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Course Descriptions for McGavock High School12th GradeEnglishEnglish IV: This course encompasses a correlated study of literature, language conventions, composition, vocabulary development, and communication based upon the adopted Tennessee Department of Education Academic Standards for English Language Arts.AICE English Lit II A: English Literature AICE seeks to develop college level reading and writing skills through the study of prose, poetry, and drama. Students will explore not only the meaning of the texts, but also the methods of the author’s craft, use of form, structure and language.Dual Enrollment English: College class taught by a professor at Nashville State Community College. Student must have a 3.0 GPA, and was enrolled and passed Dual Enrollment English in the 11th grade. MathematicsBridge Math: Bridge Math is a course intended to build upon concepts taught in previous courses to allow students to gain a deeper knowledge of the real and complex number systems as well as the structure, use, and application of equations, expressions, and functions. Functions emphasized include linear, quadratic and polynomial. Students continue mastery of geometric concepts such as similarity, congruence, right triangles, and circles. Students use categorical and quantitative data to model real life situations and rules of probability to compute probabilities of compound events. This course is designed for students who need to refresh core mathematics skills prior to further study. It is recommended that students who have not scored at least a 19 on the ACT assessment take this course to be better prepared for post-secondary study. The Bridge Math Course is intended to provide students with an opportunity to revisit concepts from previous math courses while making connections and solving real world word problems.SAILS Math: Bridge Math - SAILS is an online and self-paced course intended to build upon concepts taught in previous courses to allow students to gain a deeper knowledge of the real and complex number systems as well as the structure, use, and application of equations, expressions, and functions. Functions emphasized include linear, quadratic and polynomial. Students continue mastery of geometric concepts such as similarity, congruence, right triangles, and circles. Students use categorical and quantitative data to model real life situations and rules of probability to compute probabilities of compound events. This course is designed for students who need to refresh core mathematics skills prior to further study. It is recommended that students who have not scored at least a 19 on the ACT assessment take this course to be better prepared for post-secondary study. Students who successfully complete the modules of the Bridge Math SAILS course may be exempted from taking a remedial math course at a many Tennessee public colleges and universities.Applied Math Concepts: Applications and modeling using mathematics are the primary foci of this course. During the course of the year, students will be exposed to mathematical concepts such as linear programming, investigative logic, combinatorial reasoning, and the normal distribution. Students will engage in a study of contextual situations where mathematical principles are applied to make informed decisions.PreCal with Trig: Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry deals with the topics of vectors, analytic geometry, theory of equations, logic and limits. Included in the course are in-depth studies of the conic sections, higher degree equations, sequences and series, and the fundamental theorem of algebra. This course also includes the study of the properties of the trigonometric functions, their graphs and their applications to various mathematical situations including the solution of triangles. Trigonometry has applications in surveying, navigation, construction work and is particularly essential for higher level courses in mathematics and physics. Extended group activities, individual projects and portfolios are incorporated to provide additional measures of student progress.AP Calculus: Calculus is the mathematics of change and motion. It is a branch of mathematics that enables solution of two large classes of problems. The first involves finding the rate at which a variable quantity is changing and the second is that of finding a function when its rate of change is given. Emphasis is placed both on the theory of Calculus and on problem solving. The curriculum is based on the course outline recommended by the College Board. Only those schools with College Board Approved syllabi will be allowed to award Advanced Placement credit on transcripts. This course is designed to prepare students for the AP examination. The examination contains questions for which a graphing calculator is necessary.AP Statistics: The purpose of the Statistics AP course is to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data. Students are exposed to four broad conceptual themes: (1) Exploring Data: Observing patterns and departures from patterns, (2) Planning a Study: Deciding what and how to measure, (3) Anticipating Patterns in Advance: Producing models using probability and simulation and (4) Statistical Inference: Confirming models. The curriculum is based on the course outline recommended by the College Board. Only those schools with College Board Approved syllabi will be allowed to award Advanced Placement credit on transcripts. This course is designed to prepare students for the AP examination. The examination contains questions for which a graphing calculator is necessary.Social StudiesUS Government: Students will learn the purposes, principles, and practices of American government as established by the Constitution. Students are expected to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens and how to exercise these rights and responsibilities in local, state, and national government. Students