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Upper School Curriculum Guide 2017-18 - Sidwell …...• Only one normally graded course may be...

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UpperSchoolCurriculumGuide2017-18

Updated2/3/17

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TableofContents

RequirementsforGraduation........................................................................................................3CommunityService........................................................................................................................5AddingandDroppingCourses.......................................................................................................6Pass/Fail........................................................................................................................................6Examinations.................................................................................................................................7GradesandReportCards..............................................................................................................7Interims.........................................................................................................................................7TranscriptRequests.......................................................................................................................7LearningIssues..............................................................................................................................8AcademicProbation......................................................................................................................8CourseOfferingsbyDepartment................................................................................................10Arts.............................................................................................................................................10English........................................................................................................................................20History.........................................................................................................................................23Mathematics..............................................................................................................................33ModernandClassicalLanguages................................................................................................39SchoolYearAbroad......................................................................................................................51Science........................................................................................................................................52ComputerScienceProgram.........................................................................................................58

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REQUIREMENTSFORGRADUATION

ThecurriculumatSidwellFriendsSchoolisdesignedtoprovideallstudentswiththeeducationessential to their intellectual and personal development. While all students fulfill the samerequirements,individualdifferencesandthepursuitofspecificinterestsareincorporatedintotheprogram.Acompletionofaminimumof20creditsandsuccessfulcompletionofthephysicaleducation,workprogram,communityservice,andseniorprojectsrequirementsarenecessaryforaSidwellFriendsSchooldiploma.Studentsmay takeamaximumof six courses,provided that thesixthcourse is in theartsorcomputerscience.Eachstudentmustbeenrolledinatleastfourcreditcourseseachsemestertobeconsideredafull-timestudent. Studentsenrolledintwoormorecoursesfromanyonediscipline need the approval of the department and the Academic Dean. A Sidwell FriendsSchool transcript representsworkcompletedatorundertheauspicesof theSchool;credit isnotawardedforcoursesinprogramsnotsanctionedbytheSchool. In9thand10thgrades,allstudents must enroll in the following five course subjects: English, Modern and ClassicalLanguages,Mathematics,ScienceandHistory.Each student is required to completeminimum proficiency levels in the followingdisciplines:Arts, English, Mathematics, Modern and Classical Languages, Science and History. Therequirementswithinthedisciplinesrepresentaminimumlevelofwork;studentsarestronglyencouraged to pursue one or more areas in greater depth beyond the requirements. Theminimumrequirementsforeachdisciplineareasfollows:ARTS:TwoyearsofArts.

Studentshaveuntiltheendof10thgradetocompletethefirstyearoftherequirement;thesecondyearofArtsmustbecompletedbytheendofthe12thgrade.

ENGLISH:FouryearsofEnglish.HISTORY:ThreeyearsofHistory.

All students are required to take TheWest and theWorld in the 9th grade, RegionalStudiesinthe10thgrade,andHistoryoftheUnitedStatesorAmericanStudiesinthe11thgrade. Exceptions are onlymade for studentswhoare attending School YearAbroadandapprovedsemesterprograms,whomaytakeHistoryoftheUnitedStatesinthe12thGrade or in Summer Studies. Any rising 11th grader may take History of the UnitedStates in SummerStudies in the summerpreceding11th gradewithapproval from theAcademicDeaninconsultationwiththeHistoryDepartmentHead.

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MATHEMATICS:ThreeyearsofMathematics.

Allstudentsmusttakemathduringthe9th,10thand11thgradeyears.Theclassesthatsatisfythisrequirementmaynotbetakenpass/fail.

MODERNANDCLASSICALLANGUAGES:TwoyearsofaModernorClassicallanguage.

Studentsarerequiredtotaketwosequentialyearsof thesame language intheUpperSchool.

SCIENCE:TwoyearsofScience.

Twoyearsrequired,tobecompletedinthe9thand10thgrade.PHYSICALEDUCATION:CompletionofthePErequirementasdescribedhere.

Theprogramoperatesonatrimestersystembasedonthefall,winterandspringathleticseasons. Ninth, tenth, and eleventh grade studentsmust pass all three seasons eachyear. Twelfth grade students must pass two seasons. Grading will be based onattendance,attitude,andeffort.Astudentmustparticipateinaminimumof80%ofallclassestoreceivecreditfortheseason.Any12thgradestudentswithmorethantwoF’stomakeupduringtheir12thgradeyearwillnotreceiveadiplomauntilthecompletionofthe physical education requirements the summer following graduation. A fullerexplanationofphysicaleducationandathleticrequirementsmaybeobtainedfromtheathleticdepartment.

9thGRADESTUDIES:

Thiscourse,requiredofall9thgraders,meetsonceaweekthroughouttheschoolyear.Itis graded Pass/Fail and requires occasionalwork outside of class. The course coversissues related to the following topics: transition toUpperSchool, stressmanagement,social justice, economic diversity, drugs, alcohol, sex and sexuality, and responsibledecision-making. The use of Quaker methods and the study of Quaker themes areinterwoven throughout the curriculum as well as the emphasis on listening skills andgroupwork.

COMMUNITYSERVICE:Requirementasoutlinedinthenextsection.

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COMMUNITYSERVICE

Every Sidwell Friends Upper School student is expected to have significant exposure tocommunity service opportunities as a requirement for graduation. To build camaraderiearoundservice, therearegroupcommunityserviceobligations for9thgradestudents. All9thgrade studentsparticipate in three serviceactivities in small groups forwhich transportationand faculty supervision are provided. Students who fail to fulfill these expectations mustcomplete10hoursofindependentserviceoverthesummerbeforebeginningtheirnextschoolyear.Inadditiontothegroupprojects,everystudent isexpectedtoperforman individualized,off-campus service internship. The project should involve our student working directly with anindividualoragroupofpeoplethataredisabledordisadvantaged insomeway. Thisservicemay be performed during free periods of the school day, after school, onweekends, duringschoolyearvacations,orduringthesummer.Thisservicemust:

• beperformedoutsideoftheSidwellFriendsSchoolcommunity;• beasteadyinvolvementinoneactivity,orparticipationinmorethanoneworkcamp;• beaminimumof60hoursduringonecalendaryear,orovertwoconsecutivesummers,

upto10hoursofwhichcanbenecessarytrainingandpreparation.• beperformedduringthe9th,10th,or11thgradeyear(completedbeforeOpeningDayof

the12thgradeyear,butnotbeforethestartofthe9thgrade);• becompletedbyallnewstudentsenteringafter9thgradewhohavenotmetthe

requirementduringtheirtenureatanotherschool;• offernoacademiccredit;• benon-paying,volunteerwork;• beperformedforanindividualoracommunitywhoseculture/circumstancesis/are

differentfromthestudent’s;• provideregular,directinteractionwiththedisadvantagedindividualorpopulationbeing

served;• beapprovedbytheDirectorofCommunityService,andsubjecttoreviewbythe

CommunityServiceAdvisoryCommitteeasnecessaryBEFOREtheprojectisbegun;• beevaluatedbythestudentandtheprojectsupervisorattheconclusionoftheproject

usingtheproperforms.

In addition, students must return their Community Service Contract, which outlines anddescribestheirserviceproject,bytheendof10thgrade.ExamplesofvolunteerworkthatmightbequiteworthwhilebutdoNOTmeettheseguidelinesinclude:SundaySchoolteachingatyourownchurch;CampCounselorfor“mainstream”children;clericalorofficework;museumwork;animal protection; environmental work without personal application to individual orcommunity needs; medical or scientific research without immediate, direct application toindividualorcommunityneeds;workingforapoliticalcandidateoroffice-holder;workingfor

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groupswhoseprogramsareinconsistentwithFriends’Testimonies.Occasionalexceptionsaremadetocertainof theaboveguidelineswhenaworthwhileprojectrequires it. Requests forexceptionsarereviewedbytheDirectorof theServiceLearningProgramandtheCommunityServiceAdvisoryCommittee.

ADDING/DROPPINGCOURSES

• Alladds,drops,orchangesincoursesmustbemadethroughtheAcademicDeanusing

theDrop/AddFormthatcanbedownloadedfromthewebsite.• Studentsmaynotaddanewcoursetotheirprogramaftertheendofthefirstweekof

theyear(orofthesemester,forasemestercourse).• Studentsmaynot choose to drop a year-long course after the first twoweeks of the

yearorasemester-longcourseafterthefirsttwoweeksoftheterm.(Insomerareandextreme circumstances such as a documented health emergency, theAcademicDeanand Upper School Principal may allow a course to be dropped after this two-weekperiod. In such cases, a WP - withdrawn passing or a WF - withdrawn failing - asappropriatewillbeenteredonthestudent’stranscriptandnocreditforthecoursewillbegranted.

• Ifthecourseplacement,asdeterminedbythedepartment,issubsequentlydeemedbythe department and the Academic Dean to need adjustment, a student’s courseassignmentcanbechangedbytheAcademicDean.Anysuchchangesmadethroughthefirstquarterwillnotappearonthetranscript.SuchchangesmadethereafterwillappearonthetranscriptasaWPoraWFasappropriate.

• Allchangesinacourseofstudyfor12thgradestudentswillbereportedtothecollegestowhichthatstudenthasappliedoratwhichthatstudenthasbeenaccepted.

• TheSchoolreservestherighttocancelacoursewhenthenumberofstudentsregisteredforthatcourseisfewerthanten.

PASS/FAILOPTION

• Pass/FailOption:Inordertoencouragestudentstotakecoursesinareasofstudythatarenewtothem,orinwhichtheymayfeeluncertain,thereisapass/failoption.

• Thestudentmustdeclarehis/herintentionofusingthepass/failoptionbythedeadlinefordroppingcoursesineachsemester.

• Astudentmustbeenrolledinaminimumoffourclasses(excludingArtsandComputerScience)toexercisethisoption.

• Onlyonenormallygradedcoursemaybetakenonapass/failbasispersemester.• Coursesrequiredforgraduationmaynotbetakenonapass/failoptionbasiswiththe

exceptionofthosecoursesdesignatedaspass/failintheCurriculumGuide.

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• Onceastudentdeclaresthepass/failoptionforacourse,thestudentmaynotsubsequentlyrescindthatoptioninthatsemester.

EXAMINATIONS

Inmost instances, studentswill takeexaminations in theirmajor subjectsat theendofeachsemester.Inthespring,12thgradestudentswillhaveaseparateexaminationtime.Examsarescheduledfortwohours.Thescheduleforexaminations(duringwhichtimetherearenoclasses)will be posted in advance. If a student has a conflict in scheduling exams, he or she shouldschedule a make-up exam with the Academic Dean. Except under the most unusualcircumstances,studentsmustmeetthepublishedexaminationschedule.Absenceforvacationtravelisnotconsideredanadequatereasontoadjusttheexamschedule.Anexceptioncanbemadeonlywith thepermissionof thePrincipalorAcademicDean.Themake-upday isoftenused for rescheduling exams due to inclement weather. Students must be available on thisregularschooldaytomake-upexamscancelledduetoinclementweather.

GRADESANDREPORTCARDSReportcardsarepostedonEducatorOnlineviatheParentandStudentPortalsapproximatelytwoweeks after themarking period ends. Reports at the end of the first and third quarterscontainagraderangewithacommentand indicatewhetherornotastudent’sperformanceandeffortaresatisfactory.Reportcardsforfirstandsecondsemesterwillincludelettergrades(A-F)earned inallmajor subjects, reflecting the teacher’sevaluationof thestudent’swrittenandoralworkthroughoutthesemesterandhis/herworkonthesemesterexamination,ifoneisgiven.CommentsarewrittenattheendofthefirstsemesterbutareoptionalattheendoftheschoolyearinJuneunlessthestudentearnsagradeofC-orbelowinthecourseand/oraC-orbelowonthefinalexam.Semestergradesarerecordedseparatelyonthetranscriptandarenotaveragedtocreateafinalgradefortheyear.

INTERIMSInterim reports are posted on EducatorOnlinewhen a teacher believes that communicationbeyond thequarterly report card isappropriate. Anemailnotification is sent to the studentandparentswhenaninterimisposted.

TRANSCRIPTREQUESTSOfficialTranscript-Officialtranscriptrequestsmustbemadeoneweekinadvanceandinwritingtotheregistrar.Requestsbyemailshouldbesenttoregistrar@sidwell.edu.ASidwellFriendsSchoolofficialtranscriptrepresentsacompleterecordofworkcompletedatorundertheauspicesoftheSchool.Onlyfullandcompletetranscriptswillbeissued.Officialtranscripts

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willnotbegiventothestudentbutsentdirectlytothereceivinginstitution.Officialtranscriptswillbeissuedonlywhenaccountsarepaidinfull.UnofficialTranscript-UnofficialtranscriptsareavailableonEducatorOnlineviatheParentandStudentPortals.

LEARNINGISSUESTheLearningSpecialistintheUpperSchoolistheLearningSupportCoordinatorwhoisavailableto assist students with study skills, work with teachers in planning appropriate academicsupport,andcoordinate, reviewandassessdiagnostic testing. Ifa student requiresextensiveassistance in English or history, the Learning Support Coordinator or the teacher mayrecommend that the student work with the writing support teacher. At times, additionalinformation about a student experiencing learning difficulties is needed. After consultationwithclassroomteachersandparents,theLearningSupportCoordinatormayreferthestudentfordiagnostictesting.TheSchoolworkswithaconsultingfirmtoconductalimitednumberofevaluationsatSchoolexpense.Theresultsarediscussedinfollow-upconferenceswithparents,teachersandstudents.Parentsmaycommissiontestingprivately.ThePsychologicalConsultant,Learning Support Coordinator and classroom teachers determine appropriate supports. Ifdisabilities are diagnosed in the testing, each division follows the School’s policy on learningdisabilities(seethegeneralinformationsectionofHandbookforParentsandStudents).

ACADEMICPROBATIONAcademicProbationwillbedesignatedforanystudentwithan“F”inoneormoresubjectsorwithmorethanonegradebelow“C-“.Thestudentwillbeplacedonacademicprobationforthenextquarterandparentswillbenotified.Astudentonacademicprobationmustdothefollowing:

• attendstudyhall,mathhelp,etc.,duringfreeperiodsandsignoutonlyduringlunch• meetallcommitmentsontime,includingarrivalatschool,attendanceinclasses,

submissionofallassignmentsandcompletionofallacademicrequirements• meetonceaweekwithstudent’sadvisororamemberoftheUpperSchoolstaffto

reviewprogress;amissed,unexcusedappointmentwillresultinpoints

If a studenthasnot improved toa satisfactory levelby theendof theprobationaryquarter,academicprobationwillcontinueforanotherquarter.If,afterbeingonacademicprobationfortwoquarters,astudentreceivesgradesattheendofaquarterorsemesterthatwarrantathirdprobationaryperiod,theadministration,inconsultationwiththestudent’steachersandadvisor,will review the reenrollment status of the student. A student who has been removed fromacademicprobationwill, inconsultationwiththeAcademicDean,beencouragedtocontinueregularattendanceinstudyhall.Astudentwhoseacademicaveragesdonotfittheguidelines,

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butwhoisexperiencingacademicdifficulty,maybeplacedonacademicsupportorprobationatthediscretionofthePrincipalandAcademicDean.

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COURSEOFFERINGSBYDEPARTMENT

ARTS

The Upper School Arts program, in general, continues to emphasize “hands-on” experience,bothinitscurricularandco-curricularofferings.StudentswithavarietyofartsexperiencesinMiddle School who have discovered a particular interest, such as in music, visual arts ortheater,maychoosetoconcentrateonthatinterestinUpperSchool.Unlessotherwisenoted,coursesareopentoallstudents.

