Skip to main content

Category: English

WRIT101 – College Writing I Dual Credit

Course Length:

One-Semester Course

Course Description:

This course provides experience in the written expression of ideas in expository prose with emphasis on the development of ideas, awareness of audience, and clarity. The course focuses on the writing process, patterns of writing, development of ideas, precise expression, critical thinking, and research skills. My ultimate goal is for you to become competent and confident writers.  This requires PRACTICE. You will be expected to write daily and produce polished/published pieces for each unit. In addition to composition techniques, this class will study the structure and function of the English language: mechanics, usage, and grammar.

Prerequisites:

Intended for incoming high school junior or senior students

Comprehensive Course Guide:  

WRIT 101 – College Writing I Dual Credit Public Course Guide

Required Materials:

None

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: semester available
Spring: semester available

Lead Teacher:

Taylee Schlauch, Helena’s Capital High School, taylee.schlauch@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

English I A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

Students will work with universal themes and archetypes throughout English I. They will continue to build their facility with rhetoric, the craft of using language in writing and speaking, and using classic literature, essays, and speeches as mentor texts.

The benchmarks in this course are mastery goals that students are expected to attain by the end of the year. To build mastery, students will continue to review and apply earlier grade-level benchmarks and expectations.

Prerequisites:

Should be prepared to read and write at a 9th-grade level.

Comprehensive Course Guide:  

http://mtda.link/english1ab

Required Materials:

  • Disk space on your computer as well as an external device to back up your files (flash drive, external hard drive, CD-Rom, etc.)

  • Research materials which are typically found online or at public and school libraries

  • Word processing and presentation software

  • All students will need to provide one of the following novels for segment one Journey to Identity Unit:

    • Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

    • I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui

    • Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams

    • The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez

    • Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

    • Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy’s Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard by Mawi Asgedom

    • In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

    • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

    • The Boy from Baby House 10 by Alan Philps and John Lahutsky

    • Tasting the Sky: Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Local schools may count either semester for credit for either A or B semester.

Lead Teacher:

Lacy Svingen, Helena Public Schools, lacy.svingen@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

AP® Language & Composition A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

This course is a demanding, college-level class that prepares students for the AP* English Language and Composition exam in May. Students focus on becoming skilled readers of prose written from different time periods and rhetorical contexts, as well as becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Emphasis is on expository, analytical and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communications, as well as the personal and reflective writing that fosters the ability to write in any context. Students should check with their intended college to see which AP* English exams may exempt them from freshmen English composition requirements. For a more extensive course description visit: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englang.html?englang

AP courses have challenging time demands. Students taking AP courses should be able to dedicate significant time to reading and studying each week. It is not recommended that students take this course as a supplement to a regular core course but in replacement of it.

Prerequisites:

Advanced Placement courses are open to all students, but students should be prepared for college-level work and have strong writing and analytical skills. Generally speaking, students below Junior or Senior level do not have the writing background to be successful in this course.

Comprehensive Course Guide:  

http://mtda.link/aplangandcomp

Required Materials:

    • The AP Language & Composition website
    • The AP Language & Composition Course Description
    • Access to a computer with word processing and presentation software
    • It is recommended that students purchase a test preparation book to work on independently. Speak to your instructor about which test prep book might be most appropriate.
    • Students will need to obtain the following texts, either from a library or a bookseller:
      • Segment One (Fall)
        • Civil War Edition: Choose one of the following:
          • Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
          • On Writing Well by William Zinsser
      • Segment Two (Spring)
        • Contemporary Edition: See the lesson entitled The Memoir for an overview of text choices and choose one of the following:
          • **Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
          • *A Work in Progress: A Memoir by Connor Franta
          • The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
          • *The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
          • *The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
          • *I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafza
          • *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
          • Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston
          • ***Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
          • **The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
        • Student Edition: See the Checklist lesson for an overview of text choices and choose one of the following:
          • Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
          • *Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
          • Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
          • *The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
          • **Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
          • Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
          • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
          • Warmth of Other Suns by Isabell Wilkerson
          • Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
          • The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

* All works have rhetorical merit for the AP English student; texts marked with asterisks deal with mature subject matter or contain adult language or situations. If this is a concern for you or your family, please choose a different text from the list.

** This text can be read online.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Course is not available to join at semester without permission from MTDA Curriculum Director and Instructor.
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Jenna Clark, Helena High School, jenna.clark@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

English II A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

English II emphasizes language arts skills including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Coursework focuses on the reading and understanding of difficult texts selected from British and Western literature. The objective is for students to develop their writing performance, comprehend and analyze literature, and deepen their understanding of the organic process of revision. Special attention is given to improving students’ research skills and writing abilities.

Prerequisites:

To be successful in English II, the student should have successfully completed a freshman level English or Language Arts course.

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

English II Public Syllabus link

Required Materials:

Materials will be provided in the course.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Local schools may count either semester for credit for either A or B semester.
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Marne Burt, Billings Public Schools, marne.burt@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

English IV A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

English IV is a further exploration of language arts skills including reading, writing, speaking, listening, and media literacy. Studies here emphasize world literature in the form of essays, poetry, prose, drama, fiction, and nonfiction. This includes the recognition and appreciation of the diversity of human experience expressed through world mythology, literature, and culture. The focus is on expanding critical and analytical reading and writing skills to produce narrative, informative and persuasive pieces of writing. Students will need to emphasize direct evidence and make critical connections between what they read and what they write.

Prerequisites:

To be successful in this course, students should have successfully completed a freshman, sophomore, and junior-level English or Language Arts course.

