English
English 8
This course is designed to provide a deeper look at the analysis, reading, and writing in preparation for College and other career goals. This is a writing and reading-heavy class. We read and analyze various literary and non-fiction texts to facilitate discussions and provoke meaningful writing and research. Students will encounter higher-level questions and learn to use text-based evidence to support their writing claims. Students will be thinking critically in this class.
English 9
This course is designed to prepare students for the New York State Regents exam in English 11. We practice intensive reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills beyond the surface level. We focus on various texts, including short stories, personal narratives, Shakespearean plays, Young Adult Novels, poetry, and more. We write creative narratives, short responses with textual evidence, Argumentative essays, Literary Analysis essays, and more! These skills enhance students’ future experiences in and out of the classroom.
English 10
This course is designed to cover a variety of genres, structures, and styles of reading pieces. As the year continues, we look to improve reading skills to go beyond surface-level analysis: less questioning, predicting, and commenting - more inferencing, drawing conclusions, and synthesizing. Students will utilize reading strategies to tackle higher-level literature pieces, typically making it more difficult, regardless of level. Writing will vary from formal to informal; students will work to write at a more advanced level, varying word choice, sentence structure, and other elements to create a smoother, more complex piece of writing.
English 11
This course is designed to be the final step in preparing your students for the ELA Regents Exam and the SAT, which they will take at the end of the year. We practice argumentative writing, close reading skills, and analysis of various text types. We read fiction, nonfiction, drama, and poetry and analyze these different kinds of writing for more profound meaning and practice using evidence from the text to support various claims. In English 11, students will also fine-tune their close reading skills, which they have honed in English 9 and 10, practice multiple-choice question strategies, and use logic to eliminate lousy answer choices. We also begin getting ready for the SAT at the end of the year.
English 12
Math
Math 8
This course will help students explore, develop, and practice skills required to think critically and analyze content at the 8th-grade level. Students will be asked to use what they already learned in 7th grade and build on it to learn new concepts that further their mathematical understanding.
Algebra 1
Algebra 1 Common Core formally develops the algebraic skills and concepts necessary for students to succeed in advanced courses. In particular, the instructional program in this course provides for the use of algebraic skills in a wide range of problem-solving situations. The concept of function is emphasized throughout the course. Topics include Number & Quantity, Algebra, Functions, and Statistics.
Geometry
Algebra 2/Trigonometry
This course is an extension of Algebra 1 and Geometry. Building on their work with linear, quadratic, and exponential functions, students extend their repertoire of functions to include polynomial, rational, and radical functions. Students work closely with the expressions that define the functions and continue to expand and hone their abilities to model situations and solve equations, including solving quadratic equations over a set of complex numbers and solving exponential equations using the properties of logarithms.
Pre-Calculus
This course covers material in college-level precalculus. The class is designed to help students “see the math” by focusing on visualization, early introduction to functions, and making connections between math concepts and the real world. Pre-calculus builds upon students’ understanding of various aspects of functions and expands their knowledge of trigonometric functions, all while helping them make connections between geometry and algebra.
Calculus
The Calculus course is designed to give students the skills to use calculus in sciences, social sciences, and business applications. It also provides an excellent foundation for further work in calculus. Topics to be studied include limits and derivatives of functions, definite and indefinite integrals, simple differential equations, and applications of these techniques in solving related rates of change, optimization, volumes of revolution, and exponential growth.
Science
Science 8
This course offers a more in-depth look at physical sciences, such as chemistry, physics, and astronomy. The students will review the nature of science and the steps of the scientific method. The students will then learn what matter is and will review its phases. They will learn about elements and atoms, including the structure and organization of atoms. The students will then learn how and why atoms join together to form compounds and molecules. They will then learn the differences between mixtures and solutions and how a solution can be described. The students will then learn about the different types of chemical reactions that can occur. Radioactivity and radioactive isotopes will be explored so that the students will learn what they are and how radioactive exposure is changed by distance and time. The students will then learn about the different types of energy and how energy can be transformed from one type to another. They will explore work and simple machines, along with forces and motion. The students will learn about the properties of magnetism and electricity and how they relate. The differences between temperature and heat will be explained while the students learn how heat travels. Students will also learn about the nature of light and why some materials absorb light while others do not. They will review the process of photosynthesis, including how the process came to be understood by scientists. Finally, the students will learn about the universe, including the stars, the Sun, and theories of the origin of the universe.
