Grade 9 Course Choices for 2015-2016 Welcome to the Class of 2019! - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Grade 9 Course Choices for 2015-2016

Welcome to the Class of 2019!

What will the world be like in 2019?

! Any Predictions?

What you see

What we see

What they see

What is Our Goal?

McGill University Northwestern University University of Colorado at Boulder University of British Columbia

Welcome to High School

! Academic Opportunities ! Athletic Opportunities ! Service Activities ! College Preparatory Programs

Course Choices

! High School Diploma ! IB Diploma ! College Applications ! Future Careers

! Develop Interests ! Challenges

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

Mission ! The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. ! To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international

• rganizations to develop challenging

programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. ! These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

What is an IB Education?

! Informed by the IB Learner Profile values, an IB education

! Is learner centered ! Develops effective approaches to teaching and learning ! Works within a global context ! Explores significant content (IBO, 2012)

Approaches to Teaching

! Methods that teachers will use with students:

! Inquiry Based ! Conceptually focused ! Contextualized ! Collaborative ! Differentiated ! Informed by Assessment

Approaches to Learning

! Students should be able to practice the following skills: ! Thinking skills ! Social Skills ! Research Skills ! Communication Skills ! Self-Management Skills

IB Learner Profile

! Inquirers ! Knowledgeable ! Thinkers ! Communicators ! Principled ! Open-Minded ! Caring ! Risk-Takers ! Balanced ! Reflective

Inquirers

Knowledgeable

Thinkers

Communicators

Principled

Open Minded

Caring

Risk Takers

Balanced

Reflective

High School Diploma

! Each course counts toward your overall credits in high school. ! Universities see your progress for grade 9-12 ! Each semester counts as 0.5 credit, one year is 1 credit ! SCIS Diploma = 25 credits

SCIS Diploma Credits

! By June 2018 you must have these minimum credits below to graduate.

Language Arts 4 credits World Language 3 credits Social Studies 3 credits PE/Dance 2 credits Science 3 credits Visual and Performing Arts 2 credits Math 3 credits Theory of Knowledge 1 credit Other Successful completion of CAS/EE Other Electives 4 credits Total to graduate 25 credits required

Four Year Plan

Grade 9 Course Choices

! English ! Social Studies ! Science ! Math ! Physical Education (PE) ! Visual / Performing Art* ! World Language ! Elective

Grade 9 Courses

! Differentiated instruction within each class ! Approaches to teaching and learning encourage inquiry and concept based learning ! Students encouraged to manage their time, develop appropriate thinking and research skills, and become independent learners.

Grade 9 English

English

! Grade 9 English A

! The primary learning objective in ninth grade is to broaden and deepen student expression and critical ability, as applicable to Language Arts. Students learn to express their ideas in clear, creative, and correct English. They become skilled at a variety of written forms—formal and informal, critical and creative—and gain comfort as articulate speakers. Through studies of vocabulary, literary conventions, and composition, students gain skills that will help them in all subject areas. Students increase their understanding and appreciation of written texts, chosen from a wide variety of genres, time periods, and cultures, as well as learn to adapt the fundamental aspects of writing process to a variety

• f tasks and to respond actively and critically to written, spoken,

and non-verbal messages.

English

! Grade 9 English B

! The primary learning objective in ninth grade is to broaden and deepen student expression and critical ability, as applicable to Language Arts. Students learn to express their ideas in clear, creative, and correct English. They become skilled at a variety of written forms—formal and informal, critical and creative—and gain comfort as articulate speakers. Through studies of vocabulary, literary conventions, and composition, students gain skills that will help them in all subject areas. Students increase their understanding and appreciation of written texts, chosen from a wide variety of genres, time periods, and cultures, as well as learn to adapt the fundamental aspects of writing process to a variety

• f tasks and to respond actively and critically to written, spoken,

and non-verbal messages. While the outcomes are the same as the English 9 A course, the pace of material covered will be in keeping with the students’ interests and abilities.

Grade 9 Social Studies

Social Studies

! Grade 9 Social Studies

! Grade 9 Social studies encourages students to think historically, globally, geopolitically, economically, and environmentally. The class will address topics including location, space, human interactions, and movement. Geographic situations will be analyzed and connected to world history. Students will employ spatial concepts, landscape analysis, and historical understanding to examine human social organization and its environmental

• consequences. Students will analyze maps and data sets;

implications of historical associations; recognize and interpret the relationships and patterns among regions and peoples; and characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places and time periods.

