English
Sycamore High School’s English Department develops students to become critical thinkers and life-long learners who are able to access, read, analyze, and communicate information effectively in their world.
By developing these skills in students, the SHS English Department helps ensure that all students will succeed in high school and beyond. The SHS English Department believes that each student should be appropriately challenged in the English courses they take, so the Department offers a range of courses and other opportunities.
Staff
Courses
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AP English Language and Composition (Junior)
This course is designed to engage students in developing two critical skills: 1) becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts by a variety of authors from a variety of eras; 2) becoming skilled writers who are capable of composing for a variety of audiences and purposes.
AP English Literature and Composition (Senior)
This course is designed to engage students in careful reading and critical analysis of literary works written originally in English from a variety of cultures and eras.
Creative Writing
This is a semester course designed for students who are interested in exploring various forms of creative writing: descriptive sketches, short fiction, narration, poetry, and creative non-fiction.
Dual Credit College English
Dual College Senior English counts for both Sycamore High School and Kishwaukee College credit. While staying on SHS’s campus, students will take Kishwaukee College’s English 103 first semester and English 104 second semester of their senior year.
English I
English I is a one-year, required course which empowers youth to engage life through literacy. Special emphasis is placed on reading comprehension and analysis of both fiction and nonfiction texts.
English II
English II is a one-year course which focuses on expanding the study of literature, vocabulary, and literary devices.
English III
English III is a junior-level, full-year course designed to prepare students in the areas of composition, research, interviewing, and business writing skills.
English IV
English IV is a one-semester course designed to engage students in the processes of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in order to help them develop specific skills in preparation for college and careers, as well as to help them see these processes as lifelong, relevant, and enjoyable.
English Language Learner (ELL)
The English Language Learner class is for students whose primary language is other than English. This class provides intensive reading, writing and speaking of English.
Film as Literature
Film As Literature is the study and comparative analysis of short and long films, including some based on both classic and modern literature. Units include film history, film genres, film viewing/reading, film as an art form and the language of film.
Honors English 10
This course will engage students in critical reading and both rhetorical and literary analysis of fiction, nonfiction, poetry and drama.
Honors English 9
This course is designed to engage students in careful reading and critical analysis of literary works written originally in English from a variety of cultures and eras.
Junior Composition and Literature
This is a junior-level college preparatory course consisting of various approaches to composition and literature with additional attention to vocabulary development which is essential to both pursuits.
Public Speaking and Communication
The purpose of this course is to help students improve their public speaking abilities. Throughout the course, students will practice and develop various academic and real-world presentations while using technology to support these presentations.
Senior Composition
This course is designed for students who plan to pursue further education after high school and fulfill college entrance requirements.
Senior Literature
This course is highly recommended for the college-bound student who needs to fulfill college entrance requirements. Students will read and discuss major literary works from a broad range of eras, cultures, and movements.
Course Recommendations
To best prepare our students for success in life beyond high school, the SHS English Department believes that each student should be appropriately challenged in the English courses they take. Our students are able to select from a range of courses based on the policies and principles below.
- Honors English and AP English Courses
- For Incoming Freshmen and Families
- Looking Ahead to Junior and Senior Year
- Potential for College Credit
- Maintaining the Grade and Year-Long Courses
Honors English and AP English Courses
Our Honors English and AP English courses allow students to move more quickly and more deeply through material that students in regular level courses would struggle with (both in terms of pace and depth). These courses offer an excellent opportunity for students to prepare for the rigors of collegiate reading and writing as well as the critical thinking expected on a college campus.
Any student may enroll in the AP English course designed for their year in school; however, these courses are most appropriate for students who possess the following:
- A strong background in English, literature, and composition classes. Past success in English and reading classes is a good indication that a student is ready for AP English courses.
- An appreciation for literature and language. Students will be expected to read and write at a quicker and deeper level than students in regular English courses.
- An ability to complete summer reading and summer assignments. At each level, there will be some (relatively painless and brief) reading and writing assignments that will be completed during the summer. Instructors will provide you with these assignments before the end of your current school year. These assignments will take up very little of your summer and are a good indication of the type of work you will be expected to complete in the upcoming year.
- An appreciation for an appropriate challenge. Our AP courses offer students the best opportunity to prepare their skills and habits for the rigors of collegiate studies. Students who embrace such a challenge belong in AP courses.
