment with the Next Generation reading and writing standards.
The students are grouped heterogeneously in most of the elective courses. It is the belief of the English Department faculty that students benefit from interaction with a variety of their peers and that the range of ability levels that are represented enriches the courses.
Seniors may take one or more additional semester courses to earn elective credit or complete a five-year sequence in English. Juniors may enroll in English electives to earn credit where class size will permit. The selection of English electives in the junior year is not intended as a substitute for English 11 or as a substitute for the senior year English requirement.
044 Sports in Literature
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ Unit
This semester-long course uses literature, poetry, essays, journalism, and films to illuminate and refine our understanding of the impact of sports on our personal and social lives. The NCAA Eligibility Center requirements, Title IX legislation, Propositions 16/48, and the role sports play in defining values are the central issues studied. Weekly seminar discussions on current controversial issues in sports, based on research students complete, require student participation. Students who enroll in this course must demonstrate a serious interest in reading and must be willing to contribute regularly to weekly discussions.
041 WRT 114: Introduction to Creative Nonfiction (P)
NCAA Approved Course
First Semester – ½ Unit
Prerequisite: English 11H or a Final School Mark of 85 in English 11R and teacher recommendation.
This one-semester, college-level course provides an introduction to creative nonfiction (CNF), a genre that encompasses many kinds of prose: flash nonfiction/prose poetry, narrative/lyric essay, culture essay, to name a few. CNF writers almost always—in some way or other—focus on the tensions that emerge between individuals and the world around them. Thus, this course requires writing about oneself and others in the context of a broader culture. Students will have the freedom to explore a wide range of topics and experiment broadly with voice, style, form, the use of research, and elaborate revision. This is an intensive writing class in which students engage in writing workshops in class, including brainstorming and freewriting activities, and structured peer to peer critiques. Additionally, students are required to complete frequent readings related to craft as well as published exemplars of the genre. Fee required to receive 3 course credits through Syracuse University’s Project Advance.
047 Science Fiction and Fantasy
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
This one-semester English course involves reading and writing centered on Science Fiction and Fantasy. This course will prepare students for college-level reading and writing while exploring themes and concepts in the Fantasy and Science Fiction genres. This course will be structured similarly to traditional college-level introductory courses in literature and composition. The course covers writing topics such as creative writing, expository composition, and research writing. These topics are all taught within the traditional structure and support typical of Shaker’s high school level classrooms. Students with strong interests in either Fantasy or Science Fiction are highly encouraged to take this course.
040 Creative Writing
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ Unit
The aim of this first- or second-semester course is to create a community of writers who will study elements of writers’ craft and write in a variety of genres, including short stories, creative nonfiction, and (or) poetry. Students choosing this course should be prepared to make daily entries in writers’ journals that will count for a weekly grade. Students will be expected to share their own pieces for discussion and criticism frequently and to write regularly for Visions, Shaker’s award-winning literary magazine. In addition to shorter exercises, projects may include writing a 10,000-word novel as part of NaNoWriMo or writing a complete poetry collection in celebration of National Poetry Month.
062 Film Criticism
Either Semester – ½ Unit
This one-semester course is an introduction to the art of film. Significant American films are used to study the techniques of filmmaking and film genre. Students are expected to read some film criticism and react to it in class discussion and through their writing. Several short papers are required.
069 Public Speaking
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ Unit
This second-semester course is designed to help students develop introductory-level mastery of major modes of speech and communication. Students learn to conduct themselves in one-to-one communication, during an interview, and informal group presentations. They prepare speeches taking into account topic, purpose, audience, organization, and outlining. Practical research and critical thinking skills are emphasized throughout this course. Students are required to give several speeches.
048 Journalism
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ Unit
This one-semester course is a study of modern journalism and the media’s impact on contemporary society. The course will foster critical thinking skills as it teaches students how to be both thoughtful, perceptive consumers of contemporary mass media and critics of the media’s impact. Coursework will include student-produced podcasts, reviews, infographics, photojournalism, and documentaries. Students will study the characteristics of news, feature, and in-depth articles, as well as opinion pieces. Student pieces will be workshopped in class and shared for publication in The Bison, the school online newspaper.