Theater

Thetheaterprogramincludestwofulllengthplays,amusicalandasetofoneactplaysaswellastheofferingslistedbelow.Althoughnocoursecreditisgiven,astudentwhotakespartinanyoftheseproductionsislikelytodoasmuchprofitableworkandstudyasheorshedoesintheclassroom. These productions are cast from auditions which are open to the Upper Schoolstudentbody.ACTINGI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThe student actor develops performance discipline through the basic techniques of acting(playing), that is, self-discipline, tensionrelease,concentration, imaginationdevelopmentandbeliefingivencircumstances.Thesetechniquesarediscussedandexperiencedthroughtheatergamesandexplorationexercises,assignedreadings,scriptanalysis,andin-classdemonstrationsandperformances.Thestudentactorbeginstoappreciatethecomplexitiesofthecraftandtodiscoverandtogainconfidence.ThereisamoderateamountofwrittenworkrequiredfortheJournal, theperformanceassignments,andscriptanalysis. Students receivea lettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirworkinthisensemble.ACTINGII–1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:ActingITheActingIIstudentactorpracticesthebasictechniqueslearnedinActingIbydoingclassicalandcontemporaryscenestudy.Oneortwomodernorcontemporaryrealisticscenesandtwocomedyscenes(oneclassicalandonecontemporary)areanalyzedandperformed.(Scenestudyrequireswrittencharacterandscriptanalyses,memorizinglines,workingwithascenepartnerandrehearsalinandoutsideofclass.)Studentsearnalettergradeattheendofeachsemester.

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NOACTINGPLEASE–½credit;secondsemestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneHeraclitus,afifthcenturyphilosopher,noted“Manismostnearlyhimselfwhenheachievestheseriousnessofachildatplay.”Thiscourseintroducesthestudenttothedisciplineofacting(playing)forthestagethroughimprovisationandtheatreexplorationgames.Theimprovisationsandgameshelpthestudenttodiscoveranddevelopconcentrationandimagination,totapandengagetheinstinctiveandtodirectsaidinstinctivebehaviortowardthecreative.AccordingtoAlbertEinstein,gamesarethemostelevatedformofinvestigation.ThestudentactormaintainsaJournal(inclass)thatcontainswrittensupportworkforperformanceassignmentsandself-assessmentsofassignments.Allwrittenwork,rehearsalsandperformancesaredoneinclass;thereisnooutside-of-classwork.StudentsearnaPass/Failgradeattheendofthesemester.SPEAKINGOFWORDS—1/2credit;firstsemestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThroughbothoralandwrittenapplicationthestudentdemonstratesanunderstandingofthebasic concepts of speech communication. The major areas of study are the communicationprocess (intra and interpersonal communication), self-assessment skills and publiccommunication. Public communication is explored and discovered through five speeches: animpromptu speech, a vocal diagnostic, a nonverbal (body language and para-language)practicum, an explanatory speech and a persuasive speech. The final project is a self-assessment monograph; its focus is the identification of effective and ineffective strategiespracticedinthepersuasivespeech.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofthesemesterfortheirworkinthecourse.INTRODUCTIONTOTECHNICALTHEATER—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneA mostly hands-on, practical approach to the production process for dramatic stageproductions andother theatrical events. Emphasis is placedon thepracticalworkneeded toproduceourseasonofplaysandothertheatricalevents inthetwotheaters intheKogodArtCenter. Topics include the interpretation of design and technical drawings, set construction,basicstagelighting,rigging,theaterorganizationandtheproductionprocess.Majoremphasisisplacedonbasiccarpentryanduseofhandandpowertoolsasusedforsetconstruction.Classtimeisdividedbetweenformalstudyandpracticalworkonstageproductions.Ademonstrationproject in lighting, setconstructionorpaintingmaybeassigned tostudents individuallyor ingroupsas timepermits.Studentsareencouragedtovolunteer forpositionsonthetechcrew

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foratleastoneproduction.During“productionweek”asignificantamountoftimeoutsideofclassisrequiredforcrewmembers.Studentswillalsolearnhowtomaintainthesceneryshop,thestageanditsequipment,thecontrolbooth,andlightingequipment.Thecourseisgearedtovaryinglevelsofpriorexperience.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemester.ADVANCEDTECHNICALTHEATER—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisite:permissionoftheInstructorMayberepeatedforadditionalcredituptoatotalof3creditsContinuingstudyofvarioustopicsoftechnicaltheater,withemphasisondesignandproductionoftheatricalevents.TheproductionofSidwell’stheaterandperformanceprogramiscentraltothiscourse. Individualandsmall-groupprojects instagemanagement, lighting,setdesignandconstruction,andprojectstoenhancethetechnical facilitiesofthetheaterwillbecompletedby each student under supervision of the instructor. Class time is primarily devoted topreparations for thenextproductionon thecalendar.Eachstudent isexpected toundertakemajor crew positions for at least one production per semester, involving significant timeoutside of class during productionweek. Students receive a letter grade at the end of eachsemester.

Music

CHORUS—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneMayberepeatedforcreditThe Sidwell Friends School Chorus has a rich tradition in the school’s history, one whichcontinuestothriveandgrowalongwiththeschool.Studentsrehearsethreetimesaweek,singworksfrommultiplegenresandlanguages,andperforminfourrequiredconcerts,includingtheannualWinterConcert,theSpringConcert,FoundersDay,andtheIndependentSchoolsChoralFestivalheldat theNationalCathedral.Nopriormusicalexperience is required. MembersoftheChorusmayalsosinginadditionalsmallensembles.StudentsreceiveagradeofPassorFailattheendofeachsemester.CHAMBERCHORUS—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:PlacementinthisensembleisbyauditionMayberepeatedforcreditTheSidwellFriendsSchoolChamberChorus isaselectgroupofapproximatelythirtystudentswho are chosen on the basis of a rigorous audition. Auditions are held annually inMay and

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placements are determined at that time for the coming fall semester. The Chamber Chorusmeets twice aweek in addition to the threemeetingsof theChorus. In addition to the fourconcerts listed for the Chorus, the singers in Chamber Chorus perform additional concertswithin the Sidwell Friends School community, throughout the Washington area, andoccasionally travel toperforminothercitiesandcountries.Membersof theChamberChorusmayalsosinginadditionalsmallensembles.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirworkinthisensemble.MUSICTHEORY—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneIn this course, students will become familiar with the building blocks ofmusic: scales, keys,rhythms,andharmony.Eartrainingexerciseswillhelpthestudentslearntotransfermusicfromthe written page into sound. No experience is necessary, but an ability to match pitch isrequired. The second semester of Music Theory will build upon the work done in the firstsemester.Studentswilltakethebuildingblockstheyhaveacquiredandusethemtoconstructlarger musical units and analyze music in larger forms. Ear training exercises becomemorechallenging and elaborate; students will learn to hear harmonic progressions and morecomplicatedmusicalforms.Whilenotrequired,studentswhotakethiscourseareencouragedand prepared to take the Advanced Placement Exam offered during the spring semester.Studentsreceivealettergradefortheirworkinthiscourse.

InstrumentalMusicEnsembles

Ensembleparticipationandtheintegrationofmusicintoschoollifearetheprimaryfeaturesofthe Sidwell Friends School InstrumentalMusic Program. Playingwith other people demandscollaborationand is thesinglebestwaytodevelopone‘s listeningskills.Performing,whetherfor assemblies, special programsor in the classesofother subjects is an immediateand realway for students to learn about the various social functions of music while contributing toschool life. The concentration and sustained effort one learns through practicing andperforming is useful in virtually all other disciplines. Students are expected to acquire anunderstandingofand tobeable toexplain the functionsof their respective instruments inavarietyofmusicalidioms.Studentsarealsoexpectedtoprepareandparticipateatalevelwhichwillenablethemtocontributetheirbesttoanyensembleinwhichtheyparticipate.The upper school instrumental music program is an inclusive, performance-based ensembleprogram. It allows students to share their musical abilities with each other and the SFScommunity while individual study continues at their own pace. All music is arranged toaccommodatethedifferentneedsofeachstudent.Thegoalistomakemature-soundingmusictogether,whilebeingaccountabletoeachotherintheprocess.

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CHAMBERORCHESTRA—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets3–5timesaweekPrerequisites:BasicabilityoninstrumentwithpreliminaryassessmentbyinstructorThe Chamber Orchestra will study, rehearse, and ultimately, perform music in a variety ofstyles. Repertoire ranges from the baroque through the contemporary. Repertoire is oftenarranged to accommodate the varying ability levels of each student. Some students mightrehearse in smaller groups, such as duos, trios, and quartets, as needed, depending on theinstrumental makeup of the group as a whole. Required performances include the annualWinterConcertandSpringConcert.Studentswillbenotifiedofanyadditionalperformancesatthe beginning of each semester. Students receive a grade of Pass or Fail at the end of thesemester.JAZZENSEMBLEI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:BasicabilityoninstrumentwithpreliminaryassessmentbyinstructorThe Jazz Ensemble I course is an introduction and grooming of student musicians in theperformanceand languageof jazz/contemporarymusic.Classoccurs inaperformance-based,workshop format, with jazz combo instrumentation. Students will study, rehearse, and,ultimately, perform a variety of music from the wide jazz spectrum. Topics covered includeinstrumentrolesinrock,funkandjazz/swingstyles,12-barblues,beginningimprovisation/jazztheory, major key chord progressions/harmony, lead sheet interpretation, etc. RequiredperformancesincludetheannualWinterConcertandSpringConcert.Studentswillbenotifiedofanyadditionalperformancesatthebeginningofeachsemester.StudentsreceiveagradeofPassorFailattheendofthesemester.JAZZENSEMBLEII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:JazzEnsembleIandpermissionand/orassessmentbyinstructorTheJazzEnsembleIIcourseisacontinuationoftheJazzEnsembleIcurriculum(seeabove).Thiscoursecontinuesgroomingstudentmusicians/groupsintheauthenticperformanceanddiverselanguage of jazz/contemporary music. Ideally, most 3rd/4th year students will become self-sufficientenoughtogeneratemusicopportunities forthemselvesat thecollegiate level.Newcontent included: Standard jazz repertoire, AfroCuban and fusion styles, continuingimprovisation/jazz theory, minor key and advanced chord progressions/harmony. RequiredperformancesincludetheannualWinterConcert,SpringConcert,Homecoming,ArtRageous,HSInvitational Jazz Fest@GDS, and FoundersDay. Some select studentswill participate in theAdvancedJazzCombo.Thecombowillperformatadditionalschool functionsthroughouttheyear (Admissions Open House, SFS Auction, etc.). All students will be notified of all

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performancesatthebeginningofeachsemester.StudentsreceiveagradeofPassorFailattheendofthesemester.

VisualArts

CERAMICSI—½credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneMayberepeatedforcredit

CeramicsIisanintensiveintroductiontothe10,000yearoldceramicarts.Arthistory,glazechemistry,thegeologicsourcesofrefractorymaterials,andaestheticconsiderationsofproportion,texture,colorandlineareconsistentlyemphasizedintheacquisitionofwheelthrownpotteryskills.Eachstudentisexpectedtogaincontrolofcentering,formingandfinishingacomplete,firedpot,withalltheattendanttechnicalknowledgeandskillsrequiredofthisendeavor.Relieftilesandhandbuiltorcastsculptureofwhateverdefinitionareallpotentialprojectsandhaveahistoryintheclass,buttheemphasisremainsonacquiringadecentgraspofthepotter’swheelandwhatitmeanstocompleteaworkofceramicart.StudentsreceiveagradeofPassorFailattheendofthesemester.

CERAMICSII—½credit;semestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:twosemestersofCeramicsIMayberepeatedforcredit

CeramicsIIisacontinuationofthestudyofandworkdoneinCeramicsI.Arthistory,glazechemistry,thegeologicsourcesofrefractorymaterials,andaestheticconsiderationsofproportion,texture,colorandlinecontinuetobeemphasizedintheacquisitionofmoredevelopedskills.Inaddition,sculptureandanarchitecturalapproachtoceramicartasapainted,builtenvironmentwillincreasinglydominatestudentdevelopmentofcomplexworkswhichexhibitgreatertechnicalandemotionaldepththanworkcompletedinCeramicsI.StudentsreceiveagradeofPassorFailattheendofthesemester.

CERAMICSIII—½credit;semestercourseOpento:11&12Meets3timesaweekPrerequisites:twosemestersofCeramicsIIMayberepeatedforcredit

CeramicsIIIisfortheexceptionalstudentwiththeabilitytoworkconsistentlytowardstherefinementofacomplex,expressiveandintenselyfocusedpersonalstyle.Initiativeandfocusontheindividualworkofartiscentraltoeverylevelintheceramicscurriculum,butinCeramicsIIItherealizationofaself-directed,self-discovered,emotionallychargedbodyofworkis

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expectedandisthebasisforstudentassessment.Thesestudentsmaybeaskedtoteachlessexperiencedstudentsandtohelpwithgeneralstudioproduction,materialsprocessing,andkilnloadingandfiring.Mostimportantly,theCeramicsIIIstudentwillbeexpectedtoworkwithalevelofinquisitivefreedomconsistentwithhighskillandbroadtechnicalknowledge.StudentsreceiveagradeofPassorFailattheendofthesemester.

DRAWINGI—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneMayberepeatedforcreditThis course is an introduction to the basic techniques of drawing and focuses on observing,interpreting and rendering visual relationships between objects. The semester begins withfundamentalprojectsthatdealwithcontour,negativespaceandcompositionandadvancestomoresophisticatedprojectssuchasstilllife,landscapeandportraitdrawing.Variousmediaareexplored,includinggraphite,charcoal,pastel,coloredpencilsandink.Classassignmentswillbesupplementedbysketchbookhomework,critiquesandslidelectures.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirwork.DRAWINGII—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meet4timesperweekPrerequisites:DrawingIMayberepeatedforcredit DrawingIIisanadvanceddrawingcoursethatfocusesonexpandingunderstandingofmark-making.Throughtheintroductionofnewmaterialsandtechniques,studentswillgrowtheirknowledgeofdrawingmethodsandartisticpractice.Projectsincludeself-portraits,colorpencilillustrations,digitaldrawingandmixedmediacompositions.Thiscourseisstructuredtoencouragepersonalvoicethroughideageneration,materialinvestigation,technicalrefinementandresearch.Studentsareencouragedtopushtheboundariesastheyinvestigatematerials,subjectmatter,processandinterpretationrelatedtoimagemaking.Studentskeepasketchbookandreceiveoccasionalhomeworkassignmentsforthesketchbook.PAINTING—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:DrawingMayberepeatedforcreditThis course provides a comprehensive exploration of painting techniques and concepts.Students learn basic color theory in addition to painting styles from different artisticmovements. Through assignments and class discussion, students continue to refine their

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observationalskillsandcompositionalunderstandingtocreatecohesiveandcreativepaintings.Projectsincludetheuseofcollage,ink,watercolorandacrylicpaints.Classassignmentswillbesupplementedbysketchbookhomework,critiquesandslidelectures.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirwork.DIGITALARTI—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneMayberepeatedforcreditThiscoursepresentstechnologyasameanstocreatevisualart.Basicartisticconceptssuchascolor theory, composition, the elements of art, and principles of design are used to exploretechniques and issues specific to graphic design and digital art. Projects include photomanipulationandtransformation,digitalillustration,digitalpainting,andsimpleanimationandutilizationofapplicationssuchasAdobePhotoshop,Illustrator,andFinalCutProX.Whileself-expressionisthefocusofthiscourse,studentsalsolearnaboutthereal-worldapplicationsofthe digital arts. Slide presentations, critiques, and class discussion are integral parts of thecourse.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirwork.DIGITALARTII—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meet4timesperweekPrerequisites:DIGITALARTIMayberepeatedforcreditThiscoursecontinuestousetechnologyasameanstocreatevisualart.Studentswillincreasetheirunderstandingofthecontextofdigitalimagingasitrelatestocontemporaryart,achievealevelofcomfortwiththetoolsandtechniquesneededtocreatedigitalartworkandexperimentwith new ways to connect digital technologies to one’s own creative practice. While theoverarchinggoalsofthecourseareconceptuallybased,projectsareindependentandstudentdriven.Projectexamplesincludedigitalandanalogdrawingcombinations,vector-baseddigitalillustration and graphic design layouts. The applications used in class areAdobePhotoshop,Illustrator, Adobe Draw and Final Cut Pro X with an introduction to Dreamweaver. Slidepresentations,critiques,andclassdiscussionareintegralpartsofthecourse.PHOTOGRAPHYI(WetDarkroomandDigital)—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourseintroducesstudentstothecoreelementsofphotography--light,form,contrastandtone--usingtraditionalandcontemporarymedia.Studentslearnbasicmanualcontrolsforboth35mmfilmanddigitalcamerasincludingISOsettings,shutterspeed,aperture,depthoffield,exposuremodes,andresolution.Studentsalsolearnhowtoprocessandprint35mmnegatives

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inadarkroom,howtoprocessdigitalimagesusingacomputerandhowtocreatehighqualityblack-and-whiteand/or colordigitalphotographsusing inkjetprinters. Students learnhow tocriticallyexaminetheirworkthroughregularin-classcritiquesessions,studytheworkofbothhistoricalandcontemporaryphotographers,andattendone field tripper semester. Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirwork.PHOTOGRAPHYII(WetdarkroomandDigital)—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:PhotographyIMayberepeatedforcredit

Thiscourseisforstudentswithabasicunderstandingofphotographicprocesseswhowishtodeepentheirtechnicalskillswhiledevelopingapersonalvision.PhotoIIhasadarkroomanddigitalcomponenttohighlightthefluiditybetweenmedia,coversadvancedprintingtechniques(particularlylarge-scaleprinting),andengagesstudentsinhigherleveleditingandprocessingskills.Classtimeisdedicatedtolearningabouthistoricalandcontemporaryphotographers,demonstrationsandclasscritiques.Cross-mediaprojectsinvolvingfilm,digitalnegativesandalternativeprocessesareintroducedandencouraged.Studentscreateasmallportfolioofworkdemonstratingabreadthofknowledgeandanexplorationofacoherentpersonalvoice.

