Book Syllabus

As a discipline that uses reading (whether text or visual medium) as its primary mode to engender thoughtful debate, discussion, and exploration, we choose texts carefully to meet student need. In addition, we continually update our syllabus to maintain a relevant and thought-provoking curriculum and so we produce a revised syllabus yearly.

As a large department with a diverse array of texts, we use course teams as the main vetting process for the inclusion of texts. In that structure, we review texts as teams, evaluating them formally on their readability, depth of interpretive possibility, relation to other texts, bias, and age-appropriateness. This rigor is applied to all longer works, summer reading, and films shown in their entirety.

While many of the shorter works are also vetted by committees, teachers do have academic freedom to bring in shorter works and independent reading that will enrich instruction and the student experience as board policy indicates: “The freedom of the faculty to select textbooks, library books and other instructional materials [as] a professional privilege… The Board expresses good faith in the faculty’s capacity to select educational materials using professional judgment” (Board of Education Policy 6-210).

Below, you will find the definitions of some of the terminology used in our syllabus pages, as well as the book lists themselves by course. Keep in mind that some lists represent selections and so not all the texts listed will be taught. Teachers have discretion in which texts they choose.

If you have questions about your student’s course, please reach out to their teacher first, and the Department Coordinator (Northfield) or Department Chair (Winnetka) thereafter.