Course catalog 2017-2018 - Kent School

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course catalog
   2017-2018
2   KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
Academic Information
Graduation Requirements                                               Course Selection
In order to receive a diploma, each student must meet both credit     In preparation for a student’s first year at Kent, the Director
and course requirements for graduation. The number of credits         of Studies reviews admissions files, placement tests and other
required varies with the form (3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th) in which a       materials and consults with new students and their parents to
student enters Kent.                                                  develop a plan of courses for each student.
    Entering Year                       Credits Required              During orientation, before the first day of classes, new students
      3rd form                              18                        review their proposed course schedules with faculty advisors.
      4th form                              13
      5th form                               9                        In the spring of each year, courses are chosen for the following
      6th form                               4                        year with the advisor’s counsel and reviewed with the Director of
                                                                      Studies. Parents are advised of the selections and their questions
There are two types of courses at Kent. Major courses meet daily,     and comments are invited.
some with an extra lab period, some with an omit day. Minor
courses meet less often, generally three or four times in each six-   Requests for placement review may be made at any time.
day rotation.                                                         Placement review is typically collaborative and involves the
The course load for students is five major courses, with the          student, parents, advisor and department head. Final program
required minor courses generally added in the 4th form year.          authority rests with the Director of Studies.
Each major year-long course counts as 1 credit.
Each major term-contained course counts as 1/3 credit.
Each minor term-contained course counts as 1/6 credit.
The courses required are:
                                                                      Major Independent Study
  • English - each term, every year                                   A student interested in an original project or course of study
                                                                      not regularly offered by the School may apply to pursue a major
  • History - a minimum of two years, one of which must be            independent study. Major independent studies are graded,
    United States History in the 5th or 6th form year
                                                                      for-credit programs conducted under the sponsorship of a
  • Language - either classical or modern, through the Kent           faculty member with the approval of the Director of Studies
    third-year level                                                  and the Independent Study Committee. In recent years, many
  • Mathematics - through Algebra 2 & Trigonometry                    students have completed major independent studies. Topics
    or the 5th form year (whichever is later)                         include multivariate calculus and its applications to Physics, the
                                                                      interpretation of dreams, Etruscan funerary urns, fashion design
  • Science, a minimum of two year-long laboratory sciences
                                                                      and conversational Russian. Applications for major independent
  • Theology - a major, term-contained course in the 5th or 6th       study require a faculty sponsor, must be approved by the Director
    form year*                                                        of Studies before the start of the term of intended study and are
  • Art & Music - Minor courses in both art and music, usually        granted on merit.
    taken in the 4th form year*
All 3rd form and new 4th form students take the New Student
                                                                      Advanced Placement (AP)
Seminar.
                                                                      Kent School participates in the College Board Advanced
Students entering in the 4th form year must also meet the Western
                                                                      Placement (AP) program, offering twenty-five different AP
Civilization requirement by completing one of the following:
                                                                      courses. Kent also assists students who choose to pursue other
  • Two years of a classical language (at least one at Kent) or       AP examinations that are not formally offered. AP curricula are
  • Classical Civilization or                                         designed by a national committee of university professors and
  • Modern European History                                           high school teachers and cover skills and content typical of a
                                                                      corresponding introductory-level college course. AP teachers are
* Courses in theology, art, and music taken at a previous school      certified by the College Board. The AP exams are administered
may not be used to satisfy the Kent School diploma requirements.      during the first weeks of May and comprehensively assess
                                                                      the year’s material. All students enrolled in an AP course are
They may enable placement in a higher level course.
                                                                      required to sit for the corresponding AP exam. Each college
                                                                      decides whether or not to grant credit or placement based on AP
                                                                      coursework. Please see www.collegeboard.com/AP for detailed
                                                                      descriptions of individual courses and the overall program.

                                                                                                                  KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018   3
Courses at a glance
     Art (p.6)                     †   Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin   English as a Second
     ‡	Art Survey                  †	Ecclesiastical Latin                  language (p.12)
                                                                           	ESL
     †	Electives in Art History    †	Roman Lyric Poetry
                                                                           	ESL Literature
     †	Architecture                †	Roman Comedy

     †	Ceramics
                                   Computer Science (p.10)                 History (p.12)
     †   Drawing                                                           	Ancient and Medieval World History/
                                       AP Computer Science Principles
                                                                            Honors Ancient and Medieval World
     †	Oil Painting                †	Computer Science Principles 1          History
     †   Film Photography          †	Computer Science Principles 2             Modern European History
     †	Advanced Photography        	AP Computer Science A                  	AP Modern European History
     †   Digital Imaging                                                   	United States History
                                   English (p.10)
     †	Sculpture                       English 1                           	AP United States History
     	AP Studio Art Drawing            Honors English 1                    	Selected Topics in
                                                                           	United States History
     	AP Studio Art 2-D            	English 2
                                                                           	AP Economics
     	AP Studio Art 3-D                Honors English 2
                                                                           	AP United States Government
                                   	English 3
     Classical studies (p.7)                                                and Politics
                                       Honors English 3
     	Classical Civilization                                               †	American Mosaic: Immigration,
                                   	AP English Literature                  	Ethnicity, and Race in the United States
     	Greek 1
                                   	English 4                              † Introduction to International
     	Greek 2
                                                                            	Relations
                                   †	Acting - Scenes and Monologues
     	Advanced Greek Studies
                                                                           †	China: From Mao to the Present
                                   †   The American Drive
     †   Herodotus
                                                                           †   20th Century Capitalism
                                   †   The Art of the Personal Essay
     †   Homeric Epic 1, 2, 3
                                                                           †   Irish in America
                                   †	Asian Literature and Film
     †   The Greek New Testament
                                                                           †	Soviet Communism
                                   †	Contemporary Short Fiction
     †	Aristophanes
                                                                           †   The Modern Middle East
                                   †	Contemporary Young Adult Fiction
     †	Euripides
                                                                           †   Financial Systems of The United States
                                   †   Native American Literature
     	Latin 1
                                                                           †	Contemporary Issues in the Middle
                                   †   Playwriting
     	Latin 2                                                              	East
                                   †	Reading and Writing Poetry
     	Advanced Latin Studies:                                              †	Soldiers, Slaves, and Scalawags: A
                                   †	Reading the American South              History of the Civil War Era
     	Latin 3
                                   †	Russian Literature                    †   World War II
     †   Honors Latin 3: Cicero
                                   †	Shakespeare for the Stage             †	Global Economics
     †   Honors Latin 3: Virgil

     	AP Latin Vergil and Caesar

     †   Petronius

4   KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
Mathematics (p.15)                        	Spanish 1/Honors Spanish 1                 ◊	AP Physics C

    Algebra 1                             	Spanish 2/Honors Spanish 2                 	AP Psychology

    Honors Algebra 1                      	Spanish 3/Honors Spanish 3                 ◊	AP Environmental Science

