Central High School - Blackhawk Yearbook (Davenport, IA)

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Great National Literature Taught to Juniors Juniors gain background in their country's culture and also learn writing techniques as they study American literature and composition, a required English course at Central. Much of the year, the course is devoted to reading modern and classical poetry, short stories, essays, novels, and biographies. The classes also dabbled in some drama and public speaking. In addition to literature, a study of grammar is added to broaden the students' understanding of English. Oral and written book reports, vocabulary, and sentence structure are all a part of this study. Students in Mrs. Mae Elma Tornquist's class tackled a unique assignment as they composed complete maga- zines. After studying magazines such as the New Yorker, Atlantic, and Harpers, they wrote articles, laid out advertisements, and put together all the necessary parts of their magazines. Appreciation of good poetry was gained by students who made poetry notebooks. The works of Frost, Sand- burg, Poe. and other American poets were included in these notebooks. John Kehoo, Andy MacMillan and Carol Haloy ''star in a presentation of Our Town. as the play is acted out in one of Mrs. Mae Elma Tornquist's American literature classes. Sue Scholer. Penny Franklin, and Carlene Kuntz load a discussion on poetry in Mrs. Harriet Kipling's American literature class. 31

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While giving an oral class report, sophomore Linda Poterson holds up a picture which she has drawn. Soph English Combines Literature, Grammar All Central sophomores must learn their verb tenses, and Mrs. Shirloy Looney's class is no exception. Don't be alarmed if you happen to see a Roman official walking through the halls. It's probably a dis- guised sophomore ready to enact Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Students completed many oral, visual, and written projects in studying Shakespeare. Other literary studies included comparisons of George Eliot's novel Silas Marner and John Steinbeck's The Pearl. Themes were also written expressing the stu- dents' ideas of the books' symbolism. Modern plays and biographies of literary personalities were read by many classes. Several students did re- search on favorite authors and compiled notebooks. Although literature was studied, sophomore English was still based on grammar and composition. Sentence structure, spelling, and vocabulary were stressed. Miss Marilyn Kelsey's sophomore students kept per- sonal folders for grammatical aid. Each notebook in- cluded. among other things, a list of composition errors, helpful rules for writing, and an accumulative spelling list of difficult words. 30

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Three English Courses Offered to Seniors Diana Davis roads her interpretation of a Christmas story for Miss Hortense Finch's annual Christmas party. Seniors, though still having the standard English requirement, have a choice among three English courses, depending on post-graduation plans. Students who plan to end their formal education after high school graduation study modern literature and composition. They learn and practice skills and evaluate modern literature which will be useful to them after they graduate. Grammar and composition is geared especially for students planning on higher education. Grammar is care- fully reviewed to help improve writing skills. Classes have weekly composition assignments, and term papers are assigned toward the end of the course. English literature is also designed for seniors who plan to attend college. By analyzing literature, produc- ing thoughtful compositions, and working on skills such as dramatization and illustration, students are able to delve into the thoughts and actions of people who have made English history. Kay Kony emphasizes a word with hand gesturos as she gives a reading. 32