Overview

Our academic classes emphasize interdisciplinary thinking, project-based learning, and student constructions of understanding. In Language and Literary Arts, BAA students explore creative writing techniques in various genres as readers, writers, and critical and creative thinkers.

Course Offerings
BAA requires graduating seniors to have taken four Literary and Language Arts courses.

Ninth Grade
Students focus on deepening their understanding of identity and what it means to be authentic, exploring poetry, memoirs, plays, and other texts in their journey to become better readers and writers. In the first semester, students read and create poetry that relates back to the theme of identity and do a short study on memoirs to create three-dimensional identity boxes. In the second semester, students read novels, plays, and conduct research, focusing on style and analysis to sharpen their writing skills.

Tenth Grade
In this course, students focus on poetry, literary analysis, comparative analysis, and argumentative research writing. Students are asked to read each other’s work and create their own poetry, analysis, and research writing. Guest writers and authentic audiences are used to enhance student learning. Formative assessments throughout the course will assess students’ preparation for the tenth grade ELA MCAS exam.

Eleventh Grade
This course begins with the question: What is American Literature? It continues with an in-depth study of two pieces of American literature, Hamilton and Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee with Blood Meridian, which culminates in the application of student knowledge to create an artistic piece. Students also deepen their knowledge of literary analysis, debate and narrative non-fiction. The exploration of narrative nonfiction culminates in the first draft of a college essay. Finally, students study the unique qualities required for effective grant writing in preparation for their potential Senior Grant Proposal, a BAA tradition that offers students the opportunity to vie for grant money to complement a project that uses art to address a community need.

Twelfth Grade
In this course, students engage in an academic environment where seniors learn together, read and write together, and discuss and plan for the future. Through an exploration of writing styles and genres, students work on building their voices as Artists, Scholars, and Global Citizens. Students work on tuning up their writer’s voice, navigating the tough realities of current events, and on turning passions into tangible assets. In the second semester, students explore fiction and work on creating their own pieces of literature to share with the BAA community. Additionally, students end the course together as a cohort, sharing their stories with each other, while planning for graduation.

Open Honors
In our academic courses, students have the opportunity to earn an “Open Honors” distinction. Students may self-select to apply to receive honors. Students applying for honors must complete additional assignments, projects, and/or other major assessments, and fulfill additional requirements for exhibitions. Students’ transcripts will reflect the honors credit.