Course of Instruction 2017-2018

King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................. 3 MISSION STATEMENT ................................................................................................... 4 GUIDING PRINCIPLES .................................................................................................... 4 GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................. 5 TAWJIHI EQUIVALENCY ............................................................................................... 6 FOUR-YEAR CURRICULUM PLAN .............................................................................. 8 ATTENDANCE POLICY .................................................................................................. 9 ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY .................................................................................. 11 GLOBAL ONLINE ACADEMY (GOA) ......................................................................... 13 AP CAPSTONE ................................................................................................................ 14 SEMINARS ...................................................................................................................... 16 DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION, RHETORIC & THE LITERARY ARTS (CRLA) ............................................................................................................................. 17 DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE ................................................................. 28 DEPARTMENT OF ETHICS, PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION (EPR) ............................. 31 DEPARTMENT OF FINE & PERFORMING ARTS...................................................... 34 DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES .................................................. 42 DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS ........................................................................... 48 DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL & LIFE SCIENCES.................................................... 52 DEPARTMENT OF WORLD LANGUAGES ................................................................ 56

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INTRODUCTION A lifelong love of learning, an abiding sense of respect and responsibility, a vigorous interest in a well-balanced life and global citizenship — these are the values that distinguish a King’s Academy education.

The King’s Academy curriculum is just one way in which the school shapes the lives of its students, but it is perhaps the most critical. This course catalogue bases itself on the philosophical foundations of the school and on the idea that learning is exciting and central to the experience of being a King’s Academy student.

King’s Academy students participate in all aspects of life on campus, and their academic endeavors reflect the school’s commitment to overall excellence. The curriculum at King’s Academy encourages the mastery of learning skills and promotes the development of intellectual curiosity and creativity in every discipline. Students achieve clarity of thought, a base of knowledge and confidence in their ability to articulate ideas, formulate questions, solve problems logically and express themselves creatively.

The King’s Academy curriculum, both in its breadth and depth, encourages students to take an active role in their own academic development. Under the guidance of faculty, King’s Academy students plan a course of study around their interests and abilities, fulfilling various requirements and readying themselves for the colleges and universities of the world that await them.

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MISSION STATEMENT In a setting that is rich in history and tradition, King’s Academy is committed to providing a comprehensive college-preparatory education through a challenging curriculum in the arts and sciences; an integrated co-curricular program of athletics, activities and community service; and a nurturing residential environment. Our students will learn to be independent, creative and responsible thinkers within an ethical community that encourages young men and women of diverse backgrounds and beliefs to excel, to cherish one another and to prepare for leadership.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES Respect Tolerance is a beginning, but it is not sufficient. What we hope to instill in our students is an empathetic understanding of one another and a sense of respect that traverses all student relationships, be it between each other, towards their teachers and families or with regard to the community as a whole.

Love of Learning We do not want our students to perceive their education as simply utilitarian — one that is a mere instrument for their future success. Instead, we hope to foster in them a genuine love of learning for its own sake and a desire to acquire knowledge in and for itself.

Responsibility Along with the privileges of being part of King’s Academy come responsibilities. Students will learn that they are stewards of what they receive and that it is their responsibility to pass on this stewardship to others, such as younger students and the community as a whole.

By extension, students at King’s Academy will have a lifelong responsibility to use their education to help and enhance possibilities for others. A belief in and commitment to social service as well a striving for social justice for others less fortunate will form an essential part of the ethos of the school.

An Integrated Life We do not aim to teach students what to think but rather how to think. Students’ belief systems are a personal matter between their families and themselves. Whatever our students’ beliefs, King’s Academy stresses that balance is critical to human well-being. What we at King’s strive to teach our students is how to integrate all aspects of their lives — academic, social, spiritual and physical — in the context of a boarding school environment in which we learn not only about the world but about ourselves.

Global Citizenship King’s Academy is first and foremost a Jordanian school. But it is also a regional school, and ultimately a school of the world. The student body will be diverse geographically, economically, ethnically and religiously and we aim to raise in our students an awareness of different peoples.

We will impart to them universal values, applicable in all cultures and at the same time encourage their unique sense of belonging to the Middle East.

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GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS In order to receive a diploma from King’s Academy, a student must have fulfilled the graduation requirements with at least five equivalent year-long courses every year.

Every King’s Academy student who enters as a freshman will take at least:           

Four years of CRLA English Four years of CRLA Arabic Four years of mathematics Three years of physical and life sciences (four years recommended), with advanced laboratory courses taught in the 11th and 12th grades A one-year course on world history and geography in the 9th grade A one-year course on History of the Middle East in the Context of the World in the 10th grade At least one additional year-long course or three term-long courses from the Department of History and Social Studies in the 11th or 12th grade A one-term course on world religions A one-term elective course from the Department of Ethics, Philosophy and Religion (EPR) At least one year — three term-long courses — from the Department of Fine and Performing Arts One term-long course from the Department of Computer Science

As per the guidelines of the Jordanian Ministry of, Jordanian Muslim are required to take two years of Islamic theology in in the 9th and 10th grades, and two additional term-long courses either in the 11th or 12th grades. Jordanian students who hold a second passport may have different arrangements for Islamic theology. For more information, they should check with the Department of Academic Affairs.

For students entering King’s Academy in their sophomore, junior, or senior years, the graduation requirements are pro-rated and are listed in the curriculum plan (see page 8).

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TAWJIHI EQUIVALENCY Students intending to attend a Jordanian university or gain certain professional licenses in Jordan can obtain a certificate of Tawjihi equivalency in lieu of taking the national Tawjihi examination. Some Arab countries also require Tawjihi Equivalency. To obtain equivalency, students must complete one of the following examination options, in addition to King’s Academy requirements, by the time of their graduation: Option 1: A combined total of seven Advanced Placement (AP) exams and/or SAT II exams with scores of at least 3 on each AP, and at least 450 on each SAT II. Option 2: Five Advanced Placement (AP) exams, with scores of at least 3 on each and one Alevel or Tawjihi exam in Arabic.

Option 3: Seven SAT II exams, with a score of at least 450 on each exam.

Note: To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi science stream for options 1-3, students must pass three SAT II or AP science subjects including Math SAT II level IIC or AP Calculus. To calculate the Tawjihi equivalency GPA for options 1-3, the Ministry of Education will combine the 12th grade numeric scores and the results on SAT II and/or AP exams.

Option 4: Pass four AP exams only To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi science stream the student should: 1. Pass any two AP Exams from the following list: AP Calculus or AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, AP Physics, AP Chemistry or AP Biology with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 2. Pass any other two AP exams with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi literary stream the student should: 1. Pass any four literary AP exams with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 Option 5: Pass three AP exams and two SAT II exams To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi science stream the student should: 1. Pass any two of the following AP Exams: AP Calculus or AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, AP Physics, AP Chemistry or AP Biology with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 2. Pass any other AP exam with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 3. Pass any two SAT II exams available with a minimum score of 450 To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi literary stream the student should: 1. Pass any three AP exams with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 2. Pass any two SAT II exams available with a minimum score of 450

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Option 6: Pass two AP exams and four SAT II exams To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi science stream the student should: 1. Pass any two of the following AP Exams: AP Calculus or AP Statistics, AP Computer Science, AP Physics, AP Chemistry or AP Biology with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 2. Pass any four SAT II exams available with a minimum score of 450 To obtain equivalency in the Tawjihi literary stream the student should: 1. Pass any two AP exams with a minimum score of 3 out of 5 or Arabic 2. Pass any four SAT II exams available with a minimum score of 450 Note: To calculate the Tawjihi equivalency GPA for those students using options 4-6, the Ministry of Education will count the results on the SAT II and/or AP exams only.

Further notes:  A Level Arabic is counted as one of the AP Exams  AP Microeconomics and AP Macroeconomics are considered two separate exams  An AP Exam and a SAT exam of the same subject are considered two different exams (e.g. AP Chemistry and SAT Chemistry are considered two different exams)  AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC and AP Statistics are not considered different exams but as the same exam  AP Physics I, AP Physics II and AP Physics C are not considered two different exams but as the same exam  SAT Math I and SAT Math II are considered two different exams.  SAT Biology E and SAT Biology M are not considered two different exams but as the same exam  Pharmacy and medicine requires a minimum GPA of 85.  Engineering requires a minimum GPA of 80 AP and SAT scores conversions The raw score of the AP exams is converted into a score of 5,4,3,2 or 1 AP External Exam Score 5 4 3

Out of 100 (Tawjihi) 98 88 78

For SAT Subject exams, divide the SAT Subject score by 8.

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FOUR-YEAR CURRICULUM PLAN Please refer to the number of years a student will study at King’s to determine the graduation requirements for that student.

Subject

4-Year Program

3-Year Program

2-Year Program

1-Year Program

CRLA-Arabic

Four

Three

Two

One

CRLA-English

Four

Three

Two

One

Mathematics

Four

Three

Two

One

Science

Three

Three

Two

History

Three

Two

One

World Languages

Optional (two or Optional (two or Optional (two more recommended) more recommended) recommended)

Fine & Performing Arts

Three term-long courses

Two term-long Ethics, Philosophy & courses (to include Religion (EPR) World Religions) Computer Science

One Optional (recommended)

Three term-long courses

One term-long course One term-long course

Two term-long courses (to include World Religions)

One term-long course One term-long course

One term-long course One term-long course One term-long course One term-long course

Jordanian Muslim students must also take the following courses:

Islamic Theology

Two years plus two term-long courses

One year plus two term-long courses

Two term-long courses

Two term-long courses (if not taken as a junior in previous scthool)

Note: Jordanian students who hold a second passport and who do not wish to pursue Tawjihi equivalency are not required to take Islamic Theology.

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ATTENDANCE POLICY Regular attendance at school is essential for academic success at King’s Academy. A student’s grade may be affected by excessive absences. Attendance is recorded at the beginning of each class period. According to Jordanian law and the policies of King’s Academy, no more than 21 absences in a year-long course, or seven absences per term, are allowable for completion of a course and for a final grade to be granted for the course.

Failure to meet this rate of attendance will result in loss of credit for the term and removal from the course. Students who are removed from a course due to excessive absences will be required to either take the course the following year or in an accredited summer school or correspondence program.

All absences whether excused or unexcused, with the exception of school-sponsored activities, count as part of the maximum allowable absences during a term.

Excused Absences King’s Academy has defined which situations can be considered excused absences:     

Illness (requires a doctor’s report if the student is absent for more than two days)* Death in the immediate family Observation of a religious holiday not normally observed at school School-sponsored activities Extenuating circumstances beyond the control of the student to be determined by the headmaster

*Students have two days after returning from an absence to present a note. After two days the absence will be unexcused. All notes are brought to the attendance office.

If a student needs to leave school early during a school day, the student must first report to the Office of Student Life which will then obtain/confirm parent permission by phone or email. Leaving early during the week requires the permission of the appropriate class dean.

Absences from school or class for the following reasons will be considered excused, allowing the student to make up missed work and assignments for credit, the deadlines for submission of which are at the discretion of the classroom teacher:  

Illness Family emergencies  Religious observances  Traditional national observances  College interviews, entrance exams Students attending school-sponsored activities or programs must have prior approval from their class dean to miss class. Students are asked to notify their teachers in advance if they King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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know they will be absent from school; it is the student’s responsibility to obtain and complete all work missed during an absence.

The faculty will not be obligated to provide make-up work for students who are absent from class for reasons other than those listed above.

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ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY King’s Academy has prepared this statement because we want to emphasize to all of you, our students, the importance of academic honesty. We recognize that King’s Academy students are generally committed to achieving success through honest effort.

Because trust and honesty are critical to the well-being of any community, we expect King’s Academy students to be truthful at all times.

We expect students to do their own work, unless they have explicit permission from their instructors to collaborate with others.

Violations of our Academic Honesty Statement 1. Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of someone else’s work.

Possible examples of plagiarism include using another's work from print, web or other sources without acknowledging the source; quoting from a source without citation; using facts, figures, graphs, charts or information without acknowledgement of the source. If you are unsure of whether something is plagiarism, it is your responsibility to consult your teacher.

2. Cheating: Cheating is using or receiving any aid on a test, assessment or assignment that is not specifically allowed by the teacher. (An assessment is any formal or informal assignment that is given by your teacher, including but not limited to a quiz, test, essay, take-home test, open-book test, exam, worksheet, lab report, question set or project.) Cheating also includes looking for, using, giving or receiving unauthorized assistance or information. Possessing such aids or information, even if it is not used, is still considered cheating.

Possible examples of cheating include copying from another student's paper or receiving unauthorized assistance during a quiz, test or exam; using books, notes or other devices (such as calculators, cell phones or computers) or formulas, statements or any information written on the body or clothes when it is not authorized; finding and using without authorization a copy of or information about an exam before the scheduled time; unauthorized collaboration on exams.

3. Unauthorized group work: Unauthorized group work is collaborating with another person or persons without having the explicit permission of the teacher to do so. This includes working with any other student or students when the assessment is meant for an individual. It also includes receiving aid or assistance from outside your activity group from, but not limited to, honors or AP students, alumni, tutors, parents, siblings or online assistance when the work should be completed only by the members of that group.

Possible examples of unauthorized group work include working with another person or persons on any activity that is intended to be individual work, when such collaboration has not been specifically allowed by the teacher.

