http://south.mpls.k12.mn.us/language_artsNOTE: Not all courses are offered every year; some will be rotated every other year.
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Prerequisite: Two years of English Length: Year-long This challenging, year-long course is designed to prepare students for all types of college-level writing. Students will develop the skills they need to write academically, professionally and personally for all kinds of purposes. Students will practice the stages of the writing process from brainstorming through revision, engage in peer review of one another‘s work, and complete many informal and formal writing assignments. In addition, students will become skilled readers of a wide variety of non-fiction work, from memoir to essays to scholarly research. In May, students have the opportunity to take the AP English Language and Composition exam that may enable them to receive college credit in English.
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Prerequisite: Two years of English Length: Year-long In this challenging year-long course, students will engage in an intense, in-depth look at literature from both the traditional and non-traditional canon. Students will respond to these works critically, both orally and in writing. Discussion, short papers, and long essays are an essential part of this course. In May, students can take a National College Board examination that may enable them to receive advanced standing or credit in English in college.
American Literature: The Humorists (offered on a rotating basis) Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This course will explore American Literature in several of its forms—novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, teleplays, and poetry. The focus of the course will be on the works of such American humorists as Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., Mark Twain, Woody Allen, Joseph Heller, Garrison Keillor, the Coen Brothers, and a host of others. Major works that may be addressed include Slaughterhouse Five, Breakfast of Champions, Cat’s Cradle, Catch 22, Don’t Drink the Water, American Book of Verse, Without Feathers, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Great Short Stories by Mark Twain, How to Talk Minnesotan, Fargo, The Hudsucker Proxy, Welcome to the Monkey House and others. Class discussion, formal analysis papers, oral presentation, and informal responses will be forms of assessment.
Anthology of American Women [offered on a rotating basis) Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This course is a survey course in literature by and about American women. The focus will be primarily on using a diverse selection of short stories and poems to help the student define and understand the role of women in the literary and cultural context of America.
Black American Voices [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester Black Voices is a survey of African-American literature, film and music. Examine the lives that brought us from a rich oral tradition to the poetry and rap of today. See the results of ―The Harlem Renaissance‖ in Spike Lee‘s ―Mo Better Blues‖. Look at the changes in America as represented in her Black Voices.
College In the Schools – University Writing Open to: 12th grade students who rank in the top 20% of their class Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor Length: Semester Enrollment is limited to 20 students. With this course, a student earns three high school credits and four university credits. The course provides guided practice in developing the individual student's strengths in writing through recitation, in-class workshops, and individual conferences. Writing assignments focus on defining purpose, organizing and develolping content, analyzing audiences, drafting the whole essay and its parts, and revising and editing expository structure and style. The expectations and assignments are all at college level.
College in the Schools - Introduction to Literature: Poetry, Drama, Narrative Open to: 11th and 12th grade students who rank in the top 30% of their class Prerequisite: Permission of the Instructor Length: Semester This is a University of Minnesota class taught at South for 4 university credits and 3 high school credits. Students will read from a variety of literary selections of the 20th century by authors such as Tim O'Brien, James Baldwin, Nuruddin Farah, Ha Jin, Kate Chopin, Toni Morrison, and Samuel Beckett. Students will discuss literary form and interpretation, as well as responding to the works in a personal way by bringing their own experiences to bear. Both oral participation and literary analysis are an essential part of this class.
College Prep Writing Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester From the application essay through exposition and guided research writing, students practice skills needed in post-secondary education. The emphasis is on critical thinking and research skills. Instruction in usage, mechanics, MLA form, print, and electronic research are included.
