For next school year, the English Department is offering new courses for the seniors. Since these classes have not been taught at Westborough High School, as of right now we do not know who is teaching which class. These new senior seminars offer a wider range of learning opportunities within the English Department. Seniors who aren’t taking AP Literature and Composition have to take two seminars to complete the English requirement for senior year. Just like every other course selection, everyone may not get both of the classes they want, so each student will have to enter two to three alternate courses just in case.
One of the new senior seminars is The American Pastime in Literature and Film. This seminar offers an interesting course for sports fans, specifically baseball fans. This class spends time watching films and reading, fiction and nonfiction, about baseball. The students will study the history and cultural impact of the sport. This course will be offered at level two, level three, and level four. This engaging class was introduced by Mr. Huse to the rest of the English Department. Also, the class is even more compelling for baseball fans because at the end of the course there may be a field trip to Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts. This class seems like a good, inclusive option for student athletes (or just sports fans) who are interested in learning more about baseball.
Another great course idea from Mr. Huse is Funny, offered at every level. This course, as you could infer from the name, is meant to stray from the sometimes sad and heavy reputation of English course content. This class is meant to give students an opportunity to read comedic literature, watch funny movies, and even write essays to give others a good laugh. The material given to the student will be chosen from “the world’s funniest people.” The assignments in this course will include delivering a humorous speech, joke writing, writing comical essays, and more. Although this is still an educational class, it gives students a break from heavy, sad topics.
Following that, Ms. Pelletier had the idea for the new “And Justice for All”: Social Justice Literature course, which is offered at levels two, three, and four. This course studies the concept of social justice, specifically within literature, film, music, visual art, and performance art. It explores the reality of the promise of “equal rights and equitable opportunities for all,” while highlighting the discrimination many face due to being in the minority or having a different lifestyle from another. Also, the class focuses on how the issues in social justice affect one’s daily life and how we can work to do better as a society.
Another great new seminar that is being offered next year to seniors is Storytelling through Podcasts, which will be offered at all levels. In this course, students will listen to a variety of podcasts, such as personal stories, fiction, and investigative journalism. This course will focus on analyzing these podcasts for a variety of literary elements and different techniques, as well as improve students’ critical thinking skills because they will be discussing many real world social issues that are talked about in these podcasts. Later in the semester, students will apply what they have learned by developing their own podcasts. Students should definitely consider signing up for this if it piques their interest.
Short Fiction is another senior seminar that will be offered for the first time next year. This class will focus on short stories and novellas, and the ways that different authors apply literary techniques. Students will also write reviews and prefaces of the stories. This is bound to be a highly interactive class, and students who enjoy reading short stories will thoroughly enjoy it.
Additionally, Literature for Young People is being offered to seniors for the first time this upcoming fall. This course focuses on reading fairy tales and children’s books, and exploring the deeper themes and literary elements that are present within them. There will also be a lot of work delving deeper into the psychological and developmental factors that go into writing an age-appropriate children’s book. This class will include class discussions, socratic circles, reflective writing, and more. Students will also discuss different interpretations of these books, as well as track different trends in children’s book publishing.
Finally, Ms. Conrad had the idea for a senior seminar titled Literary Analysis of Pop Culture and Performance. If you love music, this course is for you. Students will explore both the lyricism and performance aspects of music, and how they coincide with storytelling. On top of that, you will explore famous literary works and how artists draw inspiration from them. It will focus on many pop culture icons, specifically Taylor Swift, so if you are a fan of her, I recommend taking this class!
Overall, the English Department has given the rising seniors a wide array of seminars to choose from. All of them focus on a different aspect of writing and there is a solid choice for every student. With that, all the seniors make sure to check out all the new and repeated seminar classes in the Program of Studies on the WHS website for next year and choose what is best for you!
