Curriculum & Academic Offerings

ENGLISH

Heroes in Literature ( formerly Introduction to Literature)

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: English for grade 9 is an integrated curriculum. Each unit contains thematically related lessons in five domains: reading and the study of literature, reading informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills. Topics are presented in ways that help young adolescents relate literacy skills to other aspects of their lives. Writing assignments include narrative, expository, and persuasive/argumentative modes and emphasize the use of and details and reasoning to support ideas. Speaking and listening lessons in Part A emphasize collaborative discussion skills and peer review. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real-world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit. In part B, students will address readings and the study of literature, reading informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills. Topics are presented in ways that help young adolescents relate literacy skills to other aspects of their lives. Writing assignments include narrative, expository, and persuasive/argumentative modes and emphasize the use of and details and reasoning to support ideas. Speaking and listening lessons in PART A emphasize collaborative discussion skills and peer review. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real-world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit.
• Required Materials: Old Man & the Sea & Ender's Game (free digital versions are made available to students)
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated hours to complete course: 120
• This Course is Similar to: English 9, English I, Language Arts 9

Global Literature

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: English for grade 10 is an integrated curriculum, with each unit consisting of thematically related lessons in five domains: analyzing literature, analyzing informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills. The skills that students practice for this course are similar to the skills in English 9 but require more independence and depth of thought. An introductory lesson at the start of each unit helps students identify any areas of weakness and review those topics before starting the more challenging grade 10 lessons. Writing assignments required in Part A of this course include fiction, expository, and persuasive, and analytical modes, emphasizing the use of details, evidence, and reasoning to support ideas. Speaking and listening lessons in Part A cover collaborative discussion skills, the peer review process, and how to plan and deliver informative speeches and presentations. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real-world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit. Like Part A, Part B consists of integrated units focused on a theme or mode of study. The literature study in Part B focuses on the analysis of different forms of literature and as well as the evaluation of various modes and forms of writing. Writing and informational text lessons guide students through the stages of a rigorous research process and demonstrate how to evaluate, integrate, and share the information gathered during research. Students are required to share their ideas and analysis using several different modes, including oral and multimedia presentations.
• Required Materials: Animal Farm & Lord of the Flies(free digital versions are made available to students)
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 120
• This Course is Similar to: English 10, English II, Language Arts 10

American Literature

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: English for grade 11 is an American Literature course, with units organized chronologically according to periods in literary history. As students read foundation works of literature and other historical documents written between 1600 and 1900, they’ll review and extend skills in five domains: analyzing literature, analyzing informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills. Each module or unit begins with a lesson that provides historical context for the era and introduces themes that emerged in the literature of that era. Each lesson provides students with an opportunity to review basic analysis skills before applying those skills to works of literature or key historical documents. Lessons focused on more difficult historical documents include activities that help students comprehend the complex ideas in these works. Writing modes addressed in Part A of this course include narrative, reflective, persuasive, and analytical modes. Assignments emphasize the use of details, evidence, and reasoning to support ideas; writing lessons include model essays that demonstrate key features of each mode. The speaking and listening lessons in Part A cover rhetoric, the peer review or writing workshop process, and performance skills. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real-world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit. Part B of English 11 consists of units focused on historical eras and literary movements of the 20th and 21st century, such as Naturalism, Imagism, the Harlem Renaissance, and Post-Modernism. Literature analysis lessons in Part B focus on the forms of literature that were most commonly written during the Twentieth Century and how the forms, styles, and techniques of that century inform literature written today. Students will also evaluate various modes and forms of language expression, including single media and multimedia messages. Writing and informational text lessons guide students through the stages of a rigorous research process and demonstrate how to evaluate, integrate, and share the information gathered during research. Students are required to share their ideas and analysis using several different modes, including oral and multimedia presentations.
• Required Materials: The Scarlet Letter & The Great Gatsby (free digital versions are made available to students)
• Difficulty Level: 5/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150
• This Course is Similar to: English 11, English III, Language Arts 11

