SAHS Guidance

This curriculum guide contains information about courses that will be offered during the 2008-2009 school year. You must register for a minimum of six classes. You may take between 6 and 8 classes within the school day. You may not take two study halls during the school day.

ü Teachers recommend students in math each year. The counselor discusses the recommendations with the students and then checks the previous academic achievement and test scores before making placements.

ü Students register for courses during the early part of second semester for the following school year. Each student meets with the counselor to review their four-year plan, current progress, vocation/career interests and is advised of appropriate course choices.

ü Students should read the course descriptions in the Curriculum Guide. They may obtain more information from the respective teacher regarding specific subject area content, course expectations, etc.

ü Commitments to faculty are made on the basis of these registration choices. Students wishing to drop or add a course must meet with the counselor to discuss the change desired. Course changes are to be completed during the first ten full days of the course. Changes will be made in exceptional circumstances.

ü Based upon Explore test scores for freshmen students, Individual Educational Plans and conferences with grade school and high school department chairs, accommodations may be provided for special education students.

Ø 80 hours of service is also is required for graduation. (Christian Service Program is discussed in detail in the Student Handbook.)

Students may have the option to enroll in classes at Effingham High School according to the following guidelines:

ü students are responsible for the rules and regulations as prescribed by both SAHS and EHS

ü parents assume the responsibility for their children’s transportation to and from EHS

Note: SAHS administration will make the final decision in all matters related to the fore-mentioned

RELIGION

The Religion program at St. Anthony High School strives to enable a personal conversion to Christ and Christian values by the proclamation of the Gospel. Besides the educational goals and methods, religious education has great concern for the personal faith development and growth of each person. It is through the experience of a vibrant and alive faith community that conversion can take place and can be communally celebrated.

Ø Graduation requirements: four years of Religion

Course Name: Religion I

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 9 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: None

Description of Course: One semester covers the five features in the Church's approach to moral theology: The Risen Lord as the starting point; Moral living as a process of change and growth; Emphasis on life direction and dedication; Placement of values before rules; Education in personal responsibility and creativity. The other semester consists of an in-depth study of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Course Name: Religion II

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 10 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: None

Description of Course: One semester is devoted to the exploration of the Jesus of History and the Christ of Faith. The other semester is devoted to a call to faith and justice. In this semester the students examine areas of concern such as poverty, hunger, sexism, racial prejudice, the elderly, and ecology.

Course Name: Religion III

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 11 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: None

Description of Course: This is a two-part course split up into semesters. Church History: One semester will cover the key historic events surrounding the Roman Catholic Church from the time of Jesus up to the twenty-first century. Sacraments: The other semester will be spent exploring the origin, history, symbolism, and key aspects of the rituals surrounding each sacrament of the Church.

Course Name: Religion IV

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 12 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: None

Description of Course: The senior religion class is divided into four main areas. One area, This is Our Faith, is a full year course that meets twice each week. It is a summation of eleven years of religious education. Creating a Christian Lifestyle is a one semester course designed to help the students use their Christian faith principles as they begin to make life decisions. Topics include a concentration in Christian morality as a process of decision making; emphasis on life direction and commitment; the placement of values before rules; and education in personal responsibility, creativity, and talent development. World Religions is a comparative religion class that is studied over one quarter and covers the origin, history, and basic beliefs of the world’s great religions. The Crown Financial ministry program will be taught one quarter. This course focuses on a way of handling present and future financial decisions based on Bible teachings.

The English program is designed to help students receive a firm foundation in reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Through a variety of activities (critical thinking skills, composition, class discussion, small group work, projects, vocabulary in context, oral presentation, skits, tests and quizzes) students should grow in their ability to think and write critically.

Ø Graduation requirements: 4.5 years of English (This includes 1 semester of Speech)

Course Name: English I

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 9 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: None

Description of Course: Designed as an introduction to the critical analysis of the various genres, this course focuses on short stories, poetry, the epic, novels, and dramatic literature. Special emphasis is placed on guiding students from basic reading comprehension to the critical thinking skills of interpreting and extending. Principles of grammar, usage, and mechanics are stressed and directly applied to writing applications, enabling the student to see the connection between composition and the importance of these skills.

Course Name: English II

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 10 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: English I

Description of Course: English II extends the English I curriculum. The major focuses in this course are literary analysis with a genre-based format, writing skills practice, and grammar refresher in preparation for the ACT and/or SAT tests.

Description of Course: Students will read and study traditional American literature with emphasis on the different time periods of literature. The literature is presented chronologically to emphasize how America and its history are reflected in its literature.

Course Name: English IV (British Literature)

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 12 Required for Graduation: Yes

Prerequisites: English I, English II, and English III

Description of Course: English IV intends for students to read and interpret a wide variety of prose

and poetry with an emphasis on the traditions of British literature. Students will engage in projects designed to increase their writing skills and to see the relationship between multiple media forms (art, music, writing, speech, etc.). The class textbook will be supplemented with additional outside novels.

Course Name: Advanced Placement English

Description of Course: Students will engage in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. They will intensely study representative works from various genres and periods, concentrate on works of recognized literary merits. Reading will be wide and deep, involving the experience, interpretation, and evaluation of literature. Writing assignments will focus on the critical analysis of literature and include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays. Students will take the National Advanced Placement English Literature examination, which consists of multiple choice questions and essay questions. Based on meeting the universities required AP exam score, a student may earn a minimum of three college credit hours.

