SPEECH AND DRAMA I (8220-9220) Grades 9-10 5 Credits

Speech and Drama I is designed to develop effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills. This course provides the experience needed to build self-confidence when speaking before an audience. Students will learn how to prepare and deliver short talks and more formal speeches. This course exposes students to the history and structure of drama, the fundamentals of acting, improvisation, character development, scene study, and technical theatre.

SPEECH AND DRAMA II (9221) Grades 10-12 5 Credits

Prerequisite:

• Speech and Drama I

Speech and Drama II is a performance course that covers all elements of production including directing, acting, set design, props, costumes, and lighting. Students are required to participate in the production of one-act plays that are performed for assemblies in the high school and throughout the district. Students will continue to develop their acting skills through improvisation, theatre games, monologues, and scene work.

STUDIO DRAMA (9222) Grades 11-12 5 Credits

Prerequisite:

• Speech and Drama I and II

Studio Drama is a course in which students will read and study great plays from the Greeks through Shakespeare. For those students who qualify for the second year, dramas from the seventeenth century through the twentieth century will be studied. Scenes from these classics will be performed for the class and for outside audiences. Students will work on special projects of both a personal nature and community interest. Special emphasis will be placed on audition skills and performance of monologues. Students will have an opportunity to work on movement and voice and direct plays and scenes using members of the class as their actors. Field trips to regional and Broadway theaters will be part of this class experience.

FILM STUDIES (9255) Grades 10-12 5 Credits

This course is devoted to the study of the history and art of film and the analysis of great classics produced from the silent era to the present. Students will study story elements, film structure, American film history, and film genres. Students will be exposed to production aspects of film including screenplay, camera work, editing, lighting, color, sound, direction, and acting. Students will be required to write research papers and critical analyses of major films.

VIDEO & MEDIA PRODUCTION I (9230) Grades 9-11 5 Credits

This course is designed to introduce the students to the importance of visual and electronic communications. A “hands-on” approach will enable students to become familiar with hardware and software related video and media production. Students will work on class projects as well as projects for the school community.

VIDEO & MEDIA PRODUCTION II (9231) Grades 10-12 5 Credits

Prerequisite:

• Completion of Video and Media Production I

This course will focus on a “hands-on” approach to video and media production. Students will demonstrate an ability to understand and utilize advanced production equipment as well as select and operate the appropriate equipment for assigned projects. In addition, students will have the opportunity to explore careers in television production and related fields. Reading assignments, critiques, and performance assessments will be used to evaluate student performance. Students will be expected, at times, to work over and above the class period. Students will be expected to develop programming for the school’s weekly program, The Knightly Wrap Up.

JOURNALISM I (8235-9235) Grades 9-12 5 Credits

Prerequisite:

• Students must have B- or better in previous English

  class.

Students will learn about the professions and procedures associated with Journalism, including photojournalism, preparing for and conducting interviews, background research, writing in the journalistic style, and engaging the intended audience. Students will gain practical, "hands-on" experience by writing, editing, and producing the online school newspaper, Knight Life. Students will also learn about the ethical responsibility of a free press

JOURNALISM II (9236) Grades 10-12 5 Credits

Prerequisite:

• Students must have completed Journalism I and/or have the journalism teacher's recommendation.

Students can receive credit for taking the course more than once. Students in Journalism II will assume primary responsibility to produce and edit the online student newspaper, Knight Life. Students in Journalism II will refine their photography, writing, editing, and communication skills as they apply to all aspects of newspaper production, including the opportunity to fill leadership positions on the staff. Students will also continue their studies of the ethical responsibility of a free press.

YEARBOOK I (8240-9240) Grades 9-11 5 Credits

This elective course focuses on the skills associated with the production of a yearbook. Emphasis is placed on legal and ethical issues, theme development, cover design, copy writing, caption writing, and photograph cropping. Students will be introduced to computer software used for publications and will have the opportunity to contribute to the yearbook for grades 9, 10 and 11.

YEARBOOK II (9241) Grades 10-12 5 Credits

Prerequisite:

• Publications I students who have received the Publications teacher’s recommendation.

This elective course centers on the production of the yearbook. Students work on layout, writing copy, placing copy, cropping photographs, writing captions, gathering news, and accomplishing those activities associated with the production of a publication. Students will incorporate computer software used to produce the yearbook. In order to meet deadlines, students may need to stay after school to complete certain projects. After school work is a must for editors.

MYTHOLOGY, SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY LITERATURE (9245) Grades 10-12 5 Credits

This elective course gives students the opportunity to explore a body of science fiction, fantasy literature, and mythology that represents these genres at their best. Thematic units include the role of the heroic, the universality of the human condition, critiques of the values of man, and the potential loss of humanity in a world dominated by technology. Students will read and view world myths beginning with the first piece of recorded literature set in ancient Mesopotamia, contemporary science fiction set in the distant future, and fantasy literature set in other realms. Students will participate in discussions, creative activities, written responses, and research.

CREATIVE WRITING (9250) Grades 10-11 2.5 Credits

This one semester elective course is designed for students of all ability levels who wish to enhance their writing skills. Genres will include the autobiographical essay, expository composition, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic writings. Students will be required to keep daily journals. This course is paired with Minority Literature.

MINORITY LITERATURE (9446) Grades 10-12 2.5 Credits

This one-semester elective course will expose students to different cultural perspectives. Students will explore the universal qualities of humanity, as well as the unique characteristics of American minority cultures. Students will read selections and view films as a class. Afterwards, students will respond through writing, group discussions, and individual, and group projects. This course is paired with Creative Writing.