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

http://mtda.link/english4ab

Required Materials:

Most required materials are available online or will be available from school and public libraries. When available, links and/or sources of supplemental audio recordings, will be provided.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Local schools may count either semester for credit for either A or B semester.

Lead Teacher:

Trisha Carlson, Kalispell Public Schools, trisha.carlson.mtda@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

English III A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

English III includes a comprehensive study of writing, speaking, listening, and media literacy.  Emphasis is on understanding, analyzing, and appreciating United States literature from all genres and time periods.  A variety of cultural texts are used including Native American literature.  The Common Core requirements for all areas of language arts are included in this class.

Prerequisites:

To be successful in this course, students should have successfully completed both a freshman and sophomore-level English or Language Arts course.

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

English III Public Syllabus

Required Materials:

Materials will be provided in the course. Students will need to acquire the following novels, available in most school and public libraries:

  • First semester novels: Fools Crow, by James Welch
  • Second semester novel: Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain. Note: Huckleberry Finn is not read in the summer session.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Local schools may count either semester for credit for either A or B semester.

Lead Teacher:

Caitlin Skinner, Bozeman High School, caitlin.skinner@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Creative Writing

Course Length:

One semester

Course Description:

This creative writing course will develop observation and reflection skills as well as develop the creative use of grammar in the writing process. Students will hone skills as they utilize a variety of technology to write for a variety of audiences, share writing with others, and give constructive feedback to peers. This is not a course to write for only yourself or to avoid communicating with a variety of peers. Students will study excellent creative writing in books of their choice.

Prerequisites:

English I

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

Creative Writing Syllabus

Required Materials:

Student-selected novels or creative nonfiction, student-selected children’s literature, and other built-in course materials

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

This specific course requires access to a microphone, speakers, and headphones for a computer.

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: available
Spring: available

Lead Teacher:

Roger Scruggs, Helena High School, roger.scruggs@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Mythology & Folklore

Course Length:

One semester

Course Description:

Mighty heroes. Angry gods and goddesses. Cunning animals. Mythology and folklore have been used since the first people gathered around the fire as a way to make sense of humankind and our world. This course focuses on the many myths and legends woven into cultures around the world. Starting with an overview of mythology and the many kinds of folklore, the student will journey with ancient heroes as they slay dragons and outwit the gods, follow fearless warrior women into battle and watch as clever animals outwit those stronger than themselves. They will explore the universality and social significance of myths and folklore, and see how they are still to shape society today.

Prerequisites:

None

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

Mythology Public Syllabus link

Required Materials:

None

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

This course has limited enrollment availability and is first come, first serve. This limit is firm.

Fall: semester available with limited enrollment availability
Spring: semester available with limited enrollment availability
Summer: not available

Lead Teacher:

Matthew Shedlack, Missoula County Public Schools, matthew.shedlack@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

AP® Literature and Composition

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

This course is a demanding, college-level class that prepares students for the AP* English Language and Composition exam in May. While enrolled in the MTDA AP Literature and Composition course students will engage in close reading (active and thoughtful) of literary works in a rigorous, college-level curriculum. Through the deep study of works of literary merit, students will sharpen their awareness of language and how writers use language to create meaning. In addition, students will develop an independent appreciation of literary works while becoming sensitive to literature as shared experience. Students will discuss and write about the individual work (novels, plays, poems, essays) as well multiple sources. This course’s literary study will look at style and structure, diction, figurative language, imagery, selection of detail, language, tone and syntax. Writing well about literature is a key component of the course. In addition to essay writing, students will be expected to write clear, supported posts and responses in threaded discussion. For a more extensive course description visit: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englit.html?englit

AP courses have challenging time demands. Students taking AP courses should be able to dedicate significant time for reading and study each week. It is not recommended that students take this course a supplement to a regular core course, but in replacement of it.

Prerequisites:

Successful completion of English I, II, & III.  Student will be exposed to college-level composition and literature.

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

http://mtda.link/aplitandcomp

Required Materials:

You will also need to supply the following materials. You can borrow from your public library or rent from your local video store.

  • Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
  • The Hollow Men” by T. S. Eliot
  • A novel from the list provided in Module 2
  • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad
  • Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
  • Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
  • Hamlet by William Shakespeare
  • Hamlet video (Versions available: Mel Gibson, Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Olivier) **
  • The Awakening by Kate Chopin
  • The Importance of Being Earnest video **
  • Barron’s How to Prepare for the AP Advanced Placement Exam English Literature and Composition
  • Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

You will also need to provide one of the following books for the module 9 Pot Luck Dinner Party assignments:

  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
  • A House Made of Dawn by Scott Momaday
  • Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
  • Othello

**Optional

Student Selected Novel List

Students will need to select one of the following novels to read for Module 2. The novels can be purchased or obtained from your local school library:

  • One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez
  • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
  • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
  • Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
  • Tess of the d’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
  • The Color Purple By Alice Walker
  • Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
  • The Stranger by Albert Camus
  • The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger
  • Beloved by Toni Morrison

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Course is not available to join at semester without permission from MTDA Curriculum Director and Instructor.
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Willow Moran, Columbia Falls Public Schools, willow.moran@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Journalism

Course Length:

One semester

Course Description:

This course is an introduction to journalism, from its history and effect on the American culture to the basics of journalistic writing.  Students who successfully complete this course should be more than prepared to participate in their school’s journalism program.  Grading for this course is based solely on total points, though students should be aware that some assignments, quizzes, and tests are worth more points than others.

Prerequisites: none

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

Journalism Syllabus link

Required Materials:

None

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available

Lead Teacher:

Ashley Tait, C.M. Russell High School, Great Falls, ashley.tait@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

  • 1
  • 2