Elective Course Descriptions
Offered 2012-2013
Monday, Wednesday, Friday Options
6-9 Grade
Beginning Band Year long course
This course is offered to all 6th and 7th grade students without prior band experience. Students will select a beginning band instrument (with director input) flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and percussion.. Students will perform on concerts several times during the school year.
* Please do not rent an instrument prior to director approval*
Concert Attire for all Ensembles: Concert Black.
Ladies: black dress pants or knee-length skirt or dress; black dress shoes; tops must be appropriate. No hats.
Gentlemen: black dress pants, black belt, and black dress shirt; black socks with black dress shoes. No hats.
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Chorus Year long course
Chorus is designed to promote musical growth in every student by developing vocal skills and learning to read music. Although primarily performance based, there is a strong emphasis on sight-reading, ear training, and basic music theory. The course is designed as a comprehensive approach to musicianship giving students an opportunity to listen, conduct, sing, evaluate, compose, and study different styles of music.
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Creative Writing Semester course
The Creative Writing class introduces students to various forms of writing, such as poetry, narrative, short story, and drama. They will explore these genres by participating in class discussions, completing written exercises, and sharing ideas and thoughts in peer response sessions. This class also incorporates the 6+1 Traits of Writing to strengthen the students’ writing skills. Depending on the genre, the following areas may be covered:
- Using correct writing conventions.
- Structuring information in a clear sequence.
- Applying different modes and written forms to express ideas.
- Using varied sentence structures and lengths to enhance flow, rhythm, and meaning.
- Selecting words that are correct, functional, and appropriate to the audience and purpose.
At the end of each unit, students will be responsible for creating portfolios with their completed work and giving a short presentation on their writing pieces.
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Exploratory Spanish
This semester class will explore building conversational Spanish skills through story telling, as well as exploring the cultures of various Spanish-speaking countries. Curriculum will consist of vocabulary building and grammar fundamentals within the framework of our cultural study.
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Public Speaking Semester course
This semester class designed to enrich effectiveness of verbal and nonverbal communication and overall public speaking abilities. Students will study speech communication as a process that includes speaking, listening, and perception by creating, delivering, and evaluating public speaking.
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Tuesday, Thursday Options
6-9 Grade
Curriculum Assistance Semester course
This course will help students organize and complete homework and school assignments. Students are expected to come to CA prepared to work on homework and school assignments. No grade is given for this class; however, students who sign up for CA and do not use their time wisely or repeatedly have nothing to do will be removed from the class and placed in an alternate elective by administration.
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Intermediate Band: Year long course
Prerequisite: One to Two Years of Band; Director Approval.
This course will be offered to middle school students who have had at least one year of band experience or meet the skill requirements through prior audition with the director. Students are required to provide their own instruments and care materials, method book, and appropriate concert attire. Personal practice time required is 160 minutes per week (approximately 20-30 minutes per day). There will be two concerts in which attendance is required. The band will study and perform concert and solo repertoire, and students will also be given opportunity to compete in All-District competitions.
Concert Attire for all Ensembles: Concert Black.
Ladies: black dress pants or knee-length skirt or dress; black dress shoes; tops must be appropriate. No hats.
Gentlemen: black dress pants, black belt, and black dress shirt; black socks with black dress shoes. No hats.
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Musical Theatre Year long course
This class is an introduction to dramatic performance and will commence with a short final presentation. Students will explore the following areas of theatre arts: pantomime and improvisation, basic stage movement, voice, character development, reader’s theatre and script writing. Most assignments can be completed within the class time; however some homework and testing is required.
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Personal Fitness Semester course (may be repeated)
Students will learn basic concepts of fitness, and how to implement the concepts to develop a personal fitness plan. Specifically, students will implement fitness concepts and principles to improve cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength & endurance, flexibility, and body composition. This will be a Pass/Fail course. Students will be required to dress out for this course. Appropriate attire may be purchased through the school’s online spirit wear company, Ads n Art.