will learn the structure and processes of the government of the state of Tennessee and various local governments. The reading of primary source documents is a key feature of United States Government and Civics standards. All students are required to take Government for graduation.AP US Government: The AP Government and Politics: U.S. course provides an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. political reality. While there is no single approach that an AP Government and Politics: U.S. course must follow, certain topics are generally covered in college courses. The course will fulfill the Government requirement for graduation.Economics: Students will examine the allocation of scarce resources and the economic reasoning used by government agencies and by people as consumers, producers, savers, investors, workers, and voters. Key elements of the course include the study of scarcity, supply and demand, market structures, the role of government, national income determination, money and the role of financial institutions, economic stabilization, and trade. Students will examine the key economic philosophies and economists who have influenced the economies around the world in the past and present. Informational text and primary sources will play an instrumental part of the study of economics where it is appropriate. All students are required to take Economics for graduation.AICE US History A: Cambridge International AS and A Level History is a flexible and wide-ranging syllabus covering modern history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.?The emphasis is again on both historical knowledge and on the skills required for historical research. Learners develop an understanding of cause and effect, continuity and change, similarity and difference, and use historical evidence as part of their studies.?World LanguageSpanish II: This course expands and strengthens the students’ control of the language. Students learn to express themselves in more complex sentences. Their vocabulary and mastery of basic grammar extends so that students can express themselves more fully and in more tenses. Students will be able to understand the main points in general conversations and oral stories. Students read longer narratives and many authentic realia and write longer paragraphs on personal themes. Culture is taught in context as well as through the use of short stories, videos, films, and tapes. The use of the target language by the teacher and the students increases. Course guidelines are aligned with ACTFL’s National Standards, Tennessee Standards, MNPS Standards, and ACTFL’s proficiency scales.French II: This course expands and strengthens the students’ control of the language. Students learn to express themselves in more complex sentences. Their vocabulary and mastery of basic grammar extends so that students can express themselves more fully and in more tenses. Students are able to understand the main points in general conversations and oral stories. Students read longer narratives and many authentic realia and write longer paragraphs on personal themes. Culture is taught in context as well as through the use of short stories, videos, films, and tapes. The use of the target language by the teacher and the students increases. Course guidelines are aligned with ACTFL’s National Standards, Tennessee Standards, MNPS Standards, and ACTFL’s proficiency scales.IGCSE Spanish III: This is the third year course designed for students who are learning Spanish as a foreign language. The aim is to develop an ability to use the language effectively for practical communication. The course is based on the linked language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. The syllabus also aims to offer insights into the culture and civilization of countries where the language is spoken, thus encouraging positive attitudes towards language learning and towards speakers of foreign languages.AP Spanish: This course follows the guidelines of the College Board Advanced Placement Spanish Language course. It encompasses aural/oral skills, reading comprehension, grammar, and composition. Students taking such a course emphasizing the use of Spanish for active communication have the following objectives: the ability to comprehend formal and informal Spanish; the acquisition of vocabulary and a grasp of structure to allow the easy, accurate reading of newspaper and magazine articles, as well as of modern literature in Spanish; the ability to compose expository passages; and the ability to express ideas orally with accuracy and fluency. Students will be able to express their ideas on a variety of topics including abstract and concrete themes. Course content is aligned with the College Board’s expectations of an Advanced Placement Spanish Language course.Additional Senior ClassesSenior Capstone: This elective honors level course is designed for 12th graders to engage in rigorous research in a selected field of study coupled with a corresponding internship at a firm or organization within the community. Students will be given the opportunity to investigate and experience a topic of interest. In the process students will gain valuable research and work skills by designing and pursuing individualized learning goals. The course will culminate with an oral defense of their research at the end of the second semester. Students will work closely with a faculty advisor and a job-site mentor within the selected field of study and will be required to complete a minimum of 5 hours a week at their internship.Student Leadership: This course is designed to develop leadership skills in the high school setting and beyond. The course will allow students to study great leaders, practice various leadership roles, learn about all aspects of conducting meetings and participation in community leadership opportunities. Resources for this course will be centered on the National Association of Secondary School Principals National