Upper School
Departments and Classes
Waynflete readies students for college-level instruction by offering challenging and fascinating courses not typically found in high schools and our dedicated faculty are given the time and resources to create immersive learning experiences around the strengths and interests of each student.
Within small and highly engaging classes, students spend their days working with primary documents and real-world research, honing their academic writing skills, exploring diverse perspectives, and engaging in lively academic discussion.
Upper School students study American history through the eyes and first-hand accounts of women, Native Americans, and black Americans. Master Mandarin Chinese, Latin, and other classic and world languages. Read philosophy. Gather and analyze complex data for real NASA research projects and state environmental initiatives. Publish a literary magazine, debate ethics in literature and film, compose electronic music, and so much more.
Writing at Waynflete
Waynflete students are known for their strong writing skills and we prioritize writing across our curriculum. Whether revising a rigorous academic research paper argued from primary sources or composing an original play to perform during the student drama festival, our students learn to use language to share their unique vision of the world.
Thinking Like a Scientist
How do you get students excited about STEM? By engaging them in real-life scientific experiments and research projects. Within Waynflete science and math classes, students measure the trajectory of meteors for NASA. Test water quality for environmental initiatives. And analyze vaccine and treatment efficacy through COVID-19 and Ebola data.
In-Depth Exploration in Elective Courses
Waynflete empowers students to select their own areas of study from an extensive array of elective courses with guidance from their academic advisor, teachers, and department chair. These focused and fascinating explorations of specific subjects spark deep learning while preparing students for college seminars. By Grade 12, every student’s academic schedule reflects their personal passions and offers a clear path to their future goals.
Self-Directed Learning
At Waynflete, we know study skills, personal responsibility, and executive functioning are critical to college success and we want students to develop that drive from within. Students have free periods for independent study, the freedom to chart their own course with the help of their academic advisor, and all the support they need to succeed.
Senior Projects
Waynflete seniors spend the last month of their studies on their Senior Project: a self-directed endeavor expressing passion, creativity, and skill. Seniors present completed projects prior to commencement and the depth and diversity of the work showcases the incredible talent in each graduating class. A cookbook that combines culinary expertise and cultural influences with photography and design. The engineering and construction of a full-size working trebouchet. Whatever form it takes, the senior project is always a formative experience.
MALONE SCHOOL ONLINE NETWORK
Waynflete is a member of the Malone School Network.
As one of the just 48 schools nationwide chosen to be part of the Malone School Online Network, Waynflete is able to offer motivated Upper School students an entirely new level of academic challenge and connection by joining courses from other schools online. See how our MSON membership expands our already extensive curriculum. 
Upper School English Courses
The Upper School English program focuses on literature, writing, critical thinking, and discussion skills. Students read a variety of literary genres while learning to write critical literary analysis. The reading list may be supplemented from year to year in response to student interest. Essay writing and creative writing are incorporated into every required course. Grammar is taught in the context of written work and through direct instruction. In grades 9 and 10, English courses are yearlong and thematic. In grades 11 and 12, students select from an array of semester courses.
English 9: Questions of Power (Full year, 1 credit)
This course will examine the many forms of power that drive social, political, and personal conflict in literature. Where does power come from? Where does it reside? What are the consequences when it shifts? What happens when we challenge it? Students will explore these questions and more throughout the semester, beginning with an examination of Western and non-Western conceptions of power through a close reading of the first chapters of Genesis alongside creation/ formation myths from other cultures and traditions. This approach provides the foundation for the remaining texts, which include Macbeth (William Shakespeare), The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), A Raisin in the Sun (Lorraine Hansberry), and selections from modern writers like Toni Morrison and Sandra Cisneros. Students broaden their close-reading skills and their love of language through a unit on poetry, and extensive instruction in grammar and vocabulary provides a strong foundation for frequent work on analytic writing. This rigorous course also includes an optional honors program.
English 10: Confronting the Indeterminate (Full year, 1 credit)
This course explores the nuances, intricacies, and contradictions of our world and our identities. Through literature, students confront complex ethical, social, and political questions, many of which do not have easy answers. Readings may include Kindred (Octavia Butler), Night (Elie Wiesel), I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (Maya Angelou), Exit West (Mohsin Hamid), and Twelfth Night (Shakespeare), as well as short stories and poetry. In addition to developing analytical writing skills, students gain significant exposure to personal essay writing through an extensive memoir project in which they reflect on the complexities of their own identities and experiences while strengthening their revision skills and exploring the stylistic elements of creative nonfiction. This rigorous course also includes an optional Honors program.
Junior-Senior English Electives
In the final two years of Upper School, the English department offers a set of electives that students select based on their individual interests and strengths. Students must take at least four semesters of English electives, two of which must be literature electives, during their junior and senior years. By graduation, each student must also have completed either Essay Writing or Writers’ Workshop. Not all electives are offered every year.
AMERICAN LITERATURE
American Hubris: In Search of the National Identity (½ credit)
This class focuses on the question of American identity—who we are and where we are headed. Students examine the culture by acting as literary critics and cultural anthropologists who seek to understand our times. They consider a range of pointed and conflicting conceptions of contemporary American identity as portrayed in novels, films, television, and various artifacts from popular culture gleaned from the internet. Novels may include The Reluctant Fundamentalist (Mohsin Hamid), A Visit from the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan), The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Junot Diaz), Animal Dreams (Barbara Kingsolver), A Hologram for the King (Dave Eggers), Casebook (Mona Simpson), The Free (Willy Vlautin), and Redeployment (Phil Klay). Films may include Crash, Beasts of the Southern Wild, Margin Call, and Winter’s Bone. The class may also study selected episodes from television series like The Wire.
The Productivity of Dissent: Reading, Writing, and Understanding Civil Discourse (½ credit)
This class will explore argumentative literature, focusing specifically on the idea of dissent and on those who practice it. The course will include critical analysis of core texts (e.g., The Traitor’s Niche, The Nightingale, The Long Walk to Freedom), as well as plays, poetry, song lyrics, political pamphlets, and famous legal dissents from international jurists. By the end of the semester, students will comfortably distinguish between dissent and disagreement, whether discussing British punk rock lyrics or the drafting of the South African Constitution. Additionally, students will engage creatively with dissent throughout the semester by writing their own poetry and short fiction.
Literature of New York City (½ credit)
Using a variety of genres and historical periods, this course looks at the exotic, eccentric, and energetic New York City and its compelling inhabitants. Pieces range from the 19th-century Melville classic “Bartleby, the Scrivener” to the contemporary protest of Sapphire’s Push. Although the pieces are studied in chronological order, the intent of the class is to examine particular voices, themes, myths, and issues of a city that epitomizes the raw power of the American dream and its failures. Works may include titles by Henry James, Bread Givers (Anzia Yezierska), The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Truman Capote), Death of a Salesman (Arthur Miller), and Let the Great World Spin (Colum McCann). Students may also study the short stories of E.B. White, Grace Paley, and Philip Roth, as well as the poetry of Edna St. Vincent Millay, Frank O’Hara, and Hart Crane.
Southern Gothic: From Flannery O’Connor to Jesmyn Ward (½ credit)
This class explores authors who use the language of dreams, nightmares, and the supernatural to understand the dark side of real-life American history. Originally considered a lowbrow genre, Southern Gothic fiction has allowed generations of writers to explore the social and psychological horrors of everyday life in the American South. Possible texts include Flannery O’Connor’s short stories, As I Lay Dying (William Faulkner), The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers), Beloved (Toni Morrison), and Sing, Unburied, Sing (Jesmyn Ward), as well as excerpts from modern and contemporary television like True Blood and American Horror Story.
The Vietnam War Through Literature and Film (½ credit)
This course focuses on novels, short stories, poetry, expository writing, and screenplays about the Vietnam War written from a variety of points of view: those of the soldiers, family members, war protesters, and Vietnamese citizens. Several popular films that depict the war are discussed and contrasted with other visual images that have become imprinted on our culture’s memory—images ranging from wartime photography to the look and the iconography of war memorials, such as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Readings may include The Quiet American (Graham Greene), The Things They Carried (Tim O’Brien), In Country (Bobbie Ann Mason), The Sadness of War (Bào Ninh), When Heaven and Earth Changed Places (Le Ly Hayslip), Everything We Had (Albert Santoli), Dispatches (Michael Herr), and In Pharaoh’s Army (Tobias Wolff). Films may include The Green Berets, Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, and Platoon. This course includes a mandatory personal interview assignment with written documentation and formal essay writing.
Postmodern Literature: Embrace the Chaos (½ credit)
Is it possible for a fictional story to represent the truth more accurately than reality? Can authors represent truth more effectively by reinventing traditional narrative techniques? Students explore these topics by examining postmodern literary techniques such as unreliable narration and metafiction that turn traditional narrative modes inside out and call into question that which seems true. Readings may include Lost in the Funhouse (John Barth), Slaughterhouse-Five (Kurt Vonnegut), Jazz (Toni Morrison), and A Visit from the Goon Squad (Jennifer Egan). Other possible authors include Chuck Palahniuk, Tim O’Brien, and David Foster Wallace. Possible films include Big Fish and The Truman Show.
Women’s Literature: Voices of Self-Expression (½ credit)
How has the literary voice of women changed over the years? Can men be included in the dialogue? How does the evolving literature reflect women’s varying experiences? A variety of genres—including poetry, prose, and theater—guide discussions of how women’s perceptions have changed and been viewed over the past century. More specifically, the course examines how class, race, geography, ethnicity, and sexual orientation shape women’s life experiences. Students explore writers from many backgrounds, including Jeanette Winterson (Written on the Body) and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale), as well as classic British writers such as Virginia Woolf (A Room of One’s Own).
Beyond Endurance: Voices of African American Writers (½ credit)
Students explore a range of thematic developments in African American fiction, theater, and poetry in the context of major cultural developments since the start of the Harlem Renaissance. Guiding questions include: What makes a text a Black text? Must African American literature serve a moral or political cause? The course examines works from the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and ’30s, the Black women’s literary renaissance of the 1950s and ’60s, the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and ’70s, and neo-slave narratives and contemporary works by African American authors. Assigned reading may include works by Zora Neale Hurston, August Wilson, Ralph Ellison, Charles Johnson, Toni Morrison, and Claudia Rankine.
Poetry and Revolution in America (½ credit)
Just as America has been an experiment since its inception, so has its poetry. From the religious fundamentalism of the Puritans to the radical individualism of the nineteenth century or from the feminist, pacifist, and communist doctrines of the 1960s to the postmodern experimentations of the present day, there has never been an era in which American poetry has not held closely to revolutionary ideas. This course examines a number of American poets in depth (considering both the formal innovations of their verse and their roles in society), including Anne Bradstreet, Phillis Wheatley, Walt Whitman, T.S. Eliot, Langston Hughes, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Audre Lorde, Adrienne Rich, Frank O’Hara, Sylvia Plath, and Terrence Hayes.
The Graphic Novel (½ credit)
Over the past few decades, the graphic novel has gone from the niche world of comic books to a varied, complex, and increasingly legitimate form of literary expression. Students trace the development of the form as it separated itself from other narrative modes and explore the themes and voices unique to graphic novels. Students are exposed to a wide range of graphic novels to learn how to examine illustration as literary style. The emphasis is on essay writing, but students create visual narrative writings of their own. The class considers whether a graphic novel should be considered literature. Readings may include Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic (Alison Bechdel), The Smartest Kid on Earth (Jimmy Corrigan), Black Panther (Chris Ware), and the works of Ta-Nehisi Coates and Brian Stelfreeze.
