English

English 1 - P

COURSE NUMBER: E101
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 9th grade

English 1 is a comprehensive course which provides the freshman student with practice in each of the language arts: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The content of the course includes a wide variety of activities based on the reading of literature in all genres. The development of each student’s strengths and abilities as a critical thinker, expository writer and reader is stressed throughout the course.

English 1 Honors

COURSE NUMBER: E102
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: Teacher recommendation and Entrance Examination Scores
LEVEL: 9th grade

Honors English 1 is a comprehensive English course for students who have superior abilities in reading and writing. They should demonstrate evidence of a desire to read; should have maintained a 90% average or above in English and related subjects; and should have scored above the 90th (local) percentile in the verbal, reading, and language arts sections of the Entrance Examination. (Space is usually limited to the top 28 students.)

Note: The UC system does not certify any ninth- and tenth-grade level courses as honors courses. Only AP English 3 and AP English 4 are UC certified honors/AP level courses.

English 2 - P

COURSE NUMBER: E202
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 10th grade

English 2 is a comprehensive course which builds on skills acquired in English1. Practice in reading, writing, speaking and listening is stressed. The assignments, which provide a wide variety of language experiences, allow the student to progress as rapidly as possible toward becoming a fluent and effective writer. The expository essay is a major focus in the writing syllabus for this course.

English 2 Honors

COURSE NUMBER: E203
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES:  A "B-" in English 1 (H) or an "A-" in regular English 1, Department approval required, Student writing portfolios will be reviewed and discussed. Some students may need to submit additional writing samples.
LEVEL: 10th grade

Honors English 2 is a comprehensive English course for students with outstanding ability in the areas of reading, writing and speaking. The goals are the same as those for English 2, but more advanced materials are used to challenge the stronger abilities of honors students. As an honors course, the students should expect heightened rigor in terms of pacing and breadth of written work.

English 3 (DLS) - P

COURSE NUMBER: E303DLS
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS 
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 11th grade

English 3 is a comprehensive course which provides the junior student with practice in each of the language arts: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The content of the course includes a  chronological study of American literature. Practice in writing, particularly the critical essay, is a major emphasis in this course.

English 3 (CHS) - P

COURSE NUMBER: E303CHS
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: CHS 
PREREQUISITES: Completion of English 2 or English 2 (H)
LEVEL: 11th grade

English 3 is a comprehensive course which allows the junior student to develop skills in each of the following core areas: reading, writing, speaking and listening. The course content includes texts that represent a diverse collection of American voices. Readings will expose students to a broad range of works, all of which contribute to the overall fabric of American culture. Practice in different academic modes of writing is a major emphasis in this course.

Blended elements will be incorporated in this course taught at Carondelet.  *Blended courses are a combination of face-to-face instruction and on-line learning.  This course requires students to do much of the work independently outside of class meeting times.*

Note: Summer reading requirement for the course will be announced in the spring via the Carondelet/De La Salle website.

AP English Language and Composition 

COURSE NUMBER: E353
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS and CHS
PREREQUISITES:
  DLS:  A "B-" in English (H) or an "A-" in regular English courses, Department approval required,
  Student writing portfolios will be reviewed and discussed. Some students may need to submit
  additional writing samples.

  CHS:  A "B" in both semesters of English 2 (H) or a "B+" in both semesters of English 2, and
  Department Approval.

LEVEL: 11th grade, 12th grade

The Advanced Placement English program, sponsored by the College Board, is an intensive program of college-level curriculum that provides qualified juniors with an opportunity to earn advanced placement, college credit, or both, at nearly 3,000 colleges and universities across the country. By challenging and stimulating students, the program provides access to quality education, accelerates learning, rewards achievement, and enhances their high school career. Specifically, the AP Language and Composition course seeks to hone students’ skills as readers and writers of prose. The course uses a wide variety of selections from the rich tradition of world literature as the foundation for instruction. Analytical, expository, and argumentative writing are emphasized because these form the basis for academic and professional writing. Students are expected to sit for the Advanced Placement Examination.

Note: Summer reading requirement for this course will be announced in the spring via the Carondelet/ De La Salle Website.

Senior Selectives

Advanced Placement English Literature (10 credits)  - Classics of Horror (5 credits) -The Culture of Storytelling (5 credits) - Dystopian Fiction (5 credits) - *Literature, Conflict and the Human Experience (5 credits) - *She Said: A Survey of 20th c. Women's Literature and History (5 credits) - Psychological Realism (5) -Shakespeare (5 credits) - The Short Story (5 credits) - Writing Seminar (5 credits) - The 21st Century Woman (5 credits) - The Wild West (5 credits)

Note: concerning Honors Courses in the 9th and 10th Grade: The U.C. System does not certify any ninth and tenth grade level courses as honors courses. Only AP English Language and AP English Literature are U.C. certified honors level courses.

