Course+Overview



The purpose of CB English IV is to expose students to a rigorous curriculum in order to prepare them for their future college courses. Traditionally, this is accomplished through the study of English Literature; however, it is my goal to look at Greek drama and some other world lit depending on time.

This is, of course, a literature-driven class, but while I try to hit the classics that the colleges will expect you to have studied, I like to do so in a "not-so-classic" way. While the literature may be pretty serious, I believe that we can have some fun with it. We will move more or less chronologically through the literature, applying the culture and philosophies of the time periods and studying vocabulary in context.

We will write A LOT--that's what you'll be doing in college! The writing assignments will run the gamut from critical analysis to creative. Your writing will be kept in a portfolio which will make it easy to track your progress (or lack thereof). The hope is that by reflecting on the pieces you put into your folders, you will be able identify trouble areas and make corrections. Many past students have found the writing folder a handy tool when preparing sample portfolios for their schools' placement testing.

By nature, this class calls for much of the work to be completed //out of class.// In addition, each quarter will feature an outside, major paper. Quarter 1 is a non-fiction analysis, Q2 is a fiction analysis, during Q3, you will write a mini-research paper, and Q4 has the final--a classic movie analysis/presentation with a partner.

That just about covers it! Hope I haven't scared you TOO much....okay....