Students will construct and study the properties of the circle, parabola, ellipse and hyperbola. Students will also study the equations of conic sections and be able to match equations to graphs. History of the mathematicians who contributed to conic sections as well as real world usages will be explored throughout the block.
Instructor: Michael Gentile
Greek Thought
The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of ancient Greek philosophy in an historical and contemporary context. Students will study the evolution of philosophical themes in ancient Greece and will weave together disparate ideas into a unified expression. In addition, students will create and cultivate philosophical ideas of their own and will be able to express these ideas in relationship to those of ancient Greece.
Instructor: Jeffrey Katzman
The students spend this block intensively reading and studying this epic narrative. Nightly readings, regular writing assignments and interactive activities provide a platform for our work. Class participation is a big part of the block. Each student researches and reports on aspects of background mythology and cultural values.
Instructor: Alexios Kritas
In this course we explore the multicultural history of language through the model of human language acquisition and global cultural disbursement. The students explore the origins and development of language through readings, theater games and research reports. Students develop an appreciation for the idea that language is experience.
Instructor: Deirdre Somers
This course is a survey of Latin American History from pre-Columbian times to the present. This course offers an opportunity to explore and study the historical, political, religious, socio-economic and artistic development of the people, cultures, and nations of Latin America from ancient times up to the present. The course focuses on the study of indigenous cultures and civilizations and the impact of the European Exploration and conquests of the 15th and 16th centuries. The students investigate the consequent impact of the Columbine discovery, the colonial periods, revolutions, rise of dictatorships, and modern political movements in Latin America, including globalization and development.
Instructor: Emmie Yaeger
This block will begin with the development and organization of the Periodic Table. A brief review of atomic structure will be used to introduce students to the concepts of ions, oxidation numbers and bonding. The class will then study the chemistry of carbon and its compounds. We will compare and contrast the major classes of hydrocarbons and substituted hydrocarbons. The drawing and naming of molecular structures will be emphasized. Laboratory activities will be an integral part of this class.
Instructor: Carolyn Ver Pault
In this block we study several topics in mechanics. We investigate motion and its applications in physics. Through classroom demonstrations and hands-on experiments, concepts developed include time, position, one-dimensional motion, velocity, acceleration and free fall. We study their developments in history, reading directly Galileo’s own works, and their implications for everyday life today. Emphasis on hands-on experience and problem-solving reinforce our studies.
Instructor: Victor Kim
This course includes the study of human prenatal development, the endocrine system, Mendelian and modern genetics. Students will analyze their own traits and use probability to predict the outcome of genetic crosses. Additionally, the use of modern genetic technology in medicine, reproductive biology and criminology will be explored.
Instructor: Carolyn Ver Pault
The sophomore class presents a play in the late fall or early winter. Everyone participates either through a dramatic role or through help with the technical production.
Instructor: Deirdre Somers
Tenth graders are curious about the essence of a thing and are intrigued by polarities and transformation: “How do things change and interact?” Students endeavor to answer this question through close examination of how the elements of fiction work in the short stories we read, through application of those elements in the students’ own creative writing, and through formal essay writing that asks students to compare and contrast.
In conjunction with the tenth grade focus on the study of ancient cultures, we read Gilgamesh; compare epic poetry to the biblical lyrics in Psalms and Song of Songs; attempt to write original poems in both these modes; examine the parable as a precursor to the medieval allegory and modern short story; and enhance our vocabulary study with Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Additionally, in support of the History through Language block, we read selections from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales – some in the original Middle English.
Instructor: Deirdre Somers
The students do basic eurythmic exercises, such as three-fold walking, and contraction and expansion. Using forms and gestures, the students enter into the inner being of the movement of sound, speech and tone. Speech eurythmy includes: vowels and consonants, poems/poets studied in literature lessons, rhyme forms, meter, construction, thinking/feeling/willing forms, Apollonian and Dionysian forms, symmetrical and geometrical forms. Gestures for soul moods, color, the planets and the zodiac are studied. Tone eurythmy includes: pitch, rhythm, beat, major, minor, dissonance, the intervals and tones.
Instructor: Sabine Kully
While beginning structures and vocabulary are reviewed each day orally in this course, new idioms, grammar and vocabulary are introduced and drilled on a daily basis as well. Short compositions reinforce the writing and spelling skills. Longer texts help enhance listening and reading comprehension. In grammar, the main focus is on the introduction of the past tenses and prepositions.
Instructors: Reina White, Peter Goble, and Perla Yanovitch
This course develops geometry as a system of logical reasoning using clear definitions, postulates, theorems and corollaries to foster creative and critical thinking. Geometric elements, structure and relationships are presented and integrated with algebra, trigonometry, logic and arithmetic. Deductive reasoning is introduced and applied to geometry to develop formal mathematical proofs. The topics of congruence, parallelism, quadrilaterals, circles, similarity, areas, regular polygons, coordinate geometry and locus are studied from geometric, algebraic and graphic perspectives for the improvement of reasoning. This course amply treats all the geometry necessary for achievement on the SAT I.
Instructor: Rosemarie Ferrara or Michael Gentile
This is a course in which the principles of logical reasoning are introduced before the study of proof. Students develop their deductive reasoning skills throughout the course by providing informal justifications and informal arguments. Real-life applications illustrate geometric concepts. Specific subject areas of study include: parallel lines and planes, congruent triangles, quadrilaterals, right triangles, circles, and similar polygons. Also developed is the study of transformations and determining the area of plane figures as well as the area and volume of solids.
Instructor: Rosemarie Ferrara or Michael Gentile
This course gives the students a comprehensive way to understand the present within the framework of the past. It traces the change in societal life in the United States from its migrational, First American form through to the American Revolution. It focuses attention on geographical expansion, cultural changes, political developments, and economic advances of the 19th century. It also concentrates upon the major turning points in American History in the 20th century that lead to the emergence of the globe's only superpower. The course will also introduce the students to the Constitution and the three branches of American Government. Significant focus will be placed on famous Supreme Court cases and current political events. In order to encompass such a broad context, this course focuses attention on global expansion and cultural, political, and economic developments.
Instructor: Emmie Yaeger
The Tenth Grade completes units in soccer, volleyball, team handball, basketball and softball. The students play recreational team games such as kickball and agility drills. During these units, students learn skills, terminology, and rules. They also apply their knowledge and skills to game situations. Fitness and cardiovascular activities are presented throughout the year. Safe playing techniques and sportsmanship are always emphasized.
During the social dancing block, we review the basic steps, several variations of these steps, and a few changes of position for the waltz, cha cha, and foxtrot. The lindy, tango, line dances, and circle dances are added as well.
Instructors: Bonnie Bolz, Paul LeSueur, and Robert Weschler
Using charcoal and conté crayon, the sophomores begin this course with monochromatic drawing. As they imagine landscapes and observe drapery, the students search for a visual interpretation that conveys these forms in a two-dimensional format.
Instructor: Nancy Metz
Students create a clay tile in this course; students take note of and work with the play of light on the forms of the tile. When the tile is cast in plaster, it is possible to see its sculptural mirror image.
Instructor: Nancy Metz
The overall theme of the sophomore year in handwork classes is weaving. We begin the 10 week block by learning three (plaited, twined & coiled) traditional methods of basket weaving, using a wide variety of materials. Next the students use any of these methods they prefer to create additional baskets; one made completely of materials found in nature, one made of found/recycled, man-made materials and one that has a dimension of at least two feet. We then move to learning to weave cotton on a simple loom, the Inkle loom, and each student weaves a belt, headband or guitar strap. Students finish off the ends and present all their work at the final review.
Instructor: Jeffrey Katzman