High School
9th Grade
ELA 9
English 9 invites students to engage in a variety of both independent and collaborative projects centered around real-world issues grounded in both fiction and nonfiction texts. As the first English course in their high school career, ELA 9 introduces students to explore who they are as readers, writers, and thinkers. Throughout this course students will examine texts and become aware of their own biases and perspectives. Our year begins with an exploration of identity particularly through the reading of personal narratives and the writing of our own. Next, we enter our short story unit where students are invited to look beyond their lens and perspective to examine literature centered around marginalized characters and their continued struggle for power in the face of systemic oppression. In the spring, we celebrate National Poetry Month by engaging in the search for our own favorite poem which culminates in a poetry-inspired student-made film festival. Following our poetry unit, students explore the genre of dystopia by examining the different ways authors illuminate societal problems through elements of fiction. Lastly, students reflect on the different topics and issues explored across all their 9th grade classes in order to create their very own TED Talk around a topic of interest.
Global History 9
Global History and Geography 9 is an introduction to world history, and covers human history from its earliest stages of hunter-gatherer societies until the 1700s with the Age of Exploration. In this course, students will learn to use primary and secondary sources to learn about cultures from around the world in order to make connections between times periods and regions, and identify Enduring Issues that have affected people throughout history. There are a variety of projects that students will create throughout the year, including creating your own protest movement, investigating and communicating a biography of an ancient person, and creating your own primary sources.
Exploring The World of Literature Through Decoding and Analyzing In Academic Circles
Literature Circles is a course in which we follow the REWARDS Multisyllabic Word Reading Program which introduces students to a unique multisyllabic word reading strategy. This strategy, developed by Dr. Anita Archer, has been proven effective in helping students: break words into manageable and decodable chunks, read long words in content-area textbooks, read accurately, quickly and with confidence, increase oral and silent reading fluency, and improve comprehension as decoding and fluency increase. Most of all, this class will open up an opportunity for students to learn to enjoy reading again without the pressure of grades and tests. We will be able to collaborate with our classmates to discuss, analyze, and interpret different literature pieces to understand the importance and the joy of reading and learning.
AP Psychology
AP Human Geography
AP Human Geography is a college-level introductory course. It covers a wide range of topics that relate to how humans interact with their environment. Topics include Population and Migration, Cultural Geography, Political Geography, Agriculture, Industry and Development, and Urban Land Use. Students cultivate their understanding of human geography through data and geographic analyses as they explore topics like patterns and spatial organization, human impacts and interactions with their environment, and spatial processes and societal changes. The course ends with the AP Human Geography examination in May and is open to students in grades 9-12.
Algebra I
This course is designed for students who continue to demonstrate the necessary ability, maturity, and motivation to be successful in a rapidly paced algebra program. All students will deepen their understanding of previously learned concepts and grow into inquisitive mathematicians in a blended classroom that uses technology as a tool for learning. Students will be actively engaged in problem solving, reasoning, connecting, and communicating as they study the following topics: Solving Linear Equations and Inequalities, Graphing and Writing Linear Functions, Solving Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities, Exponential Functions, Quadratic Functions and Equations, Function Families, and Data Analysis & Displays.
Emphasis will be placed on investigating and solving real world problems using students’ knowledge and understanding of functions and function families. Students will investigate, create and discern multiple representations of each function covered in this course and use this knowledge to solve real-world problems.
Geometry: A Love Story About Triangles
In Geometry we explore 0, 1, 2, and 3 dimensional figures to discover and argue the various ways they are all related to each other. We dive deep into the world of triangles and investigate how they are used to create 2 and 3 dimensional figures. We learn how to argue various figures as congruent, similar or state that they have no relationship with each other. Through our course work we will engage with various tools and representations to support our ability to discover and explore these new concepts.
Living Environment
Living Environment is the scientific exploration of the diverse world of living organisms. Student-scientists will explore and investigate both the microscopic world, including bacteria and other cells, and the macroscopic world, such as ecosystem biodiversity. Through hands-on investigations, students develop critical thinking skills as they utilize data to form evidence-based conclusions regarding phenomena within the living world. At the end of the course, students demonstrate their mastery of the content and skills they have learned by completing the NYS Living Environment Regents course.
Earth Science
Our journey begins 4.6 billion light years ago as we explore the Universe and travel through our Galaxy and Solar System, interacting with all the planets. The journey continues as we enter the exosphere and infiltrate all the layers of the atmosphere, experiencing weather conditions of the troposphere. As we land on the lithosphere, we will investigate the rocks and minerals that compose the Earth. The journey continues as we make our way through the crust, bypassing the mantle and the dynamic activities of the asthenosphere as magma erupts, towards the inner core.
Earth Science is a branch of science that allows the learner to explore and investigate the Planet Earth and its neighbors in space. In this course, learners will conduct experiments in order to learn fun and fascinating information about what makes our Earth awesome! At the end of the course, students demonstrate their mastery of the content and skills they have learned by completing the NYS Earth Science Regents course.
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice provides students an opportunity to explore the complex decisions communities make regarding the resources they use, and the disproportionate inequities that are created by these decisions. Students learn how cities can be redesigned to include all voices; the disproportionate impacts of air pollution on diverse communities, and how our consumption patterns can affect the future of our society.
Epidemiology
An epidemiologist can be considered a medical detective, solving cases to determine who is patient 0 and how they can stop the spread of a disease! Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in different human populations and the application of methods to improve disease outcomes. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health. During this semester course, students will discuss the overview of the role of the social and behavioral behaviors of people and government involvement in understanding and addressing public health problems.
Spanish 1: Expressing Yourself As A Unique Individual
Spanish 1 is a course in which students are challenged to piece together new vocabulary and concepts that we are constantly building on in order to make meaning in Spanish. Through themed units in which students will learn to give and receive information about themselves and their surroundings, students will be able to discern and communicate information applicable to real-life scenarios. The class begins with building our solid base of basic vocabulary, such as numbers, colors and the alphabet, which flows into the following units that include family, daily activities, weather, school, food and health. Students learn to talk about themselves and their families, what activities they like and dislike, giving advice and sharing their preferences around food. These units allow students to share and learn important information about themselves and what makes them unique in the target language.
HS Physical Education
In High School Physical Education, will have the ability to plan and implement different types of personal fitness programs and demonstrate competency in two or more lifetime activities. They will engage in physical activities that meet the need for self-expression, social interaction and enjoyment.
Spanish 2
High School Health Education
High school health education is designed to promote student learning with regard to health issues that affect their immediate and long-term health. Maintaining a healthy way of living requires a balance of physical, mental-emotional, and social well-being. Health education provides students with knowledge of skills necessary to confront health related issues and make a smooth transition from puberty to adolescence. The core expectation of the health education program is that students will learn about physical, mental, emotional and social health. It builds students’ knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes about health. The health education program motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. A planned and sequential health education curriculum addresses all dimensions of health in a way that results in students who possess the knowledge and skills to live a healthy life. By providing a complete health education program, we are promoting optimal student learning. When children are healthy, they can learn; when they are educated, they can stay healthy.
Comedy Arts
Comedy Arts offers students a chance to hone their personal point of view and storytelling technique. Through the study of professional comedians, students craft their own stand-up specials, sketch comedy shows and write a pilot spin-off based on their favorite sitcom. Students collaborate in a recursive feedback protocol that allows them to edit and adjust their work for final public performance and sharing.
Theatre for Social Justice
Theater for Social Justice prioritizes student voice and choice. Through the process of devising students gain a tool box of theatrical conventions that allow them to create new performances based on topics that they are deeply passionate about. Students work collaboratively to raise awareness and impact audiences.
(Advanced) Scene Study
Scene Study is an advanced acting course that utilizes the work of acting teacher Uta Hagen and movement teacher Anne Bogart to take a deep dive into character and performance. Students prepare monologues, scenes and character profiles to share as public performances. There is a strong focus on the Create and Communicate outcome in this course.
Costume Design
Costume Design is a project based course where students learn design elements, drawing and sewing to bring to life their creative ideas. Students engage in two large projects that result in finished costume pieces that are shared during a public performance. There is a strong focus on Be Precise and Create in this course. This class has a deep connection to visual art and graphic design.
Playwriting
Originally a course taught during remote learning, Playwriting is a class that pulls apart all the elements of a good play so students can focus on each aspect. The elements are connected to small projects that students engage in and get feedback on from their peers. At the end of the course the students select one of their projects to flush out and develop into a one-act play that is performed as a stage reading at the end of the course.
Music 1: Guitar
Students learn the principles of music through experience. While learning how to play the guitar students perform melody, harmony, rhythm and learn to read a guitar-based music notation as well as standard music notation. Students create short original pieces of music that they can play solo or as a group, and collaborate with each other to learn how to play together as an ensemble. They also learn the look and sound of all the primary instruments used in popular culture. Near the end of the term students research a musician who was fundamental to the development of American popular music as well as present a World Music project to highlight how music is performed and celebrated in cultures outside of the United States.
Fiber Arts
This art course requires hands-on art-making skills. Students will learn various traditional fiber arts techniques. They will develop a body of work that demonstrates understanding and proficiency in weaving, embroidery, sewing, and surface design (through silk painting and batik).
Visual Arts
Artists in this class will develop their observation and accuracy skills as they progress through a variety of classroom assignments: still life, perspective, portraiture, figure, and landscapes. They will build foundational skills and work towards mastery through watercolors and acrylic paints while also working to develop skills in a variety of other mixed media using the elements and principles of art and design. Artists will experiment with a large variety of art making media and techniques.
Printmaking
Students will learn a range of printmaking methods including frottage, reliefs, collagraphs, and lithography. Students are guided through a structural program which includes historical, cultural and conceptual aspects of printmaking.
Web Development 2
Robotics
Exploring Computer Science
Filmmaking
10th Grade
ELA 10: Discerning: Author’s Craft
Throughout this rigorous course, students are exposed to a multitude of short stories and novels in order to discern the purpose and impact of the author's craft. This exploration encourages students to build and foster independent reading skills while learning about various settings, characters, and conflicts to offer a window into a different reality than our own and a mirror to reflect on ourselves and community. Students also use their reading skills to communicate their ideas through writing, allowing students to connect what they’ve discerned into a thorough and thoughtful analysis.
Global History 10
In 10th Grade Global History, students will explore and investigate enduring issues throughout world history from 1750 to the present day. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. Global History is designed as a two-year course. In 9th grade Global History, students examined major trends over long time periods: ancient civilizations, world religions, art and architecture, and global trade. 10th grade Global History requires a much deeper understanding of the modern political and economic systems that developed from those earlier societies. Students will examine and question the ideas of major philosophers and economists, and look at connections between geography and history in order to better understand the world we live in today.
Exploring The World of Literature Through Decoding and Analyzing In Academic Circles
Literature Circles is a course in which we follow the REWARDS Multisyllabic Word Reading Program which introduces students to a unique multisyllabic word reading strategy. This strategy, developed by Dr. Anita Archer, has been proven effective in helping students: break words into manageable and decodable chunks, read long words in content-area textbooks, read accurately, quickly and with confidence, increase oral and silent reading fluency, and improve comprehension as decoding and fluency increase. Most of all, this class will open up an opportunity for students to learn to enjoy reading again without the pressure of grades and tests. We will be able to collaborate with our classmates to discuss, analyze, and interpret different literature pieces to understand the importance and the joy of reading and learning.
AP World History: Modern
In AP World History: Modern, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes from 1200 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. The course provides six themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation. AP World History: Modern is designed to be the equivalent of an introductory college or university survey of modern world history. There are no prerequisites for AP World History: Modern. Students should be able to read a college-level textbook and write grammatically correct, complete sentences.
AP Psychology
AP Human Geography
AP Human Geography is a college-level introductory course. It covers a wide range of topics that relate to how humans interact with their environment. Topics include Population and Migration, Cultural Geography, Political Geography, Agriculture, Industry and Development, and Urban Land Use. Students cultivate their understanding of human geography through data and geographic analyses as they explore topics like patterns and spatial organization, human impacts and interactions with their environment, and spatial processes and societal changes. The course ends with the AP Human Geography examination in May and is open to students in grades 9-12.
Algebra II: The How and Why of Math As We Know It
This course is designed for students to expand on their learnings from Algebra 1 and Geometry. All students will deepen their understanding of previously learned concepts and grow into inquisitive mathematicians in an effort to to learn the why’s and how’s of foundational topics and make connections with their graphical representations. Students will be actively engaged in rigorous problem solving, reasoning, connecting, and communicating as they study the following topics: Analyzing Function Families; Solving Quadratic, Rational, and Radical Equations; Dividing, Graphing and Writing Polynomial Function; Solving Systems of Equations; Writing and Solving Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Write and Graph Trigonometric Equations; and Data Analysis & Displays.
Students will be required to use a graphing calculator, keep a notebook and folder, read, and interpret the algebra text and complete group work and independent work. Emphasis will be placed on investigating and solving real world problems that will include open ended and open response questions to assist in preparing students for the Regents Exam.
Geometry: A Love Story About Triangles
In Geometry we explore 0, 1, 2, and 3 dimensional figures to discover and argue the various ways they are all related to each other. We dive deep into the world of triangles and investigate how they are used to create 2 and 3 dimensional figures. We learn how to argue various figures as congruent, similar or state that they have no relationship with each other. Through our course work we will engage with various tools and representations to support our ability to discover and explore these new concepts.
Chemistry
Chemistry involves understanding both the structure and organization of the matter around us. It helps us investigate the microscopic and macroscopic materials that make up the world. This leads to the ability for scientists to design anything from new medicines to cell phones. By working hard in this class, students will gain the scientific knowledge and critical thinking skills to help them succeed in other high school classes, future college courses and in careers!
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice provides students an opportunity to explore the complex decisions communities make regarding the resources they use, and the disproportionate inequities that are created by these decisions. Students learn how cities can be redesigned to include all voices; the disproportionate impacts of air pollution on diverse communities, and how our consumption patterns can affect the future of our society.
Epidemiology
An epidemiologist can be considered a medical detective, solving cases to determine who is patient 0 and how they can stop the spread of a disease! Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in different human populations and the application of methods to improve disease outcomes. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health. During this semester course, students will discuss the overview of the role of the social and behavioral behaviors of people and government involvement in understanding and addressing public health problems.
Spanish 2
High School Physical Education
In High School Physical Education, will have the ability to plan and implement different types of personal fitness programs and demonstrate competency in two or more lifetime activities. They will engage in physical activities that meet the need for self-expression, social interaction and enjoyment.
High School Health Education
High school health education is designed to promote student learning with regard to health issues that affect their immediate and long-term health. Maintaining a healthy way of living requires a balance of physical, mental-emotional, and social well-being. Health education provides students with knowledge of skills necessary to confront health related issues and make a smooth transition from puberty to adolescence. The core expectation of the health education program is that students will learn about physical, mental, emotional and social health. It builds students’ knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes about health. The health education program motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. A planned and sequential health education curriculum addresses all dimensions of health in a way that results in students who possess the knowledge and skills to live a healthy life. By providing a complete health education program, we are promoting optimal student learning. When children are healthy, they can learn; when they are educated, they can stay healthy.
Comedy Arts
Comedy Arts offers students a chance to hone their personal point of view and storytelling technique. Through the study of professional comedians, students craft their own stand-up specials, sketch comedy shows and write a pilot spin-off based on their favorite sitcom. Students collaborate in a recursive feedback protocol that allows them to edit and adjust their work for final public performance and sharing.
Theatre for Social Justice
Theater for Social Justice prioritizes student voice and choice. Through the process of devising students gain a tool box of theatrical conventions that allow them to create new performances based on topics that they are deeply passionate about. Students work collaboratively to raise awareness and impact audiences.
(Advanced) Scene Study
Scene Study is an advanced acting course that utilizes the work of acting teacher Uta Hagen and movement teacher Anne Bogart to take a deep dive into character and performance. Students prepare monologues, scenes and character profiles to share as public performances. There is a strong focus on the Create and Communicate outcome in this course.
Costume Design
Costume Design is a project based course where students learn design elements, drawing and sewing to bring to life their creative ideas. Students engage in two large projects that result in finished costume pieces that are shared during a public performance. There is a strong focus on Be Precise and Create in this course. This class has a deep connection to visual art and graphic design.
Playwriting
Originally a course taught during remote learning, Playwriting is a class that pulls apart all the elements of a good play so students can focus on each aspect. The elements are connected to small projects that students engage in and get feedback on from their peers. At the end of the course the students select one of their projects to flush out and develop into a one-act play that is performed as a stage reading at the end of the course.
Music 1: Guitar
Students learn the principles of music through experience. While learning how to play the guitar students perform melody, harmony, rhythm and learn to read a guitar-based music notation as well as standard music notation. Students create short original pieces of music that they can play solo or as a group, and collaborate with each other to learn how to play together as an ensemble. They also learn the look and sound of all the primary instruments used in popular culture. Near the end of the term students research a musician who was fundamental to the development of American popular music as well as present a World Music project to highlight how music is performed and celebrated in cultures outside of the United States.
Fiber Arts
This art course requires hands-on art-making skills. Students will learn various traditional fiber arts techniques. They will develop a body of work that demonstrates understanding and proficiency in weaving, embroidery, sewing, and surface design (through silk painting and batik).
Visual Arts
Artists in this class will develop their observation and accuracy skills as they progress through a variety of classroom assignments: still life, perspective, portraiture, figure, and landscapes. They will build foundational skills and work towards mastery through watercolors and acrylic paints while also working to develop skills in a variety of other mixed media using the elements and principles of art and design. Artists will experiment with a large variety of art making media and techniques.
Printmaking
Students will learn a range of printmaking methods including frottage, reliefs, collagraphs, and lithography. Students are guided through a structural program which includes historical, cultural and conceptual aspects of printmaking.
AP Computer Science A
Robotics
Exploring Computer Science
Filmmaking
11th Grade
Finding Ourself & Society in ELA 11
ELA 11 is a course centered on gaining independence in thought and practice to prepare for college and beyond! Much of our class will run as a workshop, providing each of you with the opportunity to push yourselves independently, in small groups, and as a whole class. You are in charge of “leaning in” to your own learning, and we will be here to coach you through the entire process. In this course, you will be asked to speak your minds, share perspectives, and write about yourselves a lot as students, community members, humans, and college-bound leaders. We are going to start the year by asking ourselves who we are now, as 11th readers, writers, and citizens of the world. We will evolve toward analyzing the impact of society on developing our identities, while also harnessing the power of our writing toward changing society’s oppressive master narratives. Our goal in this course is to be the change we want to see in our world, and to harness textual power to support our initiatives.
This year, we will be reading many different rigorous texts spanning a spectrum of diverse experiences in our world. In such inquiry, we will be reading and discussing sensitive, yet important content. All texts presented in this course serve the purpose of prompting a criticism of society and our role within it. Our intent for this course is to present relevant, timely, and thought provoking material for students to critically consider and relate to, while honing written and verbal advocacy skills to benefit them in college and beyond. Please be aware that some of the texts we read may contain explicit language and mentions of violence. All texts have been carefully selected to critique society and deepen our understanding of experiences that may be different or similar to our own all so that we can practice compassion, empathy, and advocacy.
Gaining Textual Power through Expository Writing: AP English Language & Composition
AP English Language & Composition is a course that focuses on refining how we critically write and think about writing. This course is designed to equip students with the skills needed to succeed in college-level courses while preparing them for the course’s culminating Advanced Placement exam. In this course, we seek to concentrate on understanding, analyzing, discussing, and writing nonfiction prose, while also connecting fictional prose to rhetoric and argumentation, all while using multiple sources to develop and support our original arguments. The class is connected to many strains of ideology throughout History and Literature, and the class will explore a myriad of canonical and contemporary texts that are essential for the success of all learners, particularly in the collegiate domain.
By the end of this course, students will gain “textual power,” becoming more alert to an author’s purpose, the needs of an audience, the demands of the subject and the resources of language: syntax, word choice, and tone. In this introductory college-level course, you will read and carefully analyze a broad and challenging range of selections, interrogating society and our role within it, while also preparing to think and read critically for the test. Having explored many high-level, enriching, and enlightening perspectives, all while constantly honing and mastering the skills necessary to write the 3 FRQ essays on the AP Language & Composition Exam: synthesis, rhetorical analysis, & argument.
As an “AP for ALL” School in NYC, our course will also include Saturday study sessions from October through April. Students will take AP for ALL-mandated progress checks and mock exams throughout the year, and also have access to the Albert.iO platform for extra practice. Students will be assessed according to the TYWLS of Astoria Mastery Grading system, and will additionally (informally) receive AP-converted scores in order to track progress using the newly-revised AP scoring scale.
United States History
United States History is a year-long course for 11th grade that covers US history from pre-colonial times up to the present. Students look a a variety of primary and secondary sources to look back at the history of the United States, its governmental policies, and history of civic advocacy. Students will participate a variety of projects, including a Supreme Court case study presentation and a series of discussions and debates about US foreign policy with regard to its intervention in international wars. The course culminates with the Regents Exam in US History.
Social Science
Students in this course take on the role of social scientists who hold a critical lens to society and investigate the world around them. They examine human behavior and reflect on social dynamics in their families, communities, the media, and beyond. This multidisciplinary course incorporates aspects of psychology, sociology, political science, and anthropology. It is a project-based class in which students take a scientific approach to evaluating society and create studies to enhance their understanding of it.
Exploring The World of Literature Through Decoding and Analyzing In Academic Circles
Literature Circles is a course in which we follow the REWARDS Multisyllabic Word Reading Program which introduces students to a unique multisyllabic word reading strategy. This strategy, developed by Dr. Anita Archer, has been proven effective in helping students: break words into manageable and decodable chunks, read long words in content-area textbooks, read accurately, quickly and with confidence, increase oral and silent reading fluency, and improve comprehension as decoding and fluency increase. Most of all, this class will open up an opportunity for students to learn to enjoy reading again without the pressure of grades and tests. We will be able to collaborate with our classmates to discuss, analyze, and interpret different literature pieces to understand the importance and the joy of reading and learning.
AP 2D Art & Design
AP 2D encourages and expects both the creative and methodical study of conceptual and formal issues relating to 2D design. Highly motivated students will be provided with an environment that fosters artistic growth, work ethic and focus. Students are expected to strive towards mastery and develop a true understanding of artistic creation as an ongoing process. A portfolio submitted at the end of the course will demonstrate these understandings.
AP U.S. History
The Advanced Placement program in United States History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to think critically about United States history. The course is designed to allow students to develop a greater understanding of the nation’s rich history including, but not limited to: its diverse populations and societies, the evolutionary process of shaping our national identity, cultural, demographic and economic transformations, foreign and domestic policies, as well as the evolutionary process of adaptability in the continuous process of meeting the needs of our citizens and society. Throughout the course students will have an opportunity to view history through the lens of multiple themes and consider causation and changes over time; while also considering the continuity of certain issues and occurrences that lead into the present day. As much as possible, this course is taught in a college-like format, emphasizing lectures and essay examinations while offering Project Based Learning Opportunities (PBL) and opportunities to collaborate with peers.
AP Psychology
AP Human Geography
AP Human Geography is a college-level introductory course. It covers a wide range of topics that relate to how humans interact with their environment. Topics include Population and Migration, Cultural Geography, Political Geography, Agriculture, Industry and Development, and Urban Land Use. Students cultivate their understanding of human geography through data and geographic analyses as they explore topics like patterns and spatial organization, human impacts and interactions with their environment, and spatial processes and societal changes. The course ends with the AP Human Geography examination in May and is open to students in grades 9-12.
Algebra II: The How and Why of Math As We Know It
This course is designed for students to expand on their learnings from Algebra 1 and Geometry. All students will deepen their understanding of previously learned concepts and grow into inquisitive mathematicians in an effort to to learn the why’s and how’s of foundational topics and make connections with their graphical representations. Students will be actively engaged in rigorous problem solving, reasoning, connecting, and communicating as they study the following topics: Analyzing Function Families; Solving Quadratic, Rational, and Radical Equations; Dividing, Graphing and Writing Polynomial Function; Solving Systems of Equations; Writing and Solving Exponential and Logarithmic Functions; Write and Graph Trigonometric Equations; and Data Analysis & Displays.
Students will be required to use a graphing calculator, keep a notebook and folder, read, and interpret the algebra text and complete group work and independent work. Emphasis will be placed on investigating and solving real world problems that will include open ended and open response questions to assist in preparing students for the Regents Exam.
Precalculus: Preparing You to Succeed in College Mathematics
This course is designed for students to expand on their learnings of the function families learned throughout high school mathematics. All students will deepen their understanding of quadratics, polynomials, exponentials, logarithms, radicals, rational and trigonometric functions by analyzing each function family's key features and studying their graphs in depth. We revisit algebra skills from previous courses and attend to precision by completing most calculations by hand.
Expectations for this course are designed to prepare the students for the SATs, AP Calculus, and the future college mathematics courses taken.
Earth Science
Our journey begins 4.6 billion light years ago as we explore the Universe and travel through our Galaxy and Solar System, interacting with all the planets. The journey continues as we enter the exosphere and infiltrate all the layers of the atmosphere, experiencing weather conditions of the troposphere. As we land on the lithosphere, we will investigate the rocks and minerals that compose the Earth. The journey continues as we make our way through the crust, bypassing the mantle and the dynamic activities of the asthenosphere as magma erupts, towards the inner core.
Earth Science is a branch of science that allows the learner to explore and investigate the Planet Earth and its neighbors in space. In this course, learners will conduct experiments in order to learn fun and fascinating information about what makes our Earth awesome! At the end of the course, students demonstrate their mastery of the content and skills they have learned by completing the NYS Earth Science Regents course.
Physics
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice provides students an opportunity to explore the complex decisions communities make regarding the resources they use, and the disproportionate inequities that are created by these decisions. Students learn how cities can be redesigned to include all voices; the disproportionate impacts of air pollution on diverse communities, and how our consumption patterns can affect the future of our society.
Epidemiology
An epidemiologist can be considered a medical detective, solving cases to determine who is patient 0 and how they can stop the spread of a disease! Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in different human populations and the application of methods to improve disease outcomes. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health. During this semester course, students will discuss the overview of the role of the social and behavioral behaviors of people and government involvement in understanding and addressing public health problems.
AP Environmental Science
The AP Environmental Science (APES) is designed to introduce students to the study of the interrelationships of the natural world and the impacts individuals and communities have on the Earth while preparing students to take the Advanced Placement Environmental exam.
As environmental scientists, students will identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.
Spanish 3
High School Physical Education
In High School Physical Education, will have the ability to plan and implement different types of personal fitness programs and demonstrate competency in two or more lifetime activities. They will engage in physical activities that meet the need for self-expression, social interaction and enjoyment.
High School Health Education
High school health education is designed to promote student learning with regard to health issues that affect their immediate and long-term health. Maintaining a healthy way of living requires a balance of physical, mental-emotional, and social well-being. Health education provides students with knowledge of skills necessary to confront health related issues and make a smooth transition from puberty to adolescence. The core expectation of the health education program is that students will learn about physical, mental, emotional and social health. It builds students’ knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes about health. The health education program motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. A planned and sequential health education curriculum addresses all dimensions of health in a way that results in students who possess the knowledge and skills to live a healthy life. By providing a complete health education program, we are promoting optimal student learning. When children are healthy, they can learn; when they are educated, they can stay healthy.
Comedy Arts
Comedy Arts offers students a chance to hone their personal point of view and storytelling technique. Through the study of professional comedians, students craft their own stand-up specials, sketch comedy shows and write a pilot spin-off based on their favorite sitcom. Students collaborate in a recursive feedback protocol that allows them to edit and adjust their work for final public performance and sharing.
Theatre for Social Justice
Theater for Social Justice prioritizes student voice and choice. Through the process of devising students gain a tool box of theatrical conventions that allow them to create new performances based on topics that they are deeply passionate about. Students work collaboratively to raise awareness and impact audiences.
(Advanced) Scene Study
Scene Study is an advanced acting course that utilizes the work of acting teacher Uta Hagen and movement teacher Anne Bogart to take a deep dive into character and performance. Students prepare monologues, scenes and character profiles to share as public performances. There is a strong focus on the Create and Communicate outcome in this course.
Costume Design
Costume Design is a project based course where students learn design elements, drawing and sewing to bring to life their creative ideas. Students engage in two large projects that result in finished costume pieces that are shared during a public performance. There is a strong focus on Be Precise and Create in this course. This class has a deep connection to visual art and graphic design.
Playwriting
Originally a course taught during remote learning, Playwriting is a class that pulls apart all the elements of a good play so students can focus on each aspect. The elements are connected to small projects that students engage in and get feedback on from their peers. At the end of the course the students select one of their projects to flush out and develop into a one-act play that is performed as a stage reading at the end of the course.
Music 1: Guitar
Students learn the principles of music through experience. While learning how to play the guitar students perform melody, harmony, rhythm and learn to read a guitar-based music notation as well as standard music notation. Students create short original pieces of music that they can play solo or as a group, and collaborate with each other to learn how to play together as an ensemble. They also learn the look and sound of all the primary instruments used in popular culture. Near the end of the term students research a musician who was fundamental to the development of American popular music as well as present a World Music project to highlight how music is performed and celebrated in cultures outside of the United States.
Fiber Arts
This art course requires hands-on art-making skills. Students will learn various traditional fiber arts techniques. They will develop a body of work that demonstrates understanding and proficiency in weaving, embroidery, sewing, and surface design (through silk painting and batik).
Visual Arts
Artists in this class will develop their observation and accuracy skills as they progress through a variety of classroom assignments: still life, perspective, portraiture, figure, and landscapes. They will build foundational skills and work towards mastery through watercolors and acrylic paints while also working to develop skills in a variety of other mixed media using the elements and principles of art and design. Artists will experiment with a large variety of art making media and techniques.
Printmaking
Students will learn a range of printmaking methods including frottage, reliefs, collagraphs, and lithography. Students are guided through a structural program which includes historical, cultural and conceptual aspects of printmaking.
Mobile App Development
Robotics
Exploring Computer Science
Filmmaking
12th Grade
ELA 12
ELA 12 is a course centered on honing skills to prepare for collegiate success and beyond. Much of our class will run as a workshop, providing each of you with the opportunity to push yourselves independently, in small seminar groups, and as a whole class. You are in charge of “leaning in” to your own learning, and we will be here to coach you through the entire process. As seniors, you will be asked to continue honing your voice–in both discussions and writing–in order to build connections across texts, cultures, and barriers, all to prepare to confront college & reality beyond TYWLS.
This year, we will be reading many different rigorous texts spanning a spectrum of diverse experiences in our world. In such inquiry, we will be reading and discussing sensitive, yet important content. All texts presented in this course serve the purpose of prompting a criticism of society and our role within it. Our intent for this course is to present relevant, timely, and thought provoking material for students to critically consider and relate to, while honing written and verbal advocacy skills to benefit them in college and beyond.
AP English Literature and Composition
AP Literature is the pinnacle of a student’s literary exploration that is reached by deeply discerning the complexities and tensions between & within a plethora of canonical texts. Students grasp the reader's response lens and then challenge that thinking by discerning disparate critical theory literary lenses like the gender lens, psychological, deconstructionist lenses. Through a project based poetic journey they are also introduced to the literary movements that catapult the class into deep dives of canonical short stories and novels of the Victorian and Modernist Movements. In those explorations, students are discerning the texts and their own agency as readers, while simultaneously debunking the expectations of their readings through investigations of secondary sources, in order to draw new conclusions about the already established and recognized work and the worlds they were produced in. Students use their literary expertise to communicate their ideas and arguments in analytical essays and research projects. They, then, take these innovative conclusions to the world outside of the classroom where they continue to blossom as readers, learners, and thinkers.
Government and Economics: Public Policy in Action
Government and Economics is a year-long course for seniors that is split into two semesters. The first semester will focus mainly on government themes while the second semester will have more economics themes. The course will utilize Project Based Learning (PBL). In PBL, students go through a process of inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. These problems are open-ended and allow for many creative solutions. The projects help students learn key academic content and practice 21st Century Skills (such as collaboration, communication & critical thinking). During the year, students will play many different roles in an attempt to show the many ways people get involved with government and economics. Students will have the choice and voice to allow them to propose public policy on a local and national level. At the end of the course, students will have the experience necessary to engage in independent investigation and propose innovations all their own.
Exploring The World of Literature Through Decoding and Analyzing In Academic Circles
Literature Circles is a course in which we follow the REWARDS Multisyllabic Word Reading Program which introduces students to a unique multisyllabic word reading strategy. This strategy, developed by Dr. Anita Archer, has been proven effective in helping students: break words into manageable and decodable chunks, read long words in content-area textbooks, read accurately, quickly and with confidence, increase oral and silent reading fluency, and improve comprehension as decoding and fluency increase. Most of all, this class will open up an opportunity for students to learn to enjoy reading again without the pressure of grades and tests. We will be able to collaborate with our classmates to discuss, analyze, and interpret different literature pieces to understand the importance and the joy of reading and learning.
AP 2D Art & Design
AP 2D encourages and expects both the creative and methodical study of conceptual and formal issues relating to 2D design. Highly motivated students will be provided with an environment that fosters artistic growth, work ethic and focus. Students are expected to strive towards mastery and develop a true understanding of artistic creation as an ongoing process. A portfolio submitted at the end of the course will demonstrate these understandings.
AP Psychology
AP Human Geography
AP Human Geography is a college-level introductory course. It covers a wide range of topics that relate to how humans interact with their environment. Topics include Population and Migration, Cultural Geography, Political Geography, Agriculture, Industry and Development, and Urban Land Use. Students cultivate their understanding of human geography through data and geographic analyses as they explore topics like patterns and spatial organization, human impacts and interactions with their environment, and spatial processes and societal changes. The course ends with the AP Human Geography examination in May and is open to students in grades 9-12.
Career and Financial Management
The full year personal finance course covers all of the essential personal finance topics necessary to become a financially capable student. Topics include banking, credit, budgeting, investing, taxes, insurance, and college and career planning.
By the end of this course, students will have a thorough understanding of personal finance topics and be prepared to handle the financial responsibilities that exist after graduation.
Precalculus: Preparing You to Succeed in College Mathematics
This course is designed for students to expand on their learnings of the function families learned throughout high school mathematics. All students will deepen their understanding of quadratics, polynomials, exponentials, logarithms, radicals, rational and trigonometric functions by analyzing each function family's key features and studying their graphs in depth. We revisit algebra skills from previous courses and attend to precision by completing most calculations by hand.
Expectations for this course are designed to prepare the students for the SATs, AP Calculus, and the future college mathematics courses taken.
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus AB introduces the idea of change at an instance and accumulation over time, something not previously explored in prior math courses. In calculus students will investigate the world of limits, derivatives and integrals through graphical, numerical and analytical representations. We will discover the definitions of derivatives and integrals and learn how to apply them to real world applications. A sustained emphasis will be placed on how students are communicating their work along with their precision with algebraic and computational processes.
Forensics
Forensic science is the application of multiple scientific disciplines to the investigation of criminal or civil questions of the law. In this course we will use biology, chemistry, and physics to analyze and interpret evidence within the realm of our legal system. We will begin with an introduction to eyewitness testimony and the process of forensic investigation. We will then apply our knowledge of investigation to the analysis of trace evidence, fingerprints, DNA, and blood. During the second half of the year we will discuss and analyze the evidence revealed by bodies, crime scenes, and crime scene tools. At the end of every Unit, students must complete a case study analysis, in which they analyze any case that pertains to the piece of evidence discussed. Students will actively participate in labs and activities relating to the investigation of crime scenes and the analysis of evidence.
Physics
Environmental Justice
Environmental Justice provides students an opportunity to explore the complex decisions communities make regarding the resources they use, and the disproportionate inequities that are created by these decisions. Students learn how cities can be redesigned to include all voices; the disproportionate impacts of air pollution on diverse communities, and how our consumption patterns can affect the future of our society.
Epidemiology
An epidemiologist can be considered a medical detective, solving cases to determine who is patient 0 and how they can stop the spread of a disease! Epidemiology is the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease in different human populations and the application of methods to improve disease outcomes. Epidemiology is the basic science of public health. During this semester course, students will discuss the overview of the role of the social and behavioral behaviors of people and government involvement in understanding and addressing public health problems.
AP Environmental Science
The AP Environmental Science (APES) is designed to introduce students to the study of the interrelationships of the natural world and the impacts individuals and communities have on the Earth while preparing students to take the Advanced Placement Environmental exam.
As environmental scientists, students will identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.
Spanish 3
High School Physical Education
In High School Physical Education, will have the ability to plan and implement different types of personal fitness programs and demonstrate competency in two or more lifetime activities. They will engage in physical activities that meet the need for self-expression, social interaction and enjoyment.
High School Health Education
High school health education is designed to promote student learning with regard to health issues that affect their immediate and long-term health. Maintaining a healthy way of living requires a balance of physical, mental-emotional, and social well-being. Health education provides students with knowledge of skills necessary to confront health related issues and make a smooth transition from puberty to adolescence. The core expectation of the health education program is that students will learn about physical, mental, emotional and social health. It builds students’ knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes about health. The health education program motivates students to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduce risky behaviors. A planned and sequential health education curriculum addresses all dimensions of health in a way that results in students who possess the knowledge and skills to live a healthy life. By providing a complete health education program, we are promoting optimal student learning. When children are healthy, they can learn; when they are educated, they can stay healthy.
Comedy Arts
Comedy Arts offers students a chance to hone their personal point of view and storytelling technique. Through the study of professional comedians, students craft their own stand-up specials, sketch comedy shows and write a pilot spin-off based on their favorite sitcom. Students collaborate in a recursive feedback protocol that allows them to edit and adjust their work for final public performance and sharing.
Theatre for Social Justice
Theater for Social Justice prioritizes student voice and choice. Through the process of devising students gain a tool box of theatrical conventions that allow them to create new performances based on topics that they are deeply passionate about. Students work collaboratively to raise awareness and impact audiences.
(Advanced) Scene Study
Scene Study is an advanced acting course that utilizes the work of acting teacher Uta Hagen and movement teacher Anne Bogart to take a deep dive into character and performance. Students prepare monologues, scenes and character profiles to share as public performances. There is a strong focus on the Create and Communicate outcome in this course.
Costume Design
Costume Design is a project based course where students learn design elements, drawing and sewing to bring to life their creative ideas. Students engage in two large projects that result in finished costume pieces that are shared during a public performance. There is a strong focus on Be Precise and Create in this course. This class has a deep connection to visual art and graphic design.
Playwriting
Originally a course taught during remote learning, Playwriting is a class that pulls apart all the elements of a good play so students can focus on each aspect. The elements are connected to small projects that students engage in and get feedback on from their peers. At the end of the course the students select one of their projects to flush out and develop into a one-act play that is performed as a stage reading at the end of the course.
Music 1: Guitar
Students learn the principles of music through experience. While learning how to play the guitar students perform melody, harmony, rhythm and learn to read a guitar-based music notation as well as standard music notation. Students create short original pieces of music that they can play solo or as a group, and collaborate with each other to learn how to play together as an ensemble. They also learn the look and sound of all the primary instruments used in popular culture. Near the end of the term students research a musician who was fundamental to the development of American popular music as well as present a World Music project to highlight how music is performed and celebrated in cultures outside of the United States.
Fiber Arts
This art course requires hands-on art-making skills. Students will learn various traditional fiber arts techniques. They will develop a body of work that demonstrates understanding and proficiency in weaving, embroidery, sewing, and surface design (through silk painting and batik).
Visual Arts
Artists in this class will develop their observation and accuracy skills as they progress through a variety of classroom assignments: still life, perspective, portraiture, figure, and landscapes. They will build foundational skills and work towards mastery through watercolors and acrylic paints while also working to develop skills in a variety of other mixed media using the elements and principles of art and design. Artists will experiment with a large variety of art making media and techniques.
Printmaking
Students will learn a range of printmaking methods including frottage, reliefs, collagraphs, and lithography. Students are guided through a structural program which includes historical, cultural and conceptual aspects of printmaking.
Internship
Capstone
Robotics
Exploring Computer Science
Filmmaking