22-23 Bosque School Course Curriculum Guide

2022-2023 COURSE

CURRICULUM GUIDE

INSPIRING ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

We design learning experiences that inspire students to explore challenging concepts and ideas and to be daring in their pursuit of deep understanding. Our academic program is grounded in inquiry and prizes curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. Decisions of content and pedagogy reflect the diverse and changing world in which we live and offer a pathway to discovering individual passions and how to live ethically.

Diseñamos experiencias de aprendizaje que inspiren a los estudiantes a explorar conceptos e ideas complejos y se dediquen a la búsqueda de un conocimiento más profundo. Nuestro programa académico se basa en la indagación y valora la curiosidad, la creatividad y el pensamiento crítico. El contenido y la pedagogía representan el mundo diverso y cambiante en que vivimos y ofrecen un camino para descubrir pasiones individuales y vivir éticamente.

Our educational program is centered around our core value of inspiring academic excellence. We design learning experiences that encourage students to explore challenging concepts and ideas and to be daring in their pursuit of deep understanding. Our curriculum is grounded in inquiry, encourages curiosity, and reflects the diverse and changing world in which we live. We have reimagined rigor—and it works. Our students are confident, competent, and highly competitive in college admissions at the most selective schools.

Bosque School’s philosophy of Challenging Education manifests throughout our academic program in two distinct ways:

1. We provide our students with experiences that challenge them to grow as learners and leaders and become conscientious, contributing community members. Through an inquiry-based approach, students identify the questions and the answers, resulting in deeper learning and more meaningful personal engagement. We value depth of understanding over breadth of standardized testing.

2. We challenge the traditional model of education—as a result, education looks different at Bosque School. We incorporate the most relevant research about teaching, learning, neuroscience, and adolescent development to design a challenging education that prepares students for today’s world. This approach is what today’s students need to thrive as collaborators, creators, communicators, critical thinkers, and innovators.

THE BOSQUE SCHOOL The Bosque School Difference Inquiry Learning

A deep commitment to inquiry—learning that prizes curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking—has been an integral part of the school’s DNA since its founding. This commitment shaped the research-based decision not to become a school that provides teach-to-the-test curriculum at the expense of developing original knowledge. Inquiry moves learning away from simply a means to an end. It unlocks deep learning, intrinsic motivation, and helps students identify passions.

The inquiry model helps our students learn how to think—not what to think—and to apply that learning across disciplines and to the world around them. Inquiry is woven into the fabric of daily lesson plans across the curriculum and shifts learning from being passive to active. Students must use evidence-based reasoning and creative problem-solving to reach and communicate conclusions. Teachers, who are experts in core content, take on a more explicit role as facilitators. Building on students’ natural curiosity, teachers develop content and curricula that strengthen a student’s capacity for critical thinking, application of learning, and deep understanding.

By the time students graduate, they will have completed our inquiry capstone, the Senior Thesis—a yearlong inquiry project, the goal of which is to create new and valuable knowledge. As students apply six years of inquiry-learning skills to complete their thesis, they also discover new academic disciplines, exercise persistence through setbacks, and enter an academic conversation as a peer.

EXPERIENCE Equity, Community, & Culture (ECC)

Bosque School’s Equity, Community & Culture (ECC) commitments shift far beyond episodic assemblies and reactive training. We provide students a curriculum that equips them with the skills to gain a better understanding of themselves, collaborate with others, develop cultural competency and humility skills, and thrive in today’s interconnected world. As a school, we are guided by our Equity, Community, & Culture Principles and Best Practices.

ECC education is delivered in a developmentally appropriate way through our gradebased WILLDS curriculum, alongside broader curricular connections in all subject areas, community-wide Morning Meeting topics, service learning groups, affinity groups, student leadership opportunities, and student access to ECC related conferences.

Our curriculum allows students to investigate ECC through the lens of power and privilege as social constructs, emphasizing the intersectionality of race, ethnicity, nationality, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion, and ability. This curriculum helps students develop a critical and reflective understanding of self, while affirming and challenging how they find themselves situated in relationship to the Bosque School community, the Albuquerque community, and as global citizens.

The inquiry model helps our students learn how to think—not what to think—and to apply that learning across disciplines and to the world around them.

THE MIDDLE SCHOOL

The middle school experience at Bosque School experience spans the critical years when children curriculum emerges from our commitment Integrity, and Learning from Place.

Bosque School’s middle school students complete academic disciplines with deep thinking skills. a course in each area for all three years of middle well-being, middle school students take a year-long

All middle school students also participate students a strong foundation in social-emotional forge strong friendships and healthy relationships.

The middle school program honors our students’ development, and fuels their emergent curiosity. exceptionally confident in their academic as challenges in high school, college, and beyond.

The Sixth-Grade Experience

Our sixth-grade program meets students where teaches them valuable social and academic challenges them to grow. We teach them to compassionate people, discerning readers, effective problem solvers, and citizen scientists. environment that values creativity and encourages get outdoors during the school day, whether data in the bosque, discussing a book under eating lunch with new friends in Sanchez Park. group of individuals becomes a strong community

The Eighth-Grade Experience

In eighth grade, we prepare students to transition developmentally critical time. The curriculum engage meaningfully with heftier topics. Throughout passage for the Bosque School student, including

SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

School aligns with the unique developmental characteristics of middle school students. The children begin to see themselves as individuals with growing agency in a complex world. Our commitment to our core values of Inspiring Academic Excellence, Cultivating Community, Fostering

complete projects and fieldwork that require them to combine content knowledge across skills. Our students also receive a rich foundation in both the visual and performing arts, taking middle school. In addition, because physical education is essential to an adolescent’s health and year-long PE class at each grade level.

in our student wellness program (WILLDS) and our advisory program. These programs give social-emotional and community-building skills—providing them with the lifelong skills necessary to relationships.

students’ individual stories, challenges them with demanding academic content and skill curiosity. By the time our middle school students move on to the upper school, they are as well as social abilities—that self-confidence encourages them to eagerly tackle new beyond.

The Seventh-Grade Experience

where they are, skills, and become creative, clear thinkers, scientists. We do this in an encourages students to whether they are gathering under the cottonwoods, or Park. Over the year, a community of learners.

Our seventh-grade program encourages students to engage with the world beyond our campus. One way in which students do this is by participating in monthly science field trips to collect data and conduct research on the Rio Grande watershed. Our seventh-grade curriculum pushes students to make connections across disciplines; students learn that by combining the skills and knowledge they gain in one class with the work they are doing in another, they can grow as original thinkers.

transition to upper school while also focusing on the students’ unique needs during this curriculum encourages students to expand on the skills they have already gained in middle school and Throughout the year, eighth graders participate in capstone events and activities that are a rite of including Upper School Shadow Day, Writer’s Cafe, and the Middle School Step Up ceremony.

MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

*Advanced math students may be moved to Math 7 in the spring semester at teacher discretion

Our middle school has moved away from traditional letter grades to grades based on learning goals in each class. Let’s look at two sample students, Student A and Student

B, to see why we have made this change. These were the grades in one of their classes:

Both students were earning a solid B in math class. In traditional grading, the matter would end there. Looking more closely, however, one notices that there are significant differences between them. Student A needs some refinement of each skill to gain complete mastery, while Student B has mastered all but the last one and needs to give some attention to that skill.

With assessment based on learning goals, what comes next for each student is really important. As this example demonstrates, a simple letter grade doesn’t tell the important parts of each student’s story. This is why we have transitioned to grading students based on learning goals. Students know at the start of a lesson which skills they will be studying and then are given ample opportunity to master them. Most importantly, students know which skills need to be learned next at every point throughout the year.

THE UPPER SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

“College preparatory” means a lot more than it used to! To succeed in a complex, global world, today’s students need more than a strong foundation in challenging academic courses. They need to become skillful, creative problem solvers with strong critical thinking and collaboration skills.

Bosque School’s inquiry-based curriculum delivers the whole package. All students take demanding core courses in mathematics, science, Spanish, and the humanities; and engage in at least two years of visual or performing arts. Advanced and elective offerings across the disciplines, as well as yearly immersive courses, enable students to pursue their areas of passion and stretch into new areas of interest.

Our inquiry-based approach grounds challenging academic content in natural curiosity and challenges students to make creative connections. In every course, regardless of the discipline, students are expected to raise important questions, solve problems, and collaborate to generate original knowledge that enables them to impact the world.

Our commitment to preparing students to lead full lives in a complex world extends beyond the classroom. Leadership opportunities abound—Bosque School students create and run clubs and service-learning groups, collaborate on school policies, serve on task forces, lead student government, and sit on the school’s Judicial Committee. Our program honors teens as emerging adults and holds them to the highest academic and character standards inside and outside the classroom.

