La Jolla Country Day School Upper School Courses 2013-2014 La Jolla Country Day School is college preparatory by design and identity. The Upper School seeks, through the core curriculum, electives, and activities, to put students in a position of having the broadest possible range of choices when it comes time to apply to colleges. Graduation Requirements English Math Social Science
4.0 credits 3.0 credits 3.0 credits
World Language Science Fine Arts
3.0 credits 3.0 credits 1.0 credit
I, II, III, IV required Algebra II required World Cultures & Contemporary Problems I; WCCP II or equivalent; and some form of U. S. History required Two years and through Level 3 required Physics, Chemistry and Biology or AP Biology required One year-long course required
In order to put its most able students in the strongest possible position to apply to competitive colleges, Country Day offers a broad range of Advanced Placement courses in which students may earn transferable college credit. Each year the Educational Testing Service of Princeton, New Jersey, provides examinations which are given to students who are enrolled in Advanced Placement courses. It is not uncommon for Country Day graduates to be accepted to college with “advanced standing” in several subject areas. The Upper School offers Advanced Placement options in English, American history, European history, United States government, calculus, statistics, chemistry, biology, physics, French, Spanish, psychology, studio art, art history and music. All Advanced Placement (AP) and Honors courses require approval and/or completion of prerequisites for admission into the course. All Honors and AP courses require an annually renewed recommendation from both the current teacher and department chair. It is not unusual for students to switch on and off the Honors/AP track at different points in time. Some non-AP/Honors courses have prerequisites; please check with the course instructor and/or department chair for additional information. Core vs. Elective Courses Core courses count towards the graduation requirement in a particular discipline. Elective courses (including all courses labeled “semester electives”) contribute to the five course minimum per semester and count in the GPA, but do not contribute towards fulfilling the graduation requirements in a particular discipline. Core courses that are taken above and beyond the requirements are considered elective courses. Unless otherwise noted, all courses listed are approved by the University of California to meet their minimum requirements for admission. The La Jolla Country Day School graduation requirements are aligned to meet or exceed UC/Cal State University requirements. Additional Requirements • • • • •
Freshman Orientation participation Experiential Education/College Trips participation Community Service: at least 40 hours, including 10 on-campus hours Physical Education/Athletics: one season (trimester) per year; see Athletic Department policies for details Load: Each semester, a student must carry a minimum of five courses. Students are not permitted to carry seven courses per semester. Exception: Seniors may take four courses if all are AP classes and they have permission from the Director.
New/Updated Courses for 2013-2014 • Microeconomics (1 semester; 1st semester) – Grades 11-12 elective credit • Macroeconomics (1 semester; 2nd semester) – Grades 11-12 elective credit • Logic (1 semester; 1st semester) – Grades 10-12 elective credit This course is designed to help develop students’ ability to reason logically and think critically. Based in writing and analysis, it will equip students with the methods that they need in order to communicate effectively and to navigate and evaluate the overabundance of information and argumentation that surrounds them in modern culture. Logic is the second of the three core "liberal arts" (the others being grammar and rhetoric), and as such contributes to the freedom that comes from being able to evaluate information no matter what its source: person, internet site, or popular media. The course will begin with the distinction between a statement and an argument. It will challenge students to expose underlying assumptions and to analyze the soundness and validity of arguments and will introduce them to both inductive and deductive logic. Particular enjoyment will come from learning about common logical fallacies. Students will practice these skills and demonstrate their knowledge by analyzing arguments from literature, science, philosophy, and popular culture and by constructing their own logical arguments on topics of their choosing. In-class discussions will be supplemented by selected readings from the venerable tradition of writing on logic tracing its roots from Aristotle to the modern day.
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Robotics (semester or year) – Grades 9-12 elective credit; priority given to upperclassmen La Jolla Country Day School's Robotics Class is a hands-on project-based course designed to develop students' creativity and technological acumen through the process of building, programming and operating robots designed to perform specific tasks. The course will begin with simple experiments involving sensors and motors. More complicated tasks will involve building integrated prototype devices that collect data using sensors, process this data using computer language code (Robot C), and execute tasks via computer-controlled motorized manipulation of simple machines. Students will be responsible for not only developing such devices in teams, but also communicating the reasons for which they chose a particular method for achieving their team's goals. This will be done in various ways that including maintaining an engineering blog and making both prerecorded and live presentations. The course fosters cooperative interaction and emphasizes that science is an active, social, as well as technical enterprise.
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My Digital Life (1 semester) – Grades 10 elective credit This new innovative course will provide students with the tools to become information and media literate in the new digital landscape. In a 21st century learning environment, this course will equip students with skills to seek out and effectively evaluate and use information; explore the history and functions of social networks and our changing digital landscape; charge students to think critically about the issues surrounding digital behavior; challenge students to consider issues of privacy and the permanence of digital data; and give students the tools to deconstruct new media to make sense of the world. The course will be taught using the Blackboard course management software and will meet in person once a week during a lab period. Assignments will include weekly readings of articles and/or excerpts from books; online discussions with peers and the instructor regarding the readings; short active assignments designed to hone student's research skills; a guided research paper; occasional guest speakers.