Living Environment
In the Living Environment course, we begin the year exploring the nature of science. That is, we explore the scientific method, measurement, and the means of proper scientific writing. As we advance, students will examine Earth's living and non-living entities. Starting with the most basic unit of life, the cell, we closely examine what it means to be alive and how organisms interact with their environments. As we close out the course, students will use their acquired knowledge of biology, learning knowledge relevant to the human body and our environmental impacts.
Earth Science
This course examines the Earth as a system within itself and as a part of the solar system, the Milky Way Galaxy, and the Universe in which the Earth exists. The abiotic and biotic realms and their interactions will be considered within the Earth. The history of the Earth's over 4.6 billion years of development will be studied to determine the changes that have resulted in the planet humans inhabit in the present. This will be a science course using the principles of scientific ways of knowing the Earth and its environs in all these areas.
Chemistry
Chemistry is an introductory course preparing the student for further studies in chemistry in college. It is directed toward explaining the composition of matter. Emphasis is placed on chemical principles and their application, problem-solving, and the development of laboratory skills. Prerequisite: Successful completion or concurrent enrollment in Algebra II and passing living environment or Earth Science Regents.
Physics
This course is a survey of major concepts, methods, and applications of physics. Topics include a description of motion, Newton's Laws, conservation principles (energy and momentum), waves, thermodynamics, electricity, magnetism, optics, and modern physics. Prerequisite: Because physics and mathematics are connected, students must have a strong background in Algebra I and Algebra II and a sound understanding of problem-solving to do well in physics.
Computer Science
Social Studies
Government and Economics
Government and Economics are ½ year courses during the student’s senior year. Government class takes place in the fall, where students will gain a greater understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the United States government. Students will learn about the foundation of our government, political parties, voting and elections, mass media, interest groups, congress, the president, the judicial system, international government, and state and local government.
Economics class takes place in the spring semester where students will gain a greater understanding of both micro and macroeconomics. Students will study scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, competition and monopolies, business organizations, labor, money and banking, financial markets, GDP, economic challenges, and fiscal and monetary policies.
Psychology
This Fall-semester course is designed to give a general overview of the essential areas of psychology, specifically perception, conditioning, learning, intelligence, motivations, emotions, and personality. The course will also emphasize the essential interplay of genes and environment (i.e., “Nature vs. Nurture”). The course is also a CCN (“College Credit Now”) class through Onondaga Community College, meaning students who pass will earn three college credits before graduating high school. This introductory course (PSY 103) is considered a general pre-requisite for higher-level psychology courses (i.e., 200+)
Sociology
This Spring-semester (i.e., half-year) course will introduce students to sociology, the oldest of the social sciences. The American Sociological Association defines sociology as “the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior.” While psychology tends to “zoom in” on particular human behaviors, sociology “zooms out” to study the big picture. Students will discuss factors such as family, corporations, religion, politics, nationality, and ethnicity as we try to understand how these elements influence society.
Philosophy
This Fall-semester course will cover the basics of philosophy, the rational exploration of life's most profound subjects and issues. We will begin by covering the four key areas of philosophy (Ethics, Epistemology, Metaphysics, and Logic), as well as teaching some basic skills in critical thinking, which is crucial for understanding philosophy. After this, we will move through chapters in our book, Archetypes of Wisdom, by Douglas Soccio, each focusing on a particular philosopher and the school they represent. Students will be encouraged to engage with the basic principles of each school, debate civilly, and relate the material to current events and issues. Our goal is to encourage students to think deeply and challenge some of their assumptions about the world.
