Ninth-grade students have a choice of several distinct, year-long English Language Arts courses, each offered at the on level and honors. Each course will provide a more traditional, common experience in the fall with an individualized focus in the spring.

Similar to the ninth grade year, 10th grade students have a choice of several distinct, year-long courses, each offered at the standard and honors level. Each course will provide a more traditional, common experience in the fall with an individualized focus in the spring. 

Students in grades 11 and 12 select four semester-long courses from standard-level options to earn a total of two credits in ELA.  Students are invited to take additional Explorations courses for English or elective credit.  When designing your schedule, keep in mind that Upper Arlington Schools and the UAHS Language Arts Department highly recommend that secondary students take four years of English courses. 

Semester-long College Credit Plus courses and year-long AP and IB courses are offered separately for each semester. Please note that not all classes are offered each semester.

The Writing Intervention Workshop is designed to help improve the writing skill of all students in grades 9-12.  Language Arts teachers work individually with students on writing assignments from any discipline. Students may be assigned to the WIW by a teacher, sign-up in advance, or walk-in if room is available.

One of the skills students learn is to engage actively in close reading of text (highlighting, underlining, annotating, etc.). Therefore, students will be asked to purchase paperback novels and nonfiction books so they can mark their texts. In addition, students may be asked to purchase composition books (journals or sketchbooks). If purchasing a text constitutes a hardship, a student will be provided a copy.

The Upper Arlington High School Language Arts Department advocates summer reading.  In their Language Arts classes, students will receive information about summer reading requirements prior to summer break. Students in honors and AP classes may be asked to read additional texts.

0.5 credit - Grade  12

Pass/Fail

The Capstone experience is a research-driven graduation requirement program that provides an opportunity for students to invest purposefully in the study of a self-selected interest while learning effective research practices and presentation skills. The foundational design of the Capstone experience is a three-component study which calls for each student (1) to research the ‘existing conversation’ about their topic, (2) to explore their topic through student-designed experiential learning, and then (3) to join the conversation through the public presentation of a TED Talk.  The fourth component of the experience is the Process Portfolio which builds on a scaffolded series of steps that support student research and writing.  All Capstone pathways include these components.

Capstone pathways fall into three categories:  Pedagogical Studies (work that happens in the academic context of the high school) and Practical Studies (work that happens in alternative learning environments), and, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, Curated Studies.

Capstone / Pedagogical Studies Pathways: These studies are supported by on-site instruction in the high school context.

Capstone / Practical Studies Pathways: These studies honor established field experiences and other opportunities for learning outside the high school context.

Capstone / Curated Studies Pathway (Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year): On occasion, students engage with studies that stand outside of the pathways listed above but, nonetheless, offer opportunities for research and experiential learning that lead to a rich presentation.  Examples might include a study abroad program, an extended internship, etcetera. Beginning with the 2025-2026 school year, this option will be available by student application.  

Summer Semester Capstone: For the 2024-2025 school year, the Generalized Studies Capstone pathway (traditional course) is offered during Summer Semester. This course is available to students through an application that must be submitted by 4:00 pm March 8, 2024.  The course, which requires three weeks of in-person attendance over the course of the summer (typically one week each in May, June, and July) in addition to arranged office hours, demands a strong sense of academic autonomy so students are prepared to present their TED Talks at the end of the summer.  Details about dates will be published when the application is released in February 2024.

For additional information about the Capstone course, please view the following video: Capstone Overview 2024-2025

1 credit — Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

(1 period per day for 1 year)

Prerequisites:  None

This course is designed for students for whom English is not their first language. The focus of instruction is to help students develop and improve skills in the four communication areas: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students receive intensive review of English grammar as well as instruction in vocabulary building, essay writing, multicultural literature, and oral presentations. Eligible students may elect this course for a maximum of two academic years.

Ninth- grade students have a choice of several distinct, year-long courses, each offered at the standard and honors level. Each course will provide a more traditional, common experience in the fall with an individualized focus in the spring.

