High School

English 9

English 9 will encompass the language arts skills of literacy, analysis, writing, research, speaking, listening and media/digital literacy. Students will read contemporary and classic texts including novels, poetry, drama, short stories and non-fiction selections that reflect diversity in race, gender, age, economics, and geography. Students will develop critical thinking skills through text-based discussions, thinking maps, and other research-based cognition strategies. Differentiation for personalized learning through process, product and content will be a major component of this course so that all students have an opportunity for success. Intensive writing instruction will help students develop analytical skills and a personal voice. Students will write in multiple genres including descriptive, narrative, persuasive and critical analysis. Grammar and usage review will be both explicit and authentic, focusing on application of conventions to student writing. Research skills will be taught throughout the course. Regular instruction in vocabulary will use lessons and contextualized vocabulary to improve reading comprehension, oral and written expression, as well as ACT/SAT test scores. Students will also develop and practice effective speaking skills in individual presentations and group discussions.

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English 10

This course will encompass the language arts skills of literary analysis, writing, research, speaking, listening and media/digital literacy. Students will read contemporary and classic texts including novels, poetry, drama, short stories and non-fiction selections that reflect diversity in race, gender, age, economics, and geography. Students will develop critical thinking skills through text-based discussions, Thinking Maps, and other research-based cognition strategies. Differentiation for personalized learning through process, product and content will be a major component of this course so that all students have an opportunity for success. Intensive writing instruction will help students develop analytical skills and a personal voice. Students will write in multiple genres including descriptive, narrative, persuasive and critical analysis. Grammar and usage review will be both explicit and authentic, focusing on application of conventions to student writing. Research skills will be taught throughout the course. Regular instruction in vocabulary will use lessons and contextualized vocabulary to improve reading comprehension, oral and written expression, as well as ACT/SAT test scores. Students will also develop and practice effective speaking skills in individual presentations and group discussions.

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Literature & Advanced Writing 11

United States Literature and Composition fulfills the junior year English requirement. Students will read and analyze fiction, drama, poetry, non-fiction, and film representative of the United States. By looking at texts through the framework of The Examined Life, The Examined Text, they will understand how to look closely at literature and what its examination reveals about the diverse values and experiences of this country.

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Honors Literature & Advanced Writing 11

The study of literature is more academic, abstract, and theoretical, and students will work more independently, often at a faster pace. To further develop their skills in complex analysis, interpretation and evaluation of literature, students will use several analytical tools. Works from authors from the United States before 1700 to the present include Hemingway, Lahiri, Franklin, Paine, Hawthorne, Emerson, Thoreau, Dickinson, Whitman, Twain, Hurston, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Steinbeck, Frost, Pound, Wilson, O’Brien, Kingston, and others. Research and oral presentations are important components of this course.

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Creative Writing 12

This semester-long class helps students refine creative writing skills and processes. The structure allows students substantial independent writing time that is guided through mini-lessons and individual conferences with small groups and the teacher. The first quarter focuses on exercises that lead students to complete a collection of short stories and poetry. Play-writing, nonfiction, and revision of earlier work will shape second quarter. Their own pieces will demonstrate new knowledge of writing and reflect on more advanced ideas that include satire and author intent. At the end of the semester, students will have an extensive writing portfolio.

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Public Speaking 12

This course is designed to teach students basic public speaking skills. The course helps students develop an understanding of the basic principles of oral communication, with a focus on improving skills in researching, writing, and organizing effective presentations that are appropriate to particular audiences. Students will develop, improve, and gain confidence in basic delivery skills. Students will also learn to critically evaluate speeches and develop an awareness of, and appreciation for, the responsibilities of ethical communication.

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Journalism

In this course students will explore the foundations and future of print, broadcast and digital journalism. Students will complete multiple writing, editing and video exercises. Students will work on the skills of research, reporting, drafting, editing, publication and broadcasting. Students will showcase the refinement of these skills in a final web log project published online. In addition, students will showcase their broadcasting talents in podcasting and a television show. In order to develop critical analysis, students will explore all aspects of print and broadcast journalism including history, law, ethics, standards and the shaping role of technology in the discipline.

Science 9

This year-long course builds upon science concepts from middle school by exploring the Earth’s interacting systems, evaluating and using current data to explain Earth’s place in the universe and enabling students to relate Earth Science to many aspect of human society. Students will engage in active inquiries, investigations, and hands-on activities as they develop and demonstrate conceptual understandings and research and laboratory skills described in the objectives. Disciplinary core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts are intertwined as students focuson Space Systems, History of Earth, Earth’s Systems, Weather and Climate, and Human Sustainability. The objectives strongly reflect the many societally relevant aspects inlcudin resources, hazards, environmental impacts have with an emphasis on using engineering and technology concepts to design solutions to challenges facing human society.

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Physics

This year-long course emphasizes a conceptual understanding of the fundamental principles governing the universe. This solid foundation in Physics will prepare students for success in all other areas of science. This course will cover motion, forces, waves, sound and light, electricity, magnetism and nuclear physics. Problem solving and laboratory skills will also be emphasized.

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Chemistry

This year-long course is designed to meet the needs of those students who are college-bound, and whose interests generally lie in the social sciences and humanities. It is less mathematically oriented than Enriched Chemistry. Topics include the scientific method, properties of matter, atomic structure, periodic table, energy relationships to chemical reactions, formula writing and equations, mole concepts, acid-base chemistry and chemical bonding. Laboratory work is extensive and includes qualitative and quantitative analyses. Students will be expected to solve basic algebra problems.

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Honors Chemistry

This year-long course is designed for students with strong interest in the natural sciences. It is the most mathematically intensive of the two first-year chemistry offerings. Topics include the scientific method, properties of matter, atomic structure, periodic table, energy relationships to chemical reactions, formula writing and equations, mole concepts, acid-base chemistry and chemical bonding. Laboratory work is extensive and includes qualitative and quantitative analyses. Students will be expected to work algebraic and numerical problems readily. The course lays the foundation for future study of biology, a graduation requirement, and meets state requirements for additional elective science course work.

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Biology

Biology focuses on biological concepts, theories, and principles through investigation and analysis of cells, organisms and ecosystems. Course topics will include information about biodiversity, biological evolution, cells, ecology, genetics and living systems. Students will conduct experiments and investigations that may be instructor designed or independently created by the students.

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Honors Biology

Honors biology is an accelerated biology course, which focuses on cellular biology, genetics, biological evolution, biodiversity, living systems and ecology. Laboratory investigation and written exercises will enhance students’ understanding of the subject matter. Both traditional and contemporary techniques in science will provide a strong foundation for students interested in further study of the life sciences.

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Honors Environmental Studies

This course focuses on the natural systems of the world and the interrelationships between humans and the environment. In this class, students will study the different natural systems including environment and organisms, ecosystems and communities, and population principles. Students will also look at the human connections to these systems by studying sources of energy, environmental ethics, land, water and air quality issues, and environmental policy and decision making. This course is designed for motivated students interested in field biology and environmental studies.

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Advanced Anatomy & Physiology

Advanced Anatomy and Physiology is a course designed for students who have an interest in exploring, in depth, the structure and function of the human body. Conception, development, and the 12 body systems will be explored through labs, discussion, lecture, videos, and computer research.

Government

This course satisfies the Government requirement for students who have not completed US Government 9. This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive analysis of the authority, structure and procedure of American government. Major topics include the constitutional foundation, the politics of democracy and the roles of the executive, legislative and judicial branches in the federal system. Emphasis is placed on the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in a democracy. In addition, students should develop the skills of inquiry and research necessary to interpret and make judgments regarding government actions in a complex society and world. Contemporary events, as they relate to course topics, are discussed through the year.

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Honors Government

This course satisfies the Government requirement for students who have not completed U.S. Government 9. This course involves the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics. It familiarizes the student with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. political reality. The course focuses on the following topics and questions: the Constitutional underpinnings of the United States government, political beliefs and behaviors, political parties and interest groups, institutions and activities of the national government, civil rights and civil liberties, and America’s role in the world.

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World History

This year-long course will have a global focus using geographic themes, especially migration of people, ideas, trade etc. Other themes may include regional comparison and human environment / interaction. Students will learn through lecture and traditional work, cooperative work and research. Assessment will include tests, essays and projects.

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Honors World History

The Honors World History course is designed for the highly motivated student who is ready for higher level work, develops a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts, in interaction with different types of human societies. The course is built around six overarching themes: patterns and impacts of interactions among major societies, change and continuity across world history, impact of technology and demography, systems of social structure and gender structure, cultural and intellectual developments, and changes in functions and structures of states. Periodization, explicitly discussed, forms another organizing principle for dealing with change and continuity throughout the course.

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U.S. History

This course also satisfies the Geography requirement upon completion of a World History or European History course. In this course the student will study the development of the political, social, economic and diplomatic history of the United States with emphasis on the years 1877 to the present. Programs of various presidential administrations and major economic and political ideas that have influenced the development of our American system will be studied. The fourth quarter will be devoted to the study of the United States in a world setting. Emphasis will be placed on how other countries relate to the United States in terms of current economic, political, environmental and social issues. A study of how decisions made in the United States affect other nations and cultures will also be investigated.

