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As students are registering for next year, please encourage them
to take the following English electives:
HUMANITIES A AND HUMANITIES B
A study of western and nonwestern civilizations. The course is interdisciplinary,
weaving together literature, art, architecture, history, music,
philosophy, dance, creative writing, popular culture, and film study.
Students are encouraged to view the development of civilization
through creative experiences. They attend performances and visit
area museums and galleries to enrich their study. Students undertake
a special independent project each semester on an area of the humanities
in which they are most interested. Humanities A focuses on early
through medieval civilizations with study of early nonwestern civilizations.
Humanities B focuses on Renaissance through 20th-century civilizations
with continued study of later and contemporary nonwestern civilizations.
Students may take Humanities A and Humanities B for English elective
credit or Social Studies credit. Students are welcome to take one
or both semesters. (Grades 10-12)
PHILOSOPHY
This course acquaints students with the discipline and history of
philosophy. Such issues as the nature of the universe; the basic
moral and intellectual superstructure of society; good and evil;
free will and determinism; and the relationship of a person to other
individuals and to the state are examined through the major philosophers
and their writings. Current trends in philosophy are studied as
well. (Grades 10-12)
JOURNALISM 1A AND 1B (Editing and Reporting;
Advanced Newspaper and Production)
Students are introduced to different types of journalism; they have
many opportunities to learn how to write a variety of articles and
how to conduct effective interviews. They examine what makes an
effective paper, may hear from leading journalists in panel discussions
and on field trips, and even have opportunities to write for local
newspapers and to develop press releases about special programs
at school. Students must take the first semester of the course in
order to take the second semester. Students receive technology credit
for this course. (Grades 10-12; Grade 9 with permission
of instructor)
JOURNALISM 2A AND 2B (Prerequisite: Successful
completion of Journalism 1A and 1B)
An excellent opportunity for students to continue to apply the skills
they have acquired in Journalism 1 A and 1 B and to write for The
Tattler. Students use desktop publishing and our computer lab
to prepare articles for the paper. There is also an online version
of the newspaper, and issues are featured on the school’s
website. Students must take the first semester of the course in
order to take the second semester. (Grades 10-12)
To serve as editors for The Tattler, students must
apply and receive permission of the sponsor, Mr. Virden, and the
English Resource Teacher. Tattler
Internship is available to these students in grades 11
and 12 with permission of the instructor and the department. The
editorial selection process, based on successful completion of Journalism
IA and IB and Journalism 2A and 2B, includes writing an article
for the paper. See Mr. Virden for additional details. (Grades
11-12)
CHIPS
Students interested in working on the literary and creative arts
magazine should sign up during registration for consideration. The
course enables students to produce work from the magazine and to
learn principles of the magazine layout, design, and production
via desktop publishing. See Ms. Gold for details. (Grades
10-12 with permission of the instructor)
To sign up for Yearbook, Pine Tree Internship,
students should see Mrs. Kirk for details and complete an application.
(Grades 9-12 with application and permission of instructor)
ADVANCED COMPOSITION: CREATIVE WRITING (Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Eng. 9)
This course is designed for able students interested in creative
or expository writing. Students receive guided instruction in areas
of their choice: creative writing with special emphasis on poetry,
drama, or prose fiction; advanced expository writing; or a combination
of writing types. Regular guidance and instruction take place mainly
in small, common-interest groups, supplemented by frequent teacher-student
conferences and critiques. (Grades 10-12)
TV PRODUCTION 1 & 2 (Prerequisite for TV
Prod. 2: Successful completion of TV Prod. 1)
Students are introduced to the many aspects of video and film production.
Topics covered include basic and advanced camera operation, lighting
and filters, studio and location filming, video editing, cinematography
aesthetics, and writing for the screen. (Grades 9-12)
TV PRODUCTION 3 & 4 (Prerequisite: Successful
completion of TV Production 1 & 2)
This course extends students’ experience with the fundamentals
of television, building on the skills gained in TV Production 1
and 2. Activities are centered on classroom work and production/editing.
The course offers a combination of theory and practical experiences.
Students will work on production of B-CC’s morning TV show,
Wake – Up B–CC, and other projects in school-based
and community-based broadcast journalism and documentary. Activities
include the exploration of major issues affecting television broadcasting,
programming, and scheduling. Advanced writing and production techniques
for a variety of formats are covered. Students may also produce
work for consideration in media festivals. (Grades 11-12)
IB FILM STUDIES 1 & 2 (Prerequisite: IB Film
Studies 2 requires successful completion of IB Film Studies 1)
Through the study of film texts and projects in filmmaking and analysis,
the IB Film student will explore film history, theory, and socio-economic
background, enabling them to appreciate the multiplicity of cultural
and historical perspectives in film. Students will learn to consider
a wide variety of film texts, theories, and ideas from the point
of view of different individuals, nations, and cultures. Because
of the collaborative nature of the film, the course also emphasizes
the importance of working individually and as a member of a team.