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This workshop-style course will allow students the opportunity to design purposeful learning experiences that build on the skills and knowledge gained during the first semester.  Students will engage in thoughtful personal reflection of strengths and weaknesses and collaborate with the instructor to set goals for developing designated skills, design rigorous, personalized curriculum, and produce meaningful work that will be published/shared with real-world audiences.  Since the element of voice and choice is foundational to this course, it is best suited for self-motivated, organized, and mature students who possess a strong desire to stretch themselves academically. 

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

This workshop-style course will allow students the opportunity to design purposeful learning experiences that build on the skills and knowledge gained during the first semester.  Students will engage in thoughtful personal reflection of strengths and weaknesses and collaborate with the instructor to set goals for developing designated skills, design rigorous, personalized curriculum, and produce meaningful work that will be published/shared with real-world audiences.  Since the element of voice and choice is foundational to this course, it is best suited for self-motivated, organized, and mature students who possess a strong desire to stretch themselves academically. 

1 credit — Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

Have you ever wondered how the text you are reading in your Language Arts class relates to your life? Or, have you ever asked, Why are we reading this? This course will explore how literary texts connect to contemporary society. We will center our study around current events in the news, exploring the big ideas, across time, that make us human. You will continue developing critical thinking skills by writing, reading, and responding to a variety of texts, including but not limited to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories, podcasts, videos, and drama. 

1 credit — Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course will expand the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

Have you ever wondered how the text you are reading in your Language Arts class relates to your life? Or, have you ever asked, Why are we reading this? This course will explore how literary texts connect to contemporary society. We will center our study around current events in the news, exploring the big ideas, across time, that make us human. You will continue developing critical thinking skills by writing, reading, and responding to a variety of texts, including but not limited to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, short stories, podcasts, videos, and drama. 

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course uses George Lucas’ Star Wars saga as a backdrop for exploring epic mythology across time periods and cultures. Designed for students who have a love for science fiction, film and epic storytelling, this course will focus on a study of motifs, allusions and the archetypal Hero’s Journey to highlight the rich commonality of canonical works of literature.

Students taking ELA Foundations I: Star Wars Edition are expected to read both fiction and nonfiction texts independently in order to develop critical thinking skills such as analysis, inference, and synthesis. They will learn research skills such as using search strategies, evaluating sources for credibility and reliability, and citing sources properly. Students will use purposeful language to organize, focus, and develop their oral and written expression.

Students who take this course should be familiar with at least the first six movies: Episode I: A New Hope, Episode II: Attack of the Clone, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.  

1 credit — Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course will expand the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

This course uses George Lucas’ Star Wars saga as a backdrop for exploring epic mythology across time periods and cultures. Designed for students who have a love for science fiction, film and epic storytelling, this course will focus on a study of motifs, allusions and the archetypal Hero’s Journey to highlight the rich commonality of canonical works of literature.

Students taking ELA Foundations I: Star Wars Edition are expected to read both fiction and nonfiction texts independently in order to develop critical thinking skills such as analysis, inference, and synthesis. They will learn research skills such as using search strategies, evaluating sources for credibility and reliability, and citing sources properly. Students will use purposeful language to organize, focus, and develop their oral and written expression.

Students who take this course should be familiar with at least the first six movies: Episode I: A New Hope, Episode II: Attack of the Clone, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.  

1 credit — Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

From climbs that scale the face of the Himalayas, to capsized boats and ill-fated flight, this course will explore nonfiction text through the lens of survival and the human ability to endure some of life’s most harrowing events. The primary focus of these texts will be to analyze stories of survival from external events, both natural and manmade. Additionally, we will look at research that explores the idea of why some people may have an advantage towards survival. The skills that will be highlighted in our reading will be interpreting expository writing, understanding integration of research to support claims, and analyzing stylistic structure of nonfiction works. We will use our study of the course’s texts to highlight these same skills within our own practice and art of writing. It is important to note that these texts will reference sensitive topics and situations that may be difficult for some. 

