English at saint Thomas academy.
Our English teachers develop your son's reading, writing, and comprehension skills. Students are introduced to broad genres of literature and writing.
The English program at Saint Thomas Academy provides students with the opportunity to develop increasing mastery of skills in reading, writing, speaking, focusing on student-centered approaches. Grade six stresses general language skills. Grades seven and eight emphasize language skills necessary for successful study in high school and at the college level. Grade nine emphasizes language skills necessary for successful study at the Academy while courses in grades ten through twelve increasingly prepare students for successful study at the college level. The department believes that individuals who understand and can use language effectively will enjoy more fulfilling lives.
The English Department gives all students the tools to:
- Read with understanding and critical insight.
- Express ideas clearly in a variety of written forms.
- Develop skills necessary for effective oral communication.
- Analyze and evaluate the significance of ideas.
- Conduct and present scholarly research
- Hone critical thinking skills
English Courses
- Rhetorical Skills - Grade Level 9
- Literature & Composition - Grade Level 10
- Honors Literature & Composition - Grade Level: 10
- American Literature & Composition - Grade 11
- Honors American Studies: English - Grade Level: 11
- AP English Language/Critical Reading & Writing- Grade Level 11
- AP English Literature & Composition - Grade 12
- Senior Choice-Based English Courses - Grade 12
- English Electives
Rhetorical Skills - Grade Level 9
This course works to establish competency with the necessary English skills that enable students to succeed in a rigorous college- preparatory program. Students read literature from diverse perspectives and settings and develop abilities related to reading comprehension and appreciation, as well as literary analysis and critical thinking. Greek and Latin roots are learned and practiced, helping students develop a strong working vocabulary. Students write a variety of types of essays with a focus on thesis construction and support, organization of paragraphs and ideas, and proper use of language. Effective speaking skills are practiced through a variety of individual and group formats. Research techniques are introduced and developed through the completion of a large project.
Literature & Composition - Grade Level 10
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Rhetorical Skills.
This class integrates and builds critical thinking and reading skills by asking students to analyze the styles and techniques of various literary genres: short stories, drama, poetry, and novels. The diversity of voices and experiences contained within these works exposes students to experiences and perspectives that differ from their own. Through persuasive thesis-driven papers and creative writing, as well as multimedia projects, students develop critical thinking, research skills, evidence-based arguments, effective organization, and personal voice.
Honors Literature & Composition - Grade Level: 10
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Rhetorical Skills with distinction, as determined by the Rhetorical
Designed as preparation for Critical Reading and Writing Honors, this course relies on a genuine excitement for literature and writing as well as sincere intellectual curiosity. Focusing on challenging literature and a variety of composition types, the course is built to expand upon and maximize existing skills in discussion, literary analysis, written composition, and critical thinking. Literature will be drawn from a wide swath of genres, and the diversity of voices and experiences contained within the works exposes students to experiences and perspectives that differ from their own.
American Literature & Composition - Grade 11
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Literature & Composition or Honors Literature and Composition
This course offers a survey of American literature that is organized within dominant themes. Major authors, significant literary movements, and multicultural perspectives are highlighted. Composition and speech are integrated with the reading program, and students do a variety of writing, from informal reading responses to formal literary analysis and creative writing. Students will also need to complete a formal research paper to pass the class. Writing focuses include proofreading for grammatical and mechanical perfection, development of ideas, and revision techniques.
Honors American Studies: English - Grade Level: 11
Prerequisite(s): CGPA of a 3.0 or higher with a B+ or higher in Literature & Composition or Honors Literature & Composition and instructor approval.
Corequisite(s): Honors American Studies: History; Mixed Media (Fine Arts)
Bob Dylan, Maya Lin, Louis Armstrong, Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Dr. Seuss, Aretha Franklin. Writers, artists, musicians, and athletes have been just as important to shaping America as politicians and business owners. American Studies connects important movements and events in American history with literature, art, and popular culture. Instructors place emphasis on critical thinking, encouraging students to see connections within and between eras in American history. Art history and the creation of art projects are an important part of the course. All three strands of the class–English, History, and Art–will focus on four major themes of American culture: liberty, mobility, prosperity, and security.
AP English Language/Critical Reading & Writing- Grade Level 11
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of Literature & Composition with approval by the Honors Literature & Composition instructor or a grade of A- or better in Literature and Composition with instructor approval.
