English 9 Core 40 is a yearlong course required of all 9th grade students, with the exception of those 9th graders who elect to participate in the Honors English Program. The focus of English 9 will be on developing students’ proficiency with language foundations. Students will be expected to provide evidence that they are capable readers, writers, speakers, and listeners. A minimum of three five-paragraph essays will be assigned throughout the year.

Honors English 9 is a yearlong course for those 9th grade students who are willing to take on the challenges of a rigorous, fast-paced language arts program. The focus of Honors English will be to develop and refine students’ proficiency in reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical and creative thinking, organizational and study skills. A minimum of five five-page essays will be assigned throughout the year.
This section of English 9 will be paired with one section of Honors Introduction to Social Science. This four credit interdisciplinary course will provide a solid base for understanding philosophical and cultural trends through western civilization.

Honors English 9 is a yearlong course for those 9th grade students who are willing to take on the challenges of a rigorous, fast-paced language arts program. The focus of Honors English will be to develop and refine students’ proficiency in reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical and creative thinking, organizational and study skills. A minimum of five five-page essays will be assigned throughout the year.

The focus of English 10 will be on further developing and refining students’ proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, critical and creative thinking, and study and self-management skills. The course emphasis will be on the ways that students will need to demonstrate their knowledge and skill in language arts in professional and academic settings. Students will write three formal essays per semester of which one will be a research paper that uses MLA documentation. Students will be expected to read four extended works throughout the year.

A yearlong course is intended for students who are willing to take on the challenges of a rigorous, fast-paced language, literary and a history program taught at an advanced level. Students will write four formal essays of literary analysis, including one literary research paper, per semester. Students will be expected to read eight extended works throughout the year.

English 11 Core 40 is a yearlong course. The focus of this course will be on further developing and refining students’ proficiency in reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical and creative thinking and study and self-management skills. The course will emphasize the ways students will need to demonstrate these skills in academic and professional settings. Students will write an application essay to a post-secondary school and will demonstrate mastery of summary in another essay. In addition, students will write at minimum three more essays, and at least one of those will be five pages in length. Students will be expected to read at least three extended works throughout the year.

This class is a block class with U.S. History that integrates English 11 Honors with United States History AP. As a result of participation and performance, students should be able to demonstrate the ways in which United States’ literature is both a reflection of and response to the historical period in which it was created. The teachers involved share a commitment to establishing clear connections between assessment and curricular goals and to providing experiences for students that promote sustained inquiry and in-depth investigation of issues and ideas. The primary emphasis is theoretical. This is a rigorous course. Students should expect to work hard. Students will write an application essay to a post-secondary school and will demonstrate mastery of summary in another essay. In addition, students will write at minimum four more essays, and at least one of those will be five pages in length. Students will be expected to read at least eight extended works throughout the year.

W131 is a course in critical reading, writing, and thinking with sources in which students will experience the varied range of academic writing. Students will master the skills of summary, critique, analysis, synthesis, research, and documentation. Students will also learn to adapt the writing process and apply various organization strategies to match the purpose of the individual assignment. Topics for writing will be developed from reading about and discussing in depth issues under debate in different disciplinary fields and among the general public. Students are asked not only to discuss and write about these issues but also to examine the different analytical frameworks and assumptions that various authors and we ourselves bring to such conversations. (Students enrolled in W131 can earn 3 hours of credit from Indiana University)
ACP A202 Literary Interpretation emphasizes a close, thoughtful reading of representative literary texts in poetry, drama, fiction, novel, and appropriate nonfiction prose originally written in English and drawn from a range of historical periods and countries. The course is not a survey of the literature of any country or historical period. A major goal is to develop the ability to read and write with precision, responsibility, and imagination. Students should expect to participate in thoughtful class discussions and write both shorter critical responses and several, longer analytical papers. These papers will be developed entirely from students’ own careful reading and analysis. Close reading of a few selected texts, rather than wide coverage, is encouraged. Students will be expected to use and distinguish among a variety of approaches to literary interpretation, both through the use of literary tropes and various critical frames, as appropriate to each work. (Students enrolled in A202 can earn 3 hours of credit from Indiana University)
This pair of courses may be an appropriate choice for students who have been in the Honors English Program or English Core 40. Students who elect these courses should be strong students with well-developed writing skills who should understand that there will be heavy demands for reading and writing. Students who have not met Indiana University’s requirements for admission may want to strengthen their academic preparation before attempting this course. In most cases, students who elect W131 and A202 should plan to enroll for IU credit.

English 12 Honors is a yearlong course for students who desire an accelerated pace, an intellectual challenge and academic rigor. This course, a study of British Literature, is an appropriate final course for students who have been enrolled in the Honors program during their ninth, tenth and eleventh grade years. The course material will be organized around overarching questions, topics, themes or problems. Students enrolled in this course will be expected to continue to build on the knowledge and skills they have acquired in previous English classes. Students will write at least eight papers and be expected to read at least eight extended works.

