English Department Course Listing
Back to English Home
09101 HONORS ENGLISH I (Grade 9)
This year long Standards Based course is designed for the student who has an excellent command of literacy strategies. Through an enriched curriculum, freshmen enrolled in Honors English are engaged in rigorous assignments. In literature, intensive study is undertaken in the interpretation and analysis of various genres, such as short fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry, and the novel. In preparation for the 10th grade MCAS exam, students enrolling in this course should score in the Advanced category.
09102 ACADEMIC ENGLISH I (Grade 9)
This is a year long Standards based course designed for the student who plans to attend a two or four year college after high school. Literacy strategies are emphasized and the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening serve as a foundation for success in all content areas of study. A survey of literary genres will be the Literature content.
09202 COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH II (Grade 10)
This year long Standards Based course continues the emphasis of Literacy strategies applied across the curriculum. Close reading of American Literature as well as a Shakespeare selection is the primary Literature study. Extensive practice for the P.S.A.T. is also undertaken.
09212 TECH PREP ENGLISH II (Grade 10)
This yearlong Standards Based curriculum continues to concentrate on strengthening literacy skills. Reading , writing, speaking, and listening strategies will continue to be the focus of study. American Literature is the content of all English II classes.
09302 COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH III (Grade 11)
This semester Standards Based course is designed to prepare the college-bound student in the reading, writing, speaking, listening and technical skills he/she will need to function successfully in a 2- or 4-year college. An understanding and appreciation of British Literature will be the literary emphasis. Strategies in preparation for the P. S. A. T. and the S. A. T. are also studied.
09402 COLLEGE PREP ENGLISH IV (Grade 12)
09312 ENGLISH TECH PREP III (Grade 11)
09412 ENGLISH TECH PREP IV (Grade 12)
These are the English components of the Tech Prep 2+2 Program, geared toward students contemplating a two-year college education in business or engineering. While the literature program remains similar to that in a CP junior or senior English class, technical writing receives much more attention than it would in a college preparatory English class.
09201 HONORS ENGLISH II (Grade 10)
In this HAP yearlong course, students who have demonstrated an excellent command of literacy strategies in grade 10 are provided with further academic rigor. The scope and sequence of American Literature written analysis and interpretation as well as research techniques are the focus of the content. The standards based curriculum prepares students for the MCAS and PSAT.
09301 HONORS ENGLISH III (Grade 11)
A semester course of Honors English III is a Standards Based curriculum. Literary concentration is an in-depth study of British Literature from its origins to the present, special note being placed upon the great ideas expressed in each age and upon literary style. Literacy strategies improve writing skills through analysis of prose models and intensive writing assignments.
09401 HONORS ENGLISH IV (Grade 12)
A semester course of Honors English IV is a Standards Based curriculum. Literary concentration is an in-depth study of World Literature from its origins to the present, special note being placed upon the great ideas expressed in each age and upon literary style. Literacy strategies will focus on independent analysis and interpretation of literature and intensive writing assignments.
09411 ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH
This year long course is an extensive study of world literature. In the first semester, seniors follow the curriculum of Honors English IV. The second semester continues into an Advanced Placement curriculum with focus on selected literary figures of each age, the ideas that impelled their works, and the influences they have exerted upon their successors. Students will examine in depth the development of prevalent themes, analytical and interpretive essays as well as extensive independent critical research. Students are required to take the Advance Placement Exam in Literature and Language.
Students requesting the year long AP English IV need not request Honors English IV.
09504 INTRODUCTION TO JOURNALISM (Grades 10, 11, 12)
This course, recommended for the junior year, introduces students to the theory and mechanics of journalism. Students learn the skills necessary to write, edit, design, and publish both print and electronic publications. Various styles of writing, editing, layout, advertising, photography, and desktop publishing are covered. Members in this class are required to contribute to the production of Durfee’s publications.
09514 ADVANCED JOURNALISM (Grades 11, 12)
Student journalists continue their training in writing, editing, and publishing. Working both independently and in groups, students will gain advanced skills not only in writing, editing, and management, but also in desktop publishing software, including PageMaker and Quark; electronic publishing software like PageMill; and photo-imaging software, including PhotoShop. This course may be taken up to three times.
