The following classes represent the core of Envision Academy's teaching philosophy. All core classes were designed to meet or exceed UC and CSU requirements.
In this course, 9th graders learn how to use their bodies and voices to communicate ideas. Students get an overview of modern and classic theater and learn public speaking and performance skills that will help them in college and in any career path. In addition, students learn techniques and strategies for working in a group to create a high-quality artistic product. Units include physical theater, Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," Greek Tragedy, playwriting and improvisation.
Digital Media Arts class engages students with using the computer as a production tool. Students not only learn the fundamentals of using computers for work applications (e.g. creating documents and presentations) they also develop fundamentals of visual arts and design. DMA also is a project-based class; i.e. students demonstrate their proficiency through the creation of digital artifacts. Finally, DMA is often collaborating with other classes in the school to add digital components to a traditionally analogue assignment or project.
Advanced Digital Media Arts is designed for students who have already succeeded in the Digital Media Arts course. It consists of extending computer knowledge and usage from a basic level to more intermediate and advanced levels. Topics covered are graphic layout and design, intermediate website design, video production, photo editing and manipulation, audio editing and some basic computer programming. An emphasis is placed on using the computer as a tool to convey ideas and events in creative and interactive way with the audience.
Throughout this introductory course students will be discovering the world of Art and self-expression. By the end of the year students will be able to create drawings, designs, paintings, and sculptures using new techniques and developed understandings. Students will work individually and in groups to develop skills in the use of various tools, techniques, and media. In addition, students will be expected to manage projects effectively by brainstorming, sketching, revising, and critiquing their own and others’ work.
Algebra 1 is the first high school course in the CPM (College Preparatory Mathematics) Connections sequence, taken by most 9th graders. It addresses the basic fundamentals of algebra: working with data, symbol manipulation, solving equations and inequalities, ratio and proportion, multiple representations – equation, table, graph and situation, linear and quadratic functions, and systems of equations. This course aims to develop the problem solving approaches that will benefit students in future math courses.
Many Algebra 1 students will also enroll in Math Lab in addition to their Algebra 1 course. This course is designed to support students who have struggled with math skills in the past, by providing them extra time, smaller class size, and more personalized attention. The focus is on providing extra support in mastering the Algebra skills, along with preparing students to be successful on the California High School Exit Exam in grade 10. This class meets for half of the time of most other classes.
## Geometry Geometry is the second course in the CPM Connections sequence. It presents the essential topics of geometry, addressing major topics such as angles and measurement, characteristics of polygons and circles, proof, trigonometry, and 3-D geometry. Most importantly, it stresses a problem solving approach in which students will strive to become more resourceful and resilient in their ability to approach complex math problems.
This course provides extra support for students in developing their college-preparatory reading skills, focusing on fluency. The course is taken by some 9th- and 10th-graders in addition to their English course. The course uses the Read Right program, which uses MP3 players and audio recordings of books. Students work at their own pace on developing their reading skills through reading interesting youth-oriented books at their individual level. Students progress through reading levels, moving on to the next level after they have attained excellence at the previous level. This class meets for half of the time of most other classes.
Global Studies is part of a two-year course in world history that intends to familiarize students with the theories, themes, events, and characters that have shaped modern world history. The course provides learners with a deep understanding of the world in which they live, and develops the analytical skills historians use to interpret historical events. Through case studies, students use primary and secondary sources to examine and interpret social, economic, cultural and political histories from diverse global perspectives. The course emphasizes philosophies that lead to ideological changes, revolutions, and conflicts between nations and groups. Students will be asked to develop an understanding of the historical, political, economic, cultural, and geographic contexts and roots of current world events.
Integrated Science Two is one year of a two-year looped integrated science sequence that provides students with a strong foundation in high school science. It is designed to give all students the necessary background information and critical thinking skills needed to make informed decisions on scientific issues and prepare students for more advance study in science. This course is laboratory- and project-based. It stresses data gathering and interpretation as well as individual research and presentation skills. These skills will be developed and applied within the context of the major concepts in biology and earth science, as well as important introductory concepts from chemistry and physics.
In this year two of a two-year course, students will explore the themes of power and conflict. Since students may enter this course in either year one or two, basic skills and outcomes will be similar. However, the texts and genres in the course will differ between years. Students will be challenged to think about the role that power and conflict play in their individual lives, how the concepts are portrayed in literature, and how these forces affect the world. Students develop the foundational skills in reading, writing, oral language, and critical thinking necessary for success in college. Students will apply critical analysis to novel, fiction/non-fiction, drama/tragedy, contemporary media, and primary/secondary sources. Students will produce original pieces of writing: character analysis, analytical essays, editorial, and persuasive work.
