English Department
English Electives
(All Courses Aboveare Included in GPA)
Creative Writing L3/L4
EN135/145 - 0.5 CREDITS - SEMESTER LONG - GRADES 9-12
Prerequisite:
- Students should take the same level as their English course.
This course explores creativity, the imagination, and creative written expression. Learn to write powerful stories and poems with a strong voice, sensory detail, structure, and tension.
Empower Your Writing L3/L4
EN134/144 - 0.5 CREDITS - SEMESTER LONG - GRADES 9-11
Prerequisite:
- Students should take the same level as their English course. (PLEASE NOTE: This course is only available in grades 9-11)
Learn to write beyond the five-paragraph essay. Find your voice and write with a purpose meaningful to you. This portfolio-based course will provide you the opportunity to practice writing multiple genres including persuasive and narrative pieces that address your connection to the world outside of the high school classroom.
Reflective Writing L3/L4
EN133/143 - 0.5 CREDITS - SEMESTER LONG - GRADES 9-12
Prerequisite:
- Students should take the same level as their English course.
Do you want to write about your life? Do you want to express your opinion about a topic? Are you curious about how people's life experiences influence their views? These questions lie at the heart of personal stories (or memoirs) and personal essays. In this reflective writing course, we will read and write stories and essays that focus on real-life personal experience. Topics include: using narration, description, and reflection; developing your unique voice; using figurative language; and finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Speech L3
EN132 - 0.5 CREDITS - SEMESTER LONG - GRADES 9-12
Prerequisite:
- None
This introductory course focuses on public speaking in a variety of situations, such as panel discussions, informative and persuasive speeches, and debate. Students will learn to handle speech apprehension; build confidence; use voice, pacing, and body language effectively; and use research to build credibility.
Journalism I L3/L4
EN131/141 - 0.5 CREDITS - SEMESTER LONG - GRADES 9-11
Prerequisite:
- None (PLEASE NOTE: This course is only available in grades 9-11)
Journalism I will include techniques of basic news gathering, writing, and editing. Feature stories, profiling, reviews, and other types of writing are studied and practiced extensively, along with the principles and practices involved in online publishing. All of the activities are related to the school newspaper and to communications as a possible career. The issues of ethics, libel, and privacy are also included in this curriculum.
Journalism II L4
EN241 - 1.0 CREDIT - YEAR LONG - GRADES 10-12
Prerequisite:
- B- or better in Journalism I AND recommendation of Journalism I teacher
This course offers instruction in the basics of producing broadcast news stories for our online school newspaper. Students will learn the best practices in broadcasting, continue writing in a journalistic mode, and acquire skills on how to use professional software such as Premiere. The course will also continue to study media ethics. Finally, students will also explore ways for journalists to build an audience using social media, interactivity, and other methods to engage viewers.
Journalism III L4
EN341 - 1.0 CREDIT - YEAR LONG - GRADES 11-12
Prerequisite:
- B- or better in Journalism II L4 AND recommendation of Journalism II L4 teacher
Journalism III provides students with a study of advanced journalistic practices, methods, and ethics both in writing and broadcasting. In addition to producing the online school newspaper, students enrolled in these courses will continue to work with Westborough TV and Westborough Wicked Local News, mentor Journalism II students, explore new media technologies, and study current events. Emphasis will be placed on students communication skills both in the classroom and in the larger community.