The purpose of the high school English curriculum is to develop within each student the richest relationship to language one can have—not merely one of competence, but one of love. The use and appreciation of language is by turns a technical skill, an intellectual exercise, a moral act, and an aesthetic offering. Helping students develop their understanding of and abilities in all these dimensions is the goal of the English curriculum over the four years of high school. In all their work, students are guided to understand that language is a sacred intellectual force, not merely a mechanical tool.

The smallest expectation of the English department is for students to graduate from our program proficient in reading, writing, and speaking. Through a rich and diverse selection of literary works, students are guided to discuss and understand literature as a way to examine the mystery that constitutes each human being. These considerations carry into discussions of content, style, theme, authorship, social and historical context, and relevance. Through the study of grammar and vocabulary and the extensive and regular practice of various forms of writing and speech, students learn to use words effectively and beautifully.

Students experience the use of language as social as well as personal and see that striving to use it well is a gesture both of responsibility and kindness toward others. They are encouraged to seek mastery of the dynamic tension between discipline (form) and self-expression (freedom) that makes for clear and exciting writing. Finally, they are invited to have fun, to become aware that while language is work, it is also play: a joyful and sacred form of play in which they can revel and delight.

Following are brief descriptions of the morning lesson blocks and track classes that constitute the English curriculum.

Ninth Grade

In the English track class, students develop a sound foundation in basic descriptive writing, formal paragraph and essay writing, public speaking, grammar usage, and reading comprehension. Careful attention is given to meanings of roots and prefixes, to speaking clearly individually and as a group, and to writing clearly. Students practice clarifying their observations of the world around them and expressing these observations in a sequence of ideas. They encounter the foundations of western literature through the study of mythology and the Bible. By defining the Greco-Roman and Hebraic worldviews, specifically the early stories from the book of Genesis, students develop a historical context from which to analyze and understand the development of modern paradigms. A detailed analysis of both the Old and New Testaments further helps students develop analytical skills and begin to view historical context as a principle of interpretation. The concept of genre enters through the study of the modern novel Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury, in which the Old Testament notion of good and evil is revisited in a more modern context. Other genres are introduced through the study of a variety of short stories and an introduction to poetry.

In addition to the three quarters of track class covering the above topics, ninth graders have one four-week morning lesson block—Comedy and Tragedy— which introduces them to the history of western drama, from its birth in Greece to modern theater. Students perform short scenes from the various time periods to develop an understanding of character, plot, blocking, staging, voice, style, ideology, and other dramatic elements.

Tenth Grade

Students in the English track class develop the necessary skills for competent reading, writing, and speaking through work on the mechanics of language, vocabulary development, and focused reading and writing. Various writing activities help students develop research, organization, and drafting skills. Literary analysis focuses on the recognition of theme, symbolism, and historical significance. Grammar is incorporated on a regular basis to provide an understanding of language as well as to strengthen writing capacities. The course begins with a writing intensive in which students develop the analytical and essay skills necessary to craft a fluid and well-organized comparative essay. This capacity grows throughout the year as they combine ever more precise and sensitive work in analyzing literature with the ability to make comparisons between works. Students study Homer’s Odyssey, and through it are introduced to the genre of epic as well as the motif of the hero’s journey. This track portion of the curriculum concludes with a reading of Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. The journey of the Joads is contrasted with that of Odysseus, as is the difference between the ancient and modern world views.

In addition to the three-quarters track class that covers the above topics, tenth graders have one four-week morning lesson block— Poetry and the Evolution of Language. Students study narrative, dramatic, epic, and lyric poetry, reading and writing many poetic forms. They also study the development of English from its hypothesized Indo-European root language to the present. Key texts are Beowulf, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, excerpts from Shakespeare, and 18^th and 19^th century British poets. To conclude the block, students have an in-class poetry reading and an evening poetry reading for the public. They also take trips into nature, observing the forms and patterns of the outdoors to find expression through the poetic process.

Eleventh Grade

The English track class focuses on developing advanced English skills and capacities. Students read works from the American literary tradition, such as The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. These works develop an understanding of how authors use literary devices to amplify and enhance thematic content. The course addresses the theme of identity through an examination of the individual’s quest for selfhood in relationship to the external world, particularly the minority quest for identity within a paradigm of dominance. Students review grammar, usage, punctuation, essay writing, paragraph formation, and proper citation. Writing assignments include theme exploration, character studies, expository essays, personal reflection essays, and extended formal literary analysis. Through several extended literary essays, students refine the literary skills of analysis and synthesis, paying particular attention to style and tone.

