11th Grade English Courses

English 3
Grade 11
In English 3, students refine the writing, literature, and other language skills introduced in previous semesters. In addition, they engage in more advanced researching skills as they investigate both sides of a current controversial issue in preparation for a formal Lincoln-Douglas debate. Essay writing moves towards layering sources in order to respond to synthesis prompts as well as continued practice writing literary analysis essays. Students continue to study weekly vocabulary lists and common grammatical errors. Students also engage in timed writing to strengthen their quick-thinking response skills in testing situations. The students specifically study American literature and nonfiction, while focusing on such themes as American Individualism and the American Dream. During this year, students routinely focus on close reading skills and literary analysis while reading The Great Gatsby, as well as The Things They Carried, A Streetcar Named Desire, Black Boy, and The Crucible, making connections to the corresponding historical events and thematic concepts.

AP English Language and Composition
Grade 11
This course is a college-level English class which also prepares students to take the AP Examination offered by the College Board. The course continues to prepare students for advanced studies in English. Students are trained in reading, writing, and analyzing rhetoric for the AP examination. The course focuses on the nature of the American experience in literature. In the fall, students study topics such as race, home, and American individualism, in such works as There There and Beloved, a variety of American Transcendentalism essays, historical essays, speeches, and articles, and American poetry. Students write a large number of reflective, critical and personal essays, working on techniques of analysis and synthesis as well as refining their personal writing style. In the spring, students focus on the American experience of the twentieth century and will read such works as The Great Gatsby and The Things They Carried. Students also prepare for a controversial issue essay and debate. All students enrolled are prepared to take the AP Language and Composition exam in May.

Summer Reading
San Mateo Union High School District has a no summer homework policy. While there are no books assigned, the Aragon English Department encourages all students to continue reading over the summer. If you are looking for ideas, ask a teacher, visit a local bookstore, go to the public library, check out the library's book recommendations, search the internet, or ask a friend to discover what books are available for young adults and beyond.
Suggested Summer Reading for AP English Language and Composition (11th grade)