Taught by Ashaunti Samms

The English class will have a strong emphasis for practicing exercises and assignments that cover grammar, essay writing, and creative writing. Writing is the foundation for literary understanding and expressing critical thinking, and students will be expected to write on a weekly basis. There will also be an intense review of SAT/ACT words of the week and a small section of SAT/ACT test English session practice at the end of each month so the students can feel prepared when they have to take standardized tests in order to apply to colleges in the near future.

This honors level high school course will be covered in close tandem with the History class being taught this semester. The historical period we are working within are The Middle ages which span roughly between the 5th Century to the 15th Century. This course will explore the rich and diverse literary traditions of the medieval period, focusing on iconic texts that have shaped our understanding. Through readings such as Beowulf, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, and the life and writings surrounding Joan of Arc, students will delve into the themes of heroism, honor, myth, and the intersection of culture and belief systems in medieval literature. There will be more readings given throughout the year in the form of short stories, novels, and plays that are from multiple cultural backgrounds during this time period.

We will also be exploring the literary contexts of the more modern book The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, The With, and The Wardrobe. This is a literary work (the play version) that is also being covered in the Theater class. It was chosen for a chance to have more cross diverse educational opportunities with an element the students can grasp onto. Though this story takes place during WW2, since the majority of the story takes place in a medieval style fantasy world, it is a very rich literary source to help teach medieval historical themes and concepts, as well as relate those concepts to world war 2 era and modern day for deeper cultural comprehension.

This course will allow for an exploration of both historical context and literary legacy, encouraging students to engage with these texts critically and creatively.