Grade 9 Science

Science

! Grade9 Science ! The 9th grade science curriculum is designed to give students a strong understanding of basic concepts in biology, chemistry and physics. Through the use of lab experiments, group projects and activities, critical thinking, problem solving, data collection and analysis, students will learn basic principles and concepts in the three major disciplines of science. The topics and objectives taught coincide with the 8th and 10th grade science

• curriculums. These curricula have been designed to prepare our students for

entrance into any of the IB Group 4 (Science) courses. ! Topics including scientific inquiry, scientific method and lab safety will be integrated throughout the curriculum. The following is a more specific list of the topics covered in the course. ! Grade 9 Science will focus on applied sciences with the big ideas of:

! Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Physics

! Fundamental concepts explored include:

! Matter, Energy, Structure and Form, Sustainability and Stewardship, Change and Continuity

Science

! Grade 9 Science will focus on applied sciences with the big ideas

• f:

! Biology, Chemistry, Earth and Space Science, Physics

! Fundamental concepts explored include:

! Matter, Energy, Structure and Form, Sustainability and Stewardship, Change and Continuity ! Biology -- Sustainable Ecosystems and Human Activity ! Chemistry – Exploring Matter ! Earth and Space Science – Space Exploration ! Physics – Electrical Applications

Mathematics

! Grade 9 Mathematics ! Mathematics 9 addresses the development of skills and concepts in the areas of statistics algebra, and geometry. The course works to integrate algebra theory and application within an applied geometry. Learning opportunities focus on concept comprehension, practical and theoretical application, and reliable use of skills. Students are expected to recognize applications of mathematical concepts and processes in contexts beginning with familiar routine context and then progressing to unfamiliar contexts.

Mathematics

! Grade 9 Mathematics Advanced ! Mathematics 9 addresses the development of skills and concepts in the areas of statistics algebra, and geometry. The course works to integrate algebra theory and application within an applied geometry. Learning opportunities focus on concept comprehension, practical and theoretical application, and reliable use of skills. Students are expected to recognize applications of mathematical concepts and processes in contexts beginning with familiar routine context and then progressing to unfamiliar contexts. ! While students follow the same curriculum as grade 9 Math, they will do so at a faster pace than the other class. Furthermore, the students will apply the math through extended activities and connections to real world applications in order to develop and extend their understanding of the math concepts.

Physical Education

! Health / Physical Education

! Sports ! Health / Fitness ! Team Building ! Assessment

! Dance 1 or 2

! Technical Skills ! Healthy work habits ! Anatomy ! Choreography

Visual or Performing Art

! Each student should take at least 1 year of Performing Art.

Visual Arts Performing Arts Visual Art 9 Band Photography Choir Dance (1 or 2) Drama (1 or 2) Percussion Strings (1 or 2)

Grade 9 Visual Arts

Visual Arts

! Visual Arts 9 ! In this course the students will record and analyze from firsthand

• bservation, selecting from experience and imagination to explore ideas

for different purposes and audiences. Students will develop their creativity by experimenting with two and three-dimensional art forms such as drawing and design, painting, sculpture, and mixed media. Emphasis will be placed on the learning of technical skills through an understanding of the art elements and principles of design. ! Students will be encouraged to be creative and develop their ability to solve and resolve artistic problems. Students will develop communication skills through a critical inquiry of their own work, but will also study artists and techniques in the art history component of the course. ! Students will learn how art is reflected in their everyday lives, as well as its role in society and culture. Confidence will also be developed as students express ideas about the direction of their work. They will be thought to question critically, and select from a range of visual and other information to help them develop ideas for independent work.

Visual Arts

! Photography

! In this course the students will learn how to produce, justify, appraise, criticize, compare and edit photos using digital cameras, photographic equipments and different software. This course will teach the basic elements of photography, such as lighting, rule

• f thirds and picture composition. SLR cameras will

be used, allowing students to interact with lenses, manual focus and other features not often present

• n standard point-and-shoot cameras. ‘Post-

producing’ with specific software and the preparation of a portfolio will also form an integral part of this course.