Research Methods in Social Science
This course will show students how the scientific method is applied in the social sciences (i.e., sciences that study people). To lay the groundwork, we will go over the scientific method's basics. This includes forming a hypothesis, designing an experiment, and interpreting data. Furthermore, because we’ll be focusing on human beings, there will be an early focus on ethics. We will cover a wide variety of different scientific techniques; while we will draw a great deal from psychology, significant attention will also be given to other social sciences, such as political science, economics, anthropology, and sociology. Given the nature of our topic, the course will primarily focus on interactive projects, most of which will require students to gather data from the real world.
Social Studies 8
Global History & Global History 2
US History
World Languages
Spanish
We will be utilizing the Voces Digital curriculum this year, emphasizing grammar, vocabulary, and the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Voces isn't your average textbook. It's more than a textbook: it's games, videos, audio, and recording - it's dynamic! To develop beginning-language competency, students will utilize the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Students will listen and speak in whole and small groups, write original Spanish texts and read from various authentic texts. There is an introductory section for each unit or chapter.
Turkish
The Turkish Language is offered to 8-12 grade students. It is offered year-long for all levels 1, 2, and 3. Students in Turkish classes start learning Turkish fundamentally to introduce themselves to advance information exchanges. Throughout their Turkish Language experiences, students learn the Turkish language and practice their Turkish knowledge in authentic ways.
American Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is offered year-long for all levels 1-3. The curriculum is based on ASLDeafined and is a user-friendly program to review vocabulary videos using the hands and complete assigned activities from various lesson(s). Deaf Culture and the use of grammar will be used throughout the course. A very dynamic program, so it does not include textbooks at all. ASL has all its resources for students to master the language and understand Deaf culture from a Deaf person’s perspective. Each lesson includes an introduction, vocabulary, grammar, reading, and quizzes. Most of the time, a new vocabulary unit is shared in the classroom with the teacher’s teaching moment before using the website.
Visual and Performing Arts
The music program at the high school offers rigorous and diverse music options for students in courses and extracurriculars. Students can learn a new instrument or continue their musical growth in band, small group lessons, guitar, and keyboard classes, sing in the choir, and prepare for college-level music in OCC Music Theory. All music classes address the National Core Arts Standards of creating, performing, connecting, and responding to music. In addition to musical skills, our music classes teach perseverance, self-reflection, collaboration, and leadership. Based on student interests, after-school offerings include lessons, band, and other ensembles, such as steel drums.
Music students have frequent performance opportunities at our school and in our community. We perform concerts at the high school, have a pep band for sports games, play as part of the school’s Jazz Night, LAT, and Cultural fairs, travel to Albany to perform for elected officials, collaborate with other schools, and participate in performance festivals, including Darien Lake Music Fest. We have students who were finalists in the international GENIUS Olympiad competition in the music category in 2017 and 2020.
The music program regularly brings guest artists and scholars to work with student musicians. Recent guests have included saxophonists Elan Trotman and Marcus Anderson, soprano Lori Larson, trumpeter Ray Sturge, bassist Gerald Veasley, and guitarist Dr. Ken Meyer. We also travel to rehearsals and performances at Syracuse University, Ithaca College, and OCC to observe and meet college musicians and faculty. We take field trips to Syracuse Opera and Syracuse Ballet and regularly encourage students to attend community concerts.
Featured Syracuse.com Article
Celebrating Black History Month
Band Champions Rising
Choir Talk
Band and Art celebrating Black History Month
Winter 2019 Concert Performance
Physical and Health Education
Health
The health course aims to empower students to take charge of their mental, physical, and emotional health. Our emphasis on individual fitness, employable skills, and real-world applications empowers students to take charge of their fitness, health, and well-being throughout their lives.
Physical Education
