Grade 10 | Credits: 5

English 10 explores significant works of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, from a thematic perspective. In addition to reading both short and full-length works, students engage in analytic discussion regarding themes and characters within the works and apply their understanding to personal experience, as well as make connections across texts. Frequent analytical, narrative, and synthesis style writing assignments are an important part of this course. This course will prepare students for the state mandated exam, which measures performance relative to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 10 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course

English 10 Honors explores significant works of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, from a thematic perspective. In addition to reading challenging short and full-length works, students engage in detailed discussion regarding the philosophical ideas, themes, and characters within the texts, as well as make connections across texts. They also write interpretive and argumentative pieces based upon the literature and spend a significant amount of time on developing analytical, narrative and synthesis style writing. This course will prepare students for the state-mandated exam, which measures performance relative to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 11 | Credits: 5

English 11 explores significant works of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, from a thematic perspective. In addition to reading both short and full-length works, students engage in analytic discussion regarding themes and characters within the works and apply their understanding to personal experience, as well as make connections across texts. Frequent analytical, narrative, and synthesis style writing assignments are an important part of this course. This course will prepare students for the state mandated exam, which measures performance relative to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards. Students will also have the opportunity to take the Accuplacer, an online assessment given to college students.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 11 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course

English 11 Honors explores significant works of literature, both fiction and nonfiction, from a thematic perspective. In addition to reading challenging short and full-length works, students participate in and lead detailed discussion regarding the philosophical ideas, themes, and characters within the texts, as well as make connections across texts. Students use ideas from the non-fiction texts as lenses for interpreting the fiction. They write short narrative and literary analysis pieces and longer synthesis essays.  Students prepare for the state-mandated exam, which measures performance in relation to the Common Core standards.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5 | Dual-Credit Option

English 12 emphasizes the skills needed for successful college-level reading and writing. Students will closely read thematic-based college level texts to write a series of argumentative papers. By the end of the school year, students enrolled in English 12 will be able to compose coherent, well-developed, and grammatically correct essays. They will also be able to summarize and respond to texts, synthesize scholarly sources, apply inferential skills, and demonstrate mastery of the writing process. 

Students may select a “special topics” theme for their English 12 course. The English 12 “special topics” options are listed below with brief descriptions of the course content. If students choose not to take a special topics course, they will automatically be enrolled in our comprehensive course English 12: Writing about Social Psychology and Human Nature. 

Students will select one of the five options below. Please note, we will do our best to honor a student’s first choice, but requests are not guaranteed. Course availability is also subject to change.  The content for all courses listed below aligns with Middlesex County College’s ENG-121. 

1012 - English 12: Writing about Social Psychology and Human Nature

This comprehensive English 12 course is a study of several genres and themes related to psychology and human behavior. Some units of study may include, but are not limited to: media manipulation and skepticism, teens and privacy, bullying and the Bystander Effect, modern love, and mental health in modern society.

1015 - English 12: Writing about Crime and Justice

This special topics English 12 course will explore contemporary issues in the American justice system and the complex issues that arise, such as adolescents and the judicial system, punishment or rehabilitation, and life sentences or the death penalty. Units of study may include, but are not limited to: profiling/criminal psychology, juvenile detention systems, the evolution of laws, and “wars'' on ideas.

1016 - English 12: Writing about Sports and Gaming

This special topics English 12 course will channel the passion that many high school students have for sports and explore the broad and complex role of athletics in contemporary America. Likewise, emerging topics in gaming will engage students in exploring the role that technology has added to what were once considered “leisure” activities. Units of study may include, but are not limited to: fantasy sports and online gambling, the American sports hero, pressures on high school athletes, and the economics of professional sports.

1017 - English 12: Writing about Film and Television

This special topics English 12 course will analyze how film and television offers a window into society, and how both the form and content of media reflect social values and aspects of human nature. Offering students the opportunity to view visual texts through varied lenses, the class will examine the relationship between individuals and the media. Units of study may include, but are not limited to: comics and superheroes, the influence of the box office, censorship and ratings, roles of tropes and archetypes, the psychology of binge watching, and reality TV.

1018 - English 12: Writing about Music and the Arts

This special topics English 12 course will explore the societal significance of various mediums and genres of art and music, from classic to contemporary, from modern to postmodern. Students will also learn how to evaluate and respond to music and the arts in an intelligent, informed and passionate manner; furthermore, turn their ideas into written arguments. Units of study may include, but are not limited to: what defines art, music as rebellion, censorship and controversy, and the art versus the artist.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course | Dual-Credit Option

College Writing Honors is a senior year writing intensive course designed to immerse high school students into the expectations and rigor of college writing. During the first semester, students will learn the structure of personal narrative writing by reading and analyzing examples, and then model this structure, which will also be useful for writing the college essay. Then they will read, comprehend, analyze, and evaluate multiple college-level nonfiction texts.  They will close-read and analyze these texts in order to develop independent thesis statements for synthesis essays. There will be a research component as well. During the second semester, students will extend their understanding of the college writing process by reading and making connections across thematically linked fiction and nonfiction multimodal texts. Students will continue to learn and develop the skills of clear, correct, effective English by reading essays, longer works of non-fiction prose, and literary criticism. Students will complete a variety of writing projects requiring techniques such as cause and effect, analysis, evaluation, synthesis, argumentation and persuasion. Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements.