Journalism is a yearlong intensive writing course open to students in grades 9-12. This class is a prerequisite for the Newspaper Class. The fundamentals and techniques of journalistic writing, editing, and advertising are taught, as well as the canons of journalistic ethics. Frequent written assignments are required. Students will have experience in news writing, peer editing, interviewing, and basic newsgathering techniques. All written assignments will adhere to the writing style laid out in the textbook, Journalism Today, and the Associated Press Style Manual. Students will be trained and tested for a thorough understanding of both books’ content. Assessment will be based on the written assignments, quizzes, tests, and classroom participation. The course will provide students with information to help them understand the particular nature of writing for periodicals. In addition, frequent writing assignments will focus on specialized journalistic writing styles such as sports writing, features, editorials, and in-depth reporting. The fundamentals of layout and design, using desktop publishing hardware, and headline writing and photo editing are taught. Assessment will be based on written assignments, quizzes, tests, and classroom participation. There may be some occasions in which students will have the opportunity to write articles for the North Star, the school newspaper.

Newspaper is a course open to students in grades 10-12 who have had the Journalism prerequisite, or seniors with a written recommendation from one of their English instructors. This is the production course of the North Star, the school newspaper. Students will write articles, layout the publication using Quark Express software, and assume all staff positions for the school publication. All staff members are required to contact businesses to sell advertising space in the paper. This is a hands-on, student-centered course. Contributions, cooperation, and the resulting student publications are the means of assessing student achievement. Group work, peer editing, and time management are also important aspects of assessment. Newspaper is repeatable for elective credit.

This course is designed to produce Bloomington High School North’s yearbook, the Nikean, and to give students the opportunity to learn publication work beyond that associated with a newspaper. Student will learn the principles of yearbook production, how to create page layouts, how to edit and crop photos, how to work cooperatively, and how to use the computer software supplied by the yearbook company. In the yearbook course, student may work in any one of several areas: advertising, photography, page makeup, copywriting and computers. All students will have an opportunity to work with the public in that all staff members are required to sell advertising space during the first few months of school. Grading is based on tests, pages completed according to deadline, observation of daily work habits, and the degree to which staff members help when and where needed. Yearbook is repeatable for elective credit.

Mass media will provide students with the opportunity to learn dark room photography, digital photography and television production. Students will be taught how to use a standard 35mm Ricoh camera as well as the use of an Olympus C-3040-Zoom Digital Camera. Students will learn about the elements of photo composition and how they apply to both types of cameras. In addition, students will learn how to develop film and make prints in the dark room. Students will receive instruction on the various features of digital cameras and how they can be used in conjunction with personal computers, and more specifically, Adobe Photoshop. Also, students will be taught how to shoot and edit video. The class will learn about proper lighting, sound and camera usage. Students will work on a variety of video projects, some of which may be aired on local community television station CATS.

Students will learn the derivations and meanings of English words and word families, including roots, suffixes, and prefixes from Latin, Greek, and some Anglo-Saxon roots. Students also study origins or words and the reasons for language change. The course introduces students to the tools and resources for the study of words and word origins and encourages students to be curious about their language. Written and oral activities and projects reinforce the study of word history and semantics. The analysis of texts, which require etymological understanding, will also be a part of this course.

Themes in Literature is a study of common themes, such as the journey of the hero, the trials of youth, the search for identity, and other themes appropriate to the level and interests of students. This course includes an examination of the manner in which themes are treated by different writers in different literary genres. Frequent writing and oral exercises help students become sensitive to and articulate about thematic variations that occur because of genre or cultural context. Representative works by authors of diverse eras and nationalities are so that students may gain knowledge of humanity’s struggle to understand the human condition. It is recommended that the course be limited to a few related themes to ensure course coherence.

Creative Writing Fiction Emphasis is a one-semester elective course designed for students who want to develop the skills necessary to write effective fiction – specifically short stories. Using Stephen King’s, On Writing, as a backdrop, students will learn the basic elements of writing fiction and how to apply those elements in the reading and analysis of the works of recognized masters. Students will then apply those techniques (knowledge of back story, pacing, plot development, characterization, dialogue verisimilitude, etc.) to their own work as they write character sketches, dialogues, plot diagrams, setting descriptions and keep a daily journal of responses and observations. Over the course of the semester, students will be expected to create a portfolio of their best work that will include a minimum of three original short stories which have been extensively revised and edited. Student work will be expected to meet rigorous standards of effective fiction writing, and students should expect to devote time outside of class to their writing. Grading will be based on daily, weekly and culminating assignments.

