Wayzata High School Registration Guide 2016-2017

ENGLISH 151 MYTHOLOGY 2 Terms  Grade 9  Grade 10  Grade 11  Grade 12 Prerequisite: None This class is ideal for those who enjoy the subject of mythology in general, who plan to pursue advanced English courses at WHS, and/or who intend to study the liberal arts after high school. Our focus will be on ancient Greek and Roman myths and legends – especially the Iliad – but we will also examine the stories of other cultures around the world. Throughout the semester, we will trace the universal need to understand creation, life and death, natural phenomena, and rules for living a “good” life. We will also learn about some of the gods, heroes, and monsters of both Western and non-Western cultures. Grades will be based on tests, presentations, essays, and projects. Major texts include Hesiod’s Theogony, Homer’s Iliad, Hamilton's Mythology, and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Writing components include direct instruction and guided practice in literary analysis, research and documentation, and creative writing.

155 RANGE OF POETRY 2 Terms  Grade 9  Grade 10  Grade 11  Grade 12 Prerequisite: None This course engages in thoughtful study of a range of poetry reflecting Western cultural and philosophical concerns.

Students entering the course should be comfortable with the basic conventions of poetry, as we will engage in further study of poetic technique and form that requires this knowledge. Students will examine representative works from a variety of influential figures, literary movements and poetic forms, both classical and contemporary.

Students will explore the relationship between poetry and society (how society influences and is influenced by poetry), asking the questions: What does poetry reveal about humanity? About the past? Why do we continue to read and write it? What is “good” poetry?

Writing components include direct instruction and/or guided practice in literary analysis, research and documentation, expository writing and creative writing.

165 PHILOSOPHY IN LITERATURE: From Plato to Pirsig 2 Terms  Grade 9  Grade 10  Grade 11  Grade 12 Prerequisite: None Issues of traditional importance to the intellectually curious, arising from literature and as raised in philosophical texts themselves, comprise the subject matter of this course. This class will enable students to gain a familiarity with philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, Berkeley, Hume, Kant and Nietzsche and to think about such issues as the possibility of free will; perception; mind, body and identity; whether and, if so, how we know; ethics; the existence of God; and aesthetics. Students might expect to read, speak about and write about such classic and popular works of literature as Oepidus Rex, Antigone, Richard II, The Tempest, Utopia, the Phaedrus, the Symposium, the Republic, The Pearl, A Man for All Seasons, and Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Students should expect to write imaginatively, thoughtfully and frequently, and to take an enthusiastic part in frequent class discussion.

166 ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION 2 Terms  Grade 9  Grade 10  Grade 11  Grade 12 Prerequisite: None As a rigorous, college-level class, this is a challenging and enriching course with a seminar approach critical to the open discussion of ideas. Students read a variety of novels, plays, and poetry both modern and classic based on what is frequently featured on the AP exam as well as what will prepare students for success in college work. Close reading, analytical writing, and discussion are emphasized. Major texts include Invisible Man, Their Eyes Were Watching God, The Metamorphosis, Oedipus the King, Hamlet, Jane Eyre, Madame Bovary, Old Man and the Sea, The Cherry Orchard, Beloved, Native Son, The Color Purple, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and All the Pretty Horses.

Summer reading is required.

Writing components include direct instruction and guided practice in literary analysis, argumentation, poem explication, and academic journaling.

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