BHS Honors/AP English Program Philosophy Statement: Brighton High School students who elect Honors or AP English should be independent, self-directed learners with a strong work ethic in search of a language arts curriculum that is more challenging and intensive than the mainstream courses.

These high level English courses focus on close reading and deep critical analysis of the classic canon or other texts with literary merit. Equally important is the focus on academic writing, including an emphasis on the stages of the writing process, with the goal being to develop sophisticated, stylistically mature writing for a variety of purposes.

The long-term goal of the Honors English program is to prepare advanced students for college-level work, but also to foster their writing talent and love of reading.

Primary Textbooks:  Elements of Literature, Third Course.

 Vocabulary from Latin and Greek Roots: A Study of Word Families—Book III

Students may purchase their copy of this workbook for the price of $10; otherwise this workbook is NOT to be written in, and must be turned in, free from damage, at the end of the year.

Supplementary Reading: Night, Cold Sassy Tree, The Three Musketeers, Pride and Prejudice, Ethan Frome, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Separate Peace, Great Expectations, Fahrenheit 451, Anthem, The Odyssey, and Romeo and Juliet.

Class Reading:  Students will read the books listed above, as well as a selection of poems, short stories, articles and book excerpts, and discuss them regularly in class.  They will develop their annotating skills and will be expected to meaningfully annotate assigned class readings.  I will check in these notes as part of their daily work grade.

Independent Reading: Students will read at least one independently chosen book per month.  They will receive weekly class time for Silent Sustained Reading of these books, and use them in a variety of assignments and projects throughout the year.  I encourage students to choose something they will enjoy, but also to stretch themselves a bit.  Advanced readers may wish to choose from the AP text list.

Writing:  Students will write one major piece per quarter, focusing on narrative, informative and argumentative writing, and will write shorter, informal pieces on a daily basis.  I emphasize the writing process, so students will be expected to submit rough drafts and revise and edit based on peer and teacher feedback.

Culminating Reflection:  All students will compose a comprehensive reflective letter that discusses their growth throughout the year. Therefore, it is imperative that students save their work throughout the school year and maintain a backup copy of their efforts. File folders will be provided for students to utilize within the classroom, but it is highly recommended that copies be kept on a computer hard drive and flash drive or CD in preparation for the unexpected loss of data.  

Suggested Materials: Organization is a major key to success in this class, as we will always be working on several things at once!  I encourage students to use a three-ring binder divided into sections for daily writing, Latin/Greek roots, essay drafts, notes, class handouts, project work, vocabulary, etc. I also recommend that students have access to a dictionary (print or online), and that they use a planner or organizer to keep track of assignments and upcoming tests and projects.  A flash drive will also be useful for storing writing assignments.  Sticky notes and/or “flags” are also quite helpful with annotating texts.