British Literature

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Students examine major works of literature organized into thematic units. Each unit contains poetry, short stories, and a novel that revolve around the theme for the unit. Themes include the self, relationships, alienation, choice, and death. As students read these works, they have the opportunity to reflect on these important themes by writing in multiple modes and creating cross-disciplinary projects. In this course, students will also experience novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction from countries around the world. You will discover that the writers in this course have ideas and lives as interesting as their work. You will discover many writers have unique writing styles, unique ideas, unique lives, and unique approaches to their art. You will also have the chance to do some unique work of your own. By reading contemporary work and some work of the 20th century you will also discover that “no matter what a writer’s origins, certain themes, and events have been hard to run away from in the 20th and early 21st centuries.” As you read, it is my hope that you will come to an understanding that, “. . .reading literature from around the world is unlikely to teach you everything there is to know about a culture. But it may help. . .” Along this journey you will use technology, writing, reflection, vocabulary, research, and other academic and personal skills to help you learn to enter the world of your community, your country, and your world. As the poet, Gwendolyn Brooks said, “I believe that we should all know each other, we human carriers of so many pleasurable differences. To not know is to doubt, to shrink from, sidestep or destroy.” So begin your own journey through the world, and do this by reading, writing about what you read, and experiencing the work of writers.
• Required Materials: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Frankenstein, & Hamlet by William Shakespeare (free digital versions are made available to students)
• Difficulty Level: 5/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150
• This Course is Similar to: English 12, English IV, Language Arts 12

Writing Workshop

• Description: Students will focus on longer works of fiction: short stories, plays, and novels. Students learn basic techniques of plot and character development along with strategies for creating suspense and building a theme, and they have opportunities to write in several different genres. Lessons cover a few special topics as well, including graphic novels, animation, comedy, and improvisation. Students apply what they have learned about writing workshops and revising to the longer pieces of writing they create for this course.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated hours to complete course: 100
• This Course is Similar to: English Composition, Creative Writing

SOCIAL STUDIES

U.S. History

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: This course covers the discovery, development, and growth of the United States. Major topics include; American Indian cultures, European colonization of the Americas, and the causes and effects of the American Revolution. Geographical, economic, and political factors are explored as the key factors in the growth of the United States of America. American History I is a survey of the struggle to build the United States of America from the colonial period to the beginning of the twentieth century. By means of reading, analyzing, and applying historical data, students come to appreciate the forces that shaped our history and character as an American people. Not only are the topics of American history discussed, but students also explore research methods and determine accurate sources of data from the past. Knowing the facts and dates of history are just the beginning: each student must understand how history affects him or her. American History B begins with a study of American life before the 1929 Stock Market crash and how the Roaring Twenties influenced society in the late 19th through early 20th centuries. Students will examine the causes and consequences of the Great Depression and move on into a detailed study of World War II with an emphasis on America’s role in the conflict. The course continues with an analysis of the Cold War struggle and America’s rise as a superpower. The Civil Rights and Women’s rights movements, pollution and the environment, and American domestic and foreign policy will be examined. The course wraps up with a summary of current events and issues, including a study of the Middle East. This course begins with an assessment of life in the United States pre-World War I and ends with the conflicts of the new millennium. Students look at the nation in terms of economic, social, and political trends. The experiences of the last century are summarized, including a look into the civil rights issues that have embroiled the nation in conflict. The development of the United States of America into a superpower is explored within a global context.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150
• This Course is Similar to: American History

World History

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: World History begins with a focus on the skills needed to read, understand, and analyze history, also demonstrating how historians and social scientists arrive at their conclusions about human history. Part A covers the history of civilization from hunter-gatherer societies through the characteristics of the earliest civilizations to the Enlightenment period in Western Europe. The second half of Part A explores the early intellectual, spiritual, and political movements and their impact on interactions among world cultures. Part B applies the reading and analytical strategies introduced in Part A to the events and movements that created the modern world. In the second part, World History emphasizes the effects of the Industrial Revolution and changing attitudes about science and religion as well as the impact of European colonization. Students are encouraged to make connections between World War I and II and events related to the Cold War and between 19th-century imperialism and modern independence movements.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 120
• This Course is Similar to: Global Studies, Peoples and Cultures ​

