English
ELA 9
Ninth grade English is a comprehensive course that includes the study of literary genres, writing techniques and conventions, vocabulary development, and grammar. The goal of the course is to develop students' reading and writing skills and encourage an appreciation for literature. Students will engage in writing narrative, text-analysis response, expository, and source-based argument forms. As in all grades, daily writing experiences are essential for all ninth-grade students. They will develop as writers through participation in a writing process—prewriting, organizing, composing, revising, editing, and publishing.
ELA 10
Tenth grade English is a comprehensive course that builds upon the work and skills acquired in the 10th grade. In the 11th grade, students will be reading and analyzing texts built upon social justice. It is designed to give students in-depth exposure and practice with critical writing, reading, listening, speaking and thinking. The goal of the course is to develop students' reading and writing skills and encourage critical thinking, develop and form strong discussion and questioning techniques, an appreciation for literature, and learning to navigate through complex informational texts using the overarching theme of social justice.
ELA 11
This social justice course explores how laws, social structures, and history impact different communities. Rather than just memorizing historical events or civic rules, students analyze systemic inequalities and practice active problem-solving.
ELA 12
The 12th grade ELA course builds on the foundation of the 10th and 11th grade. Most of the students have passed the ELA regents exam. This class provides the students an opportunity to become more sophisticated readers and writers. There are two main areas that the course emphasizes, the first is literary analysis and the next is argumentative response. This course gives the student an opportunity to grapple with more complex literary techniques such as allusion, as well as continue to work with characterization and figurative language. The other major focus of the class is the continued work on how rhetoric determines the author's purpose. And how understanding rhetoric is the key to reading and writing argumentative essays and speeches.
AP Seminar
AP Seminar is a foundational course that engages students in cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. Using an inquiry framework, students practice reading and analyzing articles, research studies, and foundational, literary, and philosophical texts; listening to and viewing speeches, broadcasts, and personal accounts; and experiencing artistic works and performances. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources, develop their own perspectives in research-based written essays, and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team. Ultimately, the course aims to equip students with the power to analyze and evaluate information with accuracy and precision in order to craft and communicate evidence-based arguments. Course Framework The AP Seminar course is organized around five big ideas that form the QUEST framework; students will use this framework as they explore issues and topics throughout the course. In-class activities and homework assignments will focus on developing skills and meeting the end of course objectives that are tied to each of the following elements of the QUEST framework below:
- Q - Question and Explore
- U - Understand and Analyze
- E - Evaluate Multiple Perspectives
- S - Synthesize Ideas
- T - Team, Transform, and Transmit
AP Lit
AP English Literature and Composition is an introductory college-level literary analysis course. Students cultivate their understanding of literature through reading and analyzing texts as they explore concepts like character, setting, structure, perspective, figurative language, and literary analysis in the context of literary works.
AP Lang
The intense concentration on language use in this course should enhance the student's ability to use grammatical conventions both appropriately and with sophistication as well as to develop stylistic maturity in their prose. Stylistic development is nurtured by emphasizing the following:
- A wide range of Vocabulary
- A variety of sentence structures
- A logical organization, enhanced by specific techniques to increase coherence such as repetition, transition, and emphasis
- A balance of generalization and specific illustrative detail
- An effective use of rhetoric, including controlling tone, establishing and maintaining voice, and achieving appropriate emphasis through diction and sentence structure
AP African American Studies
AP African American Studies is a college-level course that explores the history, culture, and contributions of people of African descent from early African societies to the present. Through historical documents, literature, art, music, data, and scholarly research, students examine the formation of the African diaspora, the experiences of enslavement and resistance, the pursuit of freedom, and major social and political movements. The course builds skills in critical reading, source analysis, argumentation, and interdisciplinary research. Students also complete an Individual Student Project (ISP), conducting in-depth research on a topic of their choice related to African American life and experiences.
World Language
French 1
In French I students develop beginner fluency of the French language while exploring various cultural elements of the francophone (French-speaking) world. What students do in French I is similar to what they did in Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd grade.
French I is designed to...
Enable students to use French to communicate on a range of topics
Encourage an awareness and appreciation of a variety of perspectives of people from diverse cultures
Develop students’ understanding of the relationship between language and culture
Develop and expand students’ knowledge of other content areas (e.g. English, Math, Sciences, and Social Sciences) through their study of French
Use the inquiry process to create opportunities for students to develop of critical- and creative-thinking skills
Provide students with a basis for further study, work and leisure through the use of an additional language
Develop international-mindedness through the study of languages, cultures, and ideas and issues of global significance
Foster curiosity, creativity and a lifelong enjoyment of language learning
Social Studies
World History
We will be learning about significant events in World History, beginning with the world in 1750. This course will help you explore how revolutions, conflicts, innovations, and global interactions have shaped the modern world. We will explore key historical themes, including power, human rights, belief systems, political change, and globalization.
US History
In this course, students will explore the story of the United States from the founding of the nation to the present day. We will study how historical events, people, and ideas have shaped American democracy, society, and culture. Students will analyze how the Constitution has guided the nation through times of challenge and change and examine how citizens have worked to expand rights and freedoms for all. Understanding U.S. History helps students become informed, active citizens. By studying how the nation has grown and changed, students learn to think critically about issues facing our country today and their role in shaping its future The course emphasizes critical thinking, document analysis, and writing skills that prepare students for success on the NYS Regents Exam and in college-level history courses.