Performing Arts

! HS Band ! Prerequisite: 3 years of band or 2 years plus audition with instructor. ! High School Band is the High School performing ensemble for wind and percussion instrumentalists. This year long course is designed to refine “comprehensive musicianship” through music performance of challenging and varied literature. In addition to continued refinement of individual performance skills, greater emphasis is placed on ensemble performance

• skills. Students will continue to develop their knowledge of music theory,

begin to analyze and evaluate music, and use critical thinking skills to make refinements in their performance. Individual and ensemble performance skills will be expanded through musical expression and technical accuracy. Students in High School Band will perform at least two concerts a year. This group often combines with other SCIS bands, and this combined group will perform at numerous concerts, band festivals, and parades. Individual growth and achievement are encouraged through participation in adjudicated solo and ensemble contests and private lessons. ! Skills and concepts from lower school years are developed and expanded upon, including: embouchure and tone development; counting, timing, and rhythmic development; reading and notation skills, including sight- reading; continued scale study; vocabulary of musical terms and symbols; ear training and listening skills; equipment care and maintenance; and effective practice habits

Performing Arts

! HS Choir

! This course provides opportunities for students to develop their musical potential and aesthetic understanding through

• performance. Study includes the development of a portfolio
• f ensemble performance and composition pieces.

Students will continue to build technical skills, team spirit, and responsible rehearsal habits. Students will have the

• pportunity to deepen their understanding of music history

through the lens of traditional Western and world vocal

• repertoire. Students will strengthen listening skills and their

ability to analyze and evaluate musical scores, performances, and recordings. Attention will also be given to relating their musical experiences to personal development.

Performing Arts

! Dance 1

! HS Dance I is designed for students with or without prior dance

• experience. Students will explore, perform, and create dances from

various historical, cultural, and social genres to increase their knowledge and appreciation of dance and its relationship to other significant components of human history and experience. Students will be introduced to various aspects of dance including dance elements and concepts, world cultural dance and dance composition. They will develop basic technical skills from various genres of dance including contemporary, jazz & hip hop. Additionally, they will gain knowledge of dance and performance etiquette, anatomy, dance vocabulary, history, analysis and composition. Through dance, students will develop self-esteem, self-discipline and respect for others while working in a team environment. (HS Dance 1 may be taken for either Fine Arts or PE credit and may be repeated).

Performing Arts

! Dance 2 ! Prerequisite: HS Dance 1 and teacher consent by audition

! HS Dance 2 is intended for students who have had previous dance experience and have a strong desire to work on technique, analysis, performance and production. In Dance 2, students will deepen their understanding of dance via improvisation, dance composition, and will work to hone their technical skills in various genres of dance including ballet, contemporary, jazz & hip hop. Students will develop deeper understandings of their abilities through movement analysis, anatomy & kinesiology, and the vocabulary required of various dance genres. Students will develop their capacity for critical response to viewing dance, an appreciation for world cultural dance and dance’s role in cultural identity, and will study dance history. Because dance students come to SCIS with varying levels of technical ability, Dance 2 is for Intermediate and above dancers. (HS Dance 2 may be taken for either Fine Arts or PE credit and may be repeated).

Performing Arts

! HS Drama 1

! Drama 1 is a foundation performance-oriented course, which allows students the opportunity to enhance their performing skills. The class focus is on developing an on-going workout for the actor both physically and vocally; learning to create an ensemble approach to working; development of specific stage techniques; discovering style acting through historical approaches; and developing auditioning

• techniques. The class will deal with speech and debate

techniques, advanced scene work, monologues, and eventual one or two act material. Another major focus is to direct the students’ energy into performance work for an audience other than the class, which may require and out of class-time commitment.

Performing Arts

! HS Drama 2: Technical Theatre and Stage Design ! Prerequisite: Drama 1, 2 semesters of MS Drama, or teacher consent

! Using text, demonstration, and practical application, HS Technical Theatre covers backstage fundamentals such as theater terminology, stage rigging, properties, sound, scenic construction and lighting to prepare students to participate on technical crews for SCIS productions and other theatre opportunities. Students who complete Technical Theatre will develop skills in the “backstage” aspects of theatrical performances. The course will acquaint students with the art and history

• f stagecraft as well as theatrical traditions and practitioners. Individual projects will

require students to research classical and contemporary plays to define styles and periods used in theatrical design. Technical Theatre will enhance skills in theatre vocabulary, stage design concepts, and the theory and practical application of skills in sound, lighting, properties, stage design and scenic construction. ! Students will develop a vocabulary of theatre, such as genre, style, theme and