American Government

• Description: This course will guide students through an in-depth study of the history, structure, and guiding principles of the American government. The first unit will review the origins of government in general and American government in particular—from the earliest models for democracy to the founding documents that created a federalist system of government in the U.S. Several units will help students explore the roles and responsibilities of each branch of government as well as the impact that the Constitution has had and continues to have on the way government works and on the lives of individual Americans. The course’s final unit will guide students through a series of projects that require them to apply what they have learned about the American government to an issue that interests them.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150
• This Course is Similar to: Civics

SCIENCE

Earth Science

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: The first three modules of Part A covers Scientific Inquiry, the Structure and Composition of the Universe, and the Features of the Solar System. Students learn the importance of scientific inquiry and how to communicate the results of scientific investigations. They then have material on the formation of the universe, including the Big Bang Theory, the motions of celestial objects, and stellar evolution. The third module covers material related to the Solar System, including features of the Sun and the planets and the movements of Earth. The second three modules of Part A will cover Weather, Climate, and Earth’s Water Cycle. Students first learn in Module 4 about the atmosphere and clouds, as well as the factors that influence local and global climate. In Module 5 they continue by learning about weather and air masses, meteorology and storms. Module 6 then discusses the water cycle, including groundwater and ocean features, as well as water scarcity and pollution.The first three modules of Part B cover the physical structure of the Earth and Earth’s tectonic system, including the rock cycle, tectonic activity, and mountain building. It then covers weathering and erosion and soil formation. The next material in the course then addresses the concept of systems; it addresses the Earth as a system, feedback in systems, and Earth’s major nutrient cycles. The second three modules of Part Bcover geologic history, including the evolution of Earth’s atmosphere, the geologic time scale, and the fossil record. It then goes over natural resources and the effects of human population on natural resources. The course wraps up with a discussion of human society and its interconnectedness with the Earth’s environment, how science and technology work together, and the technological design process in earth science applications.
• Required Materials: Lab Materials
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 120
• This Course is Similar to: Environmental Science

Physical Science

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: This Physical Science course is an introduction to the Physical Sciences and scientific methodology. The objectives are to impart basic knowledge of the physical properties and chemistry of matter. Skills are developed in the classroom and reinforced through homework reading and interesting labs that relate to everyday life. This is an introduction to the Physical Sciences and scientific methodology. The objectives are to impart basic knowledge of the physical properties and chemistry of matter. Skills are developed in the classroom and reinforced through homework reading and interesting labs that relate to everyday life.
• Required Materials: Misc. items from around the world.
• Difficulty Level: 2/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 120
• This Course is Similar to: Science 9, Integrated Science

Chemistry

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: In this course, students will discover what chemistry is, and how it is used and found all around us. The importance of the scientific method to solve real-world problems will be investigated. Knowledge will be gained in the following areas: types of matter, atomic structure, chemical periodicity, chemical formula writing and naming, chemical equations. This course will also stress the important relationship between math and science while studying measurement, metric systems, and stoichiometry. Students will use higher-order thinking throughout the entire course. An algebra background is recommended because of the amount and type of math involved. Students will also investigate chemical bonding, thermochemistry, and acids and bases. The importance of the scientific method to solve real-world problems will be investigated. Knowledge will be gained in the following areas: organic chemistry, biochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. This course will also stress the important relationship between math and science. Students will use higher-order thinking throughout the entire course. An algebra background is recommended because of the amount and type of math involved.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150

