English

Required, ninth grade
Full year

This course focuses on composition skills, beginning with the foundations of writing – ideas, organization, voice, sentence structure, word choice, and conventions. Students examine different rhetorical contexts and practice both recognizing and using rhetorical and literary devices as they work through the entire writing process: generating ideas, gathering evidence, drafting, and revision. Students are exposed to the modes of definition, description, exposition, cause and effect, comparison, argument, and persuasion. Through the practice of writing, we continue to work on the skills all English classes address each year: close reading, critical thinking, analytical interpretation, creative expression, effective writing, and skillful public speaking.

Required, tenth grade
First semester

This course focuses on reading and comprehension skills through a range of genres including prose (fiction and non-fiction), poetry, and drama. Students practice analyzing, interpreting, and synthesizing the literary themes and content they encounter, from the classic to the modern, in literature from around the globe. Through the practice of reading, we continue to work on the skills English classes address each year: close reading, critical thinking, analytical interpretation, creative expression, effective writing, and skillful public speaking.

Required, 11th grade
Full year

Who or what constitutes “America” in a continually evolving literary landscape? Each text explores tensions inherent in American society. Longer works such as novels, essay or story collections, plays or long form nonfiction are paired with thematically related shorter pieces (poetry, short fiction, speeches, and essays) from a variety of voices and time periods. Students consider not only the structure, style, and themes of texts, but also the social, cultural, and historical issues surrounding various pieces, and respond to these pieces through discussion, creative projects, and a wide range of written assignments.

Required, tenth grade
Second semester + second intensive

English and History combine into one, single-block interdisciplinary humanities course to study both world literature and history. This continues the focus on identity and community that is begun in the first semester of both the 10th grade Modern World History and Foundations In Literature courses. Students continue to develop critical reading, researching, and writing skills in the second semester of 10th grade Humanities.

During the intensive term, students choose one of three different tracks and conduct site visits to global organizations based in the Seattle community in order to write a six- to eight-page research paper. They immerse themselves in a research and writing process aligned with the overarching themes of the world history and literature curricula: promoting human rights and building an international community. How can we view each of these three topics from historical, literary, artistic, ethical, environmental, and global perspectives? Students apply the lessons they have learned from their history, English, and humanities courses from earlier in the year to focus on how these historical issues and topics are playing out in both Seattle and in the rest of the world.

11th and 12th grades
Second semester

How do big famous novels explore and comment on the human condition? This course focuses on the in-depth study of big novels (generally 500 pages or longer). In addition to closely reading each novel, students explore the biographical background of the author and historical context of the work, consider responses to the novel at the time of its publication and in subsequent years (and decades), and reexamine the novel through a variety of critical and cultural lenses. A variety of assessments, essays, and discussions are used throughout the course. Past works have included Moby Dick and 100 Years of Solitude.

11th and 12 grades
First semester

What does it mean to add a contemporary lens to old literature? The Canon, Cultural Capital, Critical Thought Elective Course will examine literature from the Old, Middle, and Modern English periods, and the reading list will include poetry, plays, and novels from the Elizabethan, Neoclassical, and Romantic periods. The course will analyze text through a critical cultural lens which charges students to both question norms presented in the text and understand connections to current literature and culture and the reactions it has spawned there. Students will be assessed through public presentation, take-home expository writing, in-class expository writing, and seminar.

11th and 12th grades
Second semester

How do writers find subjects to write about? How do they get better at the craft of writing? How do they develop their own style? And what does it mean to read with a writer’s eye? In this class we engage in a variety of reading and writing exercises, including experiments in a range of voices, styles, modes, and genres. Emphasis is placed on student choice and the development of skills in self-direction. The goal is for students to find what it is they would like to say, identify platforms for sharing their voice, and develop the skills to become disciplined life-long learners of the craft.

11th and 12th grades
Second semester

We have seen the movies -- A Knight’s Tale, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and most recently, King Arthur. These films give us ideas we expect (to a degree) from Hollywood—the brave knight, the mythic quest, ideas of love, honor, and magic. But where do these stories come from? Travel back in time 900 years to explore the Medieval world. Together we investigate how the original ideas of Medievalism influenced people, even as these ideas were constantly re-imagined by the media of each time up until now. By considering poems, stories, art, and film, we question: How does Medievalism influence us today? Join the quest!

11th and 12 grades
First semester

Some may think science fiction is just for “nerds,” but Yuval Harari argues that it is “perhaps the most important artistic genre” in the early 21st century because it can help us grasp the ways that science and technology are rapidly transforming everything about our lives.  Students look at both classic and contemporary works of science fiction as legitimate, paradigm-shifting literature that often pushes the boundaries of language, comments upon race and gender politics, sheds light on the complexities of human nature, and inspires cultural and scientific innovations. Students have the opportunity to explore these thought-provoking messages through class discussions, regular in-class critical analyses, and creative projects.

11th and 12th grades
First intensive

“Tell all the truth, but tell it slant,” wrote Emily Dickenson in her poem of the same name. In a world where truth is often questioned, what is the role of the author in nonfiction writing? In this class, we explore the world of “slant” truth -- nonfiction with an angle, a purpose, or a larger message. We’re not recording truth, but telling its story utilizing many of the same techniques fiction writers use in their prose. We practice facets of creative nonfiction, paying special attention to the genres of literary journalism, memoir, and personal essay, as we craft a portfolio of work to track our progress and ultimately feature a piece fit for publication! If you’re interested in growing your writing by marrying the artistry of fiction work with the truth of your world, join us!

11th and 12th grades
Second intensive

What is a poem, and what does it "do"?  How do poets see and write about the world differently than short fiction writers or novelists?  How do they make meaning through rhyme, meter, structure, and carefully selected words?  How can we tell when a poem is "complete," and how can we revise poetry when we know it's not quite finished?   How do poets develop their own style? And what does it mean to read with a writer’s eye?

In this class students attempt to answer these questions while engaging in a variety of reading and writing exercises and experimenting with a range of subjects, styles, and approaches. Emphasis is placed on student choice and the self-directed development of skills. As the main objective, students discover what they would like to say, broaden their awareness and understanding of the many tools in a poet's "toolbox," and intentionally and effectively apply those tools to their own work.