One of the most exciting parts about transitioning from junior to senior year is the freedom and flexibility students have with their schedules. Seniors have six different English classes to choose from, and some choices are more popular than others. Here’s some information about each class to help you make the right choice. 

1. Expository Reading and Writing  

Expository Reading and Writing is the most popular English class, with 33.5% of seniors enrolled, according to counselor Benjamin Moua. Students are currently reading Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, and start every class by playing Wordle and doing crossword puzzles.

“This class is similar to regular Junior English. We have shorter reading and less intense responses that are more based on you and what you want to write about. We’re not going to hold you to a stiff rubric. As long as you show up and do your best you’ll do just fine,” said Expository Reading and Writing teacher Peter Robbins. 

2. AP English Literature

AP English Literature is a popular choice among seniors at Amador who want to keep up the difficulty in their course load even during their last year. Students read one to two books per semester as a class, and further reading is done in small individual groups where students have more choice in reading material. Roughly one essay is written for every book read. 23.4% of the senior class is enrolled in English Lit. 

“I have Mr. Ekstrom for English and I love his class. I never have any homework, the class is super easy, and the books we’re reading are very interesting. My favorite this year has been Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte,” said Amanda Liu (‘23). 

3. Literature and the Dynamics of Social Justice 

This interdisciplinary class urges students to consider important themes of justice, racism, violence, and other social dynamics through a literary lens. Students engage in class discussions and write essays on prompts such as “Are schools designed to educate or indoctrinate?” in order to learn to think critically about human behavior and society in general. 14.6% of seniors are enrolled in Lit and Social Justice. 

“I like this class because it’s more than just an English class, we learn more than just how to write. I like the structure too, we do a lot of discussion,” said Arushi Garg (‘23). 

4. Advanced Composition  

World Literature and Advanced Composition have been combined into one class that immerses students into the major eras of human cultural thought, specifically how those ideas are reflected in literature. In World Lit. students read six to seven texts from different time periods, such as the Renaissance and Enlightenment era. In Advanced Composition, students also get to practice and perfect writing long process essays, a skill necessary in college. 10.3% of seniors take this class. 

“The World Lit reading is largely literature of Western civilizations. We start with some of the earliest writings, like the epic of Gilgamesh, then we skip forward in time and read the Iliad, and then we compare the genre across culture,” said Advanced Composition teacher John Benbenek.

5. African American Literature  

This English class focuses on the stories and voices of traditionally oppressed groups in America, aiming to bring new perspectives to light and advocate for more inclusivity. Students read books and works from African-American authors and learn about the history of black people in America. The class also takes weekly vocabulary quizzes, and is currently reading Beloved by Toni Morrison, as well as individual personal reading books. 8.5% of seniors take this class. 

“I like African American literature a lot. I took it because I felt the material it covered was important to know. The class size is very small, and my teacher is really nice and easy going,” said Franny Willardson (‘23). 

6. British Literature 

This is a fun survey course whose curriculum spans the history of British literature, starting with Beowulf, transitioning into medieval times, and leading into Shakespear. Students are expected to read four to five books in total, including anchor texts like Macbeth, Brave New World, and Pride and Prejudice. 4.7% of seniors are enrolled in this class. 

“This class doesn’t have the 10-page research-based paper that Advanced Composition or Expository Reading and Writing does. We do a variety of smaller responses… It’s really engaged with literary analysis. I think when students see that an older text is still relevant today, that’s the exciting part,” said British Literature teacher Lisa Perry. 

The full PUSD list of English course descriptions can be found here.