In addition to the quarter track class covering the above topics, another quarter track is devoted to Ecological Literacy and Sustainability. This course addresses the critical, contemporary issue of humans’ relationship to the earth. The non-fiction books The Great Work by Thomas Berry and In the Absence of the Sacred by Jerry Mander serve as springboards into an in-depth examination of the ecological impact of human beings on the planet. Students are encouraged to understand how the species as a whole, and they individually, leave a footprint on the life system of the planet and to examine what constitutes right relationship of the individual to the planetary community. Issues discussed include: sustainability, intentional community, globalization, species extinction, consumerism, fossil fuel use, and personal rights and responsibilities. Writing assignments include a nightly journal, short explanatory and opinion essays, and creative explorations. Students will also complete two independently conceived artistic projects dealing with the themes of the individual’s relationship to the planet and social and ecological justice.

In addition, tenth graders have two three-week morning lesson blocks—Shakespeare and Dante—and a four-week morning lesson block in Parzival.

The Shakespeare block begins with an overview of the high Renaissance in England and background information on the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Students analyze the way this transition is reflected through Shakespeare’s characters and themes. The course explores the nature of language, specifically looking at Shakespeare’s impact on the evolution of language. The class reads selected excerpts from Shakespeare’s sonnets as well as three to four of his plays including a tragedy, a comedy, and a history. Each student memorizes and presents a dramatic performance of a major monologue in a public performance. Students also complete a detailed analysis of two major Shakespearean plays. This classroom study is augmented by a multiple-day trip to see three to four plays at the Ashland Shakespeare festival in Oregon.

In the Parzival block, students employ the concept and technique of literary analysis to explore historical and present-day topical issues found in this Medieval German Romance. Questions of love and duty emerge, as well as the theme of a significant quest. Students shift their focus from answering questions to asking meaningful questions. Knowledge and application of precise and expository writing as well as narrative retelling are emphasized through a variety of activities, including daily writing assignments and oral presentations. The final examination revisits one of the book’s central themes—asking the right question—by inviting students to design an exam in which they ask the questions instead of answering them. This meets the students’ growing need to transition into being sources of authority for themselves. The course curriculum and teaching style prepare the students for higher level English, social studies, and history courses.

In the course of the three-week Dante block, eleventh graders read the Inferno in Italian and in English translation and learn about its characters, images, literary themes, and allegorical dimensions. They study the life and times of Dante and the Commedia and engage in daily discussions of the symbolism of the circles of Hell and their relevance to the 13^th and 14^th centuries, as well as to today’s world. Each week they summarize assigned cantos, create an artistic or free rendering of an assigned theme, and write a literary analysis. They also take quizzes and a final exam.

Twelfth Grade

The twelfth grade English track class begins with extensive writing work, especially on the college essay, usually written in the form of personal reflection. Students have an opportunity to practice all forms of writing, including research, persuasive essays, informational reports, reflective essays, literary interpretation, and character analysis. They work on the skills they will need to write and present their senior projects, which typically involve a long report as well as a substantial oral presentation to the wider community.

The Transcendentalists morning lesson block, a thorough study of this important 19th century American school, includes works by Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman. Students also consider modern and contemporary thinkers influenced by the Transcendentalists, such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. The students practice journaling, participate in a seminar, and are responsible for an oral presentation and a major art project. They read several of Emerson’s essays, such as “The American Scholar,” “Self-Reliance,” and “Nature,” and compare the ideas with Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and examples of Whitman’s poetry. The culminating assignment is each student’s individual crafting of his/her own imitative version of a portion of Whitman’s Song of Myself.

The Russian Literature morning lesson block covers the 19th and 20th century. In addition to reading from The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoevsky, students read short works by Tolstoy, Turgenev, Gogol, Leskov, and Chekov. This course places Russian literature within the context of Russian history, including the Russian Revolution and modern developments. The students write a major analytical essay in which they identify and select “typically Russian” characters and themes and establish credibility for their selections through the presentation of evidence from multiple works. The course also includes a mock trial in which one of the characters from Lady MacBeth of Mtskensk is placed on trial for the murder of her husband and nephew. Students play the roles of characters in the story as well as those of attorneys, jury, and judge. They research the insanity defense and argue for and against the protagonist’s insanity exclusively through reference to the events and text of the story.

The Senior Project Seminar prepares students for and guides them through the process of independent project work. They each select an area of personal interest, design a project proposal, and establish relationships with mentors and faculty advisors. After their project is approved, they undertake an independent journey, under the general supervision of the instructor, which includes doing research, developing a timeline and project overview, executing the project, interviewing experts in the selected field, and creating a final presentation. Throughout the project students keep a careful record of their process, including journal entries and visual documentation. The final phase of the class helps them pull together their extensive materials, experience, interviews, and documentation into a finished form, which includes a portfolio; descriptive, analytical, and reflective writing; the use of multi-media technology; and an oral presentation given to the entire school community near the end of senior year. The project and presentation must reflect both individuality and creativity as well as the competence students have acquired in critical analysis, speech, and writing during their high school career. The class is also intended to prepare them for the rigors of college level work and independent research.