1/2 year | .5 credit

This half-year course immerses students in the work of print and broadcast journalists.
Topics include:

• Hard news

• Feature writing

• Editorials

• Reviews of movies, television, restaurants, music

• Broadcast journalism; blogging and podcasting.

Additionally, students will learn the skills of interviewers and critique the work of professional journalists. As part of this class, students will create both print and internet publications in cooperative learning groups. Students will use Google Classroom as the primary class interface so students interested in this course should have some basic word processing and computer skills.

Prerequisites:
Open to grade 11 students who have earned a minimum final average of 85 in English 10, and 12th graders who have earned a minimum final average of 85 in English 11.

1/2 year | .5 credit

This half-year course is a critical exploration of the short story in its many forms. The course will survey works from classic masters (such as Chekhov, Lawrence, Poe, and Hawthorne) and more modern technicians (Hemingway, Cheever, Dubus, Carver, Lahiri). Students will also learn various models of critical studies through which to analyze the stories including psychological analysis, gender studies, new critical studies, and liberal humanism. Class discussions will be the center of the course, with each student taking a turn in role of "expert" and "discussion leader.

Prerequisites:
Open to grade 11 students who have earned a minimum final average of 85 in English 10, and 12th graders who have earned a minimum final average of 85 in English 11.

1 year | 1 credit 

Marine Science is a one-year course about the ocean and life in the ocean. Some of the topics we will cover are ocean exploration, ocean properties, marine environments, marine invertebrates, and marine vertebrates. The course includes hands-on projects, computer-based projects, as well as traditional lecture-based instruction. Students will also participate in interactive virtual field trips throughout the school year to Dolphin Research Center in Florida.

Prerequisites:
Grade 11/12; Regents Living Environment and Regents Earth Science

1 year | 1 credit

The fundamental concepts of psychology should be familiar at some level to anyone because they address much of what makes us human - perception, sensation, emotion, personality, learning, memory, stress, and social behavior. This course explores how our biology is turned into personality through the functions of perception, consciousness, emotion, and motivation, as well as higher-order functions such as memory, learning, and language. How humans act when surrounded by others in societies is examined through the lenses of social psychology and psychological disorders.

This course will prepare students for the AP Psychology exam. In addition, students will have the opportunity to register for course credit through Syracuse University. The teacher is an adjunct professor.

SPONSORING COLLEGE: Syracuse University (SU)

PSY 205 - Foundations of Human Behavior

Prerequisites:
Grade 11 and 12

1 year | 1 credit

Students participating in the Introduction to Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources course will experience hands-on activities, projects, and problems. Student experiences will involve the study of communication, the science of agriculture, plants, animals, natural resources, and agricultural mechanics. While surveying the opportunities available in agriculture and natural resources, students will learn to solve problems, conduct research, analyze data and work in teams.

Prerequisites:
None

1 year | 1 credit 

Current Events in Sports & Society will examine relevant news from the world of sports. On a daily basis, we will consider the day's headlines, focusing on a variety of sports in the process. Oftentimes, the content of the course will take us beyond the arena of competition, as we will consider the intersection between athletics and pressing issues at the forefront of society at large. Through ongoing discussion, the viewing of select ESPN 30 for 30 films, episodes of HBO?s Real Sports, and the submission of various written pieces, students will become more aware of events occurring in the athletic realm and their societal implications. On a weekly basis, we will discuss and debate student-selected topics.

Prerequisites:
Grade 10-12

1 year | 1 credit

A must for sports enthusiasts, this course will emphasize the close connection between athletics and society at large. Through the reading of selected texts, the viewing of various films, the writing of critical essays, and their active participation in analytical weekly class discussions, students will consider the extent to which athletics serve as a lens through which we may examine a variety of social issues. Topics of emphasis will include the following: academics, coping with failure, discipline, economics, ethics, evaluation, goal setting, interpersonal skills, leadership, parental interference, problem solving, race-related issues, and self-evaluation. One of the highlights of this course is the fantasy football unit, which includes the opportunity for some friendly competition among the members of the class.

Potential Texts: Friday Night Lights, Leading with the Heart, Coach Wooden's Pyramid of Success, Moneyball

Potential Films: Remember the Titans, Finding Forrester, Hoosiers, Coach Carter, Field of Dreams, The Jackie Robinson Story, and various films from ESPN's 30 for 30 series

Evaluation: Graded formal essays, journal entries, and class participation

Prerequisites:
Grade 10-12

1/2 year | .5 credit

Students study culture and social structure with emphasis on traditional and changing American values. Individuals in society, including personality, work and developmental issues will be studied, as well as social inequality, institutions, social movements and change.

Prerequisites:
Grade 11 and 12

1/2 year | .5 credit

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY is an introductory course to the field of abnormal psychology. We will explore abnormality within historical, social, and cultural contexts, as well as the various predominating paradigms. Each major disorder, its symptoms, and preferred treatment strategy will be examined using case material to supplement the chapter text. Throughout the course, we will look at major research issues as they relate to both the causes of each disorder and the efficiency of current treatments and interventions. It is also anticipated that you will gain an appreciation for the complexity of human behavior and increased compassion for individuals with mental illnesses. Content covers assessment, description, theory, research, causes, and treatments of various psychological maladaptive behaviors and disorders. Some mental health problems studied include anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance disorders, sexual disorder, depression and other neuroses and psychoses.

Prerequisites:
Grade 11 and 12

1 year | 1 credit

This Social Studies elective class will examine the development of sport(s) in America as well as throughout world history. Our historical study will focus on helping students gain a better understanding of the inner relationship that sport has on social, economic, cultural and political forces that are at work in the United States as well as the world. We will examine the historical context as well as the significance of gender, race, ethnicity and social class. We will do our historical investigation through readings, primary sources, audio and visual materials as well as class discussions and guests. We will unlock the mystery "hold" that sport has on the American public through our analysis and discussion.

Students will gain historical knowledge about the historical origins and development of various sports in America as well as worldwide, major political, social, cultural, economic, and intellectual concepts throughout chronological history of sport. Students will understand why and how sports have become a popular cultural phenomenon. Students will also learn a greater appreciation for the issues that have affected sports such as gender, discrimination, race bias, and class economics. Students will also begin to recognize the influence that commercialization has within the sports world.

Prerequisites:
None