Advanced Education Division - Course Descriptions

Chinese History I

This is an introductory course in which students explore what it means to be “Chinese” by studying historical legends and moral concepts that form the foundations of Chinese culture. Students are given an overall chronological framework of the different dynasties that make up China’s history, from the Qin dynasty through to modern China, and are present­ed with a basic introduction to the major traditions and legacies of the history and culture of China. The course is open only to those with at least an inter­mediate level of Chinese as it is primarily taught in Chinese. However, key concepts are also introduced in English.

Chinese History II

This course requires satisfactory completion of Chi­nese History I. It covers the formation of China’s intellectual, social, and political culture in antiquity and traces its development through various dynastic periods over the same general time frame as Chi­nese History I. Chinese History II, however, studies major figures and developments in Chinese history in greater depth. The course looks in particular at the resilience and weaknesses of China’s imperial system during its final centuries, before examining the challenge that China’s traditions posed to those seeking institutional reform and modernization. Be­cause this course seeks to use the study of China as a means for developing more general skills in the discipline of historical analysis and writing, stu­dents are required to complete research projects for this course. The course is taught primarily in Chinese and requires at least intermediate level of Chinese proficiency.

Chinese Civilization

This course is a thematic survey of China, one of the richest and oldest continuous cultures in the world. The course examines the defining intellectual, re­ligious, literary, political, and artistic developments that have shaped China over millennia. The topics range as far back as the time of the Three Reigns & Five Virtuous Saint Emperors, about 7,000 to 12,000 years ago, and proceed through the dynasties over the last 5,000 years. The study of Chinese civilization is fundamental for students to understand the de­velopment of Chinese military, political, economic, and philosophical systems. The course also em­phasizes enduring values, sensibilities, and beliefs within the development of Chinese civilization.

The goal is to arrive at a basic “cultural literacy” that encompasses China’s festival calendar, dynas­tic cycle, key religious practices, literary and ar­tistic achievements, architecture, family structure, means of governance, and early science and tech­nology. The course includes readings and interpre­tation of primary source texts. This course is offered in Chinese and English.

AP Chinese Language And Culture - Chinese Language IV

The Advanced Education Chinese Language and Culture course prepares students to demonstrate their level of Chinese proficiency across the three communicative modes: Interpersonal, Interpretive, and Presentational within five goal areas: Commu­nication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Its aim is to provide students with ongoing and varied opportunities to further develop their language proficiency within a cultural frame of reference. While the Chinese Language and Cul­ture course focuses on language proficiency, it also interweaves level- and age-appropriate cultural content throughout the course and provides for fre­quent formative assessment of students’ develop­ing proficiencies within the context of their learning. Instructional materials and activities are carefully and strategically adapted from authentic sources to support the linguistic and cultural goals of the course.

World History and Civilization

The purpose of this course is to develop greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts and interaction with different types of human societies. This understanding is advanced through a combination of selective factual knowl­edge and appropriate analytical skills. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as comparisons between major societies. The course emphasizes relevant factual knowledge deployed in conjunction with leading interpretive issues and types of historical evidence. Focused primarily on the last thousand years of the global experience, the course builds on an understanding of cultural, institutional, and technological prec­edents that, along with geography, set the human stage prior to 1000 C.E. Periodization, explicitly dis­cussed, forms the organizing principle for dealing with change and continuity from that point to the present. Specific themes provide further organiza­tion to the course, along with the consistent atten­tion to contacts among societies that form the core of world history as a field of study.

AP Art History

This course engages students at the same level as an introductory college art history survey course and prepares students for the AP Art History exam. Students examine major forms of artistic expres­sion from the ancient world to the present and from a variety of cultures. Special emphasis is placed on the Renaissance in Europe through the 19th Cen­tury in the West and China’s Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. Students examine essential questions such as the origin of artistic creativity, the role of arts and artists in culture and civilization, and the interrelation of art and thought. Students are encouraged to develop inferential skills with which to interpret art works and cultures. Students learn how to experience great art in a meaningful way by working on a course-long art project chosen from selected topics.

AP English Language And Composition – English Language Arts V

The Advanced Education course in English Lan­guage and Composition engages students in be­coming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writ­ers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading should make stu­dents aware of the interactions between a writer’s purpose and audience expectations. Students will also explore treatment of theme and the way liter­ary conventions and figurative language contribute to the author’s message. The overarching objective is to enable students to write effectively and confi­dently in their college courses and in their profes­sional and personal lives. This course emphasizes the expository, analytical, and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communication, as well as the personal and reflec­tive writing that fosters the development of writing facility in any context. In addition, the course teach­es students to read primary and secondary sources carefully, to synthesize material from these texts in their own compositions, and to cite sources using conventions recommended by professional organi­zations.

Cross-Cultural Communications

This course is designed to prepare professional artists with the communication skills and cultural awareness needed to express their artistic inten­tions to the public. Through class discussion and role-playing, students explore the different ways in which Westerners and Chinese express themselves through language and nonverbal communication. The course will also explore some of the fundamen­tal ways in which Eastern and Western art and mu­sic differ. Students learn skills in public speaking, oral presentation, etiquette, and the media. Stu­dents learn how to conduct successful interviews and produce media advisories and press state­ments. Assessment is based on class participation and in-class projects. This course is recommended for the Advanced Level English for Artists (EFA) and English for Media Professionals (EMP) Language Program Certificates.

