Senior English
Mountain Brook High School
Course Description:
Welcome to Senior English! Our study of literature and writing will be a rigorous one in which we will read
and analyze works from the British canon. Throughout this course we will interweave study of vocabulary,
grammar, and critical reading and thinking skills essential for success in any college or other post-graduate
endeavors.
Course Objectives:
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To meet the College and Career Readiness Standards as found in the Alabama Course of Study
To recognize the distinguishing ideas and themes of the major literary periods
To explore the relationship between literature, history, and culture
To become more confident and accomplished in reading a variety of genres, both fiction and nonfiction
To recognize various archetypal themes or ideas
To apply a variety of critical lenses to the reading of literature
To learn and use literary terms
To increase personal vocabulary
To communicate ideas with clarity in class discussions
To research effectively
To present ideas and knowledge effectively, using digital media
To write for a variety of purposes
To edit thoroughly and accurately
To gain appreciation for the power of language to influence whether in the writing of established authors
or in one’s own work
 To learn and practice effective study skills and habits
Texts:
 Summer reading:
o The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
o English History Made Brief, Irreverent, and Pleasurable (to be used throughout the year)
 The British Tradition—Prentice Hall Pearson (in-class set, one take-home copy, online access)
 Novels will be selected from the British canon
Grading System:
Grades in all Senior English classes are determined by a weighted points system:
90% Summative Assessments (major writing assignments, tests, projects, presentations)
10% Formative Assessments (homework, classwork, participation, writing process components)
“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.”
--J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings