Communication, Rhetoric and the Literary Arts (CRLA)

King’s offers a personalized learning experience that extends to students from diverse backgrounds, including speakers of other languages, whether they have Arabic heritage or not. With two levels in the Middle School, King's aim is to enhance students' Arabic proficiency, by offering targeted and effective instruction that provides students with the tools needed to strengthen their command of the language.

This course is designed for students with no background in Arabic. It is a beginning language course that focuses on learning the alphabet and developing the ability to communicate in Arabic through cultural themes and authentic situations. Students learn to read, write, listen and speak Arabic through a variety of activity assignments.

Note: Grades 7 and 8

This course develops the ability of students to communicate in Arabic at an elementary level in the skill areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students also acquire the ability to communicate in Arabic through the consideration of cultural themes, language functions and authentic situations in addition to applying grammatical structures to support their level of proficiency.

Note: Grades 7 and 8

With the goal of inspiring middle schoolers to see themselves as authors and book lovers, seventh graders are encouraged to become an authentic and flourishing community of readers and writers. The emphases in this course are agency, choice, fluency, and volume. Students are challenged to read a greater number of texts and engage with works of greater complexity of texts than they have previously, while producing more writing than ever before using an in-class system of checklists, notebooks, and portfolios. In addition to independent reading, they study titles as a whole class. The reading and writing workshop approach offers students robust choice and real reasons to explore subjects that capture their curiosity and matter to them as individuals. They learn to read like writers and to make purposeful, reflective decisions across a complete writing process that includes taking on the role of professional editors. Throughout the year, students receive regular, one-on-one feedback from the teacher through conferences and comments.

Eighth graders build on the previous year’s volume of reading and writing, adding deeper confidence, skill development, and sentence mastery. The emphases remain agency, choice, fluency, and volume, but students are encouraged to attempt literary classics and to develop a personal writing style, so they leave fully prepared to handle the reading and writing load in the Upper School. In addition to reading independently, students begin to analyze and read complex texts as a whole class. Harkness discussions and literary circles develop student habits and foster a community of active readers. The reading and writing workshop approach continues to provide ample individual choice, but with greater emphasis on expository writing, leading to a multi-page personal essay in the winter term. Students continue to receive regular, one-on-one feedback from the teacher through conferences and comments.

Students are introduced to Arabic language and the culture of the Middle East in a course that stresses progressive acquisition of effective communication skills in both the written and spoken language (fus-ha and aamiya). In this level, students learn the alphabet, essential grammar rules and level-appropriate words to build the necessary vocabulary in order to carry out basic conversations. Students then begin learning how to produce short conversations related to everyday situations. Emphasis is placed on learning phonetics and proper pronunciation of words, in addition to rudimentary cultural connotations essential for spoken dialogues.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic and to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels are offered to attend to the needs of students at different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

Students are exposed to longer conversational texts and are familiarized with more detailed grammar rules. During this stage, students are introduced to short and guided writing, acting and role playing. Students are also expected to write short descriptive paragraphs. They will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the use of the language in its cultural context, as well as to handle simple daily life situations that they may encounter. Students will be able to hold lengthier dialogues on important subjects, especially daily necessities and needs.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic and to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels are offered to attend to the needs of students at different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

Students are exposed to more complicated sentence structures. The highlight in this level is placed on the functional learning of the language, in which speaking takes place within more detailed life situations. Students will be able to reason and support opinions especially on topics related to culture and tradition. They will also be engaged in conversations, provide and obtain information, and express ideas and feelings effectively. Moreover, students attain the ability to write extended paragraphs while expanding on the base of vocabulary initiated in Elementary I and II.

Note: This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic and to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels are offered to attend to the needs of students at different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

This colloquial Arabic course focuses on teaching the Jordanian Arabic dialect which is easily understood throughout the Levant region (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine). Unlike Modern Standard Arabic, this course focuses on practical conversational skills, everyday vocabulary, and cultural nuances specific to the Levant region, with the aim of enabling learners to communicate effectively in real-life situations in the Levant.

