As part of Academy enrollment, each Academy student will take part in grade-level specific college and life planning Seminars which span students’ enrollments each school year. Through Seminar, students will have the option to engage in live activities and events with their peers and assigned Academy Counselors.

The Academy Middle School Seminar courses introduce the topics presented in the High School Seminar at a level appropriate for Middle School learners, while the Academy High School Seminar courses build on the topics presented. In addition, the Academy Seminars include a series of self-assessments, goal setting exercises, career inventories, and related course projects and assignments through which students will identify and attain the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to follow their selected college and career paths. High School Academy students earn 0.50 Elective credits per Seminar.

College Prep

The Academy Symposium course is a required discussion-based course where students have the opportunity to hear from guest speakers who are experts in their fields. Students extend their understanding of our speakers’ presentations by completing learning activities in conjunction with optional live Symposium Soapbox meetings with like-minded peers and their teacher. The Academy Symposium is designed to facilitate discussion, to build collaboration skills, to foster the ability to support ideas with facts, and to practice civil dialogue techniques with individuals who may share opposing viewpoints. High School Students earn 0.25 credits for the full-year Symposium course.

The Academy Honors English 1 is an integrated curriculum. Each unit contains thematically related lessons in five domains: reading and the study of literature, reading informational text, writing, speaking and listening, and language study, which includes word knowledge and grammar skills. Topics are presented in ways that help young adolescents relate literacy skills to other aspects of their lives. Writing assignments include narrative, expository, and persuasive/argumentative modes and emphasize the use of details and reasoning to support ideas. Speaking and listening lessons are emphasized in Semester A. Vocabulary development instruction is integrated into literature and informational text lessons. Each unit ends with an authentic assessment that presents students with a real‐world scenario requiring some of the skills they learned in the unit.

Literature study in semester B focuses on the analysis of different forms of literature and on comparative studies of world literature and literature delivered in different media. Writing and informational text lessons guide students through the stages of research and demonstrate how to evaluate, integrate, and share the information gathered during research. Students are required to share their ideas and analysis using several different modes, including oral and multimedia presentations. Both Semester A and Semester B require students to create a reflective portfolio to help them develop their metacognitive skills which empowers students to become better learners.

Honors students are expected to complete deeper, thought-provoking assignments throughout the course that build upon the skills that the student has learned within each unit. These assignments require students to evaluate and analyze different components to challenge students to develop deeper critical thinking skills.

Honors • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

In the Academy Honors English 2, students learn how to express their thoughts and feelings in writing. Emphasis is placed on the specific traits of the 6-Traits of Writing: Ideas, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions. Students also review the 5-step writing process as they practice the skills of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Each unit also includes instruction in the Greek roots of common English words. In Semester A, students are guided through the 5-step writing process for each of the major types of writing: expository, persuasive, expressive, research, and functional. The writing projects center on each of the five major types. Students will receive comprehensive instruction on the various structures and styles of writing. Students are expected to produce original high quality examples of each of the major types of writing. Writing samples are graded against the 6-Traits of Writing.

In Semester B, students broaden theirreading experience with exposure to literature from around the world. Students are given vast exposure to a variety of reading samples, and are encouraged to connect and relate to the various authors and cultures within the contexts of the passages and works Reading strategies, the literary elements, and new vocabulary and Latin roots are introduced. In addition, students are guided through an active reading process in preparation to prepare them for high-stakes testing which will assess their abilities to make inferences, comprehend, and analyze a variety of reading materials. Students are expected to respond to assigned reading materials in a variety of activities and manners. Students will be graded on their abilities to review, summarize, analyze, connect, and respond to reading materials. Additionally, students will practice important reading strategies such as determining the meaning of unfamiliar words. They will produce an independent vocabulary assignment as evidence of their familiarity with these strategies. Students are also expected to create original materials in an effort to grasp the complexity of the genres.

Honors students are expected to complete additional assignments throughout the course that build on the content provided. These assignments, like analyzing how a producer puts a movie together to develop a theme and writing lyrical poetry using literary devices, makes these students go above and beyond the curriculum content in creativity and application.

