Bowling Green High School

Bowling Green High School

Course Description Guide

2014-2015

Table of Contents

Language Arts…………………………….. 2

Foreign Language………………………… 4

Social Studies……………………………… 5

Mathematics………………………………. 7

Science……………………………….…….. 9

Physical Education……………...………… 11

Practical Arts…...………………………….. 13

Fine Arts…………………………………... 20

Other………………………………………. 22

Vo-Tech…….……………………………… 24

LANGUAGE ARTS

LANGUAGE ARTS 1 (Grade 9)

This course is designed for all students and will include the following areas of study: spelling, vocabulary, literature, grammar and composition. The focus will be on developing good communication skills as readers, writers, speakers, and listeners.

CREATIVE WRITING (Grades 9-12) Semester 1

Students in Creative Writing will explore various genres of writing, speaking, and listening. They will examine various styles of writing by reading well-known and not so well-known writers. Writing skills will be developed by daily writing activities. Students will be expected to share their work aloud with the class and critique self and peers.

THEATRE (Grades 9-12) Semester 2

Students in Theatre will learn the fundamentals of character analysis and stage movement. They will be introduced to the technical aspects of staging productions. Students will perform improvisations and short memorized scenes. Some credit in the class may be established by participation in the school drama productions and/or speech team during the semester of enrollment in the class.

PUBLICATIONS (Grades 10-12)

Publications is a co-curricular class, meaning that some of the assigned work must be done outside of the school day and the building. Members of this class produce the Speaker, the high school yearbook, and may contribute to the production of the Bobcaster, the high school newspaper. Students are expected to work on both publications, writing stories, headlines, and captions, taking and processing photographs, laying out pages, selling ads, selling books, doing clinical work as needed, and doing all the other things necessary to produce a yearbook and up to 15 issues of a newspaper.

LANGUAGE ARTS 2 (Grade 10)

This course is designed for all students and includes the study of grammar, vocabulary, composition, world literature, and short stories. In grammar, the focus is on usage for writing effective sentences, paragraphs, essays, and compositions. As in Language Arts 1, students will continue to develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills

LANGUAGE ARTS 3 (Grade 11)

Students in Language Arts 3 continue to increase and refine their communication skills. Students plan, draft and complete compositions on a regular basis. Teachers and students work together to revise and edit their papers for effective use of the six traits of writing to produce final, error-free drafts. Language Arts 3 students read extensively in multiple genres. Students read to appreciate literature; to refine their comprehension, fluency and vocabulary; and to obtain information. Students will produce and respond to a variety of media, refining their speaking, listening and critical thinking skills. A variety of formal and informal tools is employed to evaluate student progress and to plan for instruction and learning.

AMERICAN LITERATURE (Grade 11) Weighted

American Literature is a weighted survey of literature (fiction and non-fiction) in America from Colonial times to the near present. It includes detailed studies of six literacy movements, the works associated with those movements, and the philosophical bases for those movements. The course includes a close reading of two novels, including a classic of the student’s choice and “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Academic Writing, correct usage, and advanced vocabulary are also emphasized.

AMERICAN LITERATURE (Dual Credit) (Grade 11) Weighted

PRE-REQUISITE: Minimum GPA of 3.0

DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE

LANGUAGE ARTS 4 (Grade 12)

Students will learn the essentials for communicating in today’s workplace. Oral communication skills, personal responsibility, written communication skills, and critical thinking/problem solving will be areas of emphasis. Familiarity with computer technology will be helpful in this course.

SENIOR COMPOSITION (Grade 12)

Senior Composition is an elective senior English class which emphasizes the major modes of disclosure in academic writing. The purpose of the class is to polish composition skills, hone reading skills and explore literature. Students will be asked to read four books per semester in particular categories and at specific levels, asked to read non-fiction works at grade level, and asked to produce a portfolio reflecting that material and other work per semester. Students will also be taught a useful method for producing research papers and will develop vocabulary skills.