PHOTOGRAPHYIII(WetdarkroomandDigital)—1/2credit;semestercoursePrerequisites:PhotographyIIMayberepeatedforcredit

StudentswhohavesuccessfullycompletedintermediatelevelworkinPhotographyIIfortwo(ormore)semesterswillbeconsideredadvancedlevelstudentsandareeligibleforenrollmentinPhotographyIII.Thesestudentsshouldbehighlymotivatedandpreparedtodolong-termindividualand/orcollaborativeprojects.Amasteryofbasicphotographictechniquesisassumedforstudentsworkingatthislevel.Studentslearnadvancedexposureandprintingtechniquestoexpresstheirideasasclearlyandpowerfullyaspossible,produceabookprojectand/orportfolioofhighqualityprintsandengageinreading,writing,anddiscussionsaboutphotographyanditsinfluence.Thiscoursedemandsdedicationoutsideofclass,asclasstimewillbeusedmainlyfordemonstrations,critiquesanddiscussions.

Therewillbeonefieldtripandavisitbyaguestartist/curator,pendingavailabilityandapproval.

APSTUDIOART—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:Oneyearofanyvisualartclasses,orpermissionofinstructorinconsultationwithArtsDepartmentChair.Mayberepeatedforcredit

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Thiscourse is intendedforhighlymotivatedstudents interestedintheadvancedstudyofart,bothtwo-andthree-dimensional.Satisfyingtherequirementsof theAdvancedPlacementartportfolio requires that a significant amount of workmust be completed outside of class. Inaddition to developingwork in awide range ofmedia and approaches, students design andcompleteasubstantial independentproject.Studentshavetheopportunitytopreparedigitalslide portfolios for college applications as well as for Advanced Placement consideration.Studentsreceivealettergradeattheendofeachsemesterfortheirwork.

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ENGLISH

ThroughoutthefouryearsofEnglish,ourgoalistosharethebeautyandpoweroflanguageandliterature.Ourcourseschallengestudentstoreadcritically,thinklogically,andwritepersuasively.Throughclassdiscussions,analyticalwritingassignments,informaljournalwriting,andperformancework,studentsareencouragedtotakerisksandrefinetheircriticalvoices,bothinwritingandinclassdiscussion.ENGLISH9—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourseintroducesstudenttothegenresofliterature,includingpoetry,drama,theshortstory,andthenovel,andemphasizesthedevelopmentofcriticalthinkingandwritingskills.ENGLISH10—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:English9orequivalentBeginningwiththeepicpoemBeowulf,studentsstudyBritishLiteraturethroughthecenturies.Studentscontinuetowriteanalyticalessaysanddeveloptheirinterpretivepowers.LITERATUREOFTHEUNITEDSTATES—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:English10orequivalent.ThiscourseexplorestheliteratureoftheUnitedStatesfromthePuritanstothecontemporaryperiod.Throughcarefulstudyofprose,poetry,anddrama,studentsexamineworksofAmericanromanticism,realism,andmodernism.Emphasisisplacedprimarilyonanalyticalessayswiththeopportunityforafewinventiveandreflectivepersonalcompositions.TWELFTHGRADEENGLISHCOURSESTwelfthGradeEnglishcoursesaresemester-longofferingsthatexplorearangeofnationalliteratures,historicalperiods,literarygenres,andthemes.Seniorswilltakeonecourseeachsemester.THEARTOFTHESTORY—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureofUnitedStatesorequivalent

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Recognizingcreativewritingasavaluabletoolforexpression,thiscourseoffersstudentstheopportunitytohonetheiranalyticalwritingskillsandwritecreativelywhileparticipatinginacreativewritingworkshop.Bylookingcloselyatthecraftofcontemporaryfictionandpoetry,studentsdevelopanunderstandingofthetoolsessentialtogoodwriting.Theyusethosetoolstoproduceoriginalcompositionsanddevelopthecommunicationskillsnecessarytoparticipateeffectivelyinaproductivecreativewritingworkshop.CONTEMPORARYLITERATURE—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureofUnitedStatesorequivalentStudentsenrolledinContemporaryLiteraturespendasemesterexploringawidespectrumofliteraryworkspublishedwithinthelasttwodecades.Thereadinglistincludesworksfromvariousgenres(shortstories,poetry,essays,novels).Studentsexaminethewaysinwhichcontemporaryauthors—ofvaryingnationalities--representtheexperienceoflivingintheworldtoday.AuthorsstudiedmayincludeEdwardP.Jones,EmmaDonoghue,MargaretAtwood,HarukiMurakami,JunotDiaz,KazuoIshiguro,andJhumpaLahiri.FAMILYSTORIES:THETIESTHATBIND—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureofUnitedStatesorequivalentThiscoursewillexplorevariousstoriesthatfocusonfamilylife.Studentswillconsiderthecomplexityoffamilyandaddressvariousquestions,suchas:howdodifferentformstellthestoryofafamily,inadditiontoacharacter?Howdofamiliesrestrictorenhanceindividualcharacters’freedom?Howdofamilyrelationshipsshapeidentity?Howdoesgenderinfluencetherelationshipsinthenarrative?Whatparticulardetailscomeintoviewwhenthescopeofastoryisrestrictedtoahousehold?Thecoursemayexploreseveralgenresandmayincludeaculminatingcreativeproject.PossibletextsincludeShakespeare’sKingLear,Austen’sSenseandSensibility,Forster’sHoward’sEnd,poemsfromBrooks’sAStreetinBronzeville,andBaldwin’s“NotesofaNativeSon.”FANTASYLITERATURE—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureoftheUnitedStatesorequivalentInthiscoursestudentstakeseriouslythedelightsandchallengesofreadingfantasyliterature.Ratherthanregardingthemasmerelychildishdiversions,weexplorefantasystoriesasintricatelywroughtliteraryworksofthehumanimagination,worthreadingatanyage.Wealsodelveintoourattractiontofantasyasreaders:Whyarewedrawntomythsandfairytales,asopposedtootherkindsofstories?C.S.Lewishaswritten,“Toconstructplausibleandmoving(otherworlds)youmustdrawontheonlyreal“otherworld”weknow,thatofthespirit.”What

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doesfantasyrevealaboutthehumanspirit?ReadingsarefromJ.R.R.Tolkien,C.S.Lewis,Ovid,AndrewLang,PhilipPullman,UrsulaK.LeGuin.LIFE,LITERATURE,ANDTHEPURSUITOFHAPPINESS—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureofUnitedStatesorequivalentStudentsenrolledinthiscoursespendasemesterexploringwhatitmightmeantohaveagoodlifeandtofindhappiness.Drawinguponliteratureprimarily,butalsophilosophy,psychology,andfilm,studentsexaminehowonemightdefinehappinessandfulfillmentandhowandwhereonemightimagineandcreatesuchthings.Howmuchistheindividualresponsibleandhowmuchmightdependonotherpeopleandotherforces?Howdovirtue,imagination,andlovematterinthepursuitofagoodandhappylife?MYTHS,GODS,MORTALS,MONSTERS:CLASSICALANDHEROICLITERATURE—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureofUnitedStatesorequivalentInthiscoursewewillstudymythsandstoriesfromancientandmedievalcultures—rangingfromtalesoftheTrojanWartoGreektragediestoVikingsagastolegendsofKingArthur.Wewillconsiderhowtheseliteraryworksdepictthehumanconditionandwhatseparatestheaveragepersonfromaherooragod.Despitethestrangenessanddistanceoftheculturesrepresentedinthesetexts,wemightfindinthemsomeuniversaltruths.ReadingsincludeselectionsfromGreekandNorsemythology,Ovid,Homer,Virgil,andSophocles.POSTCOLONIALLITERATURE—1/2credit;firstsemestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureoftheUnitedStatesorequivalentInthisseniorEnglishseminar,studentsreadtheworksofarangeoftwentieth-andtwentyfirst-centurypostcolonialwritersfromaroundtheworld,includingselectionsfromtheworksofWoleSoyinka,KiranDesai,SalmanRushdie,JamaicaKincaid,andMichaelOndaatje.Throughexplorationofvariousliterarygenres(poetry,drama,essay,novel,shortstory)anddifferentgeo-politicalregions,studentsexaminetheeffortsofpostcolonialwriterstoresistcolonialinfluenceandgenerateuniqueformsofcreativeexpression.SHAKESPEARE—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisite:LiteratureoftheUnitesStatesorequivalent

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ThegoalofthiscourseisforstudentstounderstandandenjoyselectedworksofWilliamShakespearethroughcarefulclosereadingofthetexts.Studentsreadmuchoftheworksinclass,andthecourseinvolvesanalyticalwriting,tests,journalworkand,sometimes,performancework.WORLDNOVELLA—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LiteratureofUnitedStatesorequivalentThiscourseoffersstudentstheopportunitytostudyandenjoyliteraturefromoutsidetheUnitedStatesandBritain.Thenovella,astoryof60-100pages,offersanintensiveexplorationofthemeandcharacteratalengththatcanbereadinoneortwosittings.Assuch,studentsareabletostudynineoftheworld‘smostmeaningfulandwidelyreadstoriesofthepast125years.Alongthewaystudentsfurtherdevelopandrefinewritingskillsandspeakingvoices.WritersincludeFuentes(Mexico),GarciaMarquez(Colombia),Hedayat(Iran),Kafka(Prague),Mann(Germany),Okuizumi(Japan),Rostand(France),Rushdie(India),andTolstoy(Russia).

HISTORYTheUpperSchoolhistorycurriculumincludesanexaminationofEuropeanhistory,non-westernsocieties, and U.S. history. Three years of history—to be taken in the 9th, 10th, and 11thgrades—arerequired.NinthgradestudentsarerequiredtotakeTheWestandtheWorld.Astenth grade students, all students must complete a year-long requirement devoted to areastudies. Eleventh grade students must take History of the United States or AmericanStudies. Exceptionsareonlymade for studentsattendingSchoolYearAbroadandapprovedsemesterprogramswhomaytakeU.S.History in thesummerbefore junioryear,after junioryearorduringtheirsenioryear.Studentswhowillattendasemesterprograminthespringof11thgrademayselecta12thgradeelectiveinthefallsemesterof11thgrade.

ChineseStudiesProgramInhonorofthememoryofJohnFisherZeidman(’79),SidwellFriendsSchoolfoundedaChineseStudies Program in 1983. The Program consists of both Chinese language and Chinese/EastAsian history courses. In addition to these curricular offerings, programmatic componentsinclude a library resource center devoted to China and East Asia, frequent speakers, trips toChina,andtheopportunitytoapplyforafellowshiptostudyinChinaaftergraduationfromtheSchool. The objectives of the Programare to not only expose students to China but build astrong foundation in the studyofChinese language,history, andculture. For informationonChineselanguageofferings,refertotheModernandClassicalLanguagessectionofthisguide,and for information on Chinese and East Asian history offerings, refer to the History courseofferingslistedbelow.

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NinthGradeTHEWESTANDTHEWORLD—lcredit;yearcourseOpento:9Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneNinthgradestudentsatSidwellFriendsSchoolbegintheircareerashistorianswithTheWestandTheWorld—ayear-longsurvey thatexplores thebirthof themodernworld.Thecourseprovides historical perspective on the contemporary world and devotes special attention toEuropeasanengineofchange.Thecourseis,bydesign,asurveyofthemajordevelopmentsinEuropeanHistoryfromtheRenaissancetotheColdWar.TheWestandtheWorldconstructsanarrative for students, but it also exposes them to the forces thathave shaped theworld inwhichwelive:tradition,individualism,nationalism,revolution,war,capitalism,modernization,democracy,globalization,andthemeaningofprogress.MuchlikeUnitedStateshistoryinthe11th grade, this course is a survey that does notmerely stress content. Rather, this courseoffers opportunities for students to contemplate the beauty of, and challenges offered by,Europe as it assumed its place in the world during the first global age. The course makessignificant use of primary sources and students are expected towrite a research paper thatanalyzesasubstantiveprimarysourceoftheirchoice.

TenthGradeBytheendofthe9thgradeyear,studentswillhaveastrongunderstandingofEurope'splaceintheworld aswell as the relations it forgedwith Africa, Asia, Latin America, and theMiddleEast.The10thgradehistorycurriculumprovidesstudentsanopportunityforfocusedstudyofone of those four non-European regions in its own right. This area studies curriculum isdesignedtoprovidehistoricaldepthwhilecontinuingtodevelopthecriticalreadingandwritingskills introduced in 9th grade. These four year-long courses will provide students anopportunity to develop expertise in a region of the non-Western world and expand theirunderstandingofthevariouswaysitspeoplehaveshapedhistory.20thCENTURYAFRICA:DEMOCRACYANDDEVELOPMENT—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneWhatistheshapeofpolitical,economic,andculturalAfricaattheturnofthe21stcentury?Inthiscourse,studentsexplorecontemporaryAfricawithaheavyemphasisondemocratizationandeconomicdevelopment.Thefirstquarterfocusesonwildlifeconservationandtheconflictover land andwater rights in southern Africa. Then students begin exploring democracy inAfrica by looking at the creation of modern South Africa. First semester concludes with acollaborative project focused on HIV/AIDS and grassroots approaches to preventingtransmission and spreading awareness. Second semester, students study the Great Lakesregion(CongoandRwanda)andthetripleheritageofEastAfrica,returningtotheissuesofland

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and its relation to development with an in-depth look at modern Kenya. Second semesterconcludes with a second collaborative project, this one focused on finding and articulatingsolutions to specificdevelopmentchallenges.Coursematerials includea reader,anovel,andfilms. Students write a research paper in the second semester on a topic of theirchoice. Additional assessments include essays and other writing assignments that groworganicallyfromthematerial.HISTORYOFEASTASIA:TRADITIONANDMODERNITY—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThis course explores, in the first semester, the philosophical, religious, social, political andeconomic foundations of East Asian civilization from a historical perspective and throughliteratureandart.ThegeographicalfocusisprimarilyonChinaandJapan,butwealsolookatKorea andVietnam. The first semester covers thebroadperiod from theBronzeAge to thenineteenthcentury.Inthesecondsemester,thecourseexploresthedevelopmentofmodernEastAsiathroughtheimpactofWesternimperialismandtheriseofnationalismandrevolutionin the twentieth century. The course is designed to help students encounter a historicaltraditionoutsidetheWesternexperience,toexposestudentstoprimarysourcesintranslation,to introduce different approaches to the study of history, and to help students betterunderstand our world today and the historical forces that have shaped it. Students write aresearchpaperinthesecondsemesteronatopicoftheirchoice.SOCIAL&POLITICALCHANGEINLATINAMERICA1credit;yearcourseOpento:10Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneLatin America is a complex region, filled with contrasts, failures and possibilities. With anintersection of indigenous, African and Iberian heritages, the region consists of aheterogeneouspopulationwithdeeplyrootedlayersofculture,identityandtraditions.ThoughsimilarlegaciesofSpanishandPortugueseconquestandcolonizationunitetheregion,uniquenational identities have evolved based on a country’s individual history and its particularpolitical,economic,andsocialcircumstances.Thisclasswillexplorethecommonalitiesaswellas the distinctions found throughout Latin America. In doing so, we will examine issuesincluding economic stratification, dictatorship and democracy, social movements andrevolution,identity(race,ethnicityandgender),humanrights,andglobalization.Moreover,wework towardunderstanding these issues froma LatinAmericanperspective, utilizing sourcesthatrepresentacross-sectionofvoicesfromtheregion.Studentswritearesearchpaperinthesecondsemesteronatopicoftheirchoice.THEMODERNMIDDLEEAST:APOLITICALHISTORY—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10

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Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscoursefocusesonthehistoryoftheMiddleEastinthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturies.Inthefirstweeksofthecourse,webeginbyreviewingthecivilizationsandempiresthatexistedintheregionintheancientandpre-modernperiod,suchastheCanaanitesandancientIsrael,theearlyCaliphatesandtheOttomanEmpire.Wewillalsodiscussthereligionsof theregionandthefoundationof Islam.Wethenslowdownand investigatethemodernperiod inmoredepth, focusing on specific case studies and conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli conflict, thewatershedeventsof1979,andrecentconflicts (uptotheGazaWarof2008-2009).Studentswritearesearchpaperinthesecondsemesteronatopicoftheirchoice.