The American Immigrant Experience (½ credit)
This course explores the voices and experiences of American immigrants through multiple genres, including novels, short stories, essays, memoirs, poems, and films. Students will address essential questions such as: What forces draw people away from their homelands to the US? What systems are in place to support or thwart the process of “becoming American”? What is the impact of race, class, culture, and language on American and individual identity? Possible authors include Jhumpa Lahiri, Amy Tan, Dave Eggers, Khaled Hosseini, Chimamanda Adichie, Frank McCourt, Sandra Cisneros, Julie Otsuka, Julia Alvarez, Edwidge Danticat, Gene Luen Yang, and Junot Diaz.
The Making of the American Criminal (½ credit)
This course explores the intersection of literary and legal studies with a particular focus on the identities, backstories, and depictions of those accused or convicted of crimes. The class examines the role of law in the structure of institutions, relationships, as well as political and personal power. Students also consider the glamorization and demonization of the criminal in literature. Texts may include Just Mercy (Brian Stevenson), Nuts (Tom Topor), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee), The Searchers (John Ford), and The Shawshank Redemption (Stephen King and Frank Darabont). Note: Some discussions will focus on violence, incarceration, and other difficult subject matter.
Native American Literature (½ credit)
Through early Native American literary texts and the contemporary literature that these texts have influenced, this class examines the oral tradition of storytelling and the relationship to the earth—plants and animals, rivers and rocks, and all things believed significant in the life of America’s first peoples. Readings will examine the historical fissure between the first peoples and the conquering colonial powers that existed in the early Americas and continues as cultural and political conflict today. Readings include Black Elk Speaks (Nicholas Black Elk, (Lakota), Reservation Blues (Sherman Alexie, Spokane–Coeur d’Alene), Ceremony (Leslie Marmon Silko, Laguna Pueblo), and Little: A Novel (David Treuer, Ojibwe).
WORLD LITERATURE
Law, Literature, and Social Justice (½ credit)
This course will explore the intersection of literary and legal studies with a particular focus on social justice and to what degree the legal systems of various nation-states achieve it. Through literature and film, we examine the role of law in the structure of institutions, relationships, and political/personal power. We also interrogate our own ideas about morality, law, justice, and punishment and develop a lexicon and framework for discussing these concepts as legal scholars. Texts may include legal cases, excerpts from legal textbooks, Icelandic sagas, The Trial (Franz Kafka), Cell One (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie), and Too Dear! (Leo Tolstoy).
African Literature: A Question of Power (½ credit)
Although distinct in countless ways, many African cultures throughout the continent have a common experience that has shaped their destinies, namely the rapid conquest by the West in the latter part of the nineteenth century, the often-brutal colonial rule that followed, and then sudden independence from the West starting in the latter half of the twentieth century. African novelists and filmmakers played essential roles in the struggle to shape African identity after political independence, as Africans themselves took ownership of a narrative that previously had been told to the world almost exclusively by Western outsiders. This course will orient students within the literature and then engage them in open and generative discourse to identify core themes that also help illuminate contemporary African experience. Novels may include Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe), God’s Bits of Wood (Ousmane Sembène), The Bride Price (Buchi Emecheta), When Rain Clouds Gather (Bessie Head), Radiance of Tomorrow (Ishmael Beah), We Need New Names (NoViolet Bulawayo), and The Heart of Redness (Zakes Mda). Films may include Mister Johnson, Xala, and Sometimes in April.
Authenticity and Performance in the Digital Age (½ credit)
What does it mean to be authentic? Who is “the real you”? How does an online presence influence one’s real-life identity? This course examines these questions, considering how truth and performance intertwine in the age of social media and how contemporary literature probes the relationship between authenticity and digital existence. Students read a variety of texts (supplemented with critical and theoretical perspectives), from David Foster Wallace’s short story “Good Old Neon” to Remainder (Tom McCarthy) and The First Bad Man (Miranda July). The course draws on contemporary film and television that address the issues of authenticity and technology, such as the television series Black Mirror. Students also draw on their own experiences online and work together to create virtual platforms that promote authentic self-presentation.
A Fantastic Journey: Reading and Writing in Lands Beyond (½ credit)
Fantasy literature has moved from bit player to robust star in the literary heavens. In this course, students are challenged to investigate and analyze why fantasy holds such allure and where its roots lie. Students begin with a brief look at some essential source materials, from ancient myths to works like Beowulf, The Tempest, or Gulliver’s Travels. The class then reads extensively in the genre, beginning with a close reading of The Hobbit and going on to excerpts from The Lord of the Rings. Other works that may be used include Earthsea (Ursula K. Le Guin) and works by Lewis Carroll and C.S. Lewis, as well as contemporary works such as the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games. This is a class for the fantasy fan. In addition to the readings, there will be a self-designed research project and an extensive fantasy fiction writing assignment.
Medieval Literature of Europe and the Islamic World (½ credit)
Headless knights, powerful women in politics, Persian mystics, undead Vikings, intrepid travelers, and giant birds—far from being an age of darkness and disorder, the Middle Ages were a time of cultural exchange, innovation, and wonder. This course explores the literature and history of two adjacent worlds: Europe after the fall of Rome and the Islamic world of the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates. Students will read a wide range of texts in translation, from tales of heroes and monsters to scathing political satires and visions of the end of the world. We will supplement our readings with music, art, religion, and philosophy. Our goal is to make sense of this long and complex period of history while asking what lessons the modern world can learn from the dialogue between cultures of the past. Readings may include the Old English Beowulf, the French Song of Roland, folktales and fantasy from the Arabian Nights, the Persian epic Shahnameh, the political allegory of Dante’s Inferno, the mystical poetry of Jalal ad-Din Rumi, the visions of Margery Kempe, and The Conference of the Birds (Farid Attar).
Telling Tales: Folklore, Mythology, and Reinterpretation (½ credit)
Myths, folklore, and children’s stories are often our introductions as we explore elements of the world around us and try to answer the cosmic questions of how and why. This course addresses myths and folktales as the foundations on which other works of literature are built. Students explore the foundational stories and then the ways in which authors draw on these ideas to probe issues of sex, gender, creation, race, family, and more. An examination of picture books and other children’s literature allows us to observe the impact words and images have on us from a very young age and consider the differences in reexperiencing their effect as more mature readers. Expect analytical and creative writing assignments. Works studied may include creation myths from around the world, a variety of fairytales and folk stories, Frankenstein (Mary Shelley), Animal Farm (George Orwell), Freshwater (Akwaeke Emezi), Alice in Wonderland (Lewis Carroll), and The Bloody Chamber (Angela Carter).
Perpetrators and Victims (½ credit)
How do apparently normal people subject others to atrocity and murder? How do societies promote, condone, or prevent genocide? How do individuals and countries survive emotionally, culturally, and politically? What, if anything, can be done to prevent genocide in the future? Students examine genocide from a historic and political perspective through memoir, essay, fiction, and poetry. Possible titles include This Way for the Gas, Ladies and Gentlemen (Tadeusz Borowski), Imagining Argentina (Lawrence Thornton), and Johnny Mad Dog (Emmanuel Dongala).
Russian Literature (½ credit)
Using literature from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, this elective is designed as a sweeping introduction to the literature of the pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet periods in Russian writing. Course readings may include Fathers and Sons (Ivan Turgenev), Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoevsky), Doctor Zhivago (Boris Pasternak), and One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn). Students may also read selections of poems, short stories, and plays by Gogol, Pushkin, and Chekhov, as well as pieces by contemporary writers. Students read critical articles of the major texts, write analytical essays, and conduct research to learn about the political and cultural context of the literature and the writers themselves. Students should be prepared for a rigorous reading schedule.
“What’s Up with That?”: Engaging Your World Through Journalism (½ credit)
Climate change, politics, immigration rights, fashion trends, sign stealing in baseball—these are all stories you can follow and develop through journalism. This class is designed to introduce students to the fundamental elements of news writing and photojournalism. Students will learn the terms and concepts of journalism as well as the history of journalistic ethics. Students will write in multiple genres, including news, features, and sports articles. Classes will include discussions, workshops, group and individual meetings, writing, revising, and publishing. Journalism is a hands-on course that requires active participation and a commitment to working under deadlines for news stories and page layouts. Students will read, discuss, and analyze examples of creative journalism and recently published articles in print and online, and will also collaborate on research projects. Note: This counts as a writing class.
WRITING
Writers’ Workshop (½ credit)
The goal of this workshop is to strengthen each student’s process of writing as a means of discovery and expression. Students write daily to gain practice and authority in response writing. They keep journals as a means of free writing and as a source of ideas for later papers. Contemporary essays provide models and form the basis of discussions about writing styles. Students complete extensive drafting of both personal and expository pieces, ending with a final edited draft. Each student will write a minimum of four essays. Peer review and teacher review are integral to this process. Course readings include The Color of Water (James McBride).
Essay Writing (½ credit)
The course explores personal essay modes and techniques. Through an examination of narrative, descriptive, persuasive, and expository models, students work to discover the importance of voice, sentence styling, effective word choice, and intention. A habit of informal writing is encouraged through nightly blog posts inspired by prompts or on a subject of the student’s choice. The class relies on peer review and workshop feedback through revision. Students practice preparing essays for submission to various outlets (all students submit at least two pieces for possible publication).
Poetry Writing (½ credit)
In this course, we will write poems. We will do everything in our power to do brilliant things with words, and we will change the way we see the world in the process. We will read widely. We will borrow mercilessly from the voices of others while looking for voices of our own, and we will fearlessly critique one another’s work. Williams said a poem is “a machine made out of words.” Shelley said poets are “the unacknowledged legislators of the world.” What do you say? The class is formatted like a workshop; we will read each other’s work and outside poems daily, provide constructive criticism, and commit some of the poems to memory. We will also study poetic terminology and learn a variety of forms and techniques through our own practice. Note: This is credited as a writing class.
Fiction Workshop (½ credit)
Do you ever have the urge to write great prose and not think about thesis statements and topic sentences? This course examines creative forms of fiction, with a focus on examining personal narratives, articles, and editorials. Looking at models of published prose, the class offers writing activities to give new ideas of both form and content. Students work on technical skills that support good writing in a workshop model of sharing pieces for class-wide feedback. A strong commitment to the writing process and a willingness to share weekly pieces with classmates are necessary.
Upper School Mathematics Courses
The Upper School mathematics curriculum appropriately challenges students at each level. Students in the Upper School are required to complete Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry before electing other options. Several levels of difficulty and challenge are available in each course. Accelerated courses allow students who have a strong interest in and facility for mathematics to pursue concepts in more depth and at a faster pace. Consultation with previous teachers, the student, and the department chair help determine a student’s placement in math.
Algebra I (Full year, 1 credit)
Algebra I is designed to nurture and strengthen the transition from computational to algebraic thinking. With a focus on the connection between algebraic and graphical representations, this course aims to deepen students’ ability to process and think at higher abstract and conceptual levels. Students will explore linear equations and inequalities, systems of linear equations and inequalities, the definition of a function, and characteristics of linear, quadratic, and exponential functions. Through a problem-solving approach, students will make meaningful connections between mathematical skills and life experiences. Emphasis will be placed on multiple approaches, as various strategies will be developed, analyzed, and discussed.
Algebra II (Full year, 1 credit)
This course presents the concepts of a traditional Algebra II program for students who have successfully completed Algebra I and may be taken prior to or after Geometry. Topics include linear, absolute value, quadratic, polynomial, and square root functions. Systems of equations are solved both graphically and algebraically, and students simplify and solve rational and radical expressions and equations. Complex numbers are introduced as an extension of the real number system. Use of a graphing calculator reinforces and supports skills learned in this course. Prerequisite: Algebra I or equivalent.
Accelerated Algebra II (Full year, 1 credit)
This course is for strong math students who have successfully completed an Algebra I program. It begins by exploring sequences and series and how these topics have connections to both linear and exponential relationships. It also includes other topics traditionally found in a rigorous Algebra II course, such as linear and quadratic functions, higher-order polynomial functions, and rational functions. If time permits, students will also explore exponential and logarithmic functions. Technology is used to support learning and exploration, leading to a deeper connection to the material. Prerequisite: Algebra I or equivalent.