PRE-REQUISITE: American Literature or Language Arts 3

SENIOR COMPOSITION (Dual Credit) (Grade 12)

PRE-REQUISITE: American Literature or Language Arts and 3.0 Minimum GPA

DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE

COMMUNICATIONS (Grade 10-12) Semester 1

This course is designed to acquaint the student with basic fundamentals of public speaking and to give a variety of speech experiences with which they can perfect their abilities in this field. Students may be given the option of establishing some credit in the class through participation in speech contests during the semester of their enrollment. Everyone must speak in the class and everyone will perform for an audience besides their classmates.

DEBATE (Grade 10-12) Semester 2

Students in this class will carefully examine and participate in the persuasion process. They will research key current events, as well as learn/practice debate and group discussion skills, and parliamentary procedures.

PRE-REQUISITE: Communications

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

SPANISH 1 (Grades 9-12)

The elements of Spanish are presented. By the end of the year, the student should have a firm grasp of Spanish grammar and a basic vocabulary. The student should be able to express thoughts in the language at the elementary level. A variety of cultural material is presented.

SPANISH 2 (Grades 10-12)

Spanish 2 is a continuation from Spanish 1. The students’ Spanish grammar is refined and their vocabulary greatly enriched. The student will begin writing compositions and participating in Spanish conversations on various topics.

PRE-REQUISITE: Spanish 1

SPANISH 3 (Grades 11-12) Weighted

Spanish 3 is a continuation of Spanish 2. Student will be introduced to the subjunctive and perfect tenses in Spanish. Emphasis will be on reading and writing using a variety of verb tenses. Spanish conversation will also be strongly emphasized.

PRE-REQUISITE: Spanish 1, 2.

A minimum of a C– in Spanish 2 is recommended for success in Spanish 3.

SPANISH 4 (Grade 12) Weighted

Spanish 4 is a continuation of Spanish 3. Student will continue working with the present subjunctives as well as learning the future and past subjunctive. Emphasis will be on reading and writing using a variety of verb tenses. Spanish conversation will be strongly emphasized. In addition, Spanish will be used daily in the classroom in lieu of English except in cases of presenting new grammar materials.

PRE-REQUISITE: Spanish 1, 2, 3.

A minimum of a C– in Spanish 3 is recommended for success in Spanish 4.

SOCIAL STUDIES

AMERICAN HISTORY (Grade 9)

This course surveys the history of the United States from the Civil War to present day. Major political, social, and economic trends are covered. Emphasis is given to the emergence of the United States as a world power, concepts of economics and a review of Constitutional ideas.

CONTEMPORARY ISSUES (Grades 9-12) Semester 1

This class is based on what is currently happening in politics, sports, the arts & various other subjects. The textbook for the class is various online periodicals and newspapers. It will keep students up-to-date on the latest events.

GEOGRAPHY (Grades 9-12) Semester 2

This course deals with maps and the different political, geographical, economical aspects of countries including North and South America, Europe, and Asia.

WORLD HISTORY (Grade 10)

This course studies ancient Greece and Rome, and then focuses on ancient civilizations and medieval cultures. Concentration begins with Renaissance Europe and the Age of Discovery. The rise of modern nations, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the American and French Revolutions and world wars are significant topics. Asian and African history are studied as they interface with Western culture but also as discrete topics.

LAW AND YOU (Grades 10-12) Semester 1

This course studies crime in America and how our society deals with those who break its laws. Topics studied will include an examination of civil and criminal law, constitutional law, individual rights, theories of the causes of criminal behavior, the structure and function of the legal system, and examination of the penal system, and the roles of police, attorneys, and judges. The course will introduce landmark decisions, case studies, and guest speakers. This course will provide for individual research.

