A Slightly Closer Look at Some
of the Language Arts Course
Offerings
Community College
College Preparatory
Advanced Placement Route
Tech School/Work Force
English 9
College Preparatory
(10 English credits)
English 9(10 English credits)
English 9 or Pre-AP/Honors English 9
(10 English credits)
Language Arts: Skills Seminar
(For students with 9th grade in-progress/low basic
scores on district levels tests. Students with high
basic scores and above enroll directly in World
Lit/Composition. Students needing this course are
notified in April or May.)
(10 English credits)
World Literature/ Composition (10 English
credits)
World Literature/Composition
(10 English credits)
US Lit//Humanities
(5 US Lit. credits) (5 Hum. credits)
US Lit/ Humanities
(5 US Lit. credits) (5 Hum. credits)
Junior/Senior Level Classes
A student needs from 5-15 credits, depending on
whether or not he or she has taken Skills Seminar.
(5 English credits)
Short Fiction
Reading/Study Skills
Media Analysis/Composition
Students who have lower skills on levels
tests, but who are seriously motivated, can be
successful in the junior/senior level classes in
the middle column.
Television Production may also be taken for
English credits and is considered a noncollege preparatory class.
Junior/Senior Level Classes
A student needs 5-15 credits, depending on
whether or not he or she has taken Skills Seminar.
World Literature/Composition or
Pre-AP World Literature/Composition
(10 English credits)
US Lit/Humanities or
Pre-AP US Lit/Humanities
(5 US Lit. credits) (5 Hum. credits)
British Literature/Composition
(10 English credits)
(5 English credits)
British Literature
Great Books 1 and 2
College Prep/ Composition
Creative Writing: Drama/Short Story
Creative Writing: Poetry
Reading/Study Skills
Technical Writing
(10 English credits)
Journalism 1 and 2
Pacesetters
British Literature/Composition
Western or World Humanities
Advanced Placement:
Literature and Composition
(10 English credits)
Any of the classes from the middle column
are recommended as additional English
electives for these students.
Course Descriptions!
Basic Speech
Introduction
For many people in
today’s society, public
speaking is one of the
scariest things imaginable.
This course is designed to
help alleviate some of that
fear and anxiety by giving
you a chance to practice
speaking in front of an
audience for a variety of
purposes.
Speeches Covered
The different types of speeches covered in the
class includes, but is not limited to, the following:
Persuasive
Oral Interpretation
How-To/Informative
Impromptu
Mock Interview
Additional Skills
The following skills will also be covered:
Organization (webs, outlines, notecards, etc.)
Use of visual aids
Use of facial expression
Use of body language and hand gestures
Use of eye contact
Understanding of the dynamics in a group discussion
Critique and evaluate others’ speeches
Research
How to impact an audience
Course Descriptions!
Theatre
Theatre Foundations
If you’re interested in theatre
but don’t know where to start,
this is the place for you. Theatre
foundations focuses on the
basics of theatre. You’ll get
everything you wanted to know
(or at least the start of it) about
the history of theatre, the nittygritty of acting, and an intro to
the technical side. This is a oneterm class any beginning
thespian will love.
Advanced Acting and Production
So, you fell in love with the theatre through Theatre
Foundations, or it’s just in your blood and you want to go
one step further in your training. Advanced Acting is right
up your alley. This one-term class offers a more in-depth
look at the fundamentals of performance such as
auditioning, directing, and stage-craft. The culminating
project for this class is an on-the-road children’s theatre
that allows you to show off everything you learned. You’ll
leave Advanced Acting ready for Broadway (or at least
Openstage!).
Musical Theatre Production
The only musical Rocky produces is in this very class.
During first term, fourth hour you’ll spend an hour and a
half rehearsing for musicals such as The Music Man,
Oklahoma!, Kiss Me Kate, or Brigadoon. You can also
get in on the tech side if behind-the-scenes is more your
forte. You just have to make sure you register for this
class the year before. Auditions are held in May and
production starts the first day of school in August. An
intense 9 weeks, but in the end, it’s well worth the effort!
