English

Language Arts 9/10 

Further development of foundational literacy skills through analysis of selected texts. Students develop grammatical, literary, vocabulary and writing skills in preparation of career and college readiness. 

English 11 

Analysis of literary themes of selected texts. Students develop grammatical, vocabulary, literary and writing skills in preparation of career and college readiness. 

English 12 

Students complete their senior capstone project during their final year of English. The first semester is dedicated to investigating and writing the research paper in accordance with MLA standards for process and final presentation; the second semester is dedicated to preparing and practicing the audio-visual presentation for the community in May. 

English as a Second Language (ESL) 

ESL 1 

Students work on developing fundamental listening, speaking, reading and writing vocabulary skills. Emphasis is made on acquiring skills necessary to function in an English speaking environment for career and academic purposes. Students who have been in US schools less than 1 year will be placed in this course. 

ESL 2 

Students work on refining intermediate listening, speaking, reading and writing vocabulary skills. Emphasis is made on acquiring skills necessary to function in an English speaking environment for career and academic purposes. Students touch on issues of financial literacy, job interviews and post-graduation plans.

ESL 3/4

Students utilize listening, speaking, reading, vocabulary and writing skills to engage in STEM topics and activities for continued academic study. 

ESL Communications Workshop 

Students engage in conversational topics in English including informational, argumentative/persuasive, and narrative presentational speaking. This course uses an interdisciplinary approach to student achievement addressing mathematical, scientific, language and social studies topics. 

Social Studies

World History 

Examination of the Western Hemisphere from ancient civilizations of (pre) Aztecs, Mayans and Incas, the process of colonization from European colonizers, and the migrations of peoples through the 20th century. Students engage in group research projects regarding the various class themes discussed that allow for student interest and deeper understanding of concepts. 

World History Bilingual 

Decolonized exploration of agricultural development, domestication of plants and animals, civilizations and world conflicts culminating in World Wars I & II. Students engage in mini research topics regarding the various class themes discussed that allow for student interest and deeper understanding of concepts. 

US History 

Examination of the United States formation of government and policies through the lens of Chicano history. Students engage in group research projects regarding the various class themes discussed that allow for student interest and deeper understanding of concepts. 

US History Bilingual 

Exploration of indigenous peoples, colonization and economic development (through the perspective of enslaved peoples), philosophy of Manifest Destiny and its propagation of racism, and civil rights movements of the 20th century. Students engage in mini research topics regarding the various class themes discussed that allow for student interest and deeper understanding of concepts. 

Geography 

Exploration of the 5 themes of geography with a regional focus. Each region is studied alongside a given focus: economics, migration, environment, culture and politics.

ESL Geography 

Exploration of the 5 themes of geography with a regional focus. Each region is studied alongside a given focus: economics, migration, environment, culture and politics. Students taking ESL classes are enrolled in this course.

Economics 

Introduction to foundational economic concepts and principles through the lens of social and economic justice. Students apply economic concepts to today’s economic trends and understand its impact on individuals and communities (local, national and international).

US Government

Exploration of United States government and politics, covering topics of Constitution, civil rights, interest groups, politics, voting, Congress, the Presidency, the Judiciary, laws, public policies, state & local government, and current events. The course will be designed to cater to student voice and interest in topics of US governance. 

East Asian History 

Introduction to the historical and cultural richness of Asian peoples through an ethnic studies approach. Diversity both between and within different Asian countries will be explored within a decolonized framework and designed to meet student interest.

Afro-Latinx Caribbean History 

Exploration of intersections, perspectives and collaborations of the Afro Latinx Caribbean community. Students will examine historic and present day tensions around race and difference, strengthen their own identity development, and address bias in their own communities. 

Science 

Earth Space Science

Study of space, geologic structures and forces, the waters on our planet, and the atmospheric forces that shape our world. Students will learn about scientific inquiry, geologic time, space exploration, the solar system, and the universe.

Biology 

Introduction to the scientific method, cytology, genetics, botany, zoology, ecology, taxonomy, evolution, chemistry, and microbiology. Course work, lab work, and examinations will prepare students for future science courses.

Chemistry 

Study of the structure and composition of matter that makes up living things and their environment. This class covers topics such as matter, chemical reactions, solutions, and nuclear chemistry. Course work, lab work, and examinations will prepare students for future science courses.

Mathematics 

Intermediate Algebra 

Students will learn to represent linear and quadratic functions as verbal descriptions, equations, tables, and graphs, as well as solve linear and quadratic equations with real numbers. Students will apply this learning to solve real-world mathematical problems; students work together to develop mathematical understandings by making connections, discovering relationships, figuring out strategies to problem solve, explain and communicate their thinking to others. This course prepares students to be mathematically literate, as well as prepare them for future math courses, the high school MN Math Standards, and MN standardized math tests.

Geometry 

Students will study points, lines, line segments, rays, planes, and vectors in their exploration of angles, polygons, circles, lengths, areas, and volumes. Emphasis will be placed on congruent figures, as well as similar figures and their ratios, and right triangle trigonometric ratios. The concept of proof will be investigated and the utility of logic will be emphasized. Algebraic skills will be used to build further understanding of the interconnectedness of mathematics.

Algebra 2 

Algebra 2 prepares students for precalculus or a college Algebra class and meets the requirements for the Algebra strand in the MN State Math Standards. Quarter one is largely a review of the most important skills from Intermediate Algebra. New concepts include functions (linear, quadratic, and polynomial), evaluating expressions, solving equations, linear functions and inequalities, and writing, graphing, and solving absolute value, quadratic, and polynomial functions. In addition, students will write, graph, and solve exponential, logarithmic, and rational functions, work with sequences and series, and be introduced to trigonometry.

College Algebra (College in the Schools)  

Math modeling, including linear, polynomial, rational, exponential, logarithmic functions, counting/probability. Excel or calculators used to develop equations/graphs from theoretical/real interdisciplinary data. Projects enable students to use models to examine trends, make predictions. University of MN course description.

Spanish 

Heritage Spanish 

This course is for native Spanish speakers to develop their reading, writing, listening and speaking of the language. Content will focus on sentence structure and writing skills, reading comprehension of cultural texts, and speaking skills. Students will present a biographical narrative in hard copy format for final evaluation. 

Art 

Social Movements & Art 

Investigation of art as a form of political activism in Latin America with emphasis on recurrent issues: the relationship between aesthetics and politics, conceptions of community and the public, and the practical aims of art, both intended and actual. Students will research and present on art that reflects course themes. 

Social Movements & Music (STEAM)

Steam is an interdisciplinary STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) course designed to engage students in real world, hands-on, collaborative learning while mastering music concepts. This course welcomes community members into the classroom, and students explore musical production and instruments within a historical and cultural perspective.