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Digital Culture & Modern Power (1 semester) – Grades 11-12 elective credit This course explores the philosophical and historical foundations of technology and individual agency in the Modern Era through discussion, research, and lectures on case studies drawn from history and current events. Students will examine topics ranging from social media to cyber-law, i-phones to big data, and examine what it means to be a person, a consumer, and a citizen within our 'digital landscapes.' The course will be taught using the Blackboard course management software and will meet in person several times a week for seminar. Assignments may include weekly readings of articles and/or excerpts from books; viewing and analysis of films/media; online discussions with peers and the instructor regarding the topics. Capstone research projects will allow students to develop their own body of work around a topic of their choosing.
Course Offerings 2013-2014 All AP/Honors courses have performance-related prerequisites; some non-AP/non-Honors courses also have prerequisites English 4.0 credits required • English I (9) • English II (10) • English III (11) • American Studies: English (11) • Honors English III (11)(by application) • English IV (12) • AP English IV (12)(by application) Electives: • Speech (9-12)(1 semester) • Creative Writing (9-12)(1 semester)(Semester 2) • Honors Creative Writing (9-12)(1 semester)(Semester 2) • Shakespeare (10-12)(1 semester)(Semester 2) World Language 3.0 credits required Two years and through Level 3 required • Spanish I • Spanish II • Spanish III • Español Intensivo Honores (III H) • Spanish IV • AP Spanish IV – Lengua • Spanish V • AP Spanish V • French I • French II • French III • Français Intensif Honneurs (III H) • French IV • AP French IV – Langue • French V - Cine • French V Honneurs – Lit • Mandarin I • Mandarin II • Mandarin III • Mandarin Honors Intensive (III H) • Mandarin IV • AP Mandarin IV • Mandarin V • Mandarin V Honors • Arabic I • Arabic II • Arabic III • Arabic Honors Intensive (III H)
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Arabic IV Arabic IV Honors Arabic V Arabic V Honors
Science 3.0 credits required Physics, Chemistry, and Biology required • Physics • Accelerated Physics • AP Physics • Chemistry • Accelerated Chemistry • AP Chemistry • Biology • AP Biology Electives: • Robotics (9-12)(1 or 2 semesters) • Astronomy (1 or 2 semesters) • Science & Society (11-12)(1 or 2 semesters) • Marine Biology (1 semester)(Sem 1)(prerequisite is Biology) • Biotechnology (1 semester)(Sem 2)(prerequisite is Biology) • Neuroscience Honors (12)(prerequisite is AP Biology) Mathematics 3.0 credits required Algebra II required • Algebra I • Algebra IB • Geometry • Geometry Honors • Algebra IIA • Algebra IIB • Algebra II w/ Trig • Algebra II Honors • Precalculus • Precalculus Honors • Math Topics • Calculus (1 semester) • Statistics (1 semester) • AP Calculus AB • AP Calculus BC • AP Statistics • Honors Linear Algebra
Course Offferings 2013-2014 All AP/Honors courses haave performannce-related prrerequisites; some non n-AP/non-Hon nors courses aalso have prerrequisites Social Science/History 3.0 creditss required WCCP I, WCCP W II or equ uivalent, and some s form of U. S. Histoory required • World W Culturess & Contemporary Prroblems I • World W Culturess & Contemporary Prroblems II • AP World Histoory • AP European History H • US S History • American Stud dies: History • AP US History Electives: • Loogic (10-12)(11 semester) • Pssychology (100-12)(1 semesster) • Microeconomic M cs (11-12)(1 semester) s • Microeconomic M cs (11-12)(1 semester) s • Digital Culture & Modern Power (11122)(1 semesterr) • Th heory of Know wledge – An In ntroduction too Philosophy (12) ( • US S Government (12) • AP US Governm ment (12) • AP Psychologyy (12) • AP Art History (12)
Non-Depaartmental 0.0 creditss required • Joournalism • Coomputer Prog gramming • My M Digital Life (9-10)(1 semester)
Visuaal & Performing Arts 1.0 ccredit requiredd One year-long couurse required • Studio Arrt I • Studio Arrt II • Studio Arrt III • AP Studioo Art (Portfolioo) • Graphic D Design • Digital Phhotography • Drafting & Architecturee (UC pendingg) • Ceramicss (10-12) • Filmmakiing • Film Studdies • Honors Fiilm Studies (10-12)(UC pennding) • Art Historry • AP Art Hisstory (under ssome situationns this may be consideredd a Social Sciience elective ccourse) • Music Apppreciation & S Song Writing • Concert C Choir • Madrigal Honors (by auudition) • Band • Honors Baand (by audition)(UC pendiing) • Chamber Orchestra • Honors Orrchestra (by aaudition) • AP Musicc Theory (withh instructor approval)) • Introduction to Acting//Theater • Technicall Theater • Dance Fooundations (inntro; formerly Dance I) • Dance Teechnique & Peerformance (w with instructorr approval)(foormerly Dancee II) Sem ester Electivees: • Advancedd Playwriting (with instructtor approval)) • Advancedd Acting (withh instructor approval)) • Advancedd Directing (w with instructorr approval))