Abilene High School - Orange and Brown Yearbook (Abilene, KS)

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he Work of the .School Department of English FRESHMAN ENGLISH The work in Freshman English is necessarily very elementary. Its aim, in modified form, is that of the other years of the course: to stimulate appreciative reading, and to develop in the pupils the ability to express their ideas, both orally and in writing, with a fair degree of correctness. From the beginning, these two sides of the work, literature and composition, are correlated. During the first year, the pupils are encouraged to read for the storyg that is, to read with the idea of getting the full message of the author, rather than with the idea of criticism. The first book used is Ashmun's t'Prose Literature for Sec- ondary Schools, a collection of short stories, nature studies, and biographies. This, with a little book of ballad poetry, comprises the class reading for the first semester. The second semester, three novels are studied: Ivanhoe, The Last of the Mo- hicans, and David Copperfield. Outside of class, each pupil reads and reports upon at least one book each six weeks. In the composition work, the Freshmen students use no textbookg instead they build a notebook of rules for themselves. These rules are very few, only enough to serve as the necessary tools in the craft of writing. Many themes are re- quiredg during the first term, one oral and one written theme each week, on an average, are given by every member of the class. The pupils help each other by criticizing the composition work heard in class, and soon come to realize points of weakness and of strength. Letter writing, particularly business correspondence, receives special stress. Along with the constructive work goes the persistent combatting of faulty habits of speech, the almost futile endeavor to replace the picturesque High School vocabulary with another which will be equally expressive even if not aggressively up-to-date. SOPHOMORE ENGLISH After having had one year of rudimentary drill in English, pupils now take up a more advanced study of composition. The first portion of Stebbin's English for Secondary Schools is used as a text. Simple rhetorical principles are studied, and many paragraphs and exercises are written. Fewer themes are required than in the first year, the idea being to begin intensive study on certain features rather than to do general work upon a large unit of material. The first classic studied always is Silas Marnerf' in which pupils have their introduction to character study and plot development. Irving's Alhambra,', with its description and legends of enchanted palaces, this Year has replaced the Sketch Book read formerly. The Merchant of Venice marked the high tide of interest in the course, as each division of the Sophomores presented a scene from the play. Just before the end of the term, Goldsmith's The Deserted Village and the 'iTrav- eler were read. The second semester the classes enjoyed Treasure Island, and then added to their nautical knowledge by studying Dana's Two Years Before the Mast. Three of Tennyson's Idylls of the King complete the reading for the year. In addition to these books studied and recited upon in class, each pupil read one book each six weeks from a list of. suggested literature. If five additional books were read during a semester, the pupil received five per cent more on his term grade. Many pupils took advantage of this opportunity. JUNIOR ENGLISH When the student of A. H. S. becomes a Junior he has ahead of him one more year of required English. 'In this year he is to gain a wider practice in the use of FIFTEEN

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Outline oi Courses CLASSICAL COURSE 9 'I FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR 1. English I 1. English II -. Algebra I 2. Geometry I 3. Latin I or German I 3. Latin II or German II 4. Ancient History ' 4. Botany THIRD YEAR FOURTH YEAR 1. English III 1. Latin IV 2. Algebra II and Geometry II Z. Physics I U. Latin III or German III 3. American History 4 . Chemistry NOIIMAII THAI 4.' Economics and Contemporary Life NING COURSE 9 FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR 1. English I 1. English II 2. Algebra I 2. Geometry I TI. Physiography and General Science 3. Agriculture 4. Spelling and Word Study 4. Ancient History TIIIRD YEAR FOURTH YEAR 1. English III 1. Normal Reviews 2. English Ilistory and Civics -. Physics II. Physiology and Psychology 3. lllethods and Arithmetic 4. Music 4. American Ilistory INIIYSTRIA L COURSE ' FIRST YEAR 1. English I 9. Algebra I 3, Physiography and General Science 4. Domestic Art l ffor girlsl 5. Manual Training I ffor boysl THIRD YEAR 1. English III 2. Algebra II and Geolnetry II fboysl 3. Chemistry frequired for girlsl 4. Domestic Art Il fgirlsl 5. Manual Training III fboysl SECOND YEAR English II Geometry I Botany or Agriculture 4. Domestic Science I Cgirlsl Manual Training II fboysl 1. 0 9 -1. 5. FOVRTII YEAR 1. American History 2. Economics and Contemporary Life 3. Physics -1. Domestic Science II 5 Mechanical Drawing fboysl Cl INIBIICIICIAII C0 URSE FIRST YEAR 1. English I 2. Algebral 3 4 . Spelling and IVord Study . Elem. Accts. and Business Methods THIRD YEAR 1. English III 2. English History and Civics fl. ,Commercial Arithmetic 4. Typewriting and Stenography I FOURTEEN SECOND YEAR l 'P . English II . Geometry I . Ancient History . Adv, Bookkeeping and Com. Law 3 4 FOURTH YEAR Journalism and Business English 1. 2. American History . Economics and Contemporary Life 5. Typewriting and Stenography II 9 Q1

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' CHAPEL the four classes of discourse: narration, description, exposition, and argumentation. ln themes, oral and written. he relates stories of his own experience or of his imagi- nation, and presents the results of investigations he has made, in language as clear, as vigorous, and as effective as he can command. Clear seeing and vivid reproduc- tion are encouraged in description, and logical thinking and clear expression go hand in hand in argumentation. The Junior needs also to grasp the elementary princi- ples of the art of short story writing. But not only is the third year student trained in further self-expression but his acquaintance with English literature is extended. Such selections from Dickens, Scott, Thoreau, Huxley, Shakespeare and others as reveal the life and thought of certain epochs, or present the problems of all life, thus furnishing a stimulus to vigorous thinking and expression, are studied in class. Outside reading of three books each semester is required. These are to be chosen from a list comprising the best works of fiction, poetry, essays, biography and travel. lf the Junior reads, from the list, five books in addition to those required, during the semester, he is given five extra points of credit. Finally, with a sufficient glance at the history of literature to enable him to surround his reading with the proper atmosphere, the third year student has com- pleted the required course in English. SENIOR ENGLISH The student of Senior English elects the course. In his fourth year's Work the history of English and American literature and much illustrative reading are corre- lated. The lecture method is pursued in part, that the Senior may have some ex- perience in note taking. Special time is devoted to the study of the novel as an art form, and some works of fiction are more or less analytically studied Both Written and oral reports on topics most closely related to the thought and art of the authors studied, and on those opened up by class discussions are an essential part of the SIXTEEN