Honors • UC Approved English • NCAA Approved English

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. This course guides students through the study of living and non-living systems and how they interact with one another. Students explore the world they live in by posing questions and seeking answers through scientific inquiry. Discovery takes place through observation and data collection. The students will be introduced to the structure, function, diversity, and evolution of living matter. This is a course with real relevance. It encourages curiosity and provides opportunities for students to work on hands-on lab activities. Engaging in the study of biological science broadens the picture of the world around us.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of an 8th grade science course

College Prep • UC Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. This Honors level course is a research and writing-intensive version of Biology. This course guides students through the study of living and non-living systems and how they interact with one another. Students explore the world they live in by posing questions and seeking answers through scientific inquiry. Discovery takes place through observation and data collection. The students will be introduced to the structure, function, diversity, and evolution of living matter. This is a course with real relevance. It encourages curiosity and provides an opportunity for students to work on hands-on lab activities. Engaging in the study of biological science broadens the picture of the world around us. Students will develop deep understandings of concepts and explore concepts with an eye for research.

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. This Honors level course is a research and writing-intensive version of Biology. This course guides students through the study of living and non-living systems and how they interact with one another. Students explore the world they live in by posing questions and seeking answers through scientific inquiry. Discovery takes place through observation and data collection. The students will be introduced to the structure, function, diversity, and evolution of living matter. This is a course with real relevance. It encourages curiosity and provides an opportunity for students to work on hands-on lab activities. Engaging in the study of biological science broadens the picture of the world around us. Students will develop deep understandings of concepts and explore concepts with an eye for research.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of an 8th grade science course with an A or B

Honors • UC Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

Honors • UC Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. This chemistry course is designed for students pursuing a technical career or admission to college. Topics of study include phases of matter, atomic and molecular models, polarity, solutions, ionic bonding, stoichiometry, acids and bases, Le Chatelier’s Principle, the mole, nuclear reactions, the periodic table, isomers, molecular orbitals, chemical reactions, energy and change, osmosis, entropy, reaction rates, and more. This course enhances inquiry-based learning activities and instruction emphasizes the mathematical, theoretical, and experimental basis of modern chemistry. Throughout this course, students actively engage in exploration and analysis that will improve their ability to explain and predict phenomena using scientific skills.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1

College Prep • UC Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. Honors Chemistry contains several laboratory investigations that include the use of scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, laboratory apparatus and technologies, experimental procedures, and safety procedures that are an integral part of the learning experience. This course is designed as an interactive, 21st-century course. Topics include the composition, properties, and changes associated with matter and their applications.

This course serves as a foundation for the study of Chemistry. The utilization of scientific inquiry, interactive experiences, higher-order thinking, and real-world application all aid the student in ultimately demonstrating a vast understanding of the importance of chemistry in the world around them; enabling them to apply these properties to their everyday lives. Students develop deep understandings of concepts and explore concepts with an eye for research.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 1

Honors • UC Honors Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. In Human Anatomy and Physiology, explore the organization of the human body and how it works. Acquire the knowledge necessary to understand what the body is doing and how you can help the body cope with many different situations. Body systems will be studied in order to understand how their structure, location, and function allow for interaction with other parts of the body.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Biology

College Prep • UC Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

This Academy Science course comes with activities by the world’s leader in simulated labs, and is only available to Academy students. In Honors Human Anatomy and Physiology, explore the organization of the human body and how it works. Acquire the knowledge necessary to understand what the body is doing and how you can help the body cope with many different situations. Body systems will be studied in order to understand how their structure, location, and function allow for interaction with other parts of the body. Honors topics require an in-depth analysis of topics.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Biology

Honors • UC Honors Approved Science • NCAA Approved Science

The following courses are available in 2024–2025 with an optional synchronous course component meeting once per week per course.

Math

• Algebra 1
• Algebra 2
• Geometry
• Precalculus*
• AP Calculus AB + BC
• AP Statistics
• AP Computer Science*

Science

• Academy Biology*
• Academy Anatomy & Physiology
• Academy Chemistry*
• Physics*
• AP Physics
• AP Biology
• AP Chemistry

English

• Academy Honors English 1
• Academy Honors English 2
• English 3*
• English 4*
• AP English Literature & Composition
• AP English Language & Composition

Social Studies

• American History*
• World Geography*
• World History*
• AP Government (1st semester only)
• AP Human Geography
• AP Macroeconomics (1st semester only)*
• AP Microeconomics (2nd semester only)
• AP Psychology
• AP United States History
• AP World History Modern

World Language

• French 1*
• French 2*
• Spanish 1*
• Spanish 2
• AP French*
• AP Spanish

Fine Arts

• AP Art History*

AP Capstone

• AP Research
• AP Seminar

The level of rigor in these AP® Electives courses is equivalent to that required of students in a freshman or sophomore college course in this area of study. These courses have been audited and approved by the College Board and prepare students for the College Board Advanced Placement AP® examination.