Geometry and Data Analysis (Full year, 1 credit)
This course covers the topics of traditional Euclidean geometry: points, lines, planes, angles, properties of parallel lines, triangles, quadrilaterals, polygons, circles, area and volume, and congruence and similarity. Students use a variety of digital tools throughout the course to promote self-discovery and gain insight into spatial relationships and transformations. The course concludes with an introduction to the studies of data analysis and statistics. Prerequisite: Algebra I or equivalent.
Accelerated Geometry and Data Analysis (Full year, 1 credit)
In this course, students study all that is covered in the previous geometry course listing, but at a faster pace and in greater depth. This course also places a stronger emphasis on formal, two-column proofs and spatial problem-solving. The curriculum includes introductions to the studies of data analysis and statistics. Prerequisite: Algebra I or equivalent.
Functions, Statistics, and Trigonometry (Full year, 1 credit)
This course is designed for students who have completed Algebra II but are not yet ready for Precalculus. It includes an introduction to statistical representation and measurement as well as a thorough consideration of linear, exponential, logarithmic, polynomial, and trigonometric functions and their corresponding inverses. Included in the study of trigonometric functions are the unit circle, the six basic functions, trigonometric identities, trigonometric equations, the law of sines, and the law of cosines. Students who have successfully completed this course will be prepared for Precalculus in the following year. Prerequisites: Algebra II or equivalent and Geometry.
Precalculus (Full year, 1 credit)
This course begins with an exploration of coordinate geometry (coordinate distance, midpoints, and equations of circles) followed by a focus on functions, beginning with general function characteristics such as notation, domain and range, operations on functions, composition, symmetry, inverse relationships, and transformations. Students review linear and quadratic functions before exploring polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. The second part of the course includes a study of trigonometry, both application of the unit circle and analytical trigonometry. If time allows, probability and some elementary limits will be studied. Graphing calculators are used to reinforce and support learning, and real-life applications are emphasized. Prerequisites: Algebra II or equivalent and Geometry.
Precalculus Accelerated (Full year, 1 credit)
This course focuses on functions and begins with general function characteristics such as notation, domain and range, operations on functions, composition, symmetry, inverse relationships, and transformations. Students then engage in a detailed study of polynomial, rational, exponential, and logarithmic functions. The second part of the course consists of a detailed study of trigonometry and some elementary limits. Graphing calculators are used to reinforce and support learning. Real-life applications are emphasized. Prerequisites: Algebra II or equivalent and Geometry.
Calculus I (Full year, 1 credit)
This course starts by reviewing material from Precalculus that will support the study of calculus topics. Students explore limits of functions, the derivatives of functions, and applications of derivatives, which include related rate problems, maxima and minima problems, and curve sketching. The second half of the course focuses on integral calculus, including applications involving the area between two curves and volumes of solids of revolution. Upon completion of this course, students have a solid grasp of calculus topics to support further study in this field. Prerequisite: Precalculus.
Calculus I Accelerated (Full year, 1 credit)
Students engage in an in-depth study of the limits of functions, derivatives of functions, and applications of derivatives, including related rate problems, maxima and minima problems, and curve sketching. The second half of the course focuses mainly on integral calculus, including applications involving the area between two curves. Differential equations and the volumes of solids of revolution are explored. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement Calculus exam. Prerequisite: Precalculus.
Calculus II Accelerated (Full year, 1 credit)
This course offers a thorough review of the techniques of differentiation and integration. Students will study applications involving surface area, length of a curve, and parametric equations. Other topics include different techniques of integration, sequences, and series, including Taylor polynomials and Taylor series. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be prepared to take the BC Advanced Placement exam. Prerequisite: Calculus I Accelerated.
Advanced Statistics (Full year, 1 credit)
This course covers most topics included in the AP Statistics Exam, with an emphasis on applications. Students examine depictions of data through graphs, correlation, and regression; data collection and sample design; randomness, binomial, and geometric distributions; and inference and significance tests on distributions, proportions, and tables. Students make extensive use of the statistics package on the TI-84 calculator. Prerequisite: Precalculus.
Linear Algebra and Advanced Mathematical Topics (Full year, 1 credit)
This course offers an introduction to the study of linear algebra and also includes additional topics designed to give students a survey of advanced fields of study in mathematics. The course begins with an analysis of matrices and matrix operations (including Gaussian elimination, determinants, and inverses), followed by an exploration of vectors, vector space, and vector operations. The study of linear algebra concludes with an analysis of orthogonality and eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Students will be able to explore additional topics, including elementary abstract algebra, non-Euclidean geometries, number theory, and graph theory. Students’ specific interests will be accommodated as they engage in the exploration of a range of topics. Prerequisite: Calculus II.
Upper School History Courses
In the Upper School, students take at least two years of history: World Civilizations (freshman year) and two semesters of US History (junior year). In addition, the department offers a yearlong elective, Topics in Global History for sophomores, as well as a wide array of semester-long junior and senior electives. Upper School coursework builds carefully on the Middle School foundation and sharpens students’ reading, writing, and research skills. Students learn to analyze primary sources with increasing sophistication at each grade level; reliance on textbooks is minimal. In every course, students are encouraged to draw their own conclusions and to formulate original arguments. Upper School history courses also emphasize research papers, seminar-style student-led discussions, and the use of new technologies, including online discussions.
World Civilizations (Full year, 1 credit)
This ninth-grade history course explores major faiths of the world today (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) and considers topics in history up through the Middle Ages. The concepts of humanism, polytheism, monotheism, pluralism, and syncretism will be investigated as students explore the faiths and histories of different parts of the world. The analysis of primary and secondary sources, the development of research skills, critical thinking, and student-led class discussions will be stressed throughout the course. Students will write a research-based essay on a topic of their choice as they practice formulating thesis statements, documenting sources, composing formal bibliographies, and providing written arguments and historical analysis.
Topics in Global History (Full year, 1 credit)
This sophomore history course focuses on examining selected developments around the world between the 13th and early 20th centuries. Students explore a variety of topics, from the history of Asia, Africa, the Americas, and Europe through several broader ideas that are woven into the units and that allow for creating meaningful connections between countries, societies, and developments. These broad ideas include governance, cultural and social developments and interactions, economic systems, and technology and innovation. Throughout the year, students continue to practice research skills, comprehension, and analyses of primary and secondary sources, crafting arguments and supporting them with evidence in writing assignments and in-class discussions. The spring semester culminates in a research project on topics driven by students’ interests and is connected to the larger themes explored throughout the year.
US History I: The Formation of the United States, 1600–1860 (½ credit)
This course covers the history of the United States from the beginning of European colonization through Lincoln’s election in 1860. Students focus on the country’s political, economic, geographic, social, and cultural growth. The course explores the narratives of the early nation that are rooted in its founding documents, the evolving issue of slavery, and other forces that propelled the United States toward civil war. Class discussion, analytical essay writing, and close reading and annotation of primary source materials are integral to the course.
US History I: African American History (½ credit)
This course considers US history from the perspective of African Americans. Beginning with an examination of the West African slave trade and the origins of the Middle Passage during the 16th century, this course will consider key concepts and events in the racial history of the US. The development and spread of chattel and industrial slavery, the effects of emancipation and Reconstruction, the origin of Jim Crow laws, and the history of the struggle for civil rights up to the Black Lives Matter movement will be considered. Emphasis will be placed on examining the effects important events in US history have had on African Americans. Primary and secondary sources representing a Black perspective on US history will be utilized throughout the course. Class discussion, analytical essay writing, close reading and annotation of primary source materials, and the completion of an independent research essay are integral to the course.
US History II: Women in US History (½ credit)
This course will focus on the history of women in the United States from the colonial era to the late 20th century. The course will include a discussion of the roles of women during the revolution and the early formation of the US government. The course will then investigate the changing norms and expectations of women from the Civil War to the Progressive Era. From there, students will explore the women’s suffrage movement and the complexities of women’s lives in the 1920s. After learning about the impact of women in both world wars, the course will conclude with a study of the revival of the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and ’70s and the backlash to that movement. Class discussion, analytical essay writing, close reading and annotation of primary source materials, and the completion of an independent research outline are integral to the course.
US History II: The United States Comes of Age: The Civil War Through World War II, 1861–1945 (½ credit)
This course begins with the national trauma of the Civil War and the failures of the Reconstruction era. Students examine the political, economic, and social changes in the country between 1870 and World War I, focusing on the growth of industry, the labor movement, immigration, the Populist movement, the Progressive movement, and the early civil rights movements. Students explore the emergence of the United States as a global power, the Great Depression, and the country’s entry into World War II. Class discussion, analytical essay writing, and a close reading of primary source documents are emphasized.
Political Ideologies (½ credit)
Political ideologies offer a framework for how a society should be structured and a path for identifying and solving current societal issues. This senior elective course focuses on major political ideologies of the modern era. Through close readings of philosophical texts, primary sources, literature, and film, students will critically examine fundamental topics of modern-day society such as freedom, equality, security, and community. Students will examine how ideologies (including liberalism, conservatism, Marxism, socialism, anarchism, and fascism) emerge and why some thrive while others falter. Students will explore the opportunities presented by various ideologies as well as their limitations, while also gaining a deeper understanding of how ideas develop in a historical context. Prerequisite: US History requirement.
Junior-Senior History Electives
Numerous history electives are offered to juniors and seniors. Students select courses based on individual interests. Not all electives are offered every year.
Women and Islam (½ credit)
This course begins with an overview of the history, culture, and beliefs of Islam as a religion, a culture, and a civilization. Students will be challenged to question their own assumptions, interrogate their own cultural knowledge, and approach the Islamic world with curiosity and humility. In a series of case studies from primary documents, eyewitness accounts, and modern journalism, we will explore the many roles of women in Islam, past and present, touching on various regions and traditions in the process. Students will hone their own skills as historians in several extended research projects and written historical essays. Prerequisite: This course is open only to seniors and to juniors who are concurrently fulfilling their US History requirement with department chair approval.
The History of Current Issues in the US (½ credit)
This course delves into the fundamental forces, civic structures, events, and people in US history since 1945. Students will identify critical issues and seek to understand them more fully through history. Examples will include civil rights movements, immigration, income inequality, climate change, voting rights, partisanship, issues of free speech, freedom of religion, health care, limited or expanded federal government, gerrymandering, the electoral college, and social media. Students will be asked to widen their lens and ways of thinking about topics and events as well as to understand the perspectives of different stakeholders on various issues. The intent of the course is to support students in their learning about the past as a window to the present, to assist them in becoming skilled in determining “the truth” to the best of their ability as they delve into myriad perspectives and sources, and to give students a foundation upon which they can seek to understand other issues in society. Students are expected to be conversant in current events and will take an active role in contributing to and leading class discussions. Prerequisite: This course is open only to seniors and to juniors who are concurrently fulfilling their US history requirement.
Immigrants in the United States (½ credit)
In this course, students explore the experiences of diverse groups of immigrants to the United States, from colonial times to the present. Placing their individual and collective stories in the context of the history of America helps learners understand different struggles encountered as a result of settling in a new country, as well as the complexities of US immigration policies. The course also draws from the rich history of diverse populations and immigration to Portland to facilitate understanding of local history in national and global contexts. The class explores different aspects of immigration that America faces today and how diverse groups of people continue to redefine what it means to be American. In addition to developing their discussion and public speaking abilities, students are afforded opportunities to hone their research, writing, and reading comprehension skills.
