tph course selection guide 2014-2015
DESCRIPTION
Volume 101, Issue 6TRANSCRIPT
FEBRUARY 9, 2015
TPHCourse Selection Guide
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THIS YEAR’S SCHEDULE>> NEXT YEAR’S SCHEDULE>>
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1. Write down your schedule from this year and your prospective schedule for next year.
2. Fill in the difficulty and workload of each class, using ratings from this guide.
3. Add up the difficulty and workload of each schedule.
4. Compare the two to help you choose classes for the upcoming year.
How to use the Guide:>>
MILES KIMacl editor
REMY AFONGeditor-in-chief
ERIC ZHANGnews editor
Piedmont HighlanderThe VOLUME 101 ISSUE 6
A CLOSER LOOK FEBRUARY 9, 20152
TPH Course Selection GuideThis course selection guide reflects the opinions and research of The Piedmont Highlander staff. We hope that this guide will inform students in chosing courses that are suitable for them.
DIF
FIC
ULT
Y
HW
LO
AD
Difficulty is rated within a department.(e.g., you can compare Honors Statistics to AP Calculus AB, but not String Orchestra to Spanish II.)
Homework load is rated across all departments.(e.g., you can compare AP Environmental Science to ROP Culinary Arts.)
easy A time-consuming assignments minimal/no homeworkhard-earned A
CREATIVE ARTS
COMPUTER STUDIESExploring Computer Science*
Acting I
Mobile Applications Development*
AP Computer ScienceWeb Development — Design and Coding*
Joy of Computing
Acting III-IV
Symphonic Band/String Orchestra
Jazz Band
A Capella Chamber Choir
A Capella Advanced Choir
A Capella Beginning Choir
Acting II
ROP AP Music
Directing and Production for the Stage*
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With the implementation of the CSTA standards, three new classes have been added to the course catalog: Exploring Computer Science, Web Development — Design and Coding and Mobile Applications Development.
Exploring Computer Science will be a lower level class, while Web Development — Design and Coding and Mobile Applications Development will be AP level or above.
THE NEW COURSES>>
Art I-IV Ceramics I-IV
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AP Art 2-D Portfolio AP Art 3-D Portfolio
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Acting teacher Kim Taylor will be teaching a new class called Directing and Production for the Stage, introducing students to theatrical education outside of acting. Only juniors and seniors may enroll.
“I think it’s a great skill to learn how to lead people, how to organize people,” Taylor said. “It says ‘for the stage,’ but we’ll definitely do stuff with movies, with writing, with stage managing.”
Taylor recommends that students take the class if they are interested in learning more about any aspect of the entertainment field.
The class will primarily be project-based, and she anticipates guests such as costumers and directors coming into class to talk about their professions and share their experiences.
THE NEW COURSES>>
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*These classes are new and have not been rated
ART“In Art
I-IV, you e x p e r i m e n t with a lot of different
themes, styles and mediums like graphite, ink, charcoal, oil pastels and paint. As the levels progress, you get more freedom with the project ideas and mediums.
With AP Art, you have to come up with a concentration. You design all your projects by yourself under that topic. Homework includes things like sketchbook assignments and planning outside of class.”
JOHANNA RAPPORTsenior
AP COMPUTER SCIENCE“It’s a great
course to try out computer programming if you’re
curious about how computers work.
AP Computers teaches you Java and is a good introductory course. It gives you a lot of freedom to work on projects alone, but make sure you stay focused and do not go off task.
Even if you haven’t tried out programming before, it’s a good chance to gain some skills for the future.
Mr. Mattix is also one of Piedmont’s finest, and so are his Scrabble game skills.”
GATES ZENGsenior
AP MUSIC“We do busy
work, but it actually helps ingrain skills in you. There
are a lot of difficult concepts
to comprehend and the class is also time consuming.
Sometimes we do theory problems over and over again, other times we listen to or look at music and analyze what we heard or read.
You definitely can’t go in without playing or knowing anything about music before. For people who don’t have musical experience, Mr. Piazza gives you summer work to help you prepare.”
LIAM SCHINDLERsenior
ENGLISH 5-6 HONORS“We have
lots of class d iscuss ions and essays. We usually
spend about two weeks per book with thorough annotations for homework.”