EXPERIENCE

The Ninth-Grade Experience

In the ninth-grade, students are ready to take on more responsibility and new challenges as they discover their strengths and motivations. The ninth-grade orientation allows students to spend the day with advisory teams, making and renewing friendships, and participating in group and individual challenges. In much the same way, our ninth-grade curriculum balances challenge and support in a close-knit community. Students are given both freedom to make their own decisions and the support to learn from any mistakes.

Every ninth-grade student takes six academic classes in humanities, math, science, Spanish, and art. Most ninth graders also work towards completing their PE requirement by participating in school sports or taking a PE class. With approval, some students also explore an elective in Latin, Coding, Yearbook, or other areas.

The Tenth-Grade Experience

By tenth grade, students are stepping confidently into new experiences. They are gaining momentum in their studies and becoming independent learners, taking responsibility for managing their time and assignments. Students are also stepping into leadership roles in clubs and on sports teams.

Every tenth-grade student takes six academic classes in the humanities, math, science, Spanish, and art. Most also work towards completing their PE requirement by participating in school sports or taking a PE class and may also take electives in Latin and other areas.

The Twelfth-Grade Experience

The Eleventh-Grade Experience

By the time students reach eleventh grade, they have hit their stride and are doubling down on their passions. Most students have completed their arts, Spanish, and PE minimum requirements by this point, freeing up space in their schedules for advanced and elective coursework. As independent scholars, eleventh-grade students fill classrooms with critical questions, creative solutions, and new ideas. Mid-year, students begin the formal college counseling process and start thinking strategically about their futures.

Eleventh-grade students are required to take six courses, five of which must qualify as academic (math, humanities, science, and many electives in areas such as Spanish, the arts, Latin, and coding). Each student also participates in College Seminar in the spring.

By the time students enter twelfth grade, the campus has become their second home. Seniors enrich advanced classes and electives with their energy and knowledge and set the tone for younger students. At the same time, they hear their future calling and anxiously await college acceptance.

The Senior Thesis capstone project immerses students in a yearlong research endeavor requiring library and field research, a 20-plus page evidence-based argument, and a public presentation at Colloquium. In their final weeks of upper school, the senior immersive program and senior retreat take students on a transformational experience, combining experiential education with the chance to have one last community experience, where they bond, reflect, and look forward together to the life beyond upper school that awaits them as alumni of Bosque School.

UPPER SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS:

CREDITS (1 CREDIT = 1 YEAR-LONG COURSE)

7 credits SCIENCE 3 credits + 1 additional year of science or math MATH

ELECTIVES

3 credits + 1 additional year of science or math

IMMERSIVES

2 credits: This requirement can be met by participating in Bosque School’s athletic program—each season played counts as a ½ credit. Participation in the PE class or an approved outside activity.

3 credits

.50 credits/year

COLLEGE SEMINAR

Spring semester of junior year and fall semester of senior year.

HUMANITIES

The sixth through eighth-grade social studies and English curricula utilize an interdisciplinary humanities model. Incorporating social studies, literature, and English language arts. This model gives students the tools to understand the world in which they live and build a toolbox of critical thinking skills that they will apply throughout middle school and beyond. Using the lenses of social justice and equity, students learn about the human experience while investigating the role of power and privilege. They explore who rules and why, how geographical and social movements occur, how power is distributed, whose voices are heard and whose are not, and what people believed throughout history. Literature, writing, and student-driven research are integral in giving students an individualized and deeply challenging experience.

The upper school humanities department seeks to actively engage students in critical pedagogy and deep exploration of texts that incorporate ancestral knowledge and honor the natural environment, while pushing our understanding of individual and communal positionality within space and time. By challenging systems of power and establishing anti-racist values, we aim for students to develop empathy through communal and textual discourse. Graduating students should be primed for a life of impact and service in the growing and diverse world.

Sixth-grade English takes students from Saigon to Berlin to Los Angeles and beyond! By exploring poetry and prose from diverse perspectives, students develop their understanding of literary voice and the importance of place. Further, sixth graders expand their vocabularies, improve writing mechanics, and sharpen close-reading skills. Students will revise their own work and express ideas through both creative writing assignments and evidence-based paragraph essays. Our newest Bobcats can look forward to literature circles and writers’ workshops, preparing and acting out scenes, giving speeches, and more.

HUMANITIES

Social Studies 6

Have you ever been sad when you watched the news or wondered why the world couldn’t be a better place? In this class, students will learn about people like Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Cesar Chavez, who each asked that question and then got busy changing the world. Students will use the types of tools those leaders used to learn about the world, such as encyclopedias, primary documents, multimedia sources, and biographies. They will go on local field trips, plan a trip to Asia, and compete in a virtual race across Africa. As students read, research, write, and collaborate with classmates throughout the year, they will learn that an individual can make a difference and that they are never too young to begin to change the world.

English 7

What does it mean to be an individual in a community? How do you balance being yourself with respecting the needs of other people? Seventhgrade English students explore this question through reading and writing stories, essays, and poetry. Students engage with literature through assignments that combine creative writing with critical thinking, such as writing a character’s diary entry or writing a letter from one character to another. Students also begin writing structured, evidence-based essays. By the end of the year, seventh-grade students have become better readers and writers, with a strong sense of who they are and what it means to live in community with others.

Have you ever wondered what historians truly do and how their work influences the world?

In seventh-grade social studies, students will develop skills to become historians and investigators regarding the world around them. Students will investigate how multiple perspectives influence our interpretation of events, how sources’ validity and reliability can vary, and how to read and write like a historian. They will develop these skills through interactive, engaging studies of media, New Mexico’s pueblos, and their own personal histories. By the end of the year, students will be practicing historians.

English 8

In eighth-grade English, students use literature, writing, and the analysis of the creator’s craft to explore themes of self within the context of society. Whether writing a journal entry, participating in literature circles, or drafting creative or expository writing, students are asked to contemplate, “How can reading and writing about diverse individuals and communities help me better understand my own identity and community?” Literature, poetry, and non-fiction texts become windows into the human experience. They help students understand that what we believe, know, and justify is based on voices—the voices we hear and read, as well as those that have been left out historically.

Social Studies 8

What is democracy? Does having the right to vote ensure equality and equity in a democracy? Can rights be universal, are they inalienable, or are they a construct of culture and belief? How do beliefs shape our thinking and influence larger systems? These are just a few of the questions that we will explore in eighth-grade social studies, where students will be guided through the process of building the necessary source analysis and argumentative skills required of citizens in participatory democracy. They will examine the democracy of the United States and see how democratic powers can be understood.

Ninth-grade humanities is a required two-block course that includes humanities and seminar and is worth a total of two humanities credits. Through these foundational courses, students develop a core set of academic skills and a knowledge base that they will use during their entire upper school experience. In ninth-grade humanities, students explore the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, China, India, Greece, and Rome. In ninthgrade seminar, students focus on developing humanities-related academic skills while studying these same regions as they exist in the present, exploring events such as the Arab Spring and the Hong Kong protests. Any study of the humanities is a study of ourselves. Students will trace the stories of these regions through their human inhabitants and patterns that echo over thousands of years, informing the present and, ultimately, the future that our students will inhabit.

Is my identity what I am or something I perform? How do power and language intersect in my relationships? How do representations like maps and novels shape my perceptions of reality? What can we learn about ourselves from the monsters we create? These are just a few of the questions students explore in senior English. This class prepares students to move beyond high school by immersing them in a rigorous collection of texts and writing assignments. Through this course, students will clarify their own philosophies and boundaries while confronting our culturally conditioned responses to difference and change.

Humanities 10

Migrate? Voyage? Explore? Wayfind? These are but a sampling of terms that attempt to define human movement and travel, an integral part of our existence. Why do people move? What are the push and pull factors? What leads people to explore new lands or even planets? What happens when we encounter new people and societies? How do we build knowledge through the process of travel? In Humanities 10, we will explore a collection of historic migrations or voyages in an attempt to answer these questions and understand the history and lived experiences of human movement. We’ll discuss diverse literature and texts, how to read them, and how to write about them. We will build critical reading, thinking, and writing skills to explore our own contemporary voyages and examine how questions of knowledge production and travel continue into the present.

Humanities 11

American Studies: Is my country where I live or who I am? Does my education teach me how to think, or what to think? In what way has my worldview been historically and culturally conditioned? Who has the power of storytelling? How do we as a society form civic engagement and national identity? These are just a few of the questions students will explore in 11th-grade American Studies. This course will take an interdisciplinary approach and emphasize the interrelatedness of history, literature, the arts, and pop culture. The overall purpose is to guide students through the process of applying a critical consciousness to their country and their positionality within a larger cultural construct.

Literature, writing, and student-driven research are integral in giving students an individualized and deeply challenging experience.