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4. Fabrication, falsification and misrepresentation of submitted work: These three terms mean altering or inventing of any information or citation that is used in assessing academic work. This includes multiple submission of work, i.e. handing in the same assignment for more than one class or using a project, presentation or speech for more than one class.

Possible examples fabrication, falsification and misrepresentation of submitted work include inventing or counterfeiting data or information; falsely citing the source of information; altering the record of or reporting false information about labs; altering grade reports or other academic records; submitting a false excuse for absence or tardiness for a school day, test or exam; lying to a teacher to increase a grade.

5. Complicity in academic dishonesty: This means intentionally helping another to commit an act of academic dishonesty, being a knowing or willing accomplice to academic dishonesty or purposely failing to report an incident of academic dishonesty.

Possible examples of complicity in academic dishonesty include knowingly allowing another student to copy from one's paper during an exam or test; distributing test questions or substantive information about the material to be tested before a scheduled assessment or exam; deliberately furnishing false information.

6. Attempting to commit any offense as outlined above: Trying to cheat or having the intent to cheat is the same as cheating.

Responses/consequences to academic dishonesty If a student violates the Academic Honesty Statement, he or she will sit for an Academic Honor Committee meeting. The Academic Honor Committee is comprised of faculty and students and can make one of the following for recommendations to the headmaster: 1) a formal letter of reprimand, 2) school separation, 3) school suspension (reported to colleges and universities) and 4) a required withdrawal from King’s Academy.

These responses are levied in accordance with the severity of the violation. This means that the responses are not sequential, i.e. the response to your first violation may be a required withdrawal from school. [adapted from Florida State University]

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GLOBAL ONLINE ACADEMY (GOA) In 2011, King's Academy joined a consortium of leading independent schools across America as the founding members of the Global Online Academy (GOA). Of the 10 institutions to launch the GOA, King's is the only international member. Spanning the United States, the remaining nine schools include Albuquerque Academy in New Mexico, Catlin Gabel School in Oregon, Cranbrook Schools in Michigan, The Dalton School in New York, Germantown Friends School in Pennsylvania, Head-Royce School in California, Lakeside School in Washington, Punahou School in Hawaii and Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. You and other students in grades 9-12 from top independent schools around the world can now take online classes with one another. In addition to giving you access to exciting new courses, we also hope to create truly global classrooms in which you will learn alongside peers with diverse backgrounds and experiences. These courses are designed, developed, and taught by teachers from our schools and you will receive credit for the course through your school.

About Global Online Academy Courses GOA courses are interactive, instructional, and experiential. There are semester-long and year-long options in subjects ranging from organic chemistry to graphic design. All GOA courses have synchronous components (when students collaborate together, or work with their teacher, at a set time, generally using video conferencing software) and asynchronous components (students choose when to participate).

Please note that GOA courses require the same time commitment and have similar workloads as any other course you would take at your school.

If you are interested in taking a GOA course, please first consult your academic advisor and discuss the choice with your parents or guardians. Then, fill out the Global Online Academy registration form and turn it in to your designated school administrator.

If you have questions about any of the current course offerings or if there’s a course you’d like the academy to offer in the future, email hello@globalonlineacademy.org To see the list of available GOA courses, click here.

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AP CAPSTONE In 2013, the College Board invited King’s Academy to be one of approximately 100 schools worldwide to offer an innovative new diploma program as part of their curriculum for the 2014-2015 academic year: the AP Capstone program.

The AP Capstone program is a two-course sequence called AP Seminar and AP Research that allows students to explore real-world issues while developing the analytic, research, problem-solving and communication skills that colleges look for in an applicant.

Students typically take AP Seminar in the 10th or 11th grade, followed by AP Research.

Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in the AP Seminar and AP Research courses and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing will receive the AP Capstone Diploma.

This signifies their outstanding academic achievement and attainment of college-level academic and research skills. AP Seminar is also open to interested 12th graders, who can earn an AP score for that course.

Alternatively, students who earn scores of 3 or higher in the AP Seminar and AP Research courses only will receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate signifying their attainment of college-level academic and research skills.

In keeping with the flexibility of the AP program, students taking the Capstone sequence are not required to pursue the Capstone Diploma.

The 11th grade seminar is open to exceptionally qualified 10th graders, 11th graders and 12th graders. Preference will be given to 11th grade students committed to completing the AP diploma program.

Students will be admitted into the AP Capstone Program based on their fulfillment of the following requirements: General:  Demonstrated ability to work independently, responsibly and in collaboration with others  Strong writing skills and/or the promise of success  Willingness to engage in class discussion  Specific:  A strong record of academic achievement and school attendance in sophomore year  Completion of Capstone application, including, o Short statement of interest o Endorsement from two teachers o Two writing samples (preferably timed and in-class)

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AP Seminar In the first year, students develop and strengthen their analytic and inquiry skills, exploring deeply two to four relevant issues chosen by themselves and/or their teacher.

Students learn to consider an issue from multiple perspectives, evaluate the strength of an argument, and make logical, evidence-based decisions. For example, a student might explore the question of whether national security is more important than a citizen’s right to privacy, or whether genetic engineering is beneficial to society. During the course, students complete a team project, an individual paper and presentation, and take a written end-of-course exam. Their AP Seminar Exam score will be based on all three components and will be reported on the standard 1-5 AP scoring scale.

AP Research In this course, students work on an independent research project on a topic of interest to them. For example, students can:   

Dig deeper into a topic they studied in an AP course Work across academic areas on an interdisciplinary topic Study a new area of interest, perhaps one they would like to study in college.

At the end of the research project, students submit an academic paper and defend their work through a presentation. Their AP Research Exam score will be based on their paper, the presentation, and the defense and will be reported on the standard 1-5 AP scoring scale.

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SEMINARS Freshman Seminar Freshman Seminar is a required course for all 9th grade students which meets once a week for the full year. The seminar explores topics such as transition and adjustment, health and wellbeing, organization and energy management, study skills, relationships and mindsets. Topics also tie into the over-arching themes that the school will discuss in its various forums, thus allowing 9th grade students the opportunity to ask questions, share experiences, and think of practical applications that would enable freshmen to embody the mission and guiding principles of the school.

Upperclassman Seminar Upperclassman Seminar is a required course for all new students who have joined King’s Academy as sophomores, juniors or seniors. The class meets once a week during the first term and is led by a dean or counselor. It explores topics such as transition, wellness, school life, relationships, resilience and other themes important to help students understand life at King’s, transition smoothly and transform challenges into growth opportunities, including the challenge of joining King’s as upperclassmen.

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DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION, RHETORIC & THE LITERARY ARTS (CRLA) It is the aim of the Department of Communication, Rhetoric and the Literary Arts (CRLA) to develop students' ability to use and appreciate the English and Arabic languages, both orally and in written discourse, to cultivate their facility for verbal analysis and persuasive writing and to introduce them to the major forms of literary expression. During their years at King's Academy, students progress systematically towards these goals by writing regularly for their courses and by participating periodically in formal declamations that will help them express themselves confidently in public speaking situations and prepare them for a life of cultural interactions, academic pursuits and political and social engagement. Students extend their knowledge of the grammatical and literary complexities of language as well as of its development, structure and beauty. Students study both English and Arabic in separate year-long courses for four years each.

Because King’s Academy attracts and welcomes students from around the world, for many of whom English is a second or third language, the CRLA department seeks to ensure that all students entering the school have the opportunity to receive any additional support they may need. To this end, the regular four-year English program is supplemented with an additional series of English courses (English Language and Composition) which students may be asked to take before embarking on the study of a third language. Similarly, students with limited exposure to the Arabic language and who need to develop a firmer grounding in the fundamentals of Arabic are required to enroll in an intermediate program. This is offered at three levels and prepares students to join the regular (language and literature) Arabic program.

CRLA courses emphasize clarity of thought and expression, logical analysis and a close reading of literary texts, including fiction, essays, poetry and drama. Students study a broad array of writings and perspectives from a variety of traditions and historical periods. Class discussions encourage students to develop their own thinking skills, interpretations and voices. Because the student body is diglossic and bilingual, it is imperative that students are well prepared in both languages. Hence, the two departments are housed together and have regular meetings to discuss shared curricular materials and academic concerns.

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CRLA-ENGLISH Language and Composition This course is designed to develop the language skills students need to succeed not only in their English literature classes, but in all the academic work that requires them to be proficient readers, writers, speakers, listeners and thinkers. Language and Composition focuses on the essential skills and understandings that students need to thrive academically: how to gather, develop, organize and express ideas clearly and effectively.

An examination given at the end of the school year determines their readiness to leave the course, at which time they will have the opportunity to enroll in the other world language courses offered at the school.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Placement exam and/or teacher recommendation Introduction to Literary Genres (9th grade) Ninth graders at King's Academy step on campus and join an inquisitive, dynamic, and formative literary community. They lay the foundation for their exploration of English literature by grappling with literary texts from a range of time and culture. They not only analyze narrative, verse and drama, but also challenge the text — and in the process, challenge the world around them. They become readers and writers with greater confidence, expression and stamina. Students review the fundamentals of English grammar and syntax, and expand their vocabularies to enhance their reading and sense of diction, building a tool box for reading and writing mastery. Texts may include, but are not limited to: John Steinbeck’s Of Mice & Men, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Story of Part-Time Indian, Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street and Karen Russell’s St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves.

Course length: One year Arabic Literature in a Global Context (10th grade) This 10th grade course familiarizes students with trends and developments in Arabic literature over the late 19th, 20th and early 21st centuries and discuss genres and themes in a global context. Analyzing literary works helps students to comment on and interact with political, social and economic issues in the Arab World. The course focuses on close reading of Arabic literature in translation and texts by Arab writers written in English, and is supported by examples from other cultures to provide a global perspective. Arabic literature presents Arab and international students alike with unique intellectual and cultural challenges. Texts may include, but are not limited to Ghassan Kanafani’s Men in the Sun, Hisham Matar’s In the Country of Men, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, and Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis. In addition, students study poetry by Mahmoud Darwish, Ahmed Shauqi and Nizar Qabbani, as well as Shaheed Nadeem’s play Dara and Sa’adallah Wannous’ The King’s Elephant.

Course length: One year Great Works of the Western Tradition (11th grade) In this 11th grade course, students develop the ability to read great works of literature closely, actively and imaginatively. They study not only what a text means but also how King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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to appreciate the beauty of the written word. Students practice several types of writing, often in response to what they have read. Although they receive direct instruction in narrative, descriptive and creative modes of expression, the majority of written work focuses on developing the skills of argument, literary analysis and synthesis. Students also write and deliver a declamation to a live audience. The great works of literature include but are not limited to: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried, and Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.

Course length: One year World Literature and Critical Analysis (12th grade) Using a variety of texts and genres from various cultures and historical periods, this course demonstrates the numerous ways literature is valued. Students learn how gender, ethnicity, historical context (including colonialism) and myth are part of the interpretive process, and they learn to make personal connections with characters, experiences and ideas in literary works (including non-fiction). Students evince their progress in regular written and oral presentations. Written presentations focus on literary critical analysis but also include persuasive, narrative and descriptive essays, as well as opportunities for creative writing. Readings include but are not limited to: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus, Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, Elie Wiesel’s Night, Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin, Bahaa’ Taher’s Aunt Safiyya and the Monastery, Moshin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Course length: One year Introduction to Creative Writing (12th grade) Introduction to Creative Writing dips into four different types, or genres, of creative writing: journaling and personal reflection, short fiction, poetry, and drama/screenplays.

This variety, while by no means comprehensive, is meant to inspire, giving students a short taste of a wide range of expression. While the course focuses on writing and the writing process, there is a significant amount of time spent reading, analyzing and discussing great pieces of writing, from the traditional canon, regional writers and more contemporary pieces — a good writer must also be a good reader. The class writes daily, shares weekly, and creates submission-quality pieces at multiple points throughout the semester, which culminates with a 12-15-page portfolio at the end of the year, featuring polished versions of each of the four types of writing. This course strives to instill a culture of writing in the students who partake; writing is not an obligation, but rather a necessary, engaging and dynamic form of expression. The course also seeks to push students beyond their academic comfort zone while simultaneously fostering a sense of self-confidence in regards to their personal writing.

Course length: One year Honors English Honors English courses in grades 10, 11 and 12 are designed for students who have demonstrated the motivation, self-discipline, ability and academic readiness sufficient to read and explore more difficult texts in greater depth and complexity. Honors courses accommodate the needs of students who have demonstrated that they are ready to read King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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more challenging texts and meet more challenging expectations, particularly in their written work.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Students must receive a recommendation from their current English teacher to be eligible to take an entrance exam intended to demonstrate their readiness to thrive in an honors course. The department will recommend students for the course based on their entrance exams, academic readiness and motivation as demonstrated by disciplined work habits.

Narrative Journalism Narrative Journalism introduces students to the world of nonfiction, across boundaries of medium and form: visual documentary (both video and photography), oral history and interview, radio stories and soundscapes, in addition to the primary storytelling mode of nonfiction narrative prose (whether written for the printed page or for audio broadcast).

Students develop skills — preliminary researching, interviewing, fact-checking, editing, and peer workshopping — that are crucial across genres, media, and disciplines; they learn how to gather vast quantities of information — notes, descriptions, transcripts, facts, figures, and other material — and distill that information into a narrative.