(Grades 11-12)
THEATER 1: EXPLORING THE ELEMENTS OF PERFORMANCE
Students are introduced to the many aspects of performing before
a live audience. Students will complete practical projects that
help them sharpen their ability to emphasize believable action sharpen
concentration, improve voice and diction, realize authentic emotional
responses, and develop full characters. (Grades 9-12)
THEATER 2: THE PLAY AND THE PLAYER (Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Theater 1)
Students will apply the performance skills sharpened in Theater
1 to scripted scenarios. To prepare for scene work, students will
explore the guiding principles and techniques used by various playwrights
when crafting scripts, how these developed over time alongside the
performance and technical aspects of theater, and how to use the
script as a guide for acting choices. (Grades 9-12)
ADVANCED ACTING: METHOD, THEORY, AND PRACTICE (Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Theater 1 and 2 or permission of teacher
and portfolio)
Students will study in greater depth the theory and practice of
acting by exploring techniques developed by acting various acting
teachers. Students will explore methods for releasing the subconscious,
finding "public solitude," achieving emotional flexibility,
beginning with emotional aliveness, and personalizing the text.
This course serves as the entry-level section for the B-CC Theater
Conservatory. (Grades 10-12)
PLAY DIRECTING: PRACTICAL PLAY ANALYSIS (Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Advanced Acting or permission of teacher
and portfolio)
Students will explore the role of the director as a collaborator
among diverse contributors. In attempting to turn a portion of a
play script into an actual production, students have an opportunity
to find expression for their knowledge of theatrical practice and
theory, along with their interpretative acuity and imagination.
This is an advanced B-CC Theater Conservatory course. (Grades
10-12)
ADVANCED COMPOSITION A: PLAY WRITING (Prerequisite:
Successful completion of Play Directing)
Students who enjoy play writing are given excellent opportunities
through a workshop format. Students will be able to work intensively
on short scripts of their own choosing, and they are encouraged
to polish their work for staging and publication. This is a B-CC
Theater Conservatory course, although no prior theater experience
is necessary. With permission of the instructor, students may focus
on other types of writing, including poetry and narrative. (Grades
11-12)
STAGE DESIGN (Prerequisite: Successful completion
of Advanced Composition Play Writing)
Students study all aspects of stage design and develop and execute
designs for in-school and out-of-school productions.(Grades
11-12)
IB THEATER 1 and 2 (Prerequisites: Theater 1
and 2 or permission of the teacher; IB Theater 2 requires successful
completion of IB Theater 1 A and 1 B) (Grades 11-12)
THEATER INTERNSHIP A/B (by permission of teacher)
Internships can be based at B-CC or at area theaters, including
Round House Theater and the Shakespeare Theater. (Grade
12)
SAT PREP
A one-semester course available for college-bound sophomores, juniors,
and first-semester seniors. The course is designed to improve student
achievement on both the verbal and mathematics components of the
SAT. Students take released editions of the SAT under simulated
test conditions. Students in this course do extensive vocabulary
development and practice with the PSAT and SAT. The course includes
units on advanced reading comprehension, SAT test-taking skills,
reading speed, and flexibility. (Grades 10-12)
COLLEGE LITERACY PREP
This two-semester course is designed to help students become effective
independent learners. Working with their teachers, students will
develop a reading and writing plan to help them achieve their goals
throughout the course of the year. Semester 1 focuses on developing
and implementing each student's plan, as well as helping students
learn a variety of reading, writing, vocabulary, and study strategies
through supplemental readings, journals, and extensions of English
and Social Studies assignments. These strategies are effective at
all levels of instruction and tap into what proficient readers and
writers know and are able to do. Semester 2 provides continued support
in reading and writing instruction and preparation for the High
School Assessments. (Grades 9 and 10)
Additional support for students is available through the Student
Resource Center Program.
IB Theory of Knowledge 1 and 2 and IB Guided Research
are offered through the English Department, but are open only to
students enrolled in the full IB diploma program in grades
11 and 12.
AP/IB Study Seminar (for grade 11 and
grade 12 students new to AP or IB classes) (to
be offered in English, Foreign Languages, Math, Social Studies,
and Science, based on enrollment)
The purpose of this class is to provide students new to AP and IB
classes in grades 11 and 12 with support in reading, writing, and
organizational strategies, as well as analytical and critical thinking
skills. The class will be conducted in a study hall format, giving
students opportunities to apply specific strategies to their assignments
from the AP/IB class they are taking for the first time. Students
in this class will be given time to work on assignments from their
AP/IB classes with the support of a teacher and peer tutors. There
will be extended time to work on in-class essays and timed writings,
vocabulary development, and critical reading and writing skills.
The class will also focus on test preparation and build students’
confidence in taking timed assessments. The class may be taken for
one semester or the full year. Students will receive credit or no
credit as a grade for the course.
Students who wish to serve as peer tutors must be seniors who have
successfully taken AP and IB courses in the past. These peer tutors
must request special approval from their counselor, the appropriate
resource teacher, and their grade-level administrator to enroll
in the class. |
