Academics

Computer Applications I

Grade: 10
Credit: 1.0
Required

M.A.S.T. is a one year long introductory course offered to students who need to learn basic keyboarding technique, develop speed and accuracy when keying in text; and gain knowledge in Microsoft XP programs. Students will practice keyboarding skills with real world applications.

Computer Applications II

Grade: 11-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: C- or better in M.A.S.T. I
Elective

M.A.S.T. II is a one year long hands-on computer course offered to students to strengthen skills and develop skills learned in M.A.S.T. Students will complete real world applications using Microsoft XP programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Digital Tools (Palm Pilots, Voice Recognition and Hand Writing). Students will also develop skills in web page development (HTML and FrontPage).

Art

The year in art will follow an art history timeline, from ancient Greek to Modern art, with projects that focus on key concepts from each period of art. Students will learn how art periods and styles reflected the culture and events of the time but which also advanced culture and knowledge, and impact their lives today. Important techniques and skills in both 2D and 3D art will also be taught, such as color theory, printmaking, and ceramics. The goal is to provide a well-balanced introduction to high school art.

Band

Grade: 9-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Experience on a band instrument
Elective

Students enrolled in Band are part of the Marching and Concert Bands. This lab class participates in several concerts a year, including Marching and Concert Festivals. In addition, the band performs at football games and several parades. The ensemble will perform music literature from a variety of styles. As a performance ensemble, students are expected to attend all performances and some extra evening rehearsals.

Jazz Band

Grade: 9-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Audition/Invitation of Director
Elective

Jazz Band is open to all Band members on an audition basis. This group will perform music from the jazz and pop idioms. Students will participate is several concerts, jazz festivals, basketball games, and a number of community events. As members of a performance ensemble, students are expected to attend all performances for which an academic grade is given.

Drama

Grade: 9-12

This class is an introduction to theater. Drama students will learn the basics of theater including acting, production and behind the scene details. Students are required to participate in all aspects of the class. Grades are based upon academic progress, performance, and participation.

Spanish I

Grade: 9-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: C or better average in English
Elective

This course is an introduction to the language and culture of the Spanish speaking world. Basic vocabulary and grammatical structures will be taught as well as the fundamental speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Paired and group activities are used to develop speaking skills. An appreciation for cultural diversity will be developed through such activities as celebrating Hispanic holidays, listening to a variety of Spanish music, learning about the different foods, geography and history of Spanish countries.

Spanish II

Grade: 10-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Spanish I
Elective

In Spanish II, students will strengthen skills learned in Spanish I through additional practice in speaking, listening, reading and writing. More advanced vocabulary and grammatical structures will be introduced. Students will learn about the contributions Hispanics have made to our society and continue discovering cultural differences by celebrating Hispanic holidays and sampling Spanish foods.

Spanish III – IV

Grade: 11-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Spanish II
Elective

Students will focus on developing their listening comprehension and speaking skills in the Spanish language. Reading and writing will become more important as a means to improve their vocabulary and grammatical structures will be continued. This class has alternate year syllabus to accommodate both levels for students wishing to study Spanish for four years.

English 9

Grade: 9

English 9 is a comprehensive class that integrates grammar, writing, vocabulary, spelling, literature, projects, quizzes and tests. The grammar units will focus on sentence structure (parts of speech), punctuation, correct usage, etc. Writing assignments include personal, theme analysis, persuasive and compare/contrast, research and MLA referencing format.

English 10

Grade: 10
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: None
Required

The goal of this class is to improve all forms of communication: writing, speaking, and reading, and to develop and/or enrich the enjoyment of literature. Students will understand elements of literature through the study of poetry, drama, short stories, and novels. Skills stressed are standard usage, the writing process, reading comprehension and all forms of communication.

English 11

Grade: 11
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: English 9, 10

English 11 takes a chronological approach to the study of the English Language and English Literature from the beginnings of the language to the present day. The course places an emphasis on reading, organizing, thinking, writing, listening, and speaking while studying English authors and their works. This class also contains an introduction to public speaking and speech preparation.
Another aspect of the class is the practical preparation of the student for the process of getting a job. This includes the study of cover letters, follow-up letters, and resumes. During the course of the school year, the student will research and produce an accurate portfolio describing and explaining their academic skills, personal responsibility skills, and teamwork skills.
Students will also be introduced to and practice the formats used in the MME and ACT tests which will be taken during their junior year.