Native American History (½ credit)
This course considers the history of the United States from the perspective of American Indians. Beginning with an examination of the diverse Indigenous nations that inhabited North America for thousands of years prior to the arrival of Europeans, our study will draw from both primary and secondary documents to facilitate students’ exploration, understanding, and analyses of key concepts and events of American Indian history. Selected topics include the devastation of disease after contact with Europeans, the violation of treaties and agreements in the colonial era, the destruction and removal of nations from tribal lands, the early reservation system and the Christianization of American Indian children, the relationship and power dynamic between tribal leaders and the federal government, and the history of the ongoing struggle for civil rights. Emphasis will be placed not only on the impact of important events in US history on American Indians but also on the ways in which American Indians have influenced the country throughout their history and continue to do so today. Whenever possible, we will tie our discussions to contemporary issues ranging from national issues like the debate over Indian sports mascots to local ones like the Maine-Wabanaki State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
The Great 20th-Century Crisis: World War II, 1939–1945 (½ credit)
As the deadliest and most widespread conflict in human history, World War II represents a fascinating and complex area of study. This course provides students with a multidimensional experience of some of the myriad narratives of this monumental war through the exploration of historical documents, film, and literature. Beginning with an introduction to the turbulent legacy of the Great War, students explore the rise of totalitarian regimes in Europe and Asia as well as the embattled status of democratic powers in the West. Topics discussed include Nazi racial theory, the rise of Imperial Japan, American isolationism, and the shifting role of the Soviet Union. Students are exposed to a variety of voices and narratives, including those of German civilians, Polish Jews, Japanese Americans, and members of the French Resistance. The course concludes with consideration of the far-reaching effects of the war, including the lessons of the Holocaust, the advent of the Cold War, and the implications of nuclear weaponry.
Upper School Science Courses
The Science department offers Upper School students courses in the fields of biology, chemistry, and physics. Scientific inquiry, creative problem-solving, mathematical analysis, and scientific writing are emphasized in the study of these disciplines. Students work in collaborative teams designing, conducting, and reporting on laboratory, field, and research investigations. Students use traditional lab equipment as well as electronic probes and sensors, graphing calculators, and computer software when collecting and analyzing experimental data. Intensive-level classes in biology, chemistry, and physics allow students to pursue topics in greater depth and require a higher level of independent problem-solving. As scientific literacy is a principal goal of the department, connections to current issues are woven into the curriculum of each course.
Biology (Full year, 1 credit)
Students in Biology develop critical-thinking skills and an ability to apply the scientific method through inquiry-based and teacher-directed labs, small-group activities, and student and teacher presentations. Students learn how to use spreadsheets and graphing software for data analysis and how to write formal lab reports. Content includes experimental design; the characteristics of living things; cell structure, function, and reproduction; DNA biology; genetics and evolutionary biology; and ecology and ecosystem functions. This course is also offered at an Intensive level.
Anatomy and Physiology I (½ credit)
This course is designed for students who are interested in studying the human body and its systems. Students will develop an understanding of the relationships between the structures and functions of the human body. The class will consist of lectures, labs, models, diagrams, and research projects. Topics may include an introduction to the integumentary system, skeletal system, muscular system, lymphatic system, respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Prerequisites: Biology and Algebra I.
Anatomy and Physiology II (½ credit)
This course is designed for students who are interested in studying the human body and its systems. Students will develop an understanding of the relationships between the structures and functions of the human body. The class will consist of lectures, labs, models, diagrams, and research projects. Semester 2 topics include the nervous system, the digestive system, the cardiovascular system, and the endocrine system. Prerequisites: Biology and Algebra I.
Chemistry (Full year, 1 credit)
Chemistry is designed for students who have strong algebra skills. It has a laboratory-based curriculum intended to give students a working knowledge of general inorganic chemistry. Topics include the properties of matter; problem-solving using dimensional analysis; atomic structure; chemical nomenclature; writing, balancing, and predicting the products of chemical reactions; the mole concept; stoichiometry; acid-base chemistry; the quantum model of atoms; chemical bonding; molecular structure; and intermolecular forces. Note: This course is also offered in an Intensive format. Prerequisites: Biology for all sections, plus Algebra II for Intensive sections (recommended for regular Chemistry).
Physics (Full year, 1 credit)
Physics is designed for juniors and seniors and explores motion through the use of laboratory and problem-solving activities. The course begins with a thorough study of Newtonian mechanics, including one- and two-dimensional kinematics, forces, work, energy, and momentum. Simple harmonic motion (waves), optics, electricity, and magnetism are explored in the second semester, as time allows. Strong math and problem-solving skills are required. Note: This course is also offered in an Intensive format. Prerequisites: Chemistry and Algebra II.
Environmental Science: Ecology (½ credit)
With an extensive lab and field component, this seminar-style course brings together elements of biology and chemistry to teach students how ecosystems function. Topics include organization of the environment, flow of energy and matter, biogeochemical cycles, ecological pyramids, tolerance curves, evolution, population dynamics, ecological succession, and the geologic history of Maine. Prerequisite: Biology; completion of Chemistry is highly encouraged.
Environmental Science: Current Issues (½ credit)
In this course, students learn about the underlying causes of environmental problems and are challenged to take action to bring about change. Readings are taken from current periodicals, scientific journals, and selected texts. The course also features outside speakers and field trips to local ecosystems. Students complete a research paper on an environmental issue in their own community. Topics include understanding human attitudes and behavior toward the environment, evaluating the validity of scientific claims, recognizing forms of scientific denialism in the media, land and water use, global climate change, and research into a variety of current environmental issues. This course is offered to juniors and seniors. Prerequisite: Biology; completion of Chemistry is highly encouraged.
Marine Coastal Ecology (½ credit)
Through classroom, lab, and field experiences, students examine the ecology of the major coastal ecosystems of the Gulf of Maine. The course begins with an investigation of basic oceanography and then moves on to the ecology of rocky- and sandy-shore ecosystems. In addition to field and laboratory experiences, students participate in ongoing field studies and use a case study approach to examine a number of current ecological issues in the Gulf of Maine. Prerequisite: Biology. Open only to juniors and seniors (and sophomores by permission).
Biology of Marine Organisms (½ credit)
This course begins with a focus on marine producers and then moves on to explore each major group of marine animals, including the biology of simple invertebrates, complex invertebrates, and vertebrates including fish, birds, reptiles, and mammals. The course includes a significant lab component, video- and text-based assignments, and case studies that examine current ecological issues. Prerequisite: Biology. Open only to juniors and seniors (and sophomores by permission).
Astrophysics (Full year, 1 credit)
This course is offered to seniors who are interested in studying the physics of the universe and its components. The curriculum uses a combination of laboratory activities, problem-solving techniques, research projects, online data sources, computer-charting software, and field trips as tools for exploring the dynamic field of astronomy. Topics include the motions of celestial bodies, electromagnetic radiation, stars and stellar evolution, black holes, pulsars, relativity, and other topics in cosmology and modern physics, including the origin and fate of our universe. Note: This course is open to seniors only. Prerequisites: Physics and Precalculus. At least one previous Intensive-level class is strongly suggested.
Advanced Biology: (Full year, 1 credit)
This course is designed for seniors with strong science skills. In the first semester, topics include a review of inorganic chemistry and an introduction to organic chemistry and biochemistry, macromolecules, enzymes, and molecular genetics. In the second semester, students study cellular respiration and photosynthesis, Mendelian and population genetics, and evolution. Special topics include the lab identification of carbohydrates, protein modeling, the study of viruses, and antibiotic resistance. A college textbook, Campbell’s Biology, is used throughout and laboratory experiments include college-level and advanced placement investigations. Note: This course is open to seniors only. Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry. At least one previous Intensive-level class is strongly suggested.
Upper School Computer Science and Engineering Courses
Upper School students who have an interest in computer science, engineering, and technology are able to choose semester-long courses that provide them with opportunities to learn and practice the skills needed to understand, use, and build new engineering and computer science technologies.
Intro to Computer Science and Programming (½ credit)
This course provides students with a foundation in computer science by examining topics ranging from the fundamentals of how computers function to binary number systems, algorithms, computational thinking and problem-solving, and programming. Using spreadsheets as well as Python and other programming languages, students learn the basic programming concepts of variables and assignments, Boolean statements, loops and iteration, and functions and classes. Students build a sequence of steps to solve problems and then translate those steps into a digital or technological solution. Students work both independently and collaboratively, provide feedback to classmates, and discuss/debate ethical questions related to current topics in computer science. This course is best suited for students who wish to gain exposure to computational methods, coding, and other tools of computer science and those who wish to take their skills in these areas to a new level and apply them.
Introduction to Computer-Aided Design (CAD) (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
This course teaches the tools students need to be successful, creative designers using advanced CAD modeling software. Students will learn to create, model, and iterate designs. Using CAD as a virtual prototyping tool, students can create more complex designs faster, with more precision and less waste. Students who desire can go on to take the OnShape associate exam—an industry standard used in many university programs. Students will then learn how to transform their virtual models into tangible objects using laser cutters and 3D printers.
Engineering Design and Methods (½ credit)
This course is designed to teach students to develop and utilize tools and models to solve complex problems. With project management and design thinking as foundational skills for solving all problems, students will learn to implement a number of other tools. Using Excel and programming macros, students will build complex statistical models to solve real-world problems. Using physical programming and Arduinos, students will design and build electrical components and scientific testing apparatuses. With the skills, knowledge, and experience of this class, students will be unafraid to tackle any problem because they will know how to find and acquire the necessary skills and tools. Note: This course is not intended for students who have already completed Engineering I. Prerequisite: Intro to CAD or Intro to Computer Science and Programming.
Advanced Engineering–Statics (½ credit)
This is an accelerated engineering course built around statics, a foundational engineering course often taken during a student’s first or second year in college. Problem sets and tests are taken directly from college textbooks. Students learn to break down complex problems, develop strong study skills, and work in groups. In addition to completing problem sets, students use their creativity, resourcefulness, and newly developed skills to engage in design projects based on their interests. This course is designed to prepare students going into a college engineering program. Prerequisites: Engineering Design and Methods (formerly Intro to Engineering) and Calculus (concurrently) or with permission from the chair.
Advanced Computer Science and Programming (½ credit)
In this second-year computer science course, students deepen their programming expertise by exploring advanced topics such as data structures, algorithms, and debugging. Emphasizing practical application, the curriculum extends into cutting-edge domains like artificial intelligence, machine learning, data science, and robotics. Through individual and team-based projects, students tackle ambitious challenges, refining both technical and collaborative skills. The course empowers students with the freedom to choose projects aligned with their interests, fostering a personalized and dynamic learning experience. This fast-paced course is geared toward students who want to take their programming skills to the next level. Suggested prerequisites: Intro to Computer Science and Programming or prior experience with programming (with permission from the department chair).
Cybersecurity (½ credit)
Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing sectors in technology. This field involves many aspects of technology, including hardware, software, the internet, coding, and the use of technology. In this course, students are introduced to selected topics in computer science through the lens of cybersecurity. Students use problem-solving, research, and computing skills to solve puzzles, build solutions, and compete in online challenges. Students investigate strategies to identify and protect against security threats, including hacking, eavesdropping, and network attacks. The basics of cryptography and logical reasoning will be explored. Hands-on labs and projects will provide practice in the area of system configuration and mitigation of system vulnerabilities. Ethics and real-world implications will be integrated throughout the course.
Upper School World Languages
The Upper School world languages program offers beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels in French, Latin, Chinese (Mandarin), and Spanish. The sequence of courses in each language is designed to develop high-level linguistic competence, critical thinking, and cultural literacy.
Chinese
Chinese I (Full year, 1 credit)
In this course, students develop a sociocultural context as well as a working knowledge of Chinese (Mandarin) by focusing on pronunciation, grammatical structures, and written characters. Students learn simplified Chinese characters and are introduced to elements of traditional characters and radicals as a means of familiarizing them with the roots and history of the written language. The main text used is Go Far with Chinese 1A, which is accompanied by a character practice and skills workbook. Students learn how to read and write approximately 200 Chinese characters. Interactive websites, dedicated Chinese character software, and more traditional audiovisual tools are utilized in this course. Elements of Chinese culture are also integrated into the curriculum.
