11th Grade Curriculum

Writing assignments will investigate definition essays, a science research paper, analytical, narrative non-fiction, and creative writing techniques. On average, assignments will be 4-5 typed pages. Students will keep a portfolio of work. All writing will be completed in class to avoid plagiarism; students will also be utilizing Turnitin.com. Timed writing assessments will also be used to practice for the SAT and ACT.

Grammar assignments will focus on parts of speech, usage, punctuation, and other grammatical necessities needed for writing excellent college entrance papers and retaining knowledge for the SAT. Grammar will be interactive through SMARTboard technology and assessed in conjunction with formal and informal writing assignments.

Literary assignments will aid in reading comprehension and retention. Also, students will be expected to: recognize major authors, periods, forms and works in American Literature; to create an understanding for the elements, style, and subjects of American Literature; to respond to literature through oral discussion; and to make connections between literature and history, culture, the arts, and language. Each Student will be required to read ONE AR book per semester. Juniors will read “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller and No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy.

An Advanced Placement course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts, and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects, as well as the way genre conventions and the resources of language contribute to effectiveness in writing. Students enrolled in AP classes are expected to take the cumulative exam in May, necessary to pass the class and earn college credit.

U.S. History is a one-year study of the foundations of our nation’s history. This class is designed to acquaint students with the major events and movements that have influenced our nation’s past. It traces the political, social, economic and cultural forces that have shaped American History from the colonial era through the present. Emphasis will be placed on selected topics such as the American Revolution, the Constitution period, the Industrial Revolution, Spanish-American War, Isolationism, the Era of Big Business, the Roaring Twenties, World War I, the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Cold War, the Sixties, and the Vietnam Era. Students should keep abreast with current events because many events of the past are related to what is taking place today and will be part of class discussion. We will analyze, interpret, evaluate, and apply data from primary and secondary sources, including government documents, cartoons, graphs, letters, and pictures to gain an understanding of events in our nation’s past.

Advanced Placement US History (APUSH) is a rigorous course that is designed to be the equivalent of a freshman college course. It is a two-semester chronological survey of American history from the age of exploration to the present with an emphasis on interpretation and analysis of the material by contemporary and modern historians. APUSH is considerably more demanding than the college preparatory equivalent in terms of ability, commitment, independent reading, and depth of focus.

The curriculum of this course requires students to utilize higher order thinking skills. Accordingly, students will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate primary and secondary sources in addition to memorizing, comprehending, and applying facts. Extensive independent reading is required. This course uses a college-level textbook with an advanced vocabulary and supplemental materials.

The course will be devoted to skills and strategies for taking the AP exam which is administered in May. Students are expected to take the AP exam in May to pass the class and earn college credit.

Physics is a laboratory science.  Physics is the study of the mechanical universe which involves the study of motion and forces, energy and power, vibrations and waves, and electromagnetism.  Using math, the language of physics, physicists describe relationships among the measurements that they make using equations.  The high school physics course introduces students to how the physical world behaves according to certain mathematical rules.  The goal of this course is to help students learn to gather data and to use it to develop equations describing the observed behavior.

Topics in physics include statics, kinematics, gravitation, momentum, rotational motion, energy and power, vibrations, waves (sound, light, mirrors, lenses), electricity and magnetism, quantum physics, and nuclear physics.

Honors students may be asked to complete challenging tasks specific to their class.

Pre-calculus is a program of mathematical studies focusing on the development of the student’s ability to understand and apply the study of functions and advanced mathematics concepts to solve problems.  The course will include an in-depth study of polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions.  Other topics studied are conic sections and polar curves.  Emphasis is placed on active participation through modeling, technology, group activities, and communication in mathematics.

Students are expected to use technology, including graphing calculators, computers, and data-gathering equipment throughout the course.

Algebra 2 content is organized around linear, quadratic, exponential, radical and rational functions.  In addition to new content, Algebra 2 includes numerous exercises involving geometry and trigonometry.  Preparation for SAT and ACT standardized is integrated into the curriculum.  Topics covered include Linear equations, functions, systems and matrices, Quadratic functions and factoring and rational exponents, functions and relations.

Economics is a year-long course introducing basic economic principles and current economic issues with a focus on the American economy. Students will examine components of the American economy such as supply, demand and price, competition, business and banking institutions. We will also examine issues related to the economy as a whole through employment and labor issues, the role of the government in the economy and selected topics on global economics.  Students will learn the importance of managing personal finances and planning for future financial security.

Spanish III is an interactive class. SMARTboard technology is incorporated to teach vocabulary, grammar, and communication skills.
 Vocabulary includes the correct use of vocabulary correlating with text book chapters
, the correct use of affirmative commands, use of direct and indirect object pronouns ( used separately and together ), use of past participles including select irregulars, use of the verb ‘haber’, use of present perfect sentence structure, preterit tense of select irregular verbs, use of present participles including select irregulars, use of pluperfect tense, normal ar/er/ir ending verbs in future tense (as well as select irregulars), normal ar/er/ir ending verbs in subjunctive tense (as well as select irregulars), and the correct use of passive voice.

Communication focuses on the ability to interpret verbal and non verbal cues to understand more complex spoken and written messages in Spanish. Students are required to provide impromptu information orally and in writing using familiar and newly acquired vocabulary and grammar in increasingly complex sentences in Spanish.

Psychology provides a solid overview of the field’s major domains: methods, biopsychology, cognitive and developmental psychology, and variations in individual and group behavior. By focusing on significant scientific research and on the questions that are most important to psychologists, students see psychology as an evolving science. Each topic clusters around challenge questions, such as “What is happiness?” Students answer these questions before, during, and after they interact with direct instruction.

Sociology examines why people think and behave as they do in relationships, groups, institutions, and societies.Major course topics include individual and group identity, social structures and institutions, social change, social stratification, social dynamics in recent and current events, the effects of social change on individuals, and the research methods used by social scientists.

In online discussions and polls, students reflect critically on their own experiences and ideas, as well as on the ideas of sociologists. Interactive multimedia activities include personal and historical accounts to which students can respond, using methods of inquiry from sociology. Written assignments provide opportunities to practice and develop skills in thinking and communicating about human relationships, individual and group identity, and all other major course topics.

French I teaches students to greet people, describe family and friends, talk about hobbies, and communicate about other topics, such as sports, travel, and medicine. Each lesson presents vocabulary, grammar, and culture in context, followed by explanations and exercises. Vocabulary includes terms to describe school subjects, parts of the body, and people, as well as idiomatic phrases. Instruction in language structure and grammar includes the verb system, adjective agreement, formal and informal address, reflexive verbs, and past tense. Students also gain an understanding of the cultures of French-speaking countries and regions within and outside Europe, as well as insight into Francophone culture and people.

The material in this course is presented at a moderate pace.

Creative Writing is an English elective course that focuses on the exploration of short fiction and poetry, culminating in a written portfolio that includes one revised short story and three to five polished poems. Students draft, revise, and polish fiction and poetry through writing exercises, developing familiarity with literary terms and facility with the writing process as they study elements of creative writing.

Elements of fiction writing explored in this course include attention to specific detail, observation, character development, setting, plot, and point of view. In the poetry units, students learn about the use of sensory details and imagery, figurative language, and sound devices including rhyme, rhythm and alliteration. They also explore poetic forms ranging from found poems and slam poetry to traditional sonnets and villanelles.