English 12

Grade: 12

English 12 is a comprehensive class that integrates grammar, writing, vocabulary and literature. We have brand new World Literature textbooks with units of Early Africa, Ancient Greece and Rome, Southwest and South Central Asia, East Asia and the Pacific, Europe and The Americas. The grammar units will focus on sentence structure, punctuation, correct usage etc. Writing assignments include personal, theme analysis, persuasive and compare/contrast, research and MLA referencing format.

Yearbook

Grade: 11-12 (10th with special permission)
Prerequisite: Minimum of C in previous English classes

This yearbook course is designed to produce the school yearbook. Students will study photography, page layout and design, copy writing skills, and advertising and marketing techniques. Students must acquire proficiency in using E-Design software during this course. Students considering this course should possess the ability to work independently and meet deadlines. Personal time, to accomplish tasks, outside of class, is required.

Great Books Course

Great Books is a writing and discussion intensive study of literature. Students will discover personal strengths, weaknesses and goals while analyzing motivation of characters, author’s purpose, significance of setting, use of language and many other literary techniques. A few character’s students are likely to meet are a nameless sixteen year old girl who battles with drugs, peer pressure and depression in Go Ask Alice ; Lina, a fifteen year old girl who overcomes the loss of a home and family in Between Shades of Gray – a story about the liquidation of the Baltic States during Joseph Stalin’s “Reign of Terror;” In Boot Camp, Garrett Durrell (a sixteen year old boy) is taken out of his home in the middle of the night and finds himself in Lake Harmony – a boot camp for troubled teens. And last but not least, students will find themselves on the edge of their seat as Connor, Risa and Lev try to survive a new law over reproductive rights in Unwind.

Speech

Grade: 9-12

This one semester course focuses on combining oral and written language in various communication settings. In addition to writing and delivering speeches, students have an opportunity for hands-on experiences in the production of the school news program using videotape and sound equipment.

Creative Writing

Grade: 9-12

This Creative Writing course focuses on a study of various forms and genres of prose and poetry apart from, though not excluding, expository and personal essays. Literary works will serve as models through analysis, application and interpretation. Composition exercises will reflect an understanding of studies forms and an application of creative writing techniques.

Health

Grade: 9-12
Credit: .5
Prerequisite: None
Required

Essential Health and Nutrition encourages students to discover the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Topics studied include good nutrition, physical, mental and emotional health, substance abuse, AIDS, personal care, physical fitness, stress management, handling emergencies and personal safety. While studying foods and nutrition, students will experience the preparation of healthful foods in a foods laboratory setting.

Algebra I

This course emphasizes algebraic language, structure, concepts and skills. Major topics include algebraic properties and the real number system with an emphasis on the application of basic operations, functions and their graphs, linear equations and inequalities, linear regression and modeling, systems of linear equations and inequalities, polynomial and factoring, algebraic fractions and real world applications.

Applied Text: Glencoe Algebra I
Website: http://www.algebra1.com

Algebra II

Algebra Two is a crucial course in order f9or success on the State-mandated achievement assessment. Within this class, students will extend their algebra and geometry skills to a new level, focusing on the following concepts: first degree equations and inequalities, polynomial / radical equations and inequalities, advanced functions and relations, discrete mathematics, and potentially a review over trigonometric functions. Students will also begin to apply advanced technological strategies in seeking solutions for various concepts. As mastery is attained, students will be well prepared for the mathematical portions of various achievement tests and the introduction into college-level mathematics.

Applied Text: Glencoe Algebra 2
Website: http://www.algebra2.com

Pre-Calculus

This course emphasizes a detailed analysis of mathematical concepts regarding the topics of functions, trigonometry, advanced functions and graphing, discrete mathematics, and an introduction into Calculus I concepts. A good understanding of Algebra 2 and Geometry concepts are required for success in the class, and upon successful completion, students will be well prepared for mathematics at the college level. Students will master the application of technology in conjunction with a variety of mathematical concepts learned throughout the class.

Applied Text: Advanced Mathematical concepts

Calculus

This course provides an introduction to functions, limits and continuity, differentiation of algebraic and transcendental functions, applications of derivatives, definite and indefinite integrals, and the fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Students will use the 3rd edition of James Stewart’s Calculus text, following the recommended syllabus of Southwestern Michigan College’s Math 141 course. It will be an in-depth, intense class taught at a college level with the possibility of earning college credit for content mastery.