• design. They will be able to describe theatrical experiences, make design and

construction choices, identify key figures, works and trends in world theatrical history from various cultures and time periods and use evaluation criteria to compare and contrast a variety of genres of dramatic literature. Topics covered will include Theatre Safety, Stage Management, Theatrical Lighting and Design, Set building and construction techniques, Costume and Prop Design/construction, Stage Makeup, and Backstage Etiquette

HS Percussion

Performing Arts

! HS Percussion

! Prerequisite: 3 years of percussion/band or 2 years plus audition with instructor. ! High School Percussion is the High School performing ensemble for students wishing to focus on percussion instruments. This year long course is designed to refine “comprehensive musicianship” through music performance of challenging and varied literature. In addition to continued refinement of individual performance skills, greater emphasis is placed on ensemble performance skills. Students will continue to develop their knowledge of music theory, begin to analyze and evaluate music, and use critical thinking skills to make refinements in their performance. Individual and ensemble performance skills will be expanded through musical expression and technical accuracy. Students in High School Percussion will perform at least two concerts a year.

Performing Arts

! HS Strings 1 ! Prerequisite: Student will have played an orchestra string instrument for at least 1 year in class or with a private teacher, or have concurrent enrollment with a private teacher if a beginning string student

! HS Strings 1 is the basic level orchestra for string instrumentalists at the high school

• level. Students will analyze and evaluate music, and use critical thinking skills to

make refinements in their performance. Individual and ensemble performance skills will be expanded through musical expression and technical accuracy. Students in the orchestra program will perform at least three concerts a year and these groups often combine with other SCIS orchestras. Individual growth and achievement are encouraged through participation in adjudicated solo and ensemble contests and private lessons. ! Skills and concepts from middle school are developed and expanded upon, including: bow hold and tone production; intonation and left hand technique; advanced technique such as higher positions, vibrato, and advanced bow strokes; counting, timing, and rhythmic development; theory and its application to composition; sight-reading; continued scale study; vocabulary of musical terms and symbols; ear training and listening skills; equipment care and maintenance; and effective practice habits.

Performing Arts

! HS Strings 2 ! Prerequisite: HS Strings 1 or teacher consent by audition

! HS Strings 2 is the highest performing orchestra class. Students will continue to analyze and evaluate music, and use critical thinking skills to make refinements in their performance. Individual and ensemble performance skills will be expanded through musical expression and technical accuracy. Students in the strings program will perform at least three concerts a year and these groups often combine with other SCIS

• rchestras.

! Skills and concepts from HS Strings 1 are developed and expanded upon, including: bow hold and tone production; intonation and left hand technique; advanced technique such as higher positions, vibrato, and advanced bow strokes; counting, timing, and rhythmic development; theory and its application to composition; sight-reading; continued scale study; vocabulary of musical terms and symbols; ear training and listening skills; equipment care and maintenance; and effective practice habits.

World Languages

! Novice, Intermediate, Advanced Levels ! Student progress in each level will allow student to advance to next course/level ! Be consistent with language learning—stay with

• ne “best” language

French Mandarin Spanish ESOL Novice Novice 1 / 2 Novice Novice Intermediate 1 / 2 Intermediate 1 / 2 Intermediate 1 / 2 Intermediate Advanced Advanced 1/ 2 Advanced 1/ 2 Advanced

World Languages--French

! French Novice

! This course is designed for beginners in French who have very little or no previous exposure to the language. It aims to develop skills in the four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, reading and writing using a wide range of authentic materials. Students will engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions. Students are producing increasingly more innovative language and they can adapt set phrases and patterns for their own use. They can produce longer exchanges with increasing grammatical accuracy and can begin to refer to the present, past and future in addition to more abstract concepts. ‘Le monde francophone’ with its varied customs and points of interest will be opened up to the students as they look at life in different French speaking countries, explore the environment around them and examine the French influence.

World Languages--French

! HS French Intermediate 1 ! Prerequisite: HS Novice, Novice 1 and 2 Middle School, or placement test.