	Geometry                                 †	Spanish 4: Conversation                   † ◊	Ecology 1, 2, 3

    Honors Geometry                       	AP Spanish Language                        †    Genetics

	Accelerated Geometry & 		                	Advanced Spanish Literature                † ◊ Biotechnology
	Trigonometry
                                              Italian Language and Culture            †    Human Anatomy
	Algebra 2 & Trigonometry
                                                                                      †	Geology
    Honors Algebra 2 & Trigonometry       Music (p.18)
                                          ‡   Music Survey                            †    Pandemics
	Accelerated Algebra 2 & Trigonometry
                                          †   Music Theory 1, 2, 3                    †    History of Life on Earth
    Precalculus with Statistics
                                          	Applied Music Courses
†   Precalculus with Statistics 1, 2, 3                                               Theology (p.22)
                                              Private Instrumental or Vocal Lessons   ‡    Theology 1: Foundations
    Honors Precalculus with Statistics                                                     of Christian Faith
                                          ‡   Music Technology 1, 2, 3
    Introduction to Calculus                                                          †    Theology 2: Theology and Culture
†   Introduction to Calculus 1, 2, 3      Pre-Engineering (p.20)                      †    Psychology and Religion
                                          †   Manufacturing Engineering
    Honors Introduction to Calculus                                                   †    Dreams
                                          †	Structures: Design and Testing
	Accelerated Introduction to Calculus                                                 †    World Religions
                                          †	Engineering Design
	Calculus                                                                             †    Philosophy
	AP Calculus AB                           Research & academic
                                                                                      Non-credit Courses (p.24)
	AP Calculus BC                           skills (p.20)
                                                                                      	Confirmation
                                          ‡   New Student Seminar 3rd Form
†   Postcalculus 1, 2, 3
                                                                                           Private Instrumental or Vocal Lessons
                                          ‡   New Student Seminar 4th Form
	AP Statistics
                                                                                           Kent School Sports Medicine
                                          Science (p.20)
Modern Languages (p.17)
                                          ◊   Biology 1
	Chinese 1
                                          ◊   Honors Biology 1
	Chinese 2                                                                            † Indicates a term-contained major course
                                          ◊	AP Biology
	Chinese 3                                                                            ‡ Indicates a term-contained minor course
                                          ◊	Chemistry 1
	Chinese 4                                                                            ◊ Indicates a lab science course
                                          ◊   Honors Chemistry 1
    French 1/Honors French 1
                                          ◊	Accelerated Chemistry 1
    French 2/Honors French 2
                                          ◊	AP Chemistry
    French 3/Honors French 3
                                          ◊   Physics 1
†   French 4: Conversation
                                          ◊   Honors Physics 1
	AP French Language
                                          ◊	Accelerated Physics
	Advanced French Literature

                                                                                                             KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018   5
Departments & Courses
        Art                                                we traced the origins of art during the            Advanced Placement 2-D and/or 3-D
                                                           prehistoric period through the grandeur            Design portfolio. There is an additional fee
        Art is never created in a vacuum; therefore,       of Hellenistic Greece. In the winter, we           for this course.
        the Art Department supports building               begin investigating the art and architecture
        inter-disciplinary bridges for and by our          of the Roman Empire and conclude our
                                                                                                          †   Ceramics
        students. Student artwork is exhibited             discussion with the Renaissance. During            (fall, winter, spring)
        throughout the campus to showcase our              the spring term, we investigate artwork            Ceramics focuses on the use of the
        talented students, but also to stimulate           from the late Renaissance through the 20th         potter’s wheel, but also involves some
        dialogue between academic departments.             century.                                           hand-building techniques. Students
        Our students work is exhibited in local and                                                           are instructed in a range of decoration
        national competitions yearly.                      If a student wishes to take The College            methods including slip, oxides, and
                                                           Board exam, he/she begins to prepare               glaze techniques. Firing techniques and
        All studio art courses are term contained;         during the summer and in tandem with               physical considerations such as drying
        therefore, a student may take three                our classes. Our term contained courses            and shrinking problems are also discussed.
        different courses in one year. Since the           will assist greatly in his/her preparation,        Work from this course may contribute to a
        syllabi change each term, a student may            but since we would not cover all the               student’s Advanced Placement 3-D Design
        also elect to take the same class more than        specific required masterpieces, such a             portfolio. There is an additional fee for this
        once. Art Survey is the only minor course          student would need to complete additional          course.
        offered in the Art Department and all              research. Once the teacher knows of his/
        Advanced Placement courses (Art History,           her ambition, the teacher can also provide
                                                                                                          †   Drawing
        Drawing, 2-D Design, 3-D Design) require           additional guidance and support during             (fall, winter, spring)
        at least one year to complete successfully.        conference periods.                                Drawing is the study of a variety of
        Each year several students also complete                                                              techniques within the context of still
        independent studies to follow their creative       In addition to the western canon, the art          life, portraiture, and landscape. A wide
        inspiration beyond the courses offered             of several nonwestern cultures and regions         range of aesthetic challenges inherent in
        including fashion design, video, and               including; the Aboriginal, Navajo, Sepik           drawing or “work on paper” are considered.
        illustration. To complete an independent           River Tribe, and the Islamic world are             Representational study, the work of
        study, the student is required to develop a        considered. “Art Across Time”, by Dr.              historical periods, and abstract concepts
        clear concept for approval. By the end of a        Laurie Schneider-Adams and Jansen’s                inspire class projects. Each student keeps a
        term, independent study students complete          “History of Art” serve as our texts, but           sketchbook for his/her research. Students
        a portfolio consisting of four to eight            students also reference numerous museum            learn to use a wide range of traditional and
        coherent pieces.                                   web sites and several art monographs in            contemporary drawing media including;
                                                           The John Gray Park Library throughout              graphite, watercolor, ink, charcoal, colored
                                                           the year. In addition, students take two
    †   Art Survey                                                                                            pencil, Xerox-transfer, and collage. Work
                                                           trips to major museums in New York to
        (fall, winter, spring)                                                                                created in this class can contribute to a
                                                           enhance their classroom experience. There          student’s Advanced Placement Drawing
        Art Survey is an introductory art course
                                                           is no fee for this course                          portfolio. There is an additional fee for this
        addressing 2-D and 3-D design, art history
        and contemporary ideas, independent            †   Architecture                                       course.
        and collaborative work. Classes meet on            (fall, winter, spring)                         †   Oil Painting
        alternate days each week. Students are             Architecture is a study of perspective
                                                                                                              (fall, winter, spring)
        instructed in several studio techniques and        drawing and the construction of models.            This class probes the techniques and
        are assisted and encouraged to develop             The course reflects the dynamic nature of          materials of oil painting within the context
        individual responses to a variety of               contemporary architecture and design, but          of still life, portraiture, and landscape.
        materials. As an introductory studio class,        also investigates numerous architectural           Students also explore color as a means of
        students are also introduced to the                masterpieces each term. Students create            artistic expression, and they are encouraged
                                                           individually and collaboratively in the
    †   Electives in Art History                                                                              to complete oil sketches and monotypes
                                                           studio to think deeply about structures
        (fall, winter, spring)                                                                                to stimulate their creative process. Topics
                                                           for private or public use. Work from this
        This year, we began teaching art history                                                              include; color theory, the importance
                                                           course could contribute to a student’s
        as term contained courses. In the fall,                                                               of drawing, design issues with color,