The course offers two “concentrations”: Literary Journalism and Multimedia Journalism (descriptions below). The concentrations meet independently but also come together regularly for joint classes. The course culminates in a final project in which students from both concentrations collaborate to produce multimedia stories that will be published in the print and online editions of The Rexonian.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: 12th graders who have been recommended by their current English teacher may elect to take this course in place of either regular or Honors English.

Literary Journalism Concentration This concentration explores the boundary between literature and journalism as students write narrative nonfiction pieces for publication in the print and online editions of The Rexonian. Students are encouraged to write about people and topics on and around campus, to tell untold stories and shed light on the unappreciated, the unexamined and the unknown. They read and study the work of Joseph Mitchell, John McPhee, Joan Didion, Lillian Ross and Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, as well as feature stories from current issues of The New Yorker, Harper’s, Rolling Stone, etc. In reading both independently and by assignment, students encounter journalistic works from a wide variety of genres, topics, eras and locales. The course navigates through that realm of the written word — whose boundaries are imprecise — that encompasses the territories of New Journalism, literature of fact, creative nonfiction, narrative journalism, and more. In the process, the course focuses on the crafting of clear and compelling prose and narrative, rather than the academese of analysis or argument. Students approach the writing of journalism and narrative nonfiction as a process: from idea to proposal to structural diagram; to draft to revision to published piece. They King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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learn to organize and rely on their notes from independent reporting, research and interviewing, and to transmute those notes into sentences and paragraphs thoughtfully composed and artfully arranged. By the end of the year, students will have completed a portfolio of several written pieces of varying lengths, genres (from profiles and arts reviews, to reported essays and op-eds) and topics, including a collaborative piece in conjunction with students in the multimedia concentration.

Multimedia Journalism Concentration Students who choose a multimedia concentration explore the essential questions of the Narrative Journalism course through the study of various storytelling forms.

They become voracious media consumers, analyzing print stories, podcasts, videos and interactive social media. Along the way, these are some of the questions that are posed: What principles of journalism apply across these forms?

What are the strengths and drawbacks of each? To what types of stories do they lend themselves? Students consider each modern medium not as a replacement for more “traditional” ones, but rather as a new set of tools to add to their everexpanding storytelling toolkit. Students also become prolific media producers: drawing inspiration from these various journalistic forms, they produce their own multimedia stories. By the end of the year, each student will have a created his or her own portfolio that includes print, audio and video pieces. The “capstone” of the course is a final group project in which students collaborate with their peers from the literary journalism concentration to produce multimedia stories to be published in the online edition of The Rexonian.

The Art of Poetry Poetry is among the most popular of art forms. It is a feature of cultures and civilizations across the world, and it survives today in popular song of many kinds, but few people actually read it anymore. This course introduces students to the close reading, study and appreciation of poetry through the ages, connecting it to its ancient origins and contemporary expressions in spoken word and song. The course studies the poet as aesthetic rebel and political revolutionary (Romanticism, Modernism, and the school of “free” verse initiated by Walt Whitman), the poet as playwright (Shakespeare’s Henry V and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton — exploring poetry’s relationship to politics and leadership), and the poet as singer-song writer. It also explores poetry’s relationship to other art forms (painting and prose fiction), disciplines (psychology) and modern movements (environmentalism). Students are required to complete weekly reading journals, engage in original translation from a foreign language poet of their choice, write their own poems in imitation of ancient and modern masters, and memorize a small play list of favorite poems.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: 12th graders who have been recommended by their current English teacher may elect to take this course in place of either regular or Honors English.

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AP Language and Composition This course is designed to prepare students to develop the reading, writing and thinking skills necessary to meet the challenge of the Advanced Placement examination in Language and Composition, which tests students’ abilities to demonstrate a deep understanding of how authors use the principles and elements of rhetoric and language to develop meaning. Students enrolled in this course are challenged to read difficult nonfictional texts from a variety of disciplines, and to write for a variety of audiences and purposes in various genres.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Students must receive a recommendation from their current English teacher to be eligible to take an entrance exam intended to demonstrate their readiness to thrive in an Advanced Placement curriculum. The department will recommend students for the course based on their entrance exams, academic readiness and motivation as demonstrated by disciplined work habits.

AP Literature and Composition This course is designed to prepare students to develop the reading, writing and thinking skills necessary to meet the challenge of the Advanced Placement examination in Literature and Composition, which tests students’ abilities to demonstrate a deep understanding of how authors use language to convey meaning. Students enrolled in this course are challenged to read difficult works in a variety of genres and to develop the analytical skills necessary to develop a deep understanding of and appreciation for the subtleties and nuances of complex texts.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Students must receive a recommendation from their current English teacher to be eligible to take an exam intended to demonstrate their readiness to thrive in an Advanced Placement curriculum. The department will recommend students for the course based on their entrance exams, academic readiness and motivation as demonstrated by disciplined work habits.

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CRLA-ARABIC Language and Literature Program This program is designed for native speakers experienced in using the Arabic language in an academic context. The language background of such students, however, is likely to vary considerably from monolingual students to students with more complex language profiles. As a result, this program has two levels: Regular level (standard) and honors level (high). At both levels, many skills are developed, especially those of critical thinking and analysis, but subjects at the honors level are studied in greater depth and breadth than at regular level.

Regular level[DB1]: This level caters for native speakers who would have previously studied most subjects in Arabic, and for whom Arabic is their mother tongue or first language, as well as for students who completed the intermediate program. It offers the following courses: Introduction to Literary Genres This course introduces students to the various Arabic literary genres through exposure to a variety of works. Students encounter poetry, fiction, epistles, speech, dialogue, essays and biographies from different literary periods of Arab history. Specific focus is directed at the pre-Islamic age and its famed Mu’allaqat, as well as the main literary figures and characteristics of that era. Students also analyze contemporary short stories by Mikhail Naymeh, Mahmoud Timor and Ne'mat Buhairi, the play The Elephant, Oh King of the Times by Sa’adallah Wannous and the biography The Princess and the Foal by Stacy Gregg. Finally, students refine their writing skills while working with “Al Khatera,” persuasive and topical essays developed around an idea or a thought. Language skills, integrated through context, include spelling and grammatical/syntactical applications.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Placement exam for new 9th grade students; faculty recommendation and department consent for returning students.

Literature and Literary Appreciation This course offers students exposure to a wide variety of literary texts with the aim of cultivating their abilities in literary analysis, criticism and appreciation. Students experience a variety of readings that cover several genres: the rich heritage of gnomic literature with its proverbs and aphorisms, philosophical essays, selections from Arab narrative poetry and the epistolary tradition. Emphasis is placed on the Ummayad age, through the study of the spinning parthenogenesis as well as some outstanding writers from that epoch. Additionally, three contemporary literary works are analyzed: Joseph Qaeed ’s novella Al-Harb fi Baar Maser, Muhammad Maghout’s play The Clown, and Ghassan Kanafani’s novella Men in the Sun. Finally, students hone their skills in persuasive and topical essays, literary response and story. Language skills, integrated through context, include spelling and grammatical/syntactical applications.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Placement exam for new students; faculty recommendation and department consent for returning students

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Literary Analysis Delving deeper into newer, more modern literary forms, this course introduces students to autobiographical works, oration, extended critical literary essays, poetry, fiction and epistles. Students learn the basic elements of these genres and refine their analytical writing skills. The course focuses on expanding students’ knowledge of major poets and authors of the Abbasid age, including the Fatimi, Mamluki and Ayyoubi literary periods, with readings of the Maqamat and their comparative and contrastive verse. Students also analyze three contemporary stories: Mikhail Nuaymeh’s Abu Patah, Tayeb Salih’s novella Ors al-zeen and Abdasameea Omar Zinedine’s play Al-sultan yastakbel alsabah, the study of which may culminate in a stage performance.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Placement exam for new students; faculty recommendation and department consent for returning students GCE Advanced Arabic (A-Level) Seniors and advanced juniors read and write in preparation for the GCE Advanced Level Arabic exam. The course places special emphasis on literary text comprehension, translation from and into Arabic and English, using grammar to supply diacritical marks to texts and the study of issues related to Arab history, culture and art. In addition, students read three novels: The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz, Kalilah Wa Dimna by Ibn Al Muqaffa’ and The Lamp of Um Hashim by Yahya Haqqi. It is the expectation that those enrolled in this course will sit for the British A-Level examination.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: 10th grade Honors Arabic or Literary Analysis with a minimum average of B+, or having passed the placement exam Honors level: Honors Arabic courses are designed for students in grades 9 through 12 who have high Arabic literary and lingual skills and who have demonstrated the necessary motivation, self-discipline, ability and academic readiness to take these courses. Honors courses aim to develop critical thinking, help students grasp the artistic and intellectual dimensions of different kinds of literature, and stimulate writing skills to enable students to write critical essays. This entails establishing an emotional bond between students and literary works through the study of different Arabic genres — both old and contemporary — in greater depth and with more profound analysis. This level offers the following courses: Language and Literature 1 This course introduces advanced 9th grade students to the various Arabic literary genres through exposure to a variety of works. Students encounter poetry, fiction, epistles, speech, dialogue, essays and biographies from different literary periods of Arab history.

Specific focus is directed at the pre-Islamic age and its famed Mu’allaqat, as well as the main literary figures and characteristics of that era. It also focuses on the Ummayad age through the study of the spinning parthenogenesis, and the outstanding writers of that epoch, in addition to issues of literary criticism in both periods. Students also analyze three contemporary literary works: Ibrahim Nasrallah’s novella Safe Weddings, Anaam Kjh G‘s novella Tashari and Sa’adallah Wannous’ play Ras Al-Mamlook Jaber , the King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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study of which may culminate in a stage performance. Students hone their writing skills while working with “Al Khatera,” persuasive and topical essays developed around an idea or a thought. Language skills — integrated through context — include more complex spelling and grammatical/syntactical applications, plus some metrical exercises in poetry.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: An excellent mark on the placement test for new 9th grade students.

Language and Literature 2 This course offers the distinguished 10th grade students exposure to a wide variety of literary texts with the aim of cultivating their abilities in literary analysis, criticism and appreciation. Students experience a variety of readings that cover several genres: the rich heritage of gnomic literature with its proverbs and aphorisms, philosophical essays, selections from Arab narrative poetry and the epistolary tradition. Emphasis is placed on the Ummayad age through the study of the spinning parthenogenesis, ‘antithetical verse’ (Al Naqa’id) and issues of literary criticism, as well as some outstanding writers from that epoch. In addition, students analyze three contemporary literary works: Joseph Qaeed’s novella Al-Harb fi Baar Maser, Amin Maalouf’s novella Orient Ports and Muhammad Maghout’s play The Clown, the study of which may culminate in a stage performance. Students hone their skills in writing persuasive and topical essays, literary responses and stories. Language skills — integrated through context — include more complex spelling and grammatical/syntactical applications, plus some metrical exercises in poetry.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: An excellent mark on the placement test for new 10th grade students or a minimum average of A- in previous Arabic Honors courses, or an A in standard grade Arabic, in addition to department consent.

Arabic Literature 1 This course is designed to introduce students to a range of texts from different periods, style and genres, develop their power of expression both in oral and written communication, develop their understanding of the techniques involved in literary criticism and develop their ability to form independent literary judgments and to support those ideas. The course focuses on expanding students’ knowledge of major poets and authors of the Abbasid age, including the Fatimi, Mamluki and Ayyoubi literary periods as well as contemporary Arab literature, focusing on literary forms such as Maqamat and their comparative and contrastive verse, the Andalusian lyrical stanzas and issue of free verse, overseas or emigrant literature, poetic drama, and literature in translation. Students also analyze four contemporary literary works: Ibrahim Nasrallah’s novella Shorfet AlAar, the biography of His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal My Career as a King, a collection of stories by Mohammad Tomaliah, Enthusiast Villains (Al-motahamsoon AlAwghaad), and Tawfiq Al-Hakim’s play Al-Sultan al-Ha'ir, the study of which may culminate in a stage performance. This course also aims at providing students with the skills to write comprehensive comparative literary essays on various themes, as well as persuasive essays and literary responses, while linguistic issues will be addressed through contextual applications that respond to the levels of linguistic skills that students have King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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reached, including some stylistic information that serves their writing skills and some metrical exercises in poetry.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Juniors and seniors who have completed the requirements of the GCE Advanced Arabic (A-Level) course and its external exams.

Arabic Capstone The Arabic Capstone course is an interdisciplinary course that focuses on identifying and contextualizing issues related to Jordan and the world. The course allows students to compare and evaluate multiple perspectives on a variety of national and international issues such as Arab and Muslim identity, nationalism vs. tribalism, the refugee crisis, the Jordanian education system, women’s rights, the portrayal of Arabs in the media/ stereotypes and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Furthermore, the course examines topics through an interdisciplinary lens where students apply the AP Capstone QUEST framework.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: GCE Advanced Arabic (A-level) course and external exam; open to 12th graders CRLA-ARABIC Intermediate Program The Intermediate Program is a bridge between the Elementary Program (part of the Department of World Languages) and the Language and Literature Program. is designed for students who have completed the Beginners Program and for newly enrolled students who did not achieve a sufficient degree of proficiency in multiple language skills at their previous schools; it is also useful for new students who have lost contact with their Arabic language learning prior to coming to King’s. It consists of three levels that are set by language proficiency at different skills rather than by age.

