The 9th and 10th grade integrated courses seek to break down the distinctions between the study of literature and social studies. Students will be challenged and encouraged to connect ideas between these fields of study throughout the course of the curriculum.
American Studies Course
Together we will explore the question, “What do we believe?”, looking at our personal beliefs and our nation’s values as reflected in literature, art, music, politics, and historic and current events. We will also ask if our society’s beliefs have changed and if so, how?
Our students will delve into our nation’s history and literature within these five areas:
Constitution and Founding Fathers
Civil War
Vietnam War
Disenfranchised Peoples
Manifest Destiny and Spread of Democracy
During the course of their exploration, students will consider perspective, use evidence to reach and support conclusions, and reflect on their personal values and opinions.
Readings can cover the range of novels, primary documents, poems, biographies, short stories, newspaper articles, non-fiction essays, music, and drama. For example, we may draw on the following: the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and “The Star-Spangled Banner”; excerpts from Walden, The House of Mirth, novels such as The Great Gatsby, The Killer Angels, The Things They Carried; poetry, including Whitman, Dickinson, Snyder, Melville, Hughes and Alexie.
Students will work to develop close reading skills.
Students will practice discriminately choosing resources for research
Students will write research papers, personal essays and journals, persuasive and
reflective essays, as well as responses to and analysis of literature.
In class students will exercise discussion and listening skills.
Major projects will usually include an oral presentation.
Vocabulary study will stem from class readings and discussion content and will use the
Vocabulary from Classical Roots series.
World Cultures Course
“What's the Connection?” is the major question addressed in both World Literature and World Cultures, the two components of the Division II World Cultures curriculum. Learning to take discrete information from different sources and disciplines and combining it to gain new understandings is an essential skill for students in an increasingly global and complex society. World Literature and World Cultures classes coordinate to help students form connections between elements of culture, including history, literature, art, geography, music, politics, and religion.
Geographically, students will be expected to learn the location of the countries of the world. Our focus areas may include the Middle East, China, India, and Latin America. We will be reading literature from these areas, exploring current events relevant to the areas, and generally exploring the culture of the peoples who live in these areas.
Readings may include Ali and Nino by Kurban Said, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and The Examination by Malcolm Bosse. Film study may include Baraka, Syriana, and Maria, Full of Grace. Students will also be expected to read related material of their choosing outside of class.
Students will practice drafting and writing in journals, responses, essays, written exams, and reports.
Division II Supported Study Class
To help students make the adjustment to the expectations and work load of secondary school, two periods each week will be devoted to supported study. In this class, we will cover topics such as successful notetaking, guided research skills, public speaking skills, organizational strategies, and team study. Some days will be devoted to quiet study, others may be writing labs, while still others will involve teachers sharing their insights about how to succeed. Occasionally, we might even just take some time off to do something fun! Students who demonstrate an independent ability to manage the demands of the TSA curriculum will be given appropriate latitude to use this time as best suits their needs, at the discretion of the teacher(s).