Note: This course is designed for AY students who are new to the Arabic language, or who have only a cursory familiarity with the language along with students who finished three years of AFL Arabic. (Not Heritage students)

Ninth graders at King's Academy step into the Upper School and join an inquisitive, dynamic, and formative literary community. As readers, they actively engage in analyzing literary conventions and devices in a variety of genres, including poems, short stories, novels, plays as well as non-fictional essays and articles, which serve to inform students’ own voice as writers. Beginning with paragraph construction and progressing to essay writing, students focus on the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C-E-R) method—a key approach used across the humanities field—to develop persuasive literary arguments. The thematic structure of the reading curriculum provides students with both choice and rigor, offering a blend of whole-class and independent texts, and feature classics like William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, and Homer’s The Odyssey. The goal is for students to become avid readers for life. Students dive into the fundamentals of English grammar, focusing on sentence-level syntax and expanding their vocabularies to enhance their reading and sense of diction, building a toolbox for reading and writing mastery.

Accelerated English in grade 9 is designed for students who have demonstrated the motivation, self-discipline, ability, and academic readiness to read and analyze texts in greater depth and complexity as well as to meet more challenging expectations in their written work.

Prerequisites: Department approval based on teacher’s recommendation of the student’s ability and work ethic (if available), along with writing samples or a diagnostic exam for departmental review.

Arabic literature is a rich and diverse body of work that spans centuries, encompassing a wide range of genres, themes, and cultural influences. Like all “national” literatures, it does not exist in isolation. This 10th-grade course introduces students to trends and developments in Arabic literature from the perspective of its global context, with a particular emphasis on its political dimensions and questions of identity. Students explore how Arab writers have engaged with themes such as colonialism, nationalism, exile, and cultural belonging, examining the ways these social forces shape and reflect individual and collective identities. Through close reading, analytical writing, and discussions, the course highlights the significance of Arabic literature as a lens through which to understand and reconfigure political struggles and the complexities of identity in a globalized world. Texts may include but are not limited to Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun and Returning to Haifa, Hisham Matar’s In the Country of Men, and Sa’adallah Wannous’s The King’s Elephant and/or Glass Café. In addition to these works, students study poetry by writers such as Mahmoud Darwish, Ahmed Shauqi, and Nizar Qabbani.

Accelerated English in grade 10 is designed for students who have demonstrated sufficient motivation, self-discipline, ability, and academic readiness to read and analyze more difficult texts in greater depth and complexity, and to meet more challenging expectations in their written work.

Prerequisites: Department approval based on teacher’s recommendation of the student’s ability and work ethic (if available), along with writing samples or a diagnostic exam for departmental review. In addition, for ENG 202, students must have earned a B+ or better in ENG 102 or an A in ENG 101.

This grade 11 course prepares students for the advanced academic reading and writing demands of upper-level classes. Writing objectives include mastering conventions, expanding vocabulary, refining rhetorical techniques, enhancing essay structure, and cultivating a distinct authorial voice. Reading goals focus on moving beyond surface-level recall and digging deep to find nuanced meaning. Students are challenged to analyze the arguments presented in their readings, ask insightful questions about the issues these works explore, and apply their critical thinking skills to address the real-world challenges underlying these discussions in their own writings. Texts for this course were selected to foster a love of reading and spark serious discussions; they include Reginald Rose’s play Twelve Angry Men, Trevor Noah’s autobiography Born a Crime, and James Clear’s Atomic Habits.

