The elective program in English offers a wide variety of courses for student selection. These offerings range from thematically organized courses, to special seminars on specific authors, with each course covering relevant short and long works that fit the course’s focus. The typical composition students write at this level continues to build on student’s mastery of the five-paragraph essay. Students are expected to write three such essays each semester. They also study topics such as outlining, introductions and conclusions, transitions, and parallel structure designed to develop specific skills necessary for the writing of effective essays.
Science Fiction is a literature course that focuses on the consequences of change to the tools we use, the settings we explore, the others we encounter, the invisible dimensions we think about, our essence as human beings, the rules by which we organize societies, and the habitat we transform. Fundamentally, it seeks to estrange us from our consensus reality, while simultaneously critiquing our society. We will spend time with award-winning short stories from multiple eras. Students will demonstrate their understanding of course material through reflective writings, multi-paragraph argumentative essays, group presentations, and a final world-building project.