Creative Writing Poetry Emphasis is a one semester elective course designed to give students with a special interest in writing poetry the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to the art of effective poetry writing. Students will learn the basic elements (alliteration, assonance, rhyme, metaphor, simile, hyperbole, personification, etc) of poetry writing and apply them to the works of established poets and to their own work, as well. Students will also examine and practice a variety of poetry styles – free verse, sonnets, lyrics, sestinas, haiku, found poems, etc. – and will create a portfolio of their own best work based on these styles and techniques. Students will be expected to analyze and respond to the works read for class and to keep a daily journal of poem starters and observations. A portfolio containing a minimum of ten original poems of varying styles will be the culminating project for the semester. Grading will be based on daily, weekly and semester assignments. Students taking this course will be expected to meet rigorous standards of effective poetry writing and to devote time outside of class to their writing.

This course seeks to help students expand their definition of text beyond the written word to the screen image. Students will become acquainted with the fundamentals of film grammar and vocabulary along with the history of film in America and the conventions of Hollywood film. Beyond this, approximately ten films will be studied in depth. The selections will change from year to year and may be organized around an historical moment (e.g., films of the 1970s); a genre (e.g., film noir); or a director (e.g., Alfred Hitchcock). Students will be expected to write a response paper for each film viewed as well as a term paper that combines research and original analysis of a film not covered in class. Readings will include historical background, film criticism, social commentary, and biographical information.

This class gives students the opportunity to read and analyze contemporary literature across cultures and time. We will compare how novels and music work to accomplish similar goals and will examine how literature and the lyrics of song communicate important social issues. Particular attention will be paid to gender, race, and issues of class. With the aid of different theories and methods of criticism, students will approach written and aural texts alike. Along with critical analysis of novels and music, this class will also help to teach and reinforce many of the main components of a traditional English class. In addition to reading, students will explore issues of interpretation, genre, and theme through creative and analytical writing, group discussion, and oral presentations.

This course is designed to promote the overall improvement and development of students’ oral communication skills. Some areas to be addressed are public speaking, interpersonal relationships, group discussion, listening skills, oral interpretation, and debate. The class will provide a variety of opportunities for student to become effective communicators in a variety of situations. Students will refine their skills in creative, analytical, persuasive and expository writing processes. They will have opportunities to read and analyze spoken texts. Finally, this course emphasizes research using technology, careful organization, and preparation.

Basic Skills Development is a year long course designed especially for those 9th grade students who performed below standards on the language arts portion of their 8th grade ISTEP and who are at risk of not meeting State Standards on the Graduation Qualifying Exam their 10th grade year. This course is intended to be taken in addition to English 9. The class emphasizes a personalized approach to basic reading and writing skills. In addition to providing focused, integrated instruction in the Indiana Reading/Language Arts Standards, the class will provide students with the opportunity to learn test taking strategies, practice writing timed essays, and engage in other activities designed to build their confidence in testing situation.

Language Arts Lab is a remediation course designed for students who have yet to meet the Indiana State Standards on the language arts portion of the GQE. Students gain reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills necessary to perform successfully both in the school and the community. Using an integrated approach to teach the Indiana Reading/Language Arts standard, the program helps students sharpen their skills and gain confidence in testing situations. Individualized instruction dominates the teaching strategies employed in a student- centered classroom.

Advanced Creative Writing is a course designed for students who can work independently and who have an interest in pursuing writing at the college level. Advanced Creative Writing is a workshop-centered course where students will have the opportunity to work one-on-one with the instructor and with other students to develop their writing skills. During the first semester, students will work on honing basic techniques particular to either poetry or fiction; the second semester will focus on the creation of finished works, which will become an integral part of their final portfolio—a requirement for the successful completion of this course Students will also be required to include in their final portfolio a reflection and assessment of their entire year in Advanced Creative Writing.

A one semester study of American ethnic literature, representing indigenous groups, and forced and voluntary immigrant groups. Genres covered will include 2-3 short novels, short stories, essays, diaries, letters, and other personal writings, as well as poetry and drama from the past two hundred years of American literature, but the emphasis will fall on the post-World War II period of 1950 to the present. Reading selections will be drawn from African-American, Native American, Hispanic American, Jewish-American, Asian American, and Indian-American literature, among others. The course will consider how particular images and beliefs held about ethnic groups appear in literary works. Questions in the course will include: who is the “other” in the melting pot of America and what is the role of the “other” in American culture? How have various groups been both shaped by and helped to shape American culture? Students can expect to read a variety of texts; discuss those thoughtfully and responsibly; write several, short informal papers; one in-depth study of one writer; and work in a team to create and present a hypertext presentation on a topic of choice (approved by the instructor) within the course.