2016-2017 Middle School HLC Course Descriptions ARTS Introduction to Screenwriting Semester: Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 Lesley Tye, Interlochen Arts Academy This course introduces the concepts of writing for the screen from an analytical and creative viewpoint. Students will learn about screenplay structure and format, explore the creation of character, setting, conflict, theme, tone, dialogue and subtext, and gain an understanding of how to use the tools of the filmmaker to create cinematic language and write visually. Students are also given an introduction to some of the professional aspects of screenwriting and available resources including the art of pitching stories. Digital Filmmaking Semester: Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 This course is for the budding filmmaker. While not a screenwriting class, this course is about the creative process; it is about what students want to express as filmmakers and why; it is about developing ideas, exploration of film structure, and form. Students will work on various projects, producing film “shorts.� Fiction, documentary, and experimental forms will all be explored.
WORLD LANGUAGES American Sign Language I-A Yearlong: 2016 - 17 Ron Malcolm, HLC Faculty This course is the first in a two-year sequence. Students who have successfully completed American Sign Language I-A and I-B will be prepared to matriculate into American Sign Language II as Upper School students. American Sign Language I-A and I-B are an introduction to learning and understanding American Sign Language. Students will learn basic vocabulary, letters, numbers, and grammar. Students will also focus on mastering the basics of fingerspelling, colors, and conversational/cultural behaviors necessary to hold a beginning-level conversation in American Sign Language. Introductory information about deaf culture will also be presented, along with deaf humor, to provide students with a broad picture of language and culture. American Sign Language I-B Yearlong: 2016 - 17 Ron Malcolm, HLC Faculty Prerequisite: American Sign Language I-A This course is the second in a two-year sequence. Students who have successfully completed American Sign Language I-A and I-B will be prepared to matriculate into American Sign Language II as Upper School students. American Sign Language I-A and I-B are an introduction to learning and understanding American Sign Language. Students will learn basic vocabulary, letters, numbers, and grammar. Students will also focus on mastering the basics of fingerspelling, colors, and conversational/cultural behaviors necessary to hold a beginning-level conversation in American Sign Language. Introductory information about deaf culture will also be presented, along with deaf humor, to provide students with a broad picture of language and culture.
Chinese I-A Yearlong: 2016 -2017 Ivy Gauler, Maumee Valley Country Day This course is the first in a two-year sequence. Students who have successfully completed Chinese I-A and IB will be prepared to matriculate into Chinese II as Upper School students. Chinese I-A and I-B are an introduction to the Chinese Language. Students will focus on listening, speaking, reading, and writing the Chinese language, as well as gaining understanding of Chinese culture. The classes will also introduce students to Pinyin (phonetic symbols) that are used as a supplementary tool to learn the spoken language. Students will increase proficiency in spoken Chinese using varied resources. Students will also practice Chinese in context with native speakers. Chinese I-B Yearlong: 2016 -2017 Ivy Gauler, Maumee Valley Country Day Prerequisites: Chinese I-A This course is the second in a two-year sequence. Students who have successfully completed Chinese I-A and I-B will be prepared to matriculate into Chinese II as Upper School students. Chinese I-A and I-B are an introduction to the Chinese Language. Students will focus on listening, speaking, reading, and writing the Chinese language, as well as gaining understanding of Chinese culture. The classes will also introduce students to Pinyin (phonetic symbols) that are used as a supplementary tool to learn the spoken language. Students will increase proficiency in spoken Chinese using varied resources. Students will also practice Chinese in context with native speakers. Latin I-A Yearlong: 2016 - 17 Brian Wells, HLC Faculty This course is the first in a two-year sequence. Students who have successfully completed Latin I-A and I-B will be prepared to matriculate into Latin II as Upper School students. Latin I-A and I-B introduce Latin grammar and vocabulary, Roman culture, mythology, and history. Students will learn to translate and write simple Latin sentences and to identify Greek and Roman word roots within English. Students will actively investigate the Greco-Roman world and the connections between it and their own lives through hands-on learning. Latin I-B Yearlong: 2016 - 17 Brian Wells, HLC Faculty Prerequisites: Latin I-A This course is the second in a two-year sequence. Students who have successfully completed Latin I-A and IB will be prepared to matriculate into Latin II as Upper School students. Latin I-A and I-B introduce Latin grammar and vocabulary, Roman culture, mythology, and history. Students will learn to translate and write simple Latin sentences and to identify Greek and Roman word roots within English. Students will actively investigate the Greco-Roman world and the connections between it and their own lives through hands-on learning.
