COURSE MAP Chart your Future
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Follow the course map to see how Pacific Ridge students learn, engage, and connect as they prepare for college and a purposeful life.
7TH GRADE SCIENCE
MATH
Integrated Science 7
8TH GRADE Integrated Science 8
Intro to Algebra, Algebra 1*, Geometry*, Algebra 2/Trigonometry,* that best match their ability, regardless of grade level)
ARTS
Students rotate through courses in the following arts disciplines: Dance, Digital Media Arts, Music, Studio Art and Theater.
ENGLISH
English 7
English 8
HISTORY
Social and Community Studies
American Studies
LANGUAGE
Chinese, French, Spanich. Students are placed in the language and Advanced Placement sections.
Our rigorous and broad curriculum offers excellent academic classes in middle and high school, as well as advanced, specialized, and college-level courses. Arts, athletics, service learning, clubs, and year-end global travel experiences are integrated into the curriculum, encouraging daily involvement and deep community engagement throughout the year.
HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS • Diploma requirements: › › › › ›
History . . . Science . . . Mathematics English . . . Language . .
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. 3 years . 3 years . 3 years . 4 years . 3 years
of same language
› Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 years › Health . . . . . . . . 1 trimester › Athletics/Physical Education . . . . . . . . . 2 years
(or equivalent)
ELECTIVES
Courses that are traditionally offered as electives in many physical education, are required courses in grades 7, 8, 9 and 10.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION/ ATHLETICS
Athletic Teams, Physical Education, Athletic Teams, Health,
SERVICE LEARNING
Students rotate through trimester-long sessions in eight groups such as: Animal Allies, ARC, El Fuerte Trails, Seniors, La Posada: homeless shelter support and Sustainability
CLUBS
Middle School students choose from a number of clubs, including in past years: Art, Board Games, Robotics, Science Olympiad, and Skateboarding—to name a few.
YEAR-END GLOBAL TRAVEL EXPERIENCES
Outdoor Leadership Big Bear, CA
Hands-on History and Government Washington, D.C.
UPPER SCHOOL 9TH GRADE Integrated Science 9
10TH GRADE Integrated Science 10
11TH & 12TH GRADES Honors Physics, Honors Environmental Science, Anatomy and Physiology, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics C, Marine Biology
Precalculus*, AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, Multi-Variable Calculus, Discrete Math, Statistics* (Students are placed in math classes *Courses with both regular and honors sections. Dance 1-4, Digital Photography, Advanced Digital Photography, AP Photography, Digital Filmmaking 1 and 2, Graphic Design 1 and 2, Advanced Topics in Design, AP Graphic Design, Yearbook, Jazz/Rock Ensemble, Jazz/Rock Ensemble Honors, Classical Music Ensemble Honors, Vocal Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble Honors, Introduction to Visual Arts, 2D Design, 3D Design, Visual Arts Honors, AP Studio Art, AP Music Theory, Theater Arts, Theater Arts Honors, Advanced Acting and Directing
English 9
English 10
American Literature, Honors American Literature, Rhetoric, Genre Studies, Women in Literature, World Literature, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, African American Literature
Ancient World History
Modern World History
US History, AP US History, Middle East History and Diplomacy, Theories of Social Change, US Government and Politics, Contemporary Human Geography, Economics, Introduction to World Religions
classes that best match their ability, regardless of grade level. For each language, we offer multiple levels [1 to 5], plus honors
schools, such as arts, languages and
Year-long courses: AP Art History, Financial Literacy, Programming I & II, AP Psychology, Robotics, Film Studies, Journalism & Media Studies Trimester Electives: Zombiology, Industrial Design, Entrepreneurship, Forensics, Art & Science of Cooking, Sustainable Fashion
Physical Education, Strength and Conditioning, Independent Physical Education Upper School students choose from more than 34 student-designed service learning groups, including: Friends Assisting Special Needs Teens, Global School Connections, Adapted Aquatics, New Ocean Blue, and Tech Team—to name a few. Upper School students choose from more than 33 student-designed clubs, including: Model United Nations, Robotics, Science Olympiad, Finance and Investment, Gardening, Student Council, and Art Studio—to name a few.
Becoming World Travelers China
Community and Outdoor Leadership Northern Sierras, CA
Students choose from a number of small-group experiences around the world, including in past years: Post-Colonial Studies in South Africa, Urban Planning in Berlin and Copenhagen, Wilderness Medicine in the Rocky Mountains, and Social Justice in Cambodia - to name a few.
Signature Experiences
At Pacific Ridge School, signature experiences are designed to connect classroom learning to practical applications. Ideas and abstract concepts have deeper meaning when experienced in real-world situations. Middle School Experiences Shakespeare Festival: Students augment their study of Shakespeare by hosting a community event at which they pose as historical characters, prepare and serve Renaissance-era food and perform Shakespearean scenes. Community Connections: Through integrated projects, students enhance their studies of regional history, culture, literature and civics. Seventh graders visit Borderfield State Park and Chicano Park to learn more about immigration and Mexican-American cultural heritage, while eighth graders visit the Vista courthouse for a deeper look into the justice system. 7TH GRADE VOICE Project: After researching a current world issue, 7th graders “stand up and speak out” on the topic, raising awareness and proposing possible solutions through video, social media, and other communication platforms. 8TH GRADE Purpose Project: Exploring the connection between passion and purpose, students create the concept for a social entrepreneurship project related to a topic of personal interest. They learn the stages of developing a project, the importance of risk-taking and failure, and how leveraging technology can help solve real-world problems. 9TH GRADE Service Learning Incubator: Students participate in an entrepreneurial incubator experience in which they design and build a concept for a service project that will have an impact on their community. Through this process, students familiarize themselves with Design Thinking strategies and build leadership and collaboration skills. Muse Project: Joining a long tradition of artists and writers, students use Homer’s Odyssey as a jumping-off point for creating an original interpretation of this story through the lens of their own lives. Orations: Over the course of several months, ninth graders write, revise, practice, and perfect an original speech on a topic of their own choosing, which they then deliver to a large audience. 10TH GRADE Remembering the Past: Reflecting on their study of history, students consider how communities choose to remember the past. Using various media, students engage in storytelling of their own to bring a forgotten piece of history to life. High-altitude Balloon Project: After studying heat, pressure, temperature, and buoyancy topics, science students design experiments and build payloads, which they launch into near space with high-altitude weather balloons. 11TH GRADE Junior Project: Students identify areas of business, science, social entrepreneurship, arts, politics, etc., that interest them, seek out local leaders in those professions to interview, and present their findings to their peers. 12TH GRADE Senior Signatures: Seniors identify a project that translates their skills, passion and knowledge of the school community into a tangible project that can endure after they leave. 6269 El Fuerte Street, Carlsbad, CA 92009 | 760.579.4901 | pacificridge.org