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Honors U.S. History

This course also satisfies the Geography requirement upon completion of a World History or European History course. This course is an intensive analysis of American history for the college bound student. Topics will be studied chronologically with special emphasis on major interpretive questions that derive from the study of selected themes. Students will develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of informed judgments and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively. Materials will include a basic college text, collections of selected documents, and a variety of interpretive works.

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Economics

In this course students will analyze the systematic ways in which people address the problem of allocating scarce resources to satisfy unlimited wants, with particular emphasis on the American capitalistic system. Students will be introduced to the basic principles of micro and macroeconomics, and will be expected to apply these principles to problems concerning the individual firm, and the national and international economies.

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Honors Economics

The microeconomics portion of the course seeks to evaluate the efficiency of the market system by examining supply and demand, various business structures in the product and resource markets, market failures, and the role of government. In the macroeconomics section, students will analyze the business cycle, indicators of economic performance (such as unemployment and inflation), money and money creation, monetary and fiscal policies, international trade, and currency exchange. The course places special emphasis on the analysis of current economic problems and presents several different economic schools of thought.

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Psychology

This course will examine how the various sub-fields of psychology scientifically describe, predict and explain behavior and mental processes. We will survey a broad range of psychology topics and consider the several perspectives, or lenses, through which psychologists study and understand behavior. Course topics include history and methods, bio-psychology, consciousness, learning, development, memory, personality and psychological disorders.

Latin I

This course is a foundational study in Latin language and culture. It includes Roman and Greek mythological studies along with reading and comprehension of simple Latin sentences. Students will take the first steps acquiring the fundamentals of Latin grammar through reading the stories of a family in ancient Pompeii.

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Latin II

This course is a continuation of the Latin I curriculum. Students continue to read about the adventures of the Caecilius family. Through reading stories in Latin, they learn about life in the Roman provinces, their religious customs, and architecture. New grammatical structures will be studied along with expanding the vocabulary and derivative studies from previous year.

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Spanish I

This course is designed for students who have no previous experience in Spanish. Students learn basic Spanish expressions, vocabulary and structural forms. As students skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing increase, more complex grammar and sentence patterns are studied. Spanish and Latin-American cultures are also integrated within the classroom learning activities through the use of authentic texts and audios.

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Spanish II

This course is a continuation of the Spanish I curriculum. Students review previously studied structures and vocabulary before learning more advanced sentence structures. Communication is emphasized as students improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills to a practical level. Cultural topics acquaint students with Spanish-speaking people and their cultures.

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Spanish III

This course is designed to develop the students’ confidence, build on their previous knowledge and refine their ability to speak, listen, read and write in Spanish. The class is taught primarily in Spanish to promote oral and listening proficiency. Communication skills, through speaking and writing, are emphasized and students are expected to use Spanish in class to converse about practical, contemporary situations. Students are also exposed to short stories, authentic materials and Hispanic cultures. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Spanish II or instructor approval.

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Spanish IV

This course is geared towards students who would like to continue in the language. This course is conducted in Spanish and students continue to develop and refine listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students review previously studied grammar, focusing more intently on accuracy in speaking and writing, before learning more sophisticated grammar to further their communication skills.

Introduction to Art

Students will learn the basics of representational drawing and painting from life. Students will draw and paint from still life, the human figure, and landscapes. Drawing materials will include pencil, charcoal, pastel, pen and ink. Painting materials will include watercolor and acrylic paint. Students will use combined media to create works of art that show individual artistic style. In addition to enhancing their own styles, students will continue their study of artists throughout history.

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Digital Photography I

This introductory level photography course will cover the history and technical elements of photography, design and composition and operation of a manual digital camera. Students will have the opportunity to participate in project presentations and critiques. It is highly recommended that students have easy and regular access to a digital camera that allows for manual control of exposure, aperture and shutter speed.

Aerospace Engineering

This course propels students’ learning in the fundamentals of atmospheric and space flight. As they explore the physics of flight, students bring the concepts to life by designing an airfoil, propulsion system, and rockets. They learn basic orbital mechanics using industry-standard software. They also explore robot systems through projects such as remotely operated vehicles. Aerospace Engineering explores the evolution of flight, navigation and control, flight fundamentals, aerospace materials, propulsion, space travel and orbital mechanics.

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Graphic Design

This course brings students into the world of digital imaging and computer graphics. Course work will be completed on computers, using digital cameras, scanners and printers. We work with software concentrating mainly on Photoshop and Illustrator, which have become the benchmark for digital imaging. Students will develop an idea into a design by practicing basic drawing and tracing techniques, create line art, logos, packages and poster design. Learning to use Adobe Creative Suites is a must for students pursuing careers in marketing, business, journalism, PR work, design, advertising, illustration, web design and video game design. Students will participate in weekly critiques.