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

From climbs that scale the face of the Himalayas, to capsized boats and ill-fated flight, this course will explore nonfiction text through the lens of survival and the human ability to endure some of life’s most harrowing events. The primary focus of these texts will be to analyze stories of survival from external events, both natural and manmade. Additionally, we will look at research that explores the idea of why some people may have an advantage towards survival. The skills that will be highlighted in our reading will be interpreting expository writing, understanding integration of research to support claims, and analyzing stylistic structure of nonfiction works. We will use our study of the course’s texts to highlight these same skills within our own practice and art of writing. It is important to note that these texts will reference sensitive topics and situations that may be difficult for some. 

9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course will explore Young Adult literature in order to springboard into the more challenging canonical texts. Along the way, we will illuminate themes, examine missing perspectives, and discover contemporary connections to classic literature through theme, plot structure, characterization, and writing style. 

1 credit —Grade 9

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisites:  None

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

This course will explore Young Adult literature in order to springboard into the more challenging canonical texts. Along the way, we will illuminate themes, examine missing perspectives, and discover contemporary connections to classic literature through theme, plot structure, characterization, and writing style. 

Similar to the ninth grade year, tenth-grade students have a choice of several distinct, year-long courses, each offered at the standard and honors level. Each course will provide a more traditional, common experience in the fall with an individualized focus in the spring. 

1 credit — Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

In this strand, students will examine the voices that are largely excluded from the American literary canon by more dominant voices in the country and throughout history. This course includes texts by and about people of diverse races, religions, socio-economic statuses, and LGBTQ+ identities. These texts include novels, poetry, plays, and graphic novels. Students will examine how and why hidden voices contribute a more rich American literary tradition. 

1 credit — Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.  Class presentations and discussions will be expected at the Honors level. 

In this strand, students will examine the voices that are largely excluded from the American literary canon by more dominant voices in the country and throughout history. This course includes texts by and about people of diverse races, religions, socio-economic statuses, and LGBTQ+ identities. These texts include novels, poetry, plays, and graphic novels. Students will examine how and why hidden voices contribute a more rich American literary tradition.

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

No story of a culture is complete without a study of its heroes.  Consequently, no story of America is complete without the study of sport.  Perhaps no culture in the world aligns its identity with its athletes as the culture of America. Children and adults alike wear their jerseys, sing their praises, and wait in lines for their signatures on a piece of paper.  Our idioms and colloquialisms drip with allusions to the sport of the season.  Some family gatherings adhere to unwritten rules designating forbidden dates, and others occur only because of a big game, match, or meet.  Our study of American literature tells the story of what has shaped our identity.  Sport in America challenges the traditional canon by examining America’s obsession with sports and analyzing its role in our ever evolving culture.  Students in this course will study literature with sports involved in the plot, as well as nonfiction compositions weighing the role of sports in modern issues (safety, racism, equality, amateurism, the US economy, Title IX/gender-equity concerns, etc.). 

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

No story of a culture is complete without a study of its heroes.  Consequently, no story of America is complete without the study of sport.  Perhaps no culture in the world aligns its identity with its athletes as the culture of America.  Children and adults alike wear their jerseys, sing their praises, and wait in lines for their signatures on a piece of paper.  Our idioms and colloquialisms drip with allusions to the sport of the season.  Some family gatherings adhere to unwritten rules designating forbidden dates, and others occur only because of a big game, match, or meet.  Our study of American literature tells the story of what has shaped our identity.  Sport in America challenges the traditional canon by examining America’s obsession with sports and analyzing its role in our ever evolving culture.  Students in this course will study literature with sports involved in the plot, as well as nonfiction compositions weighing the role of sports in modern issues (safety, racism, equality, amateurism, the US economy, Title IX/gender-equity concerns, etc.). 

1 credit — Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will encompass a survey of American Literature beginning with pre-colonial literature and extending to contemporary American Literature. This will be a more traditionally structured course in that it will discuss how the texts we explore are situated in the history of America as well as the literary movements relevant to the works we read. This course, however, will also include authors who are traditionally omitted in traditional American Literature courses. This will allow students to discuss the various political, social, and moral currents that sweep through the American experience. This course will include fiction and non-fiction texts that are essential to understanding the history of America as well as our current path and predictions of our future.

