Curriculum Detail

Explore Our Curriculum

English

The English department believes that communication is the most basic yet also the most sublime of gifts. Mastery of language is not an obscure talent only for the erudite and privileged; it is a hard-won skill available to all. The study of literature is a constant meditation on the self, faith, politics, history, and culture. The department believes that reading literature is a transformative experience that shapes the landscape of the mind and the soul. Reading is an active conversation between the reader and the writer. This dialogue forms an intersection between the reader’s internal and external worlds. Therefore, we encourage our students to engage meaningfully with the text. 

Writing is a means of sharing and articulating ideas, beliefs, and opinions. It is a complex endeavor requiring logic, intuition, and a sound regard for the conventions of grammar. When honestly essayed, writing fosters growth, self-examination, and insight, allowing each student to find and develop her unique voice. By acquiring strong writing skills, students will succeed not only in English but also in other courses that demand clarification and refinement of ideas and positions. Ultimately, reading and writing form the gateway to life-long learning and should ideally provide students with a foundation for an informed and meaningful intellectual and spiritual life. Further, we hope to inspire our students to recognize themselves as important and thoughtful members of the global community.

  • American Literature

    American Literature provides the student with an overview of American literature with selections spanning from the Puritan Period to the present. Emphasis is placed on literary forms and genres as well as on major writers and their works. In this course, students will refine their expository and analytical writing and discussion skills. Serious attention will be paid to strengthening critical reading skills and to the effective writing of the formal essay.

  • AP English Language and Composition

    Advanced Placement English Language is the junior-level honors course and prepares students for the required Advanced Placement English Language Examination in the spring. While partly a literature course, Advanced Placement Language will also focus on the study of rhetoric and the analysis of style, including elements such as diction, syntax, imagery, and tone. Students will learn to think expansively about language as a persuasive tool and about the dynamic relationship of writer, context, audience, and argument in their own writing and the writing of others. 

  • AP English Literature and Composition

    Advanced Placement English Literature is the senior-level honors class and prepares students for the required Advanced Placement English Literature Examination in the spring. This course challenges students to read and interpret a wide range of imaginative works from a variety of genres and literary periods. Students will be asked to read critically, think clearly, and write concisely and effectively about the literature they encounter. Practicing the art of “close reading,” students will learn to identify various literary devices, such as figurative language and imagery, and to explain how these devices help to create meaning in a particular text. The analytical skills acquired in Advanced Placement Literature will serve students in the course, on the exam, and in their future endeavors. 

  • College Essay Writing and Professional Compositions

    This course is designed to strengthen the writing skills of students preparing for undergraduate study.  Students will read, analyze, and critique short stories that demonstrate compelling and well-developed essays, both fiction and non-fiction.  Students will then compose their own writing samples and revise their writing with regard to the instructor’s assessment and reviews from their peers.  Students will also compose resumes, cover letters, letters of inquiry, and speeches that are consistent with professional practices and standards.  Knowledge of grammatical conventions and effective syntax must be demonstrated throughout the term.  Course requirements are commensurate with UC writing standards.

  • Creative Writing

    In Creative Writing students will learn to hone their creative expression in poetry and fiction. Students will study canonical works of literature and participate in workshops where their own writing will be critiqued and refined. Creative Writing students will also contribute to and edit editions of the school literary magazine, The Scribbler. 

  • English I

    English I is designed to help students acquire the necessary analytical and critical skills they will need to write a formal essay. In addition to the writing of the essay, students will be immersed in the study of various literary genres. This course will place particular emphasis on the study of the short story and the novel and their importance in helping the student to shape a vision of the world and of the human condition both past and present. The course will provide practice in grammar, vocabulary development, and individualized reading and discussion skills. 

  • English I Honors

    Honors English I contains all the components of English I, but is more rigorous and demands more reading, writing, and home study. Students write more essays and are expected to demonstrate proficiency in critical analysis of literature both in writing and class discussion. 

  • L.A. Noir: Studies in Mystery Fiction

    The multi-faceted culture of Los Angeles is viewed through the genre of mystery fiction. Students will take a closer look at literary works in which detectives roam as knights errant on familiar city streets, uncovering corruption, moral ambiguity, and greed. With a review of historical crime events and film noir, the course’s literary journey combines classic tales with contemporary fiction by emerging women writers. Students will explore universal themes in fiction and local lore while discovering “whodunit” in this fascinating urban landscape. Reading assignments as well as analytical writing assignments will be regular components of this course.

  • Literature of War

    Literature of War will explore the multifarious faces of war from horror, to adventure, to loyalty, valor, and even cowardice. In both its degradation and beauty, the best war literature offers us an indelible view of the paradoxes of being human. Ultimately, the intensity of human experience is the beating heart this course seeks to access. Reading, analytical writing, and research assignments will be regular components of Literature of War.

  • Poetry Analysis and Composition

    The oldest expressive form of the written word is the poem. All civilizations have created some version of written or oral poetry, and the endeavor of self-expression through poetic means dates back thousands of years. In this course, we investigate the poetic form as it has existed, evolved, and expanded across the centuries and millennia. The analysis of a poem's contents, as well as its poetic means are emphasized. Major poetic forms and movements are studied. However, this course does not simply focus on the reading and analysis of poetry; the thoughtful study of poetry contributes to students' own craft in composing and revising original works of poetry.

  • Shakespeare A/B

    Shakespeare A/B is designed to provide students with an intensive study of different major works of Shakespeare. Through a gradual familiarization with Shakespeare’s language, dramatic conventions, and plot development, the student is given an opportunity to appreciate the excitement of the theater and the Renaissance. Reading assignments as well as analytical writing assignments will be regular components of this course.

  • Women in Literature

    Students in this course will have the opportunity to explore the unique voices and cultural influences of women writers including and beyond the canon. This course will focus on women writers, primarily from the 20th century, and how they express themselves in fiction, poetry, and autobiography. Students will have an opportunity to explore significant literary themes and patterns that emphasize the importance of women both as writers and as characters. Reading assignments as well as analytical writing assignments will be regular components of this course.

  • World Lit Honors

    This course includes the study of language, literature, and composition from around the world. The literary component of the class includes the short story, the novel, and poetry with a strong emphasis on active reading and literary analysis. 

  • World Literature

    This course includes the study of language, literature, and composition from around the world. The literary component of the class includes the short story, the novel, and poetry with a strong emphasis on active reading and literary analysis. 

Contact

5515 Franklin Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028

hello@immaculateheart.org
Phone: 323-461-3651

Quicklinks

A Catholic, independent college preparatory school for girls in grades 6 through 12, Immaculate Heart has been located on a beautiful hillside property in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles since our founding by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in 1906. We celebrate more than a century of nurturing the spiritual, intellectual, social and moral development of students as they distinguish themselves as women of great heart and right conscience.