Chinese II (Full year, 1 credit)
Students in Chinese II build on the foundation of first-year Chinese. Oral presentations, dramatizations, and expository writing exercises are used more frequently to help students become more competent communicators in Chinese. In this course, the main text used is Go Far with Chinese 1B and its accompanying workbook. Various interactive websites are used to reinforce classwork, enhance students’ mastery of pronunciation, and elevate their aural comprehension skills. By the end of the year, students will have developed a vocabulary of approximately 500 characters. Prerequisite: Chinese I or equivalent.
Chinese III (Full year, 1 credit)
In this course, students continue to expand their vocabulary and grammatical repertoire using Go Far with Chinese 2 as the primary text. Students will learn how to navigate more advanced translations, which will enhance their understanding of character combinations, radicals, and stroke order. Various interactive websites are used to reinforce classwork and strengthen oral and aural skills outside class. Oral presentations, dramatizations, and writing exercises help students become stronger communicators in Chinese. As always, elements of Chinese culture are integrated into the curriculum. By the end of the year, students will have developed a vocabulary of approximately 850 characters. Prerequisite: Chinese II or equivalent.
Advanced Chinese Electives
Chinese IV (Full year, 1 credit)
This full-year course offers an approach to fluency through all four of the linguistic skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This course focuses on the practical use of Chinese in the context of everyday activities. Students will work to significantly expand their vocabulary and rigorously apply a wide range of advanced grammar patterns to engage in in-depth and authentic discussions on topics and themes that are of interest to high school students. Students read and analyze texts, write and edit short compositions, participate in roundtable discussions, and engage in various forms of creative expression. A combination of the Integrated Chinese series and the Go Far with Chinese series will be used to teach this course. Interactive websites and audio recordings are also used to enhance and reinforce skills. Prerequisite: Chinese III.
Advanced Chinese: Living and Studying in China (½ credit)
This course uses Integrated Chinese, Level 2 (a standard college-level text) and Ni Hao 4 to expand reading and speaking skills in a number of different contexts. Excerpts from each series are also used to teach students how to discuss various topics such as choosing a major, finding on- and off-campus housing, personal expression, cooking, ordering Chinese food, conducting several different transactions at a bank, and much more. In this highly practical course, students will gain the skills and confidence they need in order to live in China and navigate life there. Prerequisite: Chinese IV.
Advanced Chinese: China in Modern Society (½ credit)
This upper-level course involves the reading of authentic texts of modern Chinese society and culture. Students explore current cultural topics through stories, dialogues, videos, and songs using the text Discussing Everything Chinese by Rongzhen Li, along with multimedia materials ranging from internet content to television and film. Topics include the difference between Chinese and American educational systems, the impact that family expectations have on the educational lives of students, and the practical skills required to navigate the college landscape in China. Throughout the semester, students write short papers, discuss relevant video clips, and participate in oral discussions and debates. Prerequisite: Chinese IV.
Advanced Chinese: Chinese Legends and Chengyu (½ credit)
In this course, students focus on adaptations and selections from well-known works in the Chinese literary and folk canon. Using the Tales and Traditions series, students deepen their cultural understanding and expand their linguistic skills as they read and discuss a selection of traditional Chinese fables, legends, and myths. In addition, students learn several well-known chengyu (four-character idioms), which deepens the cultural nuance with which students can communicate. Conversation, writing, and reading skills continue to be emphasized. Prerequisite: Chinese IV.
French
French I (Full year, 1 credit)
This course teaches the four language skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—with an emphasis on dialogue. Role-playing and skits are used as tools to increase oral competency. Writing practice includes short-answer responses and short descriptive pieces. Students work from a basal text that provides a variety of supplemental activities and reading selections.
French II (Full year, 1 credit)
Students build on the foundations of French I and enhance their corpus of vocabulary and grammatical form while developing the four primary linguistic skills. Written work includes students’ original narratives. Students work from a basal text. Additional short stories are used to develop further reading skills. Prerequisite: French I.
French III (Full year, 1 credit)
In this course, students continue to develop and hone their skills through in-depth grammar study, vocabulary acquisition, and extensive reading and writing practice. Students work from basal texts and supplementary literary readings, including short works by such authors as Maupassant, Gascony, and Kessler. Prerequisite: French II.
Advanced French Electives
Students who have completed French III may select from a variety of electives. Students must take Advanced French Grammar and Composition as a prerequisite to other electives unless granted a waiver by the department chair. All advanced electives are conducted in French. Not all electives are offered every year.
French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition (Full year, 1 credit)
This full-year course offers an approach to fluency through all four of the linguistic skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students broaden and deepen their current understanding of grammatical structures while learning new structures that allow them to add complexity and abstract thought to their verbal and written expression. Each unit introduces an aspect of cultural life along with thematic vocabulary, giving students the opportunity to practice and play. They read and analyze literature, write and edit short compositions, participate in debates and roundtable discussions, and engage in various forms of creative expression. Through online and in-class collaboration, students are exposed to authentic contemporary language and culture in context. The course also includes weekly discussion and feedback based on podcasts from France and elsewhere. Prerequisite: French III.
French History Through French Literature (½ credit)
Students in this course travel through time to examine various pieces of literature that relate to French history. The course begins with the French Revolution in 1789 and explores France’s place in history and in literature. Students move through the centuries, exploring selections from works by Voltaire and the philosophes, La déclaration des droits de l’homme et du citoyen from the French Revolution, naturalist and psychological novels from the 19th and 20th centuries, and iconic works associated with surrealism, existentialism, and absurdism. Through these works, students explore how the French lived, progressed, and played a major role in European and world history. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Life in French: Advanced Conversation and Phonetics (½ credit)
One of the barriers to fluency is the lack of immersion and exposure to all but the most common vocabulary terms and expressions. It’s hard to solve problems in situ because we need to have a specific vocabulary at our disposal and must be able to speak in precise terms about abstract situations. It can also be difficult to understand native speakers conversing at regular speed because their phonetic landscape differs from ours. Conducted entirely in French, this class will explore problem-solving and thematic vocabulary. Students will also practice diction where phonetic divergences occur between French and English. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Découverte du monde francophone (½ credit)
This literature course is designed to acquaint students with the written works of authors from areas outside France where French is spoken. Students explore the historical, social, and cultural contexts that produced a variety of rich francophone literary traditions. Students watch and discuss films and read representative works from authors from North and Central Africa, Vietnam, Quebec, and the Caribbean. Selected prose and poetry by representative authors such as Camara, Condé, Bâ, Hébert, Leclerc, Kien Nguyen, Nha Ca, Bey, Chraïbi, Sebbar, and Césaire are studied. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
French Literature and Film (½ credit)
In this course, students explore a broad selection of French and francophone literature through readings, discussions, and watching films. By delving into selected works by authors such as Jean Giono, Marcel Aymé, Edmond Rostand, and Molière, students expand their French skills through analysis, critique, and discussion. Films are used to reinforce and support each piece of literature, to develop students’ listening comprehension, and to foster and heighten in-class discussion. Grammar and structure work are also emphasized throughout the semester to help students review, refine, and develop their writing and speaking skills. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Advanced French: Le conte africain (½ credit)
This semester-long advanced course examines West African storytelling and the integration of traditional stories and oral culture into the French language. Students explore topics of culture and tradition, colonization and decolonization, and language (both as a tool and as a weapon). Students also examine how the tropes and structures of these stories persisted in later works in the postcolonial francophone world. This elective is conducted almost exclusively in French and involves reading literature, participating in class discussions, and writing expository/ analytical compositions in French. Prerequisite: French IV Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Advanced French: Le nouveau roman et la nouvelle vague (½ credit)
After the devastation of WWII in Europe, the French grappled with shame, guilt, and envy of their American “saviors.” Writers underwent a profound moment of disillusionment—their attempts to overthrow the idea of narrative to create a new type of text led to the emergence of the nouveau roman. The Algerian War led to the nouvelle vague film movement, which showcased artists’ creative ways of addressing the war in a country where such discussion was taboo at best, criminal at worst. Students will examine the reasons for shame and the works that emerged from it, and will explore the question of how art, narrative, and war are linked in postwar Europe. This elective is conducted almost exclusively in French and involves reading literature, participating in class discussions, and writing expository/analytical compositions in French. We will also experiment with some creative writing. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Les femmes écrivains (½ credit)
This course explores the contributions of women to France’s illustrious literary history. From the classic Enlightenment-era epistolary novel to the postcolonial coming-of-age novel of the 20th century, this class examines the themes, politics, and styles of female writers of France and the francophone world. The readings and discussions are supplemented with films, contemporary media, and short historical texts. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
20th-Century French Literature (½ credit)
In a century marked by two world wars, many writers questioned traditional social values. They experimented with new literary styles and reassessed the role of the novelist. In 1945, in Les temps modernes, Sartre proposed the concept of littérature engagée, arguing that the writer must be committed primarily to politics and social commentary. Students will explore this period of social and cultural revolution by reading selections from science fiction, the Theatre of the Absurd, and la Négritude, which includes francophone writers from the Americas and Africa. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Théâtre du XVIe siècle (½ credit)
Sixteenth-century France saw the arrival of the Renaissance, when writers challenged medieval dogma and gave birth to new literary forms. Writers such as Rabelais reflected the humanist passion for knowledge and beauty and exalted the ideal of the individual. By contrast, the seventeenth century was le grand siècle, and absolute monarchy and grandeur were personified by Louis XIV, the Sun King. Classicism, with its emphasis on order, reason, and clarity, replaced the lyricism and individualism of the sixteenth century and the mystery, emotion, and drama of the Baroque style. Students explore the social, philosophical, and literary ferment of these two centuries through close study of works by sixteenth-century writers such as Rabelais, Ronsard, Du Bellay, and Montaigne. Representatives of seventeenth-century literature include Descartes, Corneille, Pascal, Molière, La Fontaine, and Racine. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Seminar in Translation (½ credit)
In this course, students read original works and works in translation to explore the fundamentals of translation. Which elements of the story must be preserved and which can be left out and the work still be considered the same story? Students read, analyze, and compare texts and produce their own translations. Translations are workshopped in class. Prerequisite: French IV: Advanced French Grammar and Composition.
Latin
Latin I (Full year, 1 credit)
Through this introductory course in Latin, students learn how to decode language—any language—by focusing on grammar, vocabulary, parts of speech, and the nature and complexity of verbs in the present, imperfect, and perfect tenses. The text, Suburani, has a compelling storyline that moves students from learning to read Latin to learning how to read between the lines and extract meaning from what is unspoken or unwritten. Greek and Roman mythology, Roman history, and Roman cultural practices are essential elements of the course as well. Students will discover what life was like for the average person in Rome around the year 64 CE. They will unpack how the enslavement of conquered peoples enabled Rome to become an economic and military powerhouse, how Rome expanded its empire into Europe, and what life was like in the newly acquired provinces of Gaul (modern day France) and Britain.
Latin II (Full year, 1 credit)
In the second year of Latin, students continue their study of the language, adding the future and pluperfect tenses. They will also begin using the passive voice (a key Latin construct) and relative clauses. Active and passive participles are introduced, as is the subjunctive. Continuing with the Suburani series, students will study life in Pompeii and Carthage in Roman Africa. Cultural topics include business practices, the process of becoming a citizen, views of death and the afterlife, and gladiatorial combat. Historical topics include the elimination of pirates from the Mediterranean Sea, the principate and the Roman Civil War, and Rome’s interaction with Numidia and the Kingdom of Kush. Greek and Roman mythology will continue to be explored, including the story of Aeneas and Dido in their nation-changing encounter following the Trojan War. Prerequisite: Latin I.
