Durham Academy Upper School 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

UPPER SCHOOL

FROM THE DESK OF THE UPPER SCHOOL DIRECTOR

Students:

This booklet will help you, your families and your advisor plan your course of study for the 2024–2025 school year. You will find an explanation of graduation requirements, a complete list of course offerings with descriptions and prerequisites, and a course selection form to record your preferences.

Starting in 2024–2025, our most challenging courses are labeled Advanced (ADV). These courses — an internally designed, academically rigorous curriculum that emphasizes choice and real-world relevance — equal or exceed APs in their rigor. Unlike most APs, ADV courses emphasize depth over breadth; student inquiry; relevant applications of knowledge and skills; and more authentic demonstrations of learning.

As you look forward to next year’s courses, please consider the following:

• Be sure that the courses you select satisfy Durham Academy’s graduation requirements. Many seniors recommend that younger students sketch out a plan for each remaining year at the Upper School.

• Remember that Durham Academy’s requirements represent a minimum level of expectation. Fueled by intellectual curiosity and propelled by college aspirations, you will likely exceed the school’s requirements by the time of your graduation. At the same time, we encourage you to be realistic about your abilities, honest about your academic preferences, and pragmatic about your time. Consult with older students, parents and your advisor as you seek to strike the right balance in your course load.

• Please sign up only for courses you plan to complete. Although there is an Add-Drop period at the beginning of each semester, your registration now will be used to determine the number of sections needed and the positioning of courses in the master schedule. Depending on the needs of each department, under-enrolled courses may not be offered.

When you, your parents and advisor have agreed on a complete course of study for next year, each party should sign the schedule form and return it. Forms for rising 10th- through 12th-graders should be returned to advisors by March 28, 2024. Forms for rising ninth-graders should be given to their 8th-grade advisor by March 28, 2024.

I hope you are looking forward to the new set of challenges that await you next year. If you have questions at any point in the registration process, please talk to your advisor, Upper School Registrar Verle Regnerus or me.

Upper School Director

Durham Academy Mission

The purpose of a Durham Academy education is to prepare each student to live a moral, happy and productive life. The development of intellect is central to such a life. Thus, intellectual endeavor and growth are the primary work of the school. The acquisition of knowledge; the development of skills, critical judgment and intellectual curiosity; and increased understanding are the goals of the school’s academic program.

Recognizing that intellectual growth cannot by itself lead to a rich and responsible life, Durham Academy is committed to helping each student achieve personal growth in an atmosphere that is both supportive and challenging.

Durham Academy provides students with opportunities to develop physically, learn the habits that lead to sound mental and physical health and experience the lessons and satisfactions of competitive athletics; to gain appreciation for the visual and performing arts, discover creativity within themselves and encourage growth of their own imaginations; to develop habits that lead to moral behavior, responsible action and the growth of character; and to gain an awareness of present and future obligations to fellow students, community, country and world.

Durham Academy believes that enhancing the spirit of community among faculty, students and parents is essential to the achievement of its goals. The faculty approaches each student as an individual and the school encourages close personal relationships fostered in an atmosphere of trust, respect for the individual differences and appreciation for the racial, cultural and religious diversity of our society.

Upper School Curricular Philosophy

At Durham Academy Upper School, we consider personal development as important as academic achievement. Students engage with complex ideas and diverse perspectives across a robust curriculum designed to reveal and deepen their intellectual passions.

Core courses provide students with the foundational knowledge and analytical skills they need to be confident, critical, independent thinkers. In their four years at the

Upper School, each student charts a unique academic journey in which they both follow their interests and discover new ones. Because our most challenging coursework is not limited by the AP program, students ask genuine, relevant questions and then pursue those questions with depth, rigor, scholarship and creativity. With students at the center of their learning, that learning becomes meaningful and enduring — and serves as a launchpad for success in college and beyond.

Upper School faculty are committed to guiding students as they explore the balance between authority and independence, responsibility and freedom. Students test their potential for growth and leadership in such diverse areas as athletics, the arts and service to school and community. Through all these endeavors, we encourage students to recognize the value of pursuing challenges and defending principles.

Course Selection Process

Returning students meet with advisors in February and March to review course selections for the coming year. Effective planning includes outlining the four-year program and specifying course preferences for the upcoming year. Students are encouraged to discuss their course selections with both their parents and advisor. The registrar and college counselors carefully review each student’s program.

New students receive registration information directly from the registrar, who meets with them to determine appropriate course selections.

While the registrar makes every effort to schedule students into appropriately selected courses, it’s important to note that no master schedule can accommodate all potential requests. Consequently, some course combinations may be prohibited by the master schedule. Student schedules become official and are available to students and parents by Aug. 1. Please be aware that changes in course sections to accommodate a student’s teacher preference are generally not permitted. The one exception to this policy is if a student has had a particular teacher for a previous course and prefers not to repeat the match; in such cases, we accommodate the preference whenever the schedule allows it.

Students wishing to drop or add a course should discuss the change with their faculty advisor and, if approved, complete a drop/add request via email with the registrar. Approval to add a course must be given by the faculty advisor, the course instructor(s), the parent(s) of the student and the Upper School registrar in the first five days of the school year for full-year courses, or in the first five days of the semester for semester courses. When a student is adding a new course more than five class meetings beyond the start of the semester, prior approval must be granted by the teacher of the new course. Approval to drop a course must be given by the faculty advisor, the parent(s) of the student and the Upper School registrar in the first 10 days of the school year for full-year courses, or in the first 10 days of the semester for semester courses. Semester and/or full-year courses dropped after the 10-day drop period must have the approval of the Academic Committee and the Upper School director. Courses dropped after the 10-day drop period receive a “WD” (withdrawal) recorded on the transcript. In general, no credit is awarded for any course dropped before its completion.

Advanced Curriculum

All courses at Durham Academy are college preparatory. Our most intellectually rigorous courses are labeled Advanced (ADV). These courses build on the skills and knowledge of core courses and represent the top level of work in their department. ADV courses require students to practice a significant amount of independent problem-solving, time management, and creative thinking. ADV courses focus on deep explorations of complex topics. They encourage students to ask open-ended questions and provide the means to develop original and sophisticated responses to those questions. These courses provide students with ample opportunities to take ownership of their learning and to demonstrate their learning in ways consistent with professional work in the discipline.

The Upper School also offers courses that meet or exceed expectations for an introductory college course. These courses are labeled College Level (CL). In addition, several courses offer Honors sections, which are accelerated versions of those courses.

While Durham Academy will continue to offer AP examinations, ADV courses do not address or prepare students for those exams. Students who wish to register for an AP exam should only do so after consultation with the registrar and the dean of curriculum.

Pathway Scholars

Pathway Scholars empowers Durham Academy students to pursue individualized genuine interests with purpose and passion. Scholars may choose one of the predefined Pathway focus areas — Entrepreneurship, Global Citizenship and Sustainability — or design their own Pathway. Scholars commit to a unique and powerful learning experience grounded in research, problem-solving, creative thinking, scholarship and real-world application. This interdisciplinary opportunity transcends the boundaries of traditional subject areas.

Scholars will imagine, design and implement community-based research projects. They will enroll in two semester courses: ADV Community-Based Research and then ADV Pathway Scholars. The culminating event will be a symposium where scholars will demonstrate their learning to the wider community by presenting their project. Pathway Scholars receive distinctions on their transcripts.

ENTREPRENEURSHIP PATHWAY

Entrepreneurship is a mindset. Entrepreneurs and innovators are helping to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. Students who focus on the Entrepreneurship Pathway will imagine, design and implement projects that apply to real-world problems in engineering, art, business and more.

GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP PATHWAY

Desmond Tutu — Nobel Peace Prize winner, antiapartheid activist and former archbishop of Cape Town — describes the African concept of ubuntu. “Ubuntu is the essence of being human. It speaks of how my humanity is caught up and bound up inextricably with yours.” Students who focus on the Global Citizenship Pathway will imagine, design and implement projects that address our interconnectedness as human beings. Projects could involve local action to address a global issue.

SUSTAINABILITY PATHWAY

To be environmentally sustainable is to function in a way that does not jeopardize the well-being of future generations. Students who focus on the Sustainability Pathway will imagine, design and implement projects that address the climate crisis locally or globally.

STUDENT-DESIGNED PATHWAY

Pathway Scholars empowers Durham Academy students to take ownership of their learning. While there are existing structures in place for the Global Citizenship, Sustainability and Entrepreneurship Pathways, any student who is interested in a topic that does not easily fit into one of these categories may work with Pathway Scholars faculty to design their own pathway.

EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS COULD INCLUDE:

• Implementing one or more of DA’s core sustainability commitments: reducing carbon emissions and waste; teaching for sustainability; increasing biodiversity

• Assessing the water quality in Sandy Creek and working with the city of Durham to protect this area

• Partnering with a local business and identifying ways to augment their marketing or social media presence

• Examining health inequalities facing the Latinx population in Durham (Aayaz Husain ’25)

• Building upon summer endeavors by continuing research and action through Pathway Scholars:

• Shreya Rao ’25: Entrepreneurship

• Marit Rudolph ’26: Global Citizenship and Documentary

• Margaret Hulka ’24: Sustainability

• Valen Moore ’27: Entrepreneurship

PATHWAY SCHOLARS APPLICATION

Interested students must complete the application process:

• Provide a written (or video-recorded) explanation of your demonstrated interest and action within your Pathway: Entrepreneurship, Global Citizenship, Sustainability, or Student-Designed

• Complete an in-person interview with the Pathway Scholars Review Committee

• Provide a reference who can speak to your work or interest within your Pathway

DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS

Durham Academy Diploma Requirements

Twenty credits are required for graduation. One credit is awarded for a full-year course; one half credit is awarded for a onesemester course. The minimum course load is five courses each semester. Students are not allowed to drop a full-year course at the end of the first semester. Physical education courses are not counted toward the minimum load or toward the 20-credit requirement; nor is a course that is being repeated. Students must pass the equivalent of eight semester courses (four full-year courses) in their senior year.

Computer Science 0.5 Credit

Students are required to earn a one-semester computer science credit. Ninth-grade students who successfully complete the Technology Education portion of Grade 9 Life Skills are exempt. Students who enroll in grades 10-12 may waive the requirement by completing a technology portfolio, or they can earn the credit by enrolling in one of DA’s computer science courses. See the Computer Science section for additional information.

English 4 Credits

Four years of English are required. English 9 and English 10 are the assigned courses in grades 9 and 10, respectively. Juniors must take either English 11: American Literature or ADV English 11: American Literature and Rhetoric. Seniors select two semester-length English 12 seminar courses from an array of offerings.

Fine Arts 1 Credit

All students are required to take one full-year course in any fine or performing arts discipline.

History 3 Credits

Three years are required. In grade 9, all students take Making of the Modern World. In grade 10, all students take U.S. History. (The Class of 2026 will take U.S. History or ADV U.S. History in 11th grade.) Students must complete another two semesters of history at any point in their sophomore, junior or senior years.

Mathematics 1-4 Credits

Students are required to complete Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 and at least one year of mathematics beyond Algebra 2 in a course for which Algebra 2 is the prerequisite. Courses taken in Middle School count toward the mathematics requirement but not toward the 20-credit graduation requirement.

Physical Education

All students must complete one approved physical education activity per year in grades 9 through 12. Details can be found in the Physical Education section.

Science 3 Credits

For the Class of 2025: Students are required to take three years of laboratory-based science courses, at least one of which must be a biological science and at least one of which must be a physical science. The recommended sequence is biology, physics and chemistry. Any deviation from this sequence must be approved by the science academic leader, in conjunction with the registrar.

Beginning with the Class of 2026: Students are required to take three years of laboratory-based science in sequence — Physics (grade 9), Chemistry (grade 10) and Biology (grade 11).

World Languages 2-3 Credits

Students are required to complete three consecutive years of the same language or two consecutive years of the same language if they begin at the Intermediate Low level or higher.

Additional Coursework 1.5(+) Credits

Additional requirements may be fulfilled by selecting courses from the above departments, Interdisciplinary Studies, GOA courses or Independent Study.

Note: The minimum course load is five courses in each semester. Students in grades 9 to 11 may take no more than four Honors, CL or ADV courses per semester, and students in grade 12 may take no more than five such courses per semester. All Upper Schoolers are limited to a maximum of six homework-generating courses in total per semester. A waiver (available upon completion of online registration) to these maximums will be considered for students who provide a rationale to the Academic Committee. Physical education courses are not counted toward the minimum load or toward the 20-credit requirement; nor is a course that is being repeated or audited.

Credits

STUDENT NAME

World Languages 2-3 Credits

NOTES:

Electives 1.5(+) credits *Students who successfully complete the Grade 9 Life Skills course are exempt from this requirement.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Diploma Requirements: 0.5 Credit

Ninth-grade students enroll in the full-year Life Skills course that includes physical education, technology, sustainability, and Self and Community. In the technology unit of this rotation, students will gain exposure to the many digital tools used by teachers, administrators, coaches and staff at DA, including but not limited to: cloud technology, collaborative document sharing, digital multimedia presentation and collaborative presentation tools, school and student information systems (currently Veracross), and others.

The course also focuses on the ever-emerging ethical and social issues that are increasingly becoming an inherent part of students’ lives, specifically information privacy and protection, big data, and artificial intelligence. The course aspires to provide students with the skills to stay engaged and competitive in emerging models of a digital classroom. The course is structured as a portfolio exercise and concludes with a test. Successful completion of technology seminar exempts students from the required graduation course credit and allows students to earn administrative privileges on their DA-issued laptop.

Note: Students new to DA in grades 10, 11 or 12 who do not have a computer science credit must demonstrate technology proficiency similar to that of ninthgrade students who complete the technology seminar. Those students who are unable to demonstrate proficiency must sign up for a computer science course to earn the one-semester credit requirement.

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

TRANSFER GOALS

• Foster an inclusive computing culture.

• Collaborate around computing.

• Recognize and define computational problems.

• Develop and use abstractions.

• Create computational artifacts.

• Test and refine computational artifacts.

• Communicate about computing.

ABOUT ADVANCED (ADV) COURSES IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

Durham Academy students can begin taking Advanced computer science courses after they have completed required CS X and CS I coding classes, as well as Precalculus. Each Advanced course has a unique prerequisite. The Advanced CS II course uses Java as the language of instruction and has three main areas of focus, namely procedural programming, object-oriented design and algorithm efficiency. The Advanced CS III Data Structures course also uses Java, picking up where students finished in the CS II course, and pushes students to broaden their understanding of lists, stacks, queues, trees, maps, sets and heaps. The Advanced CS III Machine Learning and AI course uses Python — and its many useful predictive analytic and data modeling libraries

— as the language of instruction. That capstone course is student-driven and allows for participants to explore AI projects that pique their curiosity and engage them in significantly broader and more in-depth outcomes. Students will be pushed to think more critically and creatively in each successive Advanced computer science course. The overall goal of the Advanced computer science course track is to develop DA graduates who can think critically, quickly access syntactical resources to solve complex problems, and incorporate original and creative thinking in outcome design. A student who completes all three Advanced courses is well on their way to a computer science or related engineering degree in college.

CS X: Introduction to Programming

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Algebra I

This course is a one-semester course designed to help prepare students for enrolling in the ADV CS II: Data Structures and Algorithms course, or it can serve as an introductory exposure to computer programming and computer science. The course is perfectly suited for students who are either curious about programming or confident in their plan to pursue additional computer science classes at DA or in college. The course places heavy emphasis on the basic fundamentals of programming, including but not limited to: data types, expressions, operators, selection structures, loops, methods and lists. The textbook and most all of the course tools are freely available online. Therefore, it is essential that students have access to the Internet at home to complete assignments. Students will also need to be comfortable with self-directed learning that can and will be frustrating at times. An interest and strength in math is valuable but not mandatory. Students will be required to complete a significant amount of work not only in class, but also on their own, to complete the curriculum and all projects on time. Introduction to Programming uses the Python programming language for all phases of instruction.

CS X: Robotics I

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

In Robotics I, students will be introduced to theoretical and practical engineering and programming skills while preparing for the challenge of interscholastic competition. Students study computer programming and principles of mechanical engineering, design artificial intelligence behaviors and build basic robots.

CS

I: Game Design

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Algebra I, CS X: Introduction to Programming or a combination of those prerequisites with permission of instructor

In the CS I: Game Design course, students will design and code games and learn more about screen geometry, class design, event scripting, animation engines and project management. Students will work with Python and the Pygame library in the first half of the class and Godot — a free, online game development engine — for the second half. The course is built on a series of units that will push students to solve problems and create content while also developing the design and technical skills necessary to build their own games. Students will utilize online texts and tutorials plus direct instruction from the teacher to learn

and master new topics. Concurrent or prior completion of Geometry is an essential foundation for success, as so much of game design requires students to apply basic 2-D and 3-D geometric concepts. The course uses primarily artifact-based assessment and includes a conversation with the teacher regarding future pathways of CS coursework during the student’s remaining time at DA.

CS I: Robotics II

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Robotics I, Intro to Computer Science or permission by instructor In Robotics II, students will build on concepts covered in Robotics I and further apply new knowledge acquired about electrical materials, electric circuits, electromagnetism, computer science and mechanics. The aim of this course is to further students’ application of skills and knowledge learned in physics, math and computer science courses while gaining an understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of engineering and technology, as well as possible STEM career paths. Through collaborative group projects, students will continue to develop their skills of applying creativity and knowledge to develop more complex solutions to socially relevant problems.

ADV CS II: Data Structures and Algorithms

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Precalculus and completion of CS X: Introduction to Programming or either of the CS I courses

This course is a full-year, broadly focused exploration of Java programming that mirrors a 100-level college computer science course. Course content focuses on three main areas. The first third of the course covers procedural programming, emphasizing Java’s foundations derived from C and C++. The second third focuses on object-oriented design, inheritance and polymorphism, highlighting Java’s distinct features from its predecessor languages. The final third concludes with algorithm design and efficiency, encompassing recursion, searching, pattern recognition and sorting. Students gain proficiency in Java programming, class design, information encapsulation, and experience with string, array, and list methods and their associated functionality. Assessments include e-text homework, lab and project coding assignments, quizzes, tests and occasional CTF (capture-the-flag) team exercises. Students also learn GitHub usage and collaborative project posting. Student success requires dedication, maturity, independent follow-through, and collaborative skills.

ADV CS III: Machine Learning and AI

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: ADV CS II and Calculus, with additional success foundations for those who have taken the ADV CS III: Advanced Data Structures and a Data Sciences mathematics course at DA. This semester-long course delves into machine learning, automation algorithms, artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics using Python’s data analysis and visualization libraries. Student-led and driven, it challenges participants to grasp advanced coding, mathematical and logical concepts. Assessment revolves around four major projects: three crafted by the teacher and one chosen by the student. As the capstone computer science course at Durham Academy, it requires independent work, self-teaching and the implementation of unique, non-traditional project designs. Students will present their projects in class, defending choices of data sources, Python modules and mathematical reasoning used to achieve desired outcomes.

ADV CS III: Advanced Data Structures

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: ADV CS II and Precalculus

This course is a semester-long, focused exploration of advanced data structures in Java, spanning array lists, vectors, linked lists, stacks, queues, binary trees, heaps, dictionaries and lookup tables. The course delves into both built-in structures within the Java Collections Framework and the creation of those data structures from scratch. Students will navigate concepts like hashing and mapping, exploring algorithms that balance memory space and speed efficiency based on specific problem-solving needs. Assessments include e-text homework, lab and project coding assignments, progress check quizzes and occasional CTF (capture-the-flag) team exercises. Emphasizing version control through the use of GitHub, the course builds on material from ADV CS II, assuming students possess prior understanding of object-oriented design, inheritance and polymorphism.

APPLYING ACADEMICS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

ROBOTICS

Durham Academy Upper School students compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) program. FIRST’s values of gracious professionalism, “coopertition” (cooperation and competition) and good sportsmanship align directly with Durham Academy’s core values for helping each student achieve personal growth in a supportive and challenging environment. Students design, build and program a specialized humansized robot each year within the span of an intense six-week build period. Teams then compete in local, state and international competitions.

Participating in robotics at DA provides students with opportunities to develop skills in teamwork, project management, marketing and branding, business plan development, community outreach, software development, fabrication and computer-aided design. Students work closely with their peers to achieve shared goals and often form lifelong friendships.

UPPER SCHOOL ROBOTICS: DARC SIDE

Durham Academy’s FRC Team, 6502 DARC SIDE (Durham Academy Robotics Club, Students in Design and Engineering), operates as an extracurricular club available to all Upper School students. Since its establishment in 2016, DARC SIDE has achieved remarkable success, including earning awards in the North Carolina State Championships each year and competing in the World Championships. The team takes pride in striving to be inclusive, diverse and fair to all students who wish to participate. Encouraging students who may identify with traditionally underrepresented groups in engineering is a particular focus.

DARC SIDE meets in the Upper School fabrication lab, which provides students with access to an industrial-grade machine shop equipped with a CNC machine for crafting designs from aluminum, wood, plastics and various materials. Additionally, the lab features a 100W CO2 laser for precision cutting and engraving on wood, plastics and metals, alongside 3D printers and an array of shop tools such as lathes, drill presses, power saws and hand tools.

LEARN MORE ABOUT DARC SIDE

ENGLISH

Diploma Requirements: 4 Credits

The Durham Academy English department seeks to help students develop the skills and habits of lifelong readers, scholars and global citizens.

We see these as consisting of:

• close attention to the language, structures and meanings of texts

• understanding of the people and systems that produce texts and the various purposes texts serve

• curiosity, creativity, and the will to pursue both

• collaboration and active listening

• ethical and empathetic engagement across differences

• and the use of writing and speech as means to explore and express ideas and reflect on the developing self.

All of our courses are organized around this mission and philosophy.

ABOUT ADVANCED (ADV) COURSES IN ENGLISH

Advanced courses in the English Department invite students to engage with literature as critics, public intellectuals, and authors.

Students apply advanced foundational skills — close and active reading, independent interpretation, critical thinking, and writing across a range of modes — to analysis of texts and the cultural contexts, critical approaches, and broader conversations that surround them.

Students learn to think with texts in a variety of ways:

• examining how meaning is constructed

• exploring big questions that excite them

• conducting independent research

• trying on different critical lenses

• positioning their ideas in scholarly discourse

• discovering ways of understanding real-world issues and their own lived experience.

Students in Advanced English courses should expect higher standards for foundational skills, engagement, curiosity, and self-sufficiency.

TRANSFER GOALS

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

• Read regularly, for information and enjoyment, and know themselves as readers.

• Read all kinds of texts and images with confidence and the skills to think critically about context, content, and message.

• Communicate ideas effectively in writing to reach a variety of audiences and to fulfill a variety of purposes.

• Use speaking and listening skills to effectively communicate ideas, in both face-toface conversation and oral presentations, to suit various audiences and goals.

• Pose thoughtful, open-ended questions, and search for and develop reasonable, evidence-based conclusions.

• Explore words and images to gain both a greater understanding of oneself and empathy for other experiences and perspectives.

English 9: Innocence & Experience

Grade: 9

Full-Year

In English 9, students acquire and apply the skills and habits necessary for a literate life. The course focuses on the thematic topic of Innocence vs. Experience, including how individuals and cultures signal childhood and adulthood, the role of knowing the self in maturing, and navigating difference and conflict as we come of age. Reading assignments include a diverse range of authors, cultures and genres and help students build foundational comprehension and interpretive skills, including developing an annotation style that supports the individual learner. Writing assignments — which include personal response and analytical modes — emphasize developing supportable interpretations from well-selected textual examples and expressing those interpretations clearly. Grammar instruction highlights understanding functional components of the English language to enhance clarity in writing and reading comprehension.