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SCIENCES Introduction to Computer Coding Semester: Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 Kelsey Brost, The Barstow School Unlock the code behind your favorite apps and web games! In this elective, interactive tutorials will be used to create drawings and animations that can be used in games and websites. You will learn the basics of several computer-programming languages, including HTML, CSS and JavaScript. Programs you use everyday will become more intriguing as you develop an understanding of the coding languages. Put your skills to the test when you build your own web page in CODE 101. Introduction to Computer Aided Design (CAD) Semester: not offered 2016 - 17 Gavin Wood, The Barstow School Calling all future artists, engineers and inventors! Turn your ideas into 3D reality in this Introduction to Computer Aided Design (CAD) class. 3D printers are the wave of the future, reinventing the way we create everything from decorative vases to robotic hands, and this class will give you the skills to use this cuttingedge new tool no matter what career you enter. We will be using the same software that professionals use (Autodesk Inventor) to learn how to draw 2D and 3D designs. We will also learn how to assemble various 3D parts into working mechanisms. As part of this course, you will get to create an original design and 3D print it using the Barstow School's 3D printer, and it's yours to keep!
MATHEMATICS Geometry, Honors Yearlong: 2016-2017 Kelsey Brost, The Barstow School Prerequisites: Algebra I This course will teach students a broad understanding of proofs, geometric properties, concepts of measurement, construction, and how to apply these concepts to the real world. Emphasis is placed upon precision in language, proofs by direct and indirect methods and algebraic techniques. Additional topics include three-dimensional geometry and three- dimensional coordinate systems. Students will also complete projects that apply their understanding of these geometric principles. Graph Theory Semester: Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 Kelsey Brost, The Barstow School Graph Theory is a branch of discrete mathematics that is concerned with properties of graphs. The use of the word graph, in this case, does not refer to a graph you would use to compare different variables. In discrete math, a graph is a diagram made up of vertices and edges. Graph theory has numerous real world connections, common uses for graph theory include, but are not limited to: architecture, chemistry, electrical engineering, and sociology. In this course we will discuss properties and the significance of graphs by learning theorems and working through applied, as well as theoretical, problems. By the end of this course, students should be able to prove basic graph properties as well as make real world connections to graph theory.
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ENGLISH & HUMANITIES The Real World, Now Yearlong: 2016-2017 Kate Baker, Maumee Valley Country Day School Is geography destiny? Should life be fair? How much of you is the result of your culture, and how much is "you?" Do statistics lie? Where the heck is Uzbekistan? The Real World, Now teaches students to compare life in countries across the world. We apply knowledge of geography, cultures, and statistics to look at real world problems, and to consider America's role in the world. Warning: you will never look at the world in the same way again.
HISTORY & SOCIAL SCIENCES Fundamentals of Law Semester: Spring 2017 As an introductory and overview, this course will offer students the opportunity to understand and explore various areas of the law, as well as professions associated with different practices and applications of law. The course incorporates case studies, fundamental understanding of law terminology, guest speakers, and virtual field trips. In depth reading, expressive writing and lively discussion will result from the content and interactions provided students. Fundamentals of Business Semester: Fall 2016 or Spring 2017 Fundamentals of Business will provide students a foundation of business principles including business operations, business communication, and aspects of entrepreneurship. This course will be comprised of real world examples and guest speakers. Opportunities for authentic application to students’ personal lives will also create an inherent awareness that business concepts are key for supporting any future path of study.
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