Ancient Magic & the Quest for Power

Grades: 10-12

Picture the wicked witch—is she young and beautiful or old and ugly? Does she have it all, or is she consumed with desire for what she lacks? Students in this class analyze the tales ancient authors told of witches and wizards, and they examine the material evidence for reallife magical practices to better understand these ancient outsiders, who made a living on the fringes of “normal” society.

Creative Writing

Grades: 10-12

In this introduction to creative writing, students will begin honing crafts of narratives, dialogues, and character building. Students will review works of short fiction and poetry as a guideline to establish techniques in a variety of genres.

Critical Approaches to Video Games

Grades: 10-12

Are video games art? How does this narrative form differ from literature, film, and other media? How do game designers draw players into their worlds? Will violence always be the central mechanic in popular games? Is it possible to give players a meaningful choice in a structured narrative? In this class, students will study theories of narratology and cultural criticism that they will then apply in producing original analyses of BioShock, The Last of Us 2, and Dark Souls, as well as other interactive media.

Deconstructing Gender

Grades: 10-12

In this course, students will explore the social constructs of gender through nonfiction and fiction written works, theory, and the media. Feminist and intersectional approaches will be used, looking at how classism, racism, sexism, ability, and appearance alter social stigmas. We will engage with the constraints of femininity and masculinity, gender non-conforming issues, toxic masculinity, and sexism. This class will be seminar-style—class discussions will be required. Students should also expect to analyze and produce several writing assignments throughout the semester.

Students are required to earn 2 credits in Humanities Special Topics. Courses are one semester each (.5 credits), except Economics and Humanities Capstone which is a year-long course (1 credit). Courses vary based on interest and teacher expertise.

Grades: 10-12

News about the economy dominates public discourse, and much of it is partisan and lacking nuance. It’s difficult to find two editorials that agree on the facts or what we should do about them. The purpose of this course is for students to develop the necessary vocabulary, habits, and analytical skills to understand and participate in public discourse. Students learn how to ask discerning questions and study the tools economists use to answer those questions. This course aims to arm students with the skills and desire to grapple intelligently with complex issues. We analyze the social science of economics, which involves economic choices, human decisions, and eventual individual and societal impacts. Over the year, students engage in various inquiry activities, debates, and discussions. We read several non-fiction sources—researching and discussing various philosophies in economics. Students create budgets for themselves and the government, learning how personal values influence decision-making.

Haiti in the Americas

Grades: 10-12

In August 1791, enslaved Africans and Afro-Saint-Dominguans started the most sustained anti-slavery fight in modern history, the Haitian Revolution. Why? Who was involved? What were the results? This class will delve into the history of the Revolution as well as the shared history of the island of Ayiti or Hispaniola. We’ll explore how the histories of the modern-day countries of Haiti and the Dominican Republic are formative to our understanding of colonialism, anti-slavery, emancipation, citizenship, and freedom.

Humanities Capstone 12

Grade 12

This course is designed to facilitate the year-long senior thesis process for students pursuing questions that fall under the humanities umbrella. The humanities umbrella is large—encompassing subjects such as language, literature, philosophy, political science, sociology, history, anthropology, archaeology, law, religion, music, and more. Though the specific humanities content students engage with will be chosen by each individual, the bulk of this course is designed to teach every student the skills necessary to sustain a year-long research project and writing-based exploration process. Students write their humanities-focused senior thesis in this class.

Journey to Space: A Science Fiction Genre Study

Grades: 10-12

What do you get when you combine dystopia, technology, Gothic drama, and social commentary? A fantastic dose of science fiction! Students will examine how the sci-fi genre began in the 19th century, developed into serial pulp fiction, and finally has transformed the literary landscape with AfroFuturism. Focusing on genre conventions, students will develop critical reading, writing, and discussion skills.

UPPER SCHOOL HUMANITIES SPECIAL TOPICS

Shakespeare’s Afterlives

Grades: 10-12

How has Shakespeare invented the modern idea of storytelling? In what ways do Shakespearean characters show up in 16th-century plays all the way up through the Marvel universe? What about Shakespearean storytelling continues to be so engaging? In Shakespeare’s Afterlives, students will dive deep into the original works and seek out the author’s reworkings throughout the centuries. By the end of the course, students will be experts in Shakespearean plays and storytelling techniques.

Sports & Society

Grades: 10-12

Why do people play games, and why do spectators care so much about who wins? This class examines the roles athletics and athletes have played in different cultures from prehistoric times to present day, from the ancient Olympics and gladiatorial contests of the Roman Empire, all the way to Negro League baseball, multi-million dollar endorsements, and doping scandals. Students will consider sports through various lenses, including anthropology, archeology, economics, sociology, gender studies, the arts, politics, religious history, and philosophy.

Tragedy & Mental Illness

Grades: 10-12

From PTSD to bipolar disorder, Greek tragedy explored the causes of mental illnesses and their effects on families and societies in ways that continue to resonate with modern audiences. Ancient scientific thinkers did not possess our advanced understanding of cognitive science, but nonetheless, ancient tragedies are still performed today to promote dialogue and healing among traumatized communities, such as war veterans and refugees. Students will analyze both the original tragedies and their modern performances to better understand why these ancient stories still speak to us today.

HUMANITIES

Robust student engagement with mathematical thinking is core to Bosque School’s approach to learning mathematics. In our classrooms, MATH stands for “Mistakes Allow Thinking to Happen,” and teachers ground skill development in exploration. Students are encouraged to ask questions and take risks to become independent thinkers. Our teaching emphasizes collaboration and creates an appropriate balance between challenge and support.

From sixth to twelfth-grade, students develop their technical skills and grow as problem solvers. The many entry points to our advanced math program allow students to be placed in the course that is best for them at each stage of their development. Our two-year, integrated Geometry/ Algebra 2 program positions students to apply developing skills and understanding to solve real-world problems and prepares them to succeed in upper-level math courses.

By the time students graduate, they have completed three years of math in middle school and at least three years in upper school. Students are required to add a fourth year of either math or science, and most students complete four or more in math. Students who take our most advanced math program can graduate having completed Calculus 2.

MATH MATH

Math 6

If your idea of math class involves silent repetition of specific facts and problems, you haven’t experienced sixth-grade math at Bosque School! Collaboration, exploration, and learning to love math are the hallmarks of our program. Students engage in discovering the “why” behind the processes as they reinforce the basic skills of working with fractions, decimals, and proportions. Then they move into more complex pre-algebra topics, such as solving equations with variables. Students lose their fear and anxiety about learning math as they embrace the idea that making mistakes is an inevitable—even fun—part of the journey toward understanding.

At the beginning of the spring semester, sixthgrade students who are ready to move at a quicker pace, will join the Math 7 class at the discretion of their Math 6 teacher.

Algebra 1

Grades: 7-9

Students in this class study the fundamental concepts of beginning algebra, focusing on skill-building and application to real-world problems. A strong focus of Algebra 1 is building flexibility in representing two-variable relationships. Topics include manipulating variable expressions, linear equations, and inequalities.

Students also study powers, exponential growth and decay, quadratics, and more. Throughout, students will be encouraged to work collaboratively and develop thinking skills such as abstraction and generalization.

Year 1-Geometry/Algebra 2

Grades: 9 & 10

Math 7

Welcome to seventh-grade mathematics, a course that encourages you to take many significant steps in your transition from concrete arithmetic into the abstract realm of algebra. Students are challenged and supported through a journey of working with properties of numbers, number sets, expressions, equations, inequalities, and formulas.

This exploration includes working with geometry and statistics. Algebraic thinking, language, and form are emphasized and developed. Material studied in earlier math courses, such as fractions, ratios, percents, exponents, radicals, and probability, is studied in greater depth for further mastery and tied to algebraic work.

At the end of the year, recommendations are made about whether a student could benefit from additional foundational work in the Math 8 course or if they are ready to tackle the abstract coursework in Algebra 1.

Math 8

Still covering two years of material, students in Year 1 investigate and explore various geometric and algebraic concepts and the connections between these two areas of study.

The Year 1 course focuses on developing rigorous definitions of geometric objects and exploring the resulting invariant properties that arise from these definitions in both analytic and coordinate environments. Students also continue to deepen and expand their algebraic abilities within the context of linear and quadratic functions, equations, and inequalities.

Finally, students apply these geometric and algebraic concepts to solve challenging, real-world applications and contextual problems.

The strongest buildings rest on solid foundations. Students in Math 8 move from the concrete to the abstract as they prepare for learning algebra by working with two-variable equations, linear functions and inequalities, square roots, and the Pythagorean theorem. Problem-based activities encourage strong grounding in conceptual learning to build confidence and prepare students for high school math classes.