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

The grade for this honors course is weighted, and while enrollment is open to all students, it is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious learners. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. It is strongly recommended that 9th-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

This course will encompass a survey of American Literature beginning with pre-colonial literature and extending to contemporary American Literature. This will be a more traditionally structured course in that it will discuss how the texts we explore are situated in the history of America as well as the literary movements relevant to the works we read. This course, however, will also include authors who are traditionally omitted in traditional American Literature courses. This will allow students to discuss the various political, social, and moral currents that sweep through the American experience. This course will include fiction and non-fiction texts that are essential to understanding the history of America as well as our current path and predictions of our future.

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

In what is arguably the fastest-paced era of the American experience, no literary genre has its finger on the pulse of our ever-changing world like nonfiction.  Whether through articles, blogs, memes, photographs, books, or memoir, nonfiction affords the thinker the opportunity to consider, accept, or reject profound and diverse ideas circulating in our culture. This course will ask the tough questions, seek the difficult answers, and challenge the student’s thinking using analysis and synthesis of ideas presented by disparate thinkers in nonfiction texts regarding contemporary issues.  Students will learn strategies to discover an author’s purpose, to dissect the structure of nonfiction texts, to create engaging nonfiction texts, and to have measured conversations on contentious topics.  If you love politics and political discourse, this might be the option for you.

1 credit — Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: 9th Grade ELA Foundations I: The Author's Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

In what is arguably the fastest-paced era of the American experience, no literary genre has its finger on the pulse of our ever-changing world like nonfiction.  Whether through articles, blogs, memes, photographs, books, or memoir, nonfiction affords the thinker the opportunity to consider, accept, or reject profound and diverse ideas circulating in our culture. This course will ask the tough questions, seek the difficult answers, and challenge the student’s thinking using analysis and synthesis of ideas presented by disparate thinkers in nonfiction texts regarding contemporary issues.  Students will learn strategies to discover an author’s purpose, to dissect the structure of nonfiction texts, to create engaging nonfiction texts, and to have measured conversations on contentious topics.  If you love politics and political discourse, this might be the option for you.

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations I: The Author’s Craft

This course will emphasize the skills students need to become effective writers and critical readers. To this end, classic works of literature will be paired with Young Adult works of literature. Students will be asked to make connections between the pairings, which will allow for the possibility of greater comprehension and understanding. Through informal discussions, Socratic seminars, and various genres of writing, students will tie together the pairing’s themes and topics.

1 credit —Grade 10

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations I: The Author’s Craft

This course will expand beyond the on-level curriculum by incorporating more sophisticated texts and assignments.

This course will emphasize the skills students need to become effective writers and critical readers. To this end, classic works of literature will be paired with Young Adult works of literature. Students will be asked to make connections between the pairings, which will allow for the possibility of greater comprehension and understanding. Through informal discussions, Socratic seminars, and various genres of writing, students will tie together the pairing’s themes and topics.

Students in grades 11 and 12 select four semester-long courses from standard-level options to earn a total of two credits in ELA.  Students are invited to take additional Explorations courses for English or elective credit.  When designing your schedule, keep in mind that the Upper Arlington School District and the UAHS Language Arts Department highly recommend that secondary students take four years of English courses. 

Semester-long College Credit Plus courses and year-long AP and IB courses are offered separately FOR EACH SEMESTER. Please note: not all classes are offered each semester.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon 

This one-semester course will introduce students to the traditional dystopian narratives in Western literature to more contemporary offerings. Students will examine a variety of themes, motifs, and archetypes related to dystopia, and its central meaning. Additionally, students will explore how and why dystopian literature endures and can reflect a past, present, and future within the spaces of our history and our present cultural and political environments.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course drops us in the middle of a world often marked by destruction -- with world wars, disease, and natural disasters, how can we move forward? What is our obligation? Students enrolled in this course will analyze literary responses to a number of catastrophic events, exploring how authors make sense of the sometimes senseless, how authors find beauty in a broken world.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course  will explore ancient Greek literature upon which much of our contemporary literature, philosophies, and governments rest. From Homer’s epics to the tragedies of Euripides, Sophocles and Aeschylus to the comedies of Aristophanes and the historical works of Thucydides and Herodotus, we will discover striking familiarities to today’s world in works that have been in existence for millenia. While learning about how ancient Greek culture worked, we will also read contemporary analyses of these literary works to examine the timeless implications of their powers.