English

Grade: 10

Full-Year

10:

Truth & Justice

English 10 builds on the essential literacy skills of English 9, moving students into analysis of how texts create their meanings and effects. The course focuses on the thematic topic of Truth and Justice, prompting students to explore ways of knowing, structures of power and mechanisms of justice. Reading assignments include a diverse range of authors, cultures and genres, and help students develop active and critical reading skills through close engagement with language, structure and theme. Mastering the analytical essay is a focus of the course, with students moving from theme papers that address big textual questions to close readings that focus on how language operates within a work of literature. Class discussion encourages students to try out interpretations and develop understandings collaboratively. Students continue to hone their annotation skills, grammar, mechanics and vocabulary.

English 11: American Literature

Grade: 11

Full-Year

In English 11, students explore essential questions that continue to define American culture: What does it mean to be an American? What is the relationship between individual and community? Who has voice and power in our country, and how can the disenfranchised speak truth to power? By studying major works of American fiction, poetry and nonfiction, students continue to hone and expand their literacy skills, deepening their understanding of language, form and theme.

Daily class discussions prompt students to exchange ideas and perspectives with their peers, engaging in collaborative learning. Writing assignments challenge students to compose in a range of modes, including comparative analysis, personal narrative and the Common App college essay. Students develop their research, synthesis and argumentation skills through a full-year passion project that invites them to dive deeply into a topic of their choice. Students in English 11 will get more in-class reading review and writing instruction than students taking ADV English 11.

ADV English 11: American

Literature & Rhetoric

Grade: 11

Full-Year

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised Students in ADV English 11: American Literature & Rhetoric will do everything described in the English 11 description and undertake an additional focus on rhetoric, the art of using language effectively to persuade and influence others. Through rhetorical analysis, students learn to consider how a text’s context informs the choices an author makes. ADV English 11 students will read more nonfiction and examine how American writers and speakers have used artful language to construct and critique the image and values to which America aspires. Students will jump right into interpretive work in class each day, independently navigating more fundamental skills such as reading comprehension and essay drafting. Students can expect more challenging assessments, a heavier cognitive workload, and higher standards for reading and writing skills than in English 11.

English Lab

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Students must be enrolled in a grade-earning English class (like English 9, etc.) and have the recommendation of their previous or current English teacher.

This course will provide additional support to students taking English 9, English 10, English 11 or English 12. The class gives extra instruction on and coaching of reading and writing skills. Students in the class will benefit from one-on-one support that meets them where they are and helps them continue to advance the literacy and writing skills that will allow them to succeed in all of their classes — and beyond. The course is pass/fail and does not have its own coursework or homework. Rather than add to a student’s workload, it is designed to support them in navigating their reading and writing assignments with greater confidence, independence and success.

SENIOR ENGLISH SEMINARS

Seniors must take one English 12 seminar each semester to satisfy their English requirement. Offerings include both English 12 and ADV English 12. In ADV English 12 courses, students can expect a heavier cognitive workload, more challenging material and assessments, and higher standards for reading, writing and seminar skills. We encourage students to follow their interest and curiosity when selecting senior seminars; junior-year teachers will make a recommendation for additional guidance. Seniors will select their top three seminar choices per semester, and enrollment will be subject to schedules and available space. Juniors can sign up for non-ADV senior English 12 seminars in addition to English 11 or ADV English 11, but enrollment will be subject to available space and the English Department’s approval.

Fall Semester Courses

CL English 12: Banned Books

Grade: 12*

Fall

This course explores the relationships between dominant cultures and subcultures by investigating books that have been restricted or banned by different groups. Studying the ideas deemed “objectionable” — and therefore worth banning — can give us great insight into both stated and unstated values of a culture, since, as Oscar Wilde said, “The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” Essential questions of the class include: Which ideas are considered most dangerous or least desirable in our culture? How can literary art serve as a resistant voice against groupthink (itself an idea derived from a frequently banned book)? After reading books by such authors as Salman Rushdie, Margaret Atwood, Alice Walker, Isabel Allende, Kurt Vonnegut and Mark Haddon (among others), students will engage in daily discussions, write personal responses, complete creative projects and craft position papers that develop their own thoughts about the power and potential of books, including who should have access to them — or not.

CL English 12: Contemporary Fiction & Nonfiction

Grade: 12*

Fall

In this course, students will examine the current backdrop of literature in the United States. They will look at the factors that influence literacy (who reads?), learn about the publishing process (what is there to read?) and consider the

* departmental approval required for 11th-grade students

impact of various reading experiences (what do humans get out of reading?). Students will come into contact with a wide variety of authors, themes and writing styles — both fiction and nonfiction — in order to further their understanding of the literary landscape of the 21st century, understand why it looks like it does and speculate about what its future might hold. They will also engage with reading on their own terms by choosing most of their own (contemporary) reading materials and independently pacing their reading. This class will continue conversations about the Western canon that have started in previous classes, and it will confront the fact that literacy and reading in the U.S. are complex, multifaceted issues. To this end, the class will seek out, explore and participate in communities of reading — both local and online — as often as possible. As a culminating activity, students will craft a piece of narrative nonfiction that blends their personal experience with careful research.

CL English 12: Sci-Fi and Dystopian Fiction

Grade: 12*

Fall

At literature’s core are some big questions, including, “What does it mean to be human?” “How do I matter to the world around me?” and “Are people inherently good or evil?” Sci-fi and dystopian fiction attempt to answer these and other questions by imagining other worlds, alternate timelines and what our future may hold. In this semester-long course, we will read short stories, poetry and novels and watch sci-fi and dystopian TV shows and movies. Students will analyze the elements specific to the sci-fi and dystopian genres and will think about, write about and discuss how they connect to humanity, society and themselves as individuals.

ADV English 12: Contemporary Global Issues in Fiction

Grade: 12

Fall

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised The five novels in this course resist being categorized within a single nation’s borders. They also share a preoccupation with whether it is possible to find a shared humanity — i.e., to create some form of justice — that transcends the boundaries of geography and identity both within and among modern nation-states. We will examine how these novels treat the notion of “otherness,” whether they suggest the possibility of organizing a global citizenry through mechanisms other than individual nations, and how the intersection of literary and political theory can help us illuminate the tools of fiction writing, as well as the insights fiction offers into the human condition. We shall

seek to discover an alternative to these very labels (national borders) we use to define our sense of where we are, as well as our sense of who we are. Students will write essays that synthesize literary analysis, real-world problem-solving and personal reflection. All essay assignments invite students to pursue individually determined research focuses. In the words of one student, the course aims to “push students to deconstruct their personal beliefs, “in order to, as another student writes, “re-evaluate (their) own place in the world.” Every assignment, every discussion, every reading is devised in service of these aims.

ADV English 12: Medieval Literature

Grade: 12

Fall

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised What’s the relationship between humans and the natural world? How does suffering connect us to the infinite? What is (or should be) permanent and predictable? Are our identities stable? Beginning with Old English poetry in translation, students will study poetry, charms, riddles and spells from a thousand years ago to consider these questions. In so doing, students will practice and refine college-level reading and reasoning to understand how early medieval authors played with language to investigate the complexity of reality itself. Having developed these intellectual habits, students will use different lenses of literary theory (ecocriticism, formalism, cultural studies) to read and conduct independent research about later medieval legends of King Arthur. The course terminates with a genre study of Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales that challenges students to make particular claims about the tension between satire and social justice — in Chaucer’s work and contemporary iterations of it.

ADV English 12: Postmodernism

Grade: 12

Fall

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised Is the search for meaning elusive, futile or fun? Is your reality constructed from simulacra that are copies of copies of long lost originals? Do you live in a hyperreality? To define and assess late 20th-century literary innovation, Postmodernism examines postmodern theory, including Lyotard, Hassan, Derrida, Baudrillard, and Jameson. Students will discuss binarisms, metafiction, allusive play and fragmentation, and they will identify postmodern literary experimentation in novels, stories and poetry. Students will read and analyze Thomas Pynchon’s The Crying of Lot 49 as well as short stories by John Barth, Donald Barthelme, Jorge Luis Borges, Rosario Ferré, David Foster Wallace, Sherman Alexie, Ted Chiang, and ZZ Packer. The course features a

postmodern poetry project that asks students to conduct research and use critical essays to prepare a presentation that explicates the work of one Beat or New York School poet. To conclude the course, students will examine and review two postmodern films, Blade Runner and Memento.

ADV English 12: Shakespeare

Grade: 12

Fall

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised

This is not a course about a solitary genius who lived and wrote 400 years ago in England, but rather a living, breathing body of literature that is in current production, adaptation and public discourse all over the world. What is it about this remarkable literature that allows it to bend to the questions, concerns, mindsets and sensibilities of each new audience it encounters? Students will explore this question and learn how to think with Shakespeare alongside the diverse scholars, public intellectuals, creatives, artistic directors, actors, writers, readers, and theatergoers around the globe engaged in this project. That is to say, we will use this body of literature as a tool for examining our society past and present, ourselves, the human condition in all its messy glory and how language and literature function as both source and solution to our social and human problems. But Shakespeare’s plays are not all serious business. Students will also learn to delight and participate in the poetry and playfulness of these texts. Students can expect college-level standards for reading, thinking, discussion and writing skills, as well as a wide range of assignments, including literary analysis and explication, critical engagement with scholarship in the field, independent research, formal seminar discussion, scene analysis and scene play, sonnet recitations and creative writing.

Spring Semester Courses

CL English 12: Escapist Literature

Grade: 12*

Spring

Humans are resilient, and over time we have come up with thousands of ways to respond to stressful circumstances. One prominent way humanity responds to hardship, stress and boredom is through mental escape: by daydreaming or watching TV, by drawing or going on a walk, by playing games or writing stories — and, of course, by reading. In this course, students will choose their own books to read throughout the semester based on their personal definitions of escapism. They will practice pacing their reading independently, and they will regularly reflect on and analyze these books in small group discussions and in one-on-one conversations with the instructor.

* departmental approval required for 11th-grade students

In addition, the class will explore a variety of short texts, from several genres and in several formats. Students will treat genre fiction seriously, delving into its history of stigmatization and examining the ways different genres have evolved, in part by preparing a detailed presentation on a subgenre. Students will also discuss books across age levels, taking a trip to the Lower School to connect with favorite stories from childhood. The connecting thread? Everything students will experience fits within the category of escapist literature. Ultimately, all class discussions tie back to two essential questions: 1) What does it mean to escape? 2) What constitutes literary value?

CL English 12: Ghost Stories

Grade: 12*

Spring

There’s nothing better for a good scare than a ghost story, but entertainment value alone does not explain the persistence of ghost stories across time and cultures. In this course, we will explore the cultural work that ghost stories do. In myth, folklore, literature and film, we will see how ghost stories are sites for examining human psychology, history, memory, trauma and injustice. Students will collaboratively discover, classify and decode tropes of the genre. They will research the historical, cultural and regional contexts behind specific stories, sites and legends. They will dive deeply into case studies of particular modern historical events — World War I and the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami — that generated widespread cultural belief in ghosts and a desire to communicate with them, and conclude the year by uncovering local stories and the histories behind them. Students can expect regular reading assignments that include short stories, novels, folktales, nonfiction essays and historical narratives, as well as the occasional podcast and film. Classwork and assessments will include group and independent work, presentations, literary analysis, interdisciplinary research and the occasional opportunity for storytelling and creative writing.

CL English 12: Issues in Modern America

Grade: 12*

Spring

There are many important issues facing our world right now, including climate change, global health, economic inequality and social and racial injustice. In this semester-long class, students will study texts that lead them to think critically about these issues and others, and will explore how literature can create change. In addition to reading modern novels, students will lead and participate in

discussions, conduct research and analyze — in writing and discussion — the ongoing dialogue between society and literature. This will be a discussion-driven course; students should be prepared to pose thoughtful, textbased questions and respond thoughtfully to others’ questions every day. At the end of the semester, each student will choose a novel to read independently and will write about its themes and how they relate to the ideas we’ve discussed in the class.

CL English 12: Outlaw Ocean Grade:

Spring

12*

Outlaw Ocean surveys stories of human interactions with the ocean from the earliest records of the North Sea to contemporary journalism in the South China Sea. We will listen to podcasts, read fiction and nonfiction, and learn about international maritime laws. We will discuss race, power and gender-bending aboard boats that sail beyond the reach of any nation’s jurisdiction. We will consider how the sea around us is changing, and contemplate real-world solutions. This course is designed especially for students who have not yet found their voices in the English classroom, and it will be interdisciplinary from start to finish. Documentaries, podcasts and author-based websites will support all kinds of learners, interests and abilities.

ADV English 12: Love and Money in American Literature Grade:

Spring

12

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised Why are we reluctant to talk about class in America? How do money and class shape, guide and limit our lives? Love and Money frames the discussion of class structure in America with an examination of Thorstein Veblen’s The Theory of the Leisure Class; then, students apply Veblen’s ideas to Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth. A Modernist American poetry project asks students to research, explicate and deliver presentations focused on one American Modernist. To examine socioeconomic class and shifting twentieth-century depictions of Jewish-Americans, students analyze Philip Roth’s Goodbye, Columbus. To gain a better understanding of reader response theory and the factors that make a bestseller, students generate a historicist analysis of Erich Segal’s Love Story To conclude the course, student teams will research and then lead class discussions of John Cheever short stories.

ADV English 12: Race and Identity in America Grade:

12

Spring

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised This course will examine the power of race as a social construct — not rooted in biological reality — that has affected American life as much as any other human force or entity. Looking at race in fiction, essays, poetry, film and through the lens of literary theory, we will explore the impact of race on us individually, collectively and nationally, seeking to understand America’s persistent racial injustice through the context of its egalitarian ideals. That is to say, the course seeks, in the words of author Heather McGhee, “to tally the hidden costs of racism to us all.” All essay assignments invite students to synthesize literary analysis, real-world problem-solving and personal reflection as they pursue individually determined research questions. The course culminates in a memoir project that asks students to consider the impact of race hierarchy on American culture and how they understand their own identities, articulating the nature of their historical, cultural, racial, psychological, economic, political, ethnic, spiritual and biological pasts so that they may inherit themselves.

ADV English 12: Women’s Literature Grade: 12

Spring

PREREQ: Teacher recommendation advised ADV English 12: Women’s Literature applies several theoretical lenses (e.g., feminist theory, queer theory, formalism, old historicism, Marxism) to the study of literature written by and about people who identify as women. Essential questions of the course include: What are the societal rules, expectations and limits on women in different times and places? How does literature written by and about women reflect those, and how does it challenge those? Students in the class read nonfiction, poetry, short stories, and novels by cis- and trans women, considering their sociological, historical and aesthetic contexts. Much of the learning and reading is processed through in-class discussions that require full and engaged participation from every student. Skills that will be practiced include critical reading, personal response writing, civil discourse and analytical writing. As a result of the course, students will develop their own perspective on gender as it is preserved in the literary record, and they will write a gender-focused and research-based critical introduction to a work of their choice.

* departmental approval required for 11th-grade students

APPLYING ACADEMICS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

SPEECH & DEBATE

Speech and Debate is about so much more than winning arguments. Participation in DA’s speech and debate program is a journey into learning about current events, global politics, argumentation, research skills, thinking on one’s feet and the ability to stand up in a room full of people and speak with confidence.

Durham Academy fields a nationally competitive speech and debate team at the Upper School. Our students find their voice through advocacy in Lincoln-Douglas, Public Forum, Congressional Debate and a variety of speech events. With access to over 15 different events, our team is able to provide every learner with an opportunity to be their authentic self.

Our team comprises approximately 90 students throughout the school year who represent a broad and diverse group of learners. Students are welcome to join at any time, but the majority of our recruitment and onboarding occurs each fall. Our students not only find their voice within speech and debate, but they grow and develop a variety of skills, including: critical thinking, research skills, organization, oral communication skills, listening skills, explanative power and leadership.

The Upper School speech and debate team is well-decorated, having been recognized with the Eleanor E. Wright Award of Excellence in Debate — which is given to the top five debate teams in the NCFL Grand National Tournament (2011, 2019, 2022 and 2023). In 2023, Durham Academy was recognized with the Daniel S. Masterson, Jr. Award of Excellence in Forensics. This is given to the top five overall teams in the tournament — placing Durham Academy in the top 1% of the 412 schools represented at the tournament.

Additionally, Durham Academy has been listed in the top 100 member schools of the National Speech & Debate Association, and currently boasts the longest active streak of top 20 placements at the NSDA National Tournament. Most recently, the team earned the School of Outstanding Distinction Award, placing the program in the top five schools at National Tournament in both 2020 and 2023.

Beyond the team’s success, speech and debate creates lasting connections and friendships both at Durham Academy and beyond. Students on the team have access to a variety of different competitive levels and outlets, ranging from competition in the Triangle to competition across the nation. Our team regularly competes in tournaments in Illinois, Louisiana, Kentucky, New York, Florida and Georgia. Additionally, students compete at prestigious universities — Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Emory and more.

No matter what a student’s career interests may be, we encourage students to come and see if speech and debate is the right place for them. We hope that together, every Durham Academy learner can find their voice required to have a moral, happy and productive life.

FINE ARTS

Diploma Requirements: 1 Credit

We believe that the learning and practice of art encourages the growth of the whole student and deepens the understanding of the human experience. Research shows that making art (in visual or performing arts) transforms our brains and our bodies*; we see this benefit especially in those making art each year. Fine Arts courses are studio classes, where students develop their skills by actively engaging in their chosen discipline, working independently and collaboratively. Through this process, students conceive and express their artistic ideas through experimentation and risk-taking across one or more disciplines, both inside the classroom and through extracurricular offerings.

*Johns Hopkins University and the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

EXPLORING FINE ARTS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

Students have several opportunities to extend their learning on- and off-stage in performing arts. Each year, the Upper School produces two professional quality theatre productions — the Fall Play (October) and the Winter Musical (February). Recent productions include Into the Woods, Chicago, The Play That Goes Wrong, and The Wolves. Students collaborate with DA Fine Arts faculty members and guest professional designers and directors to build these extraordinary productions. Over the years, students have reflected on the incredibly supportive environment fostered within the collaborative performing arts community and the profound impact participating in the program has made on their lives.

Although students are not required to enroll in an Upper School Fine Arts class to participate in the extracurricular activities, students grow the most by taking Fine Arts classes and getting involved in the extracurricular program. For more information about the performing arts program, contact Academic Leader James Bohanek.

Student involvement opportunities include:

• Cast: auditions are held in August (Fall Play) and November (Winter Musical) each year. Rehearsals take place weekday afternoons.

• Tech Crew: students work in teams on sets, lights, costumes, projections, sound and running crew. Students also support culminating performances of Fine Arts classes and community programming presentations across the Upper School.

• Production Team: students hone their leadership skills as stage managers, assistant directors, assistant technical directors and tech crew captains.

• Pit Band: student instrumentalists support the Winter Musical by playing in the pit band.

In addition, DA’s auditioned a cappella group, XIV Hours, has been performing at DA and beyond for more than a decade, garnering accolades and awards along the way. Auditions are held in the fall for each academic year.

TRANSFER GOALS

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

• Actively engage in the arts.

• Solve problems independently and collaboratively.

• Experiment and take risks to conceive, develop, and express artistic ideas.

• Communicate ideas about and respond authentically to art in an informed manner.

• Connect artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and/ or historical contexts to deepen understanding of the human experience.

DANCE

Novice Dance

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

This full-year course will develop the beginning dancer in terms of knowledge of dance history, vocabulary, technique, choreography and performance skills. Students will explore aspects of movement, improvisation and choreography on an individual and group basis. Proper dance class and performance etiquette will be discussed and practiced daily. This course will introduce various dance styles including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Broadway, Hip-Hop, Tap and Contemporary, and will evoke the creative voice of each student through movement exploration and choreographic small projects. Students enrolled in Novice Dance are required to perform in the winter and spring dance concerts. Students interested in taking Novice Dance are not required to submit a placement video. No prior dance experience required.

Intermediate Dance

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Submission of placement video and instructor’s permission

This full-year, multi-level course will focus strongly on technical development, choreography and performance skills. This course will highlight various dance styles including Ballet, Jazz, Modern, Broadway, Hip-Hop, Tap and Contemporary. This course will also develop the dancer’s versatility and ability to adapt to multiple dance styles and introduce dancers to guest teachers and choreographers. Students will complete independent and group choreographic projects to be presented in class or performed. Students will be required to perform in both the winter and spring dance concerts. Dancers interested in taking Intermediate Dance are required to email Mrs. McDonald a 30-second video (performance or self-choreography). Students currently enrolled in a dance class at the Upper School do not have to submit a placement video. At least one year of dance experience is required.

Dance Composition, Choreography & Community

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Submission of placement video and instructor’s permission

This full-year course will challenge the upperlevel dancer in terms of technique, choreographic principles and performance skills. This course will develop the dancer’s choreographic voice through project-based learning and

performance. It will reinforce versatility and adaptability to multiple dance styles, including but not limited to Ballet, Jazz, Modern, HipHop, Contemporary and Broadway. Dancers enrolled are expected to perform at a high level of technical precision and participate in self-reflection and critique frequently. Dancers will engage with the broader community, sharing lesson plans with Preschool and Lower School students and performing throughout the year at school-wide events, in addition to performing in mandatory winter and spring dance concerts at the Upper School. This course requires at least four years of dance training, whether at Durham Academy or within a studio community. Dancers interested in enrolling should email Mrs. McDonald a 30-second placement video showcasing the dancer’s performance skills and/or choreography. Students currently enrolled in dance at the Upper School do not have to submit a placement video. Instructor permission is required.

MUSIC

Instrumental Ensemble

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

The Upper School Instrumental Ensemble studies music and musicianship through the rehearsal and performance of many different styles of music, in both the full ensemble and in smaller combinations. In addition to performance, in-depth exploration of other aspects of music and musicianship (e.g. arranging, songwriting/composition and recording) occurs throughout the year. Instrumental Ensemble is open to all instrumentalists (woodwinds, brass, bowed strings, plucked strings, keyboard and percussion), but each student must already have intermediate proficiency in their instrument of choice. The class is aligned to be a natural next step for nearly all students coming from Durham Academy’s Middle School instrumental program. Participation in the Lower School Halloween Parade, winter and spring concerts, Upper School Commencement and potential other performances throughout the year are required components of the course.

PLEASE NOTE: It is possible (and even recommended!) for students to participate in Instrumental Ensemble for multiple years while at the Upper School. This course must be taken as a one-year continuous course (fall semester first, directly followed by spring semester) to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement. It can be taken one semester at a time, for elective credit, only after the student has completed their oneyear Fine Arts requirement.

Vocal Ensemble

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

The Upper School Vocal Ensemble studies music and musicianship through the rehearsal and performance of many different styles of music, both a cappella and accompanied. In addition to performance, in-depth exploration into other aspects of music and musicianship (e.g., arranging, songwriting/composition and recording) occurs throughout the year. Vocal Ensemble is open to all students interested in singing regardless of prior experience. Participation in the Lower School Halloween Parade, winter and spring concerts, Upper School Commencement and potential other performances throughout the year are required components of the course.

PLEASE NOTE: It is possible (and even recommended!) for students to participate in Vocal Ensemble for multiple years while at the Upper School. This course must be taken as a one-year continuous course (fall semester first, directly followed by spring semester) to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement. It can be taken one semester at a time, for elective credit, only after the student has completed their one-year Fine Arts requirement.

Auditioned Music Ensemble:

In The Pocket

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Audition and instructor’s permission

In The Pocket is an auditioned music ensemble focused on playing all genres of commercial/ popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries. The ensemble is a collaborative effort between students and adult members. During the school year, the ensemble performs at various school functions as well as events not directly associated with Durham Academy. Auditions are open to rising 11th and 12th graders; rising 10th graders must receive permission to audition from Mr. Meyer and Mr. Hoyt. Auditions are held in the spring each year for the following school year. In order to keep the group to a manageable size, auditions are normally restricted to replacing senior members who are graduating. Students who audition but are not accepted into In The Pocket are a good fit for Instrumental Ensemble or Vocal Ensemble, even if they’ve taken one of those classes previously.

