Now Accepting Students For 2008-2009!
High School Course Catalogue
2008-2009
WWSCO High School Program: Redefining Success
Success, as WWCSO redefines it, means academic achievement in context with the whole person. Real success includes positive growth in social, personal, moral and ethical standards and behavior as well as in academics.
Learning takes place in everyday life, not just in a classroom. Observing nature outdoors, visiting museums, internships, employment or participating in community service projects are just a few examples of leaning opportunities outside the classroom.
While viewing our course selections, keep in mind that the courses are only a part of the overall program, tied to each other and to the other aspects of our students lives.
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Subject Areas
| Language Arts and Literature | Mathematics |
| History and Social Studies | Sciences |
| Arts and Humanities | Technology |
| Languages | Physical Education and Health |
Language Arts and Literature
- The American Experience (1 credit): This course will focus on literary forms such as narrative accounts, poems, diaries, letters, journals, short stories and essays within the chronology of American history. The course builds skills in reading, grammar, writing, spelling and vocabulary. [Textbook, Non-Fiction, Fiction, Online Readings]
- British Literature (1 credit): Focusing on the literary forms of the epic, drama, essay, lyric poetry, the novel and short story within the chronology of British literature. Students will increase grammar, writing, spelling and vocabulary skills through reading, exercises, assignments and projects. [Textbook, Non-Fiction, Fiction, Online Readings]
- World Literature* (1 credit): Exploring our world and its history through literature, we gain an understanding of origins and traditions in the ancient world and travel through China, Japan, India and other cultures exploring the writings of wisdom, insight, renaissance, rationalism, revolution and more. Grammar, writing, spelling and vocabulary skills through reading, exercises, research and projects. [Textbook, Non-Fiction, Fiction, Online Readings]
- Communicating in Cyberspace (>5 credit): This class covers the analysis, design, implementation and testing of various forms of digital communication. Students are encouraged to think about the Web and other new digital interactive media not just in terms of technology but also broader issues such as language (verbal and visual), design, information architecture, communication and community. Students work in small groups on a semester-long project of their choice. [MIT Online material and other reading and research]
- Communicating Across Cultures (.5 credit): “Communicating Across Cultures” is designed to help you meet the challenges of living in a world in which, increasingly, you will be asked to interact with people who may not be like you in fundamental ways. Its primary goals are to help you become more sensitive to intercultural communication differences, and to provide you with the knowledge and skills that will help you interact successfully with people from cultures other than your own. The course will accomplish those goals by exposing you to some of the best writers and scholars on the subject of intercultural communication, and by giving you a variety of opportunities to practice intercultural communication yourself. [MIT online material, readings, research and activities]
- Creative Writing I (.5 credit): The Creative Writing course focuses on a study of various forms and genres of prose and poetry apart from, though not excluding, expositive and persuasive essays. Literary works will serve as models through analysis, application, and imitation. Composition exercises will reflect an understanding of studied forms and an application of creative techniques. [Various reading and writing activities]
- Creative Writing II [Short Story] (.5 credit): [Reading and writing]
- Creative Writing II [Poetry] (.5 credit): [Reading and writing]
- Creative Writing II [The Novel] (.5 credit): [Reading and writing]
Tiger Tails and Worldwide Folk Tales This study of Children’s Literature throughout the world is designed for students to gain an appreciation and understanding of children’s literature. In addition to reading the classics and the critically acclaimed works of both fiction and nonfiction by modern writers, students will study delightful and creative poetry, folklore, and mythology and examine the relationship between illustration and text. Students will write and illustrate a children’s storybook as the culminating project. .5 credits Pre-requisite: None Speech and Debate DeVito, The Essential Elements of Public Speaking Concise exploration of the ins and outs of public speaking and makes a clear link between theory and practice. Brief (336-pages), skills-focused, and highly interactive text helps students to think about the choices they face in preparing and presenting public speeches— including choices based on ethical considerations. In addition to developing practical public speaking skills, the text helps students to become critical analyzing and adapting to different audiences and in using supporting materials and visual aids. .5 credits Pre-requisite: None Poetry Caplan, Poetic Form: An Introduction Poetic Form offers a clear, compact, and entertaining introduction to the history, structure, and practice of the language’s most popular verse forms. - 10 - Written with humor and wit, this guide aims to convey the pleasures of poetry—a sestina’s delightful gamesmanship, an epigram’s barbed wit, a haiku’s deceptive simplicity—and the fun of exploring the poetic forms. Each chapter defines a particular verse form, briefly describes its history, and offers examples. Writing exercises challenge students to utilize the forms in creative expression. Covering a wider range of forms in greater detail and with more poetic examples than similar guides on the market, it provides enough material to thoroughly introduce the language’s major forms while allowing flexibility in the classroom. .5 credits Pre-requisite: None Mythological Worlds of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship by Colin Duriez Based on the book, Tolkien and C.S. Lewis: The Gift of Friendship by Colin Duriez. Both Tolkien and C.S. Lewis are literary superstars, known around the world as the creators of Middle-earth and Narnia. This book explores their lives, unfolding the extraordinary story of their complex friendship that lasted, with its ups and downs, until Lewis’s death in 1963. Despite their differences, what united them was, a shared vision that continues to inspire their millions of readers throughout the world. .5 credits Pre-requisite: None SAT/ACT Prep Course familiarize students with test skills