Year 1

Advanced-Geometry/Algebra

Grades: 8-10

2

In addition to completing the curriculum taught in regular Year 1-Geometry/Algebra 2, Advanced Year 1 students tackle more challenging inquiry tasks and delve deeper into the abstract basis for the concepts, while practicing more complex algebraic manipulations and learning to use technology as a tool for exploration. There is also a higher expectation for them to work collaboratively and present their individual problem-solving techniques to peers.

Year 2-Geometry/Algebra 2

Grades: 9-11

The second year of our blended Geometry/Algebra 2 curriculum emphasizes the formal justification of algebraic and geometric properties. By the end of the course, students have become mathematically literate problem solvers with a sophisticated grasp of complicated topics, including quadratic applications, geometric transformations, similarity and trigonometry, polynomials, exponentials, and logarithms. Students find a unique mix of challenge and support that promote risk-taking and collaboration as they cast off self-imposed limits.

Year 2

Advanced-Geometry/Algebra

Grades: 9-11

2

Advanced Year 2 students tackle more challenging inquiry tasks and delve deeper into the abstract basis for the concepts, while practicing more complex algebraic manipulations and learning to use technology as a tool for exploration. There is also a higher expectation for them to work collaboratively and present their individual problem-solving techniques to peers.

Precalculus

Grades: 10-12

This course prepares students for college-level calculus. It focuses on students deepening their conceptual understanding of functions through symbolic representations, graphs, numerical explorations, and applications. These generally include linear, quadratic, polynomial, rational, radical, exponential, inverse, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions. A central topic in the course is to go beyond basic right triangle ratios for trigonometry and develop the trigonometric functions from a unit-circle approach, involving radian measures of angles—creating a connection to the entire set of real numbers necessary for calculus. In addition, a heavy focus on process and reasoning develops students’ abilities to communicate mathematical information.

Precalculus-Advanced

Grades: 10-12

Students in this course will complete the curriculum covered in precalculus. They will also tackle more challenging inquiry tasks and delve deeper into the abstract basis for the concepts, while practicing more complex algebraic manipulations and learning to use technology as a tool for exploration. There is also a higher expectation for them to work collaboratively and present their individual problem-solving techniques to peers.

Statistics and Applied Math (STAM)

Grades: 11 & 12

Math students sometimes ask themselves, “When am I ever going to use this?” In this class, students will discover the answers to that very question as they explore practical applications of math in fields as diverse as finance, science, sociology, and history by studying sequences, statistics, matrices, and functions. Moreover, they learn to gather, analyze, and interpret data. Huge data sets are changing every field in the 21st century. This course opens the door into that exciting world, while also introducing facilities in spreadsheets and coding.

Calculus

Grades: 11 & 12

How does a ladder falling down a wall lead to a whole new field of mathematics? Students in calculus learn the answer to that question as understanding dawns, and they realize what all those other years of math were for. Students study limits, rates of change, derivatives, and definite and indefinite integrals. Students find optimal solutions for real-world situations, solve differential equations, and find areas of irregular twodimensional regions. By the end of the year, students are no longer people who have studied some math; they are true mathematicians.

Calculus-Advanced

Grades: 11 & 12

In addition to completing the regular calculus course curriculum, Advanced Calculus students tackle more challenging inquiry tasks and delve deeper into the abstract basis for the concepts, while practicing more complex algebraic manipulations and solidifying their use of technology as a tool for exploration. Moreover, these students begin working with formal mathematical proofs of calculus concepts, and they begin to produce professional technical documents showcasing their results. There is also a higher expectation for them to work collaboratively and present their individual problemsolving techniques to peers.

Coding 1 & 2

Grades: 10-12

Have you ever wanted to build an app, a website, or even a whole computer? Students in coding class create dynamic projects using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, and Linux. This introduction to many programming languages offers a fun environment to start building your own applications and websites. Whether you are brand new to programming or have been programming for years, this class is for you!

We will never be able to teach students all the math they’re ever going to need…But if we can teach them how to learn math, then they’re set.

–TJ Middleton, Math Teacher

Bosque School’s signature field-based science program actively engages students in authentic scientific investigation. Our students don’t just learn science, they do science. This is largely influenced by our relationship with the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP). BEMP reflects a collaboration, dating back to 1996, between Bosque School and the University of New Mexico’s Department of Biology, and epitomizes our commitment to inquiry and experiential learning.

Beginning in sixth grade, students become working citizenscientists as they gather and analyze data about the Rio Grande. Students measure leaf litter, investigate changes in the water table, and track small mammal populations. They learn how to ask scientific questions, gather and analyze data, and work in a lab setting. In the upper school, all students take biology, chemistry, and at least one additional advanced course in physics, chemistry, or biology. In addition, students can opt to take field-based wildlife research or research methods courses and may find themselves teaching younger children about the bosque, fitting porcupines with radio-tracking collars, developing original research projects, and presenting their findings before state legislators and at academic conferences.

SCIENCE

Science

Do you like to go outside, get your hands dirty, and explore the world? In this class, students don’t just study science, they do science. Bosque School sixth graders work in the field and gather data to study the health of our local riparian ecosystem. Students record rainfall and temperatures and measure changes in leaf litter and the depth of the water table. They also collect arthropods and trap small mammals to study their populations. While in the field, students identify energy on a molecular level in each aspect of the bosque, including the water, land, and weather. Students develop skills in asking scientific questions, carrying out investigations, using and creating graphs, and analyzing data. They leave this class with an in-depth understanding of the interaction between organisms in an ecosystem, how energy flows through the bosque, how humans impact the bosque and surrounding areas, and a hunger to put that knowledge to work as citizen scientists.

Biology

Grade: 9

Biology utilizes a Next Generation Science Standards inquiry-based curriculum. Students are figuratively transported to several places in Africa to determine relatedness among lions based on actual genetic evidence. They figure out where lions live based on their genes and track poachers from the DNA evidence in smuggled ivory. Looking at extracted seeds from simulated elephant poop, students see how these animals disperse seeds and shape the landscape. Students calculate metabolic rates to design a biologically appropriate animal diet at the zoo. And this is just the first unit!

Chemistry

Grade: 10

Science 7

In New Mexico, we often say, “agua es vida.” In seventh-grade science, we strive to understand water’s significance to all life in the desert Southwest through monitoring the Rio Grande watershed. Students grow as citizen scientists as they collect, classify, and analyze water samples in conjunction with adult scientists and agencies interested in water quality and the health of watersheds across our area. Students make models, conduct research, and synthesize information as they develop their abilities to think like a scientist.

In this lab-intensive class, students study the composition and properties of matter and explore how chemical substances undergo change. Through dynamic lab activities, students understand why reactions bubble, flash, and sometimes even explode. Students will learn to search for patterns, perform chemical calculations, and apply fundamental scientific understandings to solving real world problems.

Anatomy & Physiology

Grades: 11 & 12

Science 8

In the eighth grade, students expand their knowledge of the environment by exploring geology and human anatomy and physiology using the periodic table as unifying content. They apply the scientific method and science process skills to solve engineering problems and build and design prototypes as we move through the year. Students participate in various group projects, such as eye and brain dissections, an atom project, and building solar ovens and cars. They also complete several individual research projects, write lab reports, and create presentations for peer review.

Students develop an understanding of the relationships between the structures and functions of the human body, including the mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis. This course will also focus on the nervous, cardiovascular, skeletal, muscular, and respiratory systems. Anatomy & Physiology is designed for students interested in careers in healthcare or medical sciences. Therefore, careers related to medicine, research, healthcare, and modern medical technology will be discussed throughout the curriculum with an emphasis on real-life case studies concerning diseases, disorders, and ailments. This course is intended for students who have completed biology and wish to further their study of biology and some chemistry concepts. Some lab work may be required.

Grades: 11 & 12

Dive deeper into the mysteries of life in Advanced Biology. In this course, students explore science as a human process, studying genetics, engineering, and biochemistry at the cellular and subcellular level. Biologic themes of evolution, unity and diversity, and the idea that form fits function are woven throughout the course. Students engage in-depth work on macromolecules, conduct a “crime scene” DNA investigation, and become bioengineers in the lab. Students also write technical papers and lab reports, make presentations, and apply scientific knowledge to solve new problems.

Biology-Wildlife & Conservation

Grades: 11 & 12

If your ideal science classroom doesn’t have walls, you might just be a wildlife biologist. In this field-based class, students explore the ways that wildlife and humans share habitat in an urban environment. Students study more than 100 local species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, and invertebrates. Students conduct research that informs public policy and use their knowledge to participate in the legislative process.

Chemistry 2

Grades: 11 & 12

Chemistry is the science of making and transforming things. This class is for students that are interested in a deeper exploration into the “central” science. Students study thermochemistry, equilibrium, organic, and environmental chemistry. A strong lab component provides opportunities for critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration.

