Latin School of Chicago

Upper School Curriculum Chart

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CURRICULUM 2013-14 SUBJECT Ninth Grade Tenth Grade Eleventh Grade Twelfth Grade The English Department's goals are to encourage students' love for the language, develop their command of reading and writing, and increase their confidence and pleasure in expressing themselves. The department seeks to refine students' literary, critical and argumentative analysis while fostering an appreciation of the art of poetry, fiction and nonfiction. As writers, English students should learn to balance what they want to say with the formal demands of clear and accurate prose. The curriculum is designed to help them articulate their responses to literature and their perceptions of themselves and their world. ENGLISH English 9 introduces literary genres. Students read stories, novels, poems, plays and essays by writers from diverse backgrounds. The course hones critical reading, writing and oral argumentation skills through essays, creative assignments and lively discussions. English 10, a global literature course, emphasizes close reading, directed discussions and written analyses of novels, dramas, short stories, poems and creative nonfiction. The first semester focuses on the analytical essay. The second semester expands to the personal essay, the podcast and a multi-genre response to a self-selected novel. English 11 explores American culture and literature. Each student chooses an American literature elective, but every class reads certain core texts. Electives: African American Literature, American Civilization, American Fool, American Seeker, Banned America, Color of America, Small America English 12 Electives: Bible 101, Creative Writing Seminar, Fantastic Hero, Great Novellas, Happily Ever After, Heroic Insanity, Modern and Contemporary Poetry, Monster Literature, Shakespeare, This I Believe, The Novel of Non-Fiction, Utopia and Dystopia, Writer's Workshop HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES The History and Social Studies Department helps students become active and informed citizens. Upon completion of the program, students will be prepared to: (1) Understand how the connection of personal, local, national, and global phenomena produce patterns of change. (2) Articulate informed opinions while respecting the opinions of others. (3) Recognize how politics, economics, ideology, geography, technology, and gender combine and conflict to produce unique cultures over time. Students become critical thinkers and hone their research, writing and communication skills. Global Cities: Athens, Changan, Baghdad, Florence, Paris, Mexico City Africa - Culture & Conflict, Global Ethics, Latin America, Middle East, Modern Asia, Russian Revolutions, South Africa, World Religion U.S. History (one required): Honors American Civilization, Honors US History & Historiography, US Social History Electives: Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, AP European History, AP Psychology, Nazi Mind, AP Art History, Independent Study MATHEMATICS The goals of the upper school mathematics program are: (1) Ensure that students become mathematically literate, including knowledge of the latest technology. (2) Help students feel comfortable in a world increasingly dominated by mathematics and statistics. (3) Encourage students to appreciate the beauty of mathematics. Students enter the upper school mathematics program with different levels of preparedness. To best meet the needs of these differing learning styles and abilities, regular, honors and AP levels of certain math courses are offered. Upper school students must complete three or three-and-one-half credits, including Algebra 2 and Geometry. If Algebra 1 is studied in the eighth grade, the student must take three additional years of mathematics, two of which must be Algebra 2 and Geometry. If Algebra 1 is studied in the ninth grade, then two-and-one-half additional years of mathematics are required, two of which must be Algebra 2 and Geometry. Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Honors Algebra 2, Geometry, Honors Geometry, Functions, Trigonometry, Honors Precalculus, Accelerated Honors Precalculus, Honors Differential Calculus, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Honors Multivariable Calculus, Advanced Topics, Non-Euclidean Geometry, Probability, Statistics: Graphical Display of Data, Statistics: Hypothesis Testing, AP Statistics, Finance & Math 1, Finance & Math 2 SCIENCE The primary goal of the Science Department is to help students use critical thinking, rational observation and measurement to develop an understanding of and appreciation for the elegance, intricacies and beauty of the natural world around and within us. The upper school science program focuses the attention of the students on the key concepts of science and stresses the processes of science. The department uses a variety of teaching styles, forms of assessment and strategies, including hands-on lab work, traditional and multimedia lecture, and group discussion, with the goal of helping students to develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Students must successfully complete three years of science study, including one year each of: Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Electives are generally open to juniors and seniors only. Physics; Honors Physics Chemistry; Honors Chemistry Honors Advanced Biology; AP Chemistry; AP Environmental Science; Advanced Physics; AP Physics C; Human Anatomy & Physiology 1 & 2; Medicinal Chemistry 1 & 2; Organic & Biological Chemistry 1 & 2; Philosophy of Science; Stellar Astronomy; Cosmology Biology; Honors Biology LANGUAGES PHYSICAL EDUCATION The upper school language program offers five levels of Chinese, French, Latin and Spanish. Students must successfully complete a minimum of three consecutive years of a language. In teaching modern languages, all four language skills: speaking, listening comprehension, reading comprehension and writing are addressed. Students practice these skills by means of a variety of real-life situations, the study of culture and an exposure to print media, literature, and the arts. A special emphasis is placed on oral proficiency. The primary goal is for students to be able to function confidently in a Chinese-, French-, or Spanish-speaking country. In the teaching of Latin our goal is for students to develop reading proficiency such that they can engage authentic Latin authors. All languages offer opportunities to study in native speaking countries (Students taking Latin may study in Rome). Our comprehensive physical development and health program is designed to help students learn to identify and work toward short- and long-term goals, to utilize fitness technology, to persevere in solving problems, to follow directions responsibly, and to work both independently and cooperatively with others. The program seeks to help students achieve active and healthy lives. Physical education credit is awarded on a quarterly basis. All ninth graders are enrolled in Wellness for the year. Students in grades 10-12 must earn 8 quarters of physical education credit. In-season athletes do not need to attend PE until the season is completed. Three-season athletes in grades 10-12 receive a full-exemption from physical education classes. Wellness: CPR/AED; nutrition/body image; resistance training; sex education; Hatha yoga; substance education; cooperative games; outdoor education; mental health and emotional health Yoga/pilates; strength training; soccer; rugby; football; running; lifeguarding; unique competition; health; adventure education, intramurals; raquet sports; individual sports; health club experience PERFORMING ARTS MUSIC - THEATER - DANCE - MOVEMENT The Performing Arts program promotes success in a nurturing environment that helps students develop self-esteem, gives them freedom to learn from artistic risks and encourages them to take pride in their accomplishments. Students have many opportunities to share their art with others through public concerts, plays and presentations. All performing arts classes are designed for students to either further develop skills and technique or simply explore the art. Acting Company, Chorus, Improvisation 1, Music Theory, Speech, Stagecraft, Wind Ensemble, Improvisation 2 Intermediate Acting Company, Playwriting/Directing Advanced Acting Company, Independent Study The Visual Arts Department believes that the best way to learn artistic values is to create art. While the study of aesthetics, technique and history plays a vital part in most facets of the fine arts curriculum, the most relevant way to achieve departmental goals in the classroom is to create the "product." By doing so, the student is able to appreciate the process of art making, to work analytically to solve problems, to respect others' forms of expression and to interact in group efforts. Students have opportunities to share their art with others through exhibits, publications and presentations. VISUAL ARTS Global Cities: Visual Arts Computer Graphic Design 1, Digital Image Making, Digital Video Production, Drawing 1 & 2, Fashion Design, Photography, Advanced Photography: Digital Printmaking Design 2, Modern Art, Observational Painting, Painting Studio, Painting 2, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Independent Study AP Art History, Art History: Prehistoric to Gothic, Art History: Renaissance to Modern, AP Art Studio PROJECT SERVICE WEEK LEARNING Each March, all upper school students put their regular class work aside to participate in a wide range of alternative educational experiences during Project Week. This program provides our students with unique opportunities to further study familiar subjects or explore new interests. They may choose to travel the world or explore their city, participate in community service efforts or outward bound expeditions, gain a fuller appreciation of different cultures, languages, art, history, or music, or build their own computers, sea kayaks, or robots. Successful completion of a project is required each year of upper school. Service Learning is critical in teaching students an awareness of the world outside themselves and the needs of others. Lower, middle and upper school students all participate in service projects, working together to change our community for the better. Our program is based on the tenets of empathy, awareness and action. Latin requires sophomores to complete 20 hours of service during the school year; freshmen are required to complete 10 hours. (Only a quarter of the requirement can be completed during the summer.) LIBRARY The upper school library program is focused on building students' information literacy skills. The librarians work closely with faculty to ensure that content area and research skills are thoroughly covered using a variety of print and digital resources. The librarians encourage a love of reading via recommended reading lists, displays and programming. COLLEGE COUNSELING College counseling is an integrated and intimate process for all students at Latin. Our aim is to complement classroom learning and enhance students' research skills while introducing ideas about curriculum, scholarship, financing an education and personal choice. Counselors meet with students in individual meetings, lead both junior and senior college classes, conduct grade-level meetings and conference with families throughout the process. All Latin students learn to collect reliable information, plan for standardized testing, organize applications, present themselves to college representatives, and write personal and presentable work for applications. College counselors also work with faculty and advisers to insure that students and faculty are receiving accurate and timely information about college planning throughout their high school experience. Grade-level meetings with students and parents to answer questions about testing, academic planning, school involvement and engaged learning. Grade-level meeting with students and parents to answer questions about testing, academic planning, school involvement and engaged learning. Parents are introduced to the college process and the sophomore class meets with the college counselors at least once per semester. College classes begin to help all students understand the current college landscape, research schools, and gain a better understanding of their own personal interests and choices. All Latin sophomores take the PSAT. All Latin juniors take the PSAT. Individual and family college meetings are mandatory for all. Visit our website to find out more: www.latinschool.org Individual counseling with students and families continues. All students continue their college class with an eye to process, procedures and application preparation. Counselors assist with essays, applications, and presentation skills. Counselors also help students investigate financial support, gap years and choose colleges in the spring.

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