English III
English III is a junior level class. Students will begin the year writing the VFW Voice of Democracy essay. Students are given a topic and an opportunity to enter the VFW's contest. Each participant in the contest will receive $25 with the chance to earn more for winning the contest. Also, students will read The Crucible about the Salem Witch Trials. This unit will be followed by reading The Scarlet Letter. This is the tale of a woman's shame during the Puritan era. This unit will be followed by reading Night, the story of Elie Wiesel's experience in the Nazi concentration camps. Next will be Of Mice and Men, the story of two migrant workers during the Great Depression. On a lighter note, students will read Shattering Glass, the story of the school nerd becoming the most popular boy in school. Fourth quarter brings the class' Greek mythology unit. Along with reading great literature, the class will also prepare for the SAT test.
English IV
A big focus of English IV is the Senior Project, a graduation requirement at Cuba High School. Students will write a research paper and connect a community service project to the paper's topic. They will also give a presentation about their projects to a panel of judges from the community. In addition, students will have units on Beowulf, Macbeth and The Canterbury Tales.
Journalism
Journalism is an elective class that introduces students to the basics of news writing. Students will also explore the backgrounds of different journalists and their experiences.
Literature of an Author
This class will focus on literature produced by a single author. The class will explore different forms of literature by said author, such as novels, poetry, plays, etc.
Speech
This class focuses on public speaking and the different forms of it. Debate will also be included in the class curriculum.