Staff
Ms. Smith, Administrator
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Hirsch, Michael J. Department Chair and Teacher hirschm1@milwaukee.k12.wi.us (414) 393-2300 |
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Manders, Julie A. English Teacher manderj1@milwaukee.k12.wi.us Room 349 |
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Flores Garcia, Maria de los Angeles Language/Spanish Teacher floresm2@milwaukee.k12.wi.us Room 212 |
| Ortega Baltierra, Juan Language/Spanish Teacher ortegaj@milwaukee.k12.wi.us |
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| Cartagena Caraballo, Cleodomira Language/Spanish Teacher Chair cartagcx@milwaukee.k12.wi.us Room 339 |
Courses
English 9
The central purpose of this course is to expand students’ foundational skills in all communication arts. These include reading, analyzing literature, writing, listening, speaking, discussing, using language, understanding media, using technology, and employing research skills. Students will apply these skills as they continue to develop their abilities as creative and critical thinkers. The goal of this course is to engage students in a meaningful survey of various genres of literature and writing. Equipping students with effective foundational reading and writing skills is paramount. There are no prerequisites for this course.
English 10
The central purpose of this course is to expand students’ skills in communication arts; reading, analyzing literature, writing, listening, speaking, discussing, using language, understanding media, applying technology, and employing research skills. Grade ten students shall demonstrate, as part of their English 10 coursework, mastery of written and spoken expressions by designing, presenting, and defending a clearly reasoned, persuasively argued research project. Students shall be expected to demonstrate an understanding and use of technology resources in the research and presentation of the project. Site-based teachers will assess student work as a component of the course. Students will apply these skills as they continue to develop as creative and critical thinkers with a focus on informative/explanatory and argumentative frameworks. In particularly students will expand and improve their research and oral communication skills by preparing an argumentative research project and by making a persuasive oral presentation. The prerequisite for this class is English 9 (two semesters).
Communications Media & Journalism
In this course students will examine various aspects of the mass media, television, radio, film, newspapers, magazines, the Internet, and other technologies. Students will be required to critically evaluate the rhetoric used in media, and make judgments about audience, intent, effectiveness of message, etc. to increase their own media literacy and analysis skills. Students will be asked to research the history and social impact of various media to understand how and why media is created. In impact of various media to understand how and why media is created. In addition, students will read and respond to texts that closely examine the media’s impact on society.
Creative Writing
The central purpose of this course is to help students develop their ability to utilize specific writing techniques necessary for describing experiences in depth. Students will write in a workshop setting, conferencing with the teacher and other students to improve and strengthen their craft. The purpose of this class is not to study works that are deemed creative, but to use mentor texts to introduce devices and techniques common to the creative writing process. What students should gain from this course is an ability to distinguish various creative genres and be able to produce writing samples from each of the following areas; creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, and drama. Teachers may choose to include other forms of creative writing as well based on student interest and need.
English 11
The central purpose of this course is to expand students’ skills in all communication arts. These include reading comprehension, analyzing literature, writing, listening, speaking, discussing, using language, increasing and improving vocabulary, using media and technology, and employing advanced research skills. Students will apply these skills as they continue to increase their abilities as creative and critical thinkers. The goal of this course is for students to exhibit their ability to meet grade-level expectations by successfully completing embedded course assessments, including writing On-Demand. Effectively supporting students with advancing reading and writing skills is paramount, with a focus on writing On-Demand. Prerequisites for this course are English 9 and English 10.
AP English Language/Composition
AP English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Students become aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing, Stylistic development is nurtured by emphasizing the following; a wide-ranging vocabulary; a variety of sentence structures; logical organization; a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; and an effective use of rhetoric logical organization; a balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail; and an effective use of rhetoric.
English 12
The central purpose of this course is to extend students’ growth in all communication arts. Reading, writing, listening, discussing, speaking, using language, understanding media, using technology, and employing research skills will be applied to help students enhance their abilities to become creative and critical thinkers. Grade twelve students will demonstrate effective communication skills by creating various works of sufficient grade-level merit to address the complexity and depth of senior-level work. Artifacts will be constructed as a part of the student’s coursework and accessed via the site-based instructor. Prerequisites for this course include successful completion of English 9 and 10; and either English 11 or electives.
African-American Literature
In this literature intensive course students will read, interpret, and discuss classical and contemporary literary selections from African and African American authors. These cultural texts will allow students to see the ways in which African Americans have contributed to, have been influenced by, have appropriated, and have transformed America. Activities will include advanced language and composition skills where students will be required to integrate advanced writing and language skills with African American literature that looks at the past, present, and future.
AP English Literature/Composition
AP English Literature and Composition engages students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students should deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. The course includes intensive study of representative works from various genres and periods, concentrating on works by authors of recognized literary merit. The works taught in the course require careful deliberative reading. Writing is an integral part of the course and exam. Writing assignments focus on the critical analysis of literature and include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays.