Tenth Grade Curriculum Outlines

(Compiled from all faculty who teach 10th grade subjects)

World Literature II (English 10)

Core Texts:
  • ♦ Shostack, Jeremy. Vocabulary Workshop, Level G. New York: Sadlier-Oxford, 2002
  • ♦ Skiba, Laurie et al. (eds.) Literature and the Language Arts: The American Tradition. Minnesota: EMC/Paradigm Publishing, 2001.

Possible Novel Selections:
  • ♦ Siddhartha/ Herman Hesse
  • ♦ As I Lay Dying/ William Faulkner
  • ♦ The Life of Pi/Yann Martel
  • ♦ Hamlet/William Shakespeare

The class will take on a more college-esque vibe as guided discussions become the primary mode of educational exchange. SAT/PSAT strategies will also be implemented to expound upon previously acquired vocabulary expansion, analogy solving, and reading comprehension skills.

Students participate in an intensive study of poetry, non-fiction, the epic, the literary essay, and Shakespearean and Greek drama. Students write analytical essays responding to literature. They also write expository compositions, research reports, persuasive compositions, and technical documents. They deliver focused presentations that convey clear perspectives and solid reasoning. Students study writing style and advanced grammar.

Through an in-depth analysis of a broad range of readings, including short stories, poetry, articles from blog, editorials, plays, non-fiction and novels, we will explore purpose and interpret societal issues and personal interactions. We read to make connections between today’s happenings and literature written centuries ago.

In addition to the texts and novels, students will also be reading various essays pertinent to the subjects being discussed and read outside materials as monitored by the Accelerated Reading Program..

Mathematics

Texts: Primarily Saxon Math series or as noted (see below)

Students in grades 5-12 are tested and placed in the level of math they will be most successful in. Students who are accelerated will be tested and given the opportunity to take more advanced math levels. Saxon is a comprehensive system through pre-calculus, which emphasizes learning in small increments and review of all previously learned concepts throughout the year. Each night's homework consists of many different types of problems from all previous lessons.

  • ♦ Math 8/7 (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
  • ♦ Algebra 1/2 (Pre-Algebra) (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
  • ♦ Algebra 1/Geometry (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
  • ♦ Algebra 2/Geometry (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
  • ♦ Advanced Math - Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus (Robert Blitzer)
  • ♦ AP Calculus - Advanced Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry (Saxon & Wang)
  • ♦ Practical Math - Consumer Applications (Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1998)

Science (Lab Science: Biology)

Texts:
  • ♦ BSCS Biology: An Ecological Approach (Kendall/Hunt, 2006)

The BSCS Biology text presents biology as an experimental science, to demonstrate the status of biology in the twentieth century, and to illustrate its usefulness for students who will spend most of their lives in the twenty-first century.

The text focuses on the content of biology at the levels of organization of populations, communities, and the biosphere with a desire to give students insight that will enrich their lives and their ability to become responsible citizens.

The goals are to develop an understanding and appreciation of:

  • ♦ the nature of scientific inquiry
  • ♦ the limitations of science and of scientific methods
  • ♦ the diversity of life and the interrelations existing between organisms
  • ♦ the biological bases of problems in medicine, public health, agriculture and conservation
  • ♦ the historical development of biological concepts and the relationship of these concepts to the society and technology of each age
  • ♦ the beauty and drama of the living world
  • ♦ the place of humans in nature

The Laboratory Experience:

The laboratory investigations are integrated into each chapter to engage student interest through discovery or to verify and extend the materials being studied. These investigations often allow students to form and test hypotheses, and in so far as possible, are inquiry oriented.

Students participate in a 90-minute laboratory on a biweekly basis.

Social Studies (American Civics and Government)

Text: American Civics (Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1996)

The American Civics and Government program has four basic goals:

  • ♦ To provide students with a thorough understanding of our nation's system of government
  • ♦ To instill in students the qualities of good citizenship that will enable them to put their knowledge into action
  • ♦ To provide students with the skills they need to participate fully in a democratic society
  • ♦ To familiarize students with the contemporary issues that face the United States, so that they will make the wise decisions on which the nation's future depends

The following two courses have been taught some years as student interest and time allowed:

Economics

Text: Economics: Today and Tomorrow by Roger LeRoy Miller (Glencoe-McGraw Hill, 1999)

Psychology

Text: Psychology: An Introduction by Charles G. Morris and Albert A. Maisto (Prentice Hall, 2002)

Foreign Language: Korean

The Korean language program is designed for students to develop and polish their skills in reading, writing, and speaking the Korean language. In addition, students will be able to identify Korean language and culture through a variety of special activities.

Ninth through Twelfth Grade: Students will attend class five times a week. They will develop fluency in speaking, reading, and writing the Korean language. They will learn from Korean Textbook and Korean Reading III. They will learn to read, write, and speak a higher level of Korean.

Foreign Language: Spanish

Ninth through Twelfth Grade: Acquire knowledge of Spanish language step by step using the textbook, workbook, audio and visual aids and a Spanish/English dictionary. There will be several modes of instruction ranging from lectures to group discussions and activities in which all participate. This course is divided into Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced.

Memorize and apply the vocabulary and grammar of the Spanish language through oral, written, reading, and audio exercises. To review basic grammatical structures already studied followed by more advanced structures needed to acquire better proficiency. Classroom activities progress from drills to exercises of a more communicative approach. The course will consist of the following: Lecture by instructor, the use of the textbooks (Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced levels respectively), workbooks, oral activities, listening activities, Internet activities, written activities, and cultural activities.

Evaluation: Homework, project assignments, class participation, quizzes, textbook unit tests, midterm and final. Required Texts: Paso A, Paso I, II, and III (Prentice Hall).

Character Education

Text: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey

Health (including Marriage & Family)

Text: Health (Glencoe McGraw Hill, 1999)

Other sources:
  • ♦ I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris
  • ♦ Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus by John Gray
  • ♦ RQ: Relationship Quotient by Richard Panzer

The focus of this course is making informed and healthy life choices. The course covers:
  • ♦ Fitness and nutrition
  • ♦ Mental and emotional health
  • ♦ Body systems
  • ♦ Growth and development
  • ♦ Medicines and drugs
  • ♦ Disease and disorders and injury prevention and safety
  • ♦ Healthy relationships

Information Technology

Information Technology is not normally offered in 10th Grade.