This year-long course, required for all freshmen, builds upon the skills and curriculum studied in eighth grade, with a particular focus on the core skills of reading and writing. As students read and study To Kill a Mockingbird (Lee), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Haddon), Oedipus the King (Sophocles), Of Mice and Men (Steinbeck), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare), and a selection of short stories and poetry, they are instructed in how to improve their ability to read between the lines and to recognize and understand symbolism and figurative language. During their study of the literature, students also engage in an ongoing exploration of what it means to look at the world from someone else's point of view.
Writing is the other central focus to this class. Students improve their facility with the formal essay as they write a series of literary analyses that frequently include making some connection to their own experience. They improve their facility with writing clear, varied, and grammatically correct sentences as they study and practice using the different phrases and clauses that were introduced in eighth grade. Students also write frequent journal entries in which they respond to and reflect on a variety of prompts, such as commenting upon something they heard someone say or responding to their reading. Students practice public speaking when they make a variety of formal presentations to the class and increase their vocabulary as they study and learn words that are drawn from the reading.
- Teacher: Emily Brisse