English Department

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At CCSMS, middle school English Language Arts focuses on the fundamentals of reading and writing: classes complete genre studies on both classical and contemporary texts. High school curriculum is restructured to provide rigor that will prepare all students for college English courses: in ninth grade, students study world literature; in tenth grade, British literature; in eleventh grade, American literature, in twelfth grade, composition.

Beyond the college preparatory classroom, English teachers are proud to offer rigorous curriculum that is dedicated to offering diverse content in both our middle school and high school: gifted and talented, honors, and AP courses provide structure, demand, and increase skill. In every class, teachers use literature and nonfiction texts to explore universal themes, author’s style, and structure. Emphasizing reading, writing, speaking, and technology in their classes, teachers incorporate strategies that appeal to diverse learning styles.

Courses

Courses	Course Description
Essentials of English	Scholars build and reinforce foundational reading, writing, and basic academic skills needed for success in high school. Through carefully paced, guided instruction and graduated reading levels, scholars improve reading comprehension and strategies, focusing on literacy development at the critical stage between decoding and making meaning from text. Instruction and practice in writing skills help scholars develop their composition skills in a variety of formats. Formative assessments identify areas of weakness, lessons are prescribed to improve performance, and summative assessments track progress and skill development.
English l Honors and College Prep offered	English I at CCSMS focuses on the SC College and Career Ready ELA Standards. These standards include strands in Inquiry, Reading Literary Text, Reading Informational Text, Writing, and Communication. Scholars will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts including novels, short stories, poems, plays, articles, essays, criticism, news, documents, etc. for the purpose of creating a solid foundational understanding of the methods of English study; this course is referred to as “Foundations in English Studies.” Scholars will build upon previous knowledge and develop new strategies to enhance their reading, writing, and analytical skills. Writing primarily focuses on narrative, expository, and argumentative essay types and techniques. A significant part of the curriculum is also devoted to scholar-driven inquiry and communication skills. A culminating project for the course will ask scholars to create a complex and well-researched annotated bibliography. A state administered End of Course (EOC) exam is given for the course.
English ll Honors and College Prep offered	English II at CCSMS focuses on the SC College and Career Ready ELA Standards. These standards include strands in Inquiry, Reading Literary Text, Reading Informational Text, Writing, and Communication. Scholars will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts including novels, short stories, poems, plays, articles, essays, criticism, news, documents, etc. that were/are produced from authors living and writing the 20th and 21st centuries; this course is referred to as “Contemporary English Survey.”
English lll Honors and College Prep offered	English III at CCSMS focuses on the SC College and Career Ready ELA Standards. These standards include strands in Inquiry, Reading Literary Text, Reading Informational Text, Writing, and Communication. Scholars will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts including novels, short stories, poems, plays, articles, essays, criticism, news, documents, etc. that were/are produced from authors living and writing in the United States of America; this course is referred to as “The American Experience.”
English IV	English IV at CCSMS focuses on the SC College and Career Ready ELA Standards. These standards include strands in Inquiry, Reading Literary Text, Reading Informational Text, Writing, and Communication. Scholars will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction texts including novels, short stories, poems, plays, articles, essays, criticism, news, documents, etc. that were/are produced from authors living and writing in Britain and associated countries across the globe; this course is referred to as “Britain and the World.”
AP Language and Composition Recommended Grade Level: 10th, 11th, or 12th with completion of English II or higher level English course	The AP English Language and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level rhetoric and writing curriculum, which requires scholars to develop evidence-based analytic and argumentative essays that proceed through several stages or drafts. Scholars evaluate, synthesize, and cite research to support their arguments. Throughout the course, scholars develop a personal style by making appropriate grammatical choices. Additionally, scholars read and analyze the rhetorical elements and their effects in non-fiction texts, including graphic images as forms of text, from many disciplines and historical periods.
AP Literature and Composition Recommended Grade Level: 10th, 11th, or 12th with completion of English II or higher level English course	The AP English Literature and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level literary analysis course. The course engages scholars in the close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, scholars consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require scholars to analyze and interpret literary works.
Dual Credit Options	With CCSMS approval, scholars may also take dual credit courses with a specified college to earn both high school and college credits. English 101 and 102 are commonly taken.