Electives:
Providing students with opportunities to apply what they are learning in more conventional academic offerings. Course content is intentionally varied. These courses are true electives, and students are encouraged to enroll in a course that may not ordinarily be available in a typical high school curriculum.
General Elective courses may include: Check back in March for the final list of courses.
Drawing
High School Math: Algebra II Preparation
High School Math: Pre-Calculus Preparation
Sports & Culture
Technology for Learning
Theater
Vermont Field Biology
What’s in a Song?
Drawing: This course is an introductory course in drawing, but will also provide continued instruction for seasoned mark makers. Emphasis is on strategies, methods, and techniques for translating three-dimensional form and space onto a two-dimensional surface using the language of line, value, and the illusion of depth and texture. Mark making and its expressive and descriptive qualities will be examined.
High School Math: Algebra II Preparation: This course is intended for higher level math students preparing to take Algebra II this fall. Specific content includes the study of algebraic functions, their graphs, and trigonometric basics. Building on a strong foundation of mathematical knowledge, this class is designed to develop students’ critical thinking and problem solving skills, helping them to prepare for Algebra II.
High School Math: Pre-Calculus Preparation: This course is intended for higher level math students preparing to take pre-calculus this fall. Students will review and be introduced to the concepts necessary for a smooth transition into pre-calculus.
Sports and Culture: Are you interested in sports in America? In this course, we will look at the role sports play in our society. Using materials from a variety of sources, students will examine the relationships sports have to individuals and social organizations. The course will cover current issues in sports, such as the nature of competition, performance enhancement, violence, gender issues, and multi-million dollar contracts.
Technology for Learning (Assistive Technology): Do you wonder how you can use technology to help you become a better student? Have you ever been told you should try Dragon or Kurzweil, but haven’t known where to begin? Are reading and spelling challenging for you? In this course, you will learn about three of the assistive technologies used at Landmark College: Kurzweil 3000 (text-to-speech), Inspiration (concept/mind-mapping), and Dragon NaturallySpeaking (speech-to-text). Additionally, we will present other technology options, including OneNote and many free options such as Readability, WebNotes, StudyBlue flashcards, Wunderlist, LeechBlock, and ToDoList. You will learn through a process of classroom discussion and activities, small-group interaction, hands-on training, homework assignments, and a final evaluation. This course will present you with a solid foundation for pursuing AT upon returning to your high school or going on to college.
Theater: Students in the theater elective will experience play-making through improvisation. Students will learn how to harness their artistic voices and turn their ideas and opinions into performance that makes a statement! The students will work as an acting company functioning in various roles, such as actor, writer, or stage hand. We will be working with theater games from the beginning of the course. As a group we will define areas of interest to explore and create scenarios and characters to work with. We will add and refine material for our play, which will culminate in a public performance at the end of the program.
Vermont Field Biology: Learn about local wildlife, plants, and ecosystems, along with other basic concepts of ecology. Take field trips to local areas, such as streams, rivers, wetlands, mountains, and meadows to study ecosystems and to practice scientific observation. Students will keep a field notebook, do a simple a field project, and will be expected to hike over varying terrain. Weather permitting, students will observe a biologist in the field netting and banding wild birds.
What’s in a Song: This course is for any student who has an interest in music and/or songwriting. No musical experience is required. We will explore a variety of musical genres and experiment with songwriting. The course will be collaborative and discussion based. Students will be encouraged to share and critique a variety of songs. Students can work together or independently to explore creating songs and lyrics. In our three-week class, we will endeavor to answer the following:
- What makes a song good or bad?
- When is songwriting complexity better than simplicity and vice versa?
- What genre of music do you prefer and why?
- What are the rules of a good pop song? Country song? Punk song? Jazz song?
Academic Prep:
Academic Prep is offered four evenings each week. This provides a structured time for students to review the class work of the day and/or prepare the work required for the next day or for ongoing class projects. Students are able to work alone, in groups, or in a supervised setting. Academic Prep is also a time for students to gain expertise in the use of Assistive Technology. All Academic Prep locations feature desktop or laptop computers for student use.