Physics 1

Grades: 11 & 12

How many lightbulbs can you light up using only your body? Students answer that question and many others as they explore kinematics and the study of motion, forces and the causes of motion, momentum, energy, centripetal force and acceleration, circular motion, and the philosophy of science. Students will also build a catapult, launch rockets, and figure out how to keep an imaginary colony alive on Mars. Throughout the course, students develop intuition about how things work in the world around them and passion for understanding the inner workings of the cosmos.

Wildlife Research Seminar

Grades: 12

Students in this course design and carry out original wildlife research in this guided independent study course. After choosing a wild creature to engage with, they design a research project that sends them into high-tech labs to test DNA or into the wilderness to track wildlife. Students present their findings at professional conferences alongside college graduate students and working scientists.

Every project involves partnerships with the community and many groups work with partners like ABQ Open Space, Rio Grande Nature Center, UNM Stable Isotope Lab, BEMP, the US Forest Service, NM Department of Game and Fish, and various biologists with expertise on specific topics.

What we are doing School is science that beyond the classroom. are always looking for our students to do work—work that they accountable for to somebody than themselves.

–Dan Shaw, Science

doing at Bosque that matters classroom. So we for ways for do authentic they have to be somebody other themselves.

Science Teacher

Bosque School offers two robust language progams—Latin and Spanish.

In addition to teaching grammar, vocabulary, and translation skills, the position themselves and their work within a long tradition of scholarship.

As students progress through the program, they benefit far beyond learning study skills and become better critical readers in English as they unpack their vocabulary. Students who continue to upper-level courses will translate Ovid’s Metamorphoses, and ponder the meaning of life, duty, and compassion level, our students test their skills against other scholars by participating receive scores of cum laude, magna cum laude, and even summa cum laude. Mexico Junior Classical League, where they and their teachers often serve

Bosque School’s Spanish department is world-class. Our teachers hail from Spanish for three years in middle school. In upper school, two additional graduation, but many students take Spanish all four years. Our Spanish empower our students to speak, read, and write Spanish naturally, and to engagement with Spanish-speaking communities at home and around the Our Spanish for Heritage Learners program allows students who speak Spanish speaking country, or have participated in a dual-language program in elementary appropriate pace. As students progress from sixth to twelfth grade, they common phrases to becoming speakers who can use their Spanish language

LANGUAGES LATIN

Half of of the English studying the sciences English students the modern and analytical Latin completing history,

Latin Grades:

Latin I

Grades: 9-12

of the English language comes from Latin, and nearly all the longest, most complicated, and intimidating words in English can be broken down into very simple Latin roots. By studying Latin, students unlock the doors to the languages of sciences and the law, and are able to trace the history of English and Spanish words back to their origins. From day one, students start to make connections between English, Latin, and modern Romance languages—developing critical thinking analytical skills by reading beginner-level Latin stories. In I, students have the freedom to pursue their interests by completing projects on topics ranging from mythology and history, to biology and astronomy.

LATIN

Latin department aims to help students scholarship.

learning the language. Students develop strong unpack complex grammatical structures and build translate Greek myths written in Latin, read compassion with Vergil and Catullus. At every participating in the National Latin Exam, where many laude. Students also participate in the New serve as officers.

from across the globe. All students take additional years of Spanish are required for department is driven by two goals: to to broaden their understanding of and the world.

Spanish at home, have lived in a Spanishelementary school to enrich their skills at an grow from learning simple vocabulary and language skills to effect change.

Latin II

Grades: 9-12

Having learned the fundamentals of the Latin language, students are ready to dive into original Latin writing, texts that were composed two millennia ago and some that were composed in their own lifetimes. In this course, students continue their study of Latin vocabulary and grammar, while also reading stories and poems about mythology, history, and science. They learn the Latin foundations of terms and ideas in the sciences, and have an opportunity to explore elements of scientific Latin that are of particular interest.

Latin III

Grades: 11 & 12

In Latin III, students have the freedom to pursue their curiosity by designing a curriculum to suit their interests. Those with an interest in the sciences will be able to choose from a vast corpus of scientific writings, including Copernicus and Isaac Newton. Students with an interest in the humanities might choose to investigate the Malleus Maleficarum (a “witch hunting” manual that inspired the European witch hunts) or the Passio Perpetuae (the prison diary of a Christian martyr who was executed in North Africa in the early 3rd century CE).

Latin IV

Grade 12

In Latin IV, we dive very deeply into some of the most significant and influential texts in Latin, looking at such authors as Julius Caesar, Ovid, and Vergil. Students have the opportunity to practice skills in literary analysis, as well as primary source analysis. Our work each day connects the Latin writings we’re studying to the problems and ideas of our own time and lives. Having completed this course, students will be able to confidently call themselves accomplished Latin scholars!

In sixth grade, Spanish is all about foundation-building and storytelling. Students work on listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills through storytelling and the use of the Total Physical Response (TPRS) methodology. Additionally, students create the foundational vocabulary needed for communicating in Spanish. Individual words are learned with movements, used to create skits and short stories, and then used in new applications and contexts. By second semester, the class is primarily taught in Spanish using an immersion model. Students should come prepared to move, act, sing, tell short stories, and play as they engage in Spanish as a second language.

Close your eyes. Imagine you are in Mexico City for the Día de los Muertos parade. Using all your senses, what do you observe? Now, let’s turn that into a “sense-ational” poem. Explore the recipes that are on the menu for New Year’s Eve. Choose your favorite dish and create a video cooking demonstration. Now look back. Interview your family members to meet your ancestors. What artifacts can you find? In seventh-grade Heritage Spanish, we ask questions about the cultural products and practices around us and in our own homes to build connections, greater awareness, and appreciation of different perspectives.

Do you ever wonder how to use your Spanish to talk about your life, including the animals and plants around us and all the things you do? Do you want to explore what life is like in other Spanishspeaking countries? We’ll study poems, music, stories, and art. Imagine having conversations in Spanish with your classmates while we are on a walk through the bosque or playing games in Spanish in our classroom. Students will contribute to the dynamic class experience by sharing their previous knowledge and life experiences. We always consider how this helps clarify each person’s emerging knowledge about who they are and how it shapes their identity.

What would it look and sound like to learn Spanish through virtual travel and adventure? Where might the exploration of Latino culture both within and outside our community take us? Join us in our journey through the Spanish-speaking world to examine celebrations, historical sites, and the artistic expressions of various Latin American countries. Through this inquiry, students will describe cultural products, compare cultural practices, and express their opinions and interpretations of diverse cultural perspectives.

Street foods, our school, and the animals of New Mexico are just a few of the things that students describe in seventh-grade Spanish. Students learn vocabulary and phrases while studying more about the Spanishspeaking world, as well as expanding what they can say about their own lives. Students gain confidence as readers and speakers throughout the year as they collaborate with classmates, read authentic texts, and share opinions in Spanish.

We will focus on art from specific time periods and search for indications of how these artists and their pieces shaped their societies and influenced cultures to come. Capitalizing on art available in Albuquerque and Santa Fe will allow us to venture into living-spaces that carry the remnants of the past. We will make good use of authentic videos, written documents, copies of famous art pieces, interviews, and class presentations on our findings. Discover the power of artists as they create and share their works. Learn how artists influence their contemporaries and those of us who later investigate historical portraits and famous art.

Spanish 6

Spanish for Heritage Learners 7

Spanish 8

Spanish for Heritage Learners 8

Spanish for Heritage Learners 6

Spanish 7

Spanish 1

Grades: 9-11

Students who are new to speaking Spanish, or would benefit from an extra year to solidify basic skills, enroll in Spanish 1. Through a variety of projects and activities, students learn to tell stories, describe themselves and others, express likes and dislikes, and converse about daily activities. Students finish the year with increased confidence and skill, ready to move on to Spanish 2.

Spanish 2

Grades: 9-11

“Cuéntame un cuento” Spanish 2 becomes the perfect place to focus our year on telling stories— stories about all kinds of characters in all sorts of settings. They will come from the Spanishspeaking world represented in the Americas and Spain. Students will also invent their own stories from their individual and shared experiences and read them to others in the community.

“Cuéntame un cuento” will allow students to learn and use present and past tenses together in narration, along with key vocabulary, in a meaningful context. Emphasis is given to listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Spanish 3

Grades: 9-12

Narratives describe the essence of this course. Through personal experiences, short films, stories, documentaries, history, and world events students will learn vocabulary, work with new grammatical structures, and improve fluency. We will focus on narration in the present tense and every aspect of the past. Throughout this class, students have the opportunity to gain cultural comprehension and develop confidence in their improved Spanish-speaking skills.

Spanish 4

Grades: 9-12

Spanish 4 focuses on the theme of human migration. Vocabulary organically grows as students watch news clips, review articles, and read selected chapters from Latin American authors about migration. Students use their Spanish in conversation with native speakers when they interview a Spanish-speaking immigrant and describe that conversation with their peers. Throughout the year, students’ speaking skills become more advanced, and they are able to use the language naturally beyond the classroom.