EleventhGradeHISTORYOFTHEUNITEDSTATES—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12(bypermissionoftheAcademicDean)Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThis full-year course offers a survey of United States history from colonial times to thepresent. The class places emphasis on political, social, economic, diplomatic, and militaryevents that have shaped the nation’s development. Independent research on a topic of thestudent’schoice isakeycomponentof thecourse,andconsiderableclass time isdevotedtothe analysis of primary materials. Course requirements also include take-home essays, unittests,andsemesterexams.AMERICANSTUDIES—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12(bypermissionoftheAcademicDean)Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneAmericanStudies isan interdisciplinarysurveycourse thatexplores thecultureof theUnitedStatesthroughpoliticalevents,socialmovements,architectureandthebuiltenvironment,andthe arts. Emphasis is placed on the analysis of primary materials and understanding theconstruction of American national identity through pop culture. Independent research on atopicof the student’s choice is an important componentof the first semester; in the secondsemester, the research focus shifts tomaterial culture and the study of American ideas andbeliefsthroughtheinterpretationofhistoricalartifacts.

TwelfthGrade

Theseclassesareopentoall12thgradersandthose11thgraderswhowillparticipateinaSidwellFriendsSchoolapprovedsemester-awayprogramsecondsemesterofjunioryear.AFRICAN-AMERICANHISTORY,THOUGHT,ANDCULTURE—1/2credit;semestercourse

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Opento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourseexploresthesocial,political,andeconomichistoryoftheAfrican-Americanexperiencefromtheperiodofslaverytothepresent.SpecialemphasiswillbegiventotheoriginsofBritishcolonialslavery;theevolvingdefinitionoflibertyintheAmericanrepublic;thetriumphsandchallengesofthepost-Reconstructionera;andthemodernCivilRightsMovement.Thereadinglistincludesatextbook.Thisseminaremphasizesdiscussionandwriting.ANTHROPOLOGY—1/2credit;FIRSTsemestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneStudies in Anthropology explores themeanings of culture through case studies drawn fromclassicethnographiesfromtheseminalscholarsinthefield:Malinowski,Evans-Pritchard,Levi-Strauss,Boas,Geertz. Studentswill learnaboutdifferentapproaches to the studyofhumansocieties,fromfunctionalismandstructuralismintheEuropeantradition,to“thickdescription”and the post-structuralist turn in American cultural anthropology, to recent studies in socialanthropologyframing localsocieties inabroaderglobalcontextofpoliticaleconomy. Ratherthanattemptasystematicsurveyofthediscipline,StudiesinAnthropologyexposesstudentstoawiderangeofthemostthought-provokingandfascinatingstoriesinthestudyofculture.TOPICSINARTHISTORY—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneInthistopicalsurveyofArtHistory,webeginwithseveralscholarlyinquiriesintothenatureofartwork: What is art? How do we study it? How and what does artwork communicate?Approachingthesubjectasareflectionofitstimeandasaprojectionofthehumanexperience,wemovefromtheancientcavepaintingsofthePaleolithiceratothediversecompositionsofmodernart.Overthecourseofthesemester,studentsbecomefamiliarwithartisticstylesandtracehowthesedevelopandchangeindifferentperiods; justas important,theyalsogainanunderstanding of the social and historical contexts of the works we study. As part of theexperience,wevisitlocalcollectionsandgalleriestoexperiencetheartworkfirsthand.Studentscanexpect towrite several thematicessays inaddition to regular in-classassessments, shortpresentations,andafinalexam.BLACKLIBERATIONINTHEAMERICAS—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:None

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FromtheworldofTemnewitchcrafttothewildstyleoftheBronxin1970sAmerica,thiscourseexploresingreatdepththehistoricalforcesthatcreatedanunboundnation--TheBlackAtlantic.WetracethemovementofAfricanpeoples,traditions,andwaysofbeingacrosstheseaduringtheslavetrade.Weexaminecriticallytheeconomic,intellectual,artistic,spiritual,andpoliticalforcesthathaveshapedthewesternhemisphereandourplaceascitizensinit.Theclassalsodevotesseriousattentiontorace,racetheory,andcontemporarymanifestationsofstructuralracism.Thiscoursehasnoprerequisites,isopentoseniors(orjuniorswhowillbeawaysecondsemester), and represents amajor departure from thematerial covered inHistory of Africa.Students can expect to read scholarly articles andprimary sources aswell as analyze artisticexpressionsof freedom (monumentalportraiture, film,andmusic,withaheavyemphasisonrapmusic). Gradedwork includesclassdiscussion,essays,anda finalprojectaboutraceandjustice.COMPARATIVERELIGION—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneStudents in this course explore the beliefs and practices of the world’s majorreligions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. To ground the study, thecoursebeginswithanintroductiontoreligioustheoryandmethod,samplingworksfromsuchthinkers as Emile Durkheim, William James, and Mircea Eliade. Students then spend themajority of the course examining the major traditions’ formative texts and contemporarymovements, tracing theevolutionofeach tradition into themodernera.Duringour studyofHinduism,forexample,studentsreadselectionsfromTheBhagavad-GitaandUpanisads,laterrelatingthesekeyworkstothelifeofGandhiandhissatyagrahamovement.Overthecourseofthesemester,studentscanexpecttowriteseveralcomparativethematicessaysinadditiontofocused in-classassessmentsanda finalexam. This seminar isbest suited to those studentswhoarepreparedforahighlevelofanalysisandeagertodiscusstheroleofreligionnotonlyinhistory,butintheoverallhumanexperience.CONFLICTINTHEMODERNWORLD—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneDuring the past 100 years, a number of rational and intelligent governments have faced thedecisionofwhetherornottogotowar. Thesegovernmentshaverespondedtothe issue indifferent ways, and with different degrees of success. Some have chosen war and lived toregretthatdecision;othershaveavoidedwarandlivedtoregretthatdecision;othershavehadsuccesswiththedecisiontheymade.Whatcanwelearnfromtheseepisodes?Istherearightorwrongwaytoapproachcrisisdecision-making?Howdotheresponsibilitiesofagovernmentrelatetotheissuesofmorality,ethics,internationallawandmilitarystrategythatareinevitablypresentedinacrisis?Whydothingssometimesgowrong?

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The coursewill focuson four events and theensuingdevelopments: (1) theoutbreakof theGreatWarinAugust1914;(2)TheRhinelandCrisisofMarch1936;(3)theJapanesedecisiontoattackPearlHarborinDecember1941;(4)theCubanMissileCrisisofOctober1962.Approximatelythreeweeksarespentoneachevent,examiningthefactorsconsideredineachcaseaswellasthereasonswhythedecisiondid(ordidnot)producethedesiredconsequences.TheprincipaleventsofWorldWarI,WorldWarII,andtheColdWararepartofthecourse,butwefocusonthedecisionsmadeatthehighestlevelsratherthanonthetacticalchoicesmadeon thebattlefields.Thecourse isbest suited to studentswhoenjoypolitical,diplomatic,andmilitaryhistory.Assessmentsincludethreepapersandafinalproject.MODERNCHINATHROUGHFILM—1/2credit;semesterOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourseexploresthevariousandcompetingwaysinwhichChinahasbeenconstructedinfeaturefilmsanddocumentariesproducedinChinaandinWesterncountries.InadditiontofocusingonthehistoryofModernChina,wewillalsoconsiderhowtoviewfilmsashistoricaltexts,howhistoricalcontextinfluenceshistoricalinterpretation,andhowcinemacreatesnationalandtrans-nationalidentities.Thecoursehasthreemaingoals:First,togainabroadunderstandingofmodernChina’shistoricaldevelopment,fromthemid-nineteenthcenturytothepresent;second,tofocusmorecloselyonthepost-Maoperiod(1976-present)andonthehistoricalconstructionscreatedduringthatperiod;third,toreflectcriticallyonhistoricalinterpretationsofmodernChina,especiallythoseusingfilmastext.Inotherwords,wewilllookatrepresentationsofmodernChinesehistorypresentedinfilms,atthehistoricalcontextinwhichthefilmsweremade,andatthespecialcharacteristicsandforcesatplaywithinthefilmsthatmakethempowerfulandsymbolicallyrichmediaforwritinghistory.PERSPECTIVESONGLOBALECONOMICS—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourse isdesignedtoprovideexposuretomicroeconomicanalysis,whichwill facilitateamorethoroughunderstandingofbasicmacroeconomictheoryanditsrelevancetothedecision-makingof individuals, corporations and governments. Throughobservation anddiscussionofcurrent world events, political discourse, and economic theory, students will assess thereliabilityofbasiceconomicmodels,theeffectivenessofspecificgovernmentpolicies,andthesignificanceofparticularmacroeconomicissues.Participationinaninvestmentcompetitionwillenablethestudenttolearnaboutthestockmarketandtheforcesthatinfluenceit.Studentswillalsoanalyzedecisionmakingwithregardstopersonalfinance.Theclasswillutilizedebates,position papers, and team problem-solving to consider critical questions relating to the

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government’sroleinmanagingtheeconomy,theeffectofindividualvaluesoneconomicpointsofview,andtherelationshipbetweeneconomicsandpolitics.POLITICALANDPHILOSOPHICALTHOUGHTI:FOUNDATIONS—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneFormillennia, intellectualsandphilosophershaveposedanumberof fundamentalquestions:whatisthepurposeofmankind’sexistence?Howcanonelivetheideallife?Whatistheroleofhumanreason?Whatistheidealrelationshipbetweentheindividualandsociety?Whatistheideal political structure?What is the nature of the relationship between the citizen and thestate?Howshouldhumanityultimatelygovernitself?This courseaddresses thesequestionsbyexamininganumberofkey texts that illustrate thevariouswaysthatmenandwomenhaveattemptedtoexplaintheuniverseandtheirownplacewithinit.Inourdiscussions,wetouchnotonlyonpoliticaltheoryandphilosophy,butalsoontheology, economic and scientific theory, ethics, and historiography. Our readings center onwesternEurope(althoughnotbefully limitedto it)andproceedchronologically,beginning intheancientworldandconcludinginthe18thcentury.Thecourseisconductedasaseminar,andclasstimeisfocusedalmostentirelyondiscussionoftheassignedtexts.Writtenassignments includetwoessays,weeklyreadingassignments,andanexam.ThereadingincludesworksbyPlato,Aristotle,Cicero,Lucretius,MarcusAurelius,St.Augustine,Machiavelli, ThomasMore, Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, Thomas Hobbes, JohnLocke,andAdamSmith.POLITICALANDPHILOSOPHICALTHOUGHTII:MODERNITY—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThis course isa continuationofPoliticalandPhilosophicalThought I: Foundations–althoughstudentsmaytakethesecondcoursewithouthavingtakenthe first–andexplores thesamethemesand ideas,witha focuson texts fromthe18thcentury to themid-20thcentury.Thecourseisconductedasaseminar,andclasstimeisfocusedalmostentirelyondiscussionoftheassigned texts.Written assignments include twoessays,weekly reading assignments, and anexam.ThereadingsincludeworksbyVoltaire,Montesquieu,Jean-JacquesRousseau,EdmundBurke, John Stuart Mill, Karl Marx, Mikhail Bakunin, Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud,HannahArendt,Jean-PaulSartre,AlbertCamus,SimonedeBeauvoir,andMohandasGandhi.

PERSPECTIVESONAMERICANGOVERNMENT—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisite:HistoryoftheUnitedStatesorAmericanStudies

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ThiscoursestudiesthestructureandworkingsofthegovernmentoftheUnitedStates.AfterbeginningwithareviewoftheConstitution,studentswillexamineindetail:thethreebranchesofthenationalgovernmentandtheirpowersandinteraction;federalismandstates’rights;theroleofelections,politicalparties, interestgroups,and themedia in influencingpublicpolicy;and various civil rights, civil liberties, due process, and privacy limitations on governmentalaction.Animportantobjectiveofthecourseistodiscusseachoftheseinstitutionsandissuesinlightof:(i)specifichistoricalideasandevents;and(ii)specificcontemporarypoliticalissuesanddisputes.ThecoursewillincludetwocasestudiesonWatergateandthe“nationalsecuritystate.”This course is best suited to studentswho are committed to extensive reading from awidevariety of sources. In addition to the Constitution, generous use is made of historicaldocuments,speeches,publicreports,andjudicialdecisions,aswellasmorerecentarticlesbyscholarsandjournalists.Inadditiontoseveraltake-homeessays,studentsprepareandpresentapaperonapublicpolicydisputeoftheirchoosing.THESCHOOLANDTHECITY—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisite:HistoryoftheUnitedStatesorAmericanStudiesTheSchooland theCityexplores the relationshipbetweeneducationand itsurbancontexts.StudentsexaminethehistoryofeducationintheUnitedStates,andthepolitical,economic,andsocial forces thathaveshapedurbaneducation.Particularattention isgivento thehistoryofWashington, D.C., including the ways in which urban history has affected Sidwell FriendsSchool. To that end, course readings may range from scholarly journal articles to originalmaterialsheldintheschool’sarchives.SOCIETYANDNATURE:TOPICSINGLOBALENVIRONMENTALHISTORY—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThe personal computer, high-speed internet, the internal combustion engine, industrialcapitalism, Global Warming, deforestation, pollution, airplanes, spaceships, lasers. Wecurrently live in a world in which human-made technology affects all corners of the Earth,where human footprints exist in almost equally prolific geographic reach, and where manyhumansdaily reckonwiththematerialandmoral implicationsofhumanactivity.Thetaskoftheenvironmental historian is to explore andexplainhowandwhy lifeonEarth exists in itscurrent form. We begin with the assumption that modern society is related to theaccumulation of past developments (though not in a linear progression) with a particularemphasis on the importance of historical relationships between humans and the nonhumanworld. What does that mean? It means we look at the ways ecosystems and nonhuman

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speciesaffectedthecourseofhumanhistory,andthewayshumansocietieshaveaffectedthecourse of nonhuman history. In other words, Environmental History asks howmosquitoes,disease,water,trees,vermin,predators,climate,terrainchangedthecourseofglobalhumanhistory and vice versa, from ancient Mesopotamia to modern America. For example: wastheAedesaegyptimosquitoresponsibleforthedominationofwhat isnowCentralandSouthAmericabySpainuntiltheendoftheeighteenthcentury?Whydidhumansdevelopfossilfueltechnology – because of the species’ innate curiosity, or because ecologic/economic forcesdrove them to it? This is a seminar readings course, and students areevaluatedbasedonacombinationofclassroomparticipation,presentations,andessays.WOMEN’SANDGENDERSTUDIES:ANINTERDISCIPLINARYINTRODUCTION—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThis course offers an introduction to Women's and Gender Studies, an interdisciplinaryacademicfieldthataskscriticalquestionsaboutthemeaningofgenderinsociety.Theprimarygoalofthiscourseistohelpstudentsdevelopacriticalframeworkforthinkingaboutgenderasbothanidentityandacategoryofanalysis.Wealsoexaminecloselytheintersectionofgenderwithothersocialidentifiersincludingsexualorientation,race,ethnicity,class,religionandage.Together, we build a dialogue around topics including women's history and feministfoundations,gender/cultureandsocialization,thebodypolitic(physicalandsexual),genderedperformanceandrelationshipsofpower,economicstructuresandtheireffectonwomen,andthe global context of gender. The course is conducted largely as a seminar and requiresstudentstotakeanactiveroleinleadingclassdiscussionandpresentingmaterial.ThetextsandreadingsusedinthiscoursefocusprimarilyupontheexperiencesofpeopleintheUnitedStates.However,wealsodrawuponcross-culturalexamplestodeepenourunderstandingofgenderinabroadercontext.Studentscanexpecttowriteresponseessaysandcompleteseveralprojects

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MATHEMATICS

The Upper School math curriculum is a continuation of the logical sequence of coursesintroduced in theMiddle School. Three years ofmath are required and a studentmust beenrolledinamathclassduringthe9th,10th,and11thgradeacademicyears.Themathcoursesthatsatisfythisrequirementmaynotbetakenpass/fail.Typicalthreeyearsequencesinclude:

1. Algebra1,Geometry,andIntermediateAlgebra2. Geometry,Algebra2,andPrecalculus3. MathI,MathII,andMathIII.

MathSequence

The diagram below shows the possible progression through the courses in the SFS mathprogram. Please note that a change in sequence requires departmental approval and mayrequiresupplementalwork.