This course is ideal for students seeking the challenge of a year-long college-level literary analysis course that combines the study of fiction and non-fiction texts. During the first semester, students will explore American and world writers, crafting textual interpretations of their work in preparation for 12th Grade AP English Literature. In the second semester, the curriculum shifts to the examination of classic non-fiction, closely studying rhetorical strategies and devices, persuasive argument, research, and source analysis in preparation for the AP English Language and Composition Exam. Assignments in this class center on analytical papers, a research paper, a personal essay, writing workshops, Socratic seminars, and a variety of oral lessons and presentations. The writing growth plan includes an emphasis on using the small group workshop model to develop critically interpretive thesis statements, a persuasive line of reasoning, a variety of argumentative strategies, and the development of rhetorical devices. After completing this course, students should be well equipped to critically interpret a broad spectrum of literature, to develop rhetorically sophisticated thesis-driven essays, and to pair thoughtful analysis with polished, expressive, and structurally varied sentences.
AP English Literature & Composition - Grade 12
Prerequisite(s): Grade of A- or better in Honors Critical Reading & Writing or Honors American Studies: English and instructor's approval. Students who have successfully completed American Literature & Composition with an ‘A’ grade may apply to enroll in AP English Literature & Composition with instructor’s approval.
AP English is intended to prepare seniors for the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Exam. Students may receive college credit or placement in advanced levels of college English. The primary emphasis in AP English is to provide students with the rigorous academic experiences of a college English course. Students read and discuss novels, poems, plays, and philosophical essays to hone their literary insight and develop higher-level writing skills. Formal papers prepare students for college writing; timed essays and multiple-choice tests provide them with extensive exposure to the types of questions encountered on the AP Exam. Students will have extensive outside reading and are expected to be able to comprehend difficult texts on their own. It is not unusual for AP English students to read 30 to 40 pages of a novel in one night, and sometimes entire novels are assigned for reading outside of class by a certain date. In addition, students will write frequently, with a long formal paper, several in-class essays, and several short pieces each quarter. Daily preparation for class and participation in class discussion is also required.
Senior Choice-Based English Courses - Grade 12
Students who successfully complete two of the following semester-based English core courses fulfill their senior English graduation requirement.
- Crime Fiction - Grade 12, 1 Semester
- Film and Literature - Grade Level 12, 1 Semester
- The Hero's Journey- Grade Level 12, 1 Semester
- Science Fiction - Grade 12, 1 Semester
Crime Fiction - Grade 12, 1 Semester
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of American Literature & Composition, Honors Critical Reading and Writing, or Honors American Studies: English.
Missing persons, institutional corruption, that one last big score. These are the realms of the detectives, criminals, and private eyes who navigate both sides of the law. Having long fascinated popular culture, the crime novel is uniquely positioned to address many significant problems and issues of contemporary society while still offering crackerjack mysteries and sizzling drama. From the earliest examples of Poe and Conan Doyle, through the hard-boiled stylings of Hammett and Chandler, to contemporary writers like George Pelecanos and Vince Flynn, crime fiction perfectly marries exciting narratives, indelible characters, psychological struggles, and social commentary.
Film and Literature - Grade Level 12, 1 Semester
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of American Literature & Composition, Honors Critical Reading and Writing, or Honors American Studies: English.
From their inception to Inception, films have captivated audiences for over a century, creating a multi-medium art form that combines narrative, staged performance, and cinematic imagery into a dynamic visual text open to multiple critical readings. With an emphasis on critical reading, this course pairs the critical study of novels, novellas, and short stories such as Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” with their cinematic adaptations, exploring that complex textual relationship through seminar discussions, oral presentations, and analytical essay compositions. Beyond this exploration, students learn film theory, visual analysis, essential film vocabulary, cinematography, videography, and film editing, applying this knowledge to the development of adapted screenplays and to the production of their own short films. By the end of this course, students will have not only read and viewed classic literature and landmark films but will also have cultivated their own talents as story creators and film critics.
The Hero's Journey- Grade Level 12, 1 Semester
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of American Literature & Composition, Honors Critical Reading and Writing,
or Honors American Studies: English.
A hero leaves the common world into one of unexplored supernatural wonder, encounters various opposing forces, bests them in a decisive, personal victory, and returns home triumphant. This is the traditional hero’s journey, what Joseph Campbell called the monomyth, and from Tolkien to George Lucas, Homer to Han Solo, it offers a unique window into our modern understanding of heroism, villainy, leadership, and even the concept of story itself. This course will explore Campbell’s traditional hero’s journey, applying it to novels, short stories, poems, and films, opening new avenues of appreciation and understanding. Course will cover material from Ancient Greek myths, to classic novels, to films, allowing students to see heroic patterns in stories and in their own lives.