Applied Text: Calculus I (3rd Edition – Stewart)

Geometry

Grade: 10-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Algebra I
Required

This course involves the study of points, line, angles, triangles, polygons, and circles. The course will use definitions, postulates, and properties to formulate proofs that deal with the relations of geometric figures. Other topics covered include transformations, two and three dimensional figures, logic and reasoning, constructions, and trigonometry. This course combines real-world applications and algebra with the study of geometry.

Math Topics

In Math Topics students review Algebra and Geometry aimed at preparing for the ACT and the Michigan Merit Exam. Probability and Statistics using one-variable and two-variable statistics are studied (with an emphasis on one-variable data). Statistical models and distributions that describe one-variable and two-variable statistics are covered.

Physical Education

Grade: 9
Credit: .5
Prerequisite: None
Required

In Physical Education, students will learn the value of Physical Education and the enjoyment of a variety of sports. This course is designed to increase a student’s knowledge in the following areas: team sports, individual sports, weight lifting, responsibility, teamwork, and fair play. Students must participate daily, have proper clothing and shoes, and display good sportsmanship. Lifetime activities and physical wellness will be emphasized. Daily calisthenics and stretching will be required.

Advanced Physical Education

Grade: 9-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: None
Elective

This course provides the fundamentals to develop lifetime individual and team sports skills including a thorough knowledge of rules, safety and strategy. Improving flexibility is emphasized. Students will work on muscular fitness through the “Bigger, Faster, Stronger Program.” Promoting a healthy lifestyle and knowledge of the body is the focus of this course. Daily calisthenics and stretching will be required.

Biology

Grade: 10
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: None
Required

Biology is the study of living things. This course introduces students to the historical study of biology, biochemistry, the cell, photosynthesis and respiration, genetics and classification of living organisms. A scientific research project is required first semester and participation in greenhouse plant production is required second semester.

Biology II

Grade: 11-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Biology I
Elective

This course is designed to present advanced concepts in biology. Students study human anatomy and physiology from a molecular level, so basic chemistry skills are desirable. Hydroponics plant growing techniques and hydroponics systems are studied in this course along with aqua cultural studies and growing procedures.

Chemistry

Grade: 11-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: Physical Science, Algebra I
Elective

This is a one-year course intended to study matter and changes matter undergoes. Topics addressed will be atomic structure, electron configuration, chemical bonding, periodic properties, chemical formulas and chemical equations, gas laws, solutions, and acids and bases. Basic laboratory skills, a required research project first semester, and performing and reporting water quality tests for the aquaculture system are included in course work.

Physics

Students explore how energy and matter interact in motion, electromagnetism, optics and thermal systems. Lab activities and problem solving activities are utilized to develop the students understanding of physics concepts and principles.

World History

Grade: 9
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: None
Required

U.S. History

Grade: 10
Credit: 1.0
Required

This course will examine the social, economic, military, and political events that have shaped the American nation. Emphasis will be placed on U.S. history from Reconstruction to the present day.

American Government

Grade: 11
Credit: .5
Prerequisite: U.S. History
Required

This course offers a working understanding of the system of government that exists in the United States. With a focus on the U.S. Constitution and the basic structure of federal, state, and local governments, this course examines the three branches of government and individual’s rights and responsibilities.

Law

Grade: 9-12
Credit: .5
Prerequisite: None
Elective

This course presents an introduction to the United States criminal law and civil law.

Sociology

Grade: 9-12
Credit: .5
Prerequisite: None
Elective

Sociology is a course that studies human society and social behavior. Topics covered include groups, social institutions, interactions, changes and inequities. Individual and group dynamics are the focus.

Study Skills

Grade: 9-12
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: None
Elective

Study Skills develops the skills and abilities that will allow students to approach, plan, solve, complete, and evaluate assignments. The students will learn to identify problems, outline, and be able to select from among a number of alternative solutions to a problem. The focus of the course is on problem-solving techniques in order to provide successful strategies for learning.

Economics

Grade: 11
Credit: .5
Prerequisite: None
Required

Four Core Review

Grade: 11
Credit: 1.0
Prerequisite: None
Elective