PlacementforMathematicsCoursesinUpperSchool:GuidelinesForninthgrade: StudentswhoarenewtoSidwellFriendsSchool in the9thgradewillmeetwithamemberoftheMathDepartmentforplacement.Aplacementtestmayberequiredandmay, alongwith the judgment of the Department Chair and Academic Dean, determine theappropriate placement in upper schoolmath. Math placement decisions for rising 9th gradestudentsfromSidwellFriendsMiddleSchoolwillbemadebytheircurrentmiddleschoolmathteacherandthemiddleschoolDepartmentChair.

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Forother grades: Eachyear,membersof theMathDepartmentplacecurrent9th-11thgradestudentsinsubsequentcoursesforthenextacademicyear.Generallyspeaking,astudentwhohasdoneB-levelworkorbetterwillbeplaced inthecoursethatmostcommonlyfollowsthecurrentone. IfastudenthashaddifficultymaintainingB-levelwork,astudent’s teachermayinsteadrecommendadifferent,moresuitablecourse.Ontheotherhand,ifastudenthasdoneexceedinglywell,hisorherteachermayrecommendamorechallengingnextcourse.Studentswhoare considered for amove to amoredemanding coursewill havedemonstrated a highlevelof capabilityand interest,and it isexpected thatheor shewillhavedoneA-levelworkthroughoutthecurrentcourse.Supplementalorsummerworkmayberequiredtomakesuchachangeinsequence.Permissionofthedepartmentisrequiredforanystudentwhowishestotakeacreditmathcourseoverthesummer,andsuchcoursesmustbetakenatSidwellFriendsSchool.

OtherDepartmentalPolicies

A student who earns a ‘C-’or below in a course that is part of a continuing sequence (e.g.Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Precalculus) may be required to retake the course or completesupplementarywork inorder toenroll in thenext course in the sequence. This judgment ismadebytheDepartmentChairinconsultationwiththestudent’steacher.TheMathHelpRoom(Room226)isopendailyforstudentswhohavequestionspertainingtotheirmathclass.ItisstaffedmostperiodswitheitheramemberoftheMathDepartmentoranupperlevelstudent.AllcoursesrequireaTI-83orTI-84calculator.The Math Department integrates topics in probability and statistics into the three-yearsequence. Thesetopicsare includedonboththeSATandSATsubjecttests,andthesetopicsaretypicallyincludedinthestandardcurriculaforthethree-yearsequencecoursesandprovideamore comprehensive overviewof topics that studentsmay choose to pursue later in theireducation.Asanincreasingnumberofpost-graduatepursuitsrequireagoodunderstandingofbasic statistics and data analysis, the inclusion of these topics better prepares students forrelatedcoursesbothatSidwellFriendsandinlateryearsofstudy.Discussingthesetopicsalsoprovides an additional opportunity for students to make cross-disciplinary connectionsbetweentheirmathcoursesandcoursesinotherdepartmentsatSidwellFriends.ALGEBRA1—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:None

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In Algebra 1 students study operations involving integers, rational numbers, real numbers,monomials, polynomials, rational expressions, exponents, absolute value, and radicals.Techniquesforsolvingandgraphinglinearandquadraticequationsarestudiedextensively,andlinear inequalities and systems of linear equations receive significant attention. There is astrongemphasisonensuringsecureskillsandproducingclearlyorganizedwrittenwork.GEOMETRY—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Algebra1orequivalentGeometry covers Euclidean plane and solid geometry. Emphasis is on orderly and logicalthinking, on theability todevelopa sound,precise, logical argument, andon the theoreticalderivationandpracticalapplicationof theoremsandpropositions.Proof isan integralpartofthecourse.Specific topics ingeometry include linesegments, lines, rays,planes,congruence,triangles, quadrilaterals, regular polygons, inequalities, perpendicular and parallel lines,similarity, and circles including tangent and secant lines and chords. Throughout the year,algebrareviewisaregularaspectofclasswork.CoordinategeometryisusedbothasawaytointroduceandprovideadifferentperspectiveongeometrictopicsandalsoasonewayinwhichtopicsofAlgebra1willbethoroughlyreviewed.Additionally,basicconstructionsareintroducedandrighttriangletrigonometryiscovered.MATHI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Algebra1anddepartmentalapproval Math I is an intensiveandaccelerated course in geometry recommended for veryablemathstudents. The topicsof geometry andalgebra are coveredwith greater attention to rigorousproofandthedeductionofresultsfromasmallnumberofpostulates.Additionaltopicsincludeadvanced constructions, loci, proof by contradiction, and a more intensive study oftrigonometry. This rigorous course is inquiry based, and studentsmust be prepared to takeresponsibility for their own progress. Additional topics beyond the scope of the standardgeometrycoursemaybetaught.GEOMETRY,ANINDUCTIVEAPPROACH—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Algebra1Students in Geometry, An Inductive Approach study both plane and solid geometry. Theinductive approach of the class requires students to explore problems by hand and usingGeometer’s Sketchpad. On the basis of thatwork, studentsmake generalizationswhich areformalizedintothestandardpostulatesandtheoremsencounteredinGeometry.Throughouttheyear,algebrareviewisaregularaspectofclasswork.

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ALGEBRA2—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Algebra1InAlgebra2 students study the algebraic properties and graphsof real-valued functions andspecificskillsneededforworkingwithapplications.Previousworkwithlinearrelationshipsandsystems is expanded, and, in addition, students study direct and inverse variation, quadraticand higher degree polynomial functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, inverses offunctions,conicsections,andbasicprobabilityanddatainterpretation.MATHII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:MathIorequivalentMath II is an intensive and accelerated course for very able and independentmath studentswhohavecompletedMathIoritsequivalent.ThecoursecoversthetopicsoftheAlgebra2andPrecalculuscourses,butagreateremphasisisplacedonabstractionandproof-writing.INTERMEDIATEALGEBRA—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Algebra1andGeometry(orGeometryanInductiveApproach)Students in this course will study the topics covered in the Algebra 2 course, with moreemphasisonbasicskillsneededforsolvingavarietyoftypesofequationsandinequalities,andcreatingandinterpretingthegraphsofrelations.PRECALCULUS—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:GeometryandAlgebra2InPrecalculusstudentsstudypolynomialfunctions,exponentialfunctions,logarithmicfunctions,trigonometricfunctions,andinversetrigonometricfunctions.Polarfunctionsandtheirgraphsare examined in the second semester as are basic probability and statistics. Graphingtechniquesandapplicationsareemphasized,andgraphingcalculatorsareusedthroughoutthecourse. The study of trigonometry includes the graphs of trigonometric functions and theirinverses, the Laws of Sines and Cosines, equations, identities, multiple-angle formulas andradianmeasure.MATHIII—1credit;yearcourse

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Opento:11Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:MathIIStudents covermany topics includingMathematical Induction, sequences, series, and limits.Thefoundationsfordifferentialcalculusarelaid.TheemphasisinMathIIIisonrigorousworkand independent responsibility for the mastery of proofs and an understanding ofmathematicalideas.ALGEBRA3ANDTRIGONOMETRY—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Algebra2(orIntermediateAlgebra)andGeometryStudents inAlgebra3andTrigonometry study topics suchas coordinategeometry,quadraticequations,circles,triangletrigonometry,exponentsandlogs,statisticsandprobability.STATISTICS—1credit;yearcourseOpento:12Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:IntermediateAlgebra,Algebra2,Algebra3,orPrecalculusThiscoursemaynotbetakentosatisfythethree-yearMathrequirement.ThiscourseisanintroductiontothestudyofStatistics.Studentsuserealdatathroughoutthecourse.Thecoursebeginswithanintroductiontopresentingandinterpretingdata,alongwithinterpretingdatafrompublishedresults.Themainfocusofthecourseistodiscovermethodsofbasicinferenceusingvariousmethodsbyworkingwithsimulations,probability,andrealdata.Topics include basic probability, graphing and interpreting data, basic linear regression,estimators, simulations, experimental design, and statistical inference. Throughout, studentsdiscussthescopeofinferencefromagivenstudy,experiment,orstatisticalanalysis.APSTATISTICS—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:Precalculus,Algebra3,ordepartmentalapprovalThiscoursemaynotbetakentosatisfythethree-yearMathrequirement. The course is an intensive first-year-college level statistics course. Topics covered include:exploratorydataanalysisusinggraphicalandnumericaltechniques,planningexperimentsandstudies, sampling techniques, probability theory including the normal and binomialdistributions, producing statistical models, and statistical inference including confidenceintervalsandtestsofsignificance.ATI-83or84calculatorisusedonaregularbasis.Students

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whocompletethecoursesuccessfullyshouldbewellpreparedtotaketheAdvancedPlacementexamination.CALCULUSI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:PrecalculusorMathII Thisisacourseinbasicdifferentialandintegralcalculusofonevariable.Topicsinclude:limits;maximum/minimum problems; Rolle’s Theorem; theMean Value Theorem; L’Hopital’s Rule;FundamentalTheoremofCalculus;exponentialandlogarithmicfunctions;andanintroductiontodifferentialequations.Extensiveuseismadeofgraphingcalculators.Studentsareaskednotonly to understand, but to prove many of the basic theorems in Calculus. Students whocomplete the course successfully should be well prepared to take the Calculus AB APexamination.CALCULUSII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweekPrerequisites:MathIII,departmentalapproval Calculus II is an intensive and accelerated course in differential and integral calculus of onevariable. It is for able and independent 12th grade students who have completedMath III.Areascovered in thiscourse include: limits, continuity,maximum/minimumproblems;Rolle’sTheorem; the Mean Value Theorem; L’Hopital’s Rule; Fundamental Theorem of Calculus;infiniteseries;differentialequations;vectorvaluedfunctions;andpolarfunctions.Studentsareaskednotonlytounderstand,buttoprovemanyofthebasictheorems inCalculus.Studentswho complete this course successfully should be qualified to take the Calculus BC APExamination.LINEARALGEBRA—Maybetakenasafullyearcoursefor1creditorthefirstsemesterfor½creditOpento:11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:MathIIILinearAlgebraisacourseforable12thgradestudentswhohavetakenorarecurrentlyenrolledin Calculus II. Topics include: matrices, vector spaces, linear transformations, characteristic(Eigen)values.Additionalareasofstudysuchasdynamicalsystemsmaybetakeupduringthesecondsemester.

CHINAFIELDWORKMATHPROGRAM

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StudentsparticipatingintheChinaFieldworkSemester-AwayProgramwillcontinuetolearnmathremotelywiththehelpoftheon-sitemathtutorwhowillworkwiththemregularlyoverthesemester.OntheChinaFieldworktranscript,themathcourseCFSstudentstakewillhaveaCFSnotationadded(e.g.PrecalculusCFS,AlgebraIICFS,etc.).StudentsenrolledinCalculusIfirstsemestersenioryearwhoattendCFSmaychoosetodropCalculusIafterthefirstsemestertoearn.5credit.NotallSFSmathcourseswillbeavailabletostudentsenrolledintheCFSprogram.Forinstance,studentsenrolledinMathIIIfirstsemesterwillneedtotakeCalculusICFSforthesecondsemester.Inthiscase,studentsenrolledintheCFSprogramwillreceive.5creditforthefirstsemestermathcourseand.5creditforthesecondsemestercourseaspartoftheCFSprogram.Finally,theMathDepartmentwillmakeplacementdecisionsforallstudents,includingthosewhoparticipateinstudy-awayprograms,todetermineappropriateplacementforthefollowingyear.

MODERNANDCLASSICALLANGUAGESAncienttoModern,EasttoWest,theDepartmentofModernandClassicalLanguagesoffersasequence of beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes in Chinese, French, Latin, andSpanishthatactivelyandsuccessfullyfulfillourdreamofturningstudentsintoworldexplorers.Ourcoursesaremultifacetedandrichinthemyriadtechniquesandmaterialsweusetobringourlanguagelearnerstoincreasinglygreaterlevelsofspeaking,listening,reading,andwritingproficiency. Addedtoanarrayofvideo,audio,andcomputerprogramsthatopenupdistantculturestotheclassroomisourmembershipintheSchoolYearAbroadprogram,underwhoseauspicesSidwellFriendsSchoolstudentsmayspendayearinFrance,Italy,Spain,orChina.StudentswhoarenewtoSidwellFriendsSchool inthe9thgradewillmeetwithamemberoftheLanguageDepartment forplacement. Aplacement testmaybe requiredandmay,alongwith the judgment of theDepartment Chair andAcademicDean, determine the appropriateplacementinanupperschoollanguagecourse.

A studentwho earns a “C-” or below in a course that is part of a continuing sequence (e.g.FrenchI,FrenchII,etc.)orshowsaparticularweaknessincertainareasoflanguagestudywillberequiredtotakeaplacementexamintheFallbeforethestartoftheschoolyearinordertoadvancetothenextlevel.Ifastudentreceivesagradebelow“C”ontheplacementexam,heorshewillhavetoswitchtoanewlanguageordroplanguagesaltogether,providedthatheorshehasfulfilledthetwoyearrequirementforgraduation.

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ChineseStudiesProgramInhonorofthememoryofJohnFisherZeidman(’79),SidwellFriendsSchoolfoundedaChineseStudies Program in 1983. The Program consists of both Chinese language and Chinese/EastAsian history courses. In addition to these curricular offerings, programmatic componentsinclude a library resource center devoted to China and East Asia, frequent speakers, regularsummer trips toChina, and theopportunity to apply for a fellowship to study inChina aftergraduationfromtheSchool.TheobjectivesoftheProgramaretonotonlyexposestudentstoChinabutbuildastrongfoundationinthestudyofChineselanguage,history,andculture.ForinformationonChineselanguageofferings,pleaserefertotheModernandClassicalLanguagesDepartment curriculum listed below, and for information on Chinese and East Asian historyofferings,refertotheHistoryDepartmentcurriculum.

