English Language Arts

English and Language Arts classes at AIM are both challenging and engaging. All students participate in a daily block dedicated to literature and writing. Students read relevant, award-winning literature, which inspires powerful discussion and reflective writing. Exposure to both classics and contemporary literature that gets to the heart of modern issues is the focus. Students are guided through higher-level fiction and nonfiction such as multimedia readings, primary source documents and news articles.

Upper School students continue to receive writing instruction, engage in the steps of the writing process and refine their expressive skills in preparation for the demands of college-level writing. Writing teachers implement research-based and multisensory instruction, utilize graphic organizers, and technology to support the executive functioning skills necessary to generate compelling work. Students engage in a wide variety of genres such as creative, responsive, persuasive, expository and research.

For students seeking an additional challenge, AIM offers Honors level courses for all ELA classes.

Upper School English Language Arts graphic

9th Grade ELA: Literary Survey

Become a better reader and writer by exploring diverse voices and genres.

The 9th Grade ELA classes focus on the foundational skills of literary analysis and appreciation. Students study a range of genres to develop themselves as critical readers and competent writers. Both honors-level and supported coursework is available. Students in the Honors class generally read a greater number of texts, many of which include a higher level of challenge. Students in the most supported classes receive a greater level of remediation on core literacy skills and often use more accessible texts for the practicing of literary analysis and comprehension skills.

Sample Texts: Night, The Glass Castle, Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, If Beale Street Could Talk.

10th Grade ELA: World Literature

Read to gain a deep knowledge of the world and an empathy for the human experience.

The 10th grade ELA classes explore human nature, character development, and conflict through a diverse range of non-American authors, characters, and settings. Students leverage the skills they gained in the 9th Grade English class to continue their literary analysis, comprehension, and writing abilities. Greater focus is placed on voice, perspective, and character and setting development. Both honors-level and supported coursework is available. Students in the Honors class generally read a greater number of texts, many of which include a higher level of challenge. Students in the most supported classes receive a greater level of remediation on core literacy skills and often use more accessible texts for the practicing of literary analysis and comprehension skills.

Sample Texts: Never Let Me Go, The Odyssey, The Girl with the Louding Voice, Macbeth

11th Grade ELA: American Literature

Study "The American Dream" through a myriad of American identities and realities.

The 11th Grade English classes are designed to complement the work being taken on in the 11th Grade American History course. While many works typically included in the American literary canon are included, texts are intentionally chosen to reflect a diverse set of identities comprising the "American experience.' In accordance with that approach, students' analysis is informed by an exploration of multiple identity lenses, including gender, race, religion, ethnicity, language, education, sexual orientation, socioeconomic and citizenship statuses.

Sample Texts: Invisible Man, Leaves of Grass, A Lesson Before Dying, Sing Unburied Sing, The Great Gatsby

12th Grade ELA: Senior Seminar

Academic Elective: Creative Writing

Play with language, develop characters, construct plots and publish.

The Creative Writing course seeks to foster a comfortable yet constructive environment in which students can develop their writing and critical thinking skills. The course gives students the space to discover and fine-tune their voice by crafting their own original works of poetry and fiction. All writing is accomplished during class time, allowing students one-on-one conferences with the teacher for feedback. Students also learn how to apply constructive and respectful criticism to their peers' writings through a writing workshop structure.