Hancock Central School High School
Course Selection Guidebook
Updated May 2012
Hancock Central School District
67 Education Lane
Hancock, New York, 13783
Table of Contents
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….3
Graduation Requirements…...... 4
English…………………………………………………………………………………….5
Mathematics……………………………………………………………………………….7
Science…………………………………………………………………………………….9
Social Studies…………………………………………………………………………….11
Spanish…………………………………………………………………………………...12
Electives………………………………………………………………………………….14
Introduction
The Hancock Central School District believes that every child can learn and challenges all students to reach their full potential in a caring and supporting environment. We believe that all students can learn and should have the opportunity for continuous improvement of existing skills and acquisition of new skills in a rapidly changing world. One of the ways we hope to attain this is through our high school course offerings. This handbook is designed to help familiarize students with the courses offered at HCS and introduce them to the topics of material that will be covered. For new students it will help familiarize them with the district, and for returning students it will allow them to see the course options available to meet the high school graduation requirements.
Graduation Requirements
Regents Diploma:
22 credits, to include a minimum of the following:
4 credits of English
4 credits of Social Studies
3 credits of Mathematics
3 credits of Science
1 credit of Foreign Language
1 credit of Art/Music Elective
2 credits of Physical Education (0.5 credits each full year)
½ credit of Health
In addition, the follow Regents Examinations must be completed with a minimum score of 65:
1 Science Regents Exam (Earth Science, Living Environment, Chemistry, or Physics)
Global Studies Regents Exam
1 Mathematics Regents Exam (Algebra, Geometry, or Algebra/Trigonometry)
English Regents Exam
United States History & Government Regents Exam
Advanced Regents Diploma:
22 credits, to include a minimum of the following:
4 credits of English
4 credits of Social Studies
3 credits of Mathematics
3 credits of Science
3 credits of Foreign Language
1 credit of Art/Music Elective
2 credits of Physical Education (0.5 credits each full year)
½ credit of Health
In addition, the follow Regents Examinations must be completed with a minimum score of 65:
2 Science Regents Exams (Earth Science, Living Environment, Chemistry, or Physics)
Global Studies Regents Exam
3 Mathematics Regents Exams (Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra/Trigonometry)
English Regents Exam
United States History & Government Regents Exam
Spanish Regional Exam
English
English 9 (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores concepts including: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Third Course as their principle text. Here they will explore short stories, poetry, mythology and various forms of nonfiction. In addition, students will be expected to read one of the following novels: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan or The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Students will also explore drama through the use of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
English 9 Honors (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores concepts including: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Third Course as their principle text. Here they will explore short stories, poetry, mythology and various forms of nonfiction. In addition, students will be expected to read one of the following novels: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan or The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton. Students will also explore drama through the use of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. This course is faster paced and requires critical thinking skills and the ability to write effectively and for a wide variety of audiences and purposes. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
English 10 (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores concepts including: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Fourth Course as their principle text. Here they will explore short stories, poetry, and various forms of nonfiction including but not limited to essays, biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs. In addition, students will be expected to read the following novels: The Pearl by John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
English 10 Honors (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores the concepts of reading, writing, discussion, language use, and vocabulary development through the study of literature. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Fourth Course as their principle text. Here students will explore plays, short stories, poetry, and various forms of nonfiction. Students will be asked to read the following novels: The Pearl by John Steinbeck, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer, Funny in Farsi by Firoozeh Dumas, and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This course is faster paced and requires critical thinking skills and the ability to write effectively and for a wide variety of audiences and purposes. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
English 11 (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores concepts including: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Fifth Course as their principle text. Here they will explore short stories, poetry, and various forms of nonfiction including by not limited to essays, biographies, and memoirs. This course focuses its attention on American Literature. In addition, students will be expected to read the following drama/novels: The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Swallowing Stones by Joyce McDonald, Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, Night by Elie Wiesel and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. Students must take the Comprehensive English Regents Examination at the conclusion of this year.
English 11 Honors (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores the concepts of reading, writing, discussion, language use, and vocabulary development through the study of literature. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Fifth Course as their principal text. Here students will explore plays, short stories, poetry, and various forms of nonfiction. This course focuses its attention on American Literature. Students will be asked to read the following novels: The Crucible by Arthur Miller, Night by Elie Wiesel, Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This course is faster paced and requires critical thinking skills and the ability to write effectively and for a wide variety of audiences and purposes. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. Students must take the Comprehensive English Regents Examination at the conclusion of this year.