ChineseThe 21st century has been described as “the Chinese century”, making Chinese an essentiallanguageforAmericansto learn. But justas importantasChina’srecentrapidrise is itsrich,ancient culture and contributions to global civilization. The significant differences betweenChineseandWesternlanguagesandculturesofferstudentsthechallengeoflearningtothinkinnewways. TheChineseprogramoffersa rigorous seriesof courses. Theprogrambeginsbyusingstoriestoteachhigh-frequencyvocabularyandstructuresthatallowstudentstorapidlybuildproficiencyinthelanguage.Inthebeginningyears,thefocusisontopicsrelatedtodailylife;asstudentsprogress,topicsincludeculturalandsocietalissues.Throughouttheprogram,Chinese culture is interwoven with the course topics to give students a rich picture of thiscomplexculture. Overthecourseoftheprogram,studentsbuildan inventoryofvocabulary,grammatical structures, cultural knowledge,andcommunicative strategies;enactavarietyofreal-lifescenarios;andinteractwithadiversityofmaterials,fromsongs,moviesandpodcaststotraditionalstoriesandnewspaperarticles.TheChineseprogramisdesignedtohelpstudentsbuildastrongfoundationinChinese,inspirethemintheirpursuitoffuturelearning,andenablethemtobecometrueglobalcitizens.CHINESEI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisite:None This introductory language course immediately immerses students in the spoken languagethroughtheuseofstories.Teacherandstudentsworktogethercreateavarietyofstoriesthatare acted out in class, with gestures, props, and acting used to make the languagecomprehensible. Students are provided with abundant input in the form of listening andreadingtohelpthemacquirehigh-frequencyvocabularyandthefundamentalstructuresofthelanguage.Atthebeginningoftheyear,studentslearntoreadandwritecommonradicalsandthen,afterasolidfoundationisestablished,learntoread,write,andtypecharacters.Studentslearntonarrateevents,describepeopleandplaces,andexpresstheirownopinionsontopicsrelatedtodailylife.Studentcreativityisbroughtintoplayasstudentsbegintowritetheirown

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stories,manyofwhichbecomethebasisforclassactivities.Avarietyofgamesareusedinclasstoreinforceandconsolidatestudents’graspofthelanguage.CHINESEII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:7thand8thGradeChinese,ChineseIorequivalentIn this course, students continue toworkwith stories, building on the foundation they havecreated in Chinese I. They expand their vocabulary and learn more complex grammaticalstructures,improvingtheirabilitytodescribe,narrate,compare,andexplain.Thestoriestakeon greater depth, sometimes drawing from classic Chinese and familiar Western tales, andmoreelementsofChinesecultureareintroduced.Atthislevel,studentsareabletoproduceagreatervolumeofwrittenandspokenwork,andtheycreateastorybookprojectattheendofeachsemester.

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CHINESEIII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:ChineseIIorequivalent In this intermediate course, students explore a variety of topics related to their school lifethrough stories. Themain goal of this course is to expand students’ vocabulary in order toenablethemtotalkabouttheirdailylifewithmoredetailsandcomplexity.Chinesevideoclipsandsongsareusedassupplementary listeningmaterials.To improvereadingcomprehensionskills,studentsfinishtheyearbyreadingalevel-appropriateChinesenovella.CHINESEIV—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:ChineseIIIorequivalent Atthislevel,studentsgobeyondthediscussionsoftheirdailylifeandtouchuponvarioustopicsrelatedtotheircommunity.Pictures,newsstories,onlinevideoclips,blogs,andmicro-blogswillbeusedtofacilitatethenarrationanddiscussionsondifferenttopics.StudentswillalsocompareandcontrasthowthoseissuesaredealtwithinChina.Chinesevideoclipsandsongswillbeusedassupplementarylisteningmaterials.Toimprovereadingcomprehensionskills,studentsfinishtheyearbyreadingalevel-appropriateChinesenovella.CHINESEV—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:ChineseIVorequivalentandDepartmentalapproval Inthiscourse,studentsusetheChineselanguageasatooltoexploreandinvestigateChineseculturalpracticesandperspectives.Themaintextissupplementedwithpodcasts,stories,newsarticles, and movies that illustrate cultural issues and serve as a basis for discussion andreflection. While developing an understanding of contemporary Chinese society, studentsexpandtheirvocabulary,strengthentheirgraspofkeygrammarpatterns,refinetheirlisteningandreadingcomprehensionskills,andimprovetheirabilitytocommunicateinparagraph-leveldiscourse. Throughout the course, students engage in discussions, role plays, andpresentations,andwriteemails,stories,andessays.Atthecompletionofthecourse,studentsmaytaketheChineseLanguageandCultureAPexam.CHINESESEMINAR—1credit;yearcourseOpento:12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:ChineseVorequivalentandDepartmentalapproval Thismultidisciplinarycourse isdesigned forstudentswhohavestudiedabroad inChina forayear orwho have completed Chinese V or the equivalent. In this course, students use their

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Chinese language skills to explore contemporary issues in Chinese society. Themain text issupplemented with authentic materials such as online news articles, video clips, televisionshows, and short stories, reflecting Chinese culture and giving students the opportunity tostrengthenboththeircomprehensionandanalyticalskills.Classtimeisdevotedtodiscussingthe texts and addressing linguistic difficulties that arise. Outside of class, students writepersuasiveessaysinwhichtheypresenttheirownpointofviewonrelatedissues.Inaddition,students learntoapplythevocabularytocurrentevents,givingregularoralpresentationsontopics of their choice and facilitating class discussions. At the completion of the course,studentsmaytaketheChineseLanguageandCultureAPexam.

French

Inaworldthathasbecomemoreconnectedthanever,thelearningofFrenchbecomesamustforanyculturedperson.French,likeEnglish,isdeeplyrootedinfivecontinents.InEurope,notonlyisFrenchspokeninFrance,butinBelgium,Luxemburg,andSwitzerland.Itisalsospokenin LatinAmerica (FrenchGuyana) andAsia (VietnamandPondicherry, India). InAfrica alone,Frenchistheofficialorco-officiallanguageinover20countries.Frenchisthenativelanguageof over 80% of Quebec’s population. Moreover, ‘la Francophonie’ as a movement and anInstitution,withitsheadquartersinParis,wascreatedtoformabridgelinkingdiversegroupsofpeoples, cultures, and traditions in the French speaking world and facilitate increasedcommunication between the diverse cultures in a shared language. The French programimmersesourstudentsinsomeoftheworld’smostdiverseculturesandtraditions.Throughanaturalprogressionofcourses,theFrenchprogram’smaingoalistoteachstudentshow to understand, speak, read and write French as well as to appreciate the geographic,historical,socio-economicandculturalwealthanddiversityoftheFrenchspeakingworld.Oralpractice inthebasicandintermediatecourses isguidedbymeansofanaudio-visualprogramdesignedtodevelopnaturalspeechpatterns,pronunciationandintonation.Diverseelectronictoolsareusedintheclassroomtosupportthestudents’skills.The books chosen at each level are carefully selected to discourage translation and toencouragereadingandthinkinginthetargetlanguageasitisdoneinone’sownlanguage.TheInternet, French video clips, DVD’s, CD’s on current events and/or points of grammar andculture/sareusedtocomplementclassroomexperience,especiallyinthemoreadvancedlevelsofFrenchstudy.AllclassesareconductedinFrench.FRENCHI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscoursecoversthefundamentalsofelementaryFrenchthroughcontextualpresentationofvocabulary,grammarandverbconjugations.StudentsstartlearningFrenchwithanintegrated

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approach to listening comprehension, reading, writing, speaking and culture. The textbook,“Bon voyage level I,” is supplemented by an audio program and student manual, a writingactivity workbook, and online exercises and games (www.french.glencoe.com). The videosegmentforeachchapterhelpsstudentstobecometotallyimmersedinthetargetlanguage.Asecond audio-visual program, C’est-à-toi, draws the class into the daily lives of a group ofFrenchstudentsfromLaRochelleinwesternFrance.Teenromance,intra-familydisagreementsandgenerational,culturalissuesarethespringboardtovaluablelanguageandculturelessons.The course is designed to give students useful, everyday expressions that they can useimmediatelyinreallifesituationsandpreparethemforfutureliterarystudies.FRENCHII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:7thand8thgradeFrench,FrenchIorequivalentThiscoursecompletesthebasiclevelofFrenchstudy.Basicconversational,grammatical,writingandreadingskillsareexpanded,andvocabularyisbroadened.Thetextbook,“BonvoyagelevelII,”issupplementedbyanaudio-videoprogramwithstudentmanual,awritingactivityworkbook,exercises,andonlinegamesandquizzes(www.french.glencoe.com).Thevideosegmentforeachchapterexposesstudentstothevocabularyofdailylifeandcoversavarietyofsocio-economicandculturalfeaturesofFranceandtheFrancophoneworld.AdditionalsupportisavailablethroughacontinuationofC’est-à-toi,whichwasintroducedinFrenchI.Thecourseisdesignedtogivestudentsuseful,everydayexpressionsthattheycanuseimmediatelyinreallifesituationsandprepareforfutureliterarystudies.FRENCHIII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:FrenchIIorequivalentThisintermediatecoursecoversmostoftheverbtensesaswellasthegrammaticalstructuresneededtomovebeyondtheintermediatelevel.“LeFrançaisessentiel”grammarbookisusedthroughout the year to give the students a more in-depth presentation of thegrammar.Literatureisalsointroducedatthislevel.“Unbilletpourlecommissaire,”amystery,isread inthefirstsemester.Thistext iswellsuitedforthis levelasthestructures increase incomplexitiesasthestorydevelops.Thetextisconcrete,andthestorybuildsbaseduponfacts.Itpreparesthestudentsforreading“LePetitPrince”inthesecondsemesterandintroducesaphilosophicaldimensionofFrenchliterature.Theemphasisofthiscourseisonoralandwrittenworkthatbecomesincreasinglymorechallenging.FRENCHIV—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:FrenchIIIorequivalent

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In the first semester, this advanced course exposes students to the culture, geography, andhistoryofFranceandFrench-speakingcountries.ThesecondsemesterfocusesonFrancophoneliterature.AvarietyofFrancophoneauthorsareintroducedin“MomentsLittéraires”followedbythe in-depthstudyofaplay,“HuisClos,”byJean-PaulSartre.Thiscoursefurtherdevelopsthestudents’ skills to read,analyze,discuss,andwrite inFrenchabout the literaryworkofavarietyofauthorsaswellastheliterarymovementsthattheyrepresent.Italsoprovidesamorenuancedandcomplexstudyofbothgrammarandconjugationanditsapplicationsinverbalandwrittenworks.Uponcompletionofthiscourse,studentsshouldbewellpreparedtocontinuetheir FrenchStudies at anadvanced level. Studentswho complete this coursemay take theAdvancedPlacementExaminationinFrenchLanguageattheendoftheyear.FRENCHV-ADVANCEDFRANCOPHONELITERATURE—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:FrenchIVorequivalentInthisadvancedcourse,thefirstsemesterfocusesonthenovelsoftheFrench-speakingworld.We read a variety of works from authors such as Albert Camus (Algeria), Maryse Condé(Guadeloupe),andCamaraLaye(Guinea).Theemphasisof thesecondsemester isondrama.Theauthorsareselectedtoreflectavarietyof literarytrendsandbackgrounds.TheworksofauthorssuchasAnouilh,Sartre,Ionesco,CésaireandDioparestudied(thelistmayvary).Thestudyofeachwork includes in-classdiscussions ledbythestudentsortheteacher,writingofessays and, in the case of a play, presentations of scenes, sometimes leading to thepresentation of the entire play. Students who have completed this course may take theAdvancedPlacementExaminationinFrenchLanguageattheendoftheyear.

Latin

The study of classical languages and literature was once the centerpiece of the liberal artseducation. Although times have changed, it is our belief that grounding in Latin and anintroductiontotheGreco-Romanworldstillhavetheirrewards.TheLatinprogram,therefore,is designed to 1) acquaint students with the principles of an ancient, inflected language, 2)teachthefundamentalsofLatingrammarandvocabulary,3)enablestudentstoreadfromthetreasurehouseofLatinliteraturethatincludessuchauthorsasVergil,Cicero,Ovid,Caesar,andCatullus,and4)introduceGreco-Romanlifeandculture.LATINI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThis course provides students with a working knowledge of Latin grammar and vocabularythroughoralandwrittenwork.Theemphasisisonreadingskillsandinflectedformsthatwillbeneededbythestudentforsuccessatall levels.Latin language instruction issupplementedby

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the study of ancientmythology, culture, and history. In addition, emphasis is placed on theimprovementofEnglishvocabularythroughrecognitionofLatinrootsandderivatives.LATINII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:7thand8thGradeLatin,LatinIorequivalentThis course is the sequel to Latin I and continues the 7th and 8th grade program. The earlyweeksof the year areused for reviewof theprevious year’swork. The course continues tointroduce additional inflected forms and grammatical constructions with an emphasis onsubordinateclauses.AuthenticexcerptsfromRomanauthorsarepresentedforthefirsttime.Thehistoryandcultureof theRomanEmpireserveasabackdrop for the readings.As in thefirst year, anemphasis isplacedon improvingEnglish vocabularyand recognizingderivativesfromLatin.LATINIII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LatinIIorequivalentThecourseconcludestheintroductionofnewgrammarandsyntax.StudentsfocusonreadingauthenticLatinliteratureinthesecondhalfoftheyear,andspecialattentionispaidtoprecisetranslationandliteraryanalysis.Throughthereadings,studentsareintroducedtoavarietyoftopics, suchasRomanphilosophy, the impactsof imperialism,and rhetoric.Readings includeprosefromwriterssuchasSeneca,Sallust,andCicero.ThelastpartofthecoursefocusesonCaesar’sproseandthepoetryofVergil.LATINIV,AP—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LatinIIIorequivalent,anddepartmentapprovalThis course builds on the previous year’s introduction of The Aeneid and Caesar’s De BelloGallico.Timeisdevotedtoaccuracyandgrowingfluencyoftranslationsandmetricalreadings,as well as to discussions of style, themes, and literary devices. Students explore the social,political,andliterarycontextsfortheworksofCaesarandVergil.Theamountofmaterialinthiscoursedemandsan intensive full-yearcommitment toworkatanaccelerated level.StudentsarepreparedtotaketheAdvancedPlacementExaminationinLatinattheendoftheyear.

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ADVANCEDLATINLITERATURE—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12 Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:LatinIVorequivalent,andDepartmentalapprovalStudents improve their facilitywith Latin vocabulary and syntaxwhile reading poetry and/orprose selections. Emphasis is on understanding of and appreciation for the literature andculture of Ancient Rome. Students are engaged with the tasks of not only translating, butunderstanding the contemporary history and culture of Rome as influences on the selectedauthors. Classical literature has endured because of its ability to speak to each generationanewwhileremindingusthatthehumanconditionhaspersistedforthousandsofyears.ThegoalisthatstudentswhohavetakenthiscoursewillgraduatefromSidwellFriendsSchoolwithboth the ability to discuss Latin literature within the appropriate historical context, and anunderstandingoftheinfluenceofLatinandRomancivilizationonWesternliteratureandart.

SpanishOur Spanish curriculum offers a sequence of courses that use the language as a tool forexploringculture,history,andliterature.GiventheimportanceoftheSpanishlanguageintheUnitedStatesandintheworld,webeginourinterdisciplinaryprograminPre-KindergartenandcontinuethroughtheadvancedlevelsintheUpperSchool.The Upper School program follows a communicative method, stressing at all levels thedevelopmentof natural speechpattern, pronunciation and intonation.Allmaterials promotethe development of communicative skills in understanding, speaking, writing, and readingSpanish. In the immersion environment, teachers and students communicate in Spanish,avoidinganyformoftranslationintoEnglish.SPANISHI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12 Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThisisabeginningcourseforstudentswhohavenotstudiedSpanishbefore.Thecourseusesan exclusively communicative approach and concentrates on both aural comprehension andoralproduction. The course,with its textbookDosMundosenbreve andonline resources, isorganizedtopromotenaturallanguageacquisitionthroughconstantexposuretoandrepetitionof the protocol, vocabulary, and basic grammar of everyday situations. Initially, the primaryemphasis is on listening, repeating and speaking. As the year progressesmore attention isgiventoreadingandwriting.

