Academic Schedules

fiction and nonfiction texts while the corresponding history course explores them through Ancient Greece and Rome, drawing explicit connections to events in U.S. history and select non-Western societies. Both semesters in English place significant emphasis on the reading and writing process, foundational grammar conventions and relevant vocabulary words.

ENGLISH 8: CONTACT AND GLOBALIZATION

English 8 maintains a humanities approach in building skills and exploring themes of global citizenship. In eighth grade, students explore the way different cultures come into contact and expand in an increasingly interconnected world. The literature in English class continues to examine these themes across multiple genres. Skill development continues to be a primary focus as both semesters in English emphasize the development of strong reading and writing skills, key grammar concepts and relevant vocabulary words.

ENGLISH 9: GLOBAL STUDIES I

English 9 begins a global studies sequence with World History 9 that engages students in a two-year interdisciplinary exploration of the world around them, its history and their role in it. English 9 places an emphasis on the development of the skills and dispositions of global citizenship: it asks students to explore what it means to be ethical and empowered global citizens while providing them with a strong foundation in reading, writing, grammar, discussion and critical thinking skills. This course uses global literature to teach students how to read carefully and critically and write clearly and persuasively. Students read and discuss a range of nonfiction and fiction texts in order to develop these skills; while doing so, the course material provides students with an ethical framework that helps them to more reflectively consider personal, historical and global issues.

ENGLISH 10: GLOBAL STUDIES II

Global Studies II uses an interdisciplinary approach to further develop themes and skills introduced in the ninth-grade program. This course builds increasingly strong reading, writing and historical skills by exploring current global issues through the lens of complex and relevant topics such as resources, human rights and responsibilities, and migration. Students continue to develop the elements of a global perspective by using literature, film and nonfiction texts to examine each theme from multiple angles, and each unit focuses heavily on personal decisions and problem-solving with regards to each topic and its corresponding case study from their history class. The course culminates with a project which stresses the development of research skills and has students “live out” their learning.

ENGLISH 11: AMERICAN IDEALS

English 11 examines American ideals such as “All Men Are Created Equal,” “The Pursuit of Happiness,” “City upon a Hill,” “A More Perfect Union” and the “American dream” to explore life in America from its founding to the current day. Students critically investigate a variety of nonfiction, poetry and fiction texts (including film) and also reflectively explore themselves and the dynamic role that they play in the ongoing story of America in order to develop critical and creative thinking, communication, and collaboration skills. Students strengthen their ability to write and speak clearly, persuasively and thoughtfully, as well as to express themselves creatively. Grasping the complexities of American ideals helps students to better understand the world around them, themselves, why they make the choices they do, and how to make future meaningful personal and social choices.

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION 11: AMERICAN IDEALS

AP English Language and Composition will consider the works of various prominent American writers, thinkers and leaders, and through close readings of novels, essays, poems and historical documents, students will discuss the ways in which these works shape the American conscience. Students hone their critical and creative thinking skills, as well as their communication and collaboration skills, through longer essays, shorter in-class essays, frequent reflections, small group work, and full-class discussions.

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION 11: INTO THE AMERICAN WILDERNESS

This course examines the changing and evolving definitions of wilderness in the United States and how these differing ideologies have impacted Americans' understandings, relationships, and decisions regarding the land, nature, and identity. In addition, this course content focuses on examining and developing leadership and decision-making skills through literature, case studies, and most importantly direct experience. At the core of this course is a “hands-on” experiential approach to learning with an integral part of the course being student expeditions into the California outdoors throughout the year where students practice and refine leadership skills and concepts discussed in class while also learning basic navigational and camp craft skills. Students will hone their critical and creative thinking skills, as well as their communication and collaboration skills, through longer essays, shorter in-class essays, frequent reflections, small group work and full-class discussions. Students are expected to commit to the goals of the program by participating in all four student expeditions over the course of the academic year.

All senior English courses end with the Chadwick milestone experience, the Apex Project. With the Apex Project, every senior conducts an extended, research-based project on a topic of their choice. The project gives students a chance to contribute meaningfully to their local, national and global communities. The Apex Project culminates in a 20-minute public presentation with a question and answer session to Chadwick students, faculty and parents and a written reflection on the experience.