SPANISH

Spanish

5

Grades: 9-12

This class uses narrative, poetry, songs, and film to support further language growth. Students review grammatical but the course focuses on analyzing texts, expressing opinions, and considering multiple perspectives surrounding in our second language. Students will participate in Harkness discussions, complete creative projects, and learn the history of the Spanish-speaking world. This course aims to increase students’ skills and confidence so that they participate in Spanish Seminario, college-level Spanish, and use Spanish in the world.

Spanish

Grade 9

for Heritage Learners 9

We will explore the role that the visual and performing arts played in developing these societies. In addition to analyzing other cultures from the past, we will seek to understand resulting politics, economics, and human development Spanish. We will make the most of opportunities to prepare and eat foods from the very cultures we are investigating. result, students will learn to describe activities and narrate sequential events in the present and past tenses. They instructions and express complex thoughts based on possibility and hypothesis. Emphasis is given to speaking, writing, and reading.

Spanish

Grade 10

for Heritage Learners 10

Do you want to make a difference in your community? The driving force in our Heritage 10 curriculum is the complex, fascinating topic of human migration. We will study it through discussions, readings, and research. We will focus refining writing, reading, listening, and speaking through a range of engaging topics and hands-on activities. Also, become activists by closely interacting with the Hispanic migrant community in Albuquerque through a series of and cultural activities.

Spanish for Heritage Learners

Grade 11

11

Do you love to read Latin American and Spanish literature and poetry and learn about the countries that influenced heritage? This class focuses on Spanish and Latin American literature and history. Students learn about magic realism the lasting impact of dictatorships in Latin America and Spain. Students will also write poetry and short stories, develop presentations, and make videos as they learn how Latin American and Spanish literature have impacted Western

Spanish 6-Seminario

Grade 12

If you are interested in Latin American current events, international relations, human rights, or socio-cultural movements, this advanced Spanish Seminario course is for you. In this class, students explore Latin American culture, develop implement community projects, and develop skills in debate, negotiation, conflict resolution, and public speaking participating in a Spanish language version of Model United Nations. Students also get involved in community-based projects that allow them to interact meaningfully with people from different walks of life.

grammatical concepts, surrounding issues more about they can analyzing through investigating. As a They will give listening, complex, focus on Also, we will of projects influenced your realism and develop Western thought.

movements, develop and speaking by community-based

THE ARTS

ARTS

Bosque School’s founder believed performing and visual arts are an essential part of every child’s education, and our commitment to the arts continues today. Our band, choir, drama, strings, technical theater, and visual art teachers work to develop confident students who exude joy and are willing to take risks to expand their skills. Teamwork, collaboration, and embracing challenges are the signatures of our arts program.

Students participate in a performing arts class for all three years of middle school. Not only do they develop fundamental skills, they also play in concerts, perform in shows, and learn to design and build sets. In the upper school, all students complete at least two more years of arts education, either in the performing or visual arts.

As students progress through our performing arts program, they grow in confidence as well as ability. Our music students regularly qualify for All-State competitions and have performed in venues ranging from Disneyland to St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Our drama and theater tech students often bring home awards from state and national drama competitions, and many of our students remain involved in the performing arts beyond high school.

The visual arts have been a vital component of every Bosque School student’s education since our school’s inception. Technical skills are taught in a framework that includes creativity, play, and personal growth. Learning to see the world with the eyes of an artist teaches students to think critically, develop empathy, and connect more deeply with their community. In middle school, all students take three years of visual arts classes. The seventh-grade mosaic murals decorate buildings all over campus.

In the upper school, all students complete two additional years of either visual or performing arts, with many opting to take even more courses. After completing our basic foundations course, students pursue topics such as digital arts, ceramics, and advanced painting and drawing. By the time they graduate, all students have learned fundamental concepts of visual design while developing an appreciation for the importance of art as a means of understanding the world. Our most serious student-artists complete a senior portfolio and display it in a public venue. Many of our students continue their artistic studies in college.

Band 6

Have you been dying to learn to play the trumpet or to make a saxophone ooze with sweet sounds? Sixth-grade band gives all students the chance to become confident musicians. Students will learn to play an instrument and make music with their friends while studying music history and theory. Students will develop a lifelong love of music as they work together toward a common goal and experience the thrill of performing live music.

Band 7

Jam with your friends in seventh-grade band! Students build on the foundations established in sixth grade, gaining confidence and improving technique as they play challenging music and delve deeper into music theory, improvisation, and composition. Students’ joy in performance grows as they begin to realize just how good they can sound. Students are encouraged to try out Jazz Band as an extracurricular in their seventh-grade year as well.

Band 8

The music just keeps getting better! Students in eighth-grade band are more confident, more attuned to each other, and more willing to take risks in performance. Students continue to expand their musical repertoire and develop their understanding of theory, improvisation, and composition.

Band-Wind Ensemble

Grades: 9-12

They don’t call it “playing” music for nothing! Students in upper school band forge close friendships as they play together, tackling challenging music and honing their technique. They are encouraged to perform in extracurricular ensembles and festivals such as New Mexico All-State. Students also perform in two major school concerts as well as at other informal venues. Becoming confident, joyful performers in upper school builds a lifelong love of music.

Choir 6

In sixth-grade choir, students learn to become confident singers. They play singing games, learn sight-singing through hand signs and solfège, and study basic music history and theory. Students experience an accepting environment where it is safe to try new things and work together toward a shared goal. Students develop a lifelong love of music as they forge deep friendships and experience the joy of live performance.

Choir 7

Students in seventh-grade choir build on the foundations they learned in sixth grade as they continue to develop their skills in sight-singing, pitch, and harmonizing. Students sing challenging music and go deeper into studying music theory. As they gain confidence, students are more willing to take risks. The classroom community creates a supportive environment as students learn to see themselves as group members working toward a common endeavor.

Choir 8

Students in eighth-grade choir keep surprising themselves—the music gets harder, yet their voices grow stronger! Students expand on the foundations of sight-singing, pitch, and harmonizing firstestablished in sixth and seventh grade. In a supportive classroom environment, students reach new heights in collaboration and grow as confident, joyful performers.

Grades: 9-12

In this auditioned choir, students stretch their skills by learning a challenging repertoire and performing extensively around Albuquerque, as well as nationally and internationally. Students hone their sight-reading and harmonizing skills, understand basic music theory and composition, and become joyful, confident performers. “Spaghetti and Serenades,” a yearly highlight, offers students the opportunity to prepare dynamic solo and small group performances for family and friends in a casual dinner setting. Cantate provides an authentic community experience for singers to become a part of something larger than themselves, creating a pure form of self-expression.

Cantate Voice Class

Grades: 9-12

If you have always wanted to learn how to sing, or you already sing as a soloist but want more personalized instruction, this is the class for you! Voice class will provide instruction on vocal technique that can be applied to all genres and styles of music. This course is tailored to the individual student, so all experience levels are welcome.

Drama 6

Quick—pretend you are a tree in spring, because tomorrow you will bloom! Students sixth-grade drama learn confidence, teamwork, problem solving as they explore what it a story through space and motion. Students and perform one-act plays and study and monologues. The focus on improvisation a joyful culture of empathy and support classmates and teaches students to think

Drama 7

Do you ever feel like you want to hide mask or be someone different for a day? grade drama focuses on masks and contemporary drama. Through theater games, improvisation, mime, and scene study, students develop confidence, critical thinking, and creativity. seventh-grade performance allows students leave it all onstage.

Drama 8

Have no fear, it’s Shakespeare all year! drama immerses students in the works, times of Shakespeare. Students delight iambic pentameter and surprise themselves become comfortable with Elizabethan The year culminates with the Shakespearean Journey, where the campus becomes for student performances of the Bard’s memorable scenes.

Upper School Drama

Grades: 9-12

We have all been told to imagine ourselves someone else’s shoes, and that’s exactly students do in upper school drama. Students empathy, responsibility, and leadership confidence and skills as practicing actors. passions drive each year’s content, which works from monologues to scenes to one-act Students study different methods of acting, and create plays and films, and travel to theater festivals. Confident, skilled performers through four years of participating in Bosque drama courses and theater productions.

spring, excited Students in teamwork, and it means to tell Students write and perform improvisation creates support among think on their feet. hide behind a day? Seventhcontemporary improvisation, develop creativity. The students to

Strings 6

If you have ever listened to a beautiful piece of music and thought, “I wish I could do that,” then you might want to sign up for strings. In this class, students learn how to play a stringed instrument, as well as string technique, music theory and history, improvisation, composition, and how to work together with others toward a shared goal. Students develop a lifelong appreciation of music and grow into confident performers.