Fundamentals of Music Theory

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

Do you find yourself listening to music and wondering why it works the way it does? Or why that one moment in that particular song

always makes you feel so emotional? Or are you a budding songwriter looking to craft the perfect ear candy? In Fundamentals of Music Theory, you will work toward a deeper understanding of the various building blocks of music and how those fundamentals work together to create the musical experiences that move us. This class is an excellent fit for any interested student looking to improve their reading of music notation and understanding of how much of the music we listen to on a daily basis works, or for a student who has been in an ensemble and wishes to take their understanding of music to the next level. It is also a great fit for students interested in buffing up their skills before taking Songwriting & Composition in the spring. This course must be taken consecutively with Songwriting & Composition to fulfill the oneyear Fine Arts graduation requirement.

Songwriting & Composition

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Fundamentals of Music Theory or diagnostic test

Are you a budding singer-songwriter? Do you enjoy beat-making on your laptop? Are you midway through composing your opera or symphony? In Songwriting & Composition, you can bring your ideas to life! This class is for any student who is interested in or currently composing music. No matter the genre or medium, there are compositional ideas and practices that will help hone your ideas. Explorations will include: music technology, studio and recording techniques, techniques for writing compelling melodies and harmonies, notational systems and software, and lyric writing. Students in the class are encouraged to pursue other topics related to their compositional work as they arise. Musical ideas will be honed and refined through coaching from Mr. Meyer and feedback from peers. This course must be taken consecutively with Fundamentals of Music Theory to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement.

THEATRE

Acting Studio Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

Want to improve your skills as an actor on stage or in front of a camera? Want to feel more confident speaking in public, making oral presentations in class, or interviewing for a job or college? Want to use your imagination and have fun? Well, you should take Acting Studio, where you will develop fundamental acting skills through a series of games, exercises, improvisations, monologues and

scenes. These activities are designed to unlock and develop each student’s spontaneity, creativity, empathy, physical and mental agility, and ability to live authentically. Beyond acting, this course teaches skills necessary and relevant to quality living: problem-solving, building discipline, staying present, communicating effectively and collaborating with others. Students learn to be more aware of their surroundings, reduce their self-consciousness, trust their instincts and take risks. Students are encouraged to embrace the spirit of playing and reject the need to be “perfect.” There is no outside performance requirement for this class. Instead, students focus on the rehearsal process and share their work — individually and in groups — with their classmates throughout the year.

Scene Study

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Acting Studio

In this class, students will continue to develop their acting skills by applying and extending what they learned in Acting Studio to both on-stage and on-camera scenes. This is a project-based class, so students have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers as they dig more deeply into the rehearsal process: analyzing scripts, exploring imaginary circumstances and discovering what actions their characters take. Students are expected to personalize their work and commit fully to their scenes in each rehearsal. Students will learn to receive feedback and integrate that feedback regularly into their work. By engaging in an ongoing critique process, they will also develop their ability to share observations and offer suggestions to their peers. The semester will culminate with an assortment of creative projects that may blend acting with other theatre skills. Depending on the class makeup, students may decide to share their work with an audience outside of the class. Students are encouraged to take this class multiple times so they can continue to develop their acting skills by working on a wide assortment of scenes.

Dramatic Writing for the Stage and Screen

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

Are you interested in the stories and characters you watch on television, in movies or on stage? Do you think about writing creatively but don’t give yourself time to sit down and write? Well, this course might be for you. The goal is to introduce students to the fundamental elements of dramatic writing — namely plot, character and dialogue — and provide them with tools they can use to create their

own plays or screenplays. By analyzing how films and plays are typically structured and engaging in assorted developmental writing exercises, students will gain a practical understanding of screenwriting and playwriting. Students will then apply these techniques to develop their own script during the second half of the semester. Students will be given time during class to write, but they are also expected to continue their writing outside of class meetings as well. This course is an elective and does not count toward the Fine Arts graduation requirement.

Technical Theatre: Design & Production I

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

This course will explore the fundamentals of technical theatre with an emphasis on safety protocols, equipment and design concepts. Students will demonstrate their learning through different facets of the class: department productions, class projects, design concepts, and class discussions. Students will learn about and explore all aspects of technical theatre by supporting a wide variety of live events at Durham Academy. They will also examine the world of design as it relates to theatre, music and dance. Within this course, students will be able to explore scenic construction, lighting design and drafting with Vectorworks. Students will have the opportunity to work on one department production outside of class time. Each semester, students will have to choose from one of the following production activities based on their schedule and availability:

1. The Tech Crew, which involves working after school.

2. The Theatre Club, which involves working during the club period.

3. The Running Crew, which involves working during the tech period and the running of the production.

Technical Theatre:

Design & Production II

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Technical Theatre Design & Production I

This course will expand on the knowledge gained in the first section. Students will strengthen their skills by exploring more advanced techniques in scenic construction, advanced lighting design, 3D drafting techniques, and beyond. Students will demonstrate their learning through different facets of the class: department productions, class projects, design concepts and class discussions. Students will have opportunities to

further their skills in stagecraft by working on the Performing Arts department productions in all areas (lighting, sounds, scenery and props, costumes). This is not just another opportunity to be “hands-on” in the shop: This is an opportunity to really create art on stage with the use of advanced lighting and sound equipment, projections and rendering software, as well as further your skills in the scene shop and beyond. Students will have opportunities to work on one Performing Arts production outside of class time. Students will choose a production to work on based on their schedule and availability. This course is recommended as a one-year continuous course, but it can be taken as an elective for one semester.

VISUAL ART

Explorations in Ceramics and Sculpture

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

Do you like to make “stuff?” This course focuses on a blend of experimentation and skill-building with clay and other three-dimensional materials. In the fall semester we’ll begin with traditional and nontraditional methods of working in clay. From glazed and fired sculptures to pottery to mud houses and mold-making, learn why clay is one of the oldest and most versatile materials in human history. In the spring semester, we’ll expand our investigations into sculptural materials that may include paper, wood, wire, string, found objects and anything we can get our hands on. An open mind, love of working with your hands, desire to create objects, installations and structures, care for a safe studio environment and flexibility are all that’s required. In-class critiques, art vocabulary and a field trip will be built into the curriculum. This course must be taken as a one-year continuous course to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement. It can be taken one semester at a time or out of order for elective credit only.

Introduction to Two-Dimensional Visual Art

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

Do you like to draw and paint? Then this course is for you. No art experience is required but can be very helpful. The fall semester focuses on exercises in basic drawing and composition with an emphasis on observation, expression and drawing from still life setups in pencil, charcoal and ink. Students complete a lengthier drawing project near semester’s end. The second semester begins with an introduction to a standard artist’s palette and color-mixing, followed by hands-on exercises for painting

in acrylic on paper and canvas in different techniques, sizes and styles. During the third quarter, students develop their own paintings in response to thematic prompts. In-class critiques, art vocabulary and a field trip will be built into the curriculum. This course must be taken as a one-year continuous course to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement. It can be taken one semester at a time or out of order for elective credit only.

Intermediate Art

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Intro to Two-Dimensional Visual Art, Explorations in Ceramics and Sculpture, Photography I or instructor’s permission

This course is for students who know they enjoy art and are serious about developing their skills and visual ability. Only students with discipline and a strong desire to learn more sophisticated techniques should take this course. The content ranges from skill-building assignments in traditional graphite, charcoal, acrylic and oils to broader conceptual and experimental projects and methods. Work from observation and individual styles are emphasized. In-class critiques, art vocabulary and a field trip will be built into the curriculum. In addition to developing visual concepts, the course gives students the chance to continue on to Studio Praxis for Experienced Art Students (with permission of the instructor). Depending on quality, some works from the class may be used in portfolios for future applications to summer art programs, colleges and art schools.

Studio Praxis for Experienced Art Students

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Intermediate Art or instructor’s permission Are you driven to make art? Are you possibly interested in applying to art programs? This course follows Intermediate Art and is for students who have the skill, independence and problem-solving ability to conceive of and produce work in response to conceptual prompts and ideas. Only students with discipline, self-motivation and a strong desire to learn more sophisticated techniques should take this course. In addition to developing individual artistic direction, the course gives committed students the chance to continue working in the art studio through senior year. In-class critiques, art vocabulary and a field trip will be built into the curriculum. At the end of each semester, students will be required to compile a portfolio of their art. Depending on quality, these works can also be used in art school or college applications. The instructor will be available throughout the year to

assist and guide individual students in how to arrange their portfolios for such applications. This course also can be taken one semester at a time or out of order for elective credit.

Photography I

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

This full-year course is process oriented and will explore the technical and creative aspects of both digital and film photography. This class moves beyond simply documenting what is in front of us, challenging students to develop a way of seeing and creating that reflects their own vision and voice. Students will use a sketchbook to write reflections, research imagery, sketch compositions and plan ideas to create original concepts. Working exclusively in a camera’s manual mode, students will control the settings, taking their concept from an imagined view to one we can physically see through the camera’s lens. Processing imagery from the camera to the print is essential to elevating our thinking and our work beyond the snap-and-save-to-a-device culture prevalent today. Students will be expected to learn the digital and analogue workflow to create a final photographic object. Digitally, this includes uploading RAW images from the camera, converting files to digital negatives, file management on the MacBook Pro, editing images using Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, and submitting final images to Google Drive. The analogue process includes reeling and chemically processing our film, and working in the darkroom to create test strips, contact sheets and 8x10 silver-gelatin prints. Throughout the course, students will discuss their work and provide feedback to classmates during group critiques. Student projects will be exhibited on campus at various times throughout the year.

Photography II

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall

PREREQ: Photography I

In this full-year or semester course, students will be challenged to expand on the skills acquired in Photography I by visually exploring ideas that are independently meaningful through long-term projects. Through research and practice, we will study how different genres of photography — such as photo-journalism, documentary and fine art — employ storytelling techniques to engage an audience. This course is also a place to investigate and experiment with emerging AI and how it is changing what we see and how we create. With an emphasis on more advanced technical development of both film and digital photographic skills, students will increase their knowledge of Adobe photographic

programs, studio lighting practices, in-camera manipulation, and film and darkroom techniques. Ultimately, projects will culminate in a product that reflects the goals and intentions of the student, which may include but is not limited to a portfolio of images, a book or an online gallery. All students will be expected to present, reflect and think critically about their own work — as well as works by professional artists — in order to increase visual fluency and build new ideas. Student projects will be exhibited on campus at various times throughout the year.

Digital Art & Design I

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

This full-year course teaches the foundational principles, techniques, creative practices and digital workflow of using the computer to make art. Students will learn the process of developing original concepts by using a digital sketchbook for written reflection, researching art movements and artists for context and inspiration, sketching compositions and planning their workflow. A wide range of projects that explore digital photography, collage, typography and graphic design will be produced using Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Illustrator. We will spend time during each project learning to understand and effectively use color, value, light, composition, line, texture, shape, space and balance to create compelling images. Throughout the course, students will discuss their work and provide each other with feedback during group critiques. Student projects will be exhibited on campus at various times throughout the year.

Digital Art & Design II

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall

PREREQ: Digital Art & Design I

In this full-year or semester course, students will build on the technical and foundational skills acquired in Digital Art & Design I. We will continue to use Adobe programs, learning advanced techniques in the execution of more complex projects. Additionally, we will investigate and experiment with emerging AI and how it is changing what we see and how we create. In this intermediate to advanced course, emphasis will be placed on research, practice, testing ideas and the development of a personal visual style. Projects will give students the opportunity to explore design, illustration, visual storytelling, abstract and surreal imagery. While digital art is often assumed to end up as a digital file or print, many of the physical art objects we admire require digital art files to create. Throughout the year, students will be challenged to learn different ways of producing objects from their digital

work, including bookmaking, laser cutting, 3D printing, printmaking and photographic processes. All students will be expected to present, reflect and think critically about their own work — as well as works by professional artists — in order to increase visual fluency and build new ideas. Student projects will be exhibited on campus at various times throughout the year.

Video Production I

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

This course will offer students a hands-on overview of the vocabulary, camera gear and editing workflows associated with video storytelling. The goal of the course will be to introduce students to the building blocks of documentary video production in order to produce a short video that will inform, entertain or inspire an audience. Video is a collaborative medium, and class activities will allow students to work in pairs or small groups to become proficient camera operators, using natural light, tripods and external microphones to record good audio and video footage. Students will also practice active listening interview techniques that will help them center their subjects as narrators and relate their stories authentically. All editing will be done in Adobe Premiere Pro, with ample time devoted to media management and archiving as well as importing and editing footage. Final projects will enable students to create a short documentary profile of a person or institution of their choosing, capping off a journey of community engagement and self-expression through digital video. This course must be taken consecutively with Video Production II to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement.

Video Production II

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Video Production I

This class will explore the many forms of filmed media from the perspective of video producers. Students will investigate how meaning is created and communicated through video, discuss how the style of video influences the content, and familiarize themselves with different modes of filming and editing through hands-on production experience. We’ll look at production techniques from a wide array of genres, including narrative, documentary, animation and avant-garde film, sports and broadcast journalism, advertising, music videos, instructional videos and web-based forms like TikTok. Students will work in pairs or small groups to write, storyboard, direct and edit scenes, and will make choices about lighting, lenses, angles, camera moves and

green screen as needed to best tell the story. As editors, students will dive deeper into Adobe Premiere Pro, learning how to apply titles, music, motion graphics, visual effects and color correction to make their videos more visually dynamic. Final projects will be determined by students in consultation with the instructor. This course must be taken consecutively with Video Production I to fulfill the one-year Fine Arts graduation requirement.

HISTORY

Diploma Requirements: 3 Credits

We believe that learning to think historically prepares students to thrive in a complex, unpredictable world. Because we teach history as an interpretive process, not merely a recitation of facts, students learn to value questions that lack definitive answers and to see dialogue and diverse perspectives as paths to deep understanding. Students cultivate empathy as they strive to understand the perspectives of people from a wide range of times, places and cultures. Our students learn how to evaluate the credibility and significance of diverse sources, to question power dynamics and to embrace difference with a sense of vulnerability, humility and self-awareness. Through all of this, we challenge our students to see the dynamics of their world as contingent, giving them the confidence to effect positive change.

Students must fulfill a three-year history requirement that includes Making of the Modern World in grade 9, U.S. History in grade 10, and two semester electives that students can take at any point in grades 10, 11 or 12. In 20242025, all junior students need to take either U.S. History or ADV U.S. History in each semester. Electives give students the opportunity to build on their foundational knowledge in global and U.S. histories while pursuing topics that interest them.

History electives are open to all students in grades 10, 11 and 12. Sophomores and juniors who would like to enroll in an ADV course must complete the ADV History Application and receive departmental approval. In the case of overenrollment, preference will be given to seniors.

TRANSFER GOALS

ABOUT ADVANCED (ADV) COURSES IN HISTORY

In Advanced history courses, students question established interpretations, generate authentic questions, pursue those questions through research, and articulate original conclusions.

Students commit to being an active collaborator in class and an independent learner outside of it. In these courses, students seek deep understandings of particular regions, historical periods, movements, societies, or themes. These courses require students to recognize their own preconceptions, appreciate a multiplicity of modern and historical perspectives, and question dominant narratives.

Readings in Advanced history courses are particularly challenging in their complexity. They will often include lengthy primary sources and sophisticated works of modern scholarship. Students are expected to synthesize details and

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

• Question personal values and recognize the values of others in order to navigate a complex world.

• Critically analyze contemporary and historical narratives.

• Question power dynamics to thoughtfully engage in society.

• Apply concepts and analyze systems of economics to engage purposefully in a global economy.

• Interpret how geography shapes perspective, policy, and power.

understand authors’ arguments on their own. They should come to class ready to dive into critical analysis. Students in Advanced history courses are expected to write nuanced arguments that engage with complex themes and embrace ambiguity. Emphasis will be placed on developing original analysis, employing compelling evidence, and making creative connections between sources.

Advanced history courses require in-depth research in which students pursue their own, open-ended questions. Students should be prepared to commit to sustained inquiry in which they engage with diverse perspectives and sources and ultimately articulate original conclusions. Some research may involve working in local archives, conducting oral interviews, or developing relationships with community partners. Students will be expected to share their findings with an audience.

Making of the Modern World

Grade: 9

Full-Year

What are the defining political, economic, social, environmental and technological features of the modern world? What aspects of the world we live in were inevitable and what might have been different? This course introduces students to modern world history from about 1800 to the present. It provides students with a global perspective on key historical themes with a particular focus on the consequences of imperialism and nationalism. Students will learn how to analyze diverse primary and secondary sources, generate authentic research questions, gather evidence and craft arguments that clearly reflect their thinking. They will sharpen these skills through tests, papers, class discussions, simulations and a final paper in which they examine the historical origins of a modern global issue.

U.S. History to 1865

Grades: 10, 11

Fall

The course deals with major themes and events in American history since colonial times that have helped shape the American character. Students will investigate the political and social foundation of the United States from European colonization to the present. The relationship of geographical diversity, settlement patterns and economic prosperity to political developments over time will be studied. Contributions of diverse racial, ethnic and religious groups to the development of American culture will be emphasized. Using a standard text and supplemental documents and readings, students will be introduced to the following main topics: the Revolutionary War and the Constitution, early nationalist period, sectional strife, Civil War, and Reconstruction.

ADV U.S. History to 1865

Grade: 11

Fall

PREREQ: Completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here)

This class focuses on pivotal moments in American history through the end of the Civil War. It engages with a diverse range of historical voices and scholarly perspectives. In doing so, students gain a deep understanding of the ideals, tensions, debates and contradictions that have defined American history. Students cultivate a habit of looking at present-day issues in the context of history, scrutinizing all viewpoints and rooting their claims in factual evidence. The core assigned readings — primary sources, scholarly articles and books on specialized topics — will be

particularly challenging in their complexity. Students are expected to synthesize details and understand authors’ arguments prior to coming to class. Students commit to being active collaborators in class and independent learners outside of it. Regular assessments include graded discussions, analytical essays and presentations.

U.S. History since 1865

Grades: 10, 11

Spring

The course deals with major themes and events in American history since colonial times that have helped shape the American character. Students will investigate the political and social foundation of the United States from European colonization to the present. The relationship of geographical diversity, settlement patterns and economic prosperity to political developments over time will be studied. Contributions of diverse racial, ethnic and religious groups to the development of American culture will be emphasized. Using a standard text and supplemental documents and readings, students will be introduced to the following main topics: Reconstruction, industrialization, Progressivism, World War I, the conservative 1920s, Depression and New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, domestic politics in the 1960s and 1970s, and globalization. The course culminates in a research paper in which students develop their own interpretations on a theme or development in U.S. history.

ADV U.S. History since 1865

Grade: 11

Spring

PREREQ: Completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here)

This class focuses on pivotal moments in American history from the end of the Civil War to the present. It engages with a diverse range of historical voices and scholarly perspectives. In doing so, students gain a deep understanding of the ideals, tensions, debates and contradictions that have defined American history. Students cultivate a habit of looking at present-day issues in the context of history, scrutinizing all viewpoints and rooting their claims in factual evidence. The core assigned readings — primary sources, scholarly articles and books on specialized topics — will be particularly challenging in their complexity. Students are expected to synthesize details and understand authors’ arguments prior to coming to class. Students commit to being active collaborators in class and independent learners outside of it. Regular assessments include graded discussions, analytical essays and presentations. The course culminates in a

research paper in which students combine primary source research and analysis of existing scholarship on their topic in order to produce their own interpretations.

Art Crimes

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

This course considers global art history from the Middle Ages to the present with a focus on the relationship between art, crime and appropriation. We will ask ourselves if the definition of art can include objects that are appropriated wholesale from another creator, culture or technique. We investigate the effects of global imperialism on art by looking at objects stolen from conquered societies, the repurposing of art from different cultures and the issues involved with repatriation, or returning stolen art to the societies that originally produced them. We explore the concepts and ethics of the Western-style museum and of privately owned artworks. We also explore the deliberate counterfeiting of objects, whether for religious reasons or to gain social power or wealth. In these ways, we’ll be examining how art is valued culturally, socially, and monetarily. Regular homework includes personal and analytical reactions, creative texts or visual art (per student preference) and historical readings, documentary film and artist interviews. For their culminating assignment, students teach an interactive lesson on an artwork (and its related crime) and write a journalistic text on the same topic (e.g., articles or a podcast in a true crime style).

U.S. Government and Politics

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

Want to become an informed citizen? Well, this is the course for you! Over the course of the semester, we will study the institutions and foundational values that have framed how we interact with our federal government. Additionally, we will explore American political culture and what makes for an effective politician. An emphasis will be placed on understanding the system of checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches and how this “delicate balance” has played out in the modern day. We will examine materials ranging from the Federalist Papers and U.S. Constitution to U.S. Supreme Court opinions and recent news articles. Our class activities will be discussion-based and assessments will include essays, video documentaries, quizzes, Harkness discussions and roleplay scenarios. As to later course selection, U.S. Gov and Politics would provide an excellent foundation for the ADV Constitutional Law course.

ADV Historical Approaches to Women and Gender

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here)

ADV Historical Approaches to Women and Gender is not offered in 2024-2025. It will be offered again in 2025-2026.

Traditional approaches to history have often relied on events and texts that prioritize the lives and accomplishments of men. How can we change our approaches to history, the evidence that we use and the questions that we ask to uncover the stories of women and people of marginalized genders? What can we learn about how race and class intersect with gender at different times and in different parts of the world? Where can we turn when our documents and texts don’t tell us the whole story? Students in this course will learn how to interpret a variety of types of evidence, including funerary monuments, archaeological sites and finds, letters, documents and art to understand the hidden histories of women and to illuminate the gender diversity of the past. After building competence in these skills, students will put them to use, crafting and executing a research project driven by their intellectual interests.

ADV History of Durham

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here)

In many ways, Durham represents the adaptability of the American South and a model of urban reinvention. And yet, Durham’s success is complicated. How have changes in areas like housing policy, the service industry, policing, education, immigration, technology and the arts created opportunities as well as limitations for various groups? This course will begin with readings, guest speakers and off-campus trips that introduce students to a variety of topics in the history of Durham County. Students will write short reflection papers each week during the first quarter. During the second quarter, students will undertake a major research study on a topic of their choosing. Depending on their topic, students might spend substantial time in UNC’s Wilson Library and Duke’s Rubenstein Library or they might interview community members to learn about Durham’s more recent past. The instructor will help guide the research process, but it is expected that each student will bring the necessary maturity and motivation to conduct research independently. Students

may choose the format of their final product — whether a research paper, policy proposal, podcast, video, website or possibly something else — but in all cases the product must be the result of original research. Students will end the semester by presenting their work at a symposium that other members of the DA and Durham community will be invited to attend.

ADV Imagined Communities: Nations and Nationalism

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here) Almost everyone on the planet lives in a nation, yet that form of social organization is a relatively recent and never inevitable development in human history. What are the historical origins of nations? What are the benefits and limitations of living in a nation? Why are so many people willing to kill and die for their nations? To what extent is nationalism to blame for the most destructive wars in modern history? What role does nationalism play in our globalized world? In this course, students will analyze theories of nationalism and historical case studies such as Napoleonic France, Nazi Germany and post-war East Asia. Readings will include primary sources and sophisticated works of modern scholarship. Most class meetings will revolve around seminar discussions in which students evaluate and critique the previous night’s readings. Students will occasionally lead class discussions. Assessments include essays and presentations. The course will conclude with each student using the theories of nationalism that we have studied and developed to research an example of contemporary nationalism, compose a paper and present their own conclusions.