Public Speaking and media

In this Advanced Education course, students learn both the theory and practice of public speaking in different environments and for various media ac­tivities. The course begins with an overview of how to structure an argument and support a position. Faulty arguments, logic, and debate ethics are dis­cussed. The course continues with an overview of mainstream media operations, surveying the differ­ences among newspaper, radio, and television. Stu­dents practice various public speaking scenarios – from giving media interviews to making speeches. Each class begins with lively improvisation games aimed at helping students develop their creativity and articulation. Video recordings and mock inter­views give students instant feedback about their performance, while helping them gain confidence so they may look at public speaking situations as positive opportunities to improve themselves.

AP Calculus

Prerequisite: Algebra II and Trigonometry

This is a full-year course in college-level calculus that culminates in the Advanced Placement (AP) examination. This course teaches all topics as­sociated with functions: graphs and limits, direc­tives, integrals, and polynomial approximations and series. Students will have the opportunity to work with functions represented graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally. Students will learn how to explain solutions to problems orally, and in written sentences. Students will use all available software and graphic calculators to solve problems, experi­ment, interpret results and support conclusions.

Introduction to computer Science

This is a one-year introductory course on computer science for students whose future work or study will involve technology and computers. It follows the AP Computer Science A curriculum standards and prepares students for the AP Computer Science A exam.

This course teaches students to design and im­plement computer-based solutions to practical problems; to select and use commonly-used data structures and algorithms; to code fluently in an ob­ject-oriented paradigm using the programming lan­guage Java and its commonly used class libraries; and to read and understand a large programs con­sisting of several classes and interacting objects.

The development of useful computer programs is used as a context for introducing important concepts in computer science, including the development and analysis of algorithms, the development and use of fundamental data structures, and the study of stan­dard algorithms and typical applications. In addi­tion, an understanding of the basic hardware and software components of computer systems and the responsible use of these systems are integral parts of the course.

Computer Art Design

The course is a combination of artistry and technical ability. Students become well-grounded in the digi­tal work environment and with the tools required to produce media in their daily life.

Four types of software are taught: Adobe Photo-shop, Adobe Illustrator, Final Cut Pro for Mac us­ers or Adobe Premier Pro for PC users, and Adobe After Effects. In the study of each tool, students are taught what each tool can accomplish and the skills and techniques needed to achieve a desired effect. Students learn how to use Photoshop and Illustra­tor for 2D graphic design, such as posters, flyers, calendars, and video graphics. Students examine the non-linear editing program Final Cut Pro, which is used to create video or music projects. Students learn video editing, sound editing, basic story telling concepts, titling, and production. Through the use of After Effects, students learn basic graphic anima­tions, title animation, digital compositing, and film effects.

Introductory Electronics

Prerequisites: Completed or taking Algebra 2 and trigonometry; Middle school physical science and two years of high school science (Physics preferred).

This one-year course is offered to high school stu­dents to improve their understanding and practical skills in electronic technology. Students learn the fundamentals in electricity, electronics, and relat­ed fields. The first part of this course covers basic concepts, theories, and applications in electricity, magnetism, and electronic circuits, especially RLC alternating-current circuits. Built upon the foun­dation laid by the first part, the second part equips students with basic concepts and applications in electronics and related fields, including semicon­ductor components, amplifiers, oscillators, digital and analog circuits, communication technologies, computers, and the Internet.

Anatomy and Kinesiology

The course in Anatomy and Kinesiology gives stu­dents the knowledge and skills to develop a firm understanding of the skeletal joint mechanics and muscle mechanics. The class combines theory with practical application, with a focus on the needs of professional dancers. Through lectures, readings, and laboratory experiences, students examine movement strategies that enhance stability, control, and articulation. They learn to assess individual strengths, limitations, and anatomical differences that have an impact on dance performance. Com­mon dance injuries and proper conditioning for dancers are also discussed.

AP Music Theory

This course introduces students to musicianship, theory, musical materials, and procedures. The course emphasizes the use of harmony in music and addresses the integration of melody, texture, rhythm, form, musical analysis, and composition. The course also addresses the influence of history, culture, and individual style. Musicianship skills such as dictation, general listening skills, sight singing, and keyboard harmony are an important part of the theory course. The student’s ability to read and write musical notation is fundamental. It is strongly recommended that the student has ac­quired at least basic performance skills in voice or on an instrument to enroll in this class.

AP Studio art – Drawing and 2-D Portfolio

The Studio Art Drawing course is designed to ad­dress a broad interpretation of drawing issues and media. The class covers drawing techniques such as light and shade, line quality, rendering, composi­tion, surface manipulation, and illusion. The course covers these areas in the context of various media, including drawing, water color, painting, printmak­ing, and mixed media.

The course also addresses two-dimensional (2-D) design issues. Design involves purposeful decision making about how to integrate the elements and principles of art. The principles of design (unity/va­riety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, repeti­tion, proportion/scale, figure/ground relationships) are articulated through basic visual elements (line, shape, color, value, texture, space). Instruction in these areas is introduced in a way that helps guide artists make decisions about how to best organize and communicate content.