English 12: (1.0 Credit, 1 Year)
This course explores concepts including: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will be using Elements of Literature: Sixth Course as their principle text. Here they will explore short stories, poetry, and various forms of nonfiction. This course focuses its attention on British Literature. In addition, students will be expected to read the following texts: selections of The Canterbury Tales, excerpts of “Beowulf”, The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien, and Ethan Frome by Edith Warton. Students will also explore drama through the use of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
College English 101 (0.5 Credits, 1/2 Year)
This is an introduction to college writing done through the reviewing of essay components and structure. Students are to refine their mastery of Standard English by writing narrative essays that demonstrate college-level thesis construction and execution. This is a distance learning course done through video teleconference with a teacher based at another school district, using the curriculum from SUNY Morrisville’s Introduction to College Writing class. Upon successful completion students can earn three college credits.
College English 102 (0.5 Credits, 1/2 Year)
This is an introduction to college composition and research. Students practice modes of rhetoric by writing expository essays, culminating in an argumentative research project. This is a distance learning course done through video teleconference with a teacher based at another school district, using the curriculum from SUNY Morrisville’s Composition and Research class. Upon successful completion students can earn three college credits.
Journalism (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)
This course is designed to integrate classroom learning and teamwork with publishing and technology. Students will be working in InDesign, PhotoShop, and digital cameras. The text is McDougal Littell’s Introduction to Journalism. In addition for the first seven weeks of the course you will receive a daily copy of The New York Times. During the year in journalism students will work to publish a minimum of four issues (typically producing five) of Cat Tales. This is a student newspaper that advocates the principles of free speech, free expression and open discussion. In addition, students are to complete a daily log sheet and a self-assessment every five weeks, as there are no texts and quizzes and grades are determined based upon agreement between teacher and student.
SAT Prep English (0.25 Credits, 1 Year)
This course is designed to assist students who are planning on taking the SAT’s at the end of the academic year. No formal assessments are given however, practice sections of the exam are to be completed as assigned in preparation for the SAT’s. Students need to be self-motivated and willing to put forth effort to improve their mathematical thinking and reasoning skills.
Mathematics
Integrated Algebra 1A (1.0 Credits, 1Year)
This course is the first course of a two year program designed to prepare students for the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam. This course explores concepts including: sets, solving equations in the context of real world problems, and the role of polynomials and their operations. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
Integrated Algebra 1B (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)
This course is the second course of a two year program designed to prepare students for the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam. This course offers a comprehensive review of the concepts covered in Integrated Algebra 1A and introduces new concepts to complete the curriculum. Additional topics covered include: exponential growth and decay, linear regression, quadratic linear systems, an introduction to probability/statistics and real-life applications of mathematics. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. Students will take the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam in June at the conclusion of this course.
Integrated Algebra 1 Regents (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)
This course will cover sets, solving linear equations, both algebraically and graphically. The role of polynomials and their operations will be discussed. An introduction to probability and statistics will be covered. Students will also explore exponential growth and decay, linear regression, quadratic linear systems and real life applications of mathematics. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. Students will take the Integrated Algebra Regents Exam in June at the conclusion of this course.
Geometry (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)
This is the second course in New York State’s three year Integrated Algebra, Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry sequence. This class will meet New York State’s curriculum requirements by exploring topics, theories, and applications of higher order mathematics. Students will have the opportunity to explore an integrated approach to the study of geometric relationships. Students will investigate properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles; formal and informal proofs; transformational and coordinate geometry and logic. This course is designed to help students develop an understanding of how reasoning and proof are fundamental aspects of mathematics. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. Students will take the New York State Geometry Regents Exam in June at the conclusion of this course.
Algebra II and Trigonometry (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)
This is the third level New York State Regents Math course. The course teaches intermediate algebra topics including the study of polynomial, exponential and logarithmic functions. The trigonometric functions are introduced through the study of the unit circle. Trigonometric graphs, identities and equations are developed. In addition the topics of standard deviation, the normal distribution and binomial probability are introduced. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. Students will take the New York State Algebra II and Trigonometry Regents Exam in June at the conclusion of this course.
Precalculus AB (A is 0.5 Credit, 1/2 Year and B is 0.5 Credit, 1/2 Year)
This course advances the student of functions from analytical, graphical, numerical and verbal perspectives. The functions studied include polynomial, rational, trigonometric, exponential and logarithmic. The course also contains the study of vectors, matrices, fractal geometry and polar and parametric representations. The students will be assessed through tests, quizzes, homework, and participation. There will be a final exam at the conclusion of this course.
AP Calculus (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)
This course studies differential and integral calculus. It is equivalent to a first year college calculus course. It focuses on techniques and applications of derivatives and integrals including separable differential equations. A complete outline of the topics and information can be found at http://apcentral.collegeboard.com. The students may be awarded college credit based on their score on the Advanced Placement test taken in May.
Math Using Technology (0.5 Credits, 1 Year)
This course focuses on the use of the graphing calculator in Algebra I topics. Students learn to use the tool as a method of solving and checking their work. The use of the calculator deepens and reinforces the material taught in Algebra I. The course should be taken concurrently with Algebra I. The students are assessed through quizzes, classwork, homework, and participation.
Mathematical Applications (1.0 Credits, 1 Year)