ENGLISH 12: KNOW THYSELF

“Know Thyself” appears at the entrance to Apollo’s temple at Delphi in Greece. According to Plato, the philosopher Socrates stated, “The unexamined life is not worth leading” (Apology 38a5–6). This course uses novels, plays, short stories, poems, films and non-fiction to inspire students to examine and know their lives, particularly their inheritance at birth, their political views, their place in society, their spiritual views, and the “face to meet the faces that [they] meet” ("Prufrock" 27). By studying texts in a variety of genres to learn about ourselves and people in general and by responding using various media, this course targets Chadwick School’s Mission to engage in self-discovery that enables us to understand ourselves in relation to others.

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION 12: STORY AND THE SELF

This course asks students to explore the creation, components and meaning of one’s self while examining the intersection of narrative and identity. Students are asked to reflect deeply on each question while also applying such inquiries to the stories, characters and persons presented throughout the course. While examining various types of texts (literature, film, non-fiction, etc.), students adopt a critical stance as well as focus on how a given text is unique and meaningful to them as individuals. Coursework requires students to write purposefully, critically and creatively (in a variety of different modes), think analytically and openly, and communicate clearly.

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION 12: LEADERSHIP THROUGH THE CLASSICS

The classics continue to hold many great truths about how best to live — and not to live — a purposeful life. They contain many of the cultural references to which today's society still alludes, and they represent masterpieces of language. This course brings the canon back in an effort to explore ideas and lessons classic literature offers about leadership and, more broadly, about being well and doing well in life. The course treats challenging fiction as case studies, and students read and think deeply about serious literary works, expressing ideas about these readings and applying them outside of the text in complex and persuasive ways, including applying skills to a variety of real-world contexts. The spring semester, in conjunction with the Apex project, inspires students to engage in an even deeper study of leadership.

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION 12: SCIENCE ETHICS THROUGH LITERATURE AND FILM

This course investigates issues of citizenship through the intersection of science, culture and ethics with regard to the following topics: artificial intelligence, cloning, HIV-AIDS and the natural environment. The course revolves around the portrayal of scientific ethical dilemmas in fiction, poetry, drama and film, and guest speakers occasionally visit class to provide the science background necessary to understand the issues as well as current-day, real-world applications. Students read purposefully and critically, think abstractly and ethically, and communicate clearly and purposefully both in writing and in speech, as well as formulate their own personal stance towards matters of citizenship embedded in each topic.

Global Language

Chadwick's global language program prepares students to become global citizens who: • Communicate in speaking and in writing with varied audiences and for different purposes, while displaying appropriate cultural understanding. • Read, listen and interpret information from a variety of sources in the target language. • Negotiate meaning in the target language in a variety of interpersonal situations. • Acknowledge, embrace and respect cultural differences and multiple perspectives.

SIXTH-GRADE CHINESE

Chinese in sixth-grade is an introductory language course offered to students with little or no previous Chinese language experience. Starting with a variety of games to help students learn the pronunciation system including initials, finals and tones, students will apply 20 of the most popular expressions in daily life during the first month of school. Fun pictures, signs of strokes and meaningful radicals are incorporated into lessons sequentially to enhance students' Chinese character literacy. After gaining an understanding of the Chinese language system and the routines of second language acquisition, students present group skits, create comic books, produce Chinese songs and rhymes, and enjoy tests and errors together. Cultural practice includes Chinese martial arts performances, opera mask painting and more.

CHINESE 1A

At the 1A level, students have the opportunity to develop basic Chinese communication skills in a cultural context. They start to listen and respond to structured social conversations. They practice

writing basic characters and learn their origins. They write simple sentences and brief paragraphs. Students also learn basic grammatical structures and sentence patterns. Cultural knowledge is introduced at appropriate intervals to enrich students' understanding of Chinese culture. The computer is used as a tool to master the phonetic system, which is quite challenging in Chinese.

