For the first semester of pre-DP, the primary emphasis is placed on getting students prepared for the transition to one of the DP Language A course offerings. We develop their reading, writing and speaking skills through two units. The first is a media unit that focuses on bias and persuasion, drawing heavily on current events. Students ask two essential questions of a text: what is being argued? and how is it being argued? The second unit is a genre study of dystopian/science fiction literature. Students have opportunities to make thematic links in a comparative analytical paper, and they use their chosen novel as a model to produce a shorter creative piece.
The second semester starts with a thematic exploration of madness. Here we study various works of Victorian poetry and Shakespeare's Macbeth. Students prepare for an Individual Oral Commentary. Our second unit is a look at Absurdist Theatre. Here we examine Ionesco's Rhinoceros.. For their final, students write a formal commentary on an extract they have studied in class.
The second semester starts with a thematic exploration of madness. Here we study various works of Victorian poetry and Shakespeare's Macbeth. Students prepare for an Individual Oral Commentary. Our second unit is a look at Absurdist Theatre. Here we examine Ionesco's Rhinoceros.. For their final, students write a formal commentary on an extract they have studied in class.