*These two courses will be offered on a 2 year rotation

AP English Literature and Composition

COURSE NUMBER: E454
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 10
CAMPUS: DLS and CHS
PREREQUISITES:   A "B-" in advanced English courses (Honors or AP) or an "A-" in regular English courses, Department Approval required, Student writing portfolios will be reviewed and discussed. Some students may need to submit additional writing samples.

LEVEL: 12th grade

AP English Literature and Composition is a specialized course for students who demonstrate an exceptional interest in and a commitment to the study of literature. The course is designed to cultivate careful readings of a variety of literary works (both in genre and in era) in order to develop a more sophisticated understanding of literary art and meaning. In order to develop the ability to perceive central issues, purposes, and techniques of various writers, students will learn to comment on abstract questions through analysis of specific works. In addition, students will explore, identify, and practice effective oral communication skills and improve their skills in written English through frequent writing. Students are expected to sit for the Advanced Placement Examination.

Note: Summer reading requirement for this course will be announced in the spring via the Carondelet/ De La Salle Website.

The 21st Century Woman - P

COURSE NUMBER: E415
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: CHS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

This course provides students will a variety of entry points for critically analyzing both opportunities and challenges facing women living in the 21st century. To help develop context and understanding for current women’s rights issues, students will both examine definitions and frameworks used to discuss women’s rights, including U.S domestic and international laws and conventions, as well as study the U.S. women’s rights movement and other global women’s rights movements. Topics for study and analysis will include the current level of engagement and participation of women in a variety of spheres of life: education and career; health; politics and government; the media, spirituality, and the family.

Classics of Horror - P

COURSE NUMBER: E411
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL:  12 grade 

Classics of Horror is an English selective that gives the student an opportunity to thoroughly study and investigate the world of the horror story.  The student will be asked to pay particular attention to the role of invasion, isolation, madness, pride, and family in the assigned texts.  This course will focus on character and setting as a function of the Gothic novel and horror film.  The student will learn to recognize common elements and themes and will learn to identify the relevance of social, historical and political context.  Shelley, Stoker and Stevenson have created texts that have haunted us for decades.  Their respective "monsters" have become a part of the American psyche as well as part of our own "cultural literacy."  Frankenstein, Dracula and Hyde have developed into symbols for Fear, Social Degeneration, the destructive power of the Ego, and the "Other."

Dystopian Fiction - P

COURSE NUMBER: E409
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: CHS
PREREQUISITES: Completion of English 3 or AP English Language and Composition
LEVEL: 12th grade

Students will investigate dystopian themes in literature and explore how authors from various cultures and time periods have attempted to draw attention to real-world issues, specifically regarding the reservations of human dignity in a generally corrupt society. The course is designed to expand rhetoric, sharpen grammar, and hone the critical and analytical skills of students. There will be continued emphasis on advancing skills in reading, writing, critical thinking, speaking and listening.

Explorations in Writing - P

COURSE NUMBER: E428
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5 
CAMPUS: CHS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

Explorations in Writing is a semester-long English course that gives students an opportunity to improve their writing skills in preparation for college-level writing. The course will cover a variety of modes including argumentative, narrative, informational writing. The reading list will include a variety of mentor texts that will expose students to the various rhetorical techniques that skillful writers employ. This course will also emphasize the notion that writing is a practice, requiring consistent effort and attention in order to improve. The culminating project for this class will be a writer’s portfolio that highlights some of the best work produced throughout the semester.

Note:  This is a BLENDED class that requires students to do much of the work independently outside of the class meeting times.  Organization and consistency are key to being successful in this course.

Literature, Conflict, and the Human Experience - P

COURSE NUMBER: E419
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL:  12 grade 

Literature reflects history and history affects literature.  Often, literature informs and shapes our understanding of history because literature can bring history to life in ways that textbooks cannot.  This class looks to investigate that link.  The course aims to examine powerful international conflicts that often go unexplored in secondary education.  In this semester-long class, students will examine the causes, conduct, and fallout of these conflicts through literary works, historical documents, multimedia sources, as well as individual and group research.  Students will produce one essay, one project, and one presentation as major assessments.  In addition, students will engage in frequent discussion about the course material and historical events.

COURSE NUMBER: E432
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: CHS
PREREQUISITES: Completion of English 3 or AP English Language & Composition
LEVEL: 12th grade

This course aims to make the students aware of the uniqueness of every individual and to sharpen their understanding of self and others. Students will deal with concepts of human psychology as evidenced in character behavior in novels and other works. The course is designed to expand rhetoric, sharpen grammar, and hone the critical and analytical skills of students as they use a psychological lens to analyze character motivation. Specific attention will be placed on developing strong inference skills. Students will be placed in situations in which not all the information is provided to them. Specifically the use of poetry, short stories, and one longer novel will help them develop strong inference skills and the major focus for the class will be to use literary and psychological devices to develop these skills. There will be continued emphasis on advancing skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize. Beyond the purely skills-based aspect of the course, the content is designed to have students engage with literature authentically and gain greater empathy and understanding of the human experience as a whole.