In this grade 11 course, students advance their analytical reading, critical thinking, writing, and speaking skills by engaging with a variety of classic and contemporary fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry. Within a collaborative community of learners, students explore the world depicted in literature alongside the historical and cultural contexts in which these works were composed, connecting their literary experiences to their personal lives. A workshop approach to several modes of essay writing allows students to better understand the principles of composition, honing their ability to unite expression with purpose and enriching their appreciation for the craft of writing. Analytical essays about literature form the foundation of their academic growth, while persuasive arguments, creative writing, personal essays, and research-based synthesis essays prepares them for their senior year English classes and beyond. Authenticity of voice is prized. Representative texts include J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

This grade 12 course is designed to help students master the rigorous academic skills expected in college. Through Harkness discussions, active analytical reading of a variety of thought-provoking nonfiction and fictional works, and hands-on practice with research, students get ready for the demands of college-level inquiry in any discipline. Alongside academic readiness, this course reinforces the five core values of King’s Academy: Respect, Love of Learning, Responsibility, An Integrated Life, and Global Citizenship. As such, students are encouraged to think critically, inquire about the world around them, analyze the arguments they encounter, and use their skills to propose solutions to real-world problems. Readings for this course are selected to both challenge and inspire students; they feature Frederick Douglass’s Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave and Uneasy Lies the Head by His Majesty the late King Hussein bin Talal.

In this course, students explore the relationship between the complementary and intersecting disciplines of literature and history. By reading historical fiction alongside primary historical documents, students explore the historical framework that inspires and inhabits many great works of literature. They also analyze the constructed and literary nature of historical narrative itself. Furthermore, students investigate the dangers and the value of historical fiction: its ability to distort the historical record as well as its ability to transcend it by capturing the essence of human involvement in history in ways that nonfiction accounts cannot. Students also explore the way that reading historical fiction functions as a projection of contemporary concerns, helping us to learn about ourselves, our time and even our future. Course texts include Tim O'Brien’s The Things They Carried, Julia Alvarez’s Before We Were Free, and various short stories.

This course introduces students to the close reading, study, and appreciation of poetry through the ages, connecting its ancient origins to contemporary expressions in spoken word and song. The course studies the poet as an aesthetic rebel and political revolutionary (in Romanticism, Modernism, and the school of ‘free’ verse), the poet as storyteller (exploring poetry’s narrative power and its connection to culture and identity), as well as the poet as singer-songwriter. Units of inquiry examine poetry’s relationship to other art forms (painting and prose fiction), its intersections with social-science disciplines (such as psychology) and its influence on modern movements (such as environmentalism). Students are required to complete weekly reading journals, write their own poems in imitation of ancient and modern masters, and bring the poetry they study to life through recitation and presentations. Students study poetry by writers such as William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, William Carlos Williams, Sylvia Plath and Naomi Shihab Nye.

This senior elective merges the practical writing and investigative skills of journalism with an introduction to their historical development and the emergence of the non-fiction novel. In the first half of the semester, students gain hands-on experience in applying the principles and ethics of journalistic writing to produce local news articles, investigative features, and entertaining opinion pieces. In crafting concise and engaging news stories, students learn valuable editing, fact-checking, and proofreading skills based on the Associated Press style guide. Additionally, as both producers and consumers of news, students critically evaluate news and media sources, identifying bias and assessing reliability, while building an awareness of the present-day role of journalism in shaping public perception. The second half of the semester expands upon these skills by grounding them within their historical context. What forces helped shape the birth, growth, and development of journalism? How has the content, form, and style of journalism responded to different socio-historical contexts? Students are introduced to the New Journalism movement through authors such as James Agee, Joan Didion, and Tom Wolfe and works of literary non-fiction such as Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood to evaluate these questions through debate, formal discussion, and analytic writing, helping them build skills that can be applied across a variety of fields.

From the earliest forms of print to modern digital platforms, media has shaped human perception and society in profound ways. Media influences our identity formation, social interactions, and power structures, often without us even realizing it; how we communicate can be just as important as what we communicate. Students in this course trace the evolution of human communication and learn to dissect the key forms of its dissemination: orality, printed books, photography, graphic novels, film, social and digital media. Through these unique lenses, they gain a better understanding of how different technologies extend or limit our senses and fundamentally influence the stories we tell—to others and to ourselves. These investigations are grounded in the work of prominent scholars such as Marshall McLuhan, Walter Ong, Scott McCloud, and Shoshana Zuboff and apply their theoretical frameworks to modern challenges like algorithmic bias, datafication, and digital surveillance. Whether engaging in the stark social realism of Joe Sacco’s Palestine, the oral traditions of our friends and families, the films of Alfred Hitchcock or Akira Kurosawa, or the most current social media app, this course seeks to build media literacy and sharpen analytic thinking. By its completion, students will have developed the tools to evaluate the role of media in society and thoughtfully respond to the complexities of today’s communication landscape.

