Course Listing

How do advertisements convince us (or not) to buy a product? What strategies do political candidates use to persuade voters? How do nonfiction authors use many of the same literary tools that fiction authors use? In this challenging course, we answer such questions through rhetorical analysis, studying how authors communicate within particular contexts. We investigate authors’ purposes, audiences’ expectations, genre conventions, historical and political situations, and all of the other elements that affect the writing and reading of texts. Students learn not only to understand others’ rhetorical strategies, but also to effectively use such strategies themselves. Students learn to make effective arguments and to write compelling prose. Reading assignments emphasize nonfiction from a variety of historical periods and include both visual and written texts. This course is the equivalent of an introductory composition course offered at most colleges.

(Open to students in grade 11, after consultation with the student’s advisor and current English teacher, and with permission of the Department Head. Full year. 1 credit.)

In this workshop-style course, students discover what they have to say as they explore how to say it. As students read and write memoirs, short stories, essays, and poems, they develop a deeper understanding of their own ways of seeing the world—and how these shape their writer's voices. Exercises in fiction writing give students a working understanding of character, setting, point of view, and theme. Memoir assignments invite students to explore the uses of narration and reflection. Students write frequently and are expected to embrace the process of revision – that is, to discover ways to close the gaps between what they think they want to say, what they actually want to say, and what they do say. Emphasis is placed on class participation with a focus on the art of giving and receiving feedback. Readings will include works by contemporary and classic authors in many styles and genres. (Open to students in grade 12. Full year. 1 credit.)

Have you ever wondered why we read so few “happy” books in high school English classes? For thousands of years, artists have tried to discover ways for us to find joy and meaning in the world as it really is, not as we would like it to be. In this course, we will uncover the answers literature offers to questions like: How do I thrive amid external adversity like violence, prejudice, and loss? How do I work with challenges that seem to come from within, like insecurity, anxiety, and loneliness? How do I choose a path when every outcome is uncertain? Can struggle actually lead to joy or meaning? We will read books such as Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway, Toni Morrison’s Beloved, and James McBride’s Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, as well as short stories, poetry, and non-fiction by writers like John Keats, Alfred Tennyson, Vladimir Nabokov, Robert Hayden, Viktor Frankl, Amy Tan, Mary Oliver, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Joy Harjo. By the end of the course, you will be ready to succeed on the AP English Literature exam, and you will have tools to help you chart a course of joy and meaning as you transition into adulthood. (Open to students in grade 12 after consultation with the student’s advisor and current English teacher, and with the permission of the Department Head. Full year. 1 credit.)

This course teaches students to write quickly, accurately, and effectively and helps the student editorial staff produce a polished, responsible online newspaper that reflects and enlivens the Dana Hall community. Students identify and write newsworthy items, feature articles, and editorials; interview sources, both inside and outside of the school community; work as a team to set and meet deadlines; revise, polish, proof, and edit articles for posting; and create or select illustrations and photographs. The course also examines the history and contemporary world of journalism. Students may enroll in this course for multiple years.

(Open to students in grades 10, 11, and 12. Required for Hallmanac Editors. Full year. ½ credit.)

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Language-Intensive Literature and Composition I is designed for international students who need to build their skills in reading and writing American English. Students learn the strategies that help them enjoy greater confidence and success as readers and writers. Readings, which include such works as I Am Malala; The Hate U Give; The Graveyard Book; and a Shakespearean play as well as assorted short stories and poetry, emphasize coming-of-age themes. Critical, mindful reading is emphasized. Extra attention is devoted to vocabulary development, as well as grammar, usage, and mechanics. This course is taken concurrently with Writing and Communication. (Full year. 1 credit.)

Literature and Composition I provides students with opportunities to further develop their reading and writing skills. Readings, which include such works as The Catcher in the Rye and The Hate U Give, and a Shakespearean play as well as assorted short stories and poetry, emphasize coming-of-age themes. Students embrace the writing process in a variety of assignments, from creative pieces to thesis-driven essays. Critical, mindful reading is emphasized. This course also includes vocabulary development and a focus on grammar, usage, and mechanics. (Full year. 1 credit.)

Students study literature of varied genres with a focus on women in an international context. Readings include such works as Pride and Prejudice, Persepolis, and The Handmaid’s Tale, as well as contemporary novels from Africa and Asia; poetry; plays such as Shakespeare’s Othello; and podcasts. Students become increasingly more adept, sophisticated writers and public speakers by writing and speaking in a variety of modes. Students emerge from Literature and Composition II with strengthened critical writing skills and a broadened global perspective on literature. (Full year. 1 credit.)

In Literature and Composition III, students examine how writers depict, create, and criticize American values, identities, and conflicts in literature. Students practice close reading of novels, poetry, and plays by such diverse authors as Jacobs, Emerson, Thoreau, Douglass, Whitman, Dickinson, Chopin, Fitzgerald, Kesey, Kushner, and Gyasi. Students continue to become more sophisticated writers through the composition and revision of analytical and personal essays as well as creative assignments. Students emerge from this course with strengthened critical thinking, reading, and writing skills, as well as increased empathy and understanding of the ways art can both reflect and reshape American society. (Full year. 1 credit.)

In this final high school English course, you will prepare to be a reader, writer, and thinker in college and beyond. What does it look like to be a lifelong learner? What kind of critical thinking do you need to be able to use as you head out into the world beyond Dana Hall? How can the written word both reflect and inform your choices and life experiences? Through an exploration of diverse literary genres (including novels, poetry, plays, short stories, speeches, and nonfiction), students will strengthen their critical thinking skills while drawing connections to the world around us. Writing assignments will include literary analysis as well as personal writing, creative pieces, and real-world writing. This course is designed to help students internalize the tools necessary to successfully navigate the challenges and choices they will face as women and citizens of the world.

(Open to students in 12th grade. Full year. 1 credit.)

Writing and Communication is designed for international students who need to build their skills in reading, writing, and speaking American English. This writing-intensive course develops students’ ability to read critically, discuss and present ideas fluently, and write clearly in a variety of formats. Vocabulary lessons focus on words from assigned texts. Grammar lessons help students identify and correct common errors as they create more sophisticated sentences. This course is designed to be taken concurrently with Language-Intensive Literature and Composition I. (Full year. 1 credit.)