Not interested in reading the same old books your parents read (or pretended to read!) when they were in high school?  Lucky for you, Sahuaro has several specialty English classes for you to choose from.

Shakespeare 

In Mr. Hislope’s Shakespeare class, the students must meet the same requirements as a regular English class, but the class is big on reading plays and performing scenes out loud from Shakespeare’s many works. They memorize sonnets and perform them for the class, and also write a research paper on one aspect of the Elizabethan era and present their findings to the class. This class is beneficial if you like drama or theater, especially for getting you out of your comfort zone. Expect to read such plays as: A Midnight Summer’s Dream, The Tempest, Comedy of Errors, Taming of the Shrew, Hamlet, and Julius Caesar.  Any junior or senior can take this class.

Krystina Vazquez states, “I learned a lot of new vocabulary. It was nice to learn about the Shakespearean times. Mr. Hislope is less serious in Shakespeare class; it was so fun! I recommend taking it if you want a less stressful and fun English class.”

Creative Writing

If you enjoy writing creative works, but hate writing essays, then look into Ms. Lange’s Creative Writing class. This class focuses on the writing and editing process.  Students learn how to incorporate dialogue, figurative language, strong characters, and other techniques to improve their writer’s craft.  In Creative Writing you will write a 15- page short story, an original TV script (and then film it), memoir, and poetry. Be expected to share!  Every class begins with a journal prompt so you can shake off the rest of your day and get into the zone. This class is recommended for students who want to improve their writing, don’t want to write any more traditional 5-paragraph essays, and are tired of too many tests.

Multicultural Literature

Ms. Lange’s Multicultural Lit class reads more contemporary novels than the ordinary English. You will read new books, not written by one of the dead white men, as is the norm in 9th and 10th grade English, with authors who represent our own culture and times a bit more. Ms. Lange is a self-proclaimed vocabulary zealot – so if you love words and want to become more lexically diverse, this is the place. The class will focus a lot on vocabulary. Multicultural Lit is recommended for students who want to read different/contemporary books.

Mexican American literature

Mrs. Bouchard’s Mexican American lit reads books by Mexican Americans only. This class also reads more contemporary books. In this class you will write a research paper on Mexican Americans who made a difference in America. Sahuaro’s population is over 40% Latino, so it’s great to see the student body represented in the books read.  Mrs. Bouchard states, “We look at the cultural meaning of I am you and you are me.”