Welcome to the Language Arts Department! 

The state of Colorado requires students to have four passed/completed Language Arts classes in order to graduate. Fountain-Ft. Carson High School has the following courses for students to complete this requirement: 

-Literature and Composition I, II, III, IV; PreAP I & II; AP            Language; AP Literature

Elective ELA courses and/or Literacy Enhancement classes DO NOT count towards the state's requirement.

For more information click here.

DRAMA I, PREREQUISITE: None

Students will be exposed to the fundamentals of acting, with a focus on live stage performance. Topics of study will include vocal techniques, presence and movement training, memorization techniques, public speaking skills, and basic terminology and concepts relating to theater. In addition, basic knowledge about the technical side of live theater will be imparted, including set design and construction, lighting, and rudimentary makeup. Students will be required to accept constructive criticism from their instructor and fellow students, and will be required to give constructive criticism to their fellow students (and even, at times, to their instructor!). Grades will be based upon proper class participation, standard written assessments, contribution to the FFCHS theater program, projects, and performance assessments. Note: Attendance at rehearsals and performances for the fall play or winter musical (based on the semester the course is taken) is required, and will form a portion of the student’s grade.

DRAMA II, PREREQUISITE: Drama I

All topics and requirements from Drama I will be extended. Students will begin to develop intermediate skills in acting, script analysis, audition processes, and improvisation. Elements of theater history will be studied, including Classical, Renaissance, Restoration, and Modern Musicals. Students will also have the opportunity to design sets and lighting and sound schemes. Further, costume design will be studied. In addition, students will study and design publicity campaigns for theatrical events. Note: At this level, some students may choose projects that emphasize performance while others may choose projects that emphasize the off-stage aspects of theater. Students may enroll in this course repeatedly for credit.

NEW COURSE FOR 2023-2024! PREREQUISITE: Earned credit for Literature and Composition I

American culture has developed an uneasy fascination with crime, murder, and violence in media and literature. True crime narratives have disgusted, riveted, and terrified their (primarily female) audiences from the colonial period to today. Critics have denounced the genre as a trash culture that glorifies crime and merely seeks to tantalize spectators. However, these real-life crime stories also invite readers to contemplate the psychology of people who engage in transgressive behaviors that violate societal norms.

This course will examine the evolution of the true crime genre throughout American history in order to explore how these narratives reveal changing attitudes about gender, mental illness, morality, and race. Throughout the year, our analyses will center on three pressing questions:

• How do these gruesome narratives reveal shifting societal anxieties surrounding crime, discipline, and trauma?
• How does true crime perpetuate, complicate, or refute harmful stereotypes about marginalized groups, such as racial minorities?
• What are the ethics of consuming sensationalized tales of real-world tragedies?

Students will end the course with a culminating project in which they will create their own true crime podcast to produce and publish.

Speech and Debate, PREREQUISITE: None

Speech and Debate is a general speech course which explores the basic principles of public speaking as well as introduces the theory of debate and discussion techniques. Students are taught various methods of communication with the public. Organizational skills, research, reasoning, and oral presentation are a few of the areas developed throughout the semester. Competitive debate and speech will be introduced, and the students will have the opportunity to become members of the Forensics team.