! This course is designed for students beginning their second year of studying French in High School and builds on the four language skills; speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a wide range of authentic materials. Students will continue to expand their language base, leading from controlled exercises to practice new vocabulary and grammar, to bridging activities to encourage the student to become more independent in speaking and writing the language with more emphasis on accuracy. They already have a sound knowledge of the basic language to meet every day needs and situations which will allow them to begin discussions. Students will learn to talk about the past using both the perfect and imperfect tenses and will refer to the future using both the simple future and future tenses. Aspects of the Francophone world with its varied customs and points of interest will be included in the course. Students will compare and contrast their own culture and way of life with that of young people in various French speaking countries.

World Languages--French

! HS French Intermediate 2 ! Prerequisite: Novice and HS Intermediate 1 or the completion of MS Novice 1, 2, or Intermediate Middle School

! This course is designed for high school students in their third year of

• study. Students will continue to develop their skills in speaking, listening,

reading and writing. They will learn to communicate using a wider range of vocabulary and grammatical structures including, for example, the conditional tense, the comparative and superlative, and

• bject pronouns. Students will use more complex language to express

feelings and describe situations and events. They will be able to identify and understand a range of texts used for different purposes and produce written work in different registers and formats, for example, formal and informal emails. Students will continue to use a wide range

• f authentic materials and will be able to compare the similarities and

differences between the French culture and their own.

World Languages--French

! HS French Advanced ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Novice, HS Intermediate 1, HS Intermediate 2

! This course is designed for high school students who have had at least two or three years of French to further develop their proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students will cover authentic topics using contemporary written, oral and visual sources to enhance a relevant experience in the language. Texts and written material of varying depths will be provided to aid students continuing to refine their vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure as they work with the language in a variety of contexts. Students will also be exposed to the rich culture and traditions within the French culture. Students will be able to write for a variety of purposes using target vocabulary and grammatical structures. Students are expected to converse, ask questions, discuss and receive feedback in the target language.

World Languages--Spanish

! HS Spanish Novice

! This course is designed for beginners in Spanish who have very little or no previous exposure to the language. It aims to develop skills in the four areas of language learning: speaking, listening, reading and writing using a wide range of authentic materials. Students will engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions and exchange opinions. Students are producing increasingly more innovative language and they can adapt set phrases and patterns for their own use. They can produce longer exchanges with increasing grammatical accuracy and can begin to refer to the present, past and future and to more abstract

• concepts. ‘El mundo Hispano hablante ’ with its varied customs and

points of interest will be opened up to the students as they look at life in different Spanish speaking countries and explore the environment around them to examine Spanish influence.

World Languages--Spanish

! HS Spanish Intermediate 1

! This course is designed for students beginning their second year of studying Spanish in High School and builds on the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing using a wide range of authentic

• materials. Students will continue to expand their language base, leading

from controlled exercises to practice new vocabulary and grammar, to bridging activities to encourage the student to become more independent in speaking and writing the language with more emphasis

• n accuracy. They already have a sound knowledge of the basic

language needed to meet every day needs and situations and will begin to discuss. Students will learn to talk about the past using both the perfect and imperfect tenses and will refer to the future using both the simple future and future tenses. Aspects of the Spanish Speaking world with its varied customs and points of interest will be included in the course and students will compare and contrast their own culture and way of life with that of young people in various Spanish speaking countries.

World Languages--Spanish

! HS Spanish Intermediate 2 ! Prerequisite: Spanish Novice and Intermediate 1 in High School or the completion of Novice 1,2, and Intermediate MS

! This course is designed for high school students in their third year of

• study. Students will continue to develop their skills in speaking, listening,

reading and writing. They will learn to communicate using a wider range of vocabulary and grammatical structures including, for example, the conditional tense, the comparative and superlative, and

• bject pronouns. Students will use more complex language to express

feelings and describe situations and events. They will be able to identify and understand a range of texts used for different purposes and produce written work in different registers and formats, for example, formal and informal emails. Students will continue to use a wide range

• f authentic materials and will be able to compare the similarities and

differences between the Spanish speaking culture and their own.

World Languages--Spanish

! HS Spanish Advanced ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Novice, HS Intermediate 1, HS Intermediate 2

! This course is designed for high school students who have had at least two or three years of Spanish to further develop their proficiency in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Students will cover authentic topics using contemporary written, oral and visual sources to enhance a relevant experience in the language. Texts and written material of varying depths will be provided to aid students continuing to refine their vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure as they work with the language in a variety of contexts. Students will also be exposed to the rich culture and traditions within the Spanish speaking culture. Students will be able to write for a variety of purposes using target vocabulary and grammatical structure. Students are expected to converse, ask questions, discuss and receive feedback in the target language.

