English Electives

Creative Writing
Open to grades 10-12
UC/CSU - G elective approved course
Creative Writing introduces students to four major genres of writing: the short story, memoir, poetry, and playwriting. The class is designed to help students understand the essential elements of craft-- character, plot, conflict, setting, form, and theme. During the course of the year, students will study models of each genre and write their own creative work, which they will eventually submit in a portfolio. They will revise their work based on peer and teacher feedback given during writer's workshop.

NEWSPAPER STAFF 
2 .5 credits per semester enrolled (Grades 9-12)
Students who are selected as newspaper staff members contribute to the publication of the student newspaper, The Aragon Outlook. With the expectation that staff members be published every month, there is limited enrollment selected by an application process. Students may apply to work as a staff writer, initially specializing in news, features, or sports, or as a photographer or graphic artist. Staff members are enrolled in an 8^th period class and are expected to make themselves available for training sessions and periodic coaching from the faculty adviser and student editors. Appointments to most staff positions are made during the early part of the fall semester and the default expectation is that students will enroll in both fall and spring semesters as staff members.
Students may enroll in this course more than once. 

ADVANCED JOURNALISM 1-2  
5 credits per semester enrolled (Grades 10-12)
Advanced Journalism students are the leaders and editors of Aragon’s monthly student publication, The Aragon Outlook. In this interdisciplinary course, students develop writing, research, technology, design, and leadership skills primarily through the direct experience of producing the publication. Advanced Journalism students retain editorial control of the publication as framed by law and policies designed to ensure ethical journalism. The editors lead teams of student staff members in consultation with the faculty adviser. Students are selected through an application and interview process in the prior spring semester for the following year-long appointments: editor in chief, news editor, features editor, sports editor, photography editor, arts and graphics editor, technology editor, and business manager. Advanced Journalism meets during a regular school period every day as well as after school and in the evenings as needed.
Students may enroll in this course more than once. 

YEARBOOK STAFF 
2.5 credits per semester enrolled (Grades 9-12)
Students who are selected as yearbook staff members contribute to the publication of the school yearbook, El Tesoro. Students apply in May (freshmen in September) to be selected as yearbook staff members for the following year. Students are selected for one of the staffs: copy, photography, or sports. Members of the yearbook staff do not take a regular class, but are registered in a seventh period and complete assignments on their own time. Staff members need flexible schedules, initiative, creativity, and the desire to help produce an outstanding yearbook. 

YEARBOOK EDITORIAL STAFF 
5 credits per semester enrolled (Grade 12)
Students in the yearbook course produce El Tesoro, the award-winning Aragon yearbook, which is published in May. Editors, who must be seniors in the fall, are selected through an application and interview process and take on roles as editor-in-chief, copy editor, layout editor, photography editor, and business editor. Students are enrolled in a fifth period class, which allows all editors to meet daily regarding planning, developing, and publishing the yearbook. Editors are required to put in time before and after school and occasionally on weekends and are expected to communicate regularly with their staff members.