ADV Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia: The Cold War and Its Legacy in East and Southeast Asia

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here) While the Cold War was an intense political rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, its effects on the entire world were profound. This course looks closely at conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, and Cambodia that deeply affected international politics as well as the lives of millions of ordinary people after World War II. We will consider how the modern trajectories of these three states developed and diverged from the devastating wars in which they were engulfed and also how they continue to shape geopolitics in the 21st century. Emphasis will be

on the critical study of primary and secondary sources, including monographs and memoirs. Major assessments will include presentations and analytical essays. Drawing on scholars and resources from local universities as well as immigrants and industries in the Triangle, students will undertake a formal research project — based on their interests — that explores a topic related to a specific legacy of the Cold War in Asia. Some may choose to conduct fieldwork in the local area, while others may raise questions of historical interest related to new developments in scholarly research associated with East and Southeast Asia. Whatever route they take, students will develop a thoughtful, complex and original research project that they will share with the broader DA community.

Crimes and Punishments

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

This course focuses on the current state of criminal justice in the United States. We will begin with a detailed analysis of the complex state of mass incarceration in the U.S., noting its exceptional dimensions when compared with criminal justice systems in other countries. We will delve into the long history of punishment, analyzing influential texts that shaped the American experience and use these to understand the roots of the current system, including its connections with slavery. An investigation of case studies will provide a practical understanding of how the legal system works — from the police station to the courtroom and the prison system — and class readings and activities will highlight specific aspects, like solitary confinement and plea bargaining. Local resources — judges, reform advocates, courts — will be used to supplement our in-class studies. Assessments are varied and will include discussions, debates, tests, simulations, essays and a final project based on student interest.

Diaspora Kitchen

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

Diaspora Kitchen is not offered in 20242025. It will be offered again in 2025-2026.

This course will introduce students to some of the diaspora communities here in the Triangle, in North Carolina, and in the U.S. A good portion of the class focuses on exploring the circumstances that brought these families to the Durham-Chapel Hill area (history, politics, safety, social mobility, etc.). We will learn more about their native and now-hybrid culture using food and the history of food as a conduit. What are their unique migration and immigration stories? How does food reveal and

illuminate culture and history? To what extent does food connect them to their communities in the U.S. and tie them to their homelands? After exploring and reading about the concept of “diaspora,” the class becomes a “lab” — a kinetic, hands-on learning experience. We will be in the kitchen cooking; there will be visits to community centers; we will have guests. The semester culminates with a major collaborative project. In the past, the class has created a pop-up concept restaurant and, in 2024, it will be a food truck competition.

U.S. Black History:

“Mississippi Goddam”

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

Carter G. Woodson, dubbed the “Father of Black History,” created The Journal of African American History. He was also instrumental in initiating what we know today as Black History Month. Celebrated every February, Black History Month often cursorily highlights contributions to American society made by well-known African Americans. This course moves beyond cursory descriptions of wellknown African Americans with the goal of rescuing from obscurity turning points in American history that were primarily shaped by the struggles and triumphs of everyday Black Americans. Beginning with the development of the construct of race and a brief overview of the African Diaspora, this course explores diverse topics in Black History, ranging from the birth of the Atlantic slave trade to the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary achievements and ongoing efforts to realize the American Dream. Students interested in enrolling in this course must be willing to wrestle with the question of the relevance of Black History within our contemporary historical context. Students will excavate historical primary sources and explore contemporary issues impacting African Americans to craft research-based essays for inclusion in a course-specific publication modeled after Carter G. Woodson’s Journal of African American History

U.S. Popular Music

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

This course examines developments in technology, business, social life and culture through American popular music. We will consider how and why a mass culture was forged in the middle of the 20th century, as well as how popular music at various moments has reflected ideas about race, region, gender and class. Students can expect to read and discuss historical scholarship; take quizzes and tests on core content; examine sheet music illustrations and lyrics from the 1910s; attend

and analyze a concert of their choice from an ethnographic standpoint; and write a paper on their family’s music listening habits across generations. The culminating assessment will be an in-class exam that asks students to synthesize what they have learned.

ADV Ancient Technologies

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here)

ADV Ancient Technologies is not offered in 2024-2025. It will be offered again in 2025-2026.

This course will introduce students to the technological innovations of the ancient world. By examining developments in areas like medicine, engineering, agriculture and food production, students will explore ancient approaches to innovation, problem-solving and societal advancement. How do historians uncover technologies of the past, and how can we use these discoveries to fuel new innovations? In addition to exploring ancient solutions to timeless problems, we will also examine the idea of innovation and the societal factors that fuel and guide technological advancement. We will place innovations in their historical and geographical context to better understand how the technologies of different ancient societies converged and diverged. Throughout the course, students will participate in experiential and practical learning and will finish the course with an interest-driven project that they will present to the community.

ADV Art History: Aesthetics and Theory

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here) This course focuses on global art history — primarily from 1800 to the present — through the lens of philosophy and aesthetic theory. Aesthetic theory poses the fundamental question: Does the value of an artwork come from the form of the object itself, from the appreciation of the viewer, from the object’s function or from other sources? The course emphasizes art and visual analysis, with a focus on theoretical frameworks, concepts and readings. Students will begin with broad concepts of beauty and artistic value (i.e., aesthetics). We will consider good and bad taste and how these are culturally defined. All units will address the lenses of gender, race and sexuality, particularly around women and people of color as subjects of art and as artists. This course will moreover allow us to imagine the future of art as works

are increasingly created and viewed digitally. Student projects and papers will be applications of theory to artworks of their choosing OR the beginnings of theories of their own based on a body of works. For example, students may complete an in-depth book/article review with citations of artworks; an imagined exhibit that demonstrates a concept; or a proposal for an artwork that demonstrates or undermines a theoretical concept. We will visit the North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) in Raleigh in addition to one other field trip.

ADV Constitutional Law

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here)

The United States Constitution has been described as the most democratic document ever. Yet we are still struggling with profound questions some 230 years after it was originally ratified. How powerful should the federal government be? What is more important: freedom or security? Should there be limits to free speech? What constitutes illegal discrimination? When should the police be allowed to search your home? Can the United States engage in war without officially declaring it? This class will grapple with these questions and more by examining the Constitution and how the Supreme Court has interpreted it. Students will analyze Supreme Court opinions, study relevant historical context and wrestle with modern legal, philosophical and political scholarship. Classes will often revolve around seminar discussions. Throughout the semester, students will be assessed through essays, tests, graded discussions, presentations and research assignments. Toward the end of the semester, each student will select a particular constitutional issue to explore in the modern context. For this project, students may analyze case law and legislative history, interview city, state or federal officials, or shadow lawyers, judges, police officers, and local policy advocates. The end product will be a comprehensive advocacy letter, the presentation of a policy proposal to a panel of professionals or the production of a documentary.

ADV Revolutions

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: For rising sophomores and juniors, completion of ADV History application and written departmental approval (application found here) What are revolutions and what drives them? Are all revolutions essentially about tensions between economic classes? When are they about trying to create a better world and when are they simply excuses for violence? Are they just about one group trying to gain power over

others? Why are some revolutions successful while others falter? To what extent have revolutions created the structures and paradigms of our world? Students will grapple with these and other questions and then analyze historical revolutions, which might include the Haitian, French and Russian revolutions. In addition to works of historical and political scholarship, we will also use a variety of other sources — including art and film — to understand the nature of revolutions. Classes will often revolve around seminar discussions, and students should be prepared to evaluate primary sources and sophisticated works of modern scholarship. Each student will also explore a revolution beyond the ones that we discuss as a class. Using the theories of revolution that we have studied and developed, each student will pick a more recent revolution from any part of the world (including ones that are ongoing), conduct in-depth research, compose a paper and present their own conclusions.

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We argue that there’s no such thing as a “natural-born leader.” Rather, the qualities of a strong leader are learned over time, given the opportunity — and, at Durham Academy, there’s a place for all kinds of leaders: from the thoughtful, soft-spoken sort, to those overflowing with charisma.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

At the Upper School, Student Government consists of a student body president; a class president for each grade level; four class representatives per grade level; and seven committees, each with a chair and a number of committee members:

• Student Organization and Leadership Development Committee

• Student Spirit Committee

• Sustainability Committee

• Student Academic Committee

• Student Life Advisory Board

• Social Events Committee

• RAISE (Raising Awareness of Inclusion and Social Equity)

Upper School Student Government transitioned to this committee structure several years ago, partly in an effort to include more students in school leadership.

OTHER LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

There are myriad other opportunities for students to build leadership muscle. Here are just a few:

• The Student-Athlete Leadership Team (SALT) is a group of studentathletes who are nominated and selected by coaches, athletics administration and Upper School deans for a yearlong study on leadership skills and discovery on how to best hone individual leaderships strengths within a team environment.

• The Student Ambassador Leadership Council (SALC) is a group of Upper School students who work with Durham Academy’s Enrollment Management team to welcome prospective students and families to campus and who train fellow DA student ambassadors to offer tours.

• The peer educators team comprises eight seniors who are selected to co-teach a Life Skills course for ninth-graders. Peer educators sign a contract agreeing to serve as role models for their younger Upper School peers, both on and off campus, throughout the school year.

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Diploma Requirements: Not required but can be used toward Additional Coursework requirements of 1.5 (+) credit

Interdisciplinary Studies courses are at the core of Durham Academy’s mission to prepare students to live moral, happy and productive lives. Through these courses, students can become expert researchers, entrepreneurs, leaders and teachers — while honing

the soft skills that are so critical for life beyond Durham Academy and beyond college.

In interdisciplinary courses, students develop skills for understanding the world and solving problems by

applying tools from multiple academic disciplines. This experience prepares them for the many pursuits outside academia that do not fall into disciplinary categories.

Many of these courses are project-based, empowering students to put their knowledge into action in meaningful ways — from leading seminars on sustainability topics and crafting personal mission statements, to helping real businesses solve problems and developing deep, one-to-one tutoring relationships with local elementary students.

Grade 9 Life Skills

Grade: 9

Full-Year

Grade 9 Life Skills is not a diploma requirement but all ninth-grade students will automatically be enrolled in the Grade 9 Life Skills course, which consists of four components: a Technology and Sustainability rotation, a Self and Community module, the Health, Wellness and First Aid seminar, and an optional component dedicated to physical activity.

Self and Community: The goal of Self and Community is to help ninth graders consider and discuss topics that are often encountered during their high school experience. Topics include: values, identity, decision-making, stress awareness and management, resilience, body image, social media, drugs and alcohol, healthy relationships, sexual health, mental health and wellness. The course is taught by 12th-grade Peer Educator mentors who work closely with the Upper School counselor, Dean of Students and additional faculty mentors to develop and execute research-based lesson plans.

Technology Seminar (first semester): Students will gain an exposure to the many digital tools used by teachers, administrators, coaches,and staff at DA, including but not limited to cloud technology, collaborative document sharing, digital multimedia presentation and collaborative presentation tools, school and student information systems (currently Veracross) and others. The course also focuses on the ever-emerging ethical and social issues that are increasingly becoming an inherent part of students’ lives, specifically information privacy and protection, big data and artificial intelligence. The course aspires to provide students with the skills to remain engaged and competitive in emerging models of a digital classroom. The course is structured as a portfolio exercise and concludes with a test. Successful completion of technology seminar exempts students from the required technology course half credit for graduation and allows students to earn administrative privileges on their DA-issued laptop.

Living Sustainably (second semester): This class prepares students for active membership in a community that is working to reduce its carbon footprint and become more sustainable. The class explores the grounds, buildings and practices of Durham Academy as an institution and leads the school-wide Earth Day observance. Individually, students learn to recognize the choices that contribute to their own carbon footprint and expand their repertoire of ways to reduce it.

Health & Wellness Seminar: This course will focus on the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and psychological well-being of our students to best prepare for life in the Upper School and beyond. It is important for students to learn how to balance their academics, athletics and social commitments using appropriate tools to manage their mental health, nutrition and physical fitness. The content learned in this course — which includes topics in sexual health education — will often coincide with the Peer Education/Self and Community course curriculum for practical application of the material. The content covered in this course will come from factual and anecdotal information.

Physical Activity: The optional physical education component of this course provides students with an understanding of fitness as it relates to physical well-being. Emphasis is placed on refining motor skills and developing healthy habits. Students will participate in individual fitness testing programs and learn the skills, strategies and rules necessary to participate in and enjoy a variety of leisure and physical activities in order to maintain lifelong health and well-being.

Problem-Solving for Real Businesses

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 (12th-grade students can only take this course in the fall) Fall, Spring

Students work in teams to identify and solve REAL problems presented to them by a REAL local or global business. This is a great opportunity for résumé building, networking and gaining important life skills. The businesses we meet with are legitimate networking contacts, and making a good impression can potentially lead to further collaborations such as internships, shadowing or professional advice. During each of the three problem-solving cycles, students will meet with a business partner, help to identify the root of an issue they are experiencing, collaborate in a small team to develop solutions and pitch ideas back to their business partners and community members. Regardless of the problem, students will learn tools and strategies to help effectively engage in real work that has real consequences and the potential to make a meaningful impact.

The Mission-Driven Life

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 Fall

This course explores the contributing factors, competing theories and necessary interdependence of morality, happiness and productivity. It challenges students to reconsider, refine and recommit to personal values that matter. The ideas of Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., Pauli Murray, Carol

Gilligan and David Brooks will frame our study of morality. Research from positive psychology will inform our discussions of happiness. Ben Franklin, Carol Dweck, Adam Grant, Eduardo Briceño and Stephen Covey (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People) will help us identify new paths to productivity. At least 10 guest speakers — representing a range of professions and personalities — will share their experience and wisdom during the semester. Conversations, debates and classroom activities will be enriched by frequent, brief written personal reflections on the readings, TED Talks and guest speakers we encounter. Three major assignments will help build public speaking skills, strengthen our class community and expand perspectives on how to live a life of purpose. In the first assignment (“Genius Time”), each student researches, writes and delivers a speech on a topic of authentic personal interest. In the second, each student interviews and then describes the essence of a mission-driven role model. The third speech (and final exam for the course) is a Personal Mission Statement — describing the sources and reasons behind the values and virtues that matter most to each student.

Developing Effective Leadership

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

This course is designed to equip future leaders with a fundamental understanding of what leadership is and how an individual can develop the necessary skills to become an effective leader as a key component of both individual and community growth. A core component of this course is identifying the difference between leadership and management by learning the importance of understanding others by building empathy through relationships, and gaining a better understanding of different leadership styles. Throughout the semester, we will introduce students to leadership by focusing on what it means to be a good leader and leveraging connections through the greater Durham community as we incorporate a guest speaker series. Emphasis will be placed on preparing students to deal with the diverse realities of our society by identifying their own strengths and areas of growth, and how to best work with others. We will learn and apply leadership skills through a variety of hands-on practical ways that encourage students to challenge their own beliefs and assumptions about what constitutes effective leadership.

Digital Media and Publishing

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Instructor’s permission

This course is centered on the use of a variety of software for the purpose of creating

a student-centered publication, the annual edition of the Evergreen. The goal of the Evergreen is to tell the story of the school year through pictures and text. To meet this end, the course focuses on the basics of journalism, page design, photography and publishing. Students will be involved in all aspects of the publishing process, including gathering content, maintaining deadline schedules, editing and working collaboratively to produce a high-quality yearbook inclusive of the entire student body. Assessments will include student’s proficiency with the programs, quality of copy, digital imaging and overall layout design. Class size is limited.

ADV Community-Based Research

PREREQ: Successful Application to Pathway Scholars (application found here)

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

This course will provide students with the requisite foundation in research skills and community engagement. Students will learn the principles of service learning and design thinking as they deepen their critical consciousness about our local and global communities and partner with community leaders and organizations. Students will consider questions such as: How does one ethically engage with a community? How do geography, race, class, power and privilege influence our conception of community and engagement? Students will then research, plan and prepare for their unique community engagement project. This may include researching and identifying community organizations engaged in work related to a scholar’s research focus, interviewing community members and experts in the field, building and iterating prototypes, and more. Readings and activities for this course could include case studies, guest speakers and student-facilitated interviews based around the three Pathways: Entrepreneurship, Global Citizenship and Sustainability. Students will produce reflective writing as well as analytical position papers based upon their research and engagement experiences. The culminating project will be a community-based research proposal that students will implement in the ADV Pathway Scholars course.

ADV Pathway Scholars

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

PREREQ: ADV Community-Based Research

This course will provide a structure for students to build and implement the projects they began in ADV Community-Based Research. Projects will be grounded in research, problem-solving, creative thinking, scholarship, and real-world application. A typical week will consist of two class meetings. The first

will be dedicated to each student’s independent work on their project. This time could be used to travel off campus in order to visit with community partners or conduct interviews. Alternatively, it could be used to meet one-on-one with the course instructor. The second class meeting will be dedicated to peer-to-peer and teacher-to-peer workshopping of projects. During these workshops, students will have an opportunity to reflect, seek feedback, troubleshoot challenges, and bring questions to the group. Student reflection will be a critical aspect of this course. The culminating event will be a symposium at which scholars will authentically demonstrate their learning to the wider community by presenting their project. Teachers, administrators, mentors and community partners will all be invited to this event.

Independent Study

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Completion of Independent Study Application process. Submit part one of your application by March 28, 2024. (application found here) “What do you want to learn?” When the answer falls outside of Durham Academy’s curriculum, an independent study opportunity provides support for student exploration. The student-designed course is comparable to standard courses in rigor, daily attention and volume of time invested (5-7 hours/week). It culminates in a project or performance that is shared with the community in a form appropriate to the topic. Though they work independently, students in this program are supported by teachers and peers. They meet regularly (at least biweekly) with a teacher in a relevant academic field to select resources and check their understanding of content. They also work with the Independent Study Coordinator to develop a weekly timetable, strategize, reflect and hold themselves accountable. The application process includes an initial statement of interest, a meeting with the Independent Study Coordinator and a formal proposal. The Academic Committee evaluates all proposals and notifies students of its decisions by May 15 or December 15.

Additional notes:

• Student initiative is central to independent study. Therefore the student is expected to take responsibility for scheduling meetings, showing progress, designing the culminating activity, etc.

• Independent study lasts one semester. A student may apply for a one-semester extension through the regular proposal process.

• Independent study earns credit toward graduation and appears on the student’s transcript. Withdrawal after four

weeks will result in a “WD” notation on the transcript.

• Independent study may not duplicate an existing course or substitute for a required course.

Introduction to Sustainability:

A Positive Future

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

Every day, we breathe, eat, drink and move about on Planet Earth. What natural systems and resources enable these essential functions of life? How are they being protected for future generations, and how are they being threatened? Which groups are most affected due to geography, race or poverty? These questions drive an interdisciplinary exploration of sustainability that combines experiences (field trips, observation of nature, interviews) with classroom study. Elements of math and science include data collection and interpretation. Readings address the intersection of sustainability with psychology, economics, history and public policy. The class follows current events and considers future possibilities through reading and discussion of Kim Stanley Robinson’s novel The Ministry for the Future.

To support Durham Academy’s commitment to sustainability, students in this course make presentations to various segments of the school community and publish short essays on the DA Living Sustainably blog. Peers and adults are invited to join them in viewing and discussing a documentary series, The Week Final projects about favorite mechanisms for improving sustainability are shared in an exhibition or seminar.

ADV Sustainability

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Completion of Introduction to Sustainability, Environmental Science, Biodiversity in Action, or Climate Change & Global Inequality (GOA)

How can we identify actions that will truly improve sustainability? Why are communities of color disproportionately affected by climate change? Can student research propel institutional change? In this inquiry-based course, students expand their foundational knowledge of key aspects of climate change, environmental justice and biodiversity loss. They research and write a scholarly report on a topic of their choice. Each student then leads a class seminar on their topic. Students build a toolkit of positive actions by analyzing cases of academic institutions that have improved their sustainability. Ways to document and measure success are examined, as are drivers such as activism, leadership,

communication, education and investment. Each student writes a short, documented description of at least five tools that have been successfully employed in academic settings. All these descriptions are combined and organized into a resource for the whole class to use in developing final projects that help Durham Academy advance toward its sustainability goals. Working in small groups, students follow the Design Thinking protocol and begin to function as practitioners in this emerging field. They learn about interview techniques and use them to seek a range of perspectives. They then design a prototype, seek feedback, refine their product and implement it to the extent possible within the semester.

Economics

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

In a course designed to prepare students for success in college economics courses, Economics introduces students to essential concepts with concise readings and video lessons. Using a variety of in-class activities as well as films, position papers, debates, group projects and discussion, students learn about opportunity cost, comparative advantage, supply and demand, unemployment and inflation, and the four market structures: perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly and monopoly. Students explore interest rate determination, taxation, fiscal policy, fractional reserve banking, monetary policy and macroeconomic stabilization tactics employed by legislators and the Federal Reserve. To conclude, students complete a final project and presentation focused on application of terms learned through the semester to an area of historical significance or pop culture.

ADV Research

Grades: 11, 12 (Grade 10 with Application (application found here) and Written Departmental Approval) Fall, Spring

ADV Research is a fast-paced course that explores the complexities of real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives. The goal is to provide students with the tools to evaluate information accurately and make compelling, evidence-based arguments. Topics are driven by student choice and personal interest, as well as the culminating projects. The course involves reading and understanding source material in the form of texts and other media, including scholarly resources. Students learn to synthesize information from multiple sources; develop their own perspectives in written essays; and design and deliver oral and visual presentations, both individually and as part of a team.

ADV Thesis

Grades: 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: ADV Research; successful application to ADV Thesis (application found here)

In Advanced Thesis, students cultivate the skills and discipline necessary to conduct academic, independent research of choice in order to produce and defend a scholarly academic paper. Advanced Thesis allows students to deeply explore a topic, problem, issue or idea of individual choice and interest. Students design, plan and implement a year-long investigation to address a research question. Through this inquiry, they further the skills they acquired in ADV Research (formerly ADV Global Inequalities) by learning and utilizing appropriate research methods; employing ethical research practices; and accessing, analyzing and synthesizing information. Students reflect on their skill development, document their processes and curate the artifacts of their scholarly work through a process and reflection portfolio. The course culminates in an academic paper of 4,000–5,000 words (accompanied by a performance, exhibit or product when applicable) and a presentation with an oral defense.

Students who successfully complete ADV Thesis will receive a Thesis Scholar distinction on their transcript.

ADV Psychology

Grade:12*

Full-Year

Psychology is a young and ever-evolving science. This course will cover a variety of psychology’s fundamental concepts and theories while also considering how our understanding changes with emerging data and recognition of individual differences; cultural, biological and social influences; and our perceptual biases. Students will be challenged to synthesize broad-ranging material from neurobiology to emotion, sensation to substance use and psychological disorders to social influence. When possible, we will hear from experts in the field to gain a better understanding of what psychology looks like in professional settings. There will be opportunities to evaluate, design and conduct research and to apply psychological principles to personal growth and

community-building. Students must be curious about themselves and the world around them, be willing to collaborate, offer and receive feedback and respectfully engage in classroom discussions and activities with an open and critical mind.

Senior Elective – Teaching Literacy Skills (Augustine Tutoring)

Grade: 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Application

This course is a collaboration among DA Upper School, The Children’s Literacy Project (CLP) and Durham Public Schools. It combines three focus areas: a rigorous, systematic, multi-sensory, phonetic teaching approach to address language-related learning difficulties; a full-year, one-toone tutoring relationship with a child at a local Durham elementary school; and outreach into the Durham community to address the needs of low-income, “at-risk” children who struggle with reading, writing and spelling. DA seniors will be taught how to tutor second-graders using the Orton-Gillingham approach and the five essential components of research-based reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and comprehension. Tutors will develop an ongoing relationship during the academic year with their assigned child. (To qualify for tutoring, students must be eligible for free or reduced-price lunch and score below grade level in literacy skills.) DA tutors will be expected to teach approximately two lessons per week at a local elementary school under the supervision of CLP staff. In the remaining class periods at DA, students will construct lesson plans, reflect on their tutorial experiences and discuss articles addressing child development, literacy, poverty and related topics.

