Glenbrook North High School

Junior Team English GT 363 combines the study of American history and American literature. The literature, including short stories, poems, short novels, and non-fiction, illustrates and extends the history content and concepts introduced in the course. The course emphasis, however, is on skill building rather than content coverage. Thus students learn collaborative work strategies through cooperative research projects on topics including Native Americans, Presidential crises, and Westward Expansion. Students extend their writing skills by maintaining portfolios which are assessed and updated in one-on-one conferences throughout the year. The Team approach provides students with individualized attention and the opportunity for specialized instruction.

PREREQUISITE: Placement recommendation by tenth grade Team teachers

Junior English 363 explores American culture, ideas, and identity. Through a study of American literary works, students will pursue answers to questions about who we are as a people, what values define us, and what historical experiences have shaped us. Reading and writing will serve dual purposes: personal reflection and mastery of analytical response. Students will then do both personal and expositional writing as well as completing a formal research paper.

PREREQUISITE: English 263 or equivalent with teacher recommendation and Instructional Supervisor approval

Junior Honors English 373 is devoted to an exploration of American culture, ideas, and identity. Through a study of American literary works, students will pursue answers to questions about who we are as a people, what values define us, and what historical experiences have shaped us. Critical thinking study will focus students on how context shapes perspective and on the need then to test personal, national, and historical assumptions against alternative experiences and perspectives. Students will be encouraged to be creative readers, active thinkers who know how to construct a text's meaning using both the material the author provides and their own experience. Students will write textual analyses, imaginative essays and a research paper. Because a genuine honors experience depends upon the interaction of highly motivated and demonstrably able students, enrollment in this course requires evidence of independence, enthusiasm, and follow-through in having met the challenges of English 273.

PREREQUISITE: English 273 or equivalent with teacher recommendation and Instructional Supervisor approval