English

Contemporary American Poetry

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
In Contemporary American Poetry, we will build a practice of reading and writing poetry, with an emphasis on exploration and producing work. While writing is often understood to be a solitary practice, we'll experiment with collaboration, performance, and building a literary community. You can expect to read three collections of poetry, learn about craft and mechanics, and build a process for writing poetry that can extend beyond our time together in class.

Creative Writing

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
How do writers discover and refine their voices through sustained practice, experimentation across genres, and revision? Creative Writing investigates how writers develop their voices, advance their craft, and shape meaning through sustained practice, experimentation across genres, and revision. Students engage deeply with poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction—using close readings of exemplary works as craft models and examining authorial choices related to voice, structure, imagery, and narrative perspective. Creative Writing emphasizes creative risk-taking, craft awareness, and revision as an iterative, reflective process. Students write daily, produce original work across genres, and participate in peer workshops, writing critiques, craft exercises, and multiple rounds of revision. Coursework centers on sharing works in progress and engaging in collaborative discussions grounded in constructive feedback in an anti-racist workshop format. Rather than relying on a single textbook, students work with a curated selection of literary texts alongside their own writing, culminating in a polished writing portfolio that reflects growth, revision, and artistic intentional.

Dramatic Literature

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 10, 11, 12
How do we analyze and construct meaning from plays? The curriculum in Dramatic Literature focuses on 21st century drama and introduces students to a wide variety of playwrights and dramatic styles, challenging students' understanding of race, gender, and sexuality through personal engagement with plays primarily written by Black, Indigenous, Asian American, queer, and female playwrights. Each week students read a new play, independently or aloud in class; discuss its themes and cultural importance; study the characters; consider possible stage directions; and analyze the scenes. Short writing assignments focus on character analysis, close-reading, and self-reflection, culminating in a long-form essay that examines multiple plays in conversation with each other. For many students, this course is a starting point for appreciating theater and learning to read plays. For those who have previously engaged with the theater program, it is an English course that connects to their passion and prepares them for theater courses offered at college or university.

Existentialism

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
What does it mean to exist freely and responsibly in an uncertain world? Existentialism explores questions of meaning, freedom, responsibility, and self-creation through close reading, discussion, writing, and creative work. The course examines how modern thinkers and artists confront despair, alienation, and choice while insisting on human agency and ethical responsibility. Students engage with philosophical essays, short fiction, plays, and films by figures such as Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, Simone de Beauvoir, and Franz Kafka, alongside related artistic and cinematic works. Through analytical writing, seminar-style discussion, and personal creative projects, students investigate how existential thought challenges individuals to confront the conditions of existence and to consider what it means to make oneself in a world without predetermined meaning.

Introduction to Media Studies

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
How does the way we consume media influence the way we think about the world? How do we understand our power and privilege through lenses of race, class, and gender? How much of our sense of ourselves is socially constructed? How do we learn to “read” visual information in still and moving pictures? Introduction to Media Studies addresses these questions, equipping students with the tools to analyze and critique various forms of media. Students use the language of critical thinking (premise, implication, inference, assumption, ambiguity, and nuance) to pull apart the messages layered in film, television, music, advertisements, video games, and social media.

Literature of the Environment

Not Currently Offered

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
Throughout history writers have served as moral voices of their times by lending their words to activist movements. As the climate crisis threatens all life, writers have taken up the pen to sing songs of our planet, give voices to non-human lives, demand climate justice from the power structures of our world, and imagine better ways of being. Literature of the Environment explores eco-critical theory and analyzes literature for and about the environment to understand how writers can shape environmental thought, policy, and action. By the end of this course, we will have joined the eco-lit movement by authoring our own climate justice works.

Philosophy for Social Change

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
How do dominant ideologies shape society? How can those ideologies be challenged and reimagined? Philosophy for Social Change investigates the role of ideology in structuring social, economic, and political life through critical reading, discussion, research, and writing. The course focuses on three influential systems—Capitalism, Patriarchy, and White Supremacy—examining their historical origins, underlying assumptions, and institutional effects. Students study critiques of these ideologies by thinkers whose voices have been marginalized by them, drawing from philosophy, critical theory, and social analysis. The course concludes by considering emerging frameworks and alternative paradigms for justice, equity, and collective transformation, encouraging students to connect philosophical inquiry to contemporary movements for social change.