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We the People Semester course
This course introduces students to the study of the constitutional government of the United States. It is not a course of historical names and dates but rather a course that strives to explain the ideas of our constitutional system and how those ideas came to be. It is intended to provide students with a better understanding of how the Constitution came into being, why it took the form it did, and how it has functioned for the past 200 years in an effort to prepare them for future civics courses and to be better citizens.
Electives Offerings
8th/9th graders only
Teacher Cadet (8/9) Year long course
Prerequisite: Placement Pending Administrative Approval.
This elective gives selected students the opportunity to work for a teacher helping them throughout the year. Teacher cadets are expected to be students of good standing, responsible and trustworthy. Those not in compliance with the teacher’s instructions and rules will be removed from the class.
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Yearbook (8/9) Year long course
The primary purpose of this elective is for students to design and produce the Thales Academy Junior High yearbook. In the process of doing this, students will learn: layout principles and design using editing/creating software, photography and photo editing, interview skills, marketing fundamentals, and the importance of meeting crucial deadlines. Yearbook class members will gain experience in the many aspects of publishing, including choosing a theme and exploring it throughout, writing descriptive or explanatory text, and creating layouts for the text and pictures. Each student will have the opportunity to express his/her ideas in order to create a student-based yearbook, which comes directly from the student’s input.
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Spanish I (9th grade only) Year long course
This high school level course is an introductory study of the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. The course strives to help the learner acquire knowledge by integrating the four skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking, with an increased emphasis on ORAL PROFICIENCY; therefore, the use of Spanish in the classroom will be the primary goal. Since students need as much practice as possible to become fluent, concentration in class and oral participation in SPANISH is absolutely necessary. An effort to use the language at all times is expected. By the end of this course, students will have acquired a basic command of the key vocabulary and structures necessary for limited personal communication, as well as an appreciation of the breadth and variety of the Spanish-speaking world. Completing this course with a passing grade will allow students to earn high school credit and to enter Level II of this language in the 10th grade.
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Latin II (9th grade only) Year long course
This course is designed for students who have successfully completed Latin I. Students will continue the study of Latin in the areas of vocabulary and grammar as well as speaking activities. More emphasis will be placed on reading the language as students read historical accounts of daily life as well as cultural themes and various lessons on the fall of the Roman Republic and the longevity of the Roman Empire. This course will be taught at a pace equivalent to college prep level. Students will be required to take the National Latin Exam (Level II) in the Spring.
Required Electives
6-9 Grade
*All students will be registered for Health (quarter)/PE (semester)/Technology (quarter)
on a rotating basis throughout the year.
*All students will be registered for an Integrated Art course as required by the curriculum.
Art Year long course
Students will develop critical and creative thinking skills in relation to visual arts. Perceptual awareness necessary for understanding and applying media, techniques, processes, and producing art will be developed. Students will organize the components of work through the knowledge of principles of design and art elements based on specific time periods. Students will evaluate a range of subject matter and ideas to understand the meaning of ancient, medieval, and renaissance art. Integrated art in relation to history and cultures will be explored. The students will critique, develop connections with other disciplines, and acquire an awareness of art as a profession.
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Health Quarter course
This course will teach students how to make informed decisions regarding their well-being and maintaining healthy behaviors. Students will be exposed to topics such as healthy eating, maintaining stress, accepting responsibility, prevention of major health risks, demonstrating skills in conflict resolution, and constructing a plan for positive health behaviors.
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Physical Education Semester course
This class is designed to give a well-rounded Physical Education program that includes physical conditioning and participation in a variety of sports. Students gain basic knowledge of each sport in order to play on a recreational level. Skills for each sport are practiced while promoting teamwork and excellent sportsmanship. Having fun while exercising promotes the healthy lifestyle necessary for all ages.
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Technology Quarter course
This course will teach students the fundamentals of the following programs: Word, Excel, Keyboarding, and Power Point along with email etiquette, appropriate use of the internet, and techniques for finding credible internet resources for research.
REGISTRATION FORMS
6th Grade Electives 2012-13 Registration Form
7th Grade Electives 2012-13 Registration Form