Intermediate 1 Students attain an advanced level of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing using the right linguistic structure. They gain confidence in expressing thoughts, opinions and ideas in correct Arabic. They are exposed to simple texts of various literary genres and audio texts. This enables them to start comprehending literature and analyzing it. They are also able to grasp main ideas, write summaries and descriptive articles. The course aims to enable students to incorporate conversational and written activities by using extensive vocabulary. Students understand and interpret written and spoken language in a variety of topics, exchange opinions and hold debates.

Course length: One year or less Prerequisite: Placement exam for new students; faculty recommendation and department consent for returning students Intermediate 2 Having attained an advanced level of proficiency in all basic skills and the ability to comprehend basic literary texts, students are exposed to more complex pieces of literature including poetry, audio texts, TV, printed and electronic texts and short stories.

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They learn to analyze those texts and talk about them with confidence. Students also learn grammatical rules to better understand the relationship of the words in a text. They delve into historical topics about Middle Eastern heritage, traditions and regional conflicts that help them attain a fuller picture of the circumstances of the region. Students learn to express their thoughts, ideas and opinions by using appropriate language contexts in essay writings of their own.

Course length: One year or less Prerequisite: Placement exam for new students; faculty recommendation and department consent for returning students Intermediate 3 Students read classical literature and listen to audio texts and they learn how to build thoughts and arguments related to these texts. They further improve their listening and writing skills to understand more complex and abstract topics. Moreover, students learn to write essays and articles using more sophisticated vocabulary in addition to discussing them in class in the form of debates or speeches. They are able to prepare and produce various media presentations on different topics.

Course length: One year or less Prerequisite: Placement exam for new students; faculty recommendation and department consent for returning students

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DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE Computer science education means far more than learning how to use a computer, building a spreadsheet or even creating a webpage. It’s about problem solving, computational thinking and abstract reasoning across a broad range of subjects. A fundamental understanding of computer science enables students to be not just educated users of technology, but the innovators capable of using computers to improve the quality of life for everyone.

The first aim of the Department of Computer Science is to assist students in learning logical reasoning, algorithmic thinking, design and structured problem solving — all concepts and skills that are valuable well beyond the computer science classroom.

The second aim of the department is to encourage students to move beyond the fundamentals and hence, all students are required to take one term of computer science, in the 10th, 11th or 12th grade, with the opportunity to pursue further computer science courses in which they learn effective programming methods, design skills and advanced use of various software applications.

The department also supports students in developing the computer-based skills that will allow them to enhance their learning, thinking and articulation of ideas. For many students, this means working in a networked environment with mostly web-based tools and standard applications such as email, word processing and spreadsheets. Therefore, students in the 9th grade may take Introduction to Computer Science (term-long course), which covers fundamental concepts and skills. More importantly, these courses reflect the school’s belief that as students acquire computer literacy, they should also become fluent in the resources, techniques and ethics of 21st century internet research and usage.

Introduction to Programming with Alice This one-term course provides students with a general understanding of what computer programming is all about. Students learn essential programming/analysis skills to break a problem down into discrete steps and use various programming constructs to solve the problem by addressing those individual steps. The 3D interactive programming environment, Alice, is used in this course. For the most part, students learn to program not by listening to a teacher or watching the instructor do examples, but by doing programming themselves. This course is very hands on and students are programming in class regularly. Topics include problem solving, programming languages, storyboarding, pseudocode, functions, expressions, control structures and object-oriented design and programming. Upon completing the course, students will have a good basis for further study of computer programming and better general problem-solving skills.

Course length: One term Website Design and Development This course provides students with a basic introduction to website design and development using HTML, PHP and SQL for data storage and retrieval. Students will learn fundamentals of HTML and commercial web-creation software packages; scanners and digital video cameras; and use of digital resource creation-and-manipulation King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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programs. In addition to basic web design and coding, students will also learn basic database design principles while creating simple interactive websites.

Course length: One term Introduction to Python Programming Introduction to Python programming is an introductory-level course for students brand new to programming and computer science. The material emphasizes computational thinking and helps develop the ability to solve complex problems. This term-long course covers the basic building blocks of programming along with other central elements of computer science. It gives a foundation in the tools used in computer science and prepares students for further study in computer science, including AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A courses.

Course length: One term Introduction to Java Programming (Pre-AP course) This course aims to introduce students to the fundamentals of computer programming like data storage principles and the main control structures of procedural programming languages. Students are expected to develop and improve their skills and problem-solving techniques. The course uses Java to help students prepare for more advanced programming courses such as the AP Computer Science course.

Course length: One term AP Computer Science This course is based on AP Computer Science A which is equivalent to the first semester of a college level computer science course. The course develops the skills to write programs or part of programs to correctly solve specific problems. It also emphasizes the design issues that make programs understandable, adaptable and when appropriate, reusable. At the same time, the development of useful computer programs and classes is used as a context for introducing other important concepts in computer science, including the development and analysis of algorithms, the development and use of fundamental data structures and the study of standard algorithms and typical applications. In addition, an understanding of the basic hardware and software components of computer systems and the responsible use of these systems are integral parts of the course. The course uses Java as a tool to teach the methodology of object-oriented programming and problemsolving techniques through the development and usage of algorithms.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Introduction to Programming or its equivalent and department consent AP Computer Science Principles AP Computer Science Principles introduces students to the central ideas of computer science, instilling the ideas and practices of computational thinking and inviting students to understand how computing changes the world. The rigorous course promotes deep learning of computational content, develops computational thinking skills, and engages students in the creative aspects of the field. The course is unique in its focus on fostering creativity in students. Students are encouraged to apply creative processes when developing computational artifacts and to think creatively while using simulations to King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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explore questions that interest them. Rather than teaching a particular programming language or tool, the course focuses on using technology and programming as a means to solve computational problems and create exciting and personally relevant artifacts.

Students design and implement innovative solutions using an iterative process similar to what artists, writers, computer scientists and engineers use to bring ideas to life. This course prepares students for the AP Exam as well as the assessment that asks students to explore the implications of computing innovations and create a computer application.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: No prior computer science knowledge or experience is necessary

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DEPARTMENT OF ETHICS, PHILOSOPHY & RELIGION (EPR) At the core of the King’s Academy mission is a commitment to fostering an educational environment in which students from many different cultures can explore, share and thereby enrich one another’s values. At the same time, the school maintains a dedication to cultivating in students a thoughtful understanding and appreciation of their own traditions, beliefs and personal commitments.

In the Department of Ethics, Philosophy and Religion (EPR), Islamic and Christian Theology courses go far beyond the requirements of the Ministry of Education to deal with the entire spectrum of religious education, including theology, law, history, visual culture and contemporary social issues. The gateway course, World Religions, employs the guiding principles of global citizenship, responsibility and respect as it engages in the academic study of varying religious beliefs, practices and traditions throughout the world. The course seeks to instill a sense of compassion and curiosity in the minds of students that allows them to enhance their appreciation for and responsibility towards their religious beliefs and those of others.

In all courses, the department takes as a starting point the dictum that education is philosophy in action, and seeks to produce students who are not only well-versed in the theories of prominent ethicists and philosophers, but also committed to philosophical and ethical practice. This department aims to foster academic rigor, critical thinking and a mastery of materials, assessing these skills through discussions, group projects and written reflections One of the central aims of the department is to produce young adults intent upon discovering, for themselves, what it means to live a good life, and to prepare them for the longest and most exacting external exam: a life of self-reflection.

Introduction to World Religions Religion has enriched cultures and civilizations since the beginning of recorded history. It has shaped humanity’s triumphs, its struggles, its deepest concerns, questions and emotions. Often the root of breathtaking human creativity, religion is sometimes misused for horrifying destructive ends. For these reasons and others, the study of world religions acquires greater urgency in our global civilization. This course introduces the five major religions of the world — Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam — from a historical and anthropological perspective. To that end, the belief systems of these five religions are discussed with maximum openness and with as little judgment as possible.

By examining the religious beliefs, practices and images of others in this manner, we hope to understand what religion means to its adherents and how it shapes their lives.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Open only to 10th, 11th and 12th graders Introduction to Ethics The course introduces students to the most common positions in moral philosophy, including Ethical Relativism, Utilitarianism, and Kantian Ethics. Students critically examine the contributions of some leading moral philosophers such as Socrates, Kant, Bentham, al-Ghazali and ‘Abd al-Jabbar to the field of ethics. From this theoretical foundation, students are able to generate questions, explanations and possible solutions in King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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response to different moral dilemmas. The course also enables students to formulate, communicate and write ideas clearly with due regard for academic honesty and integrity.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Open only to 10th, 11th and 12th graders First Questions in Philosophy Some questions perpetually baffle, excite or antagonize great thinkers and everyday folk alike. The mysteries of good and evil, proper behavior and good government, thought and perception, beauty, time and language — these are issues that philosophers, theologians, politicians and countless others have tried to resolve. This course introduces students to the way philosophers have dealt with these great questions, while encouraging a spirit of philosophical inquiry. As students approach these major topics, they also begin to assemble a philosopher’s toolkit: acquiring familiarity with formal argumentation, critical thinking skills and essay writing, as well as a conversancy with classic logical fallacies.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Open only to 10th, 11th and 12th graders Mysticism Great wisdom exists in the mystical traditions of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam and early American Transcendentalism. Thomas Keating, who espouses silence as the path to humility that begins to “crack the crust of the false self”, claims that “just by the very nature of our birth, we are on a spiritual journey.” Through deep engagement with insightful and living texts, this course nurtures the spiritual journey: Students learn to devalue selfies and seek the elusive Self; they learn to honor strategies that promote academic focus, earnest empathy, holistic health and sincere service; they, in a sense, encounter life in a new way. Creative writing, detailed dialogue, and introspective moments complement course readings while students reconnect with the wisdom and enriching power of silence through a variety of contemplative practices.

Course length: Fall term Prerequisite: Open only to 10th, 11th and 12th graders Cultural Politics in Film and the Media In this course, students examine cultural politics and identity formation in broader sociocultural-political contexts. First, they consider mass media, focusing on its projection and reflection of ideology, factors behind unequal representation in the media and propaganda, and how it is used to construct meaning in the global context. Students then shift their gaze to some of the philosophical debates that inform our everyday lives and cultural expression, accessing these concepts through popular films. Finally, students focus on expressions and representations of individual and communal identities through audio, visual and performance sources (e.g. music, slam poetry, graphic novels, graffiti).

Students develop a critical lens to more consciously interact with their surroundings, a vocabulary to discuss and analyze non-traditional sources and find deeper meaning, and practice their research and collaboration skills to present using varied approaches.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Open only to 11th and 12th graders

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Islamic Studies I This course serves as an introduction to the core principles and practices of the Muslim religion. In the first year, students focus on the following topics: the Qur’an, the Hadith, the doctrine of Islam, lessons from the life of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), concepts of Islamic jurisprudence, and Islamic morals and principles. Students study and learn to recite a number of designated Qur’anic verses. This course fulfills Jordanian Ministry of Education requirements for Muslim students.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: The alternative course, Islamic Studies (in English), is for students with no previous knowledge of the subject or whose Arabic proficiency does not allow them to take it in Arabic Islamic Studies II The second year of Islamic Studies builds on the foundation laid by the first year of study by expanding the students’ perspective to include early Islamic history, Islamic law and theology and aspects of Islamic civilization. Students study the practice and beliefs of Islam and understand it in the context of contemporary society across the Muslim world. This course fulfills Jordanian Ministry of Education requirements for Muslim students.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Islamic Studies I; the alternative course, Islamic Studies (in English), is for students who have taken the 9th grade course in English Islamic Studies III This course continues to build upon what the students have learned during the first two courses and expands their knowledge of the prophet’s bibliography, the holy Qur’an, the Hadith, Islamic jurisprudence and Islamic civilizations.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Islamic Studies II; the alternative course, Islamic Studies (in English), is for students who have taken the 9th grade course in English Islam and Modernity What is Islam? What is modernity? What does one have to do with the other? What are the ways in which Muslim thinkers and activists have responded (and continue to respond) to the challenges presented by modernity and by an international order founded upon secularism and modernism? What has been the experience of different Muslim communities and intellectuals? This course focuses on the broad question of how societies, predominantly influenced by Islamic traditions, might find a home in the modern world on their own terms. It also explores Muslim voices in Europe and North America and track new trajectories of renewal and reform in the West, where Muslims live as small but increasingly significant minority communities.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Open only to 11th and 12th graders; the alternative course for Islamic Studies III, also open for non-Muslims as an EPR elective course

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DEPARTMENT OF FINE & PERFORMING ARTS Central to the philosophy of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts is the belief that artistic sensibility is a vital part of a well-rounded education. The department's courses are designed to nurture an appreciation for art in all its forms and to provide students with the opportunity to discover the joy that comes with creating and performing.

In this department, students explore the study and conscious production of sounds, colors, shapes, forms and movements, engaging human awareness within the specific arts of theater, dance, visual arts and music. While a few courses are devoted to art appreciation, most of the courses in this department focus on artistic creation, performance and exposure to different forms of expression. Special emphasis is placed on local and regional artistic traditions such as mosaics, music and ceramics.

