10th Grade English Courses

English 2
Grade 10
In English 2, students continue to practice and add to the skills introduced in the previous year. Throughout the year, students write literary analysis essays, argumentative essays, and synthesis essays based on their reading of works such as Fahrenheit 451, Raisin in the Sun, and Persepolis. All of these writings focus on selecting appropriate evidence to support claims, expanding analysis and commentary, as well as maintaining a clear organizational structure. In addition to the anchor texts, students also read various pieces of nonfiction and shorter fiction to deepen their understanding of complex themes and universal questions. Students will also write narrative essays using various descriptive writing techniques. Throughout these units, students continue to develop their speaking and listening skills through presentations, group work, and Socratic seminars. Weekly vocabulary lists are taken from the literature as well as SAT preparation materials, and their study of complex sentence structure and grammatical topics continue. Students also engage in a unit studying rhetoric and the art of persuasion in the media. They carry this knowledge over into a formal speech unit in which they will write and deliver their own persuasive speech, as well as study historically significant speeches for their rhetorical effectiveness.

English 2 AS
Grade 10
English 2 AS continues to prepare students for the Advanced Placement examination and advanced studies in English. Students study advanced literary texts at a greater pace with a deeper focus on identifying and interpreting literary devices and their link to the author's purpose, while further developing their analytical writing skills with interpretive essays. Students will examine multiple short stories and the author’s use of characterization, setting, and other literary tools to convey purpose. Students will also read and analyze poetry, where they pay strict attention to the use of poetic devices and their connection to theme, which they express in a timed write, among other, smaller writing pieces. Students then read A Raisin in the Sun, And the Soul Shall Dance, and The Woman Warrior. In the spring, students will continue work on writing, refining their skills in critical essays and learning to manipulate phrases and clauses for stylistic purposes. The spring literary selections includes In Cold Blood and Patron Saints of Nothing. Students will also prepare for next year’s AP English Language Composition course by learning about rhetorical devices and approaches and examining speeches of historical, literary, and/or culturally relevant significance. (They will also write and perform their own speeches.) Additionally, students prepare for the PSAT and SAT through intensive study of vocabulary from the various works and an understanding of reading techniques and strategies.