Biology

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Biology A introduces students to the scientific method and the major concepts of biology from a historical and practical viewpoint. The three major themes of this course are the cell, the molecular basis of heredity, and the interdependence of organisms. Students who take this class will have a deeper appreciation for the complexities of living organisms. Life on this planet, unlike anywhere else in the observable universe, is complex and highly organized. Whether examining life on the molecular or the planetary level, it exhibits a highly organized structure that inspires awe by its genius and complexity. In the last 50 years, discoveries have launched new branches of biology that have transformed the daily routine, from conception to death. New challenges await, such as the current crisis in ecology, global warming, and the resurgence in viral disease. To make rational choices in the 21st century, the citizen must have a basic understanding of biological concepts and the reasoning behind them. Biology A is presented in a multimedia format using interactive modules, labs, narrated animation, text, and videos to present the study of life on this planet. Students work through and complete several self-check activities and quizzes for practice, and participate in self-reflection. In each unit, students complete the unit exam and deliver a unit project. Teacher feedback is provided throughout the course. Part B of Biology is a continuation of the basic course in biology, Biology A. The major concepts covered are population dynamics and evolution. Students explore population dynamics through the study of mutualism, predation, parasitism, and competition. The theory of evolution is presented, along with the many pieces of evidence and details that make evolution the backbone of modern biology. From biochemistry to evolution, biology fascinates people. Biochemists first astounded the world by showing that life obeys the same chemical principles as all creation, but that life engineers chemistry to its own needs. Decades later, Darwin shocked the world by suggesting that life evolves according to the conditions of the environment it inhabits. Evolution, often debated and derided, has survived to become a key concept of biology. This second course in biology examines the wonder of life and its mechanisms. Students work through and complete several self-check activities and quizzes for practice, and participate in self-reflection. In each unit, students complete the unit exam and deliver a unit project. Teacher feedback is provided throughout the course.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150

Physics

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Students begin their exploration of physics by reviewing the International System of Units (SI), scientific notation, and significant digits. They then learn to describe and analyze motion in one and two dimensions. Students learn about gravity and Newton’s laws of motion before concluding the course with an examination of circular motion. Students apply mathematical concepts such as graphing and trigonometry in order to solve physics problems. Throughout the course, students apply their understanding of physics by playing roles like science museum curator and elementary teacher. Physics, part B continues the student’s exploration of mechanics while also guiding them through some other important topics of physics. Students begin by exploring simple harmonic motion, wave properties, and optics. Students then learn the basics of thermodynamics and fluids. Afterward, the students explore the principles of electricity and magnetism. Finally, students explore the area of physics known as Modern Physics, which includes topics such as the photoelectric effect, nuclear science, and relativity. This is a trig-based course. It is assumed you know and can use trigonometry.
• Required Materials: Graphing Calculator
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150

Anatomy and Physiology

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Semester A aims to expand upon what was learned in biology class, while emphasizing the application of this material to human structures and functions. This course begins the study of human beings at the microscopic level and works its way up to an in-depth study of select organ systems. Special emphasis will be placed upon applying and demonstrating the information learned in this course through, not only tests and quizzes but through special projects and collaboration as well. Semester B is designed to give the student an understanding of how structure and function are related in the human body. The student will study the human body from the cellular level to the organ system level. All of the major body systems will be studied in great detail. Additionally, biochemistry, cell biology, histology, biotechnology, bioethics, and pathology will also be studied. This course is highly recommended for students seeking a career in science or a health-related profession.
• Required Materials:
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 120

Mathematics

Pre-Algebra

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Pre-Algebra A will help students move from the world of simple mathematics to the exciting world of Algebra and Geometry. They will develop skills that will be necessary throughout their life. Students will stretch their thinking by learning to solve real-world problems. Learning math and algebra concepts can be fun. Abstract ideas can be challenging for many students but the challenge is one they can meet. Concepts are presented with a little humor, making the learning fun. Students will enjoy learning each new concept and develop a deeper understanding of the math skills they already have. Each concept is presented using examples of the skills, concepts, and strategies students will need. Scaffolding of ideas is provided to ensure student learning. The course is offered in a six-unit format containing 5 lessons each for a total of 30 lessons. Students will study text pages, watch videos, interact with flash presentations, and complete practice problems. The pace is controlled by the student and reviewing the material is encouraged. Part B of Pre-Algebra will continue to move students into the exciting world of the unknown, Algebra. Building on what they have learned in mathematics and Pre-Algebra, students will expand their skills. They will be introduced to increasingly abstract concepts. Pre-Algebra B will provide the student with a concrete understanding of the basics for algebraic thinking. With numerous hands-on activities and demonstration videos, they will have multiple opportunities to enhance their process solving skills. Students will be given different assessment opportunities to demonstrate mastery of each skill. The course is offered in a six-unit format containing 5 lessons each for a total of 30 lessons. Students will study text pages, watch videos, interact with flash presentations, and complete practice problems. The pace is controlled by the student and reviewing the material is encouraged.
• Difficulty Level: 2/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 120
• This Course is Similar to: Math 9, Math Foundations