Strings 7

You put in the work in sixth grade, and now you feel like you can actually play that violin! In seventh grade, students continue to work on string technique, music theory and history, improvisation, and composition. Joy in performance grows as students tackle more challenging music and develop their ability to play confidently together.

Strings-Serenata

Grades: 9-12

year! Eighth-grade works, life, and delight in mastering themselves as they Elizabethan language. Shakespearean becomes the stage Bard’s most ourselves in exactly what Students learn leadership while gaining actors. Students’ which spans one-act plays. acting, write to compete in performers emerge Bosque School’s productions.

Strings 8

Play exquisite music exquisitely! That’s what students in eighth-grade strings do. They have mastered basic technique, learned to hear one another, and grown in their ability to understand and play more complex pieces. Students have become a team of collaborators, who cheer each other on and push each other to keep learning. They become bold, confident performers who delight in playing music together.

If you are ready for the challenge provided by an auditioned string ensemble, Serenata may be for you! Students perform extensively, playing challenging music that spans genres and time periods. Students undertake advanced study of technique, theory, form and analysis, composition, and improvisation. Students in this class have the opportunity to play alongside professional musicians and are encouraged to audition for the Albuquerque Youth Symphony and the New Mexico All-State ensemble. Students form lifelong friendships and a lasting love for music and performance.

Intermezzo

Grades: 9-12

In our non-auditioned strings class, students are challenged to grow in confidence as musicians and collaborators. Students focus on improving technique while playing great music and exploring music theory, music history, composition, and improvisation. Students develop a lifelong love of music and performance.

Technical Theater

Grades: 8-12

If you are more of a “behind the scenes” person, you might just find your niche in technical theater. Students study and practice every aspect of stage design including sets, props, lighting, sound, and stage management. Students comport themselves as tech professionals as they learn how to safely create theater art, while also providing production support for every school event.

Visual Arts 6

Sixth-grade art is all about finding your inner artist and learning to express your voice. Students will draw, paint, and explore the possibilities of 3D design. Highlights include Calaveras printmaking for “Day of the Dead” and a stop-motion animation unit. By the end of the course, students will understand more about the importance of art in the world. They will be able to solve artistic problems, work with a variety of materials, and understand a little more about themselves.

Advanced Painting & Drawing

Grades: 10-12

Have you ever felt something that you just couldn’t students learn to express ideas, opinions, and media. Open-ended assignments and a supportive problems and take risks. Students improve their ability to think critically about their own work

Visual Arts 7

Seventh-grade art is about discovering and learning new approaches to making art and artistic expression. Students will develop drawing skills, reflect upon their own artistic process, and build confidence with daily sketchbook exercises. Through a focus on foundational techniques, students learn how to draw the human figure, plants, and animals. They will draw from nature in the field along with seventh-grade science. Central themes for the year include storytelling through character development, imagining environments, and the development of narrative.

Ceramics

Grades: 10-12

You are never too old to play in the mud! Students ceramics process, including design, construction, form and function by creating pieces that are new technical skills in hand-building and wheel-throwing, ready to grace the kitchen table!

Digital Artst

Grades: 10-12

Visual Arts 8

Draw, paint, sculpt, create! In eighth-grade art, students learn to apply the elements of art and the principles of design as they create pieces in a variety of media. Through thoughtful critique, students develop a vocabulary for discussing visual art and become comfortable with both giving and receiving feedback. By the end of the course, students have become both more skilled and more confident as artists.

Would you rather be behind the camera than using photography, computer programs, apps, principles of composition and design. Students for commercial purposes. Off-campus photo creative boundaries and expand their understanding

Murals

Grades: 10-12

In the mural class, students will focus on the public works both on and off campus. Students collaboratively as they build upon their foundations ongoing school mural and more.

Foundations

Grades: 9-12

Students begin their upper school art study in the Foundations class, where the focus is on learning to “see.” Students learn the elements of 2D design with still life drawing and acrylic painting. They explore 3D design as they construct sculptures out of recycled and unconventional materials. By the end of this course, students are able to express themselves creatively through art and see the world in a whole new way. Foundations is a prerequisite for all upper school visual arts courses.

Yearbook

Grades: 10-12

Students with an interest in photography, graphic create our annual yearbook. This course will the year, yearbook students are often found events capturing and documenting the year’s

couldn’t express in words? In this advanced art class, and emotions through painting, drawing, and mixed supportive environment inspire students to solve artistic their technical skills and develop the language and work and the work of others.

Students gain a comprehensive understanding of the construction, finishing, and firing. Students learn to balance both beautiful and useful. Students end the year with wheel-throwing, as well as creating a slab dinner set

than in front of it? Students explore their artistic voices apps, and digital media in this course that teaches Students learn to create digital pieces as both fine arts and photo shoots and a rich digital arts lab help students push understanding of art.

development and exploration of large-scale Students will learn to develop their own ideas and work foundations and apply their skills and knowledge to the graphic design, or journalism have the opportunity to teach the basics of yearbook design and throughout at Bosque School’s sporting, arts, and on-campus year’s activities.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Sixth-grade PE is healthy body and discover how good through various Stopwatch or Nitro to value the practice as the outcome. skills in coordination, communication.

Run, jump, throw, In seventh-grade nutrition, exercise relationships, and fun and build confidence while playing games healthy lifestyle.

Improve your quality grade PE students by exercising, developing knowledge about how to both enjoy into their daily lives, of your body, where

Healthy minds thrive in healthy bodies. All Bosque School school, where teachers emphasize developing confidence, how to eat well in order to fuel a long, active life. In requirement, either by taking additional PE classes teams. Our competitive sports program is committed level of personal growth in an inviting, safe, and supportive

PE 6

PE 7

PE 8

EDUCATION (PE)

Upper School PE

is geared toward developing a and healthy relationships. Students good it feels to move their bodies various fun games and activities—Human Nitro Ball, anyone? Students learn practice of physical activity as much Over the years, they develop coordination, cooperation, and positive communication.

Grades: 9-12

Go for a hike on the bosque trail, play some disc golf, exercise in the fitness center, or learn how to play pickleball. Upper school PE is all about developing healthy habits for a long, active life. This is for upper school students who do not plan to fulfill their PE credits by participating on Bosque School sports teams. This class can be individualized and is low on pressure, high on fun!

throw, catch, dance, and rock climb! seventh-grade PE, students learn about exercise physiology, developing healthy and managing stress. They have confidence through aerobic fitness games and developing habits for a lifestyle.

quality of life through fitness. Eighthstudents develop overall personal fitness developing skills, and gaining about personal fitness. Students learn enjoy and incorporate physical activity lives, because if you don’t take care where will you live?

School students take three years of PE in middle confidence, finding joy in movement, and learning the upper school, students complete a two-year PE or participating on Bosque School’s interscholastic committed to developing athletes who strive for the highest supportive environment.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

IMMERSIVES

Students shouldn’t have to wait until college to start discovering what they’re passionate about. Research shows that students learn best when they are working on things that matter to them and applying that learning in the real world.

Our three-week immersive courses provide a dedicated time for students to focus deeply on a subject that’s important to them and then practice what they’ve learned in engaging, real-life situations. Because immersive courses exist outside the constraints of a traditional schedule, they look and feel very different—students have the freedom to travel, do field work, and learn from experts in the community.

All of this inspires the kind of deeply meaningful, interdisciplinary learning that is often difficult to accomplish within the four walls of a classroom. It is exactly this kind of learning that elicits each student’s strengths and talents and energizes their desire to find their own unique place in the world.

Immersives are transformative—and colleges know this. Students who participate in immersives throughout their middle and high school years are independent, creative, critical thinkers who are exceptionally well-positioned for college success. Because immersive courses are such a significant differentiator in the college admissions process, immersives are graded courses that are included on report cards and transcripts.

FEW OF THE IMMERSIVES THAT HAVE BEEN

THE WILD: WILDERNESS STUDIES & MOUNTAIN MEDICINE

What does it mean to be in the wild? Students will find out in this true immersive course designed to provide them with the ability to understand wilderness, plan for excursions in the wilderness, and handle basic medical emergencies in the wilderness.

Working with dynamic instructors from the International Mountain Medicine Center at UNMH, students complete a multiple-day wilderness first aid national certification in a supportive, engaging, and collaborative setting. Students gain confidence navigating challenges in the wild through online lessons and practical, hands-on outdoor simulations. Students also learn what the wild encompasses—the history, importance, and preservation of wilderness—by interacting with texts from historical conservationists and current advocates, including diverse narratives. Along the way, students prepare for outdoor adventures that involve practicing leave-no-trace principles and productive teamwork. The culminating experience will be a multi-day, multinight group wilderness backpacking trip.