Science Fiction - Grade 12, 1 Semester
Prerequisite(s): Successful completion of American Literature & Composition, Honors Critical Reading and Writing,
or Honors American Studies: English.
Imagine a great ballroom where rocket pilots, child-generals, aliens, and hobbits waltz together across the dance floor. In the Science Fiction and Fantasy genre, these implausible pairings in unlikely places are routinely the clay for fascinating stories set in imaginary worlds. And while traditional critics of this genre may look at this unusual and unlikely story-telling material and call it unrealistic, in this course, we will explore the galactic and the fantastic in the words and spirit of the great Sci-Fi/Fantasy writer, Ursula K. Le Guin, who referred to her colleagues as “realists of the greater reality.” Incorporating a variety of short stories and novels, we will explore the “greater real” and investigate the timeless device of exploring our own world and experience through the lens of a “galaxy far, far away.”
English Electives
The following, semester-based courses may be taken as electives. They cannot be used to fulfill the English Department’s core graduation requirements.
- Creative Writing - Grade Level: 10-12
- Digital Journalism - Grade Level: 10-12
- Global Affairs - Grade Level: 10-12
- Words of the Wild: Outdoors & Adventure Literature - Grade Level: 10-12
- Writing For the Screen & Stage - Grade Level: 11-12
- The American Novel - Grade Level: 11-12
- Minnesota Authors - Grade Level: 11-12
Creative Writing - Grade Level: 10-12
Prerequisite(s): Instructor approval.
The class is conducted as a writer’s workshop wherein students share their writings and work towards a polished portfolio of their best work. Students actively write for the purposes of creating finished works, including but not limited to poetry, short stories, essays, memoirs, and drama. Students study models of good writing and varied literary selections.
Digital Journalism - Grade Level: 10-12
Prerequisite(s): Instructor approval.
This class teaches the elements of journalistic writing in the digital age. It will focus on building newsworthy stories, writing to an audience, and mastering the fundamentals of reporting and blogging. Students who take this class will work on the Citation, the school blog. The class will present the different sections of the newspaper, such as reporting, editorials, sports.
Global Affairs - Grade Level: 10-12
Prerequisite(s): Instructor approval.
Students in this class will explore contemporary geo-political conflicts through the study of fiction, non-fiction, and documentary. Beyond the readings, debates, and investigation of a variety of important global events – India vs. Pakistan, China’s emergence as a rising superpower, the problem of rogue regimes, Russia’s economic and political war against the West etc. – students will prepare for and lead lively debates, collaborate in simulated think-tanks, study diplomatic policy, role-play in simulated diplomatic conflicts, and develop research-based problems and solutions to some of the planet's most pressing issues. This class will serve as the ideal academic companion piece to students interested in Model UN and foreign affairs.
Words of the Wild: Outdoors & Adventure Literature - Grade Level: 10-12
Prerequisite(s): Instructor approval.
From the foundational musings of Thoreau and Emerson to the real-life adventures of Ernest Shackleton and Alexander Supertramp, this course dives headfirst into stories of adventure, courage, and survival in the face of the natural world. Learning will begin in the classroom and extend into the natural world as students will not simply read about the wonders of the wilderness but experience it themselves through outdoor activity-based learning.
Writing For the Screen & Stage - Grade Level: 11-12
Prerequisite(s): Instructor approval.
Students in this class will be introduced to the art of script writing. They will study significant modern and historical scripts and performances to inspire their own work. Working both individually and in groups, students will brainstorm, outline, and create their own scripts designed for the stage or screen.
The American Novel - Grade Level: 11-12
Minnesota Authors - Grade Level: 11-12
Prerequisite(s): Instructor approval.
This elective course will explore literature written by Minnesota writers. Students will read classic and contemporary works of poetry, novels, short stories, and non-fiction from authors such as Sinclair Lewis, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Louise Erdrich, Kao Kalia Yang, and Marlon James. A focus on Minnesota history will allow students to understand the backdrop and context of the great “homegrown” literature that has emerged from the land of 10,000 lakes!
Department Chair
Rebecca Benz
651-683-1555 x 1341
rbenz@cadets.com