We live in the age of argument—often taking the form of the angry, illogical, forceful negation of language and meaning. This course teaches and celebrates the art of argumentation, the skillful exercise of rhetoric as an avenue to inquiry. With that goal in mind, students develop the reading, writing, and thinking skills necessary to meet the challenge of the Advanced Placement (AP) examination in English Language and Composition, which requires students to demonstrate a deep understanding of the principles and elements of rhetoric and language to pursue meaning in texts. Students are challenged to analyze sophisticated nonfiction texts such as historical letters from Lord Chesterfield and Abigail Adams to Ho Chi Min and General George Patton; television documentaries from Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth to Morgan Spurlock’s Super-Size Me; historical speeches from Elizabeth I to Sojourner Truth, Ronald Reagan to His Majesty King Abdullah II; and essays from Annie Dillard to Pico Iyer. The first semester ends with a mock trial involving Krakauer’s Into the Wild and the second semester begins with Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. As they pursue excellence, students must strive to expand their vocabulary while maintaining clear, correct, and persuasive expression that adheres to the rules of English grammar. In line with the rigorous expectations of this course, students are expected to complete a summer reading project and additional reading is required during the winter break. Students are required to sit for the AP English Language and Composition exam in May.

Prerequisites: Department approval based on teacher recommendation regarding ability and work ethic, submission of writing samples, and/or a diagnostic exam; in addition, a student must have earned at least an A- in ENG 202, an A in ENG 302, or a B+ in ENG 502.

Throughout history, interpretation has played a crucial role in understanding the human condition and even the broader concept of “life”—what is it? Does it have a meaning? It is not difficult to see, therefore, that numerous societal, political, and even ethical effects may be borne out by interpretative practices and that reading and writing literature is a unique way of intervening in personal and social worlds. Building upon the CRLA-English curriculum, students engage with various methods of analyzing texts across the literary canon, including short stories, novels, poetry, and drama. Foundational texts include both classic essays in literary theory, such as Aristotle’s Poetics, Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, and Cleanth Brook’s The Well-Wrought Urn as well as contemporary studies from select authors. Course units are thematically organized around canonical topics, such as social realism, literary modernism and postmodernism, feminism, and existentialism, with featured works including F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, Sophocles’s Antigone, Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis, and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. In line with this course’s rigorous expectations, students are expected to complete a summer reading project and additional reading is assigned during the winter break. Students are required to sit for the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May.

Prerequisites: Department approval based on teacher recommendation regarding ability and work ethic, submission of writing samples, and/or a diagnostic exam; in addition, a student must have earned at least an A- in ENG 202, an A in ENG 302, or a B+ in ENG 501.

A supplement to the regular English course of study in 9^th grade, this individualized course helps English language learners improve their reading and writing skills and learn the habits of mind and work to succeed in a rigorous academic environment. Students learn to read and understand texts, make logical inferences, develop new vocabulary, and practice rhetorical patterns they can use to better structure their writing. This course is valuable not only for helping students succeed in their English class but also for fostering academic success across all subjects.

Note: Students are assigned in this additional course based on the department recommendation for enhancing students’ language proficiency

In addition to their regular English class, this supplemental course in 10^th grade focuses on helping English language learners write coherent and logical academic English. Students practice writing as a process, with frequent instructor feedback at every stage of writing workshops designed to build a supportive community of writers. A significant portion of class time is also dedicated to improving reading comprehension, expanding academic vocabulary, and reviewing the fundamental rules of grammar. This course is useful not only for promoting success in students’ English class, but for academic success in all courses.

Note: Students are assigned in this additional course based on the department recommendation for enhancing students’ language proficiency