Note: Students signing up for this course will represent Durham Academy to the larger Durham community through this direct and sustained tutoring/mentoring program. The course is taught by the Children’s Literacy Project Executive Director and DA faculty member Crawford Leavoy. Students are encouraged to consult with Mr. Leavoy concerning course availability and logistics. An application is required. Please note the class meets during “G” period to allow time for tutors to teach a 45-minute lesson and to drive to and from Hope Valley or Lakewood

Elementary School.

Senior Elective – Peer Education: Life Skills

Grade: 12 Spring

PREREQ: Application and interview Seniors who are selected to be Peer Educators will be trained to teach the ninth-grade Self and Community class, which is part of the Grade 9 Life Skills rotation. The goal of Self and Community is to help ninth-graders consider and discuss topics that are often encountered during a student’s high school years, such as values, identity, decision-making, resilience, body image, social media, and mental health and wellness. Peer Educators will meet with their faculty mentors to master the content and prepare lesson plans with a focus on developing their pedagogical and leadership skills.

* departmental approval required for 11th-grade students

JACK LINGER EXPLORER GRANTS

Available for current or rising 11th- and 12th-grade students

Current or rising 11th- or 12th-graders who wish to pursue unique, enriching, out-of-the-box learning experiences may apply for financial support in the form of a grant from the Jack Linger Explorers Fund. This fund was established by the Linger family in 2020 in memory of Jack Linger ’20, who rode his bicycle across the United States in search of new perspectives on the major issues facing our country, particularly climate change and the environment. He sought to cross literal and figurative divides as he listened to his fellow citizens. His goal was to develop informed opinions as he prepared to cast his first vote.

Explorer Grants are intended to support a spirit of physical and/or intellectual adventure and the expansion of personal horizons. Grants may be used to cover tuition, materials, travel expenses, professional expertise or any other costs associated with a given learning experience. The grant may support a summer project, an independent study or a Pathway Scholars project during the school year.

To apply, interested students should contact the Independent Study Coordinator and the Upper School Director. Applications may take whatever form seems most appropriate for the proposal, but they should include:

• a description of the activities and purposes behind them

• anticipated impact on individuals, community, etc.

• anticipated expenses and any relevant documentation

• faculty advisor if applicable

A committee of Upper School faculty and staff appointed by the Head of School reviews proposals and awards grants. Proposals are due by March 20.

Grant recipients will be selected based on the merit of the proposed project and its potential impact on the student and the world.

APPLY FOR JACK LINGER GRANT

MATHEMATICS

Diploma Requirements: 1-4 Credits

The Durham Academy Upper School Math Department empowers students of all backgrounds and learning styles to:

• embrace mathematical challenges with perseverance and a growth mindset.

• use mathematical tools and techniques to investigate problems and find innovative solutions.

• work toward mathematical fluency and precision.

• communicate viable arguments using sound mathematical reasoning.

• collaborate and communicate across cultures.

• cultivate an appreciation for the beauty of mathematics.

The graduation requirement entails progressing through core classes consisting of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, and then completing at least one additional course for which a prerequisite is Algebra 2. In the Upper School, most students go beyond the graduation requirement to complete four full years of mathematics. As students learn the mathematical content covered in their courses, they mature as thinkers and problem solvers in a classroom context through the use of collaboration skills, communication skills and analytical thinking skills.

Durham Academy’s Math Department has strict guidelines for advancing outside the standard course of study, which can take the form of two concurrent math courses during the academic year and/or independent summer coursework (see Appendix B). Students interested in pursuing one of those paths need departmental approval and should contact the math academic leader or Upper School registrar. For example, with a grade of A or better in Algebra 1 and permission from the Math Department, Algebra 2 may be taken concurrently with Geometry. Similarly, with a grade of A or better in each semester of Algebra 1 and permission of the Math Department, Honors Algebra 2 may be taken concurrently with Geometry.

Each student enrolled in a Durham Academy Upper School math course is required to own a TI-84 graphing calculator. In all math classes, the graphing calculator and other computer-based technologies are used to enhance students’ understanding of concepts as well as to carry out certain processes. Proficiency in the use of a graphing calculator is an integral component of the curriculum.

Learn more about Mathematics Summer Advancement at Durham Academy.

TRANSFER GOALS

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

• Recognize and utilize math as a universal language as well as appreciate the beauty of mathematics.

• Embrace mathematical challenges with perseverance and a growth mindset.

• Use mathematical tools and techniques to investigate and find innovative solutions based upon the given issue, situation, or problem.

• Apply numeracy skills and the aligned practices to achieve fluency and precision.

• Communicate viable arguments using sound mathematical reasoning in both independent and collaborative settings, while valuing the perspective of others.

ABOUT ADVANCED (ADV) COURSES IN MATH

Durham Academy students can begin taking Advanced math courses after they have completed required studies in Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2. Each Advanced course has a unique prerequisite. In Advanced math courses, students will extend and build on mathematical skills learned in core math courses, through exploration, problem solving, and logical reasoning. They will work both independently and collaboratively to investigate mathematical relationships and solve complex problems in both abstract and

real-world contexts. Students will be expected to think more critically and creatively in Advanced math courses. They will also regularly develop their own mathematical questions and ideas. These courses require attentive engagement in class and consistent initiative outside of class. Students in these courses will be expected to synthesize concepts, investigate with technology, and formally communicate their thinking as they discover the beauty and problem-solving power of mathematics.

Algebra 1

Grade: 9

Full-Year

Algebra 1 builds upon the established mathematical foundation from Middle School by enhancing problem-solving skills and strategies and by encouraging students to communicate using the language of algebra. Students are also challenged to become more independent learners and to make connections between different mathematical concepts. Topics include the terminology of algebra; solving equations and inequalities; solving systems of equations and inequalities; polynomial operations; factoring; applications of factoring; graphing in the coordinate plane; an introduction to irrational numbers; solving radical and quadratic equations; and working with rational expressions. Additionally, knowledge and understanding of linear equations and all related topics is emphasized and expanded. Introduction to a TI-84 graphing calculator is woven into the curriculum and is considered essential to provide both graphical and numerical examples of topics covered.

Geometry

Grades: 9, 10

Full-Year

PREREQ: Algebra 1

Geometry provides a comprehensive introduction to Euclidean Geometry, starting with points, lines and planes, and building up to 2D and 3D figures. Throughout the course, students will investigate geometric relationships independently and in teams. They will regularly use technological tools, like GeoGebra and graphing calculators, to assist them. Students will develop their logic and reasoning skills by communicating their ideas verbally and in writing and by studying various types of mathematical proof. There will be many opportunities for students to review and apply basic algebra concepts while solving geometric problems.

Algebra 2

Grades: 9, 10, 11

Full-Year

PREREQ: Algebra 1 and Geometry OR permission of the Math Department

Algebra 2 builds on the foundations set in Algebra 1. This course includes algebraic skills and a thorough analysis of linear, quadratic, higher-order polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, inverse, rational and radical functions. Additional topics could include: linear and nonlinear systems of equations, conic sections, sequences and series, probability, matrices and data analysis. Real-world applications and technology are incorporated throughout the course. Students will prepare for precalculus-level analysis by improving and expanding their graphing skills and by incorporating more strategic thinking into their problem-solving process.

Honors Algebra 2

Grades: 9, 10, 11

Full-Year

PREREQ: Successful completion of eighth-grade Geometry and approval by the Math Department OR an A or better in each semester of Algebra 1 and Geometry. (For students who earned an A or better in each semester of Algebra 1, Honors Algebra 2 may be taken concurrently with Geometry with permission of the Math Department.)

The language of functions is the centerpiece of this course, building on the foundations set in Algebra 1. This course includes reinforcement and application of algebraic skills as well as a thorough analysis of polynomials, exponential, logarithmic, inverse, rational and radical functions. Additional topics may include: linear and nonlinear systems of equations, conic sections, sequences and series, probability, matrices and data analysis. Technology is incorporated throughout the course, especially through the use of spreadsheets, simulations, curve fitting and other real-world applications. Students will prepare for honors-level precalculus analysis by focusing on verbal explanations, improving and expanding their graphing skills and incorporating more strategic thinking into their problem-solving process. Concepts are covered in more depth and at a quicker pace than in the Algebra 2 course.

Elements of Precalculus

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Algebra 2

Elements of Precalculus examines all of the major topics in Precalculus. Fundamental concepts and skills are reviewed more thoroughly, and the pace of the course is slower. Elements of Precalculus is recommended for students earning a B- or below in Algebra 2. Technology is incorporated throughout the course.

Precalculus

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: B- or better in Algebra 2

Precalculus is a course designed to weave together material from previous math courses, build problem-solving skills and introduce new content in preparation for students to learn calculus. Students study linear, quadratic, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, rational and radical functions in the first semester. Trigonometry is a major focus of the second semester. Rational functions are studied at a deeper level than students encountered in Algebra 2. Graphical and algebraic limits are studied, and probability from Algebra 2 is built upon and extended. Technology is incorporated throughout the course, as are real-world applications.

Honors Precalculus

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: A- or better in each semester of Algebra 2 OR permission of the Math Department Honors Precalculus is a challenging, fastpaced course designed to prepare students for the study of Advanced Calculus. Students will investigate the properties of a variety of functions and explore ways to use them as mathematical models that describe real-world phenomena. They will also analyze datasets of two variables to find patterns and trends and make predictions. A comprehensive study of trigonometry is included in the second semester. Throughout the course, students will have opportunities to work in teams to solve several larger, open-ended problems that connect precalculus concepts to a wide range of complex situations. Students will also regularly use technological tools like Desmos and graphing calculators to help them solve problems.

Math Lab

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Students must be enrolled in an additional math course while taking Math Lab. This course will provide support to students taking Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Precalculus by helping students work through topics currently being studied in their math classes. Students will build on the foundations of their skills from previous courses and develop strategies for homework and test preparation. Students will receive support using the resources and technologies emphasized in their math classes to investigate material and enhance understanding.

CL Calculus 1

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Precalculus OR Honors Precalculus OR permission of the Math Department

Calculus 1 is an introductory college-level course in differential calculus. Students will develop understanding and skills associated with limits and continuity, techniques of differentiation and applications of differentiation. In this course, students will approach concepts and topics graphically, numerically and analytically. They will present their solutions verbally and in writing. Technology will enhance the curriculum and will be used on a regular basis to reinforce skills and concepts.

CL Calculus 2

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Calculus 1

Calculus 2 is an introductory college-level course in integral calculus. Students will develop understanding and skills associated with techniques of integration, applications of integration, and

differential equations and slope fields. In this course, students will be approaching concepts and topics graphically, numerically and analytically. They will present their solutions verbally and in writing. Technology will enhance the curriculum and will be used on a regular basis to reinforce skills and concepts.

ADV Calculus 1

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: A or better in Precalculus OR B+ or better in Honors Precalculus

This course will cover single-variable differential calculus. Students will develop understanding and skills associated with limits and continuity, as well as techniques and applications of differentiation. The course will introduce advanced topics like L’Hôpital’s rule, implicit differentiation, parametric equations and derivatives of polar expressions. Differential calculus will be applied to solve real-world problems in various fields, such as physics, economics, biology and engineering. Technology will enhance the curriculum and will be used on a regular basis to reinforce skills and concepts.

ADV Calculus 2

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Successful completion of ADV Calculus 1

The ADV Calculus 2 course is designed to build upon the foundations of single-variable differential calculus and provide students with the opportunity to build an in-depth understanding of integral calculus. Students will develop a strong foundation in the concepts of integration, focusing on Riemann sums, definite and indefinite integrals and the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. Students will explore advanced topics such as improper integrals, numerical methods of integration and sequences and series, enabling them to tackle more complex mathematical challenges. Technology will enhance the curriculum and will be used on a regular basis to reinforce skills and concepts.

ADV Calculus 3

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Successful completion of ADV Calculus 2 OR A- or better in both CL Calculus 1 and CL Calculus 2 OR permission of the Math Department

The ADV Calculus 3 course is designed to build upon the foundations of single-variable calculus taught in ADV Calculus 1 and ADV Calculus 2 and provide students with the opportunity to build an in-depth understanding of multivariable calculus. Students will develop a strong foundation in the concept of multivariable functions and the differential and integral calculus one can use to analyze them. Technology will enhance the curriculum and will be used on a regular basis to reinforce skills and concepts.

ADV Calculus 4

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Successful completion of ADV Calculus 3

The ADV Calculus 4 course is designed to build upon the foundation in multivariable calculus set in ADV Calculus 3. Students will learn the theory of vector-based calculus and how it is used to analyze multivariable functions in novel ways not explored in ADV Calculus 3. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to build their mathematical skills in the study of differential equations. Technology will enhance the curriculum and will be used on a regular basis to reinforce skills and concepts.

CL Statistics 1

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Algebra 2 OR Honors Algebra 2

Statistics 1 is a one-semester, introductory, non-calculus-based, college-level statistics course covering the three major conceptual themes: Describing Data, Producing Data and Anticipating Patterns. The course will introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data. Students learn to apply statistical techniques to real-world problems, develop critical thinking skills in data interpretation and gain proficiency in using statistical software for analysis. Emphasis is placed on practical applications, ensuring students acquire the skills needed for informed decision-making and problem-solving in various fields, including business, the sciences and the social sciences. Upon completion of the course, students should have heightened awareness of ways in which statistics can be improperly used to mislead, confuse or distort the truth.

CL Statistics 2

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Statistics 1 OR Data Science

Statistics 2 is a one-semester college-level statistics course building on themes covered in Statistics 1. The major conceptual theme of the course is Statistical Inference. Students spend much of the semester studying inference, sampling distributions, confidence intervals, significance tests, normal distributions, t-distributions and chi-square distributions. Concepts are studied through real-world applications and the strategic use of technology is emphasized. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to produce convincing oral and written statistical arguments — using appropriate terminology — in a variety of applied settings; know when and how to use technology to aid them in solving statistical problems; draw conclusions from data; and become critical consumers of published statistical results.

Data Science

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Algebra 2 OR Honors Algebra 2

The ability to work with data — to process it, extract value from it, visualize it and communicate about it — is an important skill in today’s world. In this course, students will learn to summarize, analyze, discuss and create visualizations of both categorical and quantitative data using programs like CODAP and Excel/ Sheets. Students will focus on identifying relevant questions and accessing data from a multitude of real data sources. We will discuss data collection and experimental design along with some probability and inference, though not to the level of the ADV Data Science class. Graded work and projects will offer students opportunities to explore data science questions in a variety of contexts such as economics, politics, physical sciences and sports, and they will help students to improve their analysis, writing and presentations skills.

ADV Data Science

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Successful completion of Data Science OR Statistics 2 OR both Statistics 1 and a programming background

Students will learn how to combine inferential and computational thinking to explore, analyze and draw useful conclusions from large and diverse real-world data sets. Students will explore data to identify patterns, make predictions and check the degree of certainty of their predictions by using statistical inference. Tools for exploration will include visualizations and descriptive statistics, machine learning and optimization, and a selection of statistical tests and models. Students will learn coding in R. Students will generate much of the mathematical inquiry and will be responsible for designing and implementing an ongoing project exploring a dataset in a field of their choosing. As students increase their ability to analyze and summarize their data, students can apply increasingly sophisticated tools to make predictions and follow their own line of inquiry. The final portfolio will encompass the analysis of their data over time.

Logic and Discrete Mathematics

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Algebra 2 OR concurrent enrollment in Algebra with permission of the Math Department

This course is an introduction to pure mathematics. The vast majority of mathematics taught at the high school level teaches you how to use mathematics. This class teaches you how to create it. You will learn to view mathematics like a mathematician, and hopefully gain a little understanding of what mathematicians mean when they speak

about “the beauty of mathematics.” In this class, you will learn a little from each of these topics: Symbolic Logic, Number Theory, Graph Theory and Set Theory. You are encouraged to research these topics on the internet to see what they are — but know that you will likely find materials from college-level courses as these topics are rarely taught at the high school level. If you want to enjoy creating new kinds of math, take this course!

Introduction to Topology

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Algebra 2 (Logic and Discrete Mathematics recommended)

In this course, students will dive deeply into the rich theoretical framework that is known as Topology. Topology is a relatively recent invention in mathematics, generally agreed to have been established around 1895 (if this doesn’t seem recent, recall that math has been around for thousands of years). At this point in time, Topology is considered “advanced mathematics” and is usually taught to students once they have completed their college degrees and are in graduate school for mathematics. However, this course is very accessible to high school students. To most high schoolers, Topology doesn’t even feel like math. It just feels like playing with ideas. But it turns out that playing with ideas is all that math is! If you want a fun and interesting adventure into a field of mathematics that the vast majority of humans never get to experience, take this course!

Mathematics of Finance

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Algebra 2

This course allows students to study several concepts of personal finance and money management, examine how mathematics is used in everyday life and explore several topics that improve financial literacy, including IRAs, CDs, 401Ks, 529s and 1040s. Topics include: career, budget, taxes, banking, investments, savings, credit, credit scores, loans, insurance, retirement, dollar-cost averaging, spreadsheet analysis and business plan creation. Collaboration, problem-solving, technology and communication of ideas are common themes in this course.

ADV Mathematical Modeling

Grades: 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: B+ or better in Honors Precalculus OR A or better in Precalculus with permission of the Math Department

This advanced course is designed for highly motivated students who are interested in creatively applying mathematics to complex, challenging and authentic real-world problems. Students will work collaboratively through the mathematical modeling process to study globally relevant, multi-faceted phenomena. The models they design will be used to analyze scenarios in different fields like biology, engineering, political science, business and economics — and in everyday life. Some examples of the problems students may tackle include issues like designing congressional districts; reforming the Electoral College; finding fair ways to compensate employees at an institution; developing efficient processes for boarding airplanes and landing airplanes at an airport; and managing animal populations in national parks. Through these kinds of problems, students will learn to develop and refine mathematical models, use models to find interesting patterns and trends, incorporate analysis from various technological programs and critique models. The course is largely project-based, so students will be assessed mostly through written reports, policy memos and presentations. All students will compete in the High School Mathematical Contest in Modeling (HiMCM) in November. In the last weeks of the course, students will develop their own final modeling project based on their personal interests and questions they want to explore.

ADV Geometries

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: A- or better in Honors Precalculus OR A- or better in Statistics 1 and/or 2 OR permission of the Math Department

This Advanced course allows students to investigate and further develop elementary and advanced theorems in both Euclidean and non-Euclidean geometries. As a review, students will complete compass and straightedge constructions and proofs in the Euclidean plane, leading to an in-depth journey into the 139 Triangle Constructions with

Three Located Points, many of which remain unsolved. Some of the solutions to the Triangle Construction problems are quite easy and will seem obvious. There are others that will involve researching methods other geometers have tried in order to solve the problem, or to show the problem is not solvable. Then, using the structure and ideas of Euclidean geometry, students will create the definitions, postulates and theorems that determine a geometry of the sphere. As students develop their geometry, they will have questions about how or if some of the advanced theorems in Euclidean geometry can be applied to their geometry system. In this case, students will need to research the Euclidean version, develop a strong understanding of the idea and then try to apply it to the sphere.

COLLEGE COUNSELING

Our team takes an individualized approach to helping Upper Schoolers identify colleges and universities where they will thrive. Our goal is to empower self-aware, self-confident students who can navigate complex systems and tolerate uncertainty. We serve each student by:

• Celebrating the unique individual characteristics that each student brings.

• Bringing radical empathy to each interaction with students/families.

• Committing time to build trust and allow students to be vulnerable in showing their authentic selves.

• Providing resources and guidance to help students and families as they look for the right fit and right opportunities.

• Coaching students and families to make informed choices.

GRADE 9

Parents of ninth-graders are introduced to the college counseling program at a fall college counseling coffee. In the spring, parents attend a college night led by the deans of college counseling. Students are encouraged to build strong habits for their time at the Upper School and lay the foundation for the type of citizen they want to be throughout high school and beyond. We encourage ninth-grade students to focus their attention on creating strong relationships with community members, building resilient mindsets, and exploring their range of interests.

GRADE 10

The focus of college counseling in the 10th grade is continuing to set the groundwork for college by making balanced and smart choices for course selections and activities. The college counselors offer presentations to students and parents in the fall, and each sophomore is assigned a college counselor in early February. Other hallmarks of the 10th-grade year include practice SAT and ACT diagnostic tests. All 10th-graders meet with Lori Reade, our career development counselor, who helps them think critically about who they are and what makes them happy — leading them to build self-awareness that helps them hone in on their interests, both academic and extracurricular.

GRADE 11

The college process gains momentum in the 11th-grade year as each student has several opportunities to meet with their assigned counselor, attend information presentations on a variety of college topics, work on self-presentation skills with their advisor, and take the PSAT.

Each spring, juniors are introduced to the Common Application via a Common App Bootcamp. Eleventh-grade English classes include a Common App essay writing unit. Juniors finish the year with an essay draft and a college list that includes likelihood of admission.

GRADE 12

Students and parents have a fall conference with their assigned college counselor early in the school year. Students and counselors spend a great deal of time together during the fall as students complete the application process — finalizing a balanced list of colleges and universities, receiving feedback on essays, and finalizing other application materials.

College counselors continue to help seniors navigate the admissions process throughout the year as they make their final decisions. Then it’s time to celebrate!

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Diploma Requirements: 1 Activity/Year

The Durham Academy Physical Education Department believes that physical activity is an essential part of a healthy and active lifestyle.

Our mission is to give students the opportunity to:

• Maintain wellness aligned with personal interests, goals, health and circumstances in order to live a happy and productive life.

• Problem-solve, cooperate and leverage the strengths of a team while working with diverse groups.

• Demonstrate resilience in the face of challenge, adversity, disappointment and failure in order to facilitate personal growth.

• Understand the implications of life choices in the context of health and wellness.

• Embrace a mindset that failure can be a natural and healthy part of learning and growth.

• Identify limitations and explore strategies to overcome them.

• Provide a safe place for self-exploration and self-discovery.

• Set realistic and achievable health and wellness goals.

GRADUATION REQUIREMENT

With our mission in mind, Durham Academy’s physical education requirement ensures that Durham Academy Upper School students work toward maintaining their health by participating in some form of structured and rigorous physical activity each year.

WAYS TO SATISFY THE YEARLY PHYSICAL

Durham Academy

Interscholastic Athletics

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring*

Any student who is on a Durham Academy athletic team automatically satisfies the physical activity requirement for the year in which the season occurred. This applies to all grade levels in which a student completes a full season of participation, is on the active roster for the entire season, and participates from the first practice to the final game/match/meet.

Durham Academy Dance Classes

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year, Fall, Spring

Any student who completes an Upper School dance course automatically satisfies the physical activity requirement for the year in which they are taking dance.

Approved Alternate Physical Education Experiences

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

Some students may participate in organized sports that are not offered at Durham Academy. If you participate in such a program, you can submit an application for credit prior to beginning the activity and must keep an activity/time log that is submitted at the end of each month to the PE academic leader or Upper School registrar. These activities must take place during the school year, have an aerobic component, and must be supervised. Students will be given 90 school days to complete 40 days of workouts.

Elementary Games

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

This course is designed for students who have a genuine interest in working with young children. Class time will be spent discussing teaching techniques appropriate for young children, organizing and playing games, and developing lesson plans for teaching experiences at the Lower School. Students will demonstrate their proficiency by working with the Lower School physical education faculty in their classes.