Say What You Mean

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
Why are some concepts and experiences so difficult to articulate? Why do unspoken thoughts often seem richer, smarter, or more complex? Why is it hard to form persuasive arguments in conversations when the ideas are clear in our minds? Say What You Mean focuses on refining students’ rhetorical skills to bridge the gap between word and thought. Scientist, artist, mathematician, political activist, musician—writing well allows the individual to share their insights and experiences with the world. Students practice harnessing their own creative process and use specific critical lenses to shape and polish their communication skills. By reading a diverse variety of texts and exploring multiple writing techniques, Say What You Mean pursues a simple goal: clarity in writing and speaking.

Shakespeare

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
Why are Shakespeare’s plays continually performed throughout the world? What can his works teach us about the world today? About our own lives? About the human condition? This course offers an in-depth study of the drama and poetry of William Shakespeare with an emphasis on understanding the texts through readings, small-group assignments, written work, and scene performances. The course is designed to improve every student's capacity to read deeply and interrogate texts for possible interpretations. Students will study two plays and several sonnets by building up from the foundation the words offer, to syntax, to character development to scenes, and finally to the structure and meaning of the full text. From political thrillers and piercing revenge tales to moving stories of mercy and forgiveness student will learn to open the language and argue about its meaning. Beyond the language, students will discuss the relevance of Shakespeare’s stories to our modern world. No previous experience with Shakespeare or acting is required.

(Offered in alternating years)

World Literature

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
World Literature explores diverse literary masterworks from around the globe, encompassing various cultures, periods, and genres. We will go from Gilgamesh to Kendrick Lamar. Throughout the course, students will delve into classic and contemporary works and examine the cultural, historical, and social contexts that shaped these texts. By reading and analyzing novels, short stories, poetry, and drama from different global regions, students will develop critical reading and writing skills essential for college-level literary studies. The curriculum encourages lively discussions about universal human experiences as portrayed in literature while fostering the ability to compare and contrast themes, styles, and techniques across cultures and time. Assignments will include analytical essays, creative responses, and literacy mapping that challenge students to interpret complex texts thoughtfully. By the end of the course, students will gain a broader understanding of world cultures through their works of literature, enhance their appreciation for diverse storytelling traditions, and improve their analytical writing skills. World Literature will prepare students for future academic endeavors and encourage them to think globally and express their ideas thoughtfully. Most importantly, students will move towards a greater understanding of humanity and our most profound forms of expression through story and narrative.

Writing About Literature

0.5 Credit
Grade 10
What can fiction show us that nonfiction cannot? How do stories, novels and poems expand our understanding of who we are? In this course, you will practice close reading of literary texts of all kinds and learn strategies for writing smart, effective essays. You will develop your literary vocabulary and the accuracy and power of your writing, including crafting an arguable and nuanced thesis statement, using evidence effectively, and deepening your understanding of grammar, syntax, and punctuation. We’ll aim to read closely, think deeply, and communicate clearly.

Writing for Theater & Film

0.5 Credit
Open to Grades 11, 12
What makes playwriting distinct from other forms of creative writing? How do we express our ideas through script-writing? Writing for Theater & Film explores the arc of playwriting by building characters and understanding conflict. By reading and writing dialogue, students develop a greater understanding of how to write a play or screenplay with diverse forms and themes. Weekly writing exercises encourage students to explore the range and complexities of writing for theater and film, while a collaborative group project delves into the unique experience of writing for television. Writing assignments involve a variety of prompts to promote experimentation with style, and students’ written works are read aloud with a focus on constructive critique.

Writing Narrative Nonfiction

0.5 Credit
Grade 10
Narrative nonfiction can be summed up as true stories, well told. What is the difference between your truth and “the truth”? How do we seek out, explore and express these different truths honestly and accurately? How is writing narrative nonfiction different than creating a pictorial (Instagram, Snapchat) story? In this 10th grade course, we will approach nonfiction writing as a multi-step process that includes pre-writing, drafting, and revision. You’ll also read a variety of published essays as inspiration for your own work. Through a series of projects, you will develop your writing voice as well as a personal writing process.