read at least one novel and/or significant play, and a variety of articles addressing global issues in preparation for the IB HL Spanish exam. An emphasis is placed on advanced conversation. Prerequisite: IB Spanish Higher Level, Year 2.
524 Chinese 1 (9)
1 credit, full year This course introduces students to the Mandarin Chinese language and to the geography, culture, history, and traditions of China. Particular emphasis is placed on learning pronunciation and tonality, as well as simplified characters (with their Romanized Pinyin forms) and their radicals. Basic grammatical structures are learned through exercises involving listening, speaking, reading, and writing in everyday situations. This course will be offered depending on enrollment numbers.
525 Chinese 2 (9,10)
1 credit, full year Chinese 2 is a continuation of level one and the Middle School program. Students refine their pronunciation, intonation, and character recognition of Mandarin Chinese. More than 200 essential new characters are introduced through Pinyin Romanization, and through written form (character) and meaning together. Structures are learned through exercises involving listening, speaking, reading, and writing in everyday situations. Communication skills focus on authentic and meaningful interaction in various social and cultural contexts. Cultural topics will include health and well-being, interpersonal relationships, food, celebrations, and travel and finding one’s way in unfamiliar situations.
526 Chinese 3 (10,11,12)
1 credit, full year In this Mandarin Chinese course, students continue to be exposed to oral sounds and tonality through Pinyin Romanization, as well as characters and meaning together. Complex grammatical structures and new essential vocabulary words are systematically introduced and learned through various classroom activities and homework. Students continue to add supplementary topic-based vocabulary to their daily practice. Students also start to comprehend adapted authentic reading materials and will produce theme-based longer writing pieces. Intermediate-level communication in various social and cultural contexts is emphasized.
500 Chinese 4 (11,12) 500SL1 IB Chinese Standard Level Year 1 (11)
1 credit, full year In this Chinese IV course, students continue to be exposed to oral sounds and tonality through Pinyin Romanization, characters and meaning together. Complex grammatical structures and new essential vocabulary words are systematically introduced and learned through various classroom activities and homework. Students continue to add supplementary vocabulary according to the topics in the IB Language B (SL) guide including: communication and media, global issues, social
relationships, health, science and technology, among others. Students also continue to comprehend authentic reading materials and are required to produce longer, topic-based writing pieces of 200-400 characters. We focus on increasingly authentic communication in various social and cultural contexts at the middle-intermediate level. Placement is at the recommendation of the teacher.
501 Chinese 5 500SL2 IB Chinese Standard Level Year 2 (12)
1 credit, full year In this Chinese V course, students continue to learn vocabulary and grammatical structures at and beyond the textbook scope to express the essential IB Language B SL topics, including communication and media, global issues, social relationships, health, and science and technology. Reading, interpreting, and writing different texts such as blogs, interviews, news reports, brochures, instructions, guidelines, and advertisements are the main focus of this course. Students who take this course as a second-year language B SL course will be ready to take the IB Language B Mandarin SL exam in their senior year. Students who take this course as a one-year SL course will need to do some summer work and take the IB Language B Mandarin SL exam in their junior year. Placement is at the recommendation of the teacher.
HISTORY
The upper school history curriculum seeks to develop a life-long learner and catalyst for social improvement who has the ability to question events that transform our world. Students will learn about the inspiration that drives major faiths, trace patterns of competition and cooperation among and within world civilizations, examine the development of the modern nation-state, understand what it means to be “American,” and explore what it takes to be a peacemaker in the 21st century. Students will analyze how past generations confronted and solved questions of political, social, economic, and cultural significance. Through work with stimulating primary sources as well as authoritative secondary sources, students will learn to analyze, interpret, and evaluate such documents. These experiences will enable the learner to make informed decisions about political, social, and civic affairs in a climate that stimulates students to respond to the human condition in the world today. All ninth graders take Global Peace and Justice and all tenth graders take American History.
The upper school history curriculum seeks to develop a lifelong learner and catalyst for social improvement who has the ability to question events that transform our world.
553 Global Peace and Justice (9)
1 credit, full year In this course, students realize the power of individuals to initi7
