Welcome to the Madras High School Language Arts Department's web page. Following this text is a list of the art courses currently offered at Madras High School, and a brief description of the course.
Freshman English 9 English             Grades:            9             Prerequisites:   9th-grade standing with a minimum of sixth-grade reading level             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts 9 English is a two-trimester course, designed for freshmen, that provides a foundation for the further study of Language Arts.  The first trimester focuses exclusively on grammar and writing.  Students will understand and practice the various modes of writing (i.e., persuasive, narrative, imaginative, and descriptive), paragraph unity and coherence, parts of speech, sentence structure, and thesis statements, among other topics.  Peer editing and writing workshops are a major component of the first trimester’s work.  The second trimester will focus on literature study.  This study will include examinations of one or more of the following genres:  the short story, poetry, the novel, and drama.  During their study of literature, students will develop an understanding of basic literary elements, such as plot, character, theme, and setting.  Small and large group discussions play an integral role in literature study during this trimester.  9 English Enriched             Grades:            9             Prerequisites:    8th-grade teacher recommendation and meets 8th grade benchmark             Credit:              1.0 credit of Language Arts Enriched 9 English is a course designed to meet the standard curriculum goals of the English department while also providing more breadth and depth of literature and writing for those students desiring a greater academic challenge. A portion of the course is based on in-depth reading and discussion founded on the “shared inquiry” methods of the Great Books Foundation. The rest of the course looks specifically at literary elements, persuasive and imaginative writing, and public speaking. Students taking this course should expect a substantial amount of out-of-class reading and writing as well as having to meaningfully participate in class discussion. English 101             Grades:            9             Prerequisites:   SLEP scores; by placement only             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Designed for Native American students who may need extra help in grammar usage, writing, speaking, literature, and study skills. English As a Second Language (ESL)             Grades:            9-12             Prerequisites:   SLEP scores; by placement only             Credit:             0.50 credit of Language Arts per term A freshmen-level English course designed for speakers of other languages. Reading             Grades:                  9-12             Prerequisites:    Placement             Credit:              1.0 credit of Language Arts Reading 1 and 2 are remedial language arts classes designed to improve reading speed and comprehension in students whose reading levels are low enough to endanger their success in high school classes. Basic English             Grades:            9-12             Prerequisites:   Teacher signature required             Credit:             0.50 credit of Language Arts per trimester Basic English is a one-, two-, or three-trimester course designed to help students improve their skills in reading, grammar usage, writing, and functional or survival skills. Sophomore English 10 English                   Grades:            10                   Prerequisites:   Freshmen English                   Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Required for sophomores.  Writing, speaking, and thinking skills are taught through a rigorous emphasis on the writing process.  Students learn four modes of discourse—narration, exposition, persuasion, and imagination—and skills and terms to enhance their reading.  The focus of this course is on gathering work samples and preparing for state assessments so students can meet the requirements of the Certificate of Initial Mastery (CIM).  10 English Enriched             Grades:            10             Prerequisites:    Enriched 9 English and/or teacher signature required             Credit:              1.0 10 English Enriched centers on substantive writing and reading that, in addition to enhancing students’ writing and critical thinking abilities, prepares students for the state-mandated Certificate of Initial Mastery. Students should expect a great deal of reading and writing outside of class. Literature study will include short stories, novels, and plays. The class will place these works in historical and literary context and begin preparing students for honors classes and college. Composition study will include detailed investigation of the narrative, imaginative, persuasive, and expository modes. However, the emphasis will be on the latter two modes. English 10             Grades:            10             Prerequisites:   English 101 (or equivalent); by placement only             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Designed for the Native American student who may need extra help in sophomore English. Junior English 11 English:  American Literature                   Grades:            11                   Prerequisites:    10 English and junior standing                   Credit:              1.0 credits of Language Arts Required for juniors, 11 English is a survey course that examines the major authors who shaped American literary history. The course includes a variety of writing and speaking assignments, improvement of critical reading skills, an examination of literary terms and styles, and a review of general trends in American history and thought. AP Literature and Composition             Grades:            11             Prerequisites:   Minimum 3.0 GPA in English classes; teacher signature required             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Literature and Composition will engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature.  Through the close reading of selected texts, students will deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers.  As students read they consider a work’s structure, style, and themes as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.  