CHINESE 1B

Chinese 1B is a continuation of Chinese 1A. In this class, students engage in an in-depth study of the language. They increase their vocabulary and learn phrases to increase their ability to communicate effectively in Chinese. Grammatical structures are emphasized, and students write short essays in Chinese. Reading comprehension is an integral aspect of the course. Students continue to use the computer extensively to enhance their language capability. Conversation is an important feature of the class. Students engage in dialogues on various topics and interact with their peers to practice their language skills. Voice recordings serve as a valuable tool for students to check their own reading and listening skills. The computer is used as a tool to master the phonetic system, which is quite challenging in Chinese.

CHINESE INTENSIVE

At this level of Chinese, students develop basic communication skills in a cultural context. They listen and respond to structured social conversations, practice writing basic characters and learn their origins. Students also learn basic grammatical structures and sentence patterns to write simple sentences and brief paragraphs. During the second semester, students learn to use phrases to increase their ability to communicate effectively in Chinese. They engage in dialogues on school-related topics and interact with their peers. Cultural knowledge relating to each topic is introduced at appropriate intervals to enrich students’ understanding of Chinese culture. This course is designed for Upper School students with little to no background in the Chinese language.

CHINESE 2

This course expands on what was learned in Chinese Intensive or 1B, aiming to increase oral proficiency in everyday conversation as well as reading and writing proficiencies. Students learn more complex grammar patterns and broader vocabulary. Cultural connections are made at appropriate intervals to help students become more familiar with Chinese society. The primary goal of Chinese 2 is to build functional ability in the language, as well as to provide a foundation for Chinese 3.

CHINESE 3

This course is designed to expand students’ language skills from their previous Chinese studies. Many of the grammatical constructions introduced in earlier courses are reinforced with increasing sophistication in terms of style and usage. Both pedagogically prepared texts and authentic materials, including articles from Chinese newspapers and short stories, are used to expand students’ knowledge and awareness of Chinese culture and history. Rigorous practice of spoken and written Chinese in a wide range of situations of daily life will be conducted in order to help students communicate constructively, creatively and appropriately at the intermediate level.

CHINESE 3 HONORS

This course aims to enhance aural-oral skills and train students in a more advanced study of grammar, reading and writing. While the curriculum in Chinese 3 and Chinese 3 Honors is similar, in this course students will be expected to speak for greater periods of time and write more sophisticated compositions. Both pedagogically prepared texts and authentic materials, including articles from Chinese newspapers and short stories, will be used in this course in order to expand students’ knowledge and awareness of Chinese culture and history. Additionally, students will be expected to research, write and present their findings to the class.

CHINESE 4

In this intermediate-level course, students develop their Chinese language skills while also gaining a deeper understanding of Chinese culture and daily life through various audio, visual, and textual materials. The course continues to develop students’ skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing Chinese, and introduces many practical grammatical structures and sentence patterns which will enhance students’ abilities in oral and written communication. With each new lesson, students also acquire more substantive vocabulary related to a wide variety of topics concerning daily life and culture. A strong emphasis is placed on students’ active, engaged participation. By the end of the course, the successful student will have the ability to write short compositions, present oral reports, and read short narratives on a variety of topics related to daily life and culture.

CHINESE 4 HONORS

While the curriculum in Chinese 4 and Chinese 4 Honors is similar, in this course students will work at a quicker pace, explore content in greater depth, and be expected to speak for greater periods of time and write more sophisticated compositions.

AP CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

AP Chinese Language and Culture serves as both a Chinese language course as well as an introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Chinese culture. Equivalent to a fourth semester college course, the primary focus has been to provide students with the opportunity to experience a variety of themes in Chinese history, geography, sociology, literature and politics, etc. The course deepens students’ immersion into the language and culture of the Chinese-speaking world and challenges the students to use language as a means to study different disciplines and topics rather than just the language itself. The course is taught entirely in Chinese.