Students are introduced to the formal study of the arts at King's Academy through three term-long courses. After attaining familiarity with the forms and techniques of artistic creation, students are able to pursue a variety of different artistic endeavors during their time at King's. In cases where students enter school with an already developed artistic ability, they may qualify for a higher-level course in the arts, or the introductory courses may be amended to meet their interests. These introductory courses recognize that students come to King's Academy with different backgrounds in the arts, and the school's program of instruction is therefore able to accommodate their experience and interests.

The school’s ambitious arts program is not limited to the classroom. Co-curricular opportunities abound, with performance groups, gallery exhibitions, concerts and theatrical presentations. Accordingly, there is co-curricular time set aside in the afternoons for artistic activity.

Students interested in private instruction in vocal and instrumental music are also able to arrange lessons through the department.

Introduction to Performing Arts (IPA) This course is designed to develop students' fundamental performance skills and to broaden as well as clarify the understanding of what encompasses “performance” and how the various arts, especially theater, dance and music, are related. Principles emphasized include observation, physical and vocal range, balance, memory, breath control, improvisation, imagination and spatial and time awareness. The course also explores fundamental topics such as rhythm, tempo and shape. Through experimentation with body and voice, reflection, composition and performance, students expand their toolkit as performers and deepen their understanding of how to define, create and appreciate performance. This course, which is a prerequisite to further theater or dance courses at King’s, prepares students to thoughtfully engage with the performing arts, whether as a performers, choreographers/directors, or audience members.

Course length: One term

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Theater I This course is designed as a further introduction to the discipline of Theater. Primary topics include character development via a variety of physical and psychological acting techniques, exposure to theories of acting from well-known theater practitioners, a basic overview of theater history as appropriate, creative and dramatic play structures, and plenty of hands-on rehearsal time where students learn how to apply acting methods to their scene work in partners and groups. This course prepares students to move on to Theater II as well as to become involved in the school play productions during cocurricular time.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Introduction to Performing Arts (IPA) or audition/interview Theater II Theater II continues and builds upon the theatrical investigation that students began in Theater I. The course emphasizes specific phases in the timeline of theatrical history and different modes of acting styles, such as Naturalism, Melodrama, Acting for Film, Shakespearean Acting, Commedia dell’Arte, Political Theater, Theater of the Absurd, the contemporary Devised Theater movement, among other genres. Student interest is gauged to determine which of these topics are given the most focus. Students study at least one dramatic text in depth and continue to refine their acting technique via monologues and partner and group scenes. In addition to acting, students may have the option to direct scenes or write/compose their own short scene within the chosen genre.

Students may repeat this course if they wish to do so.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Theater I or audition/interview Advanced Theater Tutorial This is an intensive course for students with considerable theater experience at King’s.

The structure of the class is project-based, and students choose their area of emphasis, whether it is writing, directing, acting, or a different experimental combination. Students have considerable out-of-class work including research, readings and practical exercises.

Students work towards a final culminating project that they are expected to share with the community, whether it is through an informal play-reading, a short performance, or a presentation about their artistic process.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Theater II and participation in at least one school play production Advanced Improvisational Theater This course is intended for students who have a serious interest and/or experience with improvisation and acting. It is inspired by a combination of American improvisational comedy made popular in the 20th and 21st century and community story-telling techniques such as Playback Theater. The course incorporates methods from famous teachers such as Viola Spolin and Augusto Boal to grow in our improvisation, acting and communitybuilding skills. It may also look at contemporary improv troupes such as Second City or the televised series “Whose Line is it Anyway?” for inspiration. This is a yearlong course that meets once a week in the evening, with extra rehearsals scheduled as needed in King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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preparation for performances. The course focuses on the widely accepted “rules of improv,” such as acceptance, collaboration, timing, patterns, and the freeing of the body, voice and thinking processes, leading ultimately to uninhibited thought and playfulness.

Most classes will focus on practical exercises, warm-ups and group games of various levels of length and difficulty. There are also some out-of-class reading and research assignments to supplement knowledge development. Improvisation can be taken multiple years, but will only result in the fulfillment of one arts credit.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Participation in at least one theater course at King’s, or participation in a school play, and/or audition or interview (requires the teacher’s recommendation) Dance I This course emphasizes creativity and introduces students to basic concepts of contemporary dance, while also encouraging each individual to develop a unique, individualized movement vocabulary. Through the study of technique and improvisation, students expand their physical range and expressive capabilities and heighten spatial awareness. They also investigate concepts such as momentum, spiraling, breathing, alignment, musicality and timing. Students ultimately learn to apply the various aspects of dance to the composition of original, cohesive and exciting public presentations.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Introduction to Performing Arts (IPA) Dance II Dance II continues to nurture each student’s original voice in dance, while examining other movement styles. Rather than mastering one specific dance style such as salsa, hip hop or ballet, students briefly examine elements from these styles, as well as others, to quickly analyze and adapt to each movement style or concept and to then incorporate them into their own technique. Other styles and concepts students may encounter during this course (depending on availability) are break dancing, dabkeh, acrobatics, African dance, Kabuki, swing, Feldenkrais technique, Alexander technique, yoga and Bartenieff fundamentals. Ultimately, the goal of this course is to develop a strong and flexible mind and body that the students can utilize to create innovative and original dance works.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Dance I or department consent Advanced Dance Tutorial This is an advanced level course for experienced dance students. Students may repeat this course each term, and are encouraged to do so. The focus changes each term depending on student interest and guest artist availability. Concepts that may be examined include text and movement, animation and silent movies, dancing for the camera, guerilla dancing, contact improvisation and sight-specific choreography. In the past, students from this class have performed under the direction of such acclaimed choreographers as Elizabeth Johnson, Young Seung Lee, Yuko Mitsuishi and Yoshiko Chuma. They have also performed alongside artists from the United States, Japan and Palestine in the Amman Contemporary Dance Festival, one of the premiere dance festival in the region.

Course length: One term (one full year highly recommended) Prerequisite: Department consent following an interview with the student King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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Arabic Folkloric Dance: Dabkeh This is a year-long course that meets in the evenings. It focuses on rehearsing and performing staged dabkeh performances created by a local choreographer. The course can be taken for credit or non-credit. Students who take it for credit will explore the cultural history of dabkeh through reading, writing and studying videos, and will be assessed on the accuracy of the movements that they have learned.

Course length: One year String Ensemble (I, II, III) This course is open to both beginners and to students who have had previous instrumental experience. Each student may choose to specialize in one of the offered stringed instruments. The class aims to allow students to acquire skills to play the string instrument of their choice. In addition, students explore the required levels of music theory, ear training, music appreciation and music history relating to their specialized level. This course may be repeated as many times as the student wishes.
 Course length: One term each Instrument Lessons This course is offered to students who want to improve their playing through daily practice, weekly lessons and end-of-term performances. Students explore the most efficient ways to practice in order to achieve mastery-level playing. Building a Repertoire Portfolio helps them track their progress through the year. Students are encouraged to collaborate with other musicians. Students are eligible to sign up for this course if they have at least one year of experience on their instrument or are qualified to take Chamber Music. Based on one-on-one lessons, the course meets once a week for the entire year.

Classes are coordinated with teachers based on mutual free periods and instrument.

Course length: One year; offered for violin, viola, cello, bass, trumpet, trombone, French horn, piano Prerequisite: String Ensemble III or department consent Evening Orchestra Evening Orchestra is designed for instrumentalists with previous playing experience who aim to play in a larger ensemble. It focuses on developing individual playing skills in a group setting. Students learn the techniques of playing together, while focusing on listening skills and musical awareness. The course meets two evenings per week.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: String Ensemble III or department consent Chamber Music This course is designed for instrumentalists with previous playing experience. Students are arranged in smaller chamber groups according to their playing level. The chamber curriculum consists of weekly coaching sessions and individual sessions. Each group will be assigned a faculty member. Emphasis is placed on group participation, rehearsal techniques, ensemble issues, intonation work and mastery of staple chamber repertoire.

Course length: One term (one full year highly recommended) Prerequisite: Department consent King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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Evening Choir Students are introduced to a variety of musical learning activities such as reading, music appreciation and one-on-one vocal technical training sessions. The evening classes include an introduction to a variety of repertoire and styles of singing. Students registered for this course must commit to classes twice a week for the entire year.

Course length: One year AP Music Theory This course is recommended for students who want to build on their knowledge of music through the study of basic musicianship skills, notation skills, compositional skills, score analysis skills, and performance skills. Students who wish to take this course should have basic performance skills on voice or an instrument. The goal of this course is “to develop a student’s ability to recognize, understand, and describe the basic materials and processes of music that are heard or presented in a score.” Students develop these skills through aural training of listening to, performing, and writing music as well as written work such as score analysis and composition exercises. A successful student in AP Music Theory will be able to “read, notate, write, sing, and listen to music” with an analytical ear and be able to describe structural, harmonic, and melodic functions of a piece.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Music Theory, String Ensemble/Chamber/Orchestra, or department consent Introduction to Studio Art (ISA) The ISA course is divided into two parts: ISA I and ISA II. ISA I introduces students to the building blocks of visual language such as line, shape, color, value and texture, while ISA II builds on this knowledge pairing it with guiding principles enabling students to produce successful pieces of artwork through three visual art disciplines: Drawing and Painting, 2D Design and 3D Design. Emphasis is placed on improving technical skill, craftsmanship, creative problem-solving and critical thinking. ISA I and II are designed to acquaint students with all three visual art disciplines offered by the Department of Fine and Performing Arts before committing to a single visual art stream, therefore allowing students to make an informed decision.

Course length: Two terms; one term for new juniors or seniors Drawing and Painting I This course aims to introduce students to the philosophy, language and techniques of drawing with a brief introduction to painting. Students learn how to technically translate 3D objects to 2D representations using dry and wet media such as pencil, charcoal and colored pencils, watercolor and ink. Drawings mainly revolve around the still life model, and students start with basic geometric shapes and build their way to organic objects.

Through these exercises students gain an understanding of composition, proportion, value, and form. In addition to technical classes, students learn how to articulate and elaborate on their work by holding peer discussions about the role of drawing in history and its impact in a contemporary context.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Introduction to Studio Art (ISA I and II) or department consent King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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Drawing and Painting II This course expands on artistic language, drawing techniques and principles that were introduced in Drawing and Painting I. Drawing and Painting II expands on wet media to include acrylic, oil and watercolors, with a focus on achieving an accurate and lively statement of values and color. Students learn various techniques of each media that are applied to still life organic objects, landscape and figurative studies. Exercises are designed to master the techniques of each medium. This allows students an extended period of time to complete their projects, resulting in truer representation and likeness.

Students are also introduced to abstract concepts and ways of interpretation in Drawing and Painting II. Course length: One term Prerequisite: Drawing and Painting I or department consent Advanced Drawing and Painting (personal project) This course is based on the AP Studio Art portfolio model of a sustained investigation of a visual or conceptual problem. Students work within their own proposed theme to produce five pieces in the media of their choice that address drawing issues. Advanced Drawing and Painting is for students who are interested in further developing their technical and conceptual artistic skills but have no desire to submit an AP Studio Art portfolio. Students enrolled in this course are expected to possess strong technical skills allowing them to dedicate more time to concepts and research. Students are expected to exhibit their work in the annual art show.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Drawing and Painting II or department consent Design I In Design I, which focuses on graphic communication, students discover the impact of graphic design in the larger context of culture and society and gain critical and analytical skills needed to disseminate ideas and norms of our visual culture. Students cover design fundamental topics such as image-making, typography, identity, branding and editorial and publication design. They begin to explore ways of visual communication through digital media such as photography and Adobe Creative Suite. Emphasis is placed on learning the digital software before moving on to Design II. Students graduate from Design I with a diverse portfolio of digital work and a strong understanding of how the power of design influences and shapes human behavior.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Introduction to Studio Art (ISA and ISA II) or department consent Design II Design II builds on the knowledge obtained in Design I while adding another dimension of critical and analytical thinking. While still building on digital craftsmanship and technique, Design II teaches students how utilize this visual discipline to comment on the global socio-economic, cultural, environmental and technological changes that face our world today. Using contextual framing to introduce these changes, students are encouraged to explore their own personal responses and have their creative solutions act as a transformative force that answer such challenges. Students are expected to King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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incorporate a large amount of research in their work, to engage in critiques in front of a jury and their peers, and to be literate in Adobe Creative Suite. Assessments in Design II are not solely based on the final product but the creative journey as a whole.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Design I or department consent Advanced 2-D Design (personal project) Based on the AP Studio Art portfolio model of a sustained investigation of a visual or conceptual problem, Advanced 2-D Design students work within their own proposed theme to produce a portfolio in the media of their choice that address two-dimensional design issues. Advanced 2-D Design is for students who are interested in further developing their technical and conceptual artistic skills but have no desire to submit an AP Studio Art portfolio. Students enrolled in this course are expected to possess strong technical skills allowing them to dedicate more time to concepts and research. They are expected to exhibit their work in the annual art show.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Design II or department consent Ceramics I Ceramics I is intended to develop basic skills in the creation of 3D forms and pottery from clay. This course teaches students the basics of hand-building techniques. Pinching, coil building, additive sculpture, slab building and combinations of these are also introduced. Students are encouraged to use various decorative techniques, in addition to learning how to glaze. Research is an integral part of this course as students are expected to find their own voice through implementing their own ideas and to create four to five pieces of ceramics.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Introduction to Studio Art (ISA I and II) or department consent Ceramics II This course focuses on the use of the wheel. Students learn to throw the basic forms: cylinders, bowls, plates and bottles. They work with surface treatments including paint, textures, colored slips and glazes, and non-firing stains. Throughout the course, works of ceramics from various historical periods are presented and discussed and students learn more about art aesthetics and appreciation.
 Course length: One term Prerequisite: Ceramics I or department consent Sculpture I Sculpture I is an overview of basic skills used to create three-dimensional works of art.