11th & 12th Grade ELA Explorations
0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12 

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will pair excerpts of the award-winning Mad Men television series with groundbreaking American texts to analyze historical and present-day narratives of race, gender, and class. Genres of study will include television, literature, news and social media, government publications, Supreme Court cases, and documentaries. Emphasis will be put on the writing modes of analytical interpretation, argument and literary comparison.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore poetry from the Modernist movement into the contemporary voices of today’s poets. Students will read and analyze works by a variety of poets while also exploring their own emerging poetic voices.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12
(1 period per day for one semester)
Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon
 
This one-semester course will explore literary works with a focus on the profound psychological, spiritual, and societal changes characters experience. Through explorations into protagonists’ personal journeys, students will navigate their own sense of self and capacity to transform themselves and their world.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore the poetry, short stories, drama, and novels of the great ages and movements of Russian literature, from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. The course is arranged chronologically as well as thematically as the zeitgeist, artistic and musical  movements, religious shifts, and revolutionary upheavals of Russian epochs will be traced through the Golden Age, the Silver Age, and the 20th Century Age of Soviet Censorship.  The greatest emphasis of our studies will be placed on the 19th century.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore a variety of William Shakespeare’s dramatic works and sonnets. Students will develop an appreciation for the enduring nature of Shakespeare’s language and ideas with close analytical reading, performance tasks, class discussion, and critique of film and stage adaptations. In addition, students will investigate elements of Shakespeare’s historical context and biography to better understand the scope of his contributions to modern literature and pop culture.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will explore the suspenseful world of classic and contemporary psychological thrillers, mysteries, and crime stories through a study of novel, film, podcast, and short story fiction. Why are we drawn to the bone-chilling and the mysterious? Why is an unexpected twist so satisfying, and how do authors succeed in astonishing and even terrifying their audiences through literary technique? How does unreliable narration, multiple-perspective point of view, and exquisitely subtle foreshadowing add to an expertly crafted page-turner? Stories of suspense from classic and contemporary eras will be analyzed and discussed, considering the social and historical contexts that serve as the backdrop for waves of popularity in this genre.

0.5 credit — Grades 11 or 12

(1 period per day for one semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon

This one-semester course will introduce students to the contributions of women writers to the literary canon. Students will be exposed to a variety of women’s experiences and explore how these multiple, evolving viewpoints have been represented in literature. The works of study will include texts from multiple genres, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

1 credit — Grade 11 or Grade 12

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon (Honors recommended)

AP English Language and Composition is designed to develop students' critical awareness of 1) the interplay of language, identity, and cultures, and 2) how we read, view and write texts in dynamic cultural spaces.  This course prepares students for college-level reading and writing and for the AP English Language and Composition exam offered in May.

As with the ELA Explorations courses, the recursive nature of the coursework in AP English Language and Composition reflects our belief that critical reading and composition skills cannot be internalized by students without practice involving a variety of text types and writing assignments. AP English Language and Composition incorporates more sophisticated texts and assignments than the ELA Explorations courses and moves at a faster pace with less scaffolding. 

1 credit — Grade 11 or Grade 12

(1 period per day for each semester)

Prerequisite: ELA Foundations II: Expanding the American Canon (Honors recommended)

This course serves to prepare AP students for the AP English Literature and Composition examination. The purpose of this study is to develop sophisticated oral and written communication skills, awareness of writer's purposes and techniques, and understanding and appreciation for both literature and the ideas of other cultures.

The grade for the AP English Literature and Composition course is weighted and, while enrollment is open to all students, is ideally suited for self-motivated and intellectually curious students. These students should be willing and able to embrace highly rigorous work. We recommend that eleventh-grade students consult their Language Arts teachers about the suitability of this course.

