Spanish Electives
Science Electives
AP English Literature and Composition
This full-year course is intended for the seniors who qualify in two ways: First, they must have the desire to sustain a high degree of effort throughout their senior year; second, they must have the proven ability to do accelerated work. The course itself has two goals: 1) to prepare the students to pass the AP exam administered in May of the senior year, and 2) to prepare them to take their place in a sophomore English class at whatever college they attend. The content of the course is divided into two major parts. The first is the study of literature required by the AP exam. Here the students become familiar with the novel, short story, poem, drama, and essay, particularly in their historical development. In the second part, the students work at perfecting their writing skills. Here they do two separate kinds of practice: 1) that aimed at proficiency for the exam itself, and 2) that aimed at proficiency in written expression for college level audiences. Admission to this course is by application, recommendation of the junior year teacher, and approval of the Chair. English 403AP is a senior English course in which the 1.00 increment is awarded by the UC system.
Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA and UC/CSU GPA calculations
Spanish 4
This two-semester course is an advanced language course designed for those students who wish to improve and build upon their Spanish skills and delve deeper into the cultures and literature of the Spanish-speaking world. Prominent topics uncovered will be the volatile history of Latin American dictatorships, the impact and perception of Hispanics/Latinos in the U.S., and the diversity and beauty of art in the Spanish-speaking world. The course is comprised of an on-going review of all major grammar structures, as well as a thorough study of more complex grammar concepts. Considerable emphasis is given to broadening his/her cultural awareness of the Spanish-speaking world and increasing his/her ability to comprehend and express him/herself in both spoken and written Spanish. In order to maximize interaction with the language, students are expected to speak Spanish at all times.
AP Spanish Language & Culture
AP Spanish language covers the equivalent material of a third-year college course in advanced Spanish composition and conversation. The aims of this two-semester course are: to improve dramatically the student’s speaking ability; to review systematically grammar previously studied; to master — orally and in writing — new and more complex grammar concepts; to expose students to the literary use of Spanish and to increase both their literal and critical reading skills; to prepare students for the Advanced Placement Spanish Language Examination; and to enhance the students’ knowledge of the cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world. Students will be required to speak Spanish in a variety of situations ranging from class discussions to oral presentations and debates. Students will read newspaper and magazine articles, short stories, poems, and excerpts from novels or plays by peninsular and/or Latin American authors. The selected class materials are designed to stimulate and perfect conversation and to assist students in the imitation of the native speaker’s pronunciation, rhythm, moods and humor as their abilities increase. This class is conducted in Spanish, and students are expected to speak Spanish at all times.
*Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA and UC/CSU GPA calculations
Precalculus
This course is designed to give a thorough preparation for college Calculus. The course content is the same as Precalculus Honors, but is presented at a slower rate and with additional algebra review. Most of the course is an analysis of families of functions and relations – polynomials; rational functions; radical functions; trigonometric functions, including an intense study of right triangle trigonometry, its applications to vectors, circular functions, and trigonometric identities; logarithmic functions; and exponential functions — and their graphs both algebraically and through the graphing calculator, including an introduction to the fundamental aspects of Calculus and an introduction to limits, derivatives, and general curve sketching. A Texas Instruments TI-83 or TI-84 series graphing calculator is required.
Calculus
This course is designed for the student who is interested in pursuing a college major with a strong emphasis in mathematics. In the first part of the course, the elementary properties of functions and their inverses are reviewed, as well as specific types of functions (exponential, logarithmic, trigonometric). Subsequently, the student is introduced to the concepts of limits and continuity; differentiation and its applications to problems of extrema and related rates of change; anti-differentiation and its application to the solution of differential equations; definite integrals and their application to finding areas, volumes, and length of curves. A Texas Instruments TI-83 or TI-84 series graphing calculator is required.
AP Calculus AB
This course is designed for the student who is interested in pursuing a college major with a strong emphasis in mathematics. The course will cover three main topics of Calculus: limits, derivatives, and integrals. The course will emphasize a multi-representational approach to calculus with concepts and solutions expressed graphically, numerically, and analytically. The course emphasizes conceptual understanding of derivatives, integrals, and limits, as well as applications of these concepts. In order to develop these concepts, functions and graphs are a fundamental part of this course. A Texas Instruments TI-83 or TI-84 series graphing calculator is required.
*Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA and UC/CSU GPA calculations
AP Calculus BC
AP Calculus BC is an extension of AP Calculus AB rather than an enhancement. This course includes all topics covered in the AP Calculus AB course, with similar emphases and similar depth of understanding required. The course also presents intensive study of parametric, polar, and vector functions; sequences and series; and elementary differential equations. A Texas Instruments TI-83 or TI-84 series graphing calculator is required.
*Class receives honors weighting in SI weighted GPA and UC/CSU GPA calculations