Leadership Goals, and Robert’s Rules of Order 10th Edition. Student will be required to read great books on leadership, such as Leading Minds (Howard Gardner) and Undaunted Courage (Stephen E. Ambrose), and complete a community project. It may be offered in any high school as an electiveAVID IV: Students are required to complete a weekly timed writing and analytical discourses in all subjects. Analysis must demonstrate the depth of typical college-level work. An important focus of the fourth year of AVID is to finish all preparation and applications for admission to a four-year university. A culminating senior project, paper, and portfolio are presented for evaluation.AICE Global Perspectives: The focus of Global Perspective AICE is on developing the ability to think, speak, and write critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view. Students will become aware of global themes and issues, viewed from personal, local, national and international perspectives, and of the connections between them.Independent Study: ONLY for seniors that are not on track to graduate. This class will be used for them to recover classes on Edgenuity. Open ElectivesCinema Studies: This course is designed to study the history of cinema to the creating of cinema.Psychology: In this elective course students learn the development of scientific attitudes and skills, including critical thinking, problem solving, and scientific methodology. Students will also examine the structure and function of the nervous system in human and non-human animals, the processes of sensation and perception, and life span development. Students will study social cognition, influence, and relations. Students will examine social and cultural diversity and diversity among individuals. Students will study memory, including encoding, storage, and retrieval of memory. Students will also study perspectives of abnormal behavior and categories of psychological disorders, including treatment thereof. Students will elaborate on the importance of drawing evidence-based conclusions about psychological phenomena and gain knowledge on a wide array of issues on both individual and global levels. Throughout the course, students will examine connections between content areas within psychology and relate psychological knowledge to everyday life. Students will explore the variety of careers available to those who study psychology.Sociology: In this elective course, students will explore the ways sociologists view society, and also how they study the social world. In addition, students will examine culture, socialization, deviance and the structure and impact of institutions and organizations. Also, students will study selected social problems and how change impacts individuals and societies.General Astronomy: This course surveys the universe, beginning with the earth and its movements in and through space. Students will be acquainted with the moon, solar system, nebulae, stars, galaxies, quasars, pulsars, black holes and other aspects of space. Students will learn the major stars and constellations of each season. Night sessions will allow telescopic viewing of celestial objects. This course cannot be used to fulfill the State requirement for science, but may be used to earn credit above the State minimum of three science credits.Physics: Physics is a laboratory course that deals with the relationship between matter and energy, and how they interact. Students will study mechanics; thermodynamics; waves and sound; light and optics; electricity and magnetism; and atomic and nuclear physics. The major emphasis is concept development through inquiry learning and hands-on laboratory experiences, and concept reinforcement through application activities.Anatomy and Physiology: Health Science Education Anatomy and Physiology is a course in which students will examine human anatomy and physical functions. They will analyze descriptive results of abnormal physiology and evaluate clinical consequences. A workable knowledge of medical terminology will be demonstrated.AICE Marine Science AS: This class is a college level introductory class into the marine sciences and is designed as a survey class of some of the different marine science disciplines. The class content will include, but not be limited to the following topics: scientific method; marine ecosystems and biodiversity; energetics of marine ecosystems; nutrient cycles in marine ecosystems; coral reefs and lagoons; the ocean floor and the coast; physical oceanography; and chemical oceanography. This course prepares students to sit for the AICE exam.AICE Psychology: The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to psychological concepts, theories, research findings, and applications; to help students create an understanding of the range and limitations of psychological theory and practice; to encourage students to explore and understand the relationship between psychological findings and everyday life; to develop skills of analysis, interpretation, application and evaluation; to promote an appreciation and understanding of individual, social and cultural diversity; to develop an understanding of ethical issues in psychology; to explore and understand the relationship between psychological findings and social, cultural and contemporary issues; to study psychological principles, perspectives and applications; and to encourage the development of the skill of communication.Visual Arts I: This elective course offers students studio experiences in drawing, painting, and two- and three-dimensional design with an emphasis on art elements. It incorporates the National Standards for Art Education: understanding and applying media, techniques and processes; using knowledge of structures and functions; choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols and ideas; understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures; reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others; and making