CHINESE 5

The objective of this course is for students to gain a general understanding and appreciation of Chinese literature, culture and society through in-depth study of selected literary texts and audiovisual material. Students study written texts such as short fiction, essays and news articles, as well as audiovisual materials, including films, recorded interviews and various other media such as commercials and short videos. Literary/cultural texts include traditional parables and proverb stories, excerpted chapters of modern fiction and film screenplays, popular Chinese lyric music and poetry. Readings about contemporary Chinese society include units on Chinese ethnic diversity (ethnographic travel narratives about various regions in China), environmental problems, the educational system, Chinese-U.S. relations and cross-cultural differences. The class is conducted almost entirely in Chinese. In addition to regular listening and reading assignments, students hone their speaking and writing skills by writing short essays and giving oral presentations on various topics related to the arts, culture and society.

CHINESE 5 HONORS

Chinese 5 Honors is an advanced Chinese course intended for students who have successfully completed AP Chinese. This course applies a flipped-classroom approach and honors personalized learning. By studying authentic audio, visual and textual materials, including news and articles, movies and TV shows, essays and speeches, daily scenes and conflicts, social cues and popular proverbs, classic and modern literature etc., this course emphasizes the application of Chinese language and cultural knowledge to real-world situations. Students develop skills of effective communication in a modern contextual Chinese language setting, while also developing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

CHINESE 6

Chinese 6 enables students to function in Chinese in a wide variety of circumstances. Students lay a solid foundation for lifelong Chinese learning. This task-based course follows a communicative approach using both authentic resources and the materials created by the teacher and the students. Themes include the influence of technology, population explosion, marriage and family transformation, education and employment, business negotiation, moral conflicts, argumentative writing etc. Through exposure to Chinese popular culture and social transformation in recent decades, students gain insights about a variety of current issues. Students engage meaningfully through interviews, project presentations, discussion and debates, speeches, field trips, reports and simulated problem-solving situations. This course is conducted in Chinese.

CHINESE 6 HONORS

Chinese 6 enables students to function accurately and effectively in Chinese in a wide variety of circumstances, and to engage with multiple forms of Chinese classical and contemporary literature. Students develop the skills to lay a solid foundation for lifelong Chinese learning. This task-based course follows a communicative approach using both authentic resources and the materials created by the teacher and the students. Themes include the influence of technology, population explosion, marriage and family transformation, education and employment, business negotiation, moral conflicts and argumentative writing. Through exposure to Chinese popular culture and social transformation in recent decades, students gain insights about a variety of current issues. Students engage meaningfully through interviews, project presentations, discussion and debates, speeches, field trips, reports and simulated problem-solving situations. This course is conducted entirely in Chinese.

SIXTH-GRADE FRENCH

Sixth-Grade French is an introductory course for students with very little or no experience in the language. By engaging in collaborative and communicative activities, students learn to describe themselves, others, things and activities; ask and answer personal questions (speaking); understand high-frequency words, expressions, simple directions and questions (listening); recognize names, common words and expressions in simple messages; follow simple directions (reading); and write sentences about themselves and others (writing).

FRENCH 1A

In French 1A, students are introduced to linguistic functions related to greetings, pastimes, preferences, weather, food and drink, places in school and in the city, family members, character description, and professions. They begin to acquire the high-frequency vocabulary needed to establish solid foundations in their written and oral expressions. Students are also introduced to the cultural diversity of the francophone world, with a special emphasis on Paris, the French school system and French-speaking areas of Africa.

FRENCH 1B

Designed for students who have completed French 1A, French 1B is built upon the structural foundations learned in seventh grade and continues to develop the students’ reading, writing and conversational skills. Students learn more regular and irregular verbs, the past tense, the near future and other grammatical structures that allow them to express themselves creatively in French. Students continue to be exposed to French and Francophone cultures. The class is increasingly conducted in French.

FRENCH INTENSIVE

Students develop listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in French in a low-stress, dynamic classroom. Lessons are conducted almost entirely in French. They include discussion of diverse French-speaking cultures, as well as discussion of students' own culture and experiences in other academic disciplines. The course encourages students to make comparisons between French, English, and other languages that may be spoken at home. This course is designed for Upper School students with little to no background in the French language.

FRENCH 2

French 2 continues the study of grammar and offers a variety of activities such as role-playing and simulations to help students apply new expressions and structures to real-life situations. Students