With an emphasis on studio production, this course is designed to develop higher-level thinking, art-related technical skills, art criticism, art history and aesthetics.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Introduction to Studio Art (ISA I and II) or department consent

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Sculpture II This course introduces students to 3-D design principles such as form, structure, volume, visual balance, surface treatment, texture, composition, movement and scale. Students are exposed to a variety of materials and techniques — as well as tools — with which to sculpt. A visual vocabulary is developed through an understanding of the creative process, personal aesthetic and conceptual intent.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Sculpture I or department consent Advanced 3-D Design (personal project) Based on the AP Studio Art portfolio model of a sustained investigation of a visual or conceptual problem, Advanced 3-D Design students work within their own proposed theme to produce five pieces in the media of their choice that address three-dimensional design issues. Advanced 3-D Design is for students who are interested in further developing their technical and conceptual artistic skills but have no desire to submit an AP Studio Art portfolio. Students enrolled in this course are expected to possess strong technical skills allowing them to dedicate more time to concepts and research. Students are expected to exhibit their work in the annual art show.

Course length: One term Prerequisite: Ceramics II, Sculpture II or department consent AP Studio Art: Drawing AP Studio Art: Drawing is a rigorous but rewarding process, in which students work towards submitting a 24-piece portfolio in the drawing discipline for AP recognition.

This full-year course is designed for students who have advanced talent and interest in visual art and who are particularly interested in traditional media such as drawing and painting. The course is intended to encourage students to address a broad interpretation of drawing issues such as line quality, light and shade, rendering of form, composition, surface manipulation, the illusion of depth and mark making. Students are expected to exhibit their work in the annual art showcase.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Drawing and Painting II or department consent AP Studio Art: 2-D Design AP Studio Art: 2-D design is a rigorous but rewarding process, in which students work towards submitting a 24-piece portfolio for AP recognition. This full-year course is intended to address two-dimensional (2-D) design issues that involve purposeful creative decision-making. Students are expected to complete a portfolio that demonstrates their mastery of 2-D design elements and principles through any two-dimensional medium or process, including, but not limited to, digital imaging, photography, collage, fabric design, illustration and printmaking. Students are expected to exhibit their work in the annual art showcase.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Design II or department consent

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DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY & SOCIAL STUDIES History rests on the collective memory of cultures and societies, accounting for their core values while also examining the impact of past decisions on present circumstances.

Without history, one cannot undertake any sensible inquiry into the political, social or moral issues of contemporary society. The study of history opens students to opportunities necessary to develop a comprehensive view of the world and an understanding of societies including those whose traditions and values differ from their own. King's Academy believes that an understanding of world history fosters the kind of tolerance, empathy, respect, critical thinking and civic courage required by an increasingly pluralistic society and inter-dependent world.

The Department of History and Social Studies at King's Academy uses the methods of the humanities — research, analysis and interpretation — to promote learning and the understanding of a shared historical past. The department's interdisciplinary approach begins with the study of the concepts of present individual and communal cultural identities. It then moves to methods for evaluating the past, and concludes with an examination of positive citizenship in the world. The goal is to recreate the context of an era so that students can identify and understand struggles, debates and accomplishments of that period. Possessing the facts of history, students can then engage with the past, weaving together these facts into interconnected patterns, and emerge with an understanding not only of what happened, but why it happened. Courses foster a sense of how it must have felt to stand in another historical era. In addition, students, especially in advanced courses, discuss issues of historiography — that is not only what happened and why it happened, but the different ways in which history can be narrated and the uses to which these different narratives are put.

9th Grade World History The 9th Grade World History, Geography and Civics course introduces students to all the tools historians use to reconstruct, analyze and debate the past. After an initial exposure to the skills of reading, writing and thinking like a historian in Unit 1, which encompasses questioning, understanding multiple perspectives, contexts and biases, as well as an investigation of various artifacts and sources, the course shifts into a chronological approach. Incorporating the QUEST framework, students embark on a journey that allows them to reconstruct the past, make meaning of it, and apply it to their daily lives.

Collaborating with peers in a variety of activities that put them at the center of their learning, students investigate the following: the Agricultural Revolution and the First Civilizations, Ancient Greece and Rome, Buddhism and the Far East, Monotheistic Religions, the Middle Ages, and Islamic Caliphates. During the course of the year, students are given opportunities to practice their writing, reading comprehension as well as public speaking skills.

Course length: One year A Global History of the Middle East What role has the Middle East played in shaping the world today? How does studying the past help us understand the world around us? How does studying our past help us King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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understand who we are? Students in this 10th grade history course tackle these questions through the lens of Middle Eastern scholars and theorists and focus their studies on the Middle East and its relationship to the world. Students begin by solidifying the skills needed to delve into the world of historical knowledge; they learn how to recognize bias in primary sources, how to find main points in difficult texts, and how to connect facts and information to larger historical timelines and questions. The course uses essential questions to connect the past to the present, and to tackle large thematic concepts such as cultural relativism, identity, nationalism, westernization and global politics. Beginning with Ibn Battuta’s travels, the course moves from the Renaissance to the Ottoman Golden Age, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution to the rise of nationalism under Muhammad Ali’s reign of Egypt. We travel beyond the two Great Wars, the Cold War, and finally arrive in the modern Arab world and what it means to be a citizen in today’s complex society. In addition to various primary sources, texts read include Machiavelli’s The Prince and Lois Lowry’s The Giver, as well as a multitude of poems and literary excerpts from authors like Blake and Wordsworth. Students study artistic works by European and Ottoman masters in order to achieve a holistic understanding of social movements and how they are affected by political and industrial movements of the times, and these historical sources helps students make connections between historical periods and across cultural disciplines. Projects include a multi-step comparative research paper and a live role play of the Paris Peace Conference. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of the Middle East’s role in shaping global politics, and they will be equipped with the analytical and writing skillsets necessary to tackle larger questions about the modern identities at play in the 21st century’s worldwide stage.

Course length: One year Adolescent Psychology This course serves as a gateway to scientific discovery in the field of psychology.

Students are equipped to debunk psychological myths, wade through the nature vs. nurture debate, and understand how World War II contributed to the field of human experimentation. Students learn about how they learn, how their brain can help or hinder their learning, and what atypical development actually means. By the end of the course, students will be able to make connections between psychology and all area of their lives.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent; open only to 11th and 12th graders Governmental Models: Traditions and Reforms The course surveys the unique, evolutionary course of the US political system from its infancy in the American Revolution to the present day such that students will be able to make informed historical and political comparisons to the evolution of the Jordanian political system from its infancy to the present day. Students become familiar with key principles and underpinnings of the American political system — including separation of powers, federalism, political parties, interest groups, elections, campaigns, the role of the media, and public policy. Current events, both domestic and foreign, are integrated into the curriculum so that students are well informed of real time global developments.

Course length: One year; open to 11th and 12th graders Prerequisite: Department consent King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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History of the Modern Middle East (MME) The three elective courses which make up The History of the Modern Middle East 1882 to the Present Day explore the issues and problems of this region in a globalizing world. The course poses essential questions about politics, economics and society which encourage students to think deeply about themselves and the world. The course explores the period chronologically, but students are encouraged to relate the era to other periods of history and the present day. Each week students receive varied instruction.

Note: Students may choose any or all of the following term-long electives: Part I – Empires and Globalization (1882 – 1948) covers the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire and the brief period of direct European rule in the Arab world, ending with the 1948 Nakba.

Course length: One term (fall) Part II – The Cold War (1948 – 1991) covers the rise and fall of nationalist movements and dictatorships and the revival of political Islam, in the context of the Cold War, focusing particularly on the political economy of oil and the causes and consequences of revolutions.

Course length: One term (winter) Part III – The Revival, Advances and Retreats of Globalization (1991 – present day) covers the establishment of Pax Americana across the Middle East after the fall of the Soviet Union, culminating in the ‘War on Terror’ and the ‘Arab Spring.’ The course will explore deep problems the region faces, in the context of globalization and its unpredictable consequences. Students may use this unit to pursue further interests in particular countries and regions.

Course length: One term (spring) AP World History This course surveys the history of the world, but rather than simply covering prehistoric times to contemporary history through conventional classroom methods, students explore history as historians do; by engaging in the extensive examination and analysis of primary sources to gain a better understanding of past events, figures and phenomena.

Students should expect regular reading and writing assignments throughout the year, as the course aims to help improve their critical reading and composition skills. Students enrolled in this course are expected to sit for the AP World History exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP United States History This course surveys the history of the United States from the earliest European colonial impulses to the beginning of the 21st century. The course is interdisciplinary in its scope, and multicultural in its exploration of the formation and evolution of the United States.

Students engage in the extensive examination and analysis of primary sources in order to gain a better understanding of past events, figures and phenomena. As with the other AP King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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history courses, students should expect regular reading and writing assignments throughout the year, as the course aims to help them improve their critical reading and composition skills. Students enrolled in this course are expected to sit for the AP United States History exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP Art History In this course students study world history through the artistic images created by humankind — its scope spanning from prehistoric cave paintings to artistic works of the year 2000. Students see the history of the world unfold within its intellectual, social, religious, economic and cultural context, deepening their understanding of art, architecture, painting and sculpture, as well as the civilizations from which these forms of expression were born. As this is an AP course, it emphasizes the sharpening of writing skills and the habits of effective thinking, speaking, reading and writing. Students enrolled in this course are expected to sit for the AP Art History exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP Human Geography This course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use and alteration of the Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to analyze human social organization and its environmental consequences. They learn the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. They develop skills aligned with five college-level goals based on the National Geography Standards. These include nature and perspectives, population, cultural patterns and processes, political organization of space, agricultural and rural land use, industrialization and economic development, and cities and urban land use. The course includes in-depth reading, case studies, projects and assessments. Students enrolled in this course are expected to sit for the AP Human Geography exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP Psychology This course introduces students to the study of the human mind. Students learn about the biological basis for human emotions, personality traits, behavior, thought and learning processes. Special emphasis is placed on the study of human relationships (e.g. love and family relationships). In addition, students explore the role of psychology in phenomena such as racism, prejudice and various phobias. They have an opportunity to discuss and debate ethical dilemmas in psychology for instance: should mood-based illnesses like depression be considered actual illnesses? To supplement this course of study, students engage in the works of influential psychologists such as Freud and Jung, with emphasis on their contributions to the contemporary understanding of human behavior. Students enrolled in this course are expected to sit for the AP Psychology exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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AP Economics In this course, which covers both microeconomics and macroeconomics, students gain an understanding of how scarcity and rational economic decision-making can shape individual decisions within a nation’s economic system and various market systems. In the microeconomics portion, individual households, firms and industries become the focal point for understanding laws, principles and models that give meaning to economic systems. The course also explores the vagaries of international trade, labor intensive goods, land intensive goods, capital intensive goods, gains from trade, free trade, trading possibilities line, supply and demand, exports and imports, and production. The macroeconomics portion focuses on National Accounting, and on how nations solve their economic problems of recession or inflation. Lastly, the concepts of why nations trade is explored by looking at exchange rates and specialization of countries. Enrolled students enrolled are expected to sit for the AP Macro and AP Micro Economics exams in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP Microeconomics This year-long AP Microeconomics course is designed for students who are not interested in the fast pace of the combination micro/macro course. Unlike AP Economics, which ends in writing two separate AP exams (one Micro and one Macro-economics), AP Microeconomics ends in one AP Exam. The course looks at the individual person, firm and industry to better understand how people manage scarce resources like land labor and capital. Students learn about market systems and supply and demand to help them grasp how and why economic choices are made, and how scarce resources are distributed. By understanding the cost data of a business, students will gain understanding of how a firms decides how much to produce and how many laborers should be hired to work. An understanding of how to solve basic formulas and work out percentages suffices.

Enrolled students are expected to sit for the AP Microeconomics Exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP Macroeconomics Macroeconomics takes us into a deeper understanding of a nation’s economy. Students gain an understanding of unemployment and inflation, two of the major problems an economic system faces. They see how these two statistics change the economy by looking at the concept of aggregate demand and supply. Government plays a role in the economy by its spending and taxes (fiscal policy) to help solve economic problems.