MISSOURI HISTORY (Grades 10-12) Semester 2

This class studies prehistoric Missouri, migration and settlement of the various Indians of Missouri, exploration by the Spanish and French fur trades, early settlement by Southerners, statehood, elections significant to Missouri, the Mormons, politics, slavery, and the Civil War, the development of Missouri’s educational system and local history. The government of Missouri and it’s constitution are emphasized.

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT (Grade 11-12)

This course explains how the American governmental system is organized, the ways in which this system is controlled by the American people, and the ways in which the government functions. The U.S. Constitution will be studied in this course.

SOCIOLOGY (Grades 11-12) Semester 2

Sociology is the study of human behavior, social groups & society. This course covers people’s interactions with family, religion, work, peers & the mass media. How do these institutions shape our society? Specific topics include crime, ethnicity, race, social class and gender relationships.

SOCIOLOGY (Dual Credit) (Grades 11-12) Semester 2 Weighted

DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE and a minimum of 3.0 GPA

PSYCHOLOGY (Grades 11-12) Semester 1

Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. Students can investigate what causes their own behavior and behavior of people with mental disorders. Topics studied include the learning process, motivation and emotion, altered states of consciousness (dreams, drugs, meditation), stress, and abnormal behavior (phobias, post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia).

PSYCHOLOGY (Dual Credit) (Grades 11-12) Semester 1 Weighted

DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE and a minimum of 3.0 GPA

MATHEMATICS

ALGEBRA 1-A (Grade 9-10)

An introduction to Algebra including sets, real numbers, solving and graphing linear equations. The course is equivalent to first semester of Algebra 1.

ALGEBRA 1-B (Grade 9-10)

A continuation of Algebra 1-A. This course takes the concepts of graphing and solving equations and applies them to inequalities, systems of equations, quadratics, exponentials and polynomial functions. The course is equivalent to second semester of Algebra 1.

ALGEBRA 1 (Grade 9)

An introduction of sets, real numbers, and solving equations. It is an in-depth study of the operations of the numbers of arithmetic.

INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA (Grades 10-12)

This course is a continuation of the concepts presented in Algebra 1. Topics include, but are not limited to, solving equations, solving systems of equations, applying mathematical properties to solve problems.

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 1

GEOMETRY (Grades 9-12)

A study of geometric theorem and proof with practical application, study of basic radicals, introduction to trig functions, area and volume.

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 1 or Intermediate Algebra

ALGEBRA 2 (Grades 10-12) Weighted

A continuation of the concepts of Algebra 1 including solving equations, systems of equations, logarithms, discrete math, quadratics, etc. Upon successful completion of Algebra 2, students may take Trigonometry, Statistics, College Algebra or Financial Literacy.

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 1 and Geometry.

ALGEBRA 3 (Grades 11-12) Weighted

A study of linear, quadratic and higher degree equations, matrices, and exponential and logarithmic functions. Students in this course will use graphing calculators frequently.

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 2

COLLEGE ALGEBRA (Dual Credit)(Grades 11-12) Semester 1 Weighted

A study of linear, quadratic and higher degree equations, matrices, and exponential and logarithmic functions. Students in this course will use graphing calculators frequently. This course will be taught by an adjunct professor from Missouri Baptist University.

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 2 and 3.0 GPA.

A minimum of a C– in Algebra 2 is recommended for success in College Algebra.

DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE

TRIGONOMETRY (Grades 11-12) Semester 2 Weighted

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 2

A minimum of a C– in Algebra 2 is recommended for success in Trigonometry.

TRIGONOMETRY (Dual Credit) (Grades 11-12) Semester 2 Weighted

A study of the six circular and trigonometric functions, their graphs and their inverses. Especially helpful for those majoring in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Computers, Pre-Med, Engineering and Math. This course will be taught by an adjunct professor from Missouri Baptist University.

PRE-REQUISITE: Algebra 2 and 3.0 GPA.

A minimum of a C– in Algebra 2 is recommended. DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE

STATISTICS (Grades 11-12) Semester 2 Weighted