6       KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
developing ideas for painting, abstraction,      †   Digital Imaging                                  AP Studio Art
    and contemporary approaches to painting.             (fall, winter)                                   (Drawing, 2-D, 3-D)
    Various historical periods serve as direct           Digital Imaging teaches students how             This college foundation course prepares
    inspiration for class assignments, and an            to use a digital camera and manipulate           students to submit a portfolio to the
    “apprenticeships with a master” may also             their files using the Adobe Creative Suite.      College Board by taking three major
    be part of the term of study. Each student           Students explore the digital image and           classes. A total of 20-29 artworks are
    keeps a sketchbook of research to help               digital capture while expanding their            required to fulfill the three separate sections
    develop ideas for his/her paintings. Work            understanding of the use of computers in         of the portfolio--Quality, Concentration,
    created in this class can contribute to a            imaging. Since the computer has become           and Breadth, and a student may begin
    student’s Advanced Placement Drawing                 an important tool for the design and the         the process during the winter term of the
    portfolio. There is an additional fee for this       manipulation of images, the process’ instant     5th form year. Independent study is also
    course.                                              results help to increase the rate of learning.   required during the summer following
                                                         Work created in this class can contribute        the 5th form year to complete at least four
†   Film Photography
                                                         to a student’s Advanced Placement 2-D            finished pieces. It is also advantageous,
    (fall, winter, spring)
                                                         Design portfolio. There is an additional         although not required, to work on the
    If a student is interested in photography,
                                                         fee for this course. Prerequisite: Advanced      portfolio during one term in the afternoon
    we recommend starting with film and
                                                         Photography, departmental approval               during Art Deca. There is an additional fee
    a manual camera. Not only is film still
                                                                                                          for this course.
    relevant for fine art photography, but           †   Sculpture
    studying film first will improve a student’s         (fall, winter, spring)
    digital images. Some students choose
    to work in film through the Advanced
                                                         This course addresses the inclusive nature
                                                                                                          Classical Studies
                                                         of contemporary sculpture and 3-D design.
    Placement level, but others transition into          Traditional and innovative materials and         Classical Studies at Kent are designed to
    digital images after the completion of one           techniques are explored. Students may            acquaint students with the most salient
    term.                                                create small studio pieces and/or large          and lasting characteristics of Greek and
                                                         earthworks set in the landscape; students        Roman civilization. Latin is not, because
†   Advanced Photography
                                                         may work independently or collaboratively        it was not, a prerequisite for the study of
    (fall, winter, spring)
                                                         to create their sculptures. Topics vary          Greek. A student may choose a program
    This course involves refining the skill of
                                                         each term and have included: ceramic             in either area. Each year several students
    black and white photography. Students
                                                         sculpture, portraiture, earthworks, site-        elect to take courses in both languages. We
    are instructed in the use of 35mm, mid-
                                                         based installation, modular constructions,       approach the elements of the two languages
    format, and digital cameras. Advanced
                                                         relief sculptures, and mobiles. The              through a combination of modern
    Photography also guides students in
                                                         curriculum recognizes the broad definition       linguistic techniques and traditional rigor.
    refining printing techniques using filters,
                                                         of contemporary sculpture, and students          We place equal emphasis on the unique
    fiber paper, and toning. By the end of the
                                                         are required to view art monographs,             and intrinsic merits of literary works,
    term, each student submits a portfolio and
                                                         magazines, and websites to inspire their         and on their role as the source of later
    has learned to discuss his/her imagery with
                                                         creative process. We use of a wide range of      Western literature. A full program of
    confidence. Finally, depending on student’s
                                                         materials each term including: clay, wire,       visual instruction is offered, in order to
    interest, negatives or prints may be altered
                                                         paper, cardboard, fabric, plastic, wood,         relate literature to its attendant art and
    with the use of digital technologies. The
                                                         aluminum, and found objects. Work                architecture. Special attention is paid to the
    work created in this class may contribute
                                                         created in this class can contribute to a        wide range of classical mythology.
    to a student’s Advanced Placement 2-D
    Design portfolio. There is an additional fee         student’s Advanced Placement 3-D Design
                                                         portfolio. There is an additional fee for this
                                                                                                          Classical Civilization
    for this course. Prerequisite: two terms of                                                           Classical Civilization is year-long course
    Introduction to Photography.                         course.
                                                                                                          that combines lectures on Greek and
                                                         AP Studio Art Drawing                            Roman history with extensive reading
                                                         AP Studio Art 2-D                                and discussion of the major stories of
                                                                                                          classical mythology. The art, science,
                                                         AP Studio Art 3-D                                and philosophy of the ancient world are

