2012-2013 Course Objectives
English 4 CP (Semester 1 & 2) World Literature and Composition
English 4 is a year course in world literature and composition. Emphasis may be on
British literature. Students will read and analyze works of world literature from a variety
of authors and genres. They will contrast major literary forms, techniques, and
characteristics of the major literary periods and they will relate the literary works and
authors to the major themes and issues of these eras. Emphasis in the writing process is
on the essay, research paper, and analysis of themes in the literature. This course will
reinforce spelling, mechanics and grammar as each student advances through the prewriting, writing, revising, and publishing stages of essay development. Students will
create descriptive, evaluative, and informative essays, as well as complete a research
project. Students will respond orally to the literature in all genres and give a year-end
oral presentation that summarizes their work over the year.
Suggested curriculum:
Student, in conjunction with the IS teacher, may choose from either a packaged
curriculum (online) , or from the required text and additional key assignments
option. These courses are University of California a-g approved.
Online course option
These are packaged curricula. Students are expected to follow the course syllabus and
complete the course over the duration of a school year. Any online/packaged course
must include online teacher support.
•National University Virtual High School English 12 AB
•Apex Learning: British and World Literature
Economics CP (Semester 1 & 2)
Students will master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics,
equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of operations and institutions of
economic systems. Studied in a historical context are the basic economic principles of micro
and macroeconomics, international economics, comparative economic systems, measurement
and methods.
U.S. Government CP (Semester 1 & 2)
This course will enable students to pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of
American Government. They will do an-in-depth study of the system of government in the
world today and analyze the life and changing interpretations of the Constitutions, the Bill of
Rights, and the current state of the legislative, executive and judiciary branches of government.
An emphasis is placed on analyzing the relationship among federal, state, and local
governments. This course seeks to create civic literacy as students prepare to vote, participate
in community activities and assume the responsibilities of citizenship.
Primary Textbooks
Title: Magruder’s American Government (California Edition)
ISBN: 0131335790
Edition:
Publication Date: 2006
Publisher: Prentice Hall
Author(s): William A. McClenaghan
URL Resource(s):
http://www.phschool.com/webcodes10/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.gotoWebCode&wcprefix=mqk&wcsuffix=1000.
Design: Creation of Artifacts in Society (Semester 1)
University of Pennsylvania—Concurrent enrollment course taught by Professor Karl T. Ulrich via Coursera https://www.coursera.org/.
This is a course aimed at making you a better designer. The course marries theory and practice, as both are valuable in improving design performance. Lectures and readings will lay out the fundamental concepts that underpin design as a human activity. Weekly design challenges test your ability to apply those ideas to solve real problems. The course is deliberately broad - spanning all domains of design, including architecture, graphics, services, apparel, engineered goods, and products. The emphasis of the course is the basic design process: define, explore, select, and refine. You, the student, bring to the course your particular interests and expertise related to, for instance, engineering, furniture, fashion, architecture, or products.
Learn more:
https://www.coursera.org/course/design
Academic Readings for 2012 - 2013:
- Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass (Fall)
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Winter)
- Beowulf (Early Spring)
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (Spring/Conclusion)
Supplemental Readings for 2012 - 2013:
- The Iliad of Homer
- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
- Net Smart by Howard Rheingold
- Art of War by Sun Tzu, translated with a
Historical Introduction by Ralph D. Sawyer