SHOWMAKERS

In ShowMakers, students write, arrange, produce, and collaborate on original compositions—culminating in an entirely student-produced musical exhibition. All students at Bosque School have participated in some form of performance, but this immersive allows them to explore songwriting, electronic instrument composition, recording, planning, and collaboration—capping off in an entirely student-produced show.

Students will flesh out their ideas and build ensembles at a fun overnight stay at Hummingbird Music Camp in the Jemez Mountains. If you want to explore out-of-the-box musical ideas, compose your own songs, work with others, learn from professional songwriters and musicians in the community, and have fun, then ShowMakers is the immersive for you.

MORE THAN WORDS: THE ART OF STORYTELLING

Here’s your chance to dive deep into storytelling. In this class, we will explore how stories are influenced by history, place, and culture. Students will create a portfolio of writing and other creative work that reflects various stories about the culture and landscape of New Mexico.

We will travel to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, and other local sites that will inspire students to convey their creativity through various modes of storytelling. The course will include visits from various artists, writers, and other storytellers to mentor and inspire students to dig deep into the creative process—focusing on specific details, diverse perspectives, and historical context.

FORENSICS: THE WHO DUNNIT, & HOW?

In every crime, something is always left, and something is always taken. In this immersive, when that evidence speaks, How does physical evidence tell a story that people can’t? What is the role of a forensic scientist in telling this story? We crime scene in a way that the untrained eye might miss. We will look at various types of evidence including, but not Students can expect to experience forensics in various modalities such as conducting labs, hearing from guest speakers,

CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR. HERE ARE JUST A

OFFERED IN THE PAST:

GODS & HEROES: GREEK LANGUAGE, ART & MYTHOLOGY

Do you love Greek myths and want to learn more about their ancient background? Interested in studying Ancient Greek and reading Homer’s Odyssey in the original language? Want to explore ancient art and architecture by doing hands-on visual arts and design projects? In this immersive, we’ll be doing all of that. No previous knowledge is needed or expected.

We’ll start by learning the Greek alphabet, and by the end of the first day, you’ll be looking directly at Homeric Greek, from γλαυκῶπις Ἀθήνη (gray-eyed Athena) to ῥοδοδάκτυλος Ἠώς (rosy-fingered dawn).

COMMUNITY BUILDERS

How is Albuquerque doing? Why should we give back, and how can we? This course gives students the opportunity to learn how private initiatives can work for the public good. The three weeks will be a mix of service learning activities, visits to non-profits, and community workshops. Our goal is to learn from the organizations we work with and figure out ways to help serve our city’s greatest needs.

At the end of the program, students will come together as a foundation to decide how we can best be of support for some of the non-profits we studied. We will do this both financially and through volunteer work. Through a generous gift, participants are given $10,000 to allocate among the studied nonprofits. Because of this generous donation, students will experience philanthropy in action!

“FLOW”OSOPHY: BE LIKE A RIVER

How can personal connection with the natural ecosystems surrounding us lead to an investment in sustainability? By combining mindfulness, research, and science, students will have the opportunity to build a physical, emotional, and intellectual connection to the spaces we often take for granted.

We will begin each day with mindfulness activities down by the river. Then we will focus on how human modification and climate change have affected the watersheds of the Southwest. Students will choose and research an anthropogenic impact on the watersheds of the Southwest after having the opportunity to interact with both historical and contemporary texts about these topics. By partnering with experts from Rio Grande Restoration, students will have the opportunity to contribute to ongoing data collection during a multiple-day trip along the Chama River.

speaks, we listen.

We will learn to deconstruct a crime scene and analyze data collected at the scene—refining our perspective of a limited to, blood spatter, DNA, hair, fingerprints, shoe and tire prints, toxicology, and entomology of crime scenes. speakers, notes, research, and participating in hands-on simulations.

WILLDS

The WILLDS program (wellness, identity, leadership, life skills, diversity, and service) is our signature student wellness program and is integral to Bosque School’s commitment to whole child education. In order for our students to fully thrive, we must expand our focus beyond academic skill development and provide opportunities that help them grow as self-aware individuals and conscious community members who are equipped with life skills to maximize their potential.

The mission of WILLDS is to help students develop the knowledge, skills, and vision necessary to promote critical thinking and self-awareness, inspire discernment, build community, and engage as influential community members who cultivate a more inclusive and equitable world.

All students have dedicated WILLDS time in their schedule, just as they would math or humanities. In addition, just as math teachers are masters of their craft, so too are WILLDS educators. We hire experienced and passionate educators whose sole teaching focus is to deliver the various elements of the WILLDS curriculum and build relationships with students over the years. Throughout their seven years at Bosque School, students build their skills and deepen their understanding of these crucial topics, with the intention that they learn to apply these skills with greater nuance and understanding as they develop competence and confidence.

WHAT MIGHT A STUDENT’S JOURNEY LOOK YEARS OF WILLDS CURRICULUM? HERE ARE

WELLNESS

• What is the difference between stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidality, and how do I support myself and friends

• What are my personal coping strategies for managing stress?

• Understanding the neuroscience of the adolescent brain

• Understanding puberty, anatomy, and sexual health (including topics of consent, pleasure, sexually transmitted

• Understanding and identifying healthy vs. toxic relationships

• Understanding substance use and abuse.

IDENTITY

• What unique elements of my culture, history, family, circumstance, and lived experience shape the way I view

• What power and privileges do I hold? How can I make sure I am sharing power with others?

• What do I value? How do I use my values to help inform me in moments of crisis or confusion?

• What kind of friend am I? What kinds of friendships are important to me?

LEADERSHIP

• What are the characteristics of an effective leader?

• What are the skills of leadership?

• What are my strengths and growth edges?

• What are my opportunities as a leader in my social group, grade, school, and in the larger community?

LIFE SKILLS

• What are executive function skills and why are they important to me and my success?

• How do I develop financial literacy?

• How do I write an effective cover letter, resume, and engage with a job interview?

• What do I need to understand about digital citizenship, digital footprints, and the neuroscience of social media?

• How do I navigate college admissions, write a compelling college application essay, understand student debt,

friends through mental health challenges? transmitted infections, and birth control)

view and interact with the world? media? debt, etc?

DIVERSITY SERVICE

• How are we strengthened by engaging with cultural competence and humility with those who hold different lived experiences and perspectives than our own?

• How do we understand our own positionality, privilege, and power?

• What are systems of oppression? How did history lead to these? What opportunities do we have to disrupt them?

• What are microaggressions? What do they look like in practice, and what are their impacts? What is the difference between intent and impact, and how can we repair harm?

• How do we engage in constructive discourse and truly listen to opposing perspectives?

• How do we engage with our community and develop partnerships that help strengthen the collective?

• How do we listen to the needs of others and work collaboratively to support them?

• How can I deepen my learning through interaction with others?

• What is philanthropy? What do I value and want to contribute my time, treasure, or talent to?

• What is a non-profit, and what role do they plan in our society?

ATHLETICS &

Bosque School offers a variety of athletic programs and club activities that their passions outside the classroom. At the middle school level, all students an athletic team, regardless of prior experience. We emphasize developing different sports we offer. Our middle school teams compete in the Albuquerque Athletic League (APIAL).

In the fall, our upper school teams compete in the New Mexico Activities golf, tennis, soccer, and volleyball. In the winter, upper school teams participate swimming, and in the spring, they participate in NMAA in tennis, golf, track Over 75% of upper school students compete in at least one sport.

CLUBS

that allow our students to further explore students are encouraged to participate on developing fundamental skills in any of the Albuquerque Parochial and Independent Activities Association (NMAA) in cross-country, participate in NMAA in basketball and track & field, baseball, and lacrosse.

ATHLETICS

• Baseball

• Basketball

• Bowling

• Cross Country

• E-Sports

• Golf

• Lacrosse

• Mountain Biking

• Soccer

• Swimming & Diving

• Tennis

• Track & Field

• Volleyball

CLUBS

• Amnesty International

• Film Club

• International Thespian Society

• Distinguished Artists Guild

• GSA

• Latin Club

• Math Contest Prep Club

• Math Counts

• Mock Trial

• Model United Nations

• Outdoors Club

• Poetry Out Loud

• Pottery Club

• The Oracle (creative magazine)

• Tri-M Music Honor Society

• Robotics

• Science Olympiad

• Sociedad Honorario Hispánica

• Spanish United Nations

• Sports Medicine

• Spreading Literacy Club

• Strings Club

• Student Government

• Women’s Advocacy Coalition

Our mission is to create transformative learning experiences that empower a diverse community of students to lead lives of intellectual curiosity, personal integrity, and compassionate contribution to a more just world.

Nuestra misión es crear experiencias que transformen y faculten a nuestra diversa comunidad de estudiantes a vivir con curiosidad intelectual, integridad personal y trabajar solidariamente por un mundo más justo.