Understanding how a central banking system uses the money supply to correct problems is also a key component in the course. Finally, students will be introduced to international trade and exchange rates. Enrolled students are expected to sit for the AP Macroeconomics Exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent

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AP European History This course surveys the history of Europe from the late Middle Ages to contemporary history. The course emphasizes the evolution of political, economic, social, philosophical, artistic and scientific trends. As in other AP history courses, students engage in the extensive examination and analysis of primary sources in order to understand the complexity and multiple perspectives of past events, figures and phenomena. There is intensive reading and writing throughout the year as the course strives to hone the students’ critical reading and composition skills. Students enrolled in the course are expected to sit for the AP Modern European History Exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent AP Comparative Government and Politics The AP course in Comparative Government and Politics is based on college-level introductory comparative government courses that focus on the comparative study of political institutions and processes in different regions of the world. This course provides an introduction to the essential questions and concepts used by political scientists to examine various state systems and investigates the functions of a state, relationships between citizens and the government, separation of powers, democracy and electoral systems, government-parliament relations, and fundamental questions of social and political rights. In the course, students examine the political and constitutional systems of Great Britain, China, Nigeria, Mexico, Russia and Iran and use these examples to draw conclusions about global trends in government and politics. Enrolled students are expected to sit for the AP Comparative Government and Politics Exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisites: Department consent

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DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS At King’s Academy, there is an appreciation for the intrinsic value of the study of mathematics: its power lies not within the mere manipulation of numbers, but in developing a mental discipline for approaching the solution of problems methodically and rationally. Leveraging a solid basis of mathematical knowledge and expertise in fundamental skills, the focus of the curriculum is the development of critical thinking by incorporating an ever increasing number of word problems of greater complexity as students transition from introductory to advanced courses in mathematics.

King’s Academy has adopted a well-tested and proven course program that moves from Algebra I and Geometry to Algebra II to establish basic mathematical thought processes and skills in both computation and visualization. Having completed those, students have a variety of higher level math courses from which to choose, including Pre-calculus, Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC. Mathematics is one of the tools at the school’s disposal to prepare students to meet challenging problems in their future lives.

Algebra I This is a course in first-year algebra with a focus on numerical, algebraic, graphing and verbal methods of problem-solving. The algebra topics of study include equations, proportions, and inequalities in one variable, writing, solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities, solving and graphing systems of linear equations, operations involving polynomials and factoring, solving quadratic equations, fractions, exponents and data analysis. Following Algebra I, students take either Integrated Mathematics or Geometry.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Department consent Geometry The Geometry course is designed to provide a solid foundation of basic and fundamental algebraic and geometric concepts. Upon completion of the course, students should have a firm and confident grasp of Euclidean geometry and be well prepared for further study in mathematics, namely Algebra II and beyond. Constructions, investigations, proofs and projects are used to explore the various facets of geometry. The topics include both inductive and deductive reasoning, and plane, spatial, coordinate, and transformational geometry.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Department consent Integrated Mathematics Covering all major topics of algebra and geometry, Integrated Mathematics is the foundation for all higher-level math courses. It enables students from a range of math backgrounds to tackle challenging problems with a variety of approaches and to improve their critical thinking skills. The algebra topics of study include writing, solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities, solving and graphing systems of linear King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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equations, operations involving polynomials and factoring, solving quadratic equations, and exponents and radicals, while the geometry topics of study include the properties of lines in a plane, triangles, polygons, similar polygons and right triangles including trigonometric ratios, circles, area and volume.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Department consent Algebra II Fundamental to the study of advanced Algebra is the thorough development of the concept of functions. Course material includes an emphasis on slope as an average rate of change, introduction of inverse functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, polynomial functions, rational expressions and functions, radical expressions and functions, the introduction of imaginary numbers, right triangle trigonometry and matrices, and an overview of statistics and probability. A graphing calculator is required.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Completion of Algebra I and Geometry or Integrated Mathematics Algebra II Honors Algebra II Honors includes conic sections, series and sequences and partial fractions along with all Algebra II topics (linear functions and systems, matrices, quadratic and polynomial functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, radical and rational functions, right triangle trigonometry and probability and statistics) with particular emphasis on challenging word problems and applications of the concepts. This course is an excellent choice for students who want to enhance and develop furthermore their critical thinking and problem-solving skills and prepare well for the Pre-Calculus Honors course the year after. A graphing calculator is required.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Completion of Algebra I and Geometry or Integrated Mathematics and department consent Functions, Statistics and Trigonometry (FST) Designed to supplement the material presented in Algebra II, FST completes the study of the elementary functions; linear, quadratic, exponential, logarithmic and trigonometric.

Additionally, the course develops some material from finite mathematics including an introduction to probability and statistics, additional applications of trigonometry, and sequences and series. The topics cover a wide range of mathematics and are designed to significantly enhance students' ability to undertake the study of advanced statistical applications. Throughout the entire course, modeling of real phenomena is emphasized. A graphing calculator is required.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Algebra II and department consent Pre-Calculus Pre-Calculus is not a specific, discrete study in mathematics, but rather a course that focuses upon establishing the student's knowledge and skills in preparation for undertaking more advanced math studies. While many of the topics introduced in King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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Algebra II are revisited, they are covered in greater depth and breadth. Included are more challenging studies in functions, analysis of their domains and ranges, recognition of families of curves and their transformations, the study of conic sections, advanced trigonometry, arithmetic and geometric series, and statistics and probability. A graphing calculator is required and integral to the course as methods of solution include algebraic, numeric and graphical approaches.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Algebra II, Algebra II Honors or FST, and department consent Pre-Calculus Honors Pre-Calculus Honors consolidates algebra and geometry skills, and emphasizes application and synthesis of those topics as a preparation for AP Calculus. The topics include solving algebraic equations and inequalities, function operations, polynomial and rational function analysis, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometric functions and applications, sequences and series, and conic sections. Problems are solved numerically, graphically and algebraically, and a graphing calculator is used extensively for modeling and analyzing functions.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Algebra II or Algebra II Honors and department consent Introductory Statistics From opinion polls and customer satisfaction surveys to drug trials, people seem to be surrounded by data everywhere. The importance of statistical literacy has been steadily increasing over the years, and data analyses often drive decision-making. Thus, students taking this course will rarely question the relevance of course content to real life.

Introductory Statistics is primarily a project-based course in which students often collect and analyze their own data. They study proper collection and inference techniques to determine the significance of the data they collected. Students also learn how to build probability models by observing data and design experiments to reduce variability. A graphing calculator is required.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Pre-Calculus or Functions, Statistics and Trigonometry and department consent Calculus This course covers all of the first semester as well as some of the second semester topics of a college-level calculus survey course. Included are studies in limits and continuity, derivatives and integrals and selected applications of them and an introduction to differential equations. Pre-calculus topics are reviewed when appropriate to ensure contextual presentation of new material. A graphing calculator is required.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Pre-Calculus or Pre-Calculus Honors and department consent AP Statistics This course follows the College Board Advanced Placement syllabus and is designed to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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conclusions from data. Students are exposed to four broad-conceptual themes: exploring data (describing patterns and departures from patterns), sampling and experimentation (planning and conducting a study), anticipating patterns (exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation) and statistical inference (estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses). A graphing calculator is required. After the completion of this course, students are expected to take the AP Exam.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Pre-Calculus, Pre-Calculus Honors, or Functions, Statistics and Trigonometry and department consent AP Calculus AB A rigorous and challenging course comparable to courses in colleges and universities, AP Calculus AB is designed for students with excellent mathematical skills who seek college credit, college placement or both from institutions of higher learning. Based on the College Board Advanced Placement AB syllabus, the course approaches the calculus concepts (limits and continuity, derivatives and integrals and their applications) from multiple perspectives — graphically, analytically, numerically and verbally. A graphing calculator is required. After the completion of this course, students are expected to take the AP Exam.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Pre-Calculus or Pre-Calculus Honors and department consent AP Calculus BC Designed as an extension of Calculus AB rather than an enhancement, AP Calculus BC includes, along with all Calculus AB topics, additional topics such as: integration by parts and by tables, improper integrals, Euler’s Method and L’Hôpital’s Rule, infinite series, parametric equations, and polar coordinates and polar graphs. A graphing calculator is required. After the completion of this course, students are expected to take the AP Exam.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: AP Calculus AB and department consent Multivariable Calculus Unlike AP Calculus AB and BC in which students study calculus of a single variable, Multivariable Calculus is a rigorous college course focused on functions of two or more independent variables. The concepts studied in this course are applied in many different fields — thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, economics, modeling fluid or heat flow, etc. The topics included are vectors and the geometry of space, vector-valued functions, functions of several variables, multiple integration, vector analysis, and second order differential equations. A graphing calculator is required.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: AP Calculus BC

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DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICAL & LIFE SCIENCES The study of science at King's Academy instructs students in the fundamentals of investigating phenomena in the world through systematic observation, the gathering of empirical evidence and the quantitative analysis of data. Students learn how to amass a body of objective knowledge about the world through the formulation of scientific hypotheses and their validation through experimentation, thereby creating an understanding of the laws and mechanisms that govern specific fields of inquiry from human biology to solid-state physics.

King’s Academy offers a comprehensive range of science courses. Ninth graders start their journey by taking a one-year introductory course in biology or physics. In the 10th grade students experience the joy of chemistry in an introductory course. Upon completion of these two introductory courses, in addition to courses offered by the Department of Mathematics, students would be prepared to take more rigorous courses in the 11th and 12th grade, such as advanced placement courses in biology and chemistry as well as in honors courses. Students are also required to take one year of introductory physics, which prepares them for taking an advanced physics course.

In their upper class years, King's Academy students are expected to sit for AP and SAT tests in the sciences; upon graduation, they will possess a scientific literacy that enables them to think critically not only about the material questions of science, but also about current issues in the various fields some of which include bioethics, genetic testing, global warming and nuclear power — which attest to the potential of science and technology as well as their limitations.

Introduction to Biology This course familiarizes students with the major concepts of biology and focuses on scientific skills. After successful completion of this course, students will be prepared not only to study more advanced biological concepts but also to begin study in other scientific fields. Students explore the nature of science and inquiry, interpreting data and drawing conclusions. Some of the course topics covered include ecology, evolutionary theory and organismal biology, as well as cell biology.

Course length: One year Conceptual Physics This course familiarizes 9th grade students with the major skills needed to explore and investigate the classical laws of physics and its applications. Students are exposed to the following topics: mechanics, thermodynamics, waves and optics, electricity and magnetism. This course focuses on the qualitative understanding of the laws governing the physical universe rather than a quantitative approach. Successful completion of this course with a final grade of A-+ or higher allows students to pursue their interest in physics by joining the AP Physics 1 course in 11th or 12th grade.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent

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Chemistry Students become familiar with the principles of chemistry and scientific inquiry through experimentation. The course traces the developments that led to our modern understanding of atomic theory and its application to diverse topics from kinetics and thermodynamics to acid-base and electrochemical reactions. Students design and conduct their own scientific investigations and present and debate their findings as a scientific community. They develop proportional reasoning skills through repeated application to a variety of topics. Students may take the SAT Chemistry test upon completing the course.

Course length: One year Prerequisites: Completion of or parallel enrollment in Algebra II Honors Chemistry Students become familiar with the principles of chemistry and scientific inquiry through experimentation. The course traces the developments that led to our modern understanding of atomic theory and its application to diverse topics from kinetics and thermodynamics to acid-base and electrochemical reactions. Students design and conduct their own scientific investigations and present and debate their findings as a scientific community. Students who have a strong foundation in proportional reasoning are exposed to a fast-paced and rigorous mathematical curriculum that prepares them for the level of mathematics required in AP Chemistry or in the SAT Chemistry test.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: A minimum average of A- in the first two terms of the 9th grade science course and completion of or parallel enrollment in Algebra II Biology This course builds upon the concepts studied in Introduction to Biology. Topics include vertebrates, animal behavior, plant diversity, photosynthesis, cellular respiration, heredity and genetics, evolution and human organ systems. Concepts are reinforced with lab investigations and activities, as well as term projects which provide students with the opportunity to go beyond what the course requires them to learn and to apply what they have learned. Students in this course may take the SAT Biology test if they so choose.