Extra Curricular Theatre
Throughout the year there are
numerous opportunities to get on
stage outside of class. There’s
always the student directed
Winter One Act Festival, the
Spring Show in April, as well as
Shakespeare Under the Stars,
Variety Shows, and a number of
other performances. Just keep
an eye out for auditions and
information!
Course Descriptions!
Great Books
Introduction
Do you need five more credits of English? Do
you love to read? Do you wish you had read
more of “the classics?” If you answered yes to
any of these, Great Books could be the class for
you!
Reading Lists
Here at Rocky, we offer two classes of Great Books, alternating each
year, so you could actually take the class once this year and once next
year and read completely different books. The list of possible titles for
each class is as follows…
The Great Books I
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Catcher in the Rye
Crime and Punishment
Giants in the Earth
The Mirror
The Time Machine
Dandelion Wine
Travels with Charlie
Invisible Man
Too Late the Phalarope
The Great Books II
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The Sun Also Rises
The Grapes of Wrath
The Chosen
2001: A Space Odyssey
Darkness At Noon
Fathers and Sons
Davita’s Harp
Cry, the Beloved Country
Course Descriptions!
World Literature And
Composition
Introduction
As it is a requirement for all
10th-grade students, this course
is designed to prepare you for
the other English courses you
will take at Rocky Mountain High
School. The course is
challenging and stimulating for
students of all levels, and it will
build on the knowledge you
gained in junior high in the areas
of reading and writing.
Literature
You will understand the use of literary devices
as you study poetry, non-fiction and short stories
from the textbook. In addition, at least two novels
will be read during the semester, chosen from the
following list:
The
Good Earth
Nervous Conditions
The Old Man and the Sea
A Place Where the Sea Remembers
I Am the Clay
Girl
With a Pearl Earring
Candide
A Wizard of Earthsea
Cyrano de Bergerac
Power of One
East of Eden
Drama
Drama is also covered in the class, with one
of the following plays by Shakespeare read in its
entirety:
Julius Caesar
Merchant of Venice
Composition
The second main component of the class is
composition. You will complete four multi-draft
writing assignments in the following genres:
Expository/Narrative
Persuasive
Research
Literary Analysis
Course Descriptions!
Pre-AP World
Literature And
Composition
Introduction
This course is designed for sophomores who wish to begin preparing for the
Advanced Placement Literature and Composition course. Passing this course is
required for graduation. This class is also a prerequisite for U. S. Literature and
Humanities (students may elect to take Pre A.P. U. S. and Humanities).
Pre AP World Literature and Composition is intended to introduce students to
a survey of world literature beginning with the Classical Age and ending with the
Modern Era. Literature is presented within the larger context of the history,
culture and philosophy of each time period in order to expose students to the
various influences that shaped the styles, themes and genres of great literature
throughout the world. Students are expected to be able to work independently, to
think critically and analytically and to have solid reading and writing skills.
Throughout the course, students will study excerpts of works such as the Iliad,
The Song of Roland, Don Quixote, Gulliver's Travels, Romantic poetry (including
Hugo and Wordsworth), Realist short stories (such as Tolstoy and De
Maupassant) and contemporary short stories (such as Allende and Tan). In
addition to textual excerpts, students will also read 2 dramas such as Antigone
and Julius Caesar or Merchant of Venice, as well as The Old Man and the Sea,
Candide and East of Eden.
Student Responsibilities
In addition to literary study, students will complete a minimum of four processed
writing assignments. Composition work focuses on literary analysis and expository
and persuasive writing techniques. The capstone writing assignment is a research
paper.
1. Readings
a. 5 assigned novels/dramas
b. Textual excerpts
2. Papers/ Projects
a. Essays: 4 processed essays
b. Timed in class essays
c. Literary Terms portfolio
d. Group project: research and group discussion
3. Exams
a. "Time Period" tests
b. Assigned novel/drama tests
c. Cumulative final exam
Course Descriptions!
British Literature And
Composition
Introduction
This course is designed for college bound juniors and seniors. It
is also a recommended course for students working on the AP track
in English.