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Novice 1

! This course is designed for total beginners in learning Mandarin. The primary goal of this course is to help the learners use Mandarin to exchange information and to communicate their ideas on a basic

• level. Throughout this course, all four skills of listening, speaking,

reading and writing will be addressed, although the emphasis is on listening and speaking. At the end of the year, students should be able to recognize 250 characters and it is expected that they will be able to write about 200 characters. In order to establish a solid foundation for character learning, students will be taught radicals and character formation. They will also learn how to use a Chinese- English dictionary. They should also be able to write short paragraphs

• n certain topics in characters.

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Novice 1

! This course is designed for total beginners in learning Mandarin. The primary goal of this course is to help the learners use Mandarin to exchange information and to communicate their ideas on a basic

• level. Throughout this course, all four skills of listening, speaking,

reading and writing will be addressed, although the emphasis is on listening and speaking. At the end of the year, students should be able to recognize 250 characters and it is expected that they will be able to write about 200 characters. In order to establish a solid foundation for character learning, students will be taught radicals and character formation. They will also learn how to use a Chinese- English dictionary. They should also be able to write short paragraphs

• n certain topics in characters.

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Novice 2 ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Mandarin Novice 1 or teacher approval

! This course is a continuation of MS/HS Mandarin level 1 with more emphasis on communicating authentically. Skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing are reinforced and further developed at this level. Students should be able to develop their receptive and expressive skills. At the end of this course, they should be able to recognize over 500 characters and write over 400 characters. Students’ skills in typing Chinese characters will be further developed. Guided writing will be introduced at this level and students will be able to hold discussions on topics related to their own life based on the language they have learned. For high school students, Chinese culture and customs will be introduced through the simple texts in each unit and extended reading materials

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Intermediate 1 ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Mandarin Novice 2 or teacher approval ! This course is designed for students who have completed HS Mandarin Novice 2 or have reached the equivalent skill level. This course builds on the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing using a wide range of authentic materials. Students will be encouraged to manipulate the language to express and create their own ideas and hold discussions on topics related to their own life. Cultural elements will be explained and added to the learning while students progress in their language

• abilities. Students will be able to recognize over 800 characters

and write over 600 characters. High school students will discuss more complex issues both orally and in writing. The vocabulary and language they use will be more advanced.

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Intermediate 2 ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Mandarin Intermediate 1 or teacher approval ! This course is designed for students who have completed HS Mandarin Intermediate 1 or have reached the equivalent skill level. The course builds on the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing using a wide range of authentic materials. Students will expand their language base and begin to discuss more abstract themes and topics using more complex language. They will be encouraged to take risks with language both in written and spoken activities but will be given opportunities to focus on

• accuracy. Students will be able to recognize over 1100 characters

and write over 800 characters. High school students will compare and contrast their own culture and way of life with that of young people in China.

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Advanced 1 ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Mandarin Intermediate 2 or teacher approval ! This course is designed for students whose Mandarin is near-native level. The topics covered at this level are contemporary in nature and are relevant to the students’ experience. The listening and speaking exercises are designed to reflect the real Chinese speaking world. Reading texts in various formats and of graded difficulty will be provided to students to reinforce the learning of vocabulary, grammar and sentence structure. Students will be exposed to more Chinese language, culture and traditions through authentic reading texts. They will read online news regularly in Chinese so that they will be exposed to various topics and become more aware of current events happening both inside and outside China. Students are expected to be able to recognize over 1400 characters and write over 1000 characters. High school students will be encouraged to use the Internet to research and obtain information in Chinese for a range of purposes.

World Languages--Mandarin

! HS Mandarin Advanced 2 ! Prerequisite: Completion of HS Mandarin Advanced 1 or teacher approval

! This course is designed for students whose Mandarin is near-native or native level. Students will understand and interpret authentic written and spoken sources on universal topics with little support. They will be able to convey information, concepts and ideas to an audience of listeners, viewers and readers for a variety of purposes. Students will learn to appreciate literature including analyzing characters, plot, theme and

• structure. Writing skills will be reinforced and students are expected to

produce more complex and accurate language. Aspects of China with its varied customs and points of interest will be included in the course and students will compare and contrast aspects of their own culture and way

• f life with that of China. At the end of the course, HS students at this level

should have language skills equivalent to those taking the IB higher level exam.