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SPANISHII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets5timesaweekPrerequisites:7th&8thGradeSpanish;SpanishIorequivalent.PlacementtobemadebytheUSandMSDepts.ofModernandClassicalLanguagesThiscourseisdesignedtorefinefurtherstudents’listening,speaking,writing,andstudyskillsinacommunicativeclassroom.Studentsmasterandexpanduponfoundationalskillsbyfocusingonmoredetailedaccuracyintheirlanguageacquisition,aswellasdecreasingtheirdependenceonEnglishthoughtandspeechpatterns.ThecoursematerialincludesthetextbookPanoramaandancillarymaterials.SPANISHIII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisite:SpanishIIorequivalent.PlacementtobemadebytheMSandUSDepts.ofModernandClassicalLanguagesThis course continues the communicative approach and is offered to students who havemastered their foundational skills (in speaking, readingandwriting)andare ready toexpandtheirgrammaticalscope.Allverbconjugationsandmoodswillbepresentedinthiscourse.Inlieu of a textbook, a series of cultural and literary units provide a context for learninggrammaticalstructures.SPANISHIV—1credit;yearcourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:SpanishIIIorequivalentInthiscourse,emphasisisgiventonaturalself-expression,precisewrittenexpression,readingcomprehension, and an overall sensitivity to the diversity of Spanish speakingcultures. Students review all major grammatical concepts, learn complex structures, andacquireamoresophisticatedandspecializedvocabulary. Inlieuofatextbook,studentsreadshort literary and historical pieces, and watchmovies to expose them to the origins of theSpanishspeakingworld,andinthesecondsemesterexplorehowthesethingshaveplayedoutinthe21stcentury.SPANISHV—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:SpanishIVorequivalentThis course offers a multidisciplinary approach to the study of language and contemporaryculture throughessays, editorials, literarypieces and short films touchingonhistory, currentevents and cultural topics from the Spanish speaking world. Emphasis is on refining and

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enhancing oral and written proficiency at an advanced level. The course material includesRevista, readings of cuentos, and contemporary readings on immigration, including FranciscoJiménez’sSenderos fronterizos. At theendof this course studentsmay take theAPSpanishLanguageExam.ADVANCEDSPANISHSEMINARS-1credit;2consecutivesemestersforcreditOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:SpanishVorDepartmentalapprovalThe Advanced Spanish Seminars offer the most advanced level of Spanish, following thesequenceofI-II-III-IV-V.StudentswhosuccessfullycompleteSpanishVwillqualifytoenrollintheSeminars.DistinguishedstudentsofSpanish IVwhohaveearnedagradeofB+oraboveandheritage-Spanish-speaking studentsmay seekdepartmental approval to enroll directly intheSpanishSeminars.Thetwo-yearrangeofSpanishSeminarofferingsallowenrolledjuniorsto select the Seminar again for their senior year. Each seminar offers a “classical” and a“contemporary” focus toensure thatstudentsareexposedtoa rangeof literaryandculturalmovements. Each seminar includes two semester-long courses, requiring consecutiveenrollmentduringbothsemesters fora fullyear’scredit.Eachseminarmeets four timesperweek,followingthesamescheduledperiodacrossthetwosemesters.SpanishSeminarASemester1:AHistoryofPoetrySemester2:Spain’sMultiethnicOriginsSpanishSeminarBSemesters1&2:LanuevageneraciónAHistoryofPoetry:SpaintotheAmericasFromitsmulticulturalrootstoitsrevolutionaryroleintheNewWorld,thiscoursefollowstheevolutionofSpanishpoetry.Westudytheoriginsoflyricpoetryinthehispanoarabic“jarchas”,itsuniquepaththroughSpanishmysticism,itsrisetoexcessintheGoldenAge,itsdiminutionduringtheRomanticperiod, itsboomattheturnofthe19thcentury,anditstransitiontotheNewWorldwhereitflourishesintheModernistandVanguardmovements.Thestudyofthesesmall, complete works of art allows students to follow the historical trajectory of one ofEurope’smost importantsuperpowers,Spain,andtoobserve itsdownfallandtheconcurrentriseofoneof themost important literary cultures in theModernWorld: Post-colonial LatinAmerica.Spain’sMultiethnicOriginsThismultidisciplinarycourseappliesSpanishlanguageskillstothestudyoftheoriginsofSpainthroughhistory,architecture,art,geography,philosophyandliterature.ThecoursefocusesonkeyissuesregardingtheRomans,Jews,MuslimsandChristiansinSpainfromtheMiddle-AgesuntiltheunificationofSpain(1492),whichpartiallysettheoriginsfortoday’sSpanishspeakingworld.Studentsengageprimaryandsecondaryreadingsaswellasmultimediasources.Witha

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deeper historical understanding of the Iberian Peninsulas, students are able to interpret thecurrentconditionofethnicandreligiousminoritiesinSpain.TheNewGeneration:ExploringIdentityinToday’sU.S.Whoarewe?Howdidwegethere?WhatroledoIplay? This interdisciplinarycourseusespersonalnarrative toexamine the implicationsof languageand culture in the contextof thecontemporaryAmericansociety.Drawingfromprimarysources,peer-reviewedjournals,filmsand literature, students grapple with issues of identity that directly affect their lives. Whathappenswhenoneisraisedinasocietywhoseculturefundamentallydiffersfromthatoftheirparents? Whenthe“majority”becomesthenew“minority”? Whenaspectsofour identitiesconflictwithoneanother? (How) canweprogressas anationwhenweare sodividedwithregardtosomanyissues?Wheredoesempathycomein?Thesearethequestionswewilltrytoanswer.

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SCHOOLYEARABROADSidwellFriendsSchoolisamemberofSchoolYearAbroad(SYA),aprogramthatallowsjuniorsandseniorstospendayearinChina,France,Italy,andSpain.AtSchoolYearAbroad,studentspursueafullacademiccourseofstudyintheframeworkofaforeignculture.StudentstakeclassesatSchoolYearAbroadfacilitiesinBeijing,China;Rennes,France;Viterbo, Italy;andZaragoza,Spain.Students livewithhost families supervisedby theschool.Outsideof school, studentsparticipate in athletic, cultural, and recreational activitieswith theirhost-countrycounterparts,andmanystudents takeadvantageofopportunities fortravel both with the school and independently with parental permission. Because of thesignificant independence that SYA students enjoy, prospective applicants and their parentsshould be aware of the additional self-discipline and good judgment required of studentsparticipatinginthisprogram.Furthermore,SidwellFriendsSchoolsupportsanydisciplinaryandacademicsanctionsbySchoolYearAbroad. InSpainandFrance,onlyEnglishandMathcoursesaretaughtinEnglish.InChina,thelanguageinstruction ismore intensive, butModernChineseHistory andChineseCulture are taught inEnglish. Likewise, in Italy, students receive intensive instruction in Italian. Therefore, theprogramsinChinaandItalycanacceptstudentswithnopreviousexperienceinMandarinandItalian,respectively,whiletheprogramsinSpainandFrancerequireaminimumoftwoyearsofstudyinSpanishandFrench,respectively.StudentsshouldbegintoconsiderSchoolYearAbroadduringfreshmanyearsinceparticipationrequires curricular choices especially in the areas of Mathematics and Lab Sciences. At aminimum,interestedstudentsandparentsshouldspeaktotheSchoolYearAbroadCoordinatorand attend SYA orientations during the fall of Sophomore Year as applications are due inJanuary.Then, studentsmustundergoa selectionprocess thatconsiderspersonal,academic,andlinguisticqualificationsaswellastheappropriatenessofSchoolYearAbroadtoastudent’scourseof study. School YearAbroadmakesadmissionsand financial aiddecisionswith inputfromSidwellFriendsSchool.Significant need-based Financial Aid is available from School Year Abroad to cover thedifference between our tuition and that of SYA. Sidwell Friends School limits the number ofstudents granted a leave of absence to participate in School Year Abroad to twelve peryear.Furtherinformationmaybefoundatwww.sya.org.

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SCIENCEScience is a required course in grades 9 and 10 and optional in grades 11 and 12. Thedepartmentrecommendsthatstudentstakeacourseinbiology,chemistry,andphysicsbeforegraduation.StudentsenteringninthgradeshouldconsultwiththeircurrentScienceteachersortheScienceDepartmentChairabout the twooptions forBiology,eitherBiology IorBiology IA.Botharesurvey courses, with Biology IA moving at a faster, deeper pace. Biology IA also has anindependentresearchcomponentforstudentsandmeets5periodsperweek,withonedouble-period. Students electing to take Biology IA should demonstrate enhanced academicstewardshipandstrongreadingcomprehensionskills.For grades 10 through 12, students will receive a list of course options from the ScienceDepartmentinFebruarybeforecoursesign-upsbasedontheSciencefacultydiscussionsaboutthemostappropriatecoursesforeachstudent.Theapprovalforastudenttotakeacourseisbasedonthelevelofdifficultyofacourse,thepriorknowledgedeemednecessarytotakefulladvantageofthecourseasdescribedinthecoursedescription,andacandidassessmentofthequality of the student’s work, especially the demonstrated ability to keep up-to-date withcourseworkandthestudent’slevelofmaturity,independenceandresponsibility.Thestudent’sadvisorandtheAcademicDeanmaybeconsultedduringthisprocess.AstudentwhobelievesthatthereareextenuatingcircumstancesthatshouldbeconsideredforentryintoothercoursesmayseekScienceDepartmentconsiderationandshouldcontacttheScienceDepartmentChair.AnystudentwhowishestotaketwoormoreSciencecoursesconcurrentlymaydosoifspaceisavailable and if the student receives department approval for the second course. Thedepartment faculty, as a group, grants approval to “double in science” using the guidelinesdescribedabove.BIOLOGYI—1credit;yearcourseOpento:9Meets5timesperweekBiologyIisanintroductorycourseinwhichstudentsworkwithconceptsinselecttopicssuchasbasic chemistry, cell structure, genetics, evolution, ecology, as well as animal and plantstructureandfunction.Laboratoryworkandhomeworkarefacilitatedbytechnologyincludingonlineassessmenttoolsanddataloggers.Assessmentsincludelabwrite-ups,testsandprojectsthatemphasizecritical thinkingandapplicationofprinciples inaddition to recallof factsandconcepts.

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BIOLOGYIAccelerated—1credit;yearOpento:9Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodBiology IA isanacceleratedsurveycourse inwhichstudentsworkwithall levelsofbiologicalorganization – from themolecule through the cells, tissues, organs, individuals, populations,species, communities and theworld biome. Students are expected to be able to guide theirown learning away from class as class time is primarily used to elaborate upon topics fromassigned readings. Laboratory work and homework is facilitated by technology includingelectronic assessment tools and data loggers. Assessments emphasize critical thinking andapplicationofprinciplesinadditiontorecallofconcepts.EachstudentisexpectedtocompleteanIndependentResearchProject(IRP).CHEMISTRYI—1credit;yearcourse Opento:10,11,12Meets5timesperweekChemistry I is a comprehensive course in which students work with the concepts of atomicstructure,stoichiometry,thermochemistry,physicalbehaviorofgases,liquidsandsolids,basic,chemical bonding, solutions, equilibrium, chemical kinetics, acids andbases, redox reactions,and molecular structure. Emphasis is on measurement, problem-solving and the practicalapplication of chemical ideas. Students are expected to carry out lab work, maintain a labnotebook and write lab reports. This course provides students with a solid introduction tochemistry,itsvocabulary,anditsapplicationtonaturalevents.CHEMISTRYIAccelerated—1credit;yearcourse Opento:10,11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodChemistryIAisanacceleratedversionofChemistryI.Botharesurveycoursesintroducingthetopics of measurement, stoichiometry, aqueous reactions, gases, atomic and electronicstructure,chemicalbonding,thermochemistry,liquids&solids,solutions,equilibrium,reactionrates, acids & bases, spontaneity and electrochemistry. Topics are introduced with moresophisticated math and lab work and in greater depth than Chemistry I. In turn, studentsshouldbeverycomfortablewithAlgebrasinceitisusedalmostdailyinclass.Amajoremphasisis placed on collaborative learning through problem-solving. The course is designed forstudentswhothriveinastudent-centeredenvironment,whoenjoyworkingingroups,andwhodonotneedalotofreflectionandpracticetounderstandconcepts.Ifcombiningtheideasofthelastthreechapterstoworkacomplicated,multi-stepmathproblem,andgettingthecorrectanswerdowntofoursignificantfiguresmakesyourday,thisisthecourseforyou.

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PHYSICSI—1credit;yearcourse Opento:10,11,12Meets5timesperweekThis introductory coursewill use an approach to the subject that puts an emphasis on bothcomprehensionandcomputation. Usinga conceptual approach to topics, students areoftenabletodevelopagutfeelingforthephysicalworldthattheywillcarrywiththemfortherestoftheir lives. Studentswill then be able to use this conceptual understanding to develop andapplyquantitativerelationshipsbetweenvariables.Assessmentsemphasizescientificthinking,suchasmakingobservations, testing ideas, analyzingdata sets, generatinggraphs, andusingtrends to make predictions, rather than recall of facts or definitions. Units on classicalmechanicsandmatterareafocus inthefirstsemester,whichincludesanexaminationofthethinkingofAlbertEinsteinandhistheoryofgeneralrelativity.Inthesecondsemesterunitsonheat,sound,electricityandmagnetism,light,andquantumtheoryareintroduced.Smallgroupand class laboratory exercises as well as daily demonstrations complement collaborativeproblem-solvingandareacatalystforfurtherinquiry.Thecomputerisusedasatoolfordatagathering,analysis,andpresentationaswellasforthedisplayofvisualinformation.PHYSICSI—1/2credit;firstsemesteronly Opento:11,12Meets5timesperweek

ThisfirstsemesterPhysicsIcourseisopentojuniorswhowillbeenrolledinsecondsemesterimmersionprogramsawayfromcampusandseniorswhowishtoreducetheir loadafter firstsemesterorwhowishtoenrollinadifferentsecondsemestercourse.PHYSICSIAccelerated—1credit;yearcourse Opento:10,11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiod PhysicsIAintroducesallmajorareasofphysicsincludingmeasurement,motionandmechanics,waves,electricityandmagnetism,light,moderntheoriesoftheatomandconceptsofquantumtheory.Thecoursestressestheconceptswhichwillbeneededtogoontomoresophisticatedsciencecourses(conservationlaws,wave-particleduality,quantumstatesvs.continuum,etc.).Mosttopicsarecoveredquantitatively.Ahighlevelofmasteryofmathematicsatthelevelofthe Sidwell Friends School Precalculus course is essential. Understanding trigonometry isespeciallyimportant.Alsoincludedinthecoursearediscussionsontheinfluenceofscienceonthelargerworldandtherolescientistswillplayinshapingtheworldofthefuture(inareassuchas nuclear power, computer use, communications, etc.). Laboratory periods anddemonstrationsareincludedwhereappropriatetogivestudentsdirectexperiencedealingwithforce,acceleration,momentum,etc.Studentsusethecomputertosimulateproblemsthataredifficulttohandlebymoretraditionalmethods.

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PHYSICSIAccelerated—1/2credit;firstsemesteronly Opento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodThisfirstsemesterPhysicsIAcourseisopentojuniorsandseniorswhowishtoenrollinanoff-campus,secondsemesterimmersionprogramsanctionedbytheschool.BIOLOGYII—1credit;yearcourse Opento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodBiologyIIreviews,considersinsignificantlygreaterdepth,andinterconnectsthetopicsstudiedinBiologyIorBiologyIA.Thiscomprehensivesurveycoursedifferssignificantlyfromtheusualfirst-yearcourse inbiologywithrespecttothekindoftextbookused,therangeanddepthoftopicscovered,thetypeoflaboratoryworkdonebystudents,andthetimeandeffortrequiredof students. It aims toprovide studentswith the conceptual framework, factual knowledge,andadvancedanalytical skillsnecessary todeal criticallywith the rapidly changing scienceofbiology,drawingupontheirpreviousexperiencesinbothintroductorybiologyandintroductorychemistry classes. This course isdesigned for studentswhoare self-motivated, independentlearnerswithakeeninterestinbiologyandadvancedreadingcomprehension.All members of the class will be required to take the Advanced Placement Examination inBiologyinMay.CHEMISTRYII—1credit;yearcourse Opento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodChemistryIIreviews,considersinsignificantlymoredepth,andinterconnectsthetopicsstudiedinChemistryIorChemistryIA.Theseareasofstudyincludethemoretheoreticalconceptsofchemistry such as the structure of matter, kinetic-molecular theory, chemical equilibrium,chemicalkinetics,electrochemistry,acids,bases,andthermodynamics.Mathematicalproblemsolvingisamajorfocusofthestudyofalltopics.Inanextensionoflaboratoryskillsacquiredinprevious science courses, students make observations of chemical reactions, recordquantitative data, calculate and interpret results, and communicate effectively inwriting theresultsoftheirexperimentalwork.Thiscourseisdesignedforstudentswhoareself-motivated,independent learners who have a solid foundation in mathematics. Students with a keeninterestinchemistrybenefitthemostfromthisin-depth,advancedlevelcourse.All members of the class are required to take the Advanced Placement Examination inChemistryinMay.