Algebra I

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Algebra 1 (Part A) introduces students to the world of Algebra through expressions and equations. Students will evaluate algebraic expressions, solve linear equations and graph them. This course also steers students through various real-world scenarios with the emphasis on using basic statistics to interpret the information given and found. Students learn through online lesson materials, videos, and interactive activities. The end of each unit tests students’ understanding with a self-check quiz with feedback. Also included is a unit exam and project for students to apply what they have learned. Students will interact with course materials through online lessons, videos, interactive questions, and real-world applications. Each unit ends with a self-check quiz to confirm knowledge of the concepts learned. There is also a unit exam and project. Teacher feedback is given throughout the course. Algebra 1 (Part B) builds on the concepts learned in the first part of the course by providing a strong foundation in solving problems. Students will work with problems and applications that involve exponents, quadratic equations, polynomials and factoring methods, rational and radical equations, data analysis, and probability.
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 140

Geometry

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Geometry is the study of the measurement of the world. What makes Geometry so engaging is the relationship of figures and measures to each other, and how these relationships can predict results in the world around us. Through practical applications, the student sees how geometric reasoning provides insight into everyday life. The course begins with the tools needed in Geometry. From these foundations, the student explores the measure of line segments, angles, and two-dimensional figures. Students will learn about similarity, triangles, and trigonometric ratios. Geometry A consists of six modules. Each module comprises ten lessons for a total of 60 lessons in the course. This course builds on the foundation of the first terms in Geometry. As in previous courses, deductive and inductive reasoning are emphasized, while applying problem-solving techniques to real-world problems. Students explore quadrilaterals and circles and learn how an object is transformed, as well as how to represent that transformation algebraically and geometrically. Students calculate the area and volume of 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional objects.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 140

Algebra II

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: Algebra 2 (Part A) further extends the learner’s understanding of major algebra concepts such as expressions, equations, functions, and inequalities. An emphasis will be placed on the use of appropriate functions to model real-world situations and solve problems that arise from those situations. A focus is also on graphing functions by hand and understanding and identifying the parts of a graph. Algebra 2 (Part B) builds on the concepts learned in Part A and prepares the learners with the building blocks needed to dive deeper into trigonometry, pre-calculus, and advanced probability and statistics.
• Required Materials: Graphing calculator
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150

Pre-Calculus

This course is divided into Parts A & B

• Description: In this course, students will understand and apply concepts, graphs, and applications of a variety of families of functions, including polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, logistic, and trigonometric. An emphasis will be placed on use of appropriate functions to model real-world situations and solve problems that arise from those situations. A focus is also on graphing functions by hand and understanding and identifying the parts of a graph. A scientific and/or graphics calculator is recommended for work on assignments and on examinations. Pre-Calculus Part B covers the major units of Introductory Trigonometry and Graphs, Trigonometric Equations and Identities, Analytical Trigonometry, Sequences and Series, Conic Sections, and an Introduction to Calculus. A focus is also on graphing functions by hand and understanding and identifying the parts of a graph.
• Required Materials: none
• Difficulty Level: 4/5
• Estimated Hours to complete course: 150

ART

Graphic Design & Drawing ​

• Description: Graphic Design & Media is a project-based survey of different forms of digital media, such as digital audio, imaging and illustration, movie editing, and animation. It’s oriented toward teaching broad, flexible tools and concepts that are not tied to any one platform or program. Each module ends with a culminating task (like a podcast or short film), and students will be able to draft and develop their projects as they build their skills over each lesson.
• Required Materials: Download For Free: Audacity GIMP. Inkscape DaVinci Resolve (free version) Pencil2D Blender GDevelop Piskel
• Difficulty Level: 3/5
• ​Estimated Hours to complete course: 115