ELA (English Language Arts)

English Language Arts Department    

Teachers: Karen Yannuzzie, Dwight Glanville, Robert MacVicar


All students must complete 4 years of English. The Regents exam is taken at the end of the third year.

English: (1,2) In this year long course students will be introduced to a variety of authors such as Chinua Achebe, Margaret Walker, Toni Bambara, and Edna St. Vincent Malag. In addition, students will have a large writing component to this course. Essay writing; structure; grammar; research skills and test-taking strategies will be emphasized.

English: (3,4) Students will be exposed to World Literature, which may include writers such as Elie Wiesel, Anne Tyler, Laurie Colwin, Jay Parini, Beryl Markham, and Isaac Singer. Students will also continue to work on formal essay writing and creative writing.

English: (5, 6) This course covers American literature from Native American folk tales to World War II. Texts read include works by Hawthorne; Emerson; Whitman; Twain; Fitzgerald and Steinbeck. In addition students prepare for the English Regents Examination during this course. Attention is given to the types of essays included on the exam and students learn the format and skills for successfully taking the exam.

English: (7,8)  Students in the 12^th grade English classes will be exposed to a myriad of writers, poets, essayists and playwrights, depending on their teacher. Texts studied include Urban Issues New York Times, “The little girl and the wolf”, “The princes and the tin box” ,Mark Twain, and E.P. Jones “The Girl Who Raised Pigeons”. In addition, students continue to work on essay writing and creative writing.