English 9 Honors English

English Curriculum and Course Descriptions

Pope John Paul II Preparatory School’s English program prepares students with the content knowledge and 21st-century literacy skills necessary at the university level and in the workplace. The English curriculum emphasizes thinking critically, listening actively, recognizing patterns and anomalies, and evaluating and questioning source material. Students will regularly analyze complex texts, become disciplined in reading and writing using evidence from literary and informational texts, and build content knowledge through literary and informative texts. Through an integrated approach, the study of literature is complemented with the development of strong writing foundations, ranging from the emphasis on grammar to the focus on collegiate-level essays. Students will develop the analytical skills to be tomorrow’s deep thinkers and moral leaders by learning to write in different forms and studying diverse fiction and nonfiction texts.

Middle School English

English 6 Grade Level: 6 Prerequisite: None

English 6 develops reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills through an integrated literature and language arts approach. Bolstered by the belief that speaking, reading, and thinking are interrelated skills, students learn the communication and study skills that serve as the successful Pope John Paul II Preparatory School student’s foundation. Through reading strategies and the writing process, students will continue to explore different genres and topics. They will be able to enhance their ideas, organization, voice, and refine their knowledge and use of word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions. students will also further develop critical thinking and technology skills. They have many opportunities for expressing themselves through diverse projects and assignments by developing a portfolio containing a wide variety of products.

English 7 Grade Level: 7 Prerequisite: None

Students continue to hone their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through consistent practice and learning strategies. Emphasis moves from the literal to the abstract in the students’ critical thinking skills and language through a genres-based approach to American Literature. Oral presentations and collaborative work give them opportunities to improve interpersonal communication skills and more formal presentation skills. Formal graded writing assignments will include narrative, informational, and argumentative writing.

Accelerated English 7 Grade Level: 7 Prerequisite: Departmental Recommendation

Students continue to hone their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills through consistent practice and learning strategies. Emphasis moves from the literal to the abstract in the students’ critical

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