Group Fitness

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

Group Fitness is a course designed for students looking to participate in a wide variety of fitness activities in a motivating group setting. Exercises will focus on cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, balance, body alignment, relaxation techniques

ACTIVITY REQUIREMENT:

and agility. Challenging aerobic workouts will be offered — including, but not limited to: kickboxing, yoga, Pilates, CrossFit-style workouts, Zumba, circuit training and cycling. Students will also be taught to design group exercise sessions and will be required to lead their class through a session they have planned.

Jump! Jump! Jump Around!: Jump Rope Skills and Progression

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

Jump roping is a full-body workout that engages all muscle groups and targets both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems of the body. It can improve one’s overall fitness — including coordination, timing, rhythm, balance, proprioception, hand-eye coordination, speed, power and agility. It requires and can improve mental focus, attention and discipline. Students will learn and perform skills as an individual and in groups. This course is open to all students, no previous experience necessary. Consider joining this class if you want to have fun with an alternative form of exercise, whether looking for general fitness or to enhance sport performance.

Lifetime Sports

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

Through the participation in several activities, students will gain the knowledge necessary to become an educated participant and spectator. The involvement in specific sports will provide an atmosphere that is enjoyable to the participants, promotes cooperation among peers, and develops an understanding of the degree of fitness necessary to participate. As the course title suggests, the activities highlighted in this course are accessible for a lifetime and can often be played into old age. The following activities will be covered in the course: tennis, badminton, bowling, volleyball, pickleball, disc golf and bocce.

Strength and Conditioning

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 Fall, Spring Times:

• 7–8:10 a.m. on specified days

• 3:30–4:40 p.m. on specified days

• during the school day

Students can expect to learn proper form and technique for advanced lifts, as well as develop a basic understanding of personal exercise program design and progression. Maximal (and or submaximal) exercise tests will be administered to students periodically throughout the

* Available only during active sport season

semester in order to accurately evaluate progress. Flexibility, mobility, agility and plyometrics are also a large portion of this course. After participating in this class, students will have become stronger, better movers who have learned to safely integrate regular exercise into their daily lives. This class is open to students of all fitness levels and is designed to meet students where they are and work from there. All in all, this course is perfect for students trying to develop some life skills to support their physical, mental and emotional health; reduce the risk of injury; and increase physical performance.

Walk-in Fitness

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall, Spring

Students can fulfill their yearly physical activity requirement by participating in walk-in fitness offerings at the Upper School. These options vary from year to year, but students can fulfill this requirement by completing 50 exercise sessions in a given school year. This offering is only viable for students who are able to evaluate their personal schedule and make time to come in and take advantage of the options available. Progress to completion of the requirement will be supervised by a faculty member, but the onus is on the student to plan appropriately and figure out how to complete their requirement before the school year ends.

Note: If a student attempts to fulfill their yearly physical activity requirement with walk-in fitness, but does not complete the 50 exercise session requirement, they will be enrolled in two semesters of a dedicated class that fulfills their physical education requirement the following school year.

Typical walk-in offerings and frequency:

• Morning yoga: 1x/week

• Club yoga: every Day 4 during club period

• Cardio equipment: available all day when school is in session

DURHAM ACADEMY INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETICS

VARSITY

FALL

August-October

Boys Cross-Country

Boys Soccer

Field Hockey

Girls Cross-Country

Girls Golf

Girls Tennis

Volleyball

WINTER

November-February

Boys Basketball

Boys Swimming

Girls Basketball

Girls Swimming

Spring February-May

Baseball

Boys Golf

Boys Lacrosse

Boys Tennis

Boys Track and Field

Girls Lacrosse

Girls Soccer

Girls Track and Field

Softball

JUNIOR VARSITY

FALL

August-October

Boys Soccer

Field Hockey*

Girls Tennis*

Volleyball

WINTER

November-February

Boys Basketball

Girls Basketball

Spring February-May

Baseball*

Boys Tennis*

Girls Lacrosse*

*Denotes JV teams that are structured for Grades 7-9

SCIENCE

Diploma Requirements: 3 Credits

Science must be dynamic in response to complex problems. Acquisition and application of new knowledge are critical for science students in developing agency and stewardship of the world. The Upper School Science Department prepares students to make meaningful contributions as ethical, global citizens in solving real-world problems and working to create a more just society. Science students formulate questions, evaluate which questions are best to pursue, and develop answers to those questions. Students develop collaboration skills and communicate data-driven ideas and findings to diverse audiences. We maximize opportunities for curiosity and creativity, failing forward, advocacy, and social responsibility.

Experiential learning — doing science — is the central feature of the Durham Academy science program. Our program has these major emphases:

• To foster a wonder of and respect for the natural world, including one’s self.

• To develop curiosity, science process skills and critical thinking skills — primarily through hands-on activities, laboratory experimentation and analysis. This involves modeling phenomena that are difficult to observe directly, as well as analyzing data and drawing conclusions to support evidence-based claims or design decisions.

• To develop scientific habits of mind and an understanding of the ethics of science — those attitudes and values inherent to the scientific enterprise and to life in general.

• To link scientific habits of mind with the Durham Academy mission; the school’s sustainability goals; and DA’s Diversity, Equity and Engagement priorities.

• To promote an understanding of — and ability to evaluate — basic scientific information, concepts, principles, and theories.

REQUIRED SCIENCE COURSE SEQUENCE

Class of 2025: recommended course of study is biology, physics and chemistry. Any deviation must be approved by the science academic leader and the registrar.

Class of 2026 and beyond: Students are required to take three years of laboratory-based science in sequence — Physics (grade 9), Chemistry (grade 10) and Biology (grade 11).

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

• Evaluate claims for scientific validity and bias in order to develop opinions and make informed decisions.

• Formulate testable questions and apply the scientific method to investigate possible solutions.

• Model phenomena that are difficult to observe directly.

• Analyze data and draw conclusions to support evidence-based claims or design decisions.

• Communicate data-driven ideas and findings so that they can be understood by diverse audiences.

• Apply knowledge and processes of science and engineering to engage in public discussions on issues relevant to a changing world.

ABOUT ADVANCED (ADV) COURSES IN SCIENCE

Students enrolled in Durham Academy’s Advanced science courses are independent thinkers and learners ready to solve complex problems that necessitate a deep understanding of scientific phenomena. Students in these courses are curious, ask creative questions, and use scientific and engineering processes and skills to begin seeking answers. Through individual motivation and collaborative engagement, students develop experiments, analyze results, and create and design products. Learning to apply concepts to meaningful questions, students uncover interdisciplinary connections and address real-world scenarios. In these courses, students are expected to utilize primary literature for building knowledge

and to apply and transfer concepts to new and challenging contexts. These courses require attentive engagement in class and vigorous initiative outside of class. Authentic and varied assessments emphasize scientific writing and presentation skills, promote critical thinking, and provide reflection opportunities. These habits of mind and inquiry-based learning opportunities provide context for their future work as global citizens, and encourage innovative ways to solve problems. Students will have the opportunity to hone their skills and demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways, both within the classroom and to the broader community.

TRANSFER GOALS

Physics 9

Grade: 9

Full-Year

Physics 9 is a concept-focused, hands-on course emphasizing:

• Core physics content of kinematics, dynamics, and energy.

• Analyzation of phenomena such as projectile motion, collisions, and rotational equilibrium.

• Foundational science skills of experimental design, analysis of observations, and the making of claims supported by evidence through reasoning.

• Application of knowledge and creativity to define, analyze, and engineer solutions to complex problems.

• Foundational teamwork, collaboration, and independent learning skills at the heart of modern scientific research and discovery endeavors.

Students will learn and practice the physics content through experiments and projects structured around scaffolded practice, mathematical modeling, and data graphing and analysis. Students will develop teamship skills and strategies while engineering projects to meet a challenge or solve a complex problem. This required first course of the DA science sequence facilitates the development of the science, learning, and teamwork skills that students will expand and refine throughout the three-year core science sequence. This course further supports Durham Academy’s mission and goals by highlighting the accomplishments and stories of scientists from traditionally excluded communities. Students will gain an understanding of the diverse contributions and methodologies essential to our understanding of everyday phenomena and the universe as a whole. This course is the prerequisite for Chemistry 10 and Honors Chemistry 10.

Chemistry

10

Grades: 10

Full-Year

Chemistry 10 is a course designed to introduce students to fundamental ideas about matter and energy that make up our world, and to explore different techniques scientists use in their investigations. Students work cooperatively to design and implement experiments, analyze results, and communicate findings visually, verbally, and in writing, with a focus on developing scientific argumentation skills using the ClaimEvidence-Reasoning (CER) framework.

Throughout the course, a series of particle models of increasing complexity is utilized to answer questions about and describe how we view matter, how it behaves and how energy is involved in the changes matter undergoes. The first semester focuses on the particle nature of

matter, kinetic theory, and phases of matter. In the second semester, students learn about organization of the periodic table, chemical reactions, atomic structure, chemical bonding, and applications of stoichiometry. Lab work and problem-solving are integral components of the course. Recognizing that science is a human endeavor that requires collaboration and problem solving, students collaboratively analyze data gathered in the lab and consider the application of their knowledge and skills in the real world. Students deepen their understanding of scientific processes, emphasizing human contributions to science by identifying diverse scientists and the challenges they have faced.

Honors Chemistry 10

Grade: 10

Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics 9, Algebra II (can be taken concurrently)

Honors Chemistry 10 covers many of the same topics as Chemistry 10 but in greater depth. Emphasis is placed on mathematical as well as conceptual understanding of chemical principles. Teamwork, critical thinking, and written communication skills are emphasized. Students in this class are expected to demonstrate sophisticated mathematical reasoning, individual responsibility, and time management skills.

The first semester focuses on the particle nature of matter, kinetic theory of particles, energy transfer between particles and how particles interact to form different phases of matter. The second semester focuses on chemical reactions, atomic structure, chemical bonding, and molecular geometry. Throughout the year, the course makes extensive use of laboratory investigations to develop the relationships between experiment and theory, and to develop data analysis and graphing skills. Students will often be required to explain their findings using the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) framework, which requires students to think critically about the data they gather in the lab and what it means. An underlying theme of the course is that science is a human endeavor that requires collaboration and problem solving. Students will deepen their understanding of this process in various ways — through experience, reflection, and research. In particular, there is an emphasis on human contributions to science by studying diverse scientists and challenges they have faced.

Biology 11

Grades: 11

Full-Year

Biology 11 is a dynamic and exciting opportunity for students to engage in the intersection of biology, sustainability, and equity while exploring several major branches within the field of biology: evolutionary, ecological,

organismal, molecular, and cellular. The curriculum emphasizes the development of students’ problem-solving, critical-thinking, and inquiry skills through experimentation, data and statistical analysis, model development and explanations, and the communication of scientific information. Units are designed around socioscientific issues — complex problems facing society that cannot be understood or addressed without scientific understanding and practices. Using a variety of learning approaches — from hands-on lab investigations and simulations to collaborative activities, case studies, and discussions — students “figure out” rather than “learn about” scientific phenomena. The overarching goal is to equip students with abilities and inclinations to act on what they’ve learned well beyond their high school biology experience and into their future personal, professional, and civic lives.

Anatomy and Physiology

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

This laboratory-based course focuses on human anatomy and physiology. Students will take a deep dive into the structure and function of specific body systems (integumentary, skeletal, muscular, and nervous), followed by a focused overview of other body systems (circulatory, respiratory, digestive, immune, endocrine, reproductive, and excretory). Students will gain knowledge of anatomical terminology and perform systemic evaluations through laboratory investigations utilizing macroscopic dissections, tissue microscopy, and anatomical models.

Astronomy

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics

Astronomy will enable students to understand and apply the physics and principles guiding astronomical phenomena to topics ranging from the solar system, to stars and galaxies, to black holes and the fate of the universe. Through real and virtual observations, students will investigate the objects, actions, and events in our universe, the underlying models and science explaining them, and the big questions guiding cutting-edge astronomical research. This course builds key skills for strengthening a scientific mindset, such as developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, and communicating results and learning through multiple methods. In addition, this course supports DA’s Diversity, Equity and Engagement strategic goals by incorporating the stories, contributions and methodologies of diverse communities and underrepresented scientists. Upon completing this class, students will have the skills and

resources to continue learning about astronomy on their own and even contribute to ongoing projects.

(CL) Environmental Science

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics, Chemistry (can be taken concurrently); for CL credit, students must have completed the science graduation requirement Environmental Science is designed to equip students with the foundational scientific knowledge and methodology required to understand cycles and interrelationships within the natural world and humans’ place within it. Students are challenged to identify and analyze environmental changes, both natural and human-influenced, to assess the risk associated with these changes, and to examine the feasibility of potential environmental remediations. A variety of assessments build and test student understanding, including but not limited to hands-on and outdoor lab experiments and data-collection, analysis of case studies, and project-based research on specific environmental problems or notable figures in the field. Naturally, mechanisms behind human-influenced climate change will be explored, and solutions will be examined for application locally and globally. The course is interdisciplinary, and students have the opportunity to uncover the connections between earth, biological, and physical science concepts and elements of social sciences. Students who have completed the graduation requirement for science are eligible to enroll in an additional CL (College Level) course commitment. Those students would be required to progress through a full-year project submitted in the fourth quarter.

Fundamentals of Engineering

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Physics

Fundamentals of Engineering introduces students to the mindsets, practices, and disciplines of engineering. Applying the engineering design process, students will have a project-based introduction to various fields of engineering including mechanical, biomedical, electrical, environmental, and civil engineering. Through a collaborative and innovative design process, students will become engineers as they apply knowledge and creativity to define, analyze, and generate solutions to problems in order to help people in society. These problems will span the themes indicated in the National Academy of Engineers Grand Challenges of Engineering: health, security, sustainability, and the joy of living, while also providing students an opportunity to explore career paths in engineering.

Biodiversity: Local and Global Contexts

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

Did you know that lawns are the most extensively cultivated crop in the United States? They are ecological dead zones, producing no food for human consumption and very little for other organisms. But students can be part of efforts to shift our landscapes toward a more sustainable model for humans and wildlife! In this course, students learn about landscapes that Europeans first encountered in North America. Students explore how domesticated animals, introduced plant species, and the loss of indigenous knowledge caused the degradation of natural ecosystems in the United States and around the globe. On field trips and in the classroom, students learn from experts about creative restoration and conservation efforts, and the importance of these intact ecosystems for human health and climate change mitigation. Through research, students identify native plants and the diversity of local wildlife they support. Throughout the course, students will engage with outside organizations’ efforts that are restoring ecosystems and educating the public about biodiversity. One of the most pivotal projects involves the class developing and implementing a plan for a small parcel of land on the Upper School campus to be converted to native plant and wildlife habitat. These actions will support wider sustainability initiatives to increase wildlife habitat across our campus and the wider Durham community.

Special Topics in Engineering

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Physics and either Fundamentals of Engineering or Robotics 1

Special Topics in Engineering applies the principles, practices, and disciplines of engineering to address problems in our community. Students will choose a problem that aligns with their passions and strengths. Throughout the semester, they will work as a team to analyze the problem and design a solution. They will then fabricate, test, and iterate to refine their design. Students will employ principles of Universal Design to make their solutions accessible, keeping the end user in mind. They will make data-driven design decisions as they complete the engineering design process.

ADV Chemistry

Grades: 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics and A- or better in Honors Chemistry; departmental approval

This Advanced course is an in-depth exploration of topics and experimental techniques introduced in a standard first-year college chemistry curriculum. ADV Chemistry includes a more sophisticated treatment of many of the topics studied in Honors Chemistry, as well

as additional topics such as thermodynamics, quantitative kinetics, and acid/base chemistry. Laboratory experiments and research projects will enable students to apply their conceptual understanding to real-world problems and allow them to draw connections to areas such as environmental science, forensics, and material science. These activities will involve professional scientific practices, including reading primary literature, developing scientific questions and designing experiments to obtain answers, and collaborating in teams to formulate, test, and revise hypotheses. Students will practice communicating findings through both formal scientific writing and oral presentations, as well as effectively communicating results to general (non-scientific) audiences.

ADV Physics: Electricity and Magnetism

Grades: 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics 9 (or Physics 10 where applicable), Chemistry 10 (or equivalent), and AP Calculus (AB or BC, or their ADV equivalents). Note that students are not required to enroll in or complete ADV Physics Mechanics in order to be successful in ADV Physics Electricity & Magnetism.

In this Advanced course, students will gain an understanding of advanced topics in physics built from a calculus-based study of electricity and magnetism. These foundational concepts will be strengthened through realworld applications such as renewable energy and sustainable transportation in a way that supports DA’s strategic goals in sustainability. Possible topics include circuits, generators, electric vehicles, maglev trains, musical devices, astrophysics, quantum physics, and medical devices. Students will be introduced to mechanics concepts as needed in the context of learning the Electricity and Magnetism content. This course will include many labs, projects and other hands-on activities that foster creativity and critical thinking, in addition to building core content knowledge and understanding of fascinating electromagnetic phenomena at the university level.

ADV Physics: Mechanics

Grades: 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Physics, AP Calculus AB or BC, or concurrent enrollment in ADV Calculus 1 and ADV Calculus 2, or CL Calculus 1 and CL Calculus 2

In this Advanced course, students will gain an understanding of advanced topics in physics built from a calculus-based study of mechanics. Topics addressed will include statics, dynamics, energy, momentum, and rotation. These concepts will be applied to projects and experiments that investigate real-world challenges. The course will introduce and incorporate computer modeling and simulation of physical processes. Some applied topics that

may be addressed include efficient vehicle design, air-resistance, and drone parcel delivery. Investigating efficiency will facilitate connections to DA’s focus on sustainability. Each semester, students will apply lessons from the course in research and design projects. The overlap of sustainability, robotics, and even art with the physics content will open up research topics for students to design and pursue their own questions. This class will prepare students to approach interesting and challenging problems in physics at the university level by giving them experience with university-level mechanics concepts and applications.

Science, Society and Social Justice

Grades: 11, 12

Fall

This semester-long elective digs deeply into the interplay between justice and science, unraveling the intricate threads that connect these two domains. Students will embark on a thought-provoking exploration of the role science plays in shaping our societal framework. Students will have ample opportunities to examine the inherent “costs” of progress and will be asked to reflect on who bears the impact of scientific advancements. The course is designed to engage students at the intersection of philosophy, ethics, and morality, and hopes to foster a profound understanding of science as a collaborative human endeavor. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-cultural learning, students will gain insights into the broader implications of scientific pursuits. The course will utilize diverse learning methods such as guest lectures, videos, TED Talks, podcasts, and research, and students will be empowered to approach science with a critical and reflective lens. Encouraging problem-solving skills and cultivating a spirit of inquiry, the curriculum is based on student-driven interests but will largely explore key themes related to science and colonialism; race and science; disease and racism; and gender and gender stereotypes in science. Students will not only be active participants in discussions but will also have ample opportunities for reflection, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the nuanced relationship between science, justice and societal impact.

ADV Biology

Grade: 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Biology, Physics, Honors Chemistry (or B+ in Chemistry); departmental approval

Building on the first courses in biology and chemistry, students in this Advanced course will explore more complex content and experimental practices used by biologists. The Advanced Biology course will approach

biological concepts through inquiry-based learning, using a combination of research and project-based learning, case studies, and laboratory experiments. Students will incorporate both individual and collaborative learning, as they engage in science as it is practiced by scientists — reading the primary literature, asking questions and developing ways to find answers, writing in the style of the discipline, presenting ideas orally, developing and testing hypotheses, conducting research experiments, analyzing data, thinking creatively and critically, working effectively in teams, and applying their skills and conceptual understanding to new situations. As practicing scientists, students will focus on making connections between science and daily life and considering the ways those connections impact the world and society we live in. Students will leave this course with greater confidence in their ability to engage in society as a scientifically literate citizen.

ADV Medicine and Malady

Grade: 12

Fall, Spring

PREREQ: Biology, Physics, Chemistry

How does a shark bite heal? What does it mean to receive a diagnosis? How do we decide who gets an organ for transplant? In this course, students will become confident reading about, discussing, and questioning medical topics. The course also presents students with a more nuanced, global, and realistic view of the field than they get from TV shows and other media. Medicine and Malady provides a window into the science and humanity of medicine through weekly modules focusing on major areas of pathology such as trauma, neoplasm, and infection. Each week, two students will lead seminar discussions on complex readings focusing on the humanistic aspects of medicine; this is an important opportunity for them to develop the skills of crafting meaty discussion questions and guiding their peers in a college seminar format. The rest of the class will come prepared to analyze each article and make novel connections to the material cooperatively with their peers. Each week also includes lectures on diagnosis and treatment of a new area of pathology, and a hands-on activity highlighting an element of physical diagnosis or other medical practice. The major assessments have been created with a mind toward independent thought and risk-taking — they are take-home and opensource, encouraging students to make new connections and be creative. The midterm and final exams focus on honing valuable seminar skills, in addition to content-based quizzes. The final assessment also gives students the chance to apply their new scaffolding of medical knowledge to unfamiliar diseases and conditions.

ADV Biotechnology

Grade: 12

Spring

PREREQ: Biology, Chemistry

This Advanced course offers students an opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of biotechnology — emphasizing its applications, ethical considerations, and impact on society. Students will be immersed in the cutting-edge world of advances in biotechnology while critically assessing the ethical considerations that shape the current work in this field. Possible topics include DNA structure and analysis; microbiology and cell culture; polymerase chain reactions; and immunology. Students will engage in hands-on laboratory experiments, discussions, projects, reflections, and critical-thinking activities to develop a deep understanding of biotechnological advancements and their implications on our lives. Additionally, bioethics will serve as a lens to refine student thinking and inquiry as students grapple with complex questions that connect biotechnology, ethics, and society. These questions can be addressed through different case studies that connect biotechnology and ethics, or organized debates and discussions in which students take on roles representing various stakeholders — scientists, ethicists, policymakers, and members of the public. Students will strengthen their argumentation skills as they learn to consider the multiple perspectives that intersect with science in our society. Students will be constantly pushed to be creative in their approach to problems, and recognize that in the real world, sometimes there is not one solution. Students will be encouraged to think deeply and assess “what if” scenarios in which they speculate the long-term consequences of current choices at the intersection of biotechnology and ethics.

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

Science Olympiad is a way to practice and improve valuable skills while having fun and learning new things. Tournaments are rigorous, academic interscholastic competitions that consist of a series of hands-on, interactive, challenging and inquiry-based events that are well balanced between the various disciplines of biology, earth science, environmental science, chemistry, physics, engineering and technology.

The only required time commitment is during the actual competitions. Otherwise, the schedule is yours to decide: You can come to practice for several hours every week, or find your own time in whatever way best fits your schedule. Each student picks three or four events, learns the rules for that year and works with a team to accomplish the goals. In building a wind turbine, you may learn about energy and how science and policy connect to shape our world. Or you may take a deep dive into biology and learn about topics ranging from Non-Hodgkin lymphoma to how indigenous cultures are helping botanists understand ecological systems in a different way.

Every Science Olympiad student gets a lot of practice with critical skills such as organization and time management. They take notes and learn to organize them so that they are most efficient and can be quickly accessed during timed events. Students practice communicating as STEM professionals, writing lab reports and keeping experimental logs, and they also build strong friendships across grade levels as they get to know their teammates.

PHOTO BY BONNIE WANG

APPLYING ACADEMICS OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM

WORLD LANGUAGES

Diploma Requirements: 2-3 Credits

The World Languages Department offers a proficiencycentered language program in Chinese, French, Latin, and Spanish. Our program is aligned with ACTFL levels of proficiency, with attention toward accuracy.

The World Languages Department believes that learning and studying languages is vital to living a life of curiosity, authenticity, and empathy. As we believe in joyful language learning, we create opportunities for students to think critically, creatively, and collaboratively.