Spanish Language 1 is an introductory level course, which develops students’ foreign language communication skills through exposure to Latin American culture, history, art, and current events. Students learn basic grammar mechanisms by focusing on thematic units including Identity, Family, Clothing, City, and Food. Students will apply their cultural and linguistic knowledge to their lives and real world issues. Through discussion and activities, learners develop a global awareness and make local connections with Spanish speaking communities in their communities. Students demonstrate their knowledge through projects, presentations, and traditional assessment.
Advanced Digital Media Arts consists of extending computer knowledge and usage from a basic level to more intermediate and advanced levels. Topics covered are graphic layout and design, intermediate website design, video production, photo editing and manipulation, audio editing and some basic computer programming. An emphasis is placed on using the computer as a tool to convey ideas and events in creative and interactive way with the audience.
In this course, Upper Division students will develop their skills as actors, exploring historical movements in theater and creating their own performance style. Students will learn how to interpret and portray characters, working both individually and in groups to create high-quality artistic products to include in their Graduation Portfolio.
Throughout this introductory course students will be discovering the world of Art and self-expression. By the end of the year students will be able to create drawings, designs, paintings, and sculptures using new techniques and developed understandings. Students will work individually and in groups to develop skills in the use of various tools, techniques, and media. In addition, students will be expected to manage projects effectively by brainstorming, sketching, revising, and critiquing their own and others’ work.
Algebra 2 is the third in a four-year sequence of the CPM (College Preparatory Mathematics) Connections sequence, designed for 11th and 12th graders. The course aims to apply and extend what students have been learning and find connections among algebra, geometry and functions by using problem solving strategies, questioning, investigating, and explaining. Two major themes, a) investigating functions and relations and 2) modeling data, are consistently weaved throughout the course. There will be a strong component of homework, quizzes, and exams to show students’ learning in class. The curriculum for this course will closely follow the chapter sequences in the CPM Algebra II textbook.
In this one-year course students will learn the fundamental concepts and principles of physics as they relate to Newtonian mechanics, matter and energy, heat and thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, waves, light and sound. Through laboratory and project based learning students obtain a clear understanding of physical phenomena. Students additionally hone their skills in logic, analysis, and critical thinking in addressing real life problems associated with physics. Students will demonstrate learning through a variety of in class tests, quizzes, assignments, projects, and presentations.
This is a one-year, advanced biology laboratory course taken either in 11th or 12th grade. This course continues to build on the introductory biological concepts and skills developed in the two-year integrated science sequence. Advanced Biology is devoted to the study of the major themes and concepts that explain life processes through the lens of evolution. These major themes/standards include biochemistry, molecular genetics, microbiology and disease, anatomy and physiology, population biology, botany, and investigation and experimentation. Observation and analysis of laboratory events represent a major proportion of the course. This course emphasizes hands-on experience in data collection and interpretation, experimental design and problem solving, as well as collaboration and research presentation. In addition, students will gain experience reading scientific material, note taking, and test taking. This course will prepare students to perform successfully in college science.
This course allows students to continue learning Spanish, building on their foundational skills with the language, and filling in any gaps in their knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. It develops students’ foreign language communication skills through exposure to Latin American culture, history, art, and current events. Students learn basic grammar mechanisms by focusing on thematic units including Introduction, Identity, Traveling, City, and the House. Students will apply their cultural and linguistic knowledge to their lives and real world issues. Through discussion and activities, learners develop a global awareness and make local connections with Spanish speaking communities in their communities. Students demonstrate their knowledge through projects, presentations, and traditional assessment.
U.S. History is a year-long course for 11th-graders, covering the United States post Reconstruction (1865) until present day. Students will receive 5 credits per semester for this course, which is a Graduation Requirement. Students will examine the idea of identity in America, analyze the promise of the American Dream, and deconstruct systems of power in U.S. government over time.
U.S. Government and Politics is a semester-long course where students in grade twelve pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. Economics is also a semester-long course in which students will master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics, equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of operations and institutions of economic systems.
In this one-year course, 11th-graders read, discuss, interpret and analyze major literary works by American authors. Through discussions, reading, and writing analytical essays, students explore how the social, economic, and political context of American society is reflected in the work. In addition, students explore how literature has impacted American society. Students identify major literary periods, write analytical essays that use textual evidence to support their ideas and claims, and compare/contrast major literary works while connecting these themes and periods to specific events and movements in American History. In addition, students participate in intellectual seminars and discussions, create in-class presentations and displays, and produce large-scale multimedia and artistic presentations to demonstrate their learning to others.
This course is designed for seniors to explore the ideas and themes of world literature. Opportunities abound for students to compare literature and cultures as they integrate both reading and writing activities. The literature is examined in the context of the historical and cultural forces of countries throughout the world, and is studied in relation to other creative arts and disciplines, such as history, science, psychology, and the fine arts. With an eye towards rhetoric and literary/critical theory representative works in the major genres will be read and analyzed with emphasis on the elements of voice such as structure, tone, style, and diction. Students read literary critiques of major works in order to better understand the context.