Creative Writing Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This course provides practice in forms of expressive writing such as short stories, poetry, autobiography, and journal-keeping. They will also learn about and practice stylistic choices. Reading and writing portfolios will also be part of the required class work. English 9 - Open Open to: All 9th Grade Open students Length: Year-long The course will challenge students to read and think critically as they consider essential questions aimed to guide them to a clearer understanding of self, community and cultures of the world. Students will participate in class discussions and express their ideas through a variety of writing forms. Practice in prewriting, establishing a purpose, organizing, sentence structure, revising, and editing skills will be done with both narrative and expository writing assignments. Reading selections will include some of the following titles: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Nervous Conditions, The Odyssey, Greek and Roman mythology and Romeo and Juliet. Readings will also include selected short stories, poems and essays. This is a Pre-Advanced Placement course. It is designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition.
English 10 – Open Open to: All 10th grade Open students Length: Year-long Students will study American Literature, reviewing the literature of American and her people. Reading and learning about American literature is synonymous with understanding the history and culture of a nation that has undergone dramatic social, economic, and cultural change in its relatively short history. Our goal is to create a classroom atmosphere where we can analyze and interpret the different American experiences that reveal themselves in some great books, and to analyze the themes, ideas, struggles, and meanings which inspire American writers to create their stories in the first place. This is a Pre-Advanced Placement course. It is designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition.
Literature and Film Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This one semester course focuses on how filmmakers take original ideas and those from literature to create satisfying films. Students will view many films and explore themes and techniques through discussion and writing. Students will develop individual projects, written, oral and video, following MLA guidelines when appropriate.
G.A.T.E. (Guthrie Active Teen Ensemble) Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester G.A.T.E. is a course that explores the theater in the community. The class will read, attend and critique plays and attend seminars with artists at the Guthrie. This is a one semester course that offers English credit or fine arts elective credit. This course counts towards the Humanities requirement in the Liberal Arts Magnet program. Grammar and Comp [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This class is designed for the student who is interested in developing skills in usage and mechanics to improve writing. After a complete introduction and review of the parts of speech, capitalization, punctuation along with other usage components, students will develop their writing skills through a series of paragraph writing and short compositions. While most writing will involve formal standard writing, some of the assignments will be of a creative nature.
H-Art Open to: All 11th & 12th grade students Co-requisite: Students must also register for H-Art/Social Studies Length: Semester H-Art is an interdisciplinary course offering English and Social Studies credit. Each year a common theme is chosen for students to study and research. Research, writing, public performance skills and the artistry of many cultures are emphasized. The students incorporate what they learn into a play script and performance that they produce in collaboration with the Illusion Theater. The theme is also used in the writings for the book that is created with the Minnesota Book Arts partnership project. Students work with the Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater and are a part of the community May Day Parade. Other artists, art agencies, and speakers work with the students throughout the semester as needed to complete the projects.
Humanities 1 - English (World Literature) – Liberal Arts Open to: All 9th grade Liberal Arts students Co-requisite: Humanities 1-Social Studies – Liberal Arts Length: Year-long Humanities 1 is an English/Social Studies course pairing integrating world history with literature. This course examines such basic questions as: What does it mean to be human? What is civilization? What is culture? It will challenge students to think critically and come to their own conclusions. To achieve these goals, we will examine Mexican, European, Asian, and African history and literature; study and experience the related arts of music, art, film, and dance; and consider ideas for philosophy, religion, and science. Class discussion, critical reading and thinking, and various kinds of writing are emphasized. Some of the central texts include Shizuko’s Daughter, A Doll’s House, Romeo and Juliet, Animal Farm, Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, Persepolis, The Underdogs and Nervous Conditions. This is a Pre-Advanced Placement course. It is designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition.
Humanities 1 - English (World Literature) – All Nations Open to: All 9th grade All Nations students Co-requisite: Humanities 1-Social Studies – All Nations Length: Year-long This course will challenge students to read and think critically as they consider essential questions related to self, community, and the American Indian culture and its relationship to other world cultures. This course examines such questions as: What does it mean to be human? What is civilization? What is culture? It will challenge students to think critically and come to their own conclusions. Students will engage in activities designed to improve their skills in oral and written communication. Teachers in the program will work closely together to add an interdisciplinary approach to the students‘ ninth grade year. This is a Pre-Advanced Placement course. It is designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition.