Course Name: Composition I (Dual Credit Course)

Length of Course: One semester SAHS Credit: .5 Lake Land College Credit: 3

Recommended Level: 12 Required for Graduation: No

Prerequisites: English III with a C average, instructor approval, and an ACT English score of 19 or above

(student’s have the opportunity to take an assessment test if the fore-mentioned prerequisites are not met)

Description of Course: Students will work on improving their writing through a thorough examination of writing fundamentals. Using these fundamentals, students will write a series of essays using various rhetorical strategies to show the ability to communicate, persuade, and inform, as well as to show critical-thinking skills. Note: The Lake Land College credit earned may be transferable to other institutions.

Course Name: Composition II (Dual Credit Course)

Length of Course: One semester SAHS Credit: .5 Lake Land College Credit: 3 Recommended Level: 12 Required for Graduation: No

Prerequisites: Composition I with a C average and instructor approval

Description of Course: Students will practice writing longer pieces of prose, as well as working on formatting and technical writing. An emphasis will be placed on an extended-length research paper, proper citation of sources, and library research skills.

Note: The Lake Land College credit earned may be transferable to other institutions.

Description of Course: In this class, we will delve into a multitude of creative writing exercises and

Activities in order to strengthen a student’s prose in addition to help them find their creative voice to produce a work that is uniquely theirs. Students will experiment with fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry.

Description of Course: This course is designed as a comparative study of novels and their cinematic versions. Cinematic production techniques will be discussed as they relate to bringing the novel to the “big screen.” The major focus will be on comparison/contrast of characters, plot, and visual/written presentation.

Description of Course: The emphasis in this course is placed on developing a greater awareness of self as a communicator in one-to-one as well as one-to-many communication situations. The first half stresses communication theory where as the second half deals with the application of theory in various speaking situations.

SCIENCE

The Science Department at St. Anthony High School offers students the opportunity to explore the natural and physical sciences according to their individual interests and abilities. The goal of the science department is to provide students with the knowledge to master scientific facts, theories and natural laws in order to promote individual thinking and develop laboratory skills. Students leaving St. Anthony High School will have attained sufficient background to intelligently read and understand scientific literature, evaluate data, and grasp implications of research.

Course Name: Biology

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 9 or 10 Required for Graduation: No

Prerequisites: As a 9^th grader if not enrolling in Geometry must have received a B in 8^th grade math.

Description of Course: Biology is the study of life. Within the curriculum of biology, various topics such as classification, cell structure and function, genetics and evolution, microbiology, and plants are emphasized in accordance with text material. Laboratory work will be performed to help explain concepts presented in class.

Description of Course: This course is offered as an alternative to chemistry and physics. The focus of the Earth science portion is a basic understanding of the processes that work on planet Earth. Topics include Plate tectonics, oceans and a study of weather. Environmental biology involves the study of the environment around us. Primary interest is the steps necessary to save our environment now and for future generations. Emphasis is placed upon recycling, energy resources, and land and ware resources. In addition to the text, information will be provided through laboratory activities.

Course Name: Anatomy & Physiology

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 11 or 12 Required for Graduation: No

Description of Course: This course will consist of a detailed study of human structure and function. The ten major organ systems of the body will be surveyed during this course. Dissection of various animal organs will be utilized in explaining these systems. This course is designed for college bound students interested in science.

Course Name: Forensic Science

Length of Course: One semester Credit: .5

Recommended Level: 11, or 12 Required for Graduation: No

Prerequisites: Biology with a B, Chemistry with a B or as a co requisite

Description of Course: This course looks at the role of genetics and DNA profiling in solving a crime. Topics will include technology, evidence and analysis of a crime scene. An understanding of DNA and genetics is necessary.

Course Name: Microbiology

Length of Course: One semester Credit: .5

Recommended Level: 11, or 12 Required for Graduation: No

Prerequisites: Biology with a B, Chemistry with a B or as a co requisite

Description of Course: This course provides fundamentals of microbiology and applications in clinical, environmental, industrial, and food microbiology. A study of bacteria and other pathogens of the body will be covered.

Course Name: Physical Science

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 9,10,11, or 12 Required for Graduation: No

Prerequisites: None

Description of Course: This course is an introduction to the physical sciences. The first topic is chemistry: matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, acids, bases, and pH. The second topic is physics: motion, forces, work, power, temperature, waves, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism. The third topic is our planet Earth: minerals, earthquakes, plate tectonics, and the atmosphere; and an exploration

Course Name: Conceptual Physics

Length of Course: One year Credit: 1

Recommended Level: 9, 10, 11, or 12 Required for Graduation: No

Description of Course: This course presents nature’s basic rules. With a base of conceptual comprehension established first, minor calculations will then be used to strengthen insight and provide a more meaningful understanding and appreciation for nature. The principles covered are mechanics, properties of matter, heat, sound and light, electricity and magnetism, and atomic/nuclear physics. This course is only intended for students who desire an understanding of elementary physics and for those pursuing a field of study as an engineer or scientist.

Prerequisites: Algebra II or concurrent enrollment in Algebra II, or teacher recommendation

Description of Course: This course is the study of the composition, structure, and properties of matter and the changes it undergoes. The principles covered are matter, measurement, atomic structure, chemical bonding, chemical formulas/equations and reactions, stoichiometry, phases of matter, solutions, colligative properties of ions in aqueous solutions, acids and bases, pH, and titration. Minor experimental work and demonstrations will be conducted to support theory.