Latin III (Full year, 1 credit)
In this course, students will finish the second book of the Suburani series and begin reading original authors through modified texts. They begin with result clauses, indirect questions and indirect commands, ablative absolute, and comparatives. The future perfect tense is introduced, in addition to future participles and all passive verb forms. As our storyline moves to Greece, linked cultural topics include philosophy, art, architecture, sports and the body, music, and medicine. Religious practices, including the reading of the omens, emperor worship, magic, and augury, are explored. Historical topics include the differences between the East and the West, interactions with the Parthians, and legionary service. Mythology continues to be ever present in our studies, including the story of Circe. Prerequisite: Latin II.
Latin IV (Full year, 1 credit)
Latin IV is the fourth course in the Latin series, providing an additional year of foundational Latin as outlined in the descriptions for Latin I–III. The curriculum employs a variety of texts to deepen and broaden students’ understanding of Latin grammatical structures, with the goal of reading at speed and between the lines in Latin. Students explore the culture, history, and politics of the ancient world, make comparisons and connections with modernity, and develop a voice of personal expression through Latin prose composition.
Advanced Latin Electives
Students who have completed Latin III may select from a variety of semester-long electives. Not all electives are offered every year.
Advanced Latin: Catullus’s Carmina (½ credit)
A lyric poet of great power and feeling, Catullus was the author of 116 poems that range from satire to hymns on topics from love to hate. He belonged to a coterie of writers called novi poetae, or the new poets, who greatly influenced the next generation of Roman authors, including Vergil and Horace. Class participants translate a large number of his poems and work on understanding this modern ancient poet. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Horace (½ credit)
In this course, students learn about the poetry of Quintus Horatius Flaccus. Readings include poems that constitute the basis for Horace’s continuing fame in modern times. The Odes are highly sophisticated lyrical poems that were greatly inspired by Greek models like Pindar, Alcaeus, and Callimachus. Throughout this course, students translate and analyze a collection of these poems and familiarize themselves with the usage of standard vocabulary, poetic meters, and the historical and literary backgrounds of Horace’s work. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Ovid: Metamorphoses (½ credit)
Drawn from many well-known Greek and Roman myths, Ovid’s Metamorphoses is a collection of mythological stories written in the author’s unique and creative style. Within these myths, the themes of transformation and literal metamorphosis are essential elements to a thorough understanding of the story. In this course, students translate some of the more prominent transformation myths, which may include the stories of Daphne and Apollo, Pyramus and Thisbe, Baucis and Philemon, and Actaeon and Diana, among others. Students discuss the themes of these stories, as well as elements of Ovid’s style, tone, and poetic art. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Cicero: Pro Caelio or In Catilinam (½ credit)
The course’s goals are for students to develop an appreciation for Cicero’s prose style and to synthesize students’ grammar and vocabulary through the study of one of these two great works: In Catilinam or Pro Caelio.
In Catilinam: In the fall of 63 BCE, during the consulship of Cicero, Rome’s most famous orator, Lucius Sergius Catiline, plotted to murder all the senators and overthrow the Republic. Assisted by assassins, brigands, and scofflaws, Catiline nearly succeeded, but he was foiled by Cicero. In his best-known and most widely read oration, Cicero delivered a lively and trenchant speech to the senators and alerted them to the impending coup, thereby saving the Senate and turning the clandestine insurrection into open civil war.
Pro Caelio: In 56 BCE, Marcus Caelius was facing various charges, including murder and poisoning. Cicero and Crassus came to his defense (Cicero being motivated by a personal vendetta against the Clodius family, which was instigating the lawsuit). Cicero’s so-called defense of Caelius spends little time on any actual facts but instead veers into a humorous character assassination of Clodia, the manipulative and powerful woman with whom Caelius had a romantic affair. Students in this course learn the foundations of classical rhetoric and analyze Cicero’s deft use of the tricolon, anaphora, chiasmus, synchysis, litotes, hyperbole, homoioteleuton, and anadiplosis. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Livy: The Punic Wars (½ credit)
The Punic Wars were the defining conflicts for the future of the Roman Empire. One of the most feared and respected Punic leaders the Romans faced was Hannibal Barca, the famed general from Carthage (in modern-day Tunisia). Students translate and read selections from later books of Ab urbe condita, which contain tales of elephants crossing the Alps, brilliant battle tactics, and the expansion of the Roman Empire during the Punic Wars. Students translate and read selections from Livy’s work, and they explore the triumphs and defeats of the Punic Wars in which Rome battled Carthage. Students also discuss Livy’s representation of the three Punic Wars and their impact on the next period of Roman history. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Caesar: De bello Gallico (½ credit)
In this course, students read selections from Julius Caesar’s De bello Gallico, his account of his military campaigns in Gaul in the 50s BCE. Through a combination of charismatic leadership, military strategy, and sheer ruthlessness, Caesar conquered lands throughout the region north of Rome, enlarging the Empire by roughly one-third. Students explore the wars fought between Caesar’s Roman troops and their neighbors by translating selections of his commentaries, reading supplemental articles, mapping his journey, and discussing his strategies and intents. Students also peel back the layers of Caesar’s biased narrative to analyze his actions and writing against the backdrop of the precarious political climate in Rome. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Vergil’s Aeneid: Book II (½ credit)
In this course, students read Book II of Vergil’s Aeneid in its entirety. Book II is the only ancient source for a description of the fall of Troy and the infamous Trojan horse in timeo Danaos et dona ferentes. Vergil describes with great pathos the destruction of the city, the death of its king, Priam, and the innumerable losses suffered at the hands of the Greeks. Students discuss Vergil’s use of poetic tropes to enhance the suffering of his characters and also compare Vergil’s sense of heroism with the Homeric models from the Iliad. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Vergil’s Aeneid: Book IV (½ credit)
In this course, students focus on Book IV of Vergil’s Aeneid. Touted as Vergil’s best work of characterization and drama, Book IV depicts the love affair between Aeneas and Dido, queen of Carthage. Through heartfelt descriptions and wrenching dialogue, Vergil weaves a fragile portrait of love. In this work, Vergil poses his most difficult questions: To what extent must the individual sacrifice for the good of the commonwealth? Can personal love outweigh the needs of the common? With translation, analysis, and discussion, students delve into the mind of Vergil and the relationship between Aeneas and Dido. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Advanced Latin: Pliny’s Epistulae (½ credit)
This course focuses on the Epistulae, a collection of letters written by Pliny the Younger to the emperor Trajan during Pliny’s time as the governor of Bithynia in 103 CE. The letters detail the daily routines and the responsibilities of a Roman governor as well as important historical events, such as the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the suppression of Christianity (considered a dangerous cult at that time). This course may also include a study of Latin epistolography, drawing on the surviving letters of authors like Cicero, Seneca the Younger, and others. Prerequisite: Latin III. Requires permission of instructor.
Latin Prose Composition (½ credit)
This course begins with the most basic Latin prose styles and develops students’ command of grammar and syntax as they think deeply about Latin prose. Through the study and emulation of the prose styles of Caesar, Cicero, Livy, and Sallust, students develop their own Latin prose style while employing the many rhetorical devices available to the classical author. Students write simple sentences in Latin and gradually move on to more complex translations of English prose. Issues of more vernacular interest are also addressed in the advanced part of this course. Prerequisite: Latin III. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Seneca: Epistulae Morales (½ credit)
In this course, students will read selections from Seneca the Younger’s philosophical works. Seneca served as tutor to Nero, supporting the rise of this Roman emperor by serving in his administration and writing his early speeches. Retired after ten years of service, he wrote what would become the final literary work of his life: his moral epistles. In these letters, Seneca explores some of the most important questions of our existence: How do we live an ethical life? What, if anything, is worth sacrificing for our principles? What is death, and how do we live with the knowledge that we will die? Is overexercising a problem? While reading the letters and grappling with these questions themselves, students will read selections from other ancient Stoic philosophers, learn about the broader philosophical landscape of the early Roman Empire, and consider the resurgence of popularity of Stoicism in self-help guides of the 21st century. Prerequisite: Latin III. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Advanced Latin: History of Latin Literature I (½ credit)
This course offers a survey of Latin literature from its origins in the third century BCE to the late Republic. Students will learn about the history of individual genres, the careers of major authors, and the relationships between literary developments and social/political changes during an era when Rome grew from a regional power to an intercontinental empire. Students will read excerpts of Latin poetry and prose from a variety of authors, genres, and time periods. Authors may include Ennius, Plautus, Terence, Cicero, Caesar, Catullus, and Lucretius. Prerequisite: Latin III.
Advanced Latin: History of Latin Literature II (½ credit)
This course offers a survey of Latin literature from the Augustan Age through the Imperial period and beyond. Students will learn about the history of individual genres, the careers of major authors, and the relationships between literary developments and social/political changes during an era when Rome was navigating what it meant to be an empire. Students will read excerpts of Latin poetry and prose from a variety of authors, genres, and time periods. Authors may include Vergil, Horace, Ovid, Livy, Seneca, Petronius, Martial, Statius, Juvenal, Pliny the Younger, and Suetonius. Excerpts of Renaissance Latin or Neo-Latin authors may also be read. Prerequisite: Latin III. Students are not required to have taken History of Latin Literature I elective in the fall to take this class.
Spanish
Spanish I (Full year, 1 credit)
Students in Spanish I develop proficiency in the four linguistic skill areas: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. The course emphasizes the importance of communicative competence through activities such as role-playing, rhyming, storytelling, and skits. Writing exercises include short-answer responses and descriptive pieces in the present tense. The student text ¡Qué chévere! is a primary resource, along with active collaboration on Schoology and numerous supplemental materials. Internet tools such as Quizlet, Schoology, and Conjuguemos, are also used to increase proficiency and understanding. Students are encouraged to use the target language and to explore the World Language “5 C’s”: communications, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities.
Spanish II (Full year, 1 credit)
In this second-year course, students expand their oral, listening, reading, and writing skills through storytelling. Students learn to express their ideas in the present, past, and future tenses and begin to delve into advanced structures, consolidating and building on the foundation established in Spanish I. Using VoiceThread and SoundCloud, students demonstrate their growing skills through oral presentations and dramatizations both in class and on the internet. They also continue to improve their writing skills through expository and creative writing exercises. Students use multiple resources to help them learn, including a basal grammar text and workbook, online study sites, and an anthology of readings from the fantastical to the autobiographical. Prerequisite: Spanish I.
Spanish III (Full year, 1 credit)
his course is designed to review and refine skills learned in Spanish II while weaving in more advanced grammatical structures in the context of cultural readings, dialogues, music, film, shorts, and short literary pieces. We focus on development and practice of the World Language “5 C’s”: communications, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities to allow students some more time to play with the language. Texts include Breaking the Spanish Barrier 2 and selected short readings, legends, news articles, and Spanish and Latin American shorts. Students demonstrate their growing oral skills through presentations and dramatizations both in class discussions and on the internet, using Flipgrid, and develop writing skills on shorter written reflections and summaries. Students work on a semester-long guided project in the target language with monthly opportunities to present to their classmates. Prerequisite: Spanish II.
Spanish III Intensive (Full year, 1 credit)
At this advanced-intermediate level, students refine grammatical and communicative skills, moving beyond situation-based proficiency to more sophisticated expression and analysis. The curriculum emphasizes the acquisition of complex structures necessary for higher-level communication and literary analysis. Texts include Breaking the Spanish Barrier and selected literary and journalistic sources, as well as films and short videos from across the Spanish-speaking world. Students demonstrate their growing oral skills through presentations, dramatizations, discussions in small groups, and classroom conversations. Students develop writing and reading skills through traditional and web-based expository and creative writing projects as well as close reading of complex texts. Special emphasis is placed on skills-based learning that encourages students to be lifelong and self-directed language learners. Prerequisite: Spanish II.