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PHYSICSII—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiod

Physics II follows the syllabus required for the Advanced Placement “C” Examination. ThiscoursebuildsonthetopicsintroducedinPhysicsIA,theintroductorycourse.Thefirstsemestercovers classical mechanics including rotation. The second semester includes electricity andmagnetism.ThelevelofmathematicsassumesthestudenthastakenoriscurrentlyenrolledinCalculus BC. Laboratorywork also builds on Physics IA labs but becomesmore sophisticatedwith respect to procedure and error analysis. As the year progressesmore applications thatrequireintegralsarepresentedinkeepingwiththestudent’sprogressinCalculus.AllmembersoftheclasswillberequiredtotaketheAdvancedPlacementExaminationinPhysicsinMay.ENVIRONMENTALSCIENCE—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodEnvironmentalScienceisafullyearadvancedsciencecoursecoveringenvironmentalprinciplesandproblems.Thetopicscoveredinthecourseincludeecosystemsandecologicalprinciples,populationdynamics,energy,renewable(water,soil,air,sun,ecosystems)andnonrenewable(geologic,fossilfuels,nuclear)resourcesandtheirmanagement,conservationbiology,landuse,agriculture and pest control, pollution (water, air, land, solid waste, hazardous waste) andprevention, environmental health, global changes (climate, ozonedepletion), restoration andremediation, environmental policy, sustainable development, and environmental planning.Given the comprehensive nature of this course, whichmoves at a fast pace, and the heavyreading load required for class discussion and necessary background knowledge for labs,studentsneedtobeself-motivated,independentlearnerswithstrongreadingcomprehensionskills.StudentsmayelecttotaketheAdvancedPlacementExaminMay,butallarerequiredtotakeacomprehensiveexamoftheentireyearduringseniorexamweek.MOLECULARTECHNIQUESANDNEUROSCIENCERESEARCH—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodMolecular Neuroscience provides the opportunity for students to conduct scientificinvestigationswhilemasteringconceptsfrommolecularbiologyandneuroscience.Thiscourseallows students to understand and employ the latest novel research from peer-reviewedjournals.Specifictopicsunderinvestigationinclude:molecularandbiophysicalanalysisofsignaltransductionpathwaysanddevelopmentandfunctionofneuralnetworks.Thefacultyoffersanintegrated approach spanning the use of molecular genetics and functional genomics alongwith molecular, biochemical, cell biological and anatomical methods. Techniques includecomputational andDNAsequenceanalysis, alongwithmolecularbiology tools, includingGFPtransgenicsandselectivegeneinactivation.AstrongunderstandingofBiologyandChemistryis

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recommended. This course promotes critical thinking, problem solving and data analysis viastatisticalmethods.Studentsareactivelyengagedindesigningandrefiningprotocolsfortheirresearch, and collaborating to complete their projects afterwhich the students produce andpresentscientificposters.MOLECULARTECHNIQUESANDNEUROSCIENCERESEARCH—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:11,12Meets5timesperweek,withonedoubleperiodThiscoursemayalsobetakenforonesemester,eitherfirstorsecond.ASTROPHYSICS—1credit;yearcourseOpento:11and12Meets5timesperweek Astrophysics isascientificexplorationofhumanity’splace intheuniverse.Topicsrangefromthetraditionaltotheexotic,includingthestructureoftheuniverse,theevolutionofstars,theBig Bang, black holes, and the search for extraterrestrial life. Emphasis is on the tools(mathematical, scientific, and technological) bywhichwe have developed the understandingthat we now have of our universe and continue to make strides towards a deeperunderstanding.Thosewithoutabackgroundinphysicslearnthefundamentals,andthosewithpreviousphysicslearninghavevariousopportunities(particularlyinresearchprojects)toutilizeandexpandtheirknowledge.Studentsshouldbecomfortablewith theconceptsofAlgebra IandGeometry.ASTROPHYSICS—1/2credit;firstsemesteronly Opento:11and12Meets5timesperweekThis first semesterAstronomycourse isopento juniorswhoareenrolled insecondsemesterimmersionprogramsawayfromcampusandseniorswhowishtoreducetheir loadafter firstsemesterorwhowishtoenrollinadifferentsecondsemestercourse.

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COMPUTERSCIENCECOMPUTERSCIENCEANDENGINEERINGTheCSandEngineeringProgramoffers3typesofcourses:TraditionalTrack,Projects,andTopics.ThetraditionaltrackcoversgeneralComputerScienceandprogrammingfromIntroductorythroughAdvancedlevels.Projectcoursesarecenteredaroundlong-termprojectswherethefocusisonindependentlearningandseeingasemester-longprojectthroughtocompletion.Topiccoursesaremoretraditionalinthatthereismoreinstruction,alongwithaseriesofshorterexercisesandprojectsthroughoutthesemester.Allcoursesaresemesterlong.TRADITIONALTRACKINTRODUCTIONTOCOMPUTERSCIENCE—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneIntroductiontoComputerSciencefocusesonfundamentalconceptsincomputerscienceandprogramming,withanemphasisonproblemsolving.Byworkingthroughprojectsinroboticsandvisualization,studentsdevelopcomputationalthinking,logicalreasoning,andcommunicationskills.Specifictopicsincludecontrolflow,functions,variables,lists/arrays,imageprocessing,historyofcomputing,andcomputerethics.Studentsareencouragedtoexpresstheircreativitythroughgraphicalassignments.Theyalsobegintoinvestigatetheideasofartificialintelligenceandcomputervision.Goodprogramdesign,testing,andalgorithmicthinkingareemphasized.ProgramsareimplementedinPythonandJava.INTERMEDIATECOMPUTERSCIENCE:OBJECTORIENTEDPROGRAMMING—1/2credit;secondsemestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:IntroductiontoComputerScienceorCS&ETopics:RoboticswithpermissionofinstructorIntermediateComputerScience:ObjectOrientedProgrammingisacontinuationofIntroductiontoComputerScience.TheObjectOrientedProgrammingstyleisintroducedandchallengingproblemsareexplored.TopicsandconceptsintroducedinIntroductiontoComputerSciencearereinforcedandexpandedupon.Studentstacklelargersoftwaredesignproblems,usingdataabstraction,inheritance,encapsulation,andpolymorphism.Userinterfaces,I/O,andevent-drivenprogrammingarealsointroduced.Studentsusethesetechniquestodevelopgames,simulations,anddatavisualizationprograms.ProgramsareimplementedinJava.

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ADVANCEDCOMPUTERSCIENCE—1/2credit;firstsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:IntermediateComputerScienceAdvancedComputerSciencecoversbothclassicdatastructuresandalsotheanalysisofalgorithms.Datastructuresincludearrays,queues,stacks,binarytrees,graphs,dictionaries,andhashtables.Studentsanalyzestandardalgorithmsforsorting,searching,recursion,andbacktracking.Theyalsoconductcomplexityanalysisusingbig-Onotation.Standarddesigntechniques(e.g.thegreedyapproach,divideandconquer,dynamicprogramming,linearprogramming)areintroducedthroughavarietyofproblemsinalgebra,graphtheory,andoptimization.Object-orienteddesignisemphasizedthroughout.CS&ENGINEERINGPROJECTSCS&EPROJECTS:ARTIFICIALINTELLIGENCEANDGAMEDEVELOPMENT—1/2credit;secondsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:AdvancedComputerScienceorAcceleratedComputerScienceInArtificialIntelligenceandGameDevelopment,studentscreategameoftheirowndesign;usingXNAandC#,studentsfollowthelifecycleof2Dand3DgamedevelopmentfromdesignthroughdeploymentoncomputersandtheXboxsystem.Throughoutthesemester,studentsinvestigatevariousArtificialIntelligencetechniqueswithinthecontextofgamedevelopment.Methodssuchasbacktracking,neuralnetworks,geneticalgorithms,andgametheoryareusedtocreateandevaluateautonomouscomputerplayers.Throughoutthecoursestudentslearntheimportanceofversioncontrol,testing,documentation,gooduser-interfacedesign,andtheimplementationofphysicsin3Dvirtualenvironments.CS&EPROJECTS:COMPUTERGRAPHICSANDUSERINTERFACES—1/2credit;firstsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneComputerGraphicsandUserInterfacesexplores2Dgraphicdesign,3Dmodeling,ComputerAidedDesign(CAD),basicanimation,andgraphicaluserinterfacedesign.UsingawiderangeofsoftwaretoolsincludingPhotoshop,iMovie,Cinema4D,andSketchUp,studentscreateaportfoliooforiginalwork.Throughoutthesemester,studentscompleteprojects,illustratehowtousethesetoolstoconstructamentalimageandassembleitintoadigitalreality.Studentsstudytheprinciplesofuser-interfacedesignandanimation,includingtiming,useofastoryboard,modeling,motion,rendering,andediting.

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CS&EPROJECTS:DYNAMICWEBDESIGN—1/2credit;secondsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:IntroductiontoComputerScienceorProgramming&Probability(IorII)InDynamicWebDesign,studentsacquireafoundationforbuildingdynamicwebsitesusingawiderangeofwebdevelopmenttools.UsingHTML,CSS,JavaScript,PHP,andmySQLstudentslearnhowtodevelopawebsitewhichcaninteractwithdatastoredinadatabase.Overthecourseofthesemester,studentsdesign,test,anddeployadynamicwebsitefora“client”.Thecoursecoversanoverviewofnetworking,DNS,webserversetup,websitesecurityandtheclient-servermodel.CS&ENGINEERINGTOPICSCS&ETOPICS:ANENGINEERINGPERSPECTIVE:DESIGN,ETHICS,ANDPRINCIPLES—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourseisdesignedasanintroductionforstudentswithaninterestinEngineering.StudentsareintroducedtothefieldbyconsideringtheimpactofEngineeringondailylifeandcurrentevents.Throughreverseengineeringstudiesandsomecommontechniques,thecourseintroduceseffectivedesignmethods.Studentsworkonseveralengineeringprojectstoexperienceandparticipateinthedesignprocess.TheclassalsoworksonproblemsthatrequireanEngineeringapproachandacollaborativeprocess.StudentsexploreethicsastheyrelatetoEngineeringthroughliterature,film,andcurrentevents,whereresponsiblepractices(astheyrelatetoissuesincludingenvironmentalimpactsandneeds,historicalandrecentengineeringdisasters,andartificialintelligence)arediscussed.CS&ETOPICS:ENGINEERING:ENERGY,ETHICS,ANDENVIRONMENT—1/2credit;semestercourseOpento:11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneThiscourseisdesignedasanintroductionforstudentswithaninterestinEngineeringanditsrelationshiptotheenvironment.StudentsareintroducedtothefieldofEnvironmentalEngineeringbyconsideringtheimpactoftechnologyandourdailylifeontheenvironment,bothlong-andshort-term.Bystudyingenergysourcesandtheproduction,use,anddisposalofmanycommonlyuseditems(i.e.,lifecycleanalyses),studentswilldiscoverthemanyfactorsinvolvedindeterminingtheenvironmentalimpactofourdailylivesandthedecisionsengineersmustmaketodesignandbuildresponsibly.Studentsworkonseveralengineeringprojectsto

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studyenergyusingmanydifferentenergysources.TheclassalsoworksonproblemsthatrequireanEngineeringapproachandacollaborativeprocess.CS&ETOPICS:PROGRAMMING&PROBABILITYI—1/2credit;firstsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:EnrollmentinorcompletionofMathIII;orpermissionofinstructorinconsultationwiththeAcademicDeanProgramming&ProbabilityIintroducesprogrammingandexploresawiderangeofproblemsusingMonteCarlomethods.AMonteCarlomethodinvolvestheuseofacomputersimulationtodrawconclusionsaboutthenatureofarandomexperiment.Specifictopicscoveredincludethefollowing:Kolmogorov’sAxiomsandthedefinitionofaprobabilitymeasure;samplespaces,events,andpartitions;theInclusion/Exclusionprinciple;independence;conditionalprobability;andprobabilitymassfunctions.ProjectsinMathematicaintroduceprogrammingtopicsincludingdatatypes,controlstructures,functions,arrays,andpolymorphism.CS&ETOPICS:PROGRAMMING&PROBABILITYII—1/2credit;secondsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:Programming&ProbabilityI.EnrollmentinorcompletionofMathIII;orpermissionofinstructorinconsultationwiththeAcademicDeanProgramming&ProbabilityIIintroducesprogrammingandexploresawiderangeofproblemsusingMonteCarlomethods.AMonteCarlomethodinvolvestheuseofacomputersimulationtodrawconclusionsaboutthenatureofarandomexperiment.Specifictopicscoveredincludethefollowing:probabilitydensityfunctions;cumulativedistributionfunctions;discreteandcontinuousdistributions;expectedvalue;variance;standarddeviation;LawofLargeNumbers;theCentralLimitTheorem;andhypothesistesting.ProjectsinMathematicaintroduceprogrammingtopicsincludingdatatypes,controlstructures,functions,arrays,andpolymorphism.CS&ETOPICS:ROBOTICS—1/2credit;firstorsecondsemestercourseOpento:9,10,11,12Meets4timesaweekPrerequisites:NoneRoboticsintroducesprogrammingofmicrocontrollersalongwithtopicsinElectricalandMechanicalEngineering.Studentslearntousedigitalandanalogsignalstoreadandcontrolsensors,speakers,motorsandservosthroughanArduino.MechanicalEngineeringconceptsincludingTransmissions,Pulleys,Winches,Belts&Cables,Wheels,Steering&Suspensionsareexplored.Studentswillapplytheseconceptstodesignandbuildvariousprojectsduringthesemester.StudentslearnEngineeringDesignProcessesandpracticeiterativedesign;prototyping,testing,analyzingandrefiningtheirprojects.

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CS&ETOPICS:COMPUTERSCIENCEADVANCEDTOPICS—1/2credit;firstand/orsecondsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets1timeaweekwithadditionalonlinecomponentPrerequisites:AdvancedComputerScienceorAcceleratedComputerScienceMayberepeatedforcreditStudentswhowishtosharpentheirresearchskillsbyinvestigatingaspecificadvancedtopicinComputerScienceareencouragedtotakethiscourse.Studentsmeetonceaweektopresentformalresearchpaperstothegroupandleadadiscussion.Inadditiontheychooseanareaofinterestandperformasemester-longresearchprojectculminatingintwoparts:aresearchpaperandanimplementedprojectrelevanttotheareaofresearch.Duringthethreeunscheduledperiodseachweek,studentsarerequiredtospendtimereviewingonlinecoursecontent,includingpodcastsandresearchresources.Programming&ProbabilityII introducesprogrammingandexploresawiderangeofproblemsusingMonteCarlomethods.AMonteCarlomethodinvolvestheuseofacomputersimulationtodrawconclusionsaboutthenatureofarandomexperiment.Specifictopicscoveredincludethe following: probability density functions; cumulative distribution functions; discrete andcontinuousdistributions;expectedvalue;variance;standarddeviation;LawofLargeNumbers;the Central Limit Theorem; and hypothesis testing. Projects in Mathematica introduceprogramming topics including data types, control structures, functions, arrays, andpolymorphism.COMPUTERSCIENCEADVANCEDTOPICS—1/2credit;firstand/orsecondsemestercourseOpento:10,11,12Meets1timeaweekwithadditionalonlinecomponentPrerequisites:AdvancedComputerScienceorAcceleratedComputerScienceMayberepeatedforcredit StudentswhowishtosharpentheirresearchskillsbyinvestigatingaspecificadvancedtopicinComputerScienceareencouragedtotakethiscourse.Studentsmeetonceaweektopresentformalresearchpaperstothegroupandleadadiscussion.Inadditiontheychooseanareaofinterest and perform a semester-long research project culminating in two parts: a researchpaper and an implemented project relevant to the area of research. During the threeunscheduledperiodseachweek,studentsarerequiredtospendtimereviewingonlinecoursecontent,includingpodcastsandresearchresources.


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