Coming back to high school as a sophomore feels weird. The first senior class you were with is gone, you are a year older, and you are not scared anymore. As a sophomore, you have the chance to take more classes than you did as a freshman. You might take advantage of this, or you might stick with classes you know you will excel in. Either choice will be the perfect one for you.
When scheduling for your sophomore year, you will be asked which English class you want to take. You have two options: a year of AP Seminar or a year consisting of two semester-long classes—Critical Thinking and Argumentation, and World Literature.
AP Seminar helps students analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information from various sources. Although it may seem like a typical English class, it is very demanding. AP Seminar challenges your thinking while also teaching you how to work efficiently and collaborate with others.
During the first semester of AP Seminar, you will complete multiple practice tasks to prepare for the second semester. In the spring, you will complete two tasks and an exam. Each task is made up of a paper and presentation, and the exam is given in two parts. These grades will make up your overall AP score.
The alternative to taking AP Seminar is completing a semester of Critical Thinking and Argumentation and a semester of World Literature.
Critical Thinking is combined with argumentation throughout the semester. Critical Thinking and Argumentation is a course that will teach you how to argue effectively. It will teach you how to formulate a claim, identify claims in arguments, and determine the strength of various types of arguments. The class involves students analyzing speeches, rhetorical devices, and other nonfiction texts to evaluate the strength of the arguments presented. The course is designed to help you think critically about the world around you and what you interact with. The class finishes with a formal debate tournament.
World Literature is the second semester of the tenth-grade English/Language Arts course. This class focuses on readings from authors around the world and stories from different cultures. Students gain broader perspectives and learn from people in different places. The course also helps expand students’ horizons by exploring literature from cultures beyond their own.
No matter the path you choose, it is without a doubt that you will be receiving valuable knowledge. As long as you try your hardest and turn in your assignments on time, you will succeed.
