If you’re a current junior and you don’t plan on taking AP Literature, then you might want to start thinking about which English seminars you want to take. Senior seminars are mixed-level classes that span just one semester. They offer to seniors in Honors, College Prep 1, and College Prep 2. Unlike history seminars, seniors are required to take either AP Lit or two of these seminars to fulfill their graduation requirements of four full years of English.
Let’s take a look at the options and what others have to say about the classes to find out which ones are right for you!
Detectives In Literature
This course goes through detective fiction from its origins with Edgar Allen Poe to modern fiction like the ever-popular book and movie The Housemaid. Students who take this class can read classic and contemporary crime stories and should plan to write thesis-style essays about them. This class would be perfect for someone who loves mysteries, puzzles, and a good true-crime podcast.
Current HHS Senior Emma Kelley took this class her first semester, and she would definitely recommend it! She told the Harborlight, “I really like the class a lot because we get to read a bunch of different books that you wouldn’t come across in other English classes. We also watched a lot of shows like Sherlock and documentaries, which were super fun!”
Film and Media Literacy
This course teaches students how to actually read movies, not just watch them. It spans various genres in order to give a diverse point of view as to what American values are reflected through film. In terms of classwork and writing, this course includes discussions, critical essays, thesis essays, and projects. This class would be perfect for a movie buff or someone who just wants to watch more movies!
Global Issues In Literature
Global issues takes, well, a more global perspective on issues similarly covered in other classes. A variety of diverse texts from around the world are explored, especially centering on large issues that the particular place has had to deal with. Discussions in this class have been said to be thoughtful and challenging to past ideas of privilege and responsibility. Students who are interested in social justice, pursuing a career in global affairs, or anyone who wants to read a diverse array of literature would thrive in this class.
Reading to Write
As a class I myself have just started this semester, Reading to Write is all about understanding how great writing works, and then trying it yourself through lots of creative writing. Your perception of the word “literature” is challenged when you first step in the door, and you are taught to forget almost everything you learned about reading and writing prior to taking the class. If you like creative writing and want to sharpen your skills, this is definitely the class for you.
Disability Voices In Media
Finally, Disability Studies is all about examining communities that are often overlooked or misrepresented within the media. Through contemporary texts, movies, and a history of disability studies, students learn about ableism and ways in which literature can help us to make the world more accessible to all. There is also an intersectionality aspect, where students can relate disability studies to environmentalism, public health, civil rights, and much more. This would be a great class for someone who wants to take a class that they couldn’t get many other places and wants to learn more about a topic often overlooked in public schools.
When asked about Disability Voices in Media, current HHS Senior Madeleine Accetella said, “I originally took Disabilities because I loved AP Lang with Ms. Jope in junior year. I felt like it was very similar to AP Lang, where we learned about many different aspects of a subject, and then connected them all together. I recommend it to people who took AP Lang and students who have disabilities and want to understand more about the legislation and activism that goes into helping students.”
