2023-24 Le Mars Community High School Curriculum Guide

P a g e | 30  CREATIVE WRITING (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 Elective/Required: Required Option Grade Level: 11, 12 Creative Writing is an elective course for juniors and seniors who enjoy writing or who want to polish their writing skills. In a workshop type of environment, the students will write various types of narrative writing, descriptive writing, an autobiography, a play, a fairytale, and various types of poetry. Good readers make good writers, so there is also a reading component to this course, where each student will read a novel, a play, short stories, and poems and then create a written portfolio based on what they read. The core goal is the development of the writing process. EARLY AMERICAN LITERATURE (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 Elective/Required: Required Option Grade Level: 11, 12 This course is devoted to a study of the development of American literature from pre-colonial times through the mid-1800s. The texts used for the course include short stories, non-fiction foundation documents, poetry, essays, and articles. Students study the works of major American writers and public figures and trace the relationship between the growth of literature and the history of America. A variety of writing assignments are paired with the readings. FRESHMAN ENGLISH (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Year Credits: 2 Grade Level: 9 This course is required of all freshmen. The class is devoted to the study of literature and informational texts, writing, vocabulary, grammar, usage, speaking and listening. There is also a heavy focus on analyzing rhetoric, persuasive writing, and persuasive speaking (debate). Special emphasis is given to the study of Romeo and Juliet , analyzing textual evidence and writing in MLA format . FUNDAMENTALS OF SPEECH (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Semester Credits: 1 LCHS, 3 WITCC Elective/Required: Required Option Grade Level: 11, 12 This course combines theory of speech communication with public speech performance skills. Emphasis is on speech delivery, preparation, organization, support, and audience analysis. Practice of skills is through presentation and exercise. JUNIOR ENGLISH (NCAA) Course Length: 1 Year Credits: 2 Grade Level: 11 This course is required of all juniors. The class is designed to develop students’ facility in literature, writing, vocabulary, grammar, usage, and speaking and listening skills. Special emphasis is given to the study of A Midsummer Night’s Dream , classic and contemporary stories, and argumentative research paper writing.