British Literature and Composition is intended to introduce
students to a survey of literature beginning with the Middle Ages and
ending with the Modern era. Literature is presented within the larger
context of the history, culture, and philosophy of each time period in
order to expose students to the various influences which shaped the
styles, themes and genres of great British literature. Students will
study excerpts of works such as Beowulf, The Canterbury Tales,
Renaissance sonnets (including Shakespeare, Spenser, and Donne),
The Rape of the Lock, Romantic poetry (including Wordsworth,
Coleridge, and Keats), The Lady of Shallot and Dubliners. In addition
to textual excerpts, students will also read 4 full length works such as:
Macbeth, Frankenstein, A Tale of Two Cities and 1984.
Student Responsibilities
In addition to literary study, students will complete a minimum of four writing
assignments. Composition work focuses on literary analysis and expository and
persuasive writing techniques.
1. Readings
a. 4 assigned novels/dramas
b. Textual excerpts
2. Papers/Projects
a. Essays: 2-3 literary analysis
b. Essays: 1-2 persuasive
c. Group project: introducing a novel and leading a group discussion
d. Literary Terms Portfolio
3. Exams
a. "Time Period" tests
b. Assigned novel/drama tests
c. Cumulative final exam
Course Descriptions!
Technical Reading
And Writing
Introduction
Technical Reading and Writing is a nine week course
that allows students to practice the specialized writing
that will be required in various trade and technical
positions.
Students will learn the basic requirements for the most
common documents, such as procedure and reference
manuals, proposals, and reports.
The textbook used in this course is
Successful Technical Writing: Documentation for
Business and Industry by Bill Wesley Brown
Tasks And Applications
List Of Tasks:
Declaration
of Specialization
Create A Corporate Image
Textbook Evaluation
Literature Search and Rescue
Glossary Task
Field Study
Proposal Task
Descriptive Owner's Manual Task
Feasibility Study
Final Resume
List Of Applications:
Kodak
Imaging
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Publisher
Microsoft PowerPoint
Internet Explorer
BlockCAD
PSD Library Catalog System
Simeon
Course Descriptions!
Forensics
Are you…
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Smart?
Funny?
Charismatic?
 Witty?
 Articulate?
 Dramatic?
 Opinionated?
Intellectual?
(No dead bodies, we
promise!!!)
If you answered yes to any or all of
the above
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then you are a likely candidate for the RMHS
Forensics (Speech and Debate) Program. At
Rocky, our Forensics Program has two
different elements: The team and the classes.
You may take a class without joining the team
and vice versa.
Here are the options:
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The Team
Argumentation and Debate
Advanced Speech
The Team
There has never been a more exciting time to be part of
the RMHS Forensics Team! We have experienced
unprecedented success both as individuals and as a
team during the 2004-05 season- and we’re still going
strong! The team travels to tournaments on Saturdays
to compete against other high schools from all over the
state (and sometimes beyond) in Policy Debate,
Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate,
Original Oratory, Student Congress,
Extemporaneous Speaking and Oral Interpretation
(Humor, Duo, Drama, and Poetry). Practices are
scheduled after school.
Argumentation and Debate:
During this course, different types of argumentation will
be discussed as they apply to various persuasive
situations. Policy, Lincoln-Douglas, and legislative
debate techniques will be introduced and skills in
analysis, organization, and refutation will be stressed.
This class is recommended for any student interested
in consistently winning arguments with
parents/teachers/friends/siblings/that annoying nextdoor neighbor…etc. It’s offered first term only.
Strongly recommended for prospective debaters!
Advanced Speech
This course is a continuation of Basic Speech
(prerequisite) with emphasis on persuasion,
oral interpretation, oratory, and interpersonal
communication skills. Thespians will love this
class! This class is offered 2nd term only.
Strongly recommended for prospective
eventers!
Questions??? Contact Paul
DeMaret (coach and teacher) at:
pdemaret@psdschools.org
Course Descriptions!
For more information
about Pacesetter
English