                                                                                                                               KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018    7
presented and explored in their historical         Herodotus                                       †   The Greek New Testament
    and mythological context. The spring               At the pleasure of the instructor, selections       (winter)
    term includes readings in translation from         from Herodotus of Halicarnassus’ Histories          A close examination of selections from
    primary sources including the Aeneid of            (Researches) are read, including the conflict       the Greek New Testament provides the
    Virgil and the Histories of Herodotus.             between East and West, the tale of Croesus          basis of this study. The selections come
                                                       and happiness and the legend of Cyrus,              primarily from Luke, John, Acts, and Paul’s
    Greek 1                                            paying attention to Herodotus’ place as a           Epistles. There are lectures by members
    This course trains the student in the basic        “historian.”                                        of the theology department in order to
    structure and elements of Attic Greek, the                                                             relate ancient Judeo-Christian ideas to the
                                                 † Homeric Epic - The Iliad
    dialect of fifth-century Athens. Graded                                                                concepts of present-day Christianity.
    readings provide a window into Greek           (fall, winter, spring)
    history, culture, mythology, and daily
                                                                                                       †   Aristophanes
                                                   Homeric Epic is a series of term-contained
    life ranging in subject and time from the
                                                                                                           (winter)
                                                   courses that allow students of advanced                 Attic comedy as political and social satire
    Homeric poems to the Peloponnesian war.        Greek to immerse themselves in Homer’s                  is studied intensively through close reading
    Students are introduced to the peculiarities   Iliad. Each term highlights a different                 of Aristophanes’ Acharnians in Greek
    of the Greek noun and verb systems, and        aspect of the work or the society in which              and one other comedy in translation.
    build a basic vocabulary as a foundation for   the Iliad was created. Students may take all            The course includes an introduction to
    further study.                                 three or fewer,                                         translation techniques.
    Greek 2                                        †   Homeric Epic 1                                  †   Euripides
    Greek 2 reviews and completes the                  (fall)                                              (spring)
    structure of Attic Greek. Reading in the           Students read Book I of the Iliad                   The Bacchae is read in its entirety in
    winter term includes selections from the           and examine the archaeological and                  this introduction to Euripidean drama.
    Greek New Testament. In the spring, the            mythological background of Homeric epic.            Students examine the controversy
    student completes a dialogue of Plato, the         A special topic for consideration is the            surrounding Euripides’ notions of dramatic
    Crito. The spring term closely examines            “oral” nature of Homeric verse.                     form, Athenian democracy, and Greek
    the development of democracy in fifth-         †   Homeric Epic 2                                      religion.
    century Athens. The concept of the “social
                                                       (winter)                                            Latin 1
    contract” is studied by way of the Crito,
                                                       Students read selections from Books II, V,          This introductory Latin course introduces
    selections from Mills’ On Liberty, and
                                                       XVI, and XIX of Homer’s Iliad. Special              the student to the language and culture of
    Thoreau’s essay On Civil Disobedience.
                                                       attention is paid to characterization within        ancient Rome. In preparation for reading
    Prerequisite: Greek 1                              the context of social hierarchies, both             the classical authors, Latin is approached
    Advanced Greek Studies                             human and divine.                                   as a practical means of communication
    To continue the study of Greek beyond          †   Homeric Epic 3                                      through reading, writing, and conversation.
    Greek 2, the department offers a series                                                                Special attention is also given to the
                                                       (spring)
    of term-contained courses. No course is                                                                acquisition of vocabulary through an
                                                       The third of the Homeric epic courses
    taught in consecutive years. Thus a student                                                            engaging narrative with numerous
                                                       reads Book XXII of Homer’s Iliad in Greek
    may complete four full years of Greek with                                                             digressions into the fields of astronomy,
                                                       along with selections from Book XXIV.
    six different term-contained courses. The                                                              biology, chronology, geography, and
                                                       Students also read much of the rest of the
    prerequisite for any course at this level is                                                           meteorology.
                                                       poem in English. Particular attention is
    two years of Greek. The content of the
    courses (author and work) may vary from
                                                       paid to questions of structure: for instance,       Latin 2
                                                       can the Iliad be seen as a self-contained           Latin 2 stresses the development of
    year to year; current possibilities include
                                                       poem with a pattern of development from             reading skills through connected prose
    the following units:
                                                       beginning to end?                                   readings in the form of short stories. The
                                                                                                           study of Roman culture is continued and
                                                                                                           particular attention is given to classical

8   KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
mythology during the second half of the            against the conspirator Catiline and study   social, political, and historical contexts and
    year. The texts for the course include Edith       in depth the political and social events     examines the role of “novel” literature in
    Hamilton, Mythology, and Ritchie, Fabulae          of the late Roman Republic. Background       the history of Western civilization.
    Faciles. Prerequisite: Latin 1                     readings include selections from Sallust
                                                                                                  † Medieval and
                                                       in translation. Prerequisite: Latin 2,
    Advanced Latin Studies                             departmental approval.                       Ecclesiastical Latin
    To continue the study of Latin beyond                                                               (winter)
    Latin 2, the curriculum divides into two       †   Honors Latin 3: Virgil                           Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin
    tracks: the Honors sequence is primarily           (spring)                                         examines sacred and secular Latin texts
    for future AP candidates but is open to            Students read selections from Book II            from the Middle Ages, when Latin was
    6th formers on a term-contained basis              of Virgil’s Aeneid (the “Fall of Troy”)          a living language of scholarship and
    with permission of the department and              primarily as an introduction to Roman            communication throughout Western
    the Studies Office. The “regular” track is         culture and mythology, though some               Europe. Texts studied include selections
    a third-year course for completion of the          attention is paid to the literary techniques     from the Latin Vulgate, the tenth-century
    language requirement. Beyond the third             of Virgilian epic. Facility in the reading of    Colloquy of Aelfric in Latin and Old English
    year we offer two more years of instruction        Latin poetry is emphasized. Prerequisite:        and the Roman Missal. Attention is given
    in Latin: a full-year AP course, AP Latin          Latin 2, departmental approval.                  to the art and technique of medieval
    Virgil, and an alternative course which                                                             illuminated manuscripts and to musical
    can be broken into term-contained units
                                                   †   AP Latin Vergil and Caesar
                                                       The Advanced Placement Latin course              settings of the Mass by Palestrina, Bach,
    for the convenience of the student. Most                                                            Mozart, and other composers.
                                                       offers students the opportunity to read,
    underformers completing the regular Latin
                                                       analyze and gain an appreciation for           † Roman Lyric Poetry
    3 course enroll in the term-contained
                                                       Golden Age Latin poetry and prose
    sequence, though promotion to AP work                                                               (spring)
                                                       through the works of Vergil’s Aeneid and
    is possible. Underformers who have                                                                  Roman lyric poetry through close reading
                                                       Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico
    completed the AP course are welcome to                                                              of selections from Catullus and Horace is
                                                       Latin readings include (but are not limited
    enroll in our term-contained offerings.                                                             examined in this course. The Greek lyric
                                                       to) selections from Books 1, 2, 4 and 6
    Some underformers completing the term-                                                              background is treated fully. Special topics
                                                       of The Aeneid and Books 1, 4, 5 and 6 of
    contained sequence are candidates for AP                                                            include the emergence of a true love lyric,
                                                       Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Additional
    work the following year.                                                                            the use of word order in Latin poetry and
                                                       readings in English of both works is             the structure of the lyric poem.
    Latin 3                                            required, with a view toward recognition
    (fall, winter, spring)                             of themes, central characters and key          † Roman Comedy
    Latin 3 begins with a thorough review of           ideas. Period tests will require students to     (spring)
    grammar and vocabulary. By the end of              translate familiar and unfamiliar passages       Through close reading of one comedy by
    the fall term, the course focuses on the           as literally as possible, identify passages in   either Terence or Plautus we examine the
    reading of Latin prose. The winter term            context and analyze and comment upon             nature of Roman comedy. Several other
    features the reading of heroic legends in          content with respect to style, rhetorical        comedies, both Greek and Roman, are
    Latin and a thorough study of Greek and            aspects and theme. Departmental                  read in translation to afford a view of the
    Roman myths by way of Edith Hamilton’s             permission is required.                          development of this genre in the ancient
    Mythology. The goal of this course is to                                                            world.
                                                   †   Petronius
    prepare students for selected readings from
    a Roman author during the spring term.
                                                       (fall)
    In recent years these authors have included        Petronius examines Roman life during
    Cicero and Virgil. Prerequisite: Latin 2,          the reign of the emperor Nero through a
    departmental approval.                             comprehensive study of Petronian satire.
                                                       Students read the Cena Trimalchionis in its
†   Honors Latin 3: Cicero                             entirety, along with other fragments of the
    (winter)                                           Satyricon in English. The course focuses on
    Students read Cicero’s First Oration
                                                       the development of satire within ancient