For Incoming Freshmen and Families
Looking Ahead to Junior and Senior Year
Most students who have successfully completed Honors English coursework as freshmen and sophomores will continue to take the AP English courses at the junior and senior levels, as these are the courses that will continue to be the most appropriately challenging to them. However, some students may choose a different path based on the following policies:
- Students who successfully complete AP English Language and Composition (11) will be recommended for AP English Literature and Composition (12). These courses are designed to complement each other and to provide the strongest foundations for collegiate writing, reading, and critical thinking.
- Some students (after talking with their family, teachers, and counselor) may decide that the Dual Credit Option is more appropriate for them after taking Honors courses during 9th and 10th grades. These students should enroll in Junior Composition and Literature during 11th grade and then Dual Credit English during 12th grade. The Dual Credit course repeats a substantial portion of the AP English and Language (11) curriculum, so it is not an appropriate choice for students who have successfully completed that AP course already.
- The Dual Credit course (12) has been designed to give a specific section of the student population the opportunity for a community college-type course work (and potential credit). That student population would've been enrolled in Junior Composition and Literature during 11th grade. Only in the rarest of circumstances would an AP English Language and Composition (11) student be allowed to drop out of the AP track to enroll in the Dual Credit course. Those circumstances must be discussed with and approved by the recommending English teacher. Precedence for enrollment in Dual Credit English (12) will be given to students who have completed Junior Composition and Literature (11). Senior Composition (first semester) and Senior Literature (second semester) are the most viable alternatives to either the AP (12) or Dual Credit (12) courses in such a situation.
Potential for College Credit
Students may earn college credit through three of the courses offered in the SHS English Department: AP English Language and Composition (11), AP English Literature and Composition (12), or Dual Credit English (12). The AP courses are designed to prepare students for two different national exams. Students who score well on these exams (3 or above) MAY earn college credit before attending college. Each college and university has different policies regarding acceptance of AP test scores for credit, so students and parents will need to check with schools they are interested in to find out their policies. The Dual Credit English course is offered through SHS and Kishwaukee Community College and is primarily designed for students who are planning on attending a community college first and then moving on to a college or university. Acceptance of this college credit and exactly what the college or university means when they “accept the credit” (for either Dual Credit or AP courses) is again something that parents and students need to investigate.
Maintaining the Grade and Year-Long Courses
In general, students should be able to maintain grades of B- and above in their Honors and AP-level courses. Students who are unable to do so over successive semesters will be recommended for a regular level course for the next school year. As most of our English courses are year-long classes, we will NOT move students in or out of a course at the semester except for rare circumstances in which the student, parents, teachers, and counselor all agree that such a move is in the best educational interests of the student. If such a move is deemed appropriate, the schedule change must be finalized prior to winter break.
All decisions regarding course selection and recommendation should be based on what will be the most appropriately challenging course to prepare students for the rigors of their college experience and for their lives and careers beyond college. We encourage students to embrace this challenge.
Student Opportunities
Movie Club
At the SHS Movie Club, we strive to admire all aspects of great films and endeavor to show students the very best of what American filmmaking has to offer. A huge part of American visual culture, movies have inspired generations of audiences through magical story-telling, great cinematography, cutting dialogue, and masterful use of technology.
Newspaper/Journalism
Newspaper/Journalism club is for any and all students interested in writing and/or graphic design/art. There are no prerequisites or requirements. Members of this club are part of an enthusiastic staff of writers, webmasters, photographers, advertisers, and cartoonists!
Scholastic Bowl (Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference Affiliated)
Scholastic Bowl is a team sport in which students compete by answering questions in the categories of math, science, literature, social studies, and current events. The season begins second quarter and ends in early March.
Speech Team (aka Forensics)
Students interested in public speaking, radio broadcasting, or acting out a scene with a friend should try out for the Speech Team (aka Forensics). There are 13 communication categories to choose from.
Thespians (Drama Club)
Sycamore High School Drama Club is part of the International Thespian Society. All club meetings are held monthly before or after school with an additional meeting monthly for elected officers.
Yearbook
Yearbook is a club where students design and produce the yearbook for Sycamore High School. While working with this club, students will learn the importance of meeting deadlines, working as a team, and will also have many opportunities to channel their creativity. This is a club designed for all students.