We aim for our students to become ethical global citizens as they grow their language proficiency and advance toward creativity and self-inquiry. We hope our students develop cultural competency and a deep curiosity about their own and others’ cultures.

Our teaching methods and course titles reflect target proficiency levels and what students can do with the language in the three modes of communication — interpersonal (for modern languages), interpretive, and presentational. Assessment and placement are individual and intentional, allowing us to support each student where they are in their language proficiency journey.

The World Languages Department recognizes that:

• There is a difference between student skills and language skills;

• Students are individuals and progress at their own pace in learning a language;

• Learning a language requires a significant amount of time and practice;

• Our program always meets a student where they are in their language acquisition;

• and additional work, time, or expenses are not required to take any of our courses.

At the end of the school year, students will be placed into the course that matches their proficiency level.

The department places students on an individual basis.

We use the following to determine a student’s proficiency level:

• Chinese, French and Spanish: year-end grades and the final assessment of the AAPPL (ACTFL Assessment of Performance towards Proficiency in Languages), and an interpersonal interview.

• Latin: year-end grades and a final assessment.

Any student aiming to increase their proficiency and advance to a higher level course may study in the summer at their own expense (travel abroad, language courses, camps, tutors, etc.) and request to take a placement assessment in August, arranged with the World Languages Academic Leader. This may lead to a student being placed in a more advanced course, but is not guaranteed.

Note: Seniors who have fulfilled the World Languages graduation requirement may take any full-year world language course for the fall semester only.

Superior

Advanced High

Advanced Mid

Advanced Low

Intermediate High

Intermediate Mid

Intermediate Low

Novice High

Novice Mid

Novice Low

TRANSFER GOALS

STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE THEIR LEARNING TO:

• Interact and behave appropriately according to contexts and cultural norms.

• Decipher, identify, and interpret tone and style including formal and informal language in spoken or written texts.

• Create, present, and convey information for a specific audience.

• Demonstrate cultural proficiency, including cultural self-awareness, to achieve empathy toward others and increase the respect for target cultures.

• Go beyond the linguistic comfort zone when encountering authentic sources.

• Critically examine their native language(s) through learning the target language.

• Actively engage in and embrace opportunities to interact with native speakers, both in and outside of class.

• Develop the ability to compare and contrast target cultures to their own.

• Recognize another language/culture through the process of learning and express how their own language and social behaviors follow cultural norms.

• Seek out and enjoy language learning opportunities and cultural experiences.

• Communicate, connect, and collaborate with their local and global community.

• Recognize and pursue professional and intellectual opportunities in the global market.

ABOUT ADVANCED (ADV) COURSES IN WORLD LANGUAGES

Students enrolled in DA World Languages Advanced courses engage with authentic and relevant cultural products (fiction, theatre, poetry, nonfiction, and audiovisuals) of which the target audience is native speakers. Thus, students interpret and produce sophisticated language that is culturally specific, complex, and makes use of varied and advanced grammatical structures. Through deep engagement with the target language and culture, students will analyze and

critique, make intercurricular connections, create quality products, and find real-world applications. Students recognize that cultural awareness and language proficiency are inextricably linked, and that, ultimately, both are indispensable if they are to become global citizens. These courses require attentive engagement in class, and vigorous independent practice outside of class, as well as self-initiative.

CHINESE

Novice Chinese Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

Novice Chinese is an introduction to the study of Mandarin Chinese and Chinese culture. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students become acquainted with the sound of the language, the radical, and the etymology of the characters. Students become familiar with some elements of Chinese culture, including family structure, society, and some major festivals. This foundation course is taught using Simplified characters. A general introduction to cultural practices — such as food, games, songs, and festival traditions — is included throughout the course. The goal of Novice Chinese is to progress from the Novice Low to Novice Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

Novice Mid Chinese

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Placement assessment or placement by the Novice Chinese instructor

The goal of Novice Mid Chinese is to progress to the Novice Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. This class also aims to solidify students’ background in character writing and memorization, along with building up Chinese vocabulary. Students continue to learn how to talk about themselves and their community — and to request and provide information by asking and answering practiced and original questions.

Novice High Chinese

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Chinese proficiency - Novice Mid

The goal of Novice High Chinese is to progress from the Novice Mid to the Novice High level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students learn to complement their language skills with basic conjunctions and measure words in writing stories and speaking. Students develop a better understanding of the culture,

its products (eg. literature, foods, games), perspectives (eg. attitudes, values), and practices (patterns of social interaction, festival traditions) throughout the course.

Intermediate Low Chinese Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Chinese proficiency - Novice High

The goal of Intermediate Low Chinese is to progress from the Novice High to the Intermediate Low level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. At the Intermediate Low proficiency level, students can participate in conversations on a number of familiar topics using simple sentences. They can handle short social interactions in everyday situations by asking and answering simple questions. In the interpretive mode, students can understand the main idea of short and simple texts when the topic is familiar. They can present information on most familiar topics using a series of simple sentences. The class is conducted increasingly in Mandarin Chinese, and students produce more unrehearsed stories and short essays in class.

Intermediate Mid Chinese

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Chinese proficiency - Intermediate Low

The goal of Intermediate Mid Chinese is to progress from the Intermediate Low to the Intermediate Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. With guided practice in the interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal modes, paired with a base of more advanced grammar and richer vocabulary, students work toward greater proficiency and more independent learning of Chinese. Intermediate Mid Chinese will continue with the skills developed in Intermediate Low with an increased focus on developing and refining grammatical functions, idioms, and expressions. Students learn to understand the main idea and some information from authentic texts, participate in spoken and written conversations, and communicate information on familiar topics using increasingly nuanced sentences. Students also learn to compare their cultural practices to those of the Chinesespeaking world and learn to interact appropriately within cultural and social contexts. The class is taught almost exclusively in Mandarin Chinese, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

Chinese Heritage: Identity and Us in Literacy

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Placement assessment or placement by the Upper School Chinese Program

Chinese Heritage: Identity and Us in Literacy is one of two semester-long courses designed for students raised in households where Mandarin Chinese is the primary language. This course emphasizes language basics, including the pinyin phonetic spelling system, recognizing and writing hanzi characters, and constructing cohesive essays. The curriculum incorporates language drilling activities to help students understand their Chinese names, family backgrounds, various spoken Chinese dialects, and written systems (including simplified and traditional characters). Monthly literacy projects are included in the curriculum, addressing critical issues relevant to Chinese diaspora communities. Instructional materials will be tailored to the heritage speakers’ language backgrounds.

Chinese Heritage:

Identity and Us in Community

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Chinese proficiency - Intermediate Low (or higher)

Chinese Heritage: Identity and Us in Community is one of two semester-long courses designed for students raised in households where Mandarin Chinese is the primary language. This course is tailored for students who can read and write at the Intermediate Low level and are ready to explore topics related to identity and belonging in the Chinese diaspora. This class aims to deepen learners’ knowledge of reading and writing in formal contexts while exposing them to diverse cultural representations within Chinese-speaking communities. Monthly community engagement projects are integrated into the curriculum, addressing critical issues relevant to Chinese diaspora communities. Instructional materials will be customized to the language backgrounds of heritage speakers.

ADV Chinese: Advanced Studies I

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

Advanced Studies in Chinese I caters to students with a robust proficiency at the Intermediate High level in Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing, coupled with a keen interest in delving into critical issues such as the U.S.-China relationship and social

justice through the lens of Chinese language and culture. Throughout the course, students will engage with short fiction and non-fiction, analyze contemporary films addressing global challenges, and participate in discussion on current affairs related to international relations. Advanced Studies in Chinese I emphasizes deep exploration and authentic demonstrations of learning in the context of complex global issues and advanced language proficiency.

ADV Chinese: Advanced Studies II

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

Advanced Studies in Chinese II aims to further enhance students’ proficiency in Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing at an advanced level. This course also nurtures critical thinking skills, alongside a keen interest in exploring pressing issues such as climate change and economic development, all while examining China’s role in Asia and the world. Throughout this course, students will actively engage in discussions about current international affairs and undertake substantial research on environmental and social challenges within contemporary Chinese societies. Advanced Studies in Chinese II emphasizes in-depth exploration and the authentic demonstration of learning within the context of complex global issues, coupled with advanced language proficiency.

FRENCH

Novice French Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

Novice French is an introduction to the study of French and Francophone language and culture. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students will attain a beginning level of proficiency necessary for carrying out basic communicative functions of the language in everyday life, primarily through speaking but also by writing and reading short dialogues, paragraphs, and articles. Students also become acquainted with cultural aspects of French-speaking countries around the world. The class is taught mostly in the target language, and students are expected to use French to the best of their ability. The goal of

Novice French is to progress from the Novice Low to the Novice Mid or Novice High level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

Novice Mid French Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Placement assessment or placement by the Novice French instructor

The goal of Novice Mid French is to progress to the Novice Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students continue to learn how to talk about themselves and their community and to request and provide information by asking and answering practiced and original questions. Students are exposed to authentic materials appropriate to their level. The class is taught mostly in the target language, and students are expected to use French to the best of their ability.

Novice High French Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: French proficiency - Novice Mid

The goal of Novice High French is to progress from the Novice Mid to the Novice High level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students develop the skills to identify the topic and isolate facts from texts; to request and provide information by asking and answering questions; to interact with others; and to express, react and support preferences and opinions using simple sentences. Students are exposed to authentic materials appropriate to their level. The class is taught mostly in the target language, and students are expected to use French to the best of their ability.

Intermediate Low French

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: French proficiency - Novice High

The goal of Intermediate Low French is to progress from the Novice High to the Intermediate Low level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. With guided practice in the interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal modes, paired with a base of more advanced grammar and richer vocabulary, students work

toward greater proficiency and more independent learning. Students learn to understand the main idea and some information from authentic texts, participate in spoken and written conversations, and communicate information on familiar topics using increasingly nuanced sentences. Students also learn to compare their cultural practices to those of the Francophone world and learn to interact appropriately within cultural and social contexts. The class is taught almost exclusively in French, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

Intermediate Mid French

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: French proficiency - Intermediate Low

The goal of Intermediate Mid French is to progress from the Intermediate Low to the Intermediate Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Intermediate Mid French is an immersion course designed to empower students with confidence in speaking and writing about contemporary themes related to the Francophone world. Students practice written and oral expression in a variety of authentic contexts, putting into practice the material learned over their past experiences. Successful completion of this course prepares the student for advanced study in ADV French

The course is discussion-based and conversational in focus, and grammar is reviewed and honed within the context of the varied cultural material. Students view and study several short award-winning Francophone films, which offer an authentic outlet for students’ developing language expression. Throughout the year, students explore samples of Francophone literature, from the compelling poetry of the Négritude movement to the fantastic travels of Le Petit Prince. French is the language of instruction in this course, and all students are expected to communicate in French.

Cultural Themes in French

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: French proficiency - Intermediate Mid

This new elective course provides students with the opportunity to continue to grow their language proficiency and broaden their cultural competency. Using authentic resources, class discussions, and investigative projects, students learn about traditions of the global Francophone world (e.g. France, the Caribbean, Canada, Louisiana, Maine, North and Sub-Saharan Africa, Vietnam, and Cambodia). Students will create with language, present, write on, read about, and discuss familiar topics such as current events, education, the arts, media, and global topics.

The goal of this course is to raise students’ proficiency level from the Intermediate Mid to higher levels, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The class is taught exclusively in French, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

ADV Francophone Literatures: Social Discontent

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

This course will explore the theme of social discontent in the short stories and poems of the late 19th century and first part of the 20th century (the Belle Époque), notably by authors of the realist and naturalist movements. We will also study the theatre of the 17th century, particularly the works of Molière and Racine, which will be examined in relation to 21st-century works by Wajdi Mouawad and Marie NDiaye. In addition to learning the tools of literary analysis in French, students will have the opportunity to write many short creative texts and to perform short scenes from our plays. In this ADV 2-level course, the goal is to raise students’ proficiency from the Intermediate High to the Advanced Low (presentational speaking and writing; interpretive listening) and Advanced Mid (interpretative reading, cultural connections) levels of ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

ADV French Language: Francophone News and Stories

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

What does La Francophonie mean? This course explores the French-speaking world both through fiction, poetry, film and journalistic texts, and video. This class develops French proficiency from the Intermediate Mid to the Intermediate High levels, touching on the Advanced Low level, according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Students will read fiction and nonfiction from authentic sources, such as literary short stories, plays, poems, news articles, and essays. Throughout the course, students will develop a vast vocabulary and advanced grammar repertoire, which will be regularly assessed. Classes will consist of interpretive (audio, viewing, reading) activities, class discussions frequently led by students, and detailed presentations. Students will write frequent short essays

drawing connections about the class fictional and nonfictional materials. The course will conclude with a project about a particular French-speaking culture; this project will bring together — in a creative and multi-sensory way — what students have learned from the literature, news, and people of a particular region, while demonstrating proficiency growth at the interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational modes of communication. This course will be taught exclusively in French.

LATIN

Novice Latin Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

Novice Latin is an introduction to the study of the Latin language and ancient Roman history and culture. Students learn basic vocabulary, grammar, and translation skills through reading a combination of simplified Roman sources and modern texts. Students become acquainted with Roman culture, history, and mythology, and they spend considerable time on Latin word roots in English.

Novice Mid Latin

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Placement assessment or placement by the Novice Latin instructor

This course builds on and reinforces the foundational skills introduced in Novice Latin. The goal of the course is to progress from the Novice Mid to the Novice High level. Students continue to advance their vocabulary, grammar, and translation skills by reading a combination of simplified Roman sources and modern texts. Students apply their existing skills in order to investigate new areas of literature and culture that complement the introduction provided in Novice Latin.

Novice High Latin Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Latin proficiency - Novice Mid

The course continues the student’s introduction to Latin grammar, focusing on the skill of interpreting and translating increasingly complex Latin sentences and stories. By the end of Novice High Latin, students have worked with most of the major elements of Latin grammar (including participles and all tenses of the indicative mood), the important rules of syntax, and are able to begin reading authentic Latin texts. Throughout the second semester, we read excerpts from ancient Roman authors and modern novellas. Students also study the history of ancient Rome, focusing on the history and culture of the Roman provinces.

Intermediate Low Latin Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Latin proficiency - Novice High Students expand their vocabulary and grammar skills by translating authentic Latin texts. The goal of the class is to develop students’ comfort reading, translating, and interpreting unadapted Roman sources, as well as working with more advanced grammatical structures like the subjunctive mood. Students also study the history of ancient Rome from its founding to the early Empire, with a focus on the late Republic. Students read unadapted, authentic Latin texts from such authors as Augustus, Ovid, Pliny, and Eutropius. In the fourth quarter of the course, they learn how to read and scan Latin poetry.

Intermediate Mid Latin Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Latin proficiency - Intermediate Low This course allows students who already have experience reading and interpreting authentic Latin texts to explore the characteristics of Latin literature, as they spend the year reading passages from a variety of genres, including both poetry and prose. Students read extended passages of unadapted Latin and move beyond simple translation to analyze themes, characters, images, and important aspects of grammar and meter. Students must be comfortable with the process of reading and interpreting extended passages from Latin literature and have a strong grasp of the vocabulary and grammar introduced and practiced at the Intermediate Low level.

ADV Latin: Cultural Themes in Classical Latin

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

In this course, students investigate the history and culture of classical Rome through analysis of complex Latin texts. The course particularly emphasizes the literature of the Imperial period as a continuation of the earlier exploration of Republican-era literature. Students will read and analyze a variety of Latin texts from ancient Rome, including not only literature of different genres (poetry, biography, history), but also documents and inscriptions that give a more holistic view of Roman history and culture. Students are expected to engage deeply with each text, to develop original scholarly interpretations of the texts’ literary qualities and historical significance, and to clearly communicate those interpretations orally and in writing. At the end

of the course, students will demonstrate their learning by collaboratively designing, writing, and editing a practical Latin commentary that will be able to be used by Intermediate Low students in future years.

ADV Latin: Cultural Themes

in Post-Classical Latin Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

Latin literature has a long and complex history beyond the height of the Roman Empire. In this course, students explore the history of Latin literature beyond the classical period, learning both how the language developed and changed over time, and the ways in which the Latin language was adapted to new contexts. Students will examine new genres that grew out of the cultural context of late antiquity, the medieval period, and beyond. These texts, not often taught at the high school level, may include early Christian hagiographies, medieval religious and scientific treatises, and early modern philosophy. Since this course presupposes a high level of proficiency in Latin, students will do deep textual analysis of a variety of texts, paying particular attention to the ways in which Latin literature and documents are transmitted through the manuscript record and the ways that modern editors restore these texts. At the end of the course, students will produce a polished, critical edition of a short excerpt of text by examining and transcribing sections from manuscripts, collating the text, and making editorial decisions about how to restore texts.

SPANISH

Novice Spanish Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

Novice Spanish is an introduction to the study of Spanish language and Spanishspeaking cultures. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students will attain a beginning level of proficiency necessary for carrying out basic communicative functions of the language in everyday life, primarily through speaking but also by writing and reading short dialogues, paragraphs, and articles. The emphasis is on successful communication and on developing the basic skills to move to the next level. Students also become acquainted with cultural

aspects of Spanish-speaking countries around the world. The goal of Novice Spanish is to progress from Novice Low to Novice Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

Novice Mid Spanish Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Placement assessment or placement by the Novice Spanish instructor

The goal of Novice Mid Spanish is to continue to progress solidly into the Novice Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students continue to learn how to talk about themselves and their community and to request and provide information by asking and answering practiced and original questions. Students are exposed daily to authentic materials appropriate to their level. The class is taught mostly in the target language, and students are expected to use Spanish to the best of their abilities.

Novice High Spanish Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Spanish proficiency - Novice Mid

The goal of Novice High Spanish is to progress from the Novice Mid to Novice High level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The three modes of communication — interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational — provide the organizing principle for the course content. Students develop the skills to identify the topic and isolate facts from texts; to request and provide information by asking and answering questions; to interact with others; and to express, react, and support preferences and opinions using a string of sentences. Students are exposed daily to authentic materials appropriate to their level. The class is taught mostly in the target language, and students are expected to use Spanish to the best of their abilities.

Intermediate Low Spanish

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Spanish proficiency - Novice High

The goal of Intermediate Low Spanish is to progress from the Novice High to the Intermediate Low level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. With guided practice in the interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal modes, paired with a base of more advanced grammar and richer

vocabulary, students work toward greater proficiency and more independent learning of Spanish. Students learn to understand the main idea and some information from authentic texts, participate in spoken and written conversations, and communicate information on familiar topics using increasingly nuanced sentences. Students also learn to compare their cultural practices to those of the Spanish-speaking world and learn to interact appropriately within cultural and social contexts. The class is taught almost exclusively in Spanish, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

Intermediate Mid Spanish

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Spanish proficiency approaching Intermediate Low

The goal of Intermediate Mid Spanish is to progress from the Intermediate Low to the Intermediate Mid level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. The classroom experience is grounded in the four communicative skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. With guided practice in the interpretive, presentational, and interpersonal modes, paired with a base of more advanced grammar and richer vocabulary, students work toward greater proficiency and more independent learning of Spanish. Intermediate Mid Spanish will continue with the skills developed in Intermediate Low with an increased focus on developing and refining grammatical functions. Students learn to understand the main idea and some detailed information from authentic texts, participate in spoken and written conversations, and communicate information on familiar topics using increasingly nuanced sentences. Students also learn to compare their cultural practices to those of the Spanish-speaking world and learn to interact appropriately within cultural and social contexts. The class is taught almost exclusively in Spanish, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

Intermediate High Spanish

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Spanish proficiency - Intermediate Mid The goal of Intermediate High Spanish is to progress from the Intermediate Low and/ or Mid to the Intermediate High level, as specified by ACTFL proficiency guidelines. Intermediate High Spanish is a pre-Advanced class and prepares students to do Advanced coursework. Students work on their interpretive, interpersonal and presentational communication. Students solidify the skills of intermediate levels with an emphasis on oral proficiency. At this level, students improve their ability to ask questions, ask for clarification, self-correct when not understood and use circumlocution. Students identify and

employ culturally appropriate vocabulary, expressions, and gestures. Furthermore, they understand that differences exist in cultural behaviors and perspectives and respond appropriately. To achieve this, students gain knowledge on a variety of cultural topics from Latin America and Spain. Students also improve their impromptu writing skills and practice incorporating short, long, and complex sentences using a variety of tenses and structures. The class is taught exclusively in Spanish, using authentic materials, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Full-Year

PREREQ: Oral proficiency interview with teacher Spanish for Heritage Speakers is a full-year course designed for students who have been raised in homes where Spanish is spoken as the primary language and who can also read and write at an Intermediate Mid level or higher. This is a pre-Advanced class and is equivalent to Intermediate High Spanish. Students will gain knowledge on a variety of cultural topics from Latin America and Spain, and they will improve their impromptu writing skills and practice incorporating short, long, and complex sentences using a variety of tenses and structures. Moreover, students read, listen, and watch only authentic material.

.In this class:

• Formal communication skills will be developed.

• Grammatical structures will be polished.

• Spelling will be practiced as it is explained in Spanish-speaking countries.

• Students’ home language and cultures will be validated.

Cultural Themes in Spanish: Spain

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Completion of Intermediate High Spanish or above

Spanish-language semester electives provide students the opportunity to continue to grow their language proficiency and increase their cultural competency while delving into specific and focused topics. In this semester course, we explore the “Traditions, Customs, and Symbols of Spain.” While Spain is a modern, forward-thinking European country, it is essential to understand its people, places, and past that have shaped the country into what it is today. Through a multitude of authentic resources, class discussions, journal-writing, and investigative projects,

students will practice language and cultivate critical thinking skills as they gain insight into what makes Spain unique and complex. Additionally, the tradition of Spanish Tertulia will foster students’ leadership skills as they teach the class on a topic of their interest. The class is taught exclusively in Spanish, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

Cultural Themes in Spanish: South America

Grades: 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Completion of Intermediate High Spanish or above

Spanish-language semester electives offer students a unique opportunity to grow their language proficiency and increase their cultural competency while immersing themselves in specific and focused topics. Throughout this semester course, we will delve into the intricate histories of Chile and Argentina, celebrate the diverse cultures of the Southern Cone, and explore the ongoing pursuit of justice. While we explore complex topics like Operation Condor and the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, students will experience the sounds and flavors of the region as we craft an immersive and hands-on experience. Here, students advance their language proficiency through the study of authentic resources, class discussions, writings, and investigative projects, and also cultivate critical thinking abilities and foster leadership skills through the tradition of Tertulia. The class is taught exclusively in Spanish, and students are expected to use the target language at all times.

ADV Spanish Language 1: Reshaping Communities

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

Reshaping Communities: Education, Health and Tech is an Advanced Spanish class that explores contemporary societal changes by integrating linguistic proficiency with a focused study of education, health, and technology. This course empowers students to navigate and contribute to ongoing transformations, offering practical applications and critical analysis. Designed at the Advanced Mid level, the course aligns with ACTFL proficiency guidelines, providing language skills essential for engaging in meaningful conversations

about the impactful intersections of these elements in today’s globalized world.

ADV Spanish Language 1: Global Challenges

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

Global Challenges is an Advanced Spanish class that explores contemporary societal issues through linguistic proficiency and critical analysis. Students will engage with the complexities of discrimination, feminism, and immigration, gaining insights into socio-political dynamics and cultural implications. Designed at the Advanced Mid level, the course aligns with ACTFL proficiency guidelines, providing students with the language skills to navigate and contribute to meaningful discussions on these pressing global challenges.

ADV Spanish Literature: The Golden Age

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Fall

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

This Advanced course explores the Siglo de Oro, or Golden Age, of Spanish literature — the 16th and 17th centuries — with an emphasis on Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quijote de la Mancha. Don Quijote — a medieval knight in his imagination, a Renaissance man in his actions and a Baroque character par excellence — is our lens into the evolution of thought, language, and literature in the Spanish-speaking world from the Middle Ages to the discovery of the New World.