ESOL

! HS ESOL Novice ! Prerequisite: Placement upon recommendation of the Student Support Team

! In Novice ESOL, students will be taught the basics of the English

• language. They will listen and observe language being used in their

classrooms, and they will indicate their understanding of class instructions through their actions, body language, and simple spoken

• speech. As they expand their vocabulary of words appropriate to

school and social contexts, they will learn to respond to simple questions and basic greetings. Students will be taught basic grammatical structures and this will help them decode words phonetically and to communicate in short sentences to express their needs. In the bridging months leading up to Intermediate ESOL, students will gain increasing confidence in English and be able to read longer sentences and

• paragraphs. They will understand the rules of punctuation and

capitalization, and they will start to write complex sentences. They will also learn to self-edit their writing and to spell words conventionally rather than just phonetically.

ESOL

! HS ESOL Intermediate ! Prerequisite: Placement upon recommendation of the Student Support Team

! In Intermediate ESOL, students will understand vocabulary in social and everyday contexts, and they will be able to respond to most instructions and questions. They will use simple but complete sentences to communicate, and they will be able to hold a conversation in English of reasonable length. Students will learn many new descriptive words (adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions) and the conditional and negative forms. They will become stronger readers capable of picking out books at their level and of using a variety of reading strategies to guess unknown words from contextual

• clues. They will write complex sentences and they will improve their

skills of drafting, editing, and producing a final copy. They will also learn and come to understand the importance of sequencing their work to include a beginning, middle, and an end.

ESOL

! HS ESOL Advanced ! Prerequisite: Placement upon recommendation of the Student Support Team

! In Advanced ESOL, students will be taught higher-level vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, and this will allow them to understand the more subtle uses of English. They will begin to read longer and more complex literature and they will learn to “read between the lines” to get at deeper levels of meaning. By the end of the course, students will learn to respond to issues and ideas in books, and they will express their opinions by supporting them with reasons and examples. They will write narratives, expository pieces, and thoughtful responses that showcase linguistic complexity and capability. Students will also be able to extract meaning from verbal discourse in most situations and contexts and respond effectively to their teachers’ instructions and questions. They will show near fluency and confidence in spoken and written English.

Elective Courses

! Choose 1 Elective from the list below that you are not already taking:

Additional World Language Technology Performing Arts Visual Arts French Robotics Band Visual Art 9 Mandarin Introductory Programming Choir Digital Photography Spanish Dance Desktop Publishing ESOL Drama Percussion Strings

Elective Courses

! HS Robotics ! Prerequisite: None. Students can repeat this course, but work on differentiated levels within the course.

! In this course students will learn to design, program and control fully-functional robotic models. They use software to plan, test and modify sequences of instructions for a variety of life-like robotic behaviors. Students learn to collect and analyze data from sensors, using data logging functionalities embedded in the software. This course will provide a series of real-life activities, covering topics within science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Electives

! High School Desktop Publishing ! Prerequisite: teacher approval

! The Desktop Publishing course will teach students how to effectively communicate through the medium of print. Students will participate in creating the Yearbook and other publications that are printed monthly. Students will learn the writing process, how to present a published product, and writing for different purposes, audiences, and forms. They will contribute a variety of pieces to the publications including expository pieces, creative pieces, artistic pieces, etc. The focus of the yearbook portion of the class will be on teaching students how to effectively communicate their thoughts, how to edit pages, and the

• pportunity to produce a historical snapshot of the school year.

! Units of study include teamwork, responsibility, brainstorming, content, coverage, concept, production, reporting, writing, headlines, captions, editing, photography, typography, design, graphics, finances, yearbook campaign, advertising and distribution. Students will photograph, interview and use Adobe InDesign to create pages.

Elective Courses

! Introductory Programming

! Introductory programming is the study of software design. Students would be introduced to programming via web programming. Students learn HTML, design with CSS, server-side-programming, and working with databases. Students will start by learning basic websites and then move into more complicated and sophisticated

• sites. Students will contribute to the school website and examine a

variety of open-source website packages. This course may be tailored to student interests as resources and projects become available.

Next steps

! Choose courses ! Speak to Parents ! Get teacher approval for World Language classes or Level 2 Electives / Performing Arts ! Fill out form and return to advisor by Monday, March 10.