052 Exploring Cultures through Literature
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ Unit
This first- or second-semester course is a survey of non-Western literature. Areas of emphasis will be Africa, Asia, and the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The class will study various fiction, nonfiction, and cinematic works as cultural products reflective of embedded cultural values. The study of these works will also allow the class to explore issues arising from the experience of living in an increasingly global world.
051 Reading Literature
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ unit
Prerequisite: Final school mark of 80 in English 11H or Final School Mark of 85 in English 11R.
This one-semester, college-level course provides an introduction to reading literature, with emphasis on developing critical skills and reading strategies through the study of a variety of genres, themes, historical periods, and national literatures. Students can earn three State University of New York credits upon successful completion of this course.
087 Introduction to Philosophical Problems
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ unit
Thinking philosophically involves pursuing reasons for our most deeply held beliefs and using argument to answer our most fundamental questions about ourselves and the world around us. This course will focus on central questions about personal identity, the meaning of life, the nature and value of love and friendship, morality and justice. In virtue of what are you the same person over time? What does it mean to live a meaningful life, and how do love and friendship play a part? What is the nature of morality? What are our moral obligations? What does it mean to say persons are equal? What is justice? As we pursue these questions, we will come to understand what it means to think, read, and write carefully, openly, and honestly about our lives. Students can earn three State University of New York credits upon successful completion of the course.
053 AP English Literature and Composition (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
Prerequisite: English 11H or AP Language with a Final School Mark of 85 and teacher recommendation.
Enrollment in this full-year course is restricted to students who have demonstrated extraordinary ability and achievement in their high school English courses. Extensive reading, intensive study of literary works, and concentration on critical and analytical writing skills should prepare the serious English student for the Advanced Placement Examination. The Advanced Placement Examination is required of all students taking this course. Students who do not take the exam will not receive AP course credit. A fee is charged by the College Board and must be paid or the student may be removed from the course.
055 AP Language and Composition (P)
NCAA Approved Course
Full Year – 1 Unit
This course is open to students in grades 11 and 12. Please see above for course description and prerequisite.
045 Readers’ Workshop
This course is a one-semester English class for people who enjoy reading. It offers students the opportunity to read and respond to a wide array of books. Students will create self directed reading projects, make independent choices of reading materials, and experiment with different kinds of responses to evaluate the impact of the text. In addition to self-selected books, students will also read supplemental materials to help them analyze and reflect on their own reading process.
050 English Composition I (Formerly Nonfiction)
NCAA Approved Course
First Semester – ½ Unit
This course is designed to help students improve their writing ability through concentration on the writing processes: prewriting, writing, and revision. Other concerns of the writer, particularly audience, diction, sentence structure, figurative language, and correctness, will be addressed. Research techniques, library orientation, and small group in-class discussions of student writing are also included. Students in this course are eligible to enroll in the Hudson Valley Community College University in the High School program. This curriculum is aligned with HVCC English Composition I. Students who enroll and successfully pass the course are eligible to earn 3 credit hours from HVCC.
066 English Internships: Writing Center Training and Advanced Writing Center Training
NCAA Approved Course
Either Semester – ½ Unit
This internship is designed to train students in grades 9-12 to be a part of our student-run and student-staffed Shaker Writing Center. After establishing a working knowledge of writing center theory and practice, interns will be expected to share and discuss their writing as they gain an understanding of how to run critical yet non-judgmental peer-to-peer writing consultations. In addition, interns will be expected to create resources for writers and to complete inquiry projects that continue to make our writing center an asset to the North Colonie community. Successful interns demonstrate the ability to self-motivate, a willingness to lead and participate in small and large group conversations, an enthusiastic desire to help others express and reflect on their own ideas, and a genuine interest in the craft of writing.
Students are required to submit an application, along with teacher recommendations. Once accepted, interns must maintain an overall GPA above a 90, with a semester average of at least a 93 in English. Upon successful completion of the training, interns may serve as writing consultants at the Shaker Writing Center.