Advanced Spanish Electives
Students who have completed Spanish III may select from a variety of electives. Students must take Spanish IV as a prerequisite to other Spanish electives unless granted a waiver by the department chair. All advanced electives are conducted in Spanish. Not all electives are offered every year.
Spanish IV (Full year, 1 credit)
This yearlong course is designed for students who wish to continue to expand and review vocabulary and refine grammar structures in a conversation-based setting beyond Spanish III. Students will be encouraged to play with the language and will experience language through the study of cultures while making connections and comparisons to their native language and developing communication skills in the target language. Activities will include student-led dialogue, authentic readings about current events around the Spanish-speaking world, advanced listening selections, and written communication with a focus on contemporary cultures in the Hispanic world. In addition, students will explore and practice the three key Spanish verb moods: the indicative, the imperative, and the subjunctive. Students will work on a semester-long, student-selected cultural investigation in the target language and develop it throughout the second semester, presenting to classmates periodically. Prerequisite: Spanish III.
Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition (Full year, 1 credit)
This full-year advanced course offers an approach to fluency through all four of the linguistic skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students work to broaden and deepen their current understanding of grammatical structures while learning new structures that allow them to add complexity and abstract thought to their verbal and written expression. Each unit introduces an aspect of cultural life along with thematic vocabulary, giving students the opportunity to practice, churn, and play. Students read and analyze literature, write and edit short compositions, participate in debates and roundtable discussions, and engage in various forms of creative expression. Through online and in-class collaboration, students are immersed in authentic contemporary language and culture. The course also includes weekly discussion and feedback based on podcasts from Spain and elsewhere. Prerequisite: Spanish III Intensive.
Advanced Spanish: Actualidades del mundo latino (½ credit)
This course offers a nonliterary approach to language study. Harnessing the power of the internet, students explore real-time sociopolitical issues in Spain and Latin America and gain an international perspective through which to examine those same issues in the United States. Expansion of vocabulary and development of higher-level speaking and writing skills are stressed through frequent in-class discussions, debates, blogs, and student-generated web pages and news broadcasts. Advanced grammar topics are explored in the context of readings and articles. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
La realidad irreal (½ credit)
This course explores the notions of reality and fantasy in contemporary South American literature. Students delve into a selection of works that illustrate different facets of the peculiarly Latin American notion of realismo mágico and are given an opportunity to question their own preconceptions about how they see the world. Class discussion, presentations, role-playing, and composition are integral to the class. In keeping with the style and inspiration of the course’s texts, students also become virtual online journalists, posting regular news bulletins on topics and themes from the texts. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
Advanced Spanish: El cine español (½ credit)
Through the medium of cinema, students explore the development of modern Spanish society from the 1930s to the present as it passed rapidly through periods of civil war, dictatorship, and socialism to full-fledged democracy. Students analyze and evaluate the cultural changes that have taken place and what it means to be “Spanish,” focusing on the national and individual effects of civil war, the Franco legacy, and the modern Spanish Constitution. Class discussion, written responses, student videos, and web-based interactive projects, all conducted in Spanish, are the vehicles for instruction and assessment. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
Lorca, su poesía y teatro (½ credit)
A study of Federico García Lorca, the famous 20th-century Spanish poet and playwright, begins with selected poems from his Canciones, Romancero gitano, Poema del cante jondo, and Poeta en Nueva York. The class then explores several of his plays, including Yerma, Bodas de sangre, and La casa de Bernarda Alba. Students move through discussions of theme and style in Lorca’s works while practicing and honing their close-reading skills and sharpening their critical-thinking abilities. Active participation and collaboration on the class Google site are required, and other online tools such as VoiceThread, Audioboo, and Explain Everything are used to develop proficiency and understanding. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
La novela mexicana (½ credit)
This course examines the novel form that grew out of the Mexican Revolution and charted the rise and demise of the hopes and dreams of the Mexican revolucionarios. Students analyze the different literary styles and recurring themes presented in works by representative authors including Azuela, Fuentes, Esquivel, Pacheco, and Poniatowska, and they deepen their understanding of the Mexican experience. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
Advanced Spanish: Voces caribeñas (½ credit)
This course offers a survey of narratives, including short stories, essays, and memoirs by representative Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican, Colombian, and Venezuelan writers. Students explore a variety of themes, including race, gender, politics, colonialism, exile, and cultural identity. Literary works are supplemented by film, music, and visual art that reiterate themes studied in the texts. Class discussion, written responses, student-led discussions, journal writing, and blog posts are the vehicles for instruction and assessment and are all conducted in Spanish. Advanced grammar topics are explored in the context of readings and articles. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
Advanced Spanish: Movilización social en América Latina (½ credit)
This course is a survey of human rights, social justice, and popular resistance across the Latin American region. Through the use of journalism, academic texts, art, film, music, and literature, students explore the complexity of the region’s social fabric and the inspiring efforts of its people to work toward a more equitable society. Topics include Indigenous rights and sovereignty, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights movements, and the cycles of democracy and dictatorship. Daily class discussions in Spanish, accompanied by oral presentations, blog posts, and written reflections, help support students’ continued language study and provide ample opportunity for reinforcing advanced grammar topics and vocabulary. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
Conversaciones, culturas y temas avanzados (½ credit)
This semester-long elective is designed for students who wish to strengthen their overall proficiency in Spanish, improve oral skills in different communicative situations, and acquire a more profound understanding of Hispanic cultures. The course will also provide exposure to the other language skills (reading and listening comprehension, writing, vocabulary acquisition, sociocultural competence) that are integral to developing speaking fluency. Students will continue to learn how to express themselves in Spanish in formal and informal settings while discussing a variety of topics, including science, sociology, films, music, performing arts, politics, and literature. Students will practice building strong arguments, structuring oral presentations, and self-correcting during a conversation. Prerequisite: Spanish IV or Spanish IV Intensive: Advanced Spanish Grammar and Composition.
Upper School Visual Arts Courses
Foundations of Art is a prerequisite for all other visual arts classes, as it provides a basic understanding of both two- and three-dimensional design principles while exposing students to a wide variety of media and processes. In addition, students learn visual arts vocabulary that is used throughout all the upper-level visual arts electives. After completing Foundations of Art, students can choose from more specific studio disciplines, which include drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture, applied design, and book arts. Digital imaging is woven into several of these disciplines.
Foundations of Art (½ credit)
This course explores the basic principles of the visual arts through introductory experiences in design, drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Foundations of Art is designed to help students of all abilities develop their creative and perceptual skills. The concepts and vocabulary learned in this course serve as a common body of knowledge for all other visual arts electives.
Visual Arts Electives
Not all electives are offered every year.
Ceramics I (½ credit)
This course emphasizes the development of hand-building and modeling techniques with clay while providing opportunities to learn about a variety of surface treatments and glazing options. Work may be functional, sculptural, or a combination of both. Students will be exposed to the work of ceramic art and artists, both contemporary and historical. Prerequisite: Foundations of Art.
Ceramics II (½ credit)
Students will build on the hand-building skills they learned in Ceramics I and will also be introduced to throwing on the wheel. Work may be functional or sculptural and may combine hand-built and wheel-thrown techniques. Prerequisite: Foundations of Art and Ceramics I. Open to juniors and seniors only.
Drawing: Skills & Exploration (½ credit)
In this course, students will work in both black and white and color. While observational drawing and the principles of composition will be emphasized, students will also complete work that is imaginative, abstract, or experimental. A variety of media will be used, including pencil, black-and-white charcoal, pastel, colored pencil, and India ink. This course is excellent preparation for Painting: Skills & Exploration, Creative Printmaking, and Advanced Studio. Prerequisite: Foundations of Art.
Painting: Skills & Exploration (½ credit)
Students will build on the color knowledge they gained in Drawing: Skills & Exploration while learning how to manipulate paint. Topics will include the relative strength of pigments, color mixing, opacity, transparency, composition, quality of edges, and a variety of application and blending techniques. While acrylic paint will be the primary medium, watercolor may also be included. Subject matter may be observational, abstract, or nonobjective. Prerequisites: Foundations of Art and Drawing: Skills & Exploration.
Alternative Photographic Processes (½ credit)
This course will explore and adapt historical photo processes to contemporary image making. Inkjet and toner transfer methods will be examined, and students should expect to work with some combination of digital imaging, the photocopier, the ultraviolet light box, and the printing press. Students will explore techniques as well as the aesthetics of photographic imagery, including subject matter, narrative, composition, light, focus, and the role of cropping. Historical and contemporary purposes of photography will be examined. Prerequisite: Foundations of Art. Preference given to juniors and seniors.
Sculpture (½ credit)
This course explores thinking and creating in three dimensions using a variety of media that may include plaster, cardboard, wire, found objects, and wood. In addition to the elements of art and principles of design, students also work on understanding specific sculpture principles such as mass, volume, space, light, time, and location. Prerequisite: Foundations of Art.
Creative Printmaking on and off the Press (½ credit)
Students will explore the many creative opportunities that are available to the printmaker. Techniques will include monotype/monoprint, relief, etching, silkscreen, and collagraphy, with variation in materials, ink types, and supporting processes that can vary from drawing and carving to painting and digital imaging. Students will print by hand and use printing presses. The class includes both technical instruction and nonobjective, abstract, observational, personal narrative, or social justice content. Students will have the opportunity to work with singular imagery or in serial formats. Prerequisites: Foundations of Art and Drawing: Skills & Exploration.
Real-World Design (½ credit)
In this class, students will explore the principles of design as they apply to contemporary, real-world applications. Using graphic design, architectural design, and industrial (product/furniture) design will allow students to work in both two and three dimensions. Assignments will include manual and digital work while referencing modern art and design history. Focusing primarily on matters of form and function, the class will also examine the use of design as a communication tool in contemporary society. Prerequisite: Foundations of Art and at least one other studio elective. Preference given to juniors and seniors.
Advanced Studio (½ credit)
This course offers the advanced art student an opportunity to work on skill development and formal thinking and to develop creative solutions to aesthetic and conceptual challenges. While the course emphasizes visual image making, it’s not necessarily limited to strictly two-dimensional work. A variety of techniques and materials (both traditional and experimental) and colors are used. Subject matter may vary greatly, from the observed to the constructed to the imagined. Most important, the class focuses on different ways to think about the how and why of making art. Students taking the course should feel confident about their drawing skills. Prerequisites: Foundations of Art, Drawing: Skills & Exploration, and one other studio art course. Open only to juniors and seniors.
Upper School Performing Arts
The Upper School performing arts curriculum includes a range of offerings in dance, music, theater, and production technology. These include formal semester classes, yearlong ensembles, and other electives.
SEMESTER COURSES
Music Theory (½ credit)
Students gain a foundational understanding of Western music theory while also exploring a wide variety of musical traditions from around the world. Units in the course include listening, tonality, intervals, scales, rhythm, meter, harmony, and form. These concepts are actively applied through listening, playing, singing, improvisation, composition, and analysis. Students build on previous musical knowledge and experience to build new skills and understandings. This course is designed for aspiring performers, composers, songwriters, and producers to gain a new appreciation of the music they love, widen their perspective, deepen their understanding, and help them pursue their musical goals. There is no prerequisite for this course, although it is assumed that students will have a strong interest in music.
Real-World Performing Arts (½ credit)
In ancient Greece, the performing arts were a platform for civic debate. The performing arts, or storytelling with words, music, and movement, were seen as a necessary part of a democratic society. From Sophocles to The Laramie Project and from Bob Dylan to Kendrick Lamar, stories arise from artists needing to share their particular truths and hoping they serve as catalysts for change. This semester-long experiential class will focus on the power of the performing artist as activist and agent of change. Students will take on many roles: historians and critics; interpreters of existing monologues, scenes, dances, and songs; and creators of a multi-arts performance piece designed to spark action. Note: This course is open to students in grades 10–12.