As with all AP courses, college credit is available to those students taking and passing the national test. English 103             Grades:            11             Prerequisites:   English 102 (or equivalent); by placement only             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Designed for the Native American student who may need extra help in junior English. Senior English 12 English: World Literature             Grades:            12             Prerequisites:   11 English             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Senior English is a broad-based survey course designed for students who do not plan on attending college and who do not want the challenge of the enriched classes. The course focuses on a variety of writing, including persuasive, interpretive, and technical. In addition to composition, the course also addresses literature from Britain and other parts of the world, as well as how to read technical reports and other workplace material. Improving students’ public speaking acumen is another goal of the class. Students should expect some out of class and individual work though much of the work will be completed in class with collaborative groups. AP Language and Composition             Grades:            11-12             Prerequisites:    Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in English classes; teacher signature required             Credit:              1.0 credit of electives; receives weighted grade Language and Composition should train students to become skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and contexts. However, the literature component of the course is meant to facilitate the student’s gaining the skills necessary to maturely compose in diverse modes for diverse purposes. The ultimate goal of the course, then, is to provide the student with the criticism and guidance necessary to write well in all of his or her college classes. While a number of rhetorical modes are explored, the course will focus most intensely on expository, analytical, and argumentative essays. As with all AP classes, college credit is available if the student takes and passes the national test in this particular area of study. English 104             Grades:            12             Prerequisite:     English 103 (or equivalent); by placement only             Credit:             1.0 credit of Language Arts Designed for the Native American student who may need extra help in senior English.     English Electives ESL Tutorial             Grades:            9-12             Prerequisites:   Speaker whose first language is not English             Credit:             1.0 credit of electives In this course, speakers of other languages can receive help on homework they get in their other classes.  This class counts as an elective and cannot be taken to satisfy any Language Arts requirements. Journalism 1             Grades:            10-11             Prerequisites:   9 English, teacher invitation             Credit:             1.0 credit of electives Students learn the basics of good journalistic writing, ethics, laws, values, and responsibilities.  Extensive writing experiences focus on improving student written expression.  The class covers news, feature, and sports writing, advertising design, ad sales, layout, ethics, libel, and photography basics.  The main goal of the class is to produce material that is acceptable for publication in The White Buffalo.   Journalism 2             Grades:            11-12             Prerequisites:   Journalism 1, teacher signature required             Credit:             1.0 credit of electives (3 is an honors enrichment class) This class is the practical application of what was learned in Journalism 1.  Students will publish The White Buffalo.  The class involves writing, editing, layout and design, photography, budgeting, and record keeping.  Students are responsible for the newspaper’s content, style, and success.  Journalism Lab Grades:            10-12 Prerequisites:   Journalism 1, teacher signature required Credit:             0.5 credit of electives  Creative Writing             Grades:            10-12             Prerequisites:   10 English             Credit:             0.50 credit of electives Students will compose first-person narratives, poems, and short stories.  Students will design, edit, and publish a class book containing their works. Mythology/Legend             Grades:            11-12             Prerequisites:   10 English             Credit:             0.50 credit of electives A study of the powerful myths, legends, and gods of the Babylonians, Greeks, Egyptians, the Norse, the Far Easterners, and the American Indians.  These myths are often the foundation of Western Man’s earliest philosophy and religion.  They also reveal the universal drives, needs, and emotions of people since their beginning.  Practical relationship of these myths and legends is made to our culture, economics, politics, sports, art, and literature.  Native American Literature             Grades:            11-12             Prerequisites:   10 English             Credit:             0.50 credit of electives Through contemporary perspective and historical facts, this class attempts to understand Native Americans today.  Tribal history and cultural viewpoints are presented by geographical area in the United States through videotapes, guest speakers, and reading.  Grading depends on short writing assignments, speaking, class participation, and possible limited art projects. Yearbook             Grades:            10-12             Prerequisites:   Teacher invitation             Credit:             1.0 credit of electives This is a class for self-directed students who are able to get along with others, structure their time, and be responsible for the completion of assigned projects.  Skill and/or aptitude in writing, design, or photography is required.  Students are responsible for the development and publication of the Hi-Sage Yearbook. Yearbook Editor             Grades:            11-12             Prerequisites:   Yearbook, teacher invitation             Credit:             1.0 credit of electives (honors enrichment class) This is a class for self-directed students who are able to get along with others, structure their time, and be responsible for overseeing development and completion of the Hi-Sage Yearbook.