Humanities 2 - English (American Literature) – Liberal Arts Open to: All 10th grade Liberal Arts students Co-Requisite: Humanities 2-Social Studies – Liberal Arts Length: Year-long This course is part of an English/US History pairing in which students will investigate American thought and culture from the colonial period through the present using literature, art, and music. Reading, research and expository writing skills are emphasized throughout. Texts might include: The Scarlet Letter, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Richard Wright‘s Black Boy, Edith Wharton‘s Summer, and August Wilson‘s The Piano Lesson. This is a Pre-Advanced Placement course. It is designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition.
Humanities 2 - English (American Literature) - All Nations Open to: All 10th grade All Nations students Co-Requisite: Humanities 2-Social Studies – All Nations Length: Year-long This class is an American Literature-based class asking the essential questions: How does history shape personal identity? Why do writers interpret, define or respond to historical events? To what extent is societal history reflected in writing? Research and expository writing skills are emphasized throughout. Links are consistently made through APUSH (Advanced Placement U.S. History) readings and ponderings while examining themes such as personal and societal identity, pride, diversity, choices/consequences and envisioning of the future. This is a Pre-Advanced Placement course. It is designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement Literature and Composition and Language and Composition.
Literacy 9 Open to: 9th grade students Prerequisite: Must be recommended Length: Year-long The purpose of this course is to develop literacy skills and prepare 9th grade students for life-long academic success. Students will practice effective reading comprehension strategies through small group instruction, independent reading and written response to literature. Students will strengthen writing skills through authentic publication projects. Readings will include self-selected texts, content area texts and teacher-developed readings.
Literacy 10 Open to: 10th Prerequisite: Must be recommended Length: Year-long The purpose of this course is to provide continued literacy support for 10th grade students preparing to take the MCAII reading assessment. The course will focus on comprehension strategies, literature circles, and independent reading. Literacy 11 and 12 Open to: 11th and 12th Prerequisite: Must be recommended Length: Year-long The purpose of this course is to increase literacy skills, strengthen academic literacy and prepare juniors and seniors for MCAII test success. Students will practice effective reading strategies with individual and small group instruction. The course will emphasize non-fiction text and content area literacy skills. This course is recommended for students who have not yet passed the MCAII reading assessment.
Mass Media [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Year-long This couse is a partnership between the BrandLab and the Minneapolis Public Schools with its mission to expose students to opportunities and career options in the marketing industry and provide students with hands-on learning experiences with real world applications. Learning opportunities include field trips, designing an advertising campaign, opportunities to network and receive mentoring from industry professionals. This class examines issues and trends in mass media, promotes critical thinking skills, and helps students critically evaluate and create persuasive communications tailored to target audiences. Student learn how to plan and deliver key messages, meet strategic goals, and consider ethical questions for diverse markets. Mass Media covers television, print, radio, social media, and alternative marketing media and considers the effects of media content messages delivery methods, and ther influence on audiences and social institutions. Students who complete the course are eligible to apply for one of the summer internships and college scholarships.
Newspaper Production (ELECTIVE CREDIT ONLY) Open to: All 10th through 12th grade students Prerequisite: Application with teacher recommendation Length: Year-long This course combines an advanced journalism curriculum with the production of The Southerner, South‘s student-run newspaper and news website. Students will practice writing in a variety of journalistic styles, including news articles, features, opinion pieces and reviews. Students will also explore legal and ethical issues surrounding journalism as they make real-world decisions about editorial policy. In addition to writing, students will consider and practice ways to incorporate visual elements into reporting.