Theatre Lab (½ credit)
Theatre Lab is an experiential performance and design course. Students have the opportunity to become theater-makers as they delve into this multidisciplinary creative art form. The focus is on developing skills as actors, designers, and technicians whose shared goal is to fill that universe and tell a story—expressively and collaboratively. Students will discover the actor’s instrument by tuning up their bodies, voices, and imaginations with a variety of exercises that demystify the acting process. Students will toggle between acting and theatrical design (allowing each aspect of the creative process to inform the other) and will expand their cultural literacy through exposure to a variety of theater genres. Actor-designers will collaborate on culminating projects by making theater together, from the first reading of a dramatic text to designing, building, and rehearsing—all in service of a short play.
Digital Music Production (½ credit)
This project-based course is a hands-on exploration of musical concepts through the use of music production technology, inviting students to create any type of music they are interested in, using GarageBand as the primary digital audio workstation. Topics include audio concepts, multitrack recording, MIDI, songwriting/composition, mixing, and sampling. Students will develop skills with wide-ranging real-world applications, from professional recording engineering and home studio recording to podcasting or other media. The course provides a unique insight into music and digital culture as students explore the development of recording technology and the way technology has shaped genres such as hip-hop and EDM. Music listening will be a crucial aspect of this course as we learn about musical innovators and their creative use of technology. Note: while not a prerequisite, Music Theory is a beneficial prelude to this course.
ENSEMBLES
Acoustic Roots Ensemble (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
This class is open to students who are interested in playing guitar, banjo, ukulele, or dobro in an ensemble setting. The ensemble requires a minimum of eight students, and students must provide their own instruments. In addition to building technical skills on their instruments, students will expand their understanding of music theory, develop music-reading skills, and explore music from a range of acoustic genres. The ensemble will also have opportunities for formal and informal performance and may collaborate with other music ensembles.
Instrumental Ensembles (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
Instrumental Ensembles are open to all Upper School string, wind, brass, percussion, and bass players. Students provide their own instruments. The group begins the year working as a string ensemble and wind ensemble to allow foundational work on instrumental technique and ensemble skills. Members of the wind ensemble are invited throughout the year to join the string ensemble for orchestral repertoire and other special projects. String ensemble begins with Baroque repertoire to develop students’ collaborative musicianship and rhetorical skills and adds music of other styles throughout the year. The wind ensemble explores traditional wind band repertoire as well as various styles of jazz music. In addition to building technical skills on their instruments, all students expand their understanding of music theory and develop their music-reading skills. There is also a strong emphasis in wind ensemble on developing improvisational skills. In addition to formal concerts in the winter and spring, the ensembles perform at school events, and members may audition for Maine Music Educators Association All-State and District 2 festivals and ensembles.
Chamber Music (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
Chamber Music is open to a small number of players who demonstrate a superior level of commitment to Western art music performance and musicianship. Chamber Music membership is by invitation and is determined in September. Students must also be members of the Upper School instrumental ensembles. Chamber music is an intimate form of music-making without a conductor and with one player to each unique and important line of music. Students work with a coach to explore repertoire for small ensembles with a special emphasis on balance, tuning, stylistic interpretation, and individual leadership as the music demands. Chamber Music members will perform in two formal concerts per year and additional informal performances on campus and in the community. Repertoire is selected and adapted for the specific instrumentation available. Members may also audition for Maine Music Educators Association All-State and District 2 ensembles.
Chorus (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
Chorus is open to interested students who share a passion for choral singing. No prior experience is required. The curriculum emphasizes building a cohesive community, vocal training, part singing, stylistic interpretation, music literacy, and musical understanding. Singers will explore music from various styles, cultures, and traditions, including contemporary a cappella and musical theater. The concert season consists of winter and spring concerts, additional performances for the school community, the New England Youth Identity Summit Kickoff Program, and collaborative performances with musicians from other ensembles and/or schools. Members are also eligible to audition for Maine Music Educators Association All-State and District II honor choirs.
Dance Technique and Composition (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
Open to all interested dancers, this class is also geared toward students whose athletic commitments preclude them from participating in Danceflete Collective during Upper School PE time. Students develop and improve their dance technique and expand their skills as choreographers and contributors to a creative choreographic process. Barre, floor, and center work will be emphasized to develop and refine technique, increase flexibility, and build strength and stamina. Compositional tools will be explored through short studies and longer solo and group projects. Students will have the opportunity to create and perform in new works for the Winter and Spring Dance Concerts.
Jazz Combo (Full year, two days a week, ½ credit)
Jazz Combo is open to a small number of players who are part of the instrumental ensembles and who demonstrate a superior level of commitment to jazz performance and musicianship. Jazz Combo membership is by invitation and is determined in September. Repertory consists of contemporary jazz arrangements from a range of styles that provide opportunities for students to develop improvisational skills. The Jazz Combo performs at two formal concerts a year as well as school and community events such as Convocation and the New England Youth Identity Summit. The students often participate in the Maine Music Educators Association District 2 Jazz Festival and/or the UNH Clark Terry Jazz Festival.
OTHER PERFORMING ARTS ELECTIVES
Cocurricular Theatre (¼–½ credit)
One theatrical production is staged during each season. The program includes a range of genres (comedy, drama, musical, student-written, one-act) and represents diverse playwrights. Actors and stage crew members receive academic credit for participating in these cocurricular productions.
Danceflete Collective (¼ credit)
Dancers may elect to participate in Danceflete Collective during the physical education block for any/all of the athletic seasons per year. The fall season focuses primarily on technique. Dancers in the winter and spring seasons build on that technical foundation to generate and rehearse works for the Winter and Spring Dance Concerts. Dancers completing two seasons of Danceflete Collective in a single year meet the minimum performing arts requirement.
Other Electives
A variety of additional courses offered in the Upper School enables students to study subjects not typically found in traditional disciplines. These courses are often interdisciplinary. Unless otherwise noted, the courses below are offered to students in grades 10–12.
Global Ethics and Public Policy (½ credit)
As our populations grow and “shrink” the planet, our need to understand and accept one another grows exponentially. Seeking insight into what makes an “other” and how people can thrive by embracing differences, this course will examine the impulse to embrace nationalism, the limits of globalism, and the allure of NIMBYism (among other inclinations), and how understanding these concepts will lead to growth. Beginning with a discussion of the UN Global Goals and an inquiry into universal ethical issues, we will explore topics such as poverty, security, immigration, cultural appropriation, international NGOs, global health, and diplomacy. Field trips to agencies with a global footprint and local speakers who can address problems and solutions firsthand will comprise a significant part of our study. Intended for motivated, organized learners who want to understand the complexity of the world we now live in and what it means to engage in a central tenet of Waynflete’s mission—“responsible and caring participation in the world”—this is an opportunity for rigorous study of student-designed topics within the framework of the overall curriculum. This course is open to juniors and seniors (and sophomores by permission).
Poverty, Marginalization, and Public Service (½ credit)
This course is an in-depth exploration of the root causes of poverty and homelessness in Greater Portland. We will investigate the ways marginalized members of our community are pushed to the edges and face many obstacles to well-being. Race, immigration status, gender identity, sexual identity, and mental health status are all factors that can influence outcomes for thriving in any community. Based on readings and in-class speakers from the community, students will identify an area of particular interest and partner directly with a social service agency, NGO, or other organization that is actively working on solutions in that area of need. Regular contact and work with and for the agency will lead to community service credit for all students who successfully complete the course. This course is open to juniors and seniors (and sophomores by permission).
Introduction to Psychology (½ credit)
This course provides broad coverage of the field by presenting basic theories, research, and applied uses of psychology while also providing students with the tools necessary for the study of psychology and a sampling of the major areas of psychology research. The course begins with an overview of how psychology developed as an academic discipline and an introduction to some of the principal methodologies commonly deployed in its study. These areas will be approached from both theoretical and applied perspectives as students focus on well-substantiated research and current trends within research methodology, cognition, biological bases of behavior, human development, and social psychology. The course equips students with a solid background from which they may pursue more advanced psychology courses. Note: This course is open to juniors and seniors only (and sophomores by permission).
Economics and American Capitalism (½ credit)
This course explores the roles and effects of economics and capitalism on American consumers and businesses. Through the lens of economics-based decision-making processes, our goal is to examine why entities (individuals, entrepreneurs, businesses, the federal government, the Federal Reserve, etc.) make the decisions that they do and to analyze the impact of those choices. Throughout the course, students will investigate economics, inflation, key economic theories, influential economists, the role of business in the economy, the stock market, and entrepreneurship. By the end of the course, students will be able to articulate and apply key analytical tools to choices they will face in their various roles in the US economy (consumer, investor, employee, entrepreneur, etc.). This is a valuable course for those interested in economics, business, entrepreneurship, finance, and/or investing in stocks. Note: This course is open to students in grades 10–12.
Personal Finance (½ credit)
This class deepens students’ understanding of how the decisions we make affect our financial freedoms. By focusing on both current and future financial situations, students explore loans, taxes, investing for retirement, types of insurance, credit, and the importance of budgeting. By the end of the semester, students will have a strong understanding of their money flow and the steps they can take to improve their financial well-being. This course is open to juniors and seniors only (and sophomores by permission).
Documentary and Podcast Journalism (½ credit)
Students will work together to pioneer a student-run digital news source for the Waynflete community. Starting with the foundations of documentary journalism, students will pitch, research, write, and record their own articles and podcasts. Focusing on local and school-oriented news, the class will learn the basics of fact-checking, interviewing, and audio editing. Throughout the semester, students will publish their articles and short podcasts. They will analyze online platforms and learn the basic tenets of community-centered reporting. The course will culminate in the creation of a digital new source for Waynflete. The class will accommodate all levels of experience with journalism.
Upper School Athletic Philosophy And Program
Waynflete believes that student-athletes benefit greatly from learning to balance the challenges of their academic and athletic schedules. For this reason, students are required to participate in either interscholastic athletics or physical education classes during all three seasons. Options for Upper School students include participating at the varsity or junior varsity level in a wide range of sports, choosing from a variety of physical education options, or developing an individualized athletic program.
Upper School Sports Options
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FALL
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WINTER |
SPRING Baseball Crew Lacrosse Tennis Track* Ultimate Frisbee |
*Additional equipment/transportation fee required for participation.
Interscholastic Athletics
Waynflete offers varsity or junior varsity team sports for boys and girls during all three seasons. The programs stress developing sportsmanship, skills, and team strategies. All athletes who try out for a varsity sport will be added to either a varsity or a junior varsity team. Freshmen teams are fielded if numbers allow. Fall sports meet two to four weeks before the school year begins. Practice for competitive teams is held during and after the school day. Varsity and junior varsity teams have practices and/or games scheduled Monday through Saturday.
Physical Education Options
Physical education options are geared toward students who have athletic interests other than interscholastic competition. They are an integral part of the school’s athletic program. There are several options to choose from. These change each season and have included dance, intramurals, weight training, and yoga. They take place on Tuesdays and Fridays and conclude in time for students to take regularly scheduled transportation home.
Individualized Athletic Program
The third choice for Upper School students is individualized athletics. This allows a student to pursue activities of special interest that the school does not offer. Activities vary and have included competitive downhill skiing, dance, fencing, figure skating, among others.
Proposals for individualized programs must be submitted prior to the start of the season and approved by the athletic director, the Upper School director, the student’s advisor, and parents. Waynflete encourages ninth graders to participate in either interscholastic athletics or physical education classes as part of their transition to Upper School.
THE WAYNFLETE WIRE
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CONTACT
“Every component of Waynflete’s Upper School program is carefully thought-out to prepare students for success after graduation. We offer a challenging, college-preparatory curriculum that is rooted in a holistic, supportive, student-centered educational experience.”
Asra Ahmed
Waynflete Upper School Director