connections between visual arts and other disciplines.Drawing: This course allows the student to explore qualities of graphite, pastels, chalks, ink and colored pencils. The focus will be on the human figure, landscapes, still life and/or fantasy.Photography: This is a studio course in which the student explores the qualities of single lens reflex photography. Art photography is emphasized with attention given to the principles of art. Students will have the opportunity to shoot, develop and print black and white photographs. Darkroom techniques will be examined in depth when available.Ceramics: This is an in-depth studio course in which the student explores the medium of fire clay. Throwing functional objects on the wheel, coil and slab building, and expressive ceramic sculpture are options available to students. The focus is on discovering the unique properties of clay, glaze and/or the process of firing the ceramic kiln.Painting: This course is an in-depth studio course in which the student explores qualities of painting including acrylic and watercolor, and studies color theory. The focus will be on the human figure, land and/or seascapes, still life and/or fantasy.IGCSE Art and Design: The Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design syllabus aims to encourage a personal response by stimulating imagination, sensitivity, conceptual thinking, powers of observation and analytical ability. Learners gain confidence and enthusiasm as they develop technical skills in two and three dimensional form and composition, and are able to identify and solve problems in visual and tactile forms. They also learn how to develop ideas from initial attempts to final solutions. An ideal foundation for further study, Cambridge IGCSE Art & Design also develops a greater awareness of the role played by the visual arts in society and in history, broadening cultural horizons and individual experience.Theater Arts: This course is a study of the elements that comprise the total "theater experience": the script, types of drama, acting, sets, props, lighting, costumes and makeup.Drama and Acting: This course involves students in various aspects of acting improvisation, pantomime, voice and diction, character development and allows for opportunities to participate in scenes, plays and readers theater.Piano I: This course is designed for the beginning student wishing to learn the basic fundamentals of piano playing. This is a laboratory course through the use of an electronic piano lab. Students should have a piano available for home practice. Elements of music theory and music history are part of this course. After school and/or evening performances may be required for this course.Piano II: This course is for students wishing to continue in-depth study for piano, which will include repertory, sight-reading and improvisation. There will be a continued use of the electronic piano lab. Students should have a piano available for home practice. Elements of music theory and music history are part of this course. After school and/or evening performances may be required for this course. Guitar: This course is designed for the student who desires the classical approach to guitar playing. The course will include extensive reading of music and the development of the right hand finger techniques. Prior playing experience is required for this course. This course incorporates elements of improvisation, music theory, music history, listening, and analyzing. After school and/or evening rehearsals and performances will be required.JROTCJROTC I: JROTC I is the first course in a series of four that helps today’s high school students become tomorrow’s aerospace-age citizens. The curriculum integrates social studies and physical sciences through their application to aerospace. The three-year course of study includes history of aviation and aviation’s impact on society, meteorology, navigation, propulsion, principles of flight, aerospace industry, and the career opportunities it provides and international implications of space operations. Approximately 40 percent of the program is devoted to leadership and related subjects.JROTC II: JROTC II is the second course in a four course series that helps today’s high school students becomes tomorrow’s aerospace-age citizens. The curriculum integrates social studies and physical sciences through their application to aerospace. The three-year course of study includes history of aviation and aviation’s impact on society, meteorology, navigation, propulsion, principles of flight, aerospace industry, and the career opportunities it provides and international implications of space operations. Approximately 40 percent of the program is devoted to leadership and related subjects.JROTC III: JROTC III is a program that helps today’s high school students become tomorrow’s aerospace-age citizens. The curriculum integrates social studies and physical sciences through their application to aerospace. The three-year course of study includes history of aviation and aviation’s impact on society, meteorology, navigation, propulsion, principles of flight, aerospace industry, and the career opportunities it provides and international implications of space operations. Approximately 40 percent of the program is devoted to leadership and related subjects.JROTC IV: JROTC IV is the final course in a four course series that helps today’s high school students become tomorrow’s aerospace-age citizens. The curriculum integrates social studies and physical sciences through their application to aerospace. The three-year course of study includes history of aviation and aviation’s impact on society, meteorology, navigation, propulsion, principles of flight, aerospace industry, and the career opportunities it provides and international implications of space operations. Approximately 40 percent of the program is devoted to leadership and related subjects. ................
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