Courses 2023-2024

Advanced Placement English Language and Composition

 

Welcome to AP English Language! This year-long advanced, interdisciplinary course revolves around an in-depth exploration of American culture and language regarding what your 11th-grade Magnet teachers are calling “The Story of America.” Our ultimate goal this year is to awaken an awareness of the complex cultural, historical, social, and political events that have guided the history of the United States and those who have told its story, from the early origins of our democracy to the current political movements spurred by social media. We hope to show you the United States in a broader, global context, examining the ways in which our country has been altered, and how it has transformed other countries through the transcontinental flow of peoples, ideologies, and institutional power across its borders.

 

Our journey in AP English Language is divided into thematic units, and each unit is designed to make you skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts, and adept writers who compose for a variety of purposes. A majority of the course is devoted to the study of argument and persuasion. Our goal throughout the year will be to understand how messages are conveyed and how arguments are structured. Because most media is at some level rhetorical, it is important to recognize how our view of the world is being shaped by what we read, view, or hear. It is also important that as writers we understand how best to communicate our own point of view in a way that others will find reasonable, even if they do not agree. This course will take us through nonfiction and fictional works alike, but rest assured that no matter what the text, you will be challenged to examine language in a new and exciting way!

 

 
Detailed information about this course, including daily agendas and homework,
can be found on our class Schoology page.
 
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Speech / Honors American Literature and Composition

 
Welcome to your Junior year! Honors American Literature and Composition is a year-long, interdisciplinary exploration of culture and language by asking you to read, listen, and consider multiple perspectives regarding what your 11th grade CPDA Magnet teachers are calling “The Story of America.” Our ultimate goal this year is to awaken an awareness of the complex cultural, historical, social, and political events that have guided the history of the United States and those who have told its story, from the early origins of our democracy to the current political movements spurred by social media. We hope to show you the United States in a broader, global context, examining the ways in which our country has been altered, and how it has transformed other countries through the transcontinental flow of peoples, ideologies, and institutional power across its borders.  
 
This year in Honors American Literature specifically we will focus our attention on the importance of language and rhetoric, United States culture and its relationship to the world beyond its borders, and the complexity of storytelling in all of its various forms. The overarching idea of this course is to examine the simple and complex narratives in our culture that work in concert and in opposition of one another. Diving into these narratives helps us understand the American culture and each other. For example, you know many narratives about your closest friends. These stories, when put together, allow you to create an in-depth understanding of your friends. The same holds true for your understanding of American culture. The more narratives you examine, the more you understand the complexity of American culture. Our journey will allow us to delve into works of non-fiction and fiction alike, and regard each with a critical eye and an open mind. The workload in this course is considerable, but hopefully, through our study we will learn where we came from, where we are now, and where our country – and culture – is heading.
 
Detailed information about this course, including daily agendas and homework,
can be found on our class Schoology page.
 
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AP Seminar / Honors English 10 AB
 
Welcome to AP Seminar, the foundational course in the prestigious two-year AP Capstone Diploma Program! This class is designed to challenge you and aid in your development and practice of skills in research, collaboration, and communication that you’ll need in any academic discipline and future endeavor.  By engaging in cross curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics, you’ll be empowered to ask your own questions and find your own answers through research.  We will explore our topics by reading and analyzing arguments found in articles, scientific studies, and classic works of literature and philosophy; we will view TED Talks and listen to podcasts; and we will experience artistic works and performances from around the globe, each allowing us to look at the topic through a wide range of perspectives and lenses. As you engage in both team and individual research projects, you will learn how to synthesize information from multiple sources, collaborate with peers, and share your own perspective in both written and audiovisual presentations.[1]

 

[1] Adapted from the AP Seminar Course Description published by the College Board (2020) and the amazing Mr. Cecil