Model High School offers a rich variety of English courses that are not available at Andover or Lahser. Although each class has its own particular focus, English courses at Model High School share the following features:
1. Student Centered: Students are generally allowed to choose the books they will read and their own topics for writing. Students also learn to see writing as a valuable means of gaining personal insight.
2. Authentic Contexts: In addition to writing that emulates college writing (essay exams, research papers), students produce work that exists in the world beyond the classroom (memoirs, presentations, letters, press releases, advertising, web sites, etc.). Multiple-choice tests, pop quizzes, and 5-paragraph essays are rare to nonexistent in Model High School English courses.
3. Process Driven: At Model, we focus on the essential life SKILLS of reading and writing more than any particular end product. Our goal is students who can read well and produce quality writing in any situation. Our small class sizes and emotionally safe environment encourage student writers to take risks, share their work, and thoughtfully revise.
Advanced Placement English Language and Composition
Model High School senior Matt Rosner created this “Prezi” as part of his Final Assessment Presentation (FAP). During his FAP, Matt synthesized what he had learned in all his classes at Model, and the profound effect his learning had on his future plans.
His Prezi focuses on the insights he gained while studying American generations in Advanced Placement English Language and Composition, and the crisis of “FOMO” he sees in his own generation: the much-discussed Millennials.
Final Assessment Presentation on American Generations
Adventure English
Spring 2011 Adventure English class on their overnight at Bald Mountain Recreation Area.
Adventure English is an interdisciplinary class, offered through Model High School, that gives students credit in physical education and English. A ropes course is used as a vehicle for student learning. The focus of the class is team building, communication, interpersonal skills, and finding one’s voice. The overnight trip plays a significant role in allowing students to get to know one another on an informal basis. The learning that occurs on the overnight is particularly important for their participation on the ropes course throughout the semester.