1 credit - Grade 11 

(1 period per day for 1 year)

Prerequisite: Sophomore Literature and Composition (Honors level recommended)

1 Credit - Grade 12 

(1 period per day for 1 year)

Prerequisite:  IB HL Language & Literature Year 1

This two-year, higher-level course satisfies the Group 1 requirement for IB Diploma students. IB describes the course as follows: 

The Language A: Language and Literature course aims to develop skills of textual analysis and the understanding that texts, both literary and non-literary, can relate to culturally determined reading practices. The course also encourages students to question the meaning generated by language and texts. An understanding of the ways in which formal elements are used to create meaning in a text is combined with an exploration of how that meaning is affected by reading practices that are culturally defined and by the circumstances of production and reception. The study of literature in translation from other cultures is especially important to IB Diploma students because it contributes to a global perspective. Texts are chosen from a variety of sources, genres and media. 

IB Anthropology ~ IB Language & Literature ~ TOK
2.5 credits per year (TOTAL of 5.0 credits over 2 years)  -
Grades 11 & 12 (this is a 2-year commitment)

Over 2 years, students will take 3 IB courses during 2 periods. Teachers will work together to create a dynamic curriculum that maximizes connections between courses, reduces workload and redundancies, balances the timing of assessments, offers opportunities to learn collaboratively, and utilizes student voice to frame learning. As a cohort, students will examine texts through a variety of lenses to better understand the impact of circumstances, cultural practices and laws on people living around the world. At times, topics might be sensitive or controversial; however, each will be carefully chosen to facilitate the development of IB Learner Profile Traits.

Courses included in Culture, Learning & Language are:
IB English Language & Literature HL  (1 credit each year)
IB Cultural Anthropology HL (1 credit each year)
Theory of Knowledge (TOK) (0.5 credit each year)

By the end of the program, students will earn 2 English credits, 1 World History credit, 1 elective social studies credit, and 1 elective credit of Theory of Knowledge.

By grouping these classes together, teachers will be able to:
Use the same text for multiple classes
Find a way for a single project to demonstrate learning in two or more subjects
Use time in a flexible way (extended periods, or regular class periods, or labs or field trips)
Make the bell bend to learning, rather than learning being forced to bend to the bell

IB HL Language and Literature
Years 1 & 2
Prerequisite: Sophomore Literature and Composition (Honors level recommended)
This two-year, higher-level course satisfies the Group 1 requirement for IB Diploma students. IB describes the course as follows:
The Language A: Language and Literature course aims to develop skills of textual analysis and the understanding that texts, both literary and non-literary, can relate to culturally determined reading practices. The course also encourages students to question the meaning generated by language and texts. An understanding of the ways in which formal elements are used to create meaning in a text is combined with an exploration of how that meaning is affected by reading practices that are culturally defined and by the circumstances of production and reception. The study of literature in translation from other cultures is especially important to IB Diploma students because it contributes to a global perspective. Texts are chosen from a variety of sources, genres and media.
To be awarded International Baccalaureate (IB) for this course, students must complete all Internal & External exams. Please consider this requirement when making your selections for course registration. Exam fees are paid for by the Upper Arlington School District.
Note:  All students are invited to take any semester-long ELA Explorations courses for additional English or elective credit.  When designing your schedule, keep in mind that the Upper Arlington School District and the UAHS Language Arts Department highly recommend that secondary students take four years of English courses.

THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE –
Years 1 & 2
Prerequisite: none

Theory of Knowledge is a course taken over the junior and senior years. Sometimes called “the jewel in the crown,” the purpose of Theory of Knowledge is to engage the learner in ways of knowing while also exploring areas of knowledge. By fostering the skills of inquiry, analysis, and critical thinking. TOK aims to lead the student to processes and activities that stimulate independent thinking. The objective of including several areas of knowledge (Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, History, the Arts, Ethics, Independent Knowledge Systems, Mathematics, Religious Knowledge Systems, Indigenous Knowledge), as well as ways of knowing (Emotion, Reason, Language, Imagination, Faith, Intuition, and Sense Perception), is to guide a student to a balanced understanding of his/her world. This blended course meets, on average, once a week beginning in the second semester of a student’s junior year and ending after the first semester of senior year. TOK leads to both a formal presentation and a formal paper.