Grades 11 | Credits: 5 |Prerequisites will determine placement into course

AP Seminar is a highly collaborative, interdisciplinary course where students investigate real-world issues from multiple perspectives, gathering and analyzing information from various sources in order to develop credible and valid evidence-based arguments. AP Seminar students develop and use inquiry skills to question and explore, understand and analyze, evaluate multiple perspectives, synthesize ideas, and create arguments. Students are assessed with two performance tasks throughout the year and an end of course exam. Students taking AP Seminar should be motivated and independent as well as willing to expand their understanding through research, share and defend thoughts and ideas, strengthen modes of communication, and accept fair criticism and use feedback to develop their writing. AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research. This course is required for the AP Capstone Certificate and/or AP Capstone Diploma. Please refer to the Course Levels page for specific requirements about the AP Capstone program.

Grade 11 or Grade 12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course 

AP English I (Language and Composition) is a demanding college level course offered to juniors in which students employ an intensive, interpretative, and critical approach to modern and classic texts. Students develop their unique perspectives and writing voices through small and large group discussion, and through a variety of writing tasks. Writing assignments include the analysis of texts, including structure and style, and reflect all of the rhetorical modes. Students are prepared for and encouraged to take the AP Language and Composition Examination in May. There is also a required summer project for this course.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisites will determine placement into course

AP English II (Literature and Composition) is a demanding academic course in which students employ an intensive, interpretive, and critical approach to modern and to classical literature through class and independent reading, through small and large group discussion, and a variety of writing experiences.  Writing assignments include the analysis of language, structure, and style and incorporate writing for formal and informal purposes.  Students are prepared for and encouraged to take the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Examination. There is also required summer reading for this course.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5 | Prerequisite: AP Seminar

AP Research, the second course in the AP Capstone diploma program, requires students to deeply explore an academic topic, problem, issue, or idea of individual interest. Students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, students further the skills they acquired in the AP Seminar course by learning research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes, and curate the artifacts of their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit, or product where applicable) and a presentation with an oral defense.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grade 12 | Credits: 5

The results of standardized testing, Middlesex County College’s English placement criteria, and/or teacher recommendation, serve as the criteria for enrollment in this course. Students will have the same English teacher for both English 12 and English 12 support and will remain in the class for a double period. Emphasis will be placed on helping students overcome any deficiencies or difficulties they may have in meeting the state graduation requirements for English and the learning outcomes for college level English. A review of reading and writing basics using special materials designed to help students improve, specifically material that reinforces the English 12 curriculum, is the focus of the course. 

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This semester elective course is designed to help students better prepare for both the verbal and math portions of the SAT exam. Students will utilize a combination of in-person and electronic approaches, to experience the format, requirements, and scoring of the exam. They will also learn various test-taking strategies for success on the SAT. The verbal portion of the course will focus on evidence-based reading and writing tasks, as well as the optional essay component. The math portion of this course is designed to teach students how to approach each type of problem. The semester will be divided in half where students will focus on either verbal or math for the first quarter and then switch to the other content for the second quarter. Ideal candidates for this course are motivated, self- directed learners who can independently complete and submit tasks.

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This semester English elective course is designed for students who wish to develop their creative writing abilities through independent practice and frequent individual conferences with the instructor. This course trains students to express themselves through original poems, short stories, and essays, based upon their own experiences and sensory impressions.  Students read and discuss literary models, as well as read and discuss one another's work. Students also have opportunities to publish their work both within and outside of the school context. Ideal candidates for this course are motivated, self- directed learners who are able to complete and submit tasks independently.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This English elective course is designed for students who have an interest in the genres of crime and mystery - perfect for the fan of podcasts and true crime! The class offers students of different levels an opportunity to read/listen to and discuss fiction, nonfiction, podcasts, short stories, television shows, etc . The coursework focuses less on literary analysis, and more on the entertainment value of the texts. The course requires students to read and write critically and creatively, write and discuss reactions to the texts, and think deeply. Students will explore these texts completely in class - no homework! Open discussions and active participation will be a core focus of the course.

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This English elective course will channel the passion that many high school students have for sports and use it to develop them into strong readers (of mainly non-fiction texts) and strong writers (of mainly analytic essays). The broad and complex role of sports in contemporary America provides a common intellectual ground for students of different grades, interests and ability levels. Likewise, they will become better readers through exposure to challenging texts of various lengths and better writers through constant exposure to several of the rhetorical modes (such as narration, definition, comparison and process analysis).

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5

This English elective course is designed to help students become more confident speakers and better speech writers. Students will learn to research, organize, write, and present various types of speeches: informative, persuasive, and demonstrative. They will also read, analyze, and deliver memorable speeches from literature and history. At the end of the course, students will understand how to effectively write speeches and how to deliver them using rhetorical techniques.

Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements

Grades 10-12 | Credits: 2.5 

Philosophy for Teenagers Honors is a semester Honors English elective course designed for diligent students interested in reading, writing and thinking about big questions. Students will explore complex topics through units such as Epistemology, Ethics, Free Will and Determinism, and The Meaning of Life. Through readings and class discussions, students will experiment with the basic methods of philosophical inquiry and, ultimately, use these inquiries as a lens through which they examine their own values and assumptions. Students will read selections from the great thinkers as well as selections from other classic and contemporary sources. Students enrolled in this course will be required to complete reading and writing assignments and engage in spirited class discussions on a daily basis.

Grades 11-12 | Credits: 2.5 | Prerequisite: 90 or higher in Public Speaking Honors

Developing Student Leaders provides the opportunity for students to realize and investigate their own leadership potential. The course will outline the theoretical foundations of leadership through a thorough review of leadership theories and then provide students with the opportunity to understand what it takes to influence and empower others.  Throughout the course, students will identify and develop patterns of leadership in chosen areas of school and community outreach.  Students will pursue opportunities for growth and assess their own leadership style through project-based learning. Meets NCAA Core Course Requirements.