                                                                                                                            KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018   9
Computer Science                                †   Computer Science Principles 2                  English 1
                                                             See course description for AP Computer         English 1 introduces you to literary genres:
         Computer Science offerings impart the               Science Principles, above.                     poetry, short stories, novels, essays, and
         knowledge and skills necessary for students         Prerequisite: Computer Science Principles 1    plays. Students write essays, both personal
         to participate in the digital revolution that                                                      and analytical, and will be involved in
         defines the current and future generations.         AP Computer Science A                          class discussions. Works studied vary from
         Students in these courses develop                   This course prepares for the AP Computer
                                                                                                            teacher to teacher, but will include reading
         algorithmic thinking and problem-solving            Science A exam. Problem-solving
                                                                                                            Shakespeare and major novels. An honors
         skills while experiencing the collaborative         applications are the focus for studies
                                                                                                            section is offered each year. Department
         and creative nature of the discipline. The          of iterative and recursive algorithms.
                                                                                                            permission required.
         courses offer introductions to a broad              Techniques for updating, sorting, and
         range of topics in computer science,                searching both static and dynamic data         English 2
         including programming, algorithms, data             structures are investigated. Programs are      English 2 students read British literature:
         structures, and abstraction. Students may           written in Java. Emphasis is placed on         Shakespeare, Milton, Austen, and
         also independently pursue specialized               program style and documentation as well        Romantic, Victorian, and modern poetry,
         computer science interests under faculty            as correctness. All students take the AP       prose, and drama. Students will develop an
         guidance. Courses assume no prior                   Computer Science A exam. Prerequisite:         understanding of major literary periods,
         experience with the subject.                        Mathematics departmental approval.             write frequent analytical essays, and even
                                                                                                            try your hand at writing poetry. English
         AP Computer Science                                                                                2 Honors sections are offered each year.
         Principles                                          English                                        Department permission required.
         AP Computer Science Principles
         introduces students to seven big ideas of           English is a required subject in each year     English 3
         computer science: creativity, abstraction,          of a student’s career at Kent. The English     English 3 students survey American
         data and information, algorithms,                   Department has two primary aims, which         literature, from its beginnings as a colonial
         programming, The Internet, and global               depend upon and support one another.           or post-colonial literature to the present.
         impact. It is a project-based course built                                                         Readings include Transcendentalist essays,
                                                             One, we want students to become avid,
         around Android app development,                                                                    slave narratives, short fiction, novels, plays,
                                                             perceptive readers. To that end, we teach
         discussion, and collaboration. Students will                                                       and poems. Honors sections are offered at
                                                             the means of understanding a range of
         develop technological and computational                                                            this level. Department permission required.
                                                             texts, both contemporary and classic, so
         thinking skills useful for solving problems         that students might be “conscious…of
         across a variety of disciplines. Individual
                                                                                                            AP English Literature
                                                             what is already living.” The middle two        AP English Literature is an advanced
         digital portfolios will be created and              years of our curriculum are dedicated to       course in criticism and style. Students
         submitted to the College Board as a part            historical surveys of British and American     read a wide range of literature, including
         of the AP course evaluation, in addition            literature, and in every course we             Greek, Shakespearean, and modern drama,
         to the traditional sit-down exam in May.            familiarize students with several genres. We   novels, essays, and poetry. The course aims
         Students may take the first units of the            also continually encourage students to read    at a successful undertaking of the AP exam
         course as a fall term-contained elective            work we love during the school year and        in English Literature and Composition
         (Computer Science Principles 1) and                 during vacations.                              offered by the College Board.
         subsequently a second set of units as a
                                                             Two, and of equal importance, we               Prerequisite: departmental approval.
         winter term-contained elective (Computer
         Science Principles 2). Students taking the          challenge students to express themselves
                                                                                                            English 4
         term-contained electives will not submit a          with grace and clarity in many settings.
                                                                                                            Qualified sixth formers can enroll in the
         digital portfolio to the College Board or sit       The critical essay is the main focus, but
                                                                                                            year-long AP Literature and Composition.
         for the AP exam.                                    we are increasingly emphasizing personal
                                                                                                            Alternatively, they might prefer the
                                                             narratives, fiction, and poetry.
     †   Computer Science Principles 1                                                                      flexibility and focus of the sixth-form
         See course description for AP Computer                                                             electives. All sixth formers not enrolled
         Science Principles, above.                                                                         in the AP course take a fall term course
                                                                                                            that is centered on Hamlet—and they