AIDEN FRASERjunior
A CLOSER LOOKFEBRUARY 9, 2015 3
SCIENCES
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
MATHEMATICS
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Honors Statistics
Intermediate Dance
Public Speaking
English 7-8 AP English Literature
English 5-6 HonorsEnglish 5-6
English 3-4English 1-2
PE: Weight Training*
Upper Division PE
Creative Writing
Freshman PE
Advanced Dance
Integrated Math I*
Algebra II
AP Calculus AB
Statistics
Math Analysis
AP Calculus BC
Geometry
ROP AP Environmental Science
Honors Chemistry
ROP Sports Medicine
Chemistry
Physics: Alternative Energy Design and Construction*
Biology
Honors Physics
Anatomy and PhysiologyROP Biotechnology
Physics (College Prep)
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AP Biology
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PE: Weight Training is a new semester PE elective that sophomores, juniors and seniors can take to earn PE credit. It teaches advanced weight lifting techniques to help students maximize their athletic and strength potential. Athletes wanting to improve their performance in sports, as well as students hoping to learn more about weight training are encouraged to enroll. The class is currently pending board approval.
THE NEW COURSES
AP ENGLISH LITERATURE“You learn
to analyze different texts like poetry and Middle
E n g l i s h . The page-long homework responses come and go.”
CHARLOTTE MOXLEYsenior
“The class is based around P o w e r P o i n t l e c t u r e s with labs in
between. We also learn about trees. It’s hard at times, but everything is applicable to real life.”
STUART ASHFORDjunior
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AP BIOLOGY“To do well,
you need to want to learn about biology. It’s a difficult
class if you don’t do the work, but if you put time into reading the textbook and doing the labs, you should be fine.”
TUCKER JOHNSONsenior
HONORS STATISTICS“It’s a really
c h a l l e n g i n g class, but has real world applications.
You need to be detail-oriented because the class is English-based too.”
GRAHAM LOWsenior
AP CALCULUS AB“Take the
class because you need to e x p e r i e n c e M a h o n e y ’ s
teaching style, especially the 10 percent grade boost and the fact that there is no homework.”
DANIEL LINsenior
AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
A CLOSER LOOK FEBRUARY 9, 20154
UNRATED
NON-DEPARTMENTAL
WORLD LANGUAGES
The editorial board decided not to rate the following courses:
Social Psychology
AP Mandarin
Mandarin I
Mandarin III
Mandarin IV
French I
French III
French II Mandarin II
AP French
French IV
Spanish I
AP Spanish
ROP Culinary Arts
Finding Community*
ASBYearbook
Introduction to PublicationsROP Journalism
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Psychology Law and Society
EconomicsCivics
US History
AP European History
World Cultures and Geography
AP US History
Modern World History
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Spanish IV
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Spanish III
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Spanish III in Action
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Spanish II
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AP EUROPEAN HISTORY“In class, we
have lots of d i s c u s s i o n s , mainly in small groups then later
join into larger class discussions. There’s a possibility of a quiz every time a reading is due.
We also analyze primary sources and fill out worksheets. We do DBQs and FRQs about every month, but he tells us in advance.
We read between one to two chapters a week, which are about 30 pages each. You have to be good at retaining information and time management to succeed.”
CLAIRE SCHANEsenior
English Language DevelopmentSpecial Studies/Learning Center
Teacher/Office AssistantUnscheduled
Finding Community will be a discussion-based class focused on examining current questions and events related to community.
The main topics of discussion will be issues of inclusion and exclusion, bullying, the isms, and what makes a community.
“The course will touch on those issues using the lives and experiences of current students, as well as current events,” social psychology teacher Anne Aldridge-Peacock said.
She also anticipates a service learning component to the class.
THE NEW COURSES>>
AP US HISTORY“APUSH is a
h i g h - i n t e n s i t y and fast-paced class, but you go into a lot of depth
and interesting material. This year, with Chromebooks, we get discussion questions in small groups and then discuss them as a class.
About once or twice a week, you will have a chapter due for reading. Sometimes he will give you a quiz. There are two big tests a semester and around two DBQs and two LEQs.
Always plan your reading out ahead of time. If you slack off and have to read a chapter in one night, then it’s not fun.”
COLIN DIXONjunior
SPANISH III IN ACTION“We learn
Spanish, but also about the culture and country itself. Instead of
having finals, we do projects instead.
As long as you try, you can get an A. It’s less about writing answers and doing paperwork, and more about having conversations.
If you don’t want to continue far into Spanish and want to have a more relaxed class, but still learn some grammar, definitely take the class.”
REBECCA HARRISjunior