This course develops Spanish proficiency from the Advanced Low to the Advanced Mid levels, according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

Throughout this course, students will read the works and literary analysis while searching for nuance and developing original interpretations. Most classes will be in the form of structured discussions or literary salons, frequently led by students, during which they will discuss their original ideas and ask probing questions. Students will write frequent short essays with elaborate and detailed language. Students will

also make presentations connecting the texts to other works of art or aspects of history. The course culminates with each student creating a multi-sensory project in which they present their original take on the texts and draw connections guided by their self-inquiry.

ADV Spanish Literature:

The Latin American Boom Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12

Spring

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

This Advanced course explores the Latin American Boom from the 20th century, when Latin American writers took the world of Spanish letters by storm with an explosion of talent that was universally recognized. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez — considered by many to be the best novel ever written in Spanish or in any language — will be at the focus of our study, along with other Boom authors and women authors whose contributions to the Boom have been more recently recognized. This course develops Spanish proficiency from the Advanced Low to the Advanced Mid levels, according to ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

Throughout this course, students will read the works and literary analysis while searching for nuance and developing original interpretations. Most classes will be in the form of structured discussions or literary salons — frequently led by students — during which they will discuss their original ideas and ask probing questions. Students will write frequent short essays with elaborate and detailed language. Students will also make presentations connecting the texts to other works of art or aspects of history. The course will conclude with each student creating a multi-sensory project in which they present their original take on the texts and draw connections guided by their self-inquiry.

ADV Spanish Language 2:

From Lyrics to Language

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 Fall

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

This Advanced Spanish course delves into the profound impact of influential Hispanic artists

on language, music, and cultural landscapes. Focused on Shakira as a central figure, the course explores her cultural contributions, analyzes works of other iconic artists, dissects lyrics to explore themes, and engages in sociocultural exploration. Emphasizing linguistic prowess, the course prioritizes the innovation and celebration of the Spanish language. Through collaborative projects, students trace the cultural impact and evolution of these artists, examining their influence on the music industry, fashion, social issues, and global perspectives on Hispanic identity. The course is designed at the Advanced High level, aligning with ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

ADV

Spanish Language 2:

Echoes of Empires

Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12 Spring

PREREQ: Students are offered placement into WL ADV courses by their current teacher, in consultation with the department. Performance in previous courses, end-of-year assessments, overall language proficiency, and student skills are factors in offering placement to students.

This is an Advanced Spanish class that combines linguistic analysis with a deep exploration of the historical and cultural influences of the Inca, Aztec, and Mayan civilizations in contemporary Latin America. This challenging course offers a historical dive into the socio-political dynamics, art, science, and belief systems of these empires. Students will explore linguistic legacies, tracing etymologies to Nahuatl, Quechua, and Mayan languages, and gain an understanding of the ancient roots of modern Spanish. Cultural integration examines how traditions, beliefs, and practices resonate in today’s Latin American festivals, cuisine, narratives, and customs, while architectural influence explores the importance of ruins in modern national narratives. Designed at the Advanced Mid level, the course aligns with ACTFL proficiency guidelines.

CAVALIER CAPSTONES

Grades: 9, 10, 11

The Cavalier Capstone Program is central to Durham Academy’s mission of providing an education that will enable each student to live a moral, happy and productive life.

The goal is to afford each student a learning opportunity that goes beyond the traditional classroom. Students will have a range of choices (outdoor education, handson projects, global exploration, interdisciplinary and community-based mini-courses, service and leadership opportunities and career exploration) that complement and enhance the Upper School curriculum. These culminating experiences provide opportunities for experiences that the Upper School cannot otherwise accommodate in DA’s academic calendar and provide students with opportunities to deepen and broaden their learning. Throughout the week of culminating experiences, a group is brought together to share ideas, cultivate friendships, gain knowledge, stretch comfort zones, see the world, develop perspectives, help others, discover beauty, build confidence, find the inner-self and make unforgettable memories.

Capstones take place the week after Memorial Day weekend. International Capstones and extended domestic Capstones typically depart over Memorial Day weekend and return the following weekend.

All ninth-graders, 10th-graders and 11th-graders participate in Capstones each year. Twelfth-grade students participate in Senior Challenge in the fall as their culminating experiential education program.

SEMESTER AWAY PROGRAMS

Grades: 10, 11

Semester Away Programs offer Durham Academy Upper Schoolers the chance to broaden their worldview and build self-confidence beyond the confines of their DA campus. The programs below represent the four most common options for DA students, who receive a formal academic transcript upon the conclusion of their semester-long experience. Recruitment for these programs typically begins in the fall, when representatives visit DA’s campus to hold information sessions with interested students.

The School for Ethics and Global Leadership schoolforethics.org

SEGL is a selective, semester-long residential program for motivated high school juniors from across the United States. SEGL participants have shown outstanding character, promise for leadership and scholastic ability. SEGL provides students with a unique curriculum emphasizing ethical thinking skills, leadership development and international affairs. SEGL locations are in Washington, D.C.; Johannesburg, South Africa; and London, England.

Alzar School alzarschool.org

Alzar School offers academic semesters for motivated high school sophomores and juniors which immerse students in a rigorous, challenging educational setting emphasizing leadership training. Alzar equips students with the background knowledge, skills and confidence to be effective leaders who will change the world.

High Mountain Institute hminet.org

Ambitious, motivated students attend the High Mountain Institute to connect with nature, develop as leaders and critical thinkers, and discover learning at its best. These programs prepare adolescents to take risks, collaborate with peers, communicate with people who hold diverse perspectives, and build trusting relationships. When nature and minds meet, extraordinary academic and personal achievement follows.

The Outdoor Academy enf.org/outdoor-academy

Built upon four cornerstones of intellect, craft, environment and community, The Outdoor Academy is a fully accredited semester boarding school that offers motivated 10th- and 11th- grade students a distinctive high school experience. The Outdoor Academy emphasizes seven principles of simple living, work ethic, curiosity, integrity, stewardship, self-reliance and gratitude.

GLOBAL ONLINE ACADEMY

Durham Academy is pleased to partner with Global Online Academy to offer a rich variety of semester and full-year courses, allowing us to expand what we can offer and help our students test their passions in unique and specialized ways. Online learning is strengthening schools around the globe. By teaching our students 21st-century learning skills, we can prepare them to be global citizens who can communicate with people who have backgrounds different from their own; who can collaborate effectively with peers in other states or even on different continents; who can advocate for their own learning; who can publish their work and ideas in a format that will preserve their work in perpetuity; and who know how to be creative, flexible, proactive learners. Being successful in college and beyond will require each of these skills, but teaching them in a traditional classroom setting is often challenging or not feasible. Online, these skills are taught directly and used regularly.

Global Online Academy connects students from all over the world and allows them to offer their local perspectives on global issues. Classmates in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco work on projects with peers in MadabaManja, Jordan, and Portland, Oregon. Students in Hawaii and Chicago discuss global health issues with students in New York, Seattle, Boston, and Jakarta, Indonesia. These connections and interactions are becoming the norm in today’s society; it is essential that we prepare students to do this now.

Global Online Academy courses are interactive, instructional and experiential. All GOA courses have asynchronous components (students participate each day on their own schedule) and synchronous components (when students collaborate together or work with their teacher, generally using video conferencing software). Global Online Academy teachers, who are all faculty at member schools, engage with their students on a regular basis. In addition to scheduled 1:1 meetings with their students, every teacher has regular office hours when they are available to video chat or talk. Just as with a teacher on campus, students can also schedule individual meetings to discuss something or ask a question. Students make connections and form relationships with classmates through partner work, group projects and discussion

forums. Students can also ask a peer for support or input, or they may strike up a conversation via a live video chat feature or through instant messaging.

Global Online Academy classes are rigorous academic courses taught by seasoned, experienced teachers who approach the design of their course the same as any other class they teach at their home school. In most cases, a GOA class should not be added as a sixth academic course. The particular course descriptions can be found at globalonlineacademy.org.

Global Online Academy courses and grades will appear on a student’s official Durham Academy transcript, with 0.5 credit awarded for a passing grade in a semester course and 1.0 credit awarded for a passing grade in a full-year course. GOA grades will be included in a student’s cumulative grade-point average. GOA courses may not be taken Pass/Fail.

Durham Academy will fund up to 12 students per semester in GOA courses. If more than 12 students request GOA courses in a semester, the Upper School director, registrar and college counseling deans will determine each student’s registration priority. Each Durham Academy student enrolled in a GOA course is charged a $150 enrollment fee.

A GOA student may request to drop a course any time within the first week of a semester with no reflection on the student’s transcript, and the $150 enrollment fee will be refunded to the student. If a student requests to drop a course within the second week of the semester, there is no reflection on the student’s transcript, but the $150 enrollment fee will not be refunded. Furthermore, the student is responsible for an additional $100 to cover Durham Academy’s cost from GOA. If a student requests to drop a course after the end of the second week, the transcript notation will be either a “WP” or “WF,” indicating a “Withdrawal while Passing” (WP) or a “Withdrawal while Failing” (WF). At this point, the student will be responsible for an additional $350 to cover the entire cost of the registration.

GLOBAL ONLINE ACADEMY COURSES

Appendix A

COURSE LIST

DURHAM ACADEMY COURSE OFFERINGS: 2024-2025

COMPUTER SCIENCE

Full-Year Courses

ADV CS II: Data Structures and Algorithms

Fall Semester Courses

CS X: Introduction to Programming

CS X: Robotics I

ADV CS III: Machine Learning and AI

Spring Semester Courses

CS X: Introduction to Programming

CS I: Robotics II

CS I: Game Design

ADV CS III: Advanced Data Structures

ENGLISH

Full-Year Courses

English 9: Innocence and Experience

English 10: Truth and Justice

English 11: American Literature

ADV English 11: American Literature and Rhetoric

English Lab

Fall Semester Courses

CL English 12: Banned Books

CL English 12: Contemporary Fiction & Non-Fiction

CL English 12: Sci-fi & Dystopian Fiction

ADV English 12: Contemporary Global Issues in Fiction

ADV English 12: Medieval Literatures

ADV English 12: Postmodernism

ADV English 12: Shakespeare

Spring Semester Courses

CL English 12: Escapist Literature

CL English 12: Ghost Stories

CL English 12: Issues in Modern America

CL English 12: Outlaw Ocean

ADV English 12: Love & Money in American Literature

ADV English 12: Race and Identity in America

ADV English 12: Women’s Literature

FINE ARTS

DANCE

Novice Dance

Intermediate Dance

Dance Composition, Choreography & Community

MUSIC

Instrumental Ensemble1

Vocal Ensemble1

Auditioned Music Ensemble: In The Pocket Fundamentals of Music Theory (Fall)

Songwriting & Composition (Spring)

THEATRE

Acting Studio

Scene Study (Fall)

Dramatic Writing for the Stage & Screen (Spring)

Technical Theatre Design & Production I

Technical Theatre Design & Production II1

VISUAL ART

Explorations in Ceramics and Sculpture1

Introduction to Two-Dimensional Visual Art1

Intermediate Art

Studio Praxis for Experienced Art Students1

Photography I Photography II2

Digital Art & Design I

Digital Art & Design II2

Video Production I (Fall)

Video Production II (Spring)

HISTORY

Note: Beginning in 2024-2025, the required year of U.S. History is moving from 11th to 10th grade, so all sophomores and all juniors must register for U.S. History in the fall and spring semesters. Juniors select U.S. History or ADV U.S. History. ADV U.S. History requires completion of the ADV History application and written departmental approval. Juniors do not have to make the same choice for both semesters. ADV U.S. History is not available for sophomores.

Required Courses

9th: Making of the Modern World (year)

10th: U.S. History to 1865 (fall) and U.S. History since 1865 (spring)

11th: U.S. History to 1865 (fall) and U.S. History since 1865 (spring) -OR-

11th: ADV U.S. History to 1865 (fall) and ADV U.S. History since 1865 (spring)

Fall Electives

Art Crimes

U.S. Government and Politics

ADV History of Durham

ADV Imagined Communities: Nations and Nationalism

ADV Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia: The Cold War and its Legacy in East and Southeast Asia

ADV Historical Approaches to Women and Gender *

Spring Electives

Crimes and Punishments

Diaspora Kitchen *

U.S. Black History: “Mississippi Goddam”

U.S. Popular Music

ADV Ancient Technologies *

ADV Art History: Aesthetics and Theory

ADV Constitutional Law

ADV Revolutions

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Full-Year Courses

Grade 9 Life Skills

ADV Psychology

ADV Thesis

Digital Media and Publishing

Peer Education: Life Skills (Senior Elective)

Teaching Literacy Skills (Augustine Tutoring, Senior Elective)

Fall Semester Courses

ADV Research

ADV Community-Based Research

ADV Pathway Scholars

Independent Study

Introduction to Sustainability: A Positive Future

The Mission-Driven Life Problem Solving for Real Businesses

Spring Semester Courses

ADV Research

ADV Community-Based Research

ADV Pathway Scholars

ADV Sustainability: Taking Action

Developing Effective Leadership

Economics

Independent Study

Problem Solving for Real Businesses

MATHEMATICS

Full-Year Courses

Algebra 1

Geometry

Algebra 2

Honors Algebra 2

Elements of Precalculus

Precalculus

Honors Precalculus

Math Lab

Semester Courses

CL Calculus 1 (Fall)

CL Calculus 2 (Spring)

ADV Calculus 1 (Fall)

ADV Calculus 2 (Spring)

ADV Calculus 3 (Fall)

ADV Calculus 4 (Spring)

CL Statistics 1 (Fall)

CL Statistics 2 (Spring)

Data Science (Fall)

ADV Data Science (Spring)

Logic and Discrete Mathematics (Fall)

Introduction to Topology (Spring)

Mathematics of Finance (Fall)

ADV Mathematical Modeling (Fall)

ADV Geometries (Spring)

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Full-Year Course

Physical Education 9 (as part of Grade 9 Life Skills)

Both Fall and Spring Semester Courses

Strength and Conditioning (a.m.)

Strength and Conditioning (day)

Strength and Conditioning (p.m.)

Group Fitness

Jump Rope Skills and Progression

Elementary Games

Lifetime Sports

Additional options to satisfy physical education requirement: Durham Academy Interscholastic Athletics

Durham Academy Dance Classes

Alternate physical education experience (approved by the Upper School registrar and fitness director)

Walk-in Fitness Program: Combination of walk-in yoga and Fitness Center usage

SCIENCE

Required full-year courses beginning with the Class of 2026: Physics 9

Chemistry 10 or Honors Chemistry 10

Biology 11

Full-Year Electives

Anatomy and Physiology

Astronomy

CL Environmental Science

ADV Biology

ADV Chemistry

ADV Physics: Electricity and Magnetism

ADV Physics: Mechanics

* not offered in 2024-2025; offered again in 2025-2026

Fall Semester Electives

ADV Medicine and Malady

Fundamentals of Engineering

Science, Society, and Social Justice

Spring Semester Electives

ADV Biotechnology

ADV Medicine and Malady

Biodiversity: Local and Global Contexts

Special Topics in Engineering

WORLD LANGUAGES

Chinese

Novice Chinese

Novice Mid Chinese

Novice High Chinese

Intermediate Low Chinese

Intermediate Mid Chinese

Chinese Heritage: Identity and Us in Literacy (Fall)

Chinese Heritage: Identity and Us in Community (Spring)

ADV Chinese: Advanced Studies I (Fall)

ADV Chinese: Advanced Studies II (Spring)

French

Novice French

Novice Mid French

Novice High French

Intermediate Low French

Intermediate Mid French

Cultural Themes in French

ADV French Language: Francophone News and Stories

ADV Francophone Literatures: Social Discontent

Latin

Novice Latin

Novice Mid Latin

Novice High Latin

Intermediate Low Latin

Intermediate Mid Latin

ADV Latin: Cultural Themes in Classical Latin (Fall)

ADV Latin: Cultural Themes in Post-Classical Latin (Spring)

Spanish

Novice Spanish

Novice Mid Spanish

Novice High Spanish

Intermediate Low Spanish

Intermediate Mid Spanish

Intermediate High Spanish

Spanish for Heritage Speakers

Cultural Themes in Spanish: Spain (Fall)

Cultural Themes in Spanish: South America (Spring)

ADV Spanish Language 1: Reshaping Communities (Fall)

ADV Spanish Language 1: Global Challenges (Spring)

ADV Spanish Literature: The Golden Age (Fall)

ADV Spanish Literature: The Latin American Boom (Spring)

ADV Spanish Language 2: From Lyrics to Language (Fall)

ADV Spanish Language 2: Echoes of Empires (Spring)

Note: The minimum course load is five courses in each semester. Students in grades 9 to 11 may take no more than four Honors, CL or ADV courses per semester, and students in grade 12 may take no more than five such courses per semester. All Upper Schoolers are limited to a maximum of six homework-generating courses in total per semester. A waiver (available upon completion of online registration) to these maximums will be considered for students who provide a rationale to the Academic Committee. Physical education courses are not counted toward the minimum load or toward the 20-credit requirement; nor is a course that is being repeated or audited.

Durham Academy’s Advanced (ADV) curriculum fully debuts in the 2024-2025 school year. ADV courses are the most intellectually rigorous courses offered at Durham Academy. They emphasize in-depth exploration, student inquiry, and authentic demonstrations of learning.

COMPUTER SCIENCE

ADV CS II: Data Structures and Algorithms

ADV CS III: Machine Learning and AI

ADV CS III: Advanced Data Structures

ENGLISH

ADV English 11: American Literature and Rhetoric

ADV English 12: Contemporary Global Issues in Fiction

ADV English 12: Medieval Literatures

ADV English 12: Postmodernism

ADV English 12: Shakespeare

ADV English 12: Love & Money

ADV English 12: Women’s Literature

ADV English 12: Race and Identity in America

HISTORY

ADV U.S. History to 1865

ADV U.S. History since 1865

ADV Historical Approaches to Women and Gender *

ADV History of Durham

ADV Imagined Communities: Nations and Nationalism

ADV Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia: The Cold War and its Legacy in East Asia

ADV Ancient Technologies *

ADV Constitutional Law

ADV Revolutions

ADV Art History: Aesthetics and Theory

INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

ADV Psychology

ADV Thesis

ADV Research

ADV Community-Based Research

ADV Pathway Scholars

ADV Sustainability: Taking Action

MATHEMATICS

ADV Calculus 1

ADV Calculus 2

ADV Calculus 3

ADV Calculus 4

ADV Data Science

ADV Mathematical Modeling

ADV Geometries

SCIENCE

ADV Biology

ADV Chemistry

ADV Physics: Electricity and Magnetism

ADV Physics: Mechanics

ADV Medicine and Malady

ADV Biotechnology

WORLD LANGUAGES

Chinese

ADV Chinese: Advanced Studies I

ADV Chinese: Advanced Studies II

French

ADV French Language: Francophone News and Stories

ADV Francophone Literatures: Social Discontent

Latin

ADV Latin: Cultural Themes in Classical Latin

ADV Latin: Cultural Themes in Post-Classical Latin

Spanish

ADV Spanish Language 1: Reshaping Communities

ADV Spanish Language 1: Global Challenges

ADV Spanish Literature: The Golden Age

ADV Spanish Literature: The Latin American Boom

ADV Spanish Language 2: From Lyrics to Language

ADV Spanish Language 2: Echoes of Empires

* not offered in 2024-2025; offered again in 2025-2026

GLOBAL ONLINE ACADEMY

Full-Year Courses

Arabic Language Through Culture I

Arabic Language Through Culture II

Arabic Language Through Culture III

Japanese Language Through Culture I

Japanese Language Through Culture II

Japanese Language Through Culture III

Multivariable Calculus

Fall Semester Courses

Abnormal Psychology

Applying Philosophy to Global Issues

Architecture

Bioethics

Business Problem Solving

Climate Change & Global Inequality

Computer Science I: Computational Thinking

Creative Nonfiction Writing

Cybersecurity

Data Visualization

Developmental Psychology

Entrepreneurship in a Global Context

Filmmaking

Game Theory

Genocide & Human Rights

Global Health

Graphic Design

Health & Fitness

International Relations

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Introduction to Branding & Marketing

Introduction to Legal Thinking

Introduction to Psychology

Introduction to Organic Chemistry I

Investing I

Linear Algebra

Macroeconomics

Medical Problem Solving I

Medical Problem Solving II

Microeconomics

Neuropsychology

Number Theory

Personal Finance

Positive Psychology

Prisons & Criminal Justice Systems

Problem Solving with Engineering & Design

Race & Society

Social Psychology

Spring Semester Courses

Abnormal Psychology

Architecture

Arts Entrepreneurship

Bioethics

Business Problem Solving

Capitalism: Past, Present & Future

Comp Science I: Computational Thinking

Comp Science II: Analyzing Data with Python

Comp Science II: Game Design & Development

Comp Science II: Java

Cybersecurity

Developmental Psychology

Digital Photography

Discourse Across Difference

Entrepreneurship in a Global Context

Fiction Writing

Game Theory

Gender & Society

Graphic Design

International Relations

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence

Introduction to Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Introduction to Branding & Marketing

Introduction to Legal Thinking

Introduction to Organic Chemistry II

Introduction to Psychology

Investing I

Investing II

Linear Algebra

Macroeconomics

Medical Problem Solving I

Medical Problem Solving II

Neuropsychology

Personal Finance

Prisons & Criminal Justice Systems

Problem Solving with Engineering & Design

Religion & Society

Social Psychology

Appendix B

MATH SUMMER ADVANCEMENT

It is important to note that Durham Academy does not permit any full-year mathematics course to be completed for Durham Academy credit by independent study, by correspondence, or by a summer program. On rare occasions, it may be in the best interest of a student to study a course independently over the summer in order to advance outside the standard course of study. Any student who wishes to pursue the possibility of advancement should be an independent learner who is deeply curious about mathematics and feels unchallenged in their current math course.

Students expressing interest in pursuing advancement in math outside of the standard course of study must first discuss the benefits and limitations of this option with their parent(s)/caregiver(s), current math teacher, advisor and college counselor (if applicable). Discussions should include:

• How successful the student has been in their current math course(s). It is not recommended that students pursue independent summer work if they have not shown mastery throughout the year in their current math course. Work on graded assessments should regularly exceed 95%.

• Over the course of the year, has the student consistently demonstrated a sense of curiosity beyond the content of daily class discussions and assignments?

• Does the student possess the self discipline to learn independently and extend beyond the content to problems that require strategy and synthesis? Students must be disciplined enough to study the entire curriculum on a very condensed timeline. They must be able to seek out resources to aid in learning as well as in checking for understanding. Inevitably, a shortened course will result in the omission of topics that students who are in full-year courses will have covered. Students who study independently must have the ability to resolve these differences on their own as they arise in future courses.

• How motivated is the student, and how necessary is this pursuit? Is there a course of study that would allow a student to reach their goals while still taking full-year courses during the academic year?

If a student decides that the independent summer study option is worth pursuing further, they should contact the Upper School math academic leader to begin the application process. Applications will not be distributed before spring conferences and are due before Upper School spring exam week. The Durham Academy Math Department will review applications and make decisions.

Please note that this process should be student-driven. Whether students choose to do an online program, an in-person class, work with a tutor, or study independently, students must be able to master material and make connections independently. Durham Academy will not, however, recommend nor endorse a particular summer program, nor does Durham Academy offer summer math courses for credit.

To show mastery, students will be required to earn strong scores on a summer midterm exam and a summer final exam. The Math Department will review these exams and determine if the quality of work is sufficient for advancement. The dates of these exams will be determined at the conclusion of the current academic year.