10       KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
write personal essays in preparation for the        will read personal essays from antiquity           Being A Wallflower, and The Hunger Games.
    college application process. For the winter         to the present. They will study the formal         Assessment will be through lively class
    and the spring terms, students can choose           features of the personal essay and write           participation, quizzes and written response
    from a list of elective offerings (students         their own essays, drawing on nature,               assignments, 1-2 tests, and 2-3 formal
    in AP English are also eligible for electives       childhood, school, sports and other                essays. Final evaluation will be through a
    courses during the winter and spring                subjects for inspiration.                          researched critical paper.
    terms). This past year’s list of electives
                                                    †   Asian Literature and Film                      †   Native American Literature
    follows:
                                                        Had your fill of Shakespeare, Austen and           This course is an introduction to the
†   Acting – Scenes and                                 Fitzgerald—of depressed Danish princes,            wide variety of literature that comes from
    Monologues                                          stuffy English aristocrats, and shady              the Native American tradition. Native
    There are as many ways to learn acting              American Dreamers? Explore themes of               American literature is the oldest linguistic
    as there have been teachers of acting. In           family honor,generational conflict and             legacy in North America, dating back to
    this course, we will explore the techniques         cultural identity in some of the finest            oral traditions and a 40,000 year history of
    of some of the greatest teachers of all             contemporary literature from South Korea,          a people. The course will sample literature
    time, including Uta Hagen, Sanford                  China and India. Texts include Kyung-              from the written period beginning in 1772,
    Meisner, Lee Strasbourg, Michael Chekov,            Sook Shin’s prize-winning novel Please             including poetry, short stories, essays,
    Stella Adler, and, of course, Constantin            Look After Mom, Yu Hua’s once-banned               and memoirs from the anthology Native
    Stanislavski. Stanislavski’s eight principles       To Live, and Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of        American Literature. Two novels from
    will be employed as students work on                Maladies. Also on tap: a film version of To        the recent renaissance by Native authors
    scenes and monologues to be presented               Live and the South Korean film Poetry.             will also be read to better understand the
    in class. Improvisation, scene study, and                                                              contemporary Native American experience:
                                                    †   Contemporary Short Fiction                         Ceremony, by Leslie Marmon Silko, and
    text analysis techniques will be developed,         In this course, students will read and
    and students will leave the course with a                                                              Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven,
                                                        examine a sampling of contemporary
    thorough understanding of how actors                                                                   by Sherman Alexie. The course will briefly
                                                        American short stories as they work to
    approach their craft. In addition to                                                                   present the history of the Native American
                                                        better understand the elements of short
    performing, students will give a final                                                                  people, with attention to the tribes of
                                                        fiction writing. Students will write several
    presentation in class on the work and                                                                  Connecticut and New England. The class
                                                        original short stories in a workshop setting
    techniques of a great acting teacher or                                                                will include a field trip to the Institute of
                                                        in an effort to showcase their grasp of the
    director.                                                                                              American Indian Studies in Washington,
                                                        aforementioned elements, including but
                                                                                                           Connecticut, and non-fiction writing on
†   The American Drive                                  not limited to plot, character, setting and
                                                                                                           course themes will be an important part
  This reading-heavy course will tag along              point of view. The term will culminate
                                                                                                           of the class. We will also be viewing the
  on four different purpose-seeking road-               with students revising and compile their
                                                                                                           PBS film series We Shall Remain and the
  trips across America. We will examine                 completed stories into a portfolio for
                                                                                                           independent film Smoke Signals, based on
  John Steinbeck’s Travels with Charley,                submission.                                        the Sherman Alexie novel.
  Jack Kerouac’s On the Road, Hunter S.     † Contemporary Young Adult
  Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las                                                     † Playwriting
                                              Fiction
  Vegas, and Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the                                                    Experience the excitement of seeing your
                                              In this course, we will examine bestselling
  Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. The course                                                 written work come to life! Students in
                                              young adult novels from a critical
  will explore the visions of four very                                                     this class will write short original plays,
                                              perspective. Beginning with Newberry
  different men as each finds his own sense                                                 after spending the first portion of the term
                                              Award-winning novel The Graveyard Book,
  of place, on the road.                                                                    learning “tricks of the trade” from some
                                              we will consider questions of good and
† The Art of the Personal Essay               evil, the development of identity, and the    of the masters of the art. Students will
                                              interaction between the individual and        study the work and criticism of a wide
  The personal essay is a unique hybrid
                                              society as they are presented through young   variety of authors, from Aristotle through
  combining the intimacy of the memoir
                                              adult literature. Other texts will include    Shakespeare to contemporary playwrights
  and the creativity of the short story. In
                                              American Born Chinese, The Absolutely True    and theorists. Students will develop their
  “The Art of the Personal Essay,” students
                                              Diary of A Part-Time Indian, The Perks of     work in class through weekly presentations

                                                                                                                              KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018    11
of their newest scenes, and will revise their         beyond the English-speaking world?               ESL
         plays based on both peer and instructor               Travel to nineteenth century Russia and          The two levels of ESL stress the acquisition
         criticism. All students will seek to finish the       read the great works of Russian literature       of academic language skills through reading,
         semester with polished, dramatically sound            in translation. Texts include Fyodor             writing, listening, and speaking.
         works. We will end the term with in-class             Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment and
         readings of the completed plays.                      Leo Tolstoy’s Death of Ivan Ilyich.              ESL Literature
                                                                                                                The two levels of ESL Literature provide
     †   Reading and Writing Poetry                        †   Screenwriting                                    an introduction to works of British and
         From finding inspiration, to drafting and             Screenwriting exposes students to the art        American literature. In these courses,
         re-drafting, to printing the final product,           and craft of an often overlooked, but critical   students become familiar with the basic
         the course will examine the creative process.         genre within the 20th and 21st centuries:        elements of critical analysis through readings
         From abecedarian to villanelle, students              screenwriting. Throughout the term, we           of, and written response to, novels, short
         will examine different forms of poetry, and           analyze published screenplays and view films     stories, poetry, essays, and plays. Students
         they will produce their own versions of               in an effort to grasp the genre’s conventions,   are assigned to the ESL courses after
         each studied form. In a workshop setting,             including format, dialogue, plot structure,      placement testing when they arrive at Kent.
         students will read and discuss each other’s           and character development. Students extend       There is an additional fee for this course.
         written work. Students who take this course           their understanding of these conventions by
         can expect to write 15-20 poems.                      developing and writing original screenplays
                                                               in a workshop environment.                       History
     †   Reading the American South                        †   Shakespeare for the Stage                        History is the record of a nation or a
         This course will center on three novels               You will have fun playing all of the             community’s heritage and environment
         exploring three distinct moments in                   Shakespearean roles you always coveted           and the development of political, social,
         American history: In Light in August                  but may never have been cast in! Students        and economic institutions. The History
         (1932), William Faulkner examines race,               will work on a variety of scenes from            program at Kent explores epochs in which
         class, religion, and the legacy of the                Shakespeare’s comedies, histories and            extraordinary activity and intellectual
         Confederate “Lost Cause” in the fictional             tragedies, exploring the text and developing     ferment created spirit, enterprise, and
         Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. In                 effective, memorized performances. A             advancement in human development.
         Salvage the Bones (2013), Jesmyn Ward                 close study of Shakespeare’s language will       The History Department encourages a
         paints an intimate portrait of a poor                 give students the confidence to deliver his      healthy skepticism by stressing the many
         Mississippi family in the days leading                lines with ease, and the course will include     sides of each historical question and
         up to Hurricane Katrina. In Billy Lynn’s              considerable focus on acting techniques          teaches students to extract the significant
         Long Halftime Walk (2012), Ben Fountain               used in Shakespeare’s time. There will be        information from readings in primary
         explores Texas’ complex relationship with             readings and some writing related to past        and secondary sources. Students learn to
         war and football through the eyes of a                actors’ approaches to the challenges posed       synthesize data into meaningful hypotheses
         19-year old home from a tour in Iraq. We’ll           by the greatest roles, with active in-class      from which they can express ideas clearly
         supplement our reading of Ward with a                 application of techniques the primary focus.     in discussion, examination, and extended
         viewing and close analysis of Benh Zeitlin’s
                                                                                                                research. The term-contained History
         2012 film Beasts of the Southern Wild. In
                                                                                                                electives below are generally taken in the
         addition to writing critical essays, students         English as a second                              6th form.
         will be expected to complete regular                  language
         reading responses and take leadership (in                                                              Ancient and Medieval
         pairs or groups of three) of two Harkness             The English as a Second Language program         World History/Honors Ancient
         discussions over the course of the term.              (ESL) comprises two courses, ESL and ESL         Ancient and Medieval World
                                                               Literature. Students are assigned to one         History
     †   Russian Literature                                    or both courses as required. Students are        Designed for new 3rd and 4th formers,
         Have you had your fill of Shakespeare and             assigned to the ESL courses after placement      Ancient and Medieval World History
         Dickens, Fitzgerald and Twain? Are you                testing when they arrive at Kent. There is an    introduces students to the major
         ready to expand your literary horizons                additional fee for this course.                  civilizations of the Ancient Western World