Psychological Realism - P

COURSE NUMBER: E410
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: CHS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

This will be a spring course offering and will be a blended class, meeting during 7th period one-two days per week along with online learning components.

Using basic psychological concepts of Freud, Jung, Adler, and Kohlberg, this course aims to make the students aware of the uniqueness of every individual and to sharpen understanding of self and others. Students will deal with psychological realism as evidenced in character behavior in novels and plays. The course is designed to expand rhetoric, sharpen grammar, and hone the critical and analytical skills of students as they apply psychological theories in analyzing character motivation. There will be continued emphasis on advancing skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, critical thinking, and ability to synthesize.

Note: This course meets at period 7.

Reading Lounge: Critical Lenses in Literature

COURSE NUMBER: E429
STATUS: Pending
CREDITS: 5 
CAMPUS: CHS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

Reading Lounge is a semester-long class that will allow students to cultivate their own identities as readers. Throughout the semester, students will read a broad range of works that include novels (whole class, book club and individual), poetry, song lyrics, short stories and picture books. While one goal is to give students an opportunity to read a broad range of texts, emphasis will also be placed on deep reading strategies. Students will engage in regular discussions about the reading, and will write metacognitive reflections about their own reading identities, and how those identities transform over the course of the semester. Students will also be introduced to literary criticism, and will focus on different critical lenses through much of their reading.

Shakespeare - P

COURSE NUMBER: E414
STATUS: Pending
CREDITS: 5 
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

In this course students will read and experience a variety of Shakespeare’s work. The course will cover a play from each of Shakespeare’s three dramatic genres (comedy, history, tragedy) and some of his poetry. In addition, students will watch filmed and/or live performances of Shakespeare’s dramas in order to explore the variety of interpretations that the texts can generate. The course’s writing emphasis will be on expository work, but there will be some creative work as well. Students will also engage in the dramatization of some scenes from Shakespeare’s plays.

She Said: A Survey of 20th Century Women's Literature and History - P 

COURSE NUMBER: E430
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

This course will encourage seeing human experience through a woman’s eyes as a means of enriching one’s understanding of history, her-story, and female identity. The course will offer a look at both male and female perspectives as part of a broader approach to the study of American women over the last century. Using literature, film, primary sources, and examples from pop culture, the students will examine the unique challenges of women and their role in society.

The Culture of Storytelling-P

COURSE NUMBER: E426
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

The “Culture” of Storytelling: A Journey into Allegory, Mythology, Fable and Fairy Tale. Humans have always been bound by stories. Even before they were written down, stories were told through words and pictures as a means of expressing culture, tradition, values, history and religion. This senior selective will take students on a journey through various storytelling platforms which include classic myth, fables and fairy tales, only to conclude in a study of the modern novel and film as a reinterpretation of classic storytelling forms. Students will learn to see the allegorical and metaphorical dimensions of various narratives as expressions of human experience and human endeavor. The course will also encourage an appreciation of the universal motifs and themes which transcend culture and geography. Students will write analytical essays, engage in class discussion, perform literary and film analysis, and learn to synthesize various storytelling forms. The culminating activity for the course is a group project on the significant role of various archetypes, including the monsters and the hero.

The Short Story - P

COURSE NUMBER: E424
STATUS: UC/CSU & NCAA Approved
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL:  12 grade 

This course is intended to give students an understanding of the basic elements of short fiction: plot, setting, character, theme, tone and point of view, as well as knowledge of the development of the short story form.  Students will study the works of representative authors from Poe to Capote.  Students will write analytic papers, practice the elements of fiction in short writings, and compose one original work of fiction as the final project to increase their understanding of the form.

The Wild West 

COURSE NUMBER: E431
STATUS: Pending
CREDITS: 5
CAMPUS: DLS
PREREQUISITES: None
LEVEL: 12th grade

What is the American icon? What is the quintessential American image? The cowboy. The gunslinger. The loner riding his horse across the plain with his six-gun at his side. What is it about this image that speaks to the American and the global imagination? How accurate is this perception? Was there more to Western life than that? These are the questions the will open the door to the Western Literature course. As we proceed, we will look at written and filmed versions of popular Western American fiction to sort out fact from fantasy and to examine how this American iconography has evolved over time. Students will discover that the stereotypical image resonates with the desire for independence and initiative, as well as the distrust of authority the gave birth to the United States. However, not surprisingly, students will discover that there is more to Western literature than that--just as there was more to life in the Old West than gunslingers and outlaws. Women, Native Americans, Mexicans, and Mexican-Americans all lived and died in the region and had unique perspectives on life there. All these will be explored over the course of the semester. Students will produce two essays and a brief research project during the semester as well as a number of small assignments such as journals and brief analytical writings. Students will engage in frequent small-group and class discussions to plumb the depths of this rich literary heritage.