Course length: One year Honors Biology This course is designed for students who want to prepare for AP Biology or for those who wish to be challenged in biology during. The major themes covered are similar to those in the Biology course — evolution, relationship of structure to function, regulation, energy, heredity and genetics, biological diversity, and interdependence in ecology — but more depth, a faster pace, and sharper insight into how concepts are related and connected are included. The course depends on students reading the material before coming to class, and demonstrating what was learned through discussions, activities and labs. These aid student understanding, content mastery, and the synthesis of proper relationships between major biological themes. A background in cell biology, molecular biology and chemistry is helpful but not required as long as the student has a high affinity for the sciences and is willing to put the time and effort into learning outside the classroom.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent; open only to 11th and 12th graders King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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Physics The purpose of this course is to explore and investigate the classical laws governing the physical universe. Students examine and seek to explain various physical phenomena based on these fundamental laws. The course exposes students to the following topics: kinematics, thermodynamics, waves and optics, electricity, magnetism, and atomic and nuclear physics. Students enrolled in this course are expected to take the SAT Physics test upon completion of the course.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Algebra II Honors Physics This course is an accelerated version of the regular physics course, and as such, is intended to replace the regular course, not as the next course in a sequence. Students who have taken Physics will not be admitted into Honors Physics at a later point. Students enrolled in this course are expected to take the SAT Physics test upon its completion.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Students are eligible for Honors Physics only if they have earned an average of A- or higher in the first two terms of Chemistry or Biology. They must also have earned an average of A- or higher in Algebra II Introduction to Research and Literature in Science Trust in the media is low. Scientists struggle to get their message across in a world dominated by special interests. Our views on the critical issues of our time are influenced more by the echo-chamber of social media than by facts. As responsible global citizens, we can do better than to believe everything we hear and to argue someone else’s point of view. We can engage with our surroundings, analyze and critique what we see and hear, thereby developing our own world view and ideas. In this course, students develop the skills to think deeply about some of the biggest issues facing scientists today. They analyze articles from scientific journals and other texts to establish credibility and relevance and identify potential conflicts of interest and weigh these up with the strength of the data available. Students collaborate with others and present their research as individuals and within a team and practice communication skills to make a point and convince others in positive and engaging ways.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Department consent; open only to 11th and 12th graders AP Biology AP Biology focuses on enduring, conceptual understanding and the content that supports it. This approach enables students to spend less time on factual recall and more time on inquiry-based learning of essential concepts. It enables them to develop the reasoning skills necessary to engage in the science practices used throughout their study of this course. Students also develop advanced inquiry and reasoning skills, such as designing a plan for collecting data, analyzing data, applying mathematical routines, and connecting concepts in and across domains. The material covers diverse topics, from the inner workings of a cell in biochemistry and heredity to how organisms have evolved and learned to interact with one another. Lab work is an integral component and students are King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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exposed to simple experiments such as diffusion and osmosis to more complex experiments that deal with molecular biology. Enrolled students are expected to take the AP Biology Exam in May Course length: One year Prerequisite: Introduction to Biology, as well as basic knowledge of chemistry and department consent AP Chemistry AP chemistry is a course modeled around a comparable college course that aligns with college level standards. The AP curriculum has been developed to promote enduring, conceptual understanding by implementing inquiry-based learning. This approach helps students to develop advanced inquiry and reasoning skills necessary to engage in the science practices used throughout the AP course and in real life. The course explores major topics in modern inorganic chemistry at the first-year college level. Through extensive lab work, independent reading and class discussion, students investigate topics in atomic structure, nuclear chemistry, bonding, equilibrium, kinetics and electrochemistry. Enrolled students are expected to take the AP Chemistry exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Chemistry, Algebra II and department consent AP Physics 1: Algebra-Based AP Physics 1 is the equivalent to a first-semester college course in algebra-based physics.

It is designed to enable AP students to develop a deep understanding of the content and to focus on applying their knowledge through inquiry labs. The course covers Newtonian mechanics (including rotational dynamics and angular momentum; work, energy, and power; and mechanical waves and sound. It will also introduce electric circuits. Enrolled students are expected to take the AP Physics 1 Exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Algebra II and department consent AP Physics C: Mechanics This course is designed to simulate college-level study for those students who show particular strength in mathematics. It aims to develop students’ ability to analyze, evaluate and synthesize scientific information. It covers kinematics, Newton’s laws of motion, work, energy and power, system of particles and linear momentum, circular motion and rotation, and oscillations and gravitation. The AP Physics C course also includes a hands-on laboratory component comparable to introductory college-level physics laboratories. Calculus is used freely in formulating principles and in solving problems. Enrolled students are expected to take the AP Physics C exam in May. Course length: One year Prerequisite: Physics, AP Calculus and department consent

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DEPARTMENT OF WORLD LANGUAGES In the Department of World Languages, students pursue a rigorous and practical study of one of three major world languages — Chinese, French or Spanish — in addition to the study of Arabic as a Foreign Language. Keeping in mind the objectives of an AP curriculum and following the recommendations of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) for foreign language teaching and learning, the department has established a pedagogical structure based on three main levels of communicative competency: basic user, independent user and proficient user.

In accordance with an action-oriented approach that considers languages preeminently as tools for social interaction and communication, instruction and assessment are proficiency-based, centered on the integrated performance of the four traditional language skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing. In addition, these courses underscore the role of culture and the tacit aspects of non-verbal aspects of communication within a linguistic system. Advanced coursework includes the study of literary texts and literary analysis in the vernacular.

In order to provide students with as much exposure to the language as possible, classes are taught in the target language from the most basic level onwards. Finally, each year, selected students may participate in a summer study-abroad program, affording them the opportunity to immerse themselves fully in the culture of their chosen language.

Elementary French I-101, Elementary French I-102 Elementary Spanish I-101, Elementary Spanish I-102 Course length: One year for complete and false beginners Elementary French II Elementary Spanish II Course length: One year for breakthrough-level students These courses aim to enable beginners and breakthrough-level students, respectively, to become basic users of these foreign languages. For this purpose, these courses look to develop students’ abilities from the very beginning in three dimensions: as social agents; students progressively acquire the knowledge and skills that allow them to carry out basic tasks relating to immediate needs and to participate in simple social interactions exchanging information on everyday activities and personal issues, as intercultural speakers; students start familiarizing themselves with basic elements of the new cultural system conveyed by the target language and begin to build their intercultural awareness, and as autonomous learners; students are taught how to use strategies and techniques that allow them to plan and control their learning process. Methodologically, both course levels aim to familiarize students from the very first stages with a task-based approach to foreign language teaching and learning.

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The main focus of coursework is on bringing authentic communicative contexts into the classroom and using the foreign language as a tool for completing real tasks and for real communicative purposes.

Note: Elementary French and Spanish I-101 are for total beginners who have not taken any French or Spanish previously, while Elementary French and Spanish I-102 are for students who have either taken the languages before but for a short period of time, or students who have been unable to pass the placement test to the level above. Elementary French and Spanish I-102 help such students review and strengthen their knowledge and basis of the languages and give structure to their fragmentary and dispersed knowledge, while also building on their communicative competency through the integration of the four skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing).

Intermediate French I Course length: One year Prerequisite: Elementary French II Intermediate Spanish I Course length: One year Prerequisite: Elementary Spanish II Intermediate French II Course length: One year Prerequisite: Intermediate French I Intermediate Spanish II Course length: One year Prerequisite: Intermediate Spanish I These courses lead to the achievement of the threshold level — the lowest level of general foreign language ability that is academically recognized. Students who reach this level in French or Spanish dispose of the minimal means needed to transact the business of everyday life and to make social contact with those they meet, for example, while traveling in a country where French or Spanish is the native language. These courses aim to broaden students’ linguistic, cultural and strategic knowledge and skills to enable them to carry out less simple tasks relating to needs that go beyond basic survival and that embrace a larger array of communicative settings. Students also learn how to deal with basic intercultural situations and how to identify their language learning needs as well as those resources and strategies that may help them in the process of “learning to learn.”

Task-based learning activities (e.g. establishing classroom rules, relating anecdotes about a trip, inventing a gadget to solve an everyday-life problem, editing a newspaper, participating in a debate on the future of the environment, etc.), which require the actual use of the target language, reflect the communicative expansion that the T-Level represents and strengthen students’ motivation by providing them with an immediate sense of accomplishment and utility. For basic users, these intermediate courses represent King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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two successive stages leading to the completion of the next level of communicative competency.

AP French AP French focuses on developing student proficiency in the language and aims at preparing students for the different components of the AP French Exam which they are expected to take in May upon completion of the course. The objectives of the course are:  The development of student fluency in oral description of a picture or a scene, and opinion making and giving in a limited timeframe. The aim is to have students gather and utilize all their oral communication skills in a short time, obliging them to use their full potential in speaking.  The ability to complete a text with missing words or logical links, which can only be reached through extensive reading in the target language in addition to the observation of the language structures in authentic documents and texts (literary extracts, press articles, etc.).  The improvement of student writing skills as this is a major part of the AP Exam.

In order to give students a comprehensive understanding of what is expected from them in the AP Exam, the course stresses self-assessment regarding students’ own production and according to precise criteria that help them know where they stand in the grading scale for the exam.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Intermediate French II AP Spanish The course aims to enable students to become fully independent users of the Spanish language. They have at their disposal an expanded range of grammar and vocabulary as well as greater control of discourse, conversational strategies and wider socio-cultural awareness. This allows them to be more flexible in dealing with the unexpected and with the normal complexities of daily living. Therefore, an important part of coursework focuses on exposing learners to various kinds of oral and written texts (articles, reports, interviews, TV debates, documentaries, movies, literary extracts etc.) on contemporary topics, which involve argumentation and expression of opinion. Accordingly, the syllabus is flexible and open to negotiation to accommodate the specific interests of students.

Listening and reading comprehension activities are integrated into task-based projects that stress writing skills (e.g. elaborating the electoral program of a new political party, preparing the presentation of a product). Students gradually realize a more nuanced vision of Hispanic cultural references. This course is a combined level and prepares students for the AP Spanish Language Exam.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Intermediate Spanish II Elementary Chinese I This course is designed for students who have no prior knowledge of the Chinese language, and is intended to train students in using basic Mandarin Chinese both orally written. Students are initially introduced to pinyin — a more simplified Romanization of the written language — and basic strokes as guides for pronunciation and writing. Pinyin King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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is gradually replaced as students become familiar with Chinese characters and vocabulary. Chinese culture is an integral part of this course.

Course length: One year Elementary Chinese II This course aims to expand conversational skills, reading practice and grammatical constructions. The course develops students’ reading and writing skills and emphasizes effective spoken communication. Pinyin is gradually omitted. Chinese culture is continually taught as an integral element of the course program.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Elementary Chinese I or an equivalent proficiency Intermediate Chinese I This course continues to focus on the expansion of conversational skills, reading and writing practice and grammatical constructions. The use of Chinese characters takes over the use of pinyin. Cultural components represent a significant part of the course content.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Elementary Chinese II or an equivalent proficiency Intermediate Chinese II This course builds on skills learned in Intermediate Chinese I and works to build confidence in speaking and writing. Students learn how to use complex sentence constructions to describe a variety of situations about the world around them. Pinyin is used only for learning how to pronounce new vocabulary, otherwise all reading and writing is in simplified characters. Cultural norms and Chinese history are also investigated.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Intermediate Chinese I or an equivalent proficiency AP Chinese AP Chinese is a new course at King's Academy, breaking new ground in raising students' proficiency and fluency in the language. The course culminates with the students sitting for the AP Chinese Exam in May. As preparation for this examination, students engage in intensive work targeting all four critical areas of learning a language: speaking, reading, writing and listening. In addition, in keeping with the goals of the AP course, there is a heavy emphasis on understanding and appreciating culture from Chinese-speaking parts of the world.

Students utilize a variety of textbook materials to continue to develop their understanding of grammar and vocabulary. In addition, they engage with the language in a variety of real-life settings, from conversations, notes, interpreting scenarios to excerpts from movies and television shows. The emphasis is on interpreting and summarizing main points and details, while also being able to infer contextualized information according to each situation. Students also work on expressing themselves in more realistic and comprehensive ways, both orally and in written form. Capitalizing on the presence of native Chinese speakers on campus, students also explore themes and topics that shape King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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contemporary Chinese society, from the lingering influences of Confucianism to the ethnic and regional diversities found in foods and holidays.

Course length: One year Prerequisite: Completion of/placement out of Intermediate Chinese Arabic as a Foreign Language (AFL) This program caters for non-native speakers of Arabic as well as to heritage speakers who have difficulties in reading, writing and expressing themselves in Arabic. Three levels of Arabic are offered to attend to the needs of students of different stages. Through written and oral placement tests, student levels are assigned upon admission to the school.

Course length: One year Elementary I Students are introduced to Arabic language and the culture of the Middle East in a course that stresses progressive acquisition of effective communication skills in both the written and spoken language (fus-ha and aamiya). In this level, students learn the alphabet, essential grammar rules and level-appropriate words to build the necessary vocabulary in order to carry out basic conversations. Students then begin learning how to produce short conversations related to everyday situations.

Emphasis is placed on learning phonetics and proper pronunciation of words, in addition to rudimentary cultural connotations essential for spoken dialogues.

Elementary II Students are exposed to longer conversational texts and are familiarized with more detailed grammar rules. During this stage, students are introduced to short and guided writing, acting and role playing. Students are also expected to write short descriptive paragraphs. They will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the use of the language in its cultural context, as well as to handle simple daily life situations that they may encounter. Students will be able to hold lengthier dialogues on important subjects, especially daily necessities and needs.

Elementary III Students are exposed to more complicated sentence structures. The highlight in this level is placed on the functional learning of the language, in which speaking takes place within more detailed life situations. Students will be able to reason and support opinions especially on topics related to culture and tradition. They will also be engaged in conversations, provide and obtain information, and express ideas and feelings effectively. Moreover, students attain the ability to write extended paragraphs while expanding on the base of vocabulary initiated in Elementary I and II. AY Arabic The curriculum of Arabic Year at King's Academy (AY) is designed to fulfill AY's mission to provide an intensive one-year program in Arabic language, an immersion into Middle Eastern culture and values and the integration of classroom learning with beyond-the-classroom experiences. In practice, AY King’s Academy Course of Instruction 2017-2018 (April 2017)

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students are required to enroll in two sections of Arabic language, which meet for 90 minutes five days a week. Arabic Year offers multiple levels of Arabic as a Second Language according to ability, in addition to courses dedicated to understanding and analyzing Arabic literature. Students learn both formal and spoken Arabic, and reach an advanced level of reading that allows them to deepen their knowledge of the language. Students learn commonly used expressions related to certain occasions and situations, at the same time develop their skills in listening, reading, writing, forming grammatically correct structured sentences, and most importantly, conversation. The intensity of this course attracts students to continue with Arabic studies, either when they return home or by enrolling at King’s in the following year.

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