09614 AFRICAN-AMERICAN LITERATURE SERIES (Grades 10, 11, 12)
From African folktales to contemporary African-American authors, the student is introduced to a literature that has helped to shape our society. Outside readings feature the poetry, short stories, essays, and novels of African-Americans since the arrival of the first slaves in this country. Class discussions of the literature are intended to develop critical thinking and an awareness of other cultures. The course meets three times a week.
Students engage in public speaking exercises in class as well as become an audience for selected speakers from the community. Over the course of the semester they are gradually introduced to the need for the good public relations and the means to achieve that goal.
09534 EDITORS’ INTERNSHIP (HAP) (Grade 12)
This course is open only to students who hold leadership positions in Durfee's publications, including the Durfee Hilltop, The Record Book, The Phoenix Nest and the publications’ web site. Student editors are expected to act as leaders in and out of the classroom, and to dedicate themselves to producing excellent publications, working with the teacher, faculty, the community and students in other journalism classes. Students must be recommended by the advisor and approved by the department chair. Editors may take this course each semester during their senior year.
09694 "IT'S A MYSTERY TO ME (Grades 11, 12)
This elective is an opportunity for students who love mystery and detective fiction to explore this genre on a deeper level and also to improve writing skills. Students will explore deductive reasoning and problem solving. Through their reading, they will have the opportunity to get in tune with different authors, focus on plot, and study character and setting.
Much of the time will be spent reading and discussing various mysteries and detective fiction, both short stories and novels. Authors will include Edgar Allen Poe, Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Robert Parker, Ellery Queen and Rex Stout. As an added component to the course, students will also investigate a variety of television detectives such as Perry Mason, Lieutenant Columbo, Spencer, etc. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in on-line mystery solving and web quests.
This is a "hands-on" course. At its completion, students should have a rich area for future reading, an increase in analytical reading skills, a deeper understanding of plot, character, and setting in fiction, and an increased skill in writing for a particular audience, for a specific purpose. They should also acquire a greater sense of media literacy and a familiarity with researching web sites online. This elective will have a project-based structure. Individuals will create their own detective stories. As a whole, the class will create a "class mystery" composed of sections written and discussed in small groups. These mysteries will be typed, illustrated, and bound into a book to be shared with other classes. Proofreading, editing, rewriting and peer support will be stressed.
09624 NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE (Grades 10, 11, 12)
This elective course is intended to give the student an appreciation of the events of early America through a study of the diverse cultures, religious traditions, folklore, and ceremonialism of the North American Indian. Works like BuryMy Heart at Wounded Knee , Disinherited , and Black Elk Speaks will be presented for discussion. This course meets three times a week.
09524 PUBLISHING PRACTICUM (Grades 11, 12)
This course is open only to students who hold leadership positions on Durfee’s publications, including the newspaper, yearbook, literary magazine, and web page. Students will be expected not only to provide leadership in the publication center but also to work independently.
In addition to the classroom assignments, students will work with professionals in the community through shadowing, internships, and other programs. Students must be recommended by the advisor and approved by the department chair to enroll in this course. This course may be taken up to two times.
09584 TEACHER ACADEMY I (Grades 11, 12)
This course is designed for juniors and seniors who have a strong interest in education. This course explores the issues affecting the schools in our society today. Students will have the opportunity for a field placement in an elementary classroom. Students will also have a Tech Prep agreement with Bristol Community College and other state colleges and universities.
09594 TEACHER ACADEMY II (Grades 11, 12)
This course is for the student who has completed Teacher Academy I. This will be a supervised field placement in one of our Fall River elementary classrooms. The student will be required to keep a personal log and discuss problem areas with other Academy II students.
09554 COLLEGE CAREER & STUDY SKILLS
Students will learn how to choose a suitable college and narrow career choices. They will also learn strategies for success in college.
09684 THRILLERS A TO Z (Grades 11, 12)
In the five-credit “Thrillers A to Z” elective, juniors and seniors will read novels by Stephen King, John Saul, and Dean Koontz. Classic suspense movies and biographies of nasty people like Charles Manson will be shown as well as films on strange and wonderful topics. Books assigned will be tested, and a Film Journal must be kept.