12       KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
and Medieval Europe. Students examine             and Jacksonian democracy. It also examines     focus placed on written assignments and
the economic, social, political, and cultural     manifest destiny, slavery, and states’         classroom discussions.
history of these major civilizations while        rights. During the winter term, the course
exploring their lasting influence on              examines four distinct domestic epochs: the
                                                                                                 AP Economics
                                                                                                 AP Economics is a study of the principles
us today. The course provides a sound             Civil War and Reconstruction, the Gilded
                                                                                                 of both micro and macro economics. The
background for future history courses,            Age and Populism, Progressivism, and
                                                                                                 goal of the course is to achieve a working
especially Modern European History and            World War I. Readings focus on domestic
                                                                                                 knowledge of the problems and issues in
AP Modern European History.                       and foreign policy during these periods. In
                                                                                                 the economy of the United States. Among
                                                  the spring term, analysis of the shaping and
Modern European History                           conduct of domestic and foreign policy
                                                                                                 the concepts covered are: the ways in
The study of political and cultural                                                              which land, labor, and capital (the factors
                                                  focuses on the 1920s and the beginning of
developments since the Renaissance.                                                              of production) contribute to the growth
                                                  the Great Depression, the New Deal, the
Students are exposed to concepts such as                                                         and operation of a market economy,
                                                  Cold War Years, the liberal reform decades
the nature of power, nationalism, mass                                                           the ways in which supply and demand
                                                  of the 1960s and 1970s and the conservative
movements, republicanism, Marxism,                                                               affect price and output levels of goods,
                                                  retrenchment of the 1980s and 1990s.
propaganda, and the origins and                                                                  the ways in which government policies
                                                  Specific emphasis is placed on themes such
consequences of a totalitarian state. In                                                         alter the natural working of the market,
                                                  as government regulation of the economy,
addition, their skills in the use of historical                                                  and how international factors influence a
                                                  civil rights, neutrality, balance of power,
evidence in essay writing are developed.                                                         nation’s domestic economic conditions. All
                                                  collective security, and the United States’
The course uses textbooks as well as                                                             students in the course take the AP exam.
                                                  role in Central and South America.
primary and secondary source materials.                                                          Prerequisite: departmental approval.
                                                  AP United States History
AP Modern European History                        AP United States History is a year-
                                                                                                 AP United States Government
AP Modern European History is designed            long course which focuses on selected
                                                                                                 and Politics
to stimulate and challenge 4th, 5th, and                                                         Offered to 5th and 6th formers who
                                                  individuals and groups, their ideas and
6th form students. The course strives to                                                         have met their United States History
                                                  the political, social, and economic effects
improve analytical skills by demonstrating                                                       requirement, AP U.S. Government and
                                                  of their thinking. The course is intended
that history is a series of interpretations as                                                   Politics is a year-long study of varied
                                                  to develop skill in the use of evidence and
well as the study of the ongoing relationship                                                    themes such as Constitutional history,
                                                  in writing essays as a means of analyzing
between cause and effect. Students learn                                                         political beliefs, political parties, interest
                                                  the American past. The course prepares
to think about history, what it is, what                                                         groups, governmental institutions, public
                                                  students to sit for the AP exam, which all
it means, and why events happen. In                                                              policy, civil rights, and civil liberties in
                                                  students in the course take.
addition, the course prepares students                                                           preparation for the AP exam, which all
                                                  Prerequisite: departmental approval.
for the AP exam, which all students in                                                           students in the course take. The course
the course take. The course considers             Selected Topics                                provides a detailed examination of the
political, economic, military, and cultural       in United States History                       political landscape of the United States
developments in Europe beginning with             Selected Topics is a survey course in          and prepares students for government and
the Renaissance. The course uses textbooks        United States History specifically designed    political science coursework in college
as well as primary and secondary source           for English as a Second Language               Prerequisite: departmental approval.
materials.m Prerequisite: departmental            students. The course develops a deeper
approval.                                         understanding of the core ideals and           American Mosaic: Immigration,
                                                  philosophies that make up the foundation       Ethnicity, and Race in the
United States History                             of the form of government in the United        United States
United States History is a required               States and the history that has shaped such
course and may be taken in the 5th or
                                                                                                 (fall)
                                                  a diverse society. Emphasis is placed on       This course is broad introduction to
6th form year. In the fall, the course            understanding the major themes, events,        American immigration, ethnicity, and
considers revolutionary principles and the        and figures in the history of the United       race. Reading and class discussions deal
establishment of the republic, emphasizing        States. The course engages students to         with immigrant life in the old world, the
the principles of Hamiltonian, Jeffersonian,      improve their English language skills, with    causes and processes of immigration, how

                                                                                                                     KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018    13
these immigrants and their descendants              the civil war between Chiang Kai-shek and            are Marx, The Communist Manifesto;
         interacted with Americans, one another,             Mao Tse Tung, Japan’s ruthless occupation            McClellan, Russia: The Soviet Period
         and changed and adjusted to the new                 in WWII, Mao’s Cultural Revolution and               and After; Koestler, Darkness at Noon;
         world. The course covers numerous                   Great Leap Forward, and China’s evolution            and selected readings from Arbatov, The
         themes: gender, family, politics, economics,        into a world economic power.                         System; Remnick, Lenin’s Tomb; and
         and culture. Ethnicity and race are also                                                                 Dobbs, Down with Big Brother: The Fall
         discussed at length, and addressed as
                                                         †   20th Century Capitalism                              of the Soviet Empire.
         powerful social constructs that change over
                                                             (fall)
         time and space that had and continue to
                                                             An inquiry into the recent growth of the         †   The Modern Middle East
         have a significant impact on the historical
                                                             United States’ national productivity and             (winter)
                                                             the perils we have encountered as a nation           The goal of the Modern Middle East
         experience and identity of various groups.
                                                             in arriving at our current level of affluence.       is to introduce students to the major
         Prerequisite: completion of United States
                                                             We first establish basic economic principles         intellectual, political, social, and cultural
         History
                                                             and trace the roots of a free capitalistic           issues and practices of the Middle East
     †   Introduction to                                     society, then emphasize three conceptual             from the beginning of the 19th through
         International Relations                             areas: production, distribution, and                 the 20th century. Many contemporary
         (fall)                                              consumption. Texts by Robert Heilbroner              conflicts in the Middle East have deep
         Introduction to International Relations is          and C.J. Pusateri are our primary sources.           historic roots that continue to shape
         designed to integrate students’ knowledge                                                                this dynamic region’s place in our global
                                                         †   Irish in America
         of current events into their historic context                                                            understanding. Created from the remains
                                                             (winter)
         and situate this understanding of global                                                                 of the Ottoman Empire, states and
                                                   As a case study in the history of American
         affairs within a body of International                                                                   societies in the region still struggle to create
                                                   immigration and ethnicity, the Irish in
         Relations theory. Through the study of                                                                   an identity separate from the Western
                                                   America addresses the history of Irish
         international organizations, students                                                                    imperialism that dominated following
                                                   Americans from the seventeenth century
         develop their own analyses of events                                                                     World War I. Looking at the history and
                                                   to the present. The course examines the
         with the realities of how these events are                                                               historiography of this period, we will
                                                   dynamic and changing nature of the Irish-
         perceived, reacted to and addressed in the                                                               focus on important events, movements,
                                                   American experience, which encompasses
         international arena. Using research papers                                                               and ideas that have shaped the Middle
                                                   at once, sorrow and happiness, poverty
         and presentations, debate, simulations,                                                                  East through three loosely defined periods
                                                   and success, peace and violence, hatred
         analysis of news sources and global media,                                                               of development: The Ottoman Empire
                                                   and acceptance, racism and tolerance,
         and international relations theory, this                                                                 and its Decline, World Wars I & II and
                                                   radicalism and conservatism. Students
         course challenges students to step outside                                                               European Dominance, and Post-Colonial
                                                   are required to read from a wide array of
         themselves and understand the difficult                                                                  Independence.
                                                   primary and secondary sources in order to
         choices world leaders make while forging
                                                   address the major themes in Irish-American † Financial Systems of The
         their own ideas about how to build a better
                                                   history: religion, gender and family,        United States
         world.
                                                   politics, nationalism, and race.             (winter)
     † China: from Mao to the Present              Prerequisite: completion of United States    Using economic theory and principles,
       (fall)                                      History                                      students will explore the various financial
       Chinese History is a term-contained                                                      structures of the United States. Topics will
                                                 † Soviet Communism
       introduction to major themes and trends                                                  include: The Federal Reserve, Taxation,
       from early Chinese history as they relate   (winter)
                                                                                                GDP, and the Financial Markets. Students
       to the events of the late nineteenth and    Emphasis is placed on the theories of
                                                                                                will also be introduced to financial
       twentieth centuries. The course of study    Karl Marx and V.I. Lenin and their
                                                                                                planning through the use of various
       includes the origin and development         implications for classless societies in
                                                                                                investment vehicles.
       of Chinese philosophy, the legacy of        the 20th century. Soviet Communism
       authoritarian rule in the Ming and          examines why communism succeeded in
       Qing dynasties, the impact of foreign       Russia, how it was practiced globally and
       domination, the origin and development of   why it ultimately failed. Among texts used