1 credit —  Grades 9,10, 11 & 12

(1 period per day for 1 semester) 

Prerequisites: Placement into ENGL 1100, or 18 English ACT score, or Writing SAT 490 Evidence-based Reading and Writing

English 1100 is a semester-long composition course which develops processes for critically reading, writing, and responding to a variety of texts in order to compose clear, concise, expository essays. With a focus on academic literacy the course facilitates an awareness of purpose, audience, content, structure and style, while also advancing research and documentation methods. Course reading and writing assignments may be thematically organized. 

Students who take this course earn one year of high school English credit and three semester hours of college credit. Students should keep in mind that grades earned for this course will also appear on their college transcripts.

As a foundational course, ENGL 1100 serves as a prerequisite for many other College Credit Plus electives.

1 credit —  Grades 9, 10, 11 & 12

(1 period per day for 1 semester)

Prerequisites: ENGL 1100 passed with a C or better

ENGL 2367 is a semester-long intermediate composition course that extends and refines skills in expository and argumentative writing, critical reading, and critical thinking. This course also refines skills in researching a topic, documenting sources, and working collaboratively. Course reading and writing assignments are organized around diversity and those who comprise various cultural identities. 

Students who take this course earn one year of high school English credit and three semester hours of college credit. Students should keep in mind that grades earned for this course will also appear on their college transcripts.

1 credit —  Grades 11, 12

(1 period per day for 1 semester)

Prerequisites: ENGL 1100

COMM 2245 offers a semester-long introduction to film by analyzing elements of film technique: literature, story, drama, editing, movement, acting, sound, photography, staging and theory. 

Students who take this course earn one year of high school English credit and three semester hours of college credit. Students should keep in mind that grades earned for this course will also appear on their college transcripts.

0.5 Elective Credit — Grades 10-12

(1 period daily for 1 semester)

This course focuses on writing for publication in the following genres: poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction. The purpose of this class is to encourage students to cultivate the habits, attitudes, and flexibility of a professional writer in a professional writing community.

Students will practice writing like a reader and reading like a writer. Students will be expected to enter final products into professional and/or student contests, confer regularly with the instructor, participate in writer/reader-response workshop groups with classmates, read and interpret mentor texts written by classic and contemporary authors, keep and regularly write in a writer’s notebook, and experiment with and revise writing routinely.  In place of a traditional semester exam, students will be required to create and present a multi-faceted portfolio of original writing.

0.5 Elective Credit — Grades 9-12

(1 period daily for 1 semester)

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to develop a stronger vocabulary and greater appreciation for words through an examination of the debt English owes to other languages. While the course will place primary emphasis on English words with Greek and Latin roots because of their prevalence in academic and professional lexicons, students will also learn common phrases from other languages that have found their way into English usage, as well as engage in independent study of words encountered in their own experience. Students who enroll in this elective should expect recurring weekly assignments, as well as  weekly and cumulative assessments. Students who intend to enroll, or are concurrently enrolled, in higher-level courses would benefit from the enrichment the course provides.

1 Elective Credit —Grades 10-12

(1 period per day for 1 year)

This elective is a film studies course designed to help students acquire the critical tools necessary to analyze films through written and oral expression. As students develop these skills of media literacy, their appreciation, understanding, and critical sensibilities in connection with the cinema will be heightened. The course will include reading assignments, periodic quizzes, class discussions, presentations, projects, and essays for students to demonstrate their depth of  understanding. Students will be required to submit parental permission to view “R” rated films that are included in the curriculum.

1 credit — Grades 11, 12

(1 period per day for 1 year)

Prerequisite: Film Analysis (recommended but not required)

Building upon the foundation of film theory, textual analysis, and film history experienced in Film Analysis, students will extend their learning through the implementation of IB external and internal assessments. Areas emphasized will be the formulation of stories and ideas in film terms, the practical and technical skills and critical evaluation of film production, and a knowledge of international filmmaking traditions. The assessments will include but not be limited to: an independent study of a film-related topic and detailed documentation, an oral presentation of a textual analysis of a film sequence, and the production of a portfolio of several original, short films. Students will be required to submit parental permission to view “R” rated films that are included in the curriculum.