Partnership English - Contract English Open to: 11th and 12th grade students who are behind in English credits. Length: Semester This class gives students an opportunity to earn credits by completing independent reading contracts and assigned course work. Readings include novels, short stories and poems. Playwriting [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester The goal of this class is the completion of a one-act play. Students will study the structure of a play and the plot elements. Writing activities in dialogue, characterization, setting, conflict and monologue will prepare students to accomplish the goal. Students will be graded on ALL writing assignments. Fifty percent of the grade from the class will be earned from the prewriting assignments. The other half of the student‘s credit is earned from the play itself A STUDENT CANNOT PASS PLAYWRITING WITHOUT COMPLETION OF A ONE ACT PLAY.
Poetry [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This course will cover poetry of many types from the sonnets to popular rock lyrics. Students will learn to recognize different poetic styles and forms and be given the opportunity to write and read their own. The only prerequisite is an enjoyment of poetry and a wish to further develop "reading intelligence" in its interpretation. A wide variety of poets and styles will be presented for discussion and study, but most of the poets encountered in this course will be from the 20th Century. Students are not only encouraged to bring in poems for class discussion and critiquing, but will be required to do so in small group presentations to the class.
Popular Paperbacks [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester This course is designed simply to give students a chance to read for the love of reading. Students will be guided in their choice of reading material and a significant portion of class time is designated for reading. At least four books will be read per quarter. Students will individually write short ―reviews‖ of the books they have read and create, within a group, publications of these reviews.
Public Speaking [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester Students will learn and practice skills needed in informative, persuasive, and special occasion speaking. Speeches and regular critiques will engage students in the communication process in both speaker and audience roles.
Science Fiction and Fantasy [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester Using poetry, short stories, drama, novels, and essays, this class will explore what science fiction and fantasy are. We will deal with what thoughts and theories are expressed in these genre forms, and why we, as species, have the need to generate this kind of literature. Students will participate in class discussions, small group discussions, group and individual projects ranging from model building to giving presentations and recitations. Opportunities for written expression may include essays, dramas, short stories, and poetry. Shakespeare [offered on a rotating basis] Open to: All 11th and 12th grade students Length: Semester Shakespeare will be presented as a poet, dramatist, and theatrical leader of the Elizabethan Age. Students will study at least one each of his comedies, tragedies, and histories as well as selected sonnets.
V.O.I.C.E.S. - (Values, Options, Issues, and Choices for Society) Open to: 12th grade students by application Co-requisite: Students must also register for V.O.I.C.E.S-Social Studies Dept. Length: Year-long This is a yearlong interdisciplinary course offered in a two-hour block during periods four and five, in collaboration with the Minneapolis Television Network. Students will investigate and analyze current issues and present the information and ideas to the class. Themes for the two semesters are Creating Human Society, Moral Issues in Contemporary Society, and Perspectives on Society. Students taking this course will earn four English credits, one government credit, one sociology/psychology credit, and one elective economics credit. The class will meet at South High School and the MTN Studios, or community sites.
Native V.O.I.C.E.S. - (Values, Options, Issues, and Choices for Society) Open to: 11th & 12th grade students Co-requisite: Students must also register for Native V.O.I.C.E.S-Social Studies Dept. Length: Year-long This is a yearlong interdisciplinary course offered in a two-hour block. Students will investigate and analyze current issues and present the information and ideas to the class. Themes for the two semesters are: Trust responsibility between tribes and the federal government, treaty relationships, and loss of land. The purpose of this course is to provide students with a perspective of American Indian tribal government and economics through analysis of the Indian tribal governments in the United States. Students will analyze primary sourse documents from the US Supreme Court and the US legislative branches from the late 1700‘s to the present. The course will provide each student with theknowledge and background information to understand fiscal responsibility and allocations toward Indian tribes nationwide as part of the federal Indian Trust responsibility. We will review the federal Indian trust relationship and the development of Indian tribal sovereignty that is based upon the 371 Indian treaties signed with the United States government during the time period of 1778-1871.
Yearbook * ELECTIVE CREDIT ONLY Open to: All students Prerequisite: Application Process Length: Year-long This class is The South High Annual of events of academic, athletic and extra-curricular activities. Students must apply and interview with the Advisor and Editors. (Writers and Photographers Wanted).