14       KENT SCHOOL | 2017-2018
Contemporary Issues in the                      scale, the use of nuclear weapons, and the        introduction to the notion of functions.
    Middle East                                     triumph of democracy over fascism. The
                                                    course offers a general survey of the war
                                                                                                      Honors Algebra 1
    (spring)                                                                                          As above, but assumes prior experience
    The Middle East frequents news headlines        as well an exploration of the motivations
                                                                                                      with algebra or a high degree of facility
    and Hollywood billboards as its internal        and strategies of the architects of the war
                                                                                                      with pre-algebra mathematics.
    dynamics and foreign policy decisions           (Hitler, Tojo, Roosevelt, Stalin, Churchill
    attract the attention of the world. How         et al.) as well as the experiences of ordinary    Geometry
    much do we actually know and can we             people affected by it.                            Geometry aims to advance the ability to
    really appreciate this culturally rich and    † Global Economics                                  think logically and analytically. Properties
    diverse region of the globe? Contemporary                                                         of plane and solid geometric objects are
    issues in the Middle East examines some
                                                    (spring)                                          discovered and verified or deduced. The
                                                    Using economic theory and principles,
    of the highly debated current issues in the                                                       student is taught to supply formal proof of
                                                    students will explore various global current
    Middle East. Looking at modern history                                                            valid propositions and to recognize invalid
                                                    events and the impact economics plays
    through academic texts and the media,                                                             ones. Algebra skill development continues
                                                    in decision making. Topics may include:
    this course introduces students to major                                                          and coordinate geometry is introduced.
                                                    Economics and the War on Terror,
    political, social, and cultural issues in the                                                     Specialized computer software aids
                                                    Minimum Wage, How oil rules the world,
    region through the study of both its history                                                      discovery and visualization.
                                                    and the urban struggle – the struggle with
    and historiography.                                                                               Prerequisite: Algebra I.
                                                    economic mobility.
†   Soldiers, Slaves, and                                                                             Honors Geometry
    Scalawags: A History of the                                                                       As above, but at an intensive pace and
    Civil War Era                                   Mathematics                                       greater depth. Prerequisite: Honors Algebra 1
    (spring)                                        The Mathematics Department offers
                                                                                                      or strong performance in Algebra I.
    This course covers the history of the United    appropriate challenges to students from           Accelerated Geometry &
    States from the Antebellum years                a wide range of backgrounds possessing            Trigonometry
    through the Civil War and Reconstruction.       a wide range of interests and skills. At all      This selective course is for students
    Politics, economics, ideology, and              levels, we emphasize reading mathematics,         qualified to make rapid progress in a
    battlefield events are addressed, but in        solving problems, and communicating               highly rigorous mathematical setting. The
    the context of social history. Since the        results. Graphing calculators and computer        content of Geometry, described above, is
    complexity of the era is often understated,     applications are often used in coursework.        studied thoroughly. Advanced topics from
    the course emphasizes not only “typical”        The minimum requirement for graduation            algebra and trigonometry are incorporated.
    narratives of historical subjects but delves    is satisfactory completion of Geometry            Investigations employ specialized software
    into the lesser known, yet very common          and Algebra 2 & Trigonometry, as well as          and the Internet. Non-routine problems
    groups of the time. The tragic unfolding        mathematics through the 5th form year.            are an integral part of the course.
    of Reconstruction and its long-term effects     Students are expected to work at a course         Prerequisite: a first course in Algebra and
    constitute the latter portion of the course.    level commensurate with their ability. All        indications of strong mathematical aptitude.
    Prerequisite: completion of United States       course selections require approval of the
    History                                         mathematics department.                           Algebra 2 & Trigonometry
                                                                                                      Like Algebra I, this course stresses basic
†   World War II                                    Algebra 1                                         skills. Essential facts and techniques from
    (spring)                                        This course presupposes a working                 Algebra I are reviewed and the student’s
    World War II was the largest global             knowledge of the skills necessary to              command of skills is strengthened.
    conflict in world history. Over 100 million     begin algebra, along with a willingness           Manipulation of algebraic expressions,
    personnel were involved. Approximately          to strengthen those skills while learning         equation solving, functions and their graphs,
    50 to 70 million people died as a direct        the fundamentals of algebra. Course               complex numbers, exponents, logarithms,
    or indirect result of the war. The war          content includes operations with algebraic        trigonometry, radian measure, sequences
    marked three major turning points in            expressions, linear equations and inequalities,   and series, and probability are studied.
    history: genocide on an unprecedented           polynomials, quadratic equations, and an          Prerequisite: Algebra I and Geometry.

                                                                                                                         KENT SCHOOL |   2017-2018    15
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