AP World History
Modern is an introductory college-level modern world history course. Students will cultivate their understanding of world history from c. 1200 CE to the present through analyzing historical sources and learning to make connections and craft historical arguments as they explore concepts like humans and the environment, cultural developments and interactions, governance, economic systems, social interactions and organization, and technology and innovation. Successful completion of the course satisfies the core social studies world history requirement for graduation.
AP US History
AP U.S. History is a college-level survey course that explores the history of the United States from pre-Columbian societies to the present. Students will develop a deep understanding of historical chronology, key events, themes, and trends, as well as the analytical skills needed for historical thinking. The course emphasizes critical reading of primary and secondary sources, evidence-based writing, and document analysis, preparing students for the AP U.S. History Exam.
Participation in Government
This twenty-week course is an exciting look into the foundations of our government, society, and the American political system. As a required course for graduation, Participation in Government brings local, state, and national politics to life. You will use this knowledge to make well-informed decisions as individuals and as members of a democratic society.
Economics
The Economics half of the course introduces the U.S. economic system with a focus on sustainable entrepreneurship — the process of turning ideas into opportunities. You'll study how businesses, governments, and consumers interact, and explore the moral and ethical dimensions of economic decision-making.
Science
Living Environment
The Living Environment Core Curriculum is expected to prepare students to understand and apply scientific concept principles and theories pertaining to the living environment and recognize the historical development of ideas in science. To attain this, the core addresses seven key ideas: similarity and differences among living and non-living things; inheritance of genetic information; changes of species and organisms over time; the continuity of life; dynamic equilibrium that sustains life; interdependence of plants and animals and their environment.
Chemistry
Chemistry is a course that provides students with qualified teachers to meet the needs of all students preparing for the upcoming NYS Chemistry Regents Examinations. Science instructors will work collaboratively to cover the material in the NYS Chemistry syllabus. This laboratory course is based on the New York State Chemistry Core Curriculum.Students will be prepared for the NYS Regents exam, which will be taken in June at the conclusion of the year. Students demonstrate their proficiency through examinations, laboratory activities, homework, projects, and class participation. This course concludes with the New York State Regents Examination in Chemistry.
Physics
Regents Physics is a full-year, laboratory-based science course aligned to the New York State Physical Setting/Physics Core Curriculum. The course emphasizes conceptual understanding, mathematical reasoning, and real-world applications of physics principles. Students engage in hands-on investigations, data analysis, and problem-solving to build a deep understanding of motion, forces, energy, electricity, waves, and modern physics.
AP Biology
AP Biology is an introductory college-level biology course. Students cultivate their understanding of biology through inquiry-based investigations as they explore topics like evolution, cellular processes, energy and communication, genetic information transfer, ecology, and interactions.
Math
Algebra
The fundamental purpose of this course is to formalize and extend the mathematics that students learned in the middle grades. Because it is built on the middle grades standards, this is a more ambitious version of Algebra I than has generally been offered. The units deepen and extend understanding of linear and exponential relationships by contrasting them with each other and by applying linear models to data that exhibit a linear trend, and students engage in methods for analyzing, solving, and using quadratic functions. The Mathematical Practice Standards apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations.
Geometry
The fundamental purpose of this course is to formalize and extend students’ geometric experiences from the middle grades. We will explore more complex geometric situations and deepen our explanations of geometric relationships, moving towards formal mathematical arguments. Students who are highly successful are those who are self-motivated, have good attendance patterns, complete homework assignments, and are willing to make mistakes. Throughout this course we will focus on the use of 8 mathematical practices during each lesson. Geometry is intended to be the second course in mathematics for high school students. During high school, students begin to formalize their geometry experiences from elementary and middle school, using more precise definitions to establish the validity of geometric conjectures through deduction, proof, or mathematical arguments. Over the years, students develop an understanding of the attributes and relationships of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes that can be applied in diverse contexts.
Algebra II
In this course, students will use their prior knowledge of Algebra to further their understanding. Students will go into more depth with functions they have previously learned, as well as be introduced to trigonometric and inverse functions. Students will master simplifying and solving complex expressions and equations. The objectives of this course are to describe variability in data and make informed decisions that take it into account, understand which statistics to compare, which plots to use, and what the results of a comparison might mean depending on the question to be investigated and the real-life actions to be taken, and recognize and model periodic phenomena as trigonometric functions.
Pre-Calculus
Pre-Calculus prepares students for AP Calculus and other college level mathematics courses. Through regular practice, students build deep mastery of modeling and functions, and they examine scenarios through multiple representations. The course framework delineates content and skills common to college Pre-Calculus courses that are foundational for careers in mathematics, physics, biology, health science, social science, and data science.
AP Calc AB
It’s been said that change is the only true constant. Calculus helps make sense of change by grappling with questions that inspire thinkers from around the globe, across time, and in many disciplines. Can change occur in an instant? When is the next solar eclipse or the turning point for an economy? In AP Calculus, you’ll develop a deeper understanding of mathematical principles that can help you answer questions such as these.
