CURRICULUM

Literary Analysis will establish essential skills high schoolers will need to cultivate to set themselves up for future success. This course will examine the assigned books' literary themes and commonalities and dig into their historical context through primary and secondary sources. This course will help students to develop annotation skills and critical thinking strategies. The central focus is writing, which is an essential skill in any endeavor. Literary Analysis will offer students ample opportunities to construct strong written arguments and build a strong foundation for the writing process by dedicating time to brainstorm, outline, and draft written work. While this class will lean heavily on written work, students will engage in discussion to develop a deep understanding of the content.   

Teacher: Alyssa Belcher

Dystopian Literature is a tenth-grade level English / Language Arts focused on developing critical thinking through monumental works of dystopian fiction. These works utilize human psychology, society, and government trends to produce extreme scenarios that force readers to reflect on their cultural and moral positioning. For instance, despite being published in 1932, Brave New World provides an insightful perspective on the rise of psychotropic medications and developing genetic engineering technologies. In addition to encouraging students to think critically and philosophically, these novels will be used as springboards for developing advanced writing skills through critical essays, research projects, and creative work.

Teacher: Jonathan Gerkin

Academic Writing is an innovative course intended to help upperclassmen prepare for the rigors of college writing assignments. During the first quarter, students will be reading and writing about a variety of essays across genres in order to increase their understanding of academic writing; meanwhile, students will be reviewing proper grammar and how to write complex, college-level sentences. During the second and third quarter, students will be writing weekly essays in their Google portfolios with constantly varying topics, styles, and points of view. While the focus of the second trimester’s writing development will be on proper organization, the third trimester will focus on developing argumentation skills and personal style. Course writing will be done in collaborative writing workshops using google drive; furthermore, the teacher will be able to see live edits to student work and make consistent suggestions and edits. Finally, the third trimester will use the newly developed formal language and writing skills in order to develop student rhetoric, presentation, and public speaking skills.

Teacher: Jonathan Gerkin

English 12 is a full-year course that prioritizes long-form creative writing over traditional literary analysis while setting aside time in the fall to alleviate the challenges of creating high-quality college applications in an otherwise jam-packed schedule. Depending on the year, the books could be anything from Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild, Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods, David Sedaris’ complicated humor in Me Talk Pretty One Day, or the unusual universe found within T.C. Boyle’s short stories. We will also utilize shorter reads ranging from magazine articles, editorials, or, really, any form of media that is relevant and compelling. 

Teacher: Tom Bojko

This full-year course is a comprehensive survey intended to expose students to the major themes and events of modern world history, including the interaction between humans and the environment, cultural and intellectual developments, social and political organization, and economic transformations.  The course is organized chronologically, beginning with the hunting and gathering period and closing with the tumultuous global changes wrought by European colonialism in the Americas.  Formal assessments include unit tests, quizzes, short analytical essays, formal debates, and projects.

Teacher: Dave Chamberlain

This full-year course is a comprehensive survey intended to expose students to the major themes and events of American history. The course will be organized chronologically, beginning with the initial encounters between Europeans and Native peoples and closing with the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the U.S. as the lone superpower. While much of the course will be devoted to familiarizing students with the significant concepts, figures, and events of American history, emphasis will also be placed on the development of effective writing skills and the ability to participate meaningfully in classroom discussions. Throughout the course, I will emphasize that history is a practical or "usable" discipline. Rather than focusing on a litany of names and dates, I will attempt to show students that history is a way of seeing, synthesizing, and analyzing the world that has the potential to inform and contextualize our understanding of the present. Formal assessments include unit tests, projects, formal debates, and short analytical essays. 

Throughout the year, we will use American Yawp, a free online textbook, as our primary reader. Supplemental readings will also be distributed each week, including primary source documents. We will also rely on two monographs, historical works that examine a specific topic or period in American history, to inform our discussion and analysis. 

Teacher: Dave Chamberlain

This full-year course is a comprehensive survey intended to expose students to the major themes and events of modern world history, including the interaction between humans and the environment, cultural and intellectual developments, social and political organization, and economic transformations.  The course is organized chronologically, beginning with the Age of Absolutism and closing with the calamity of World War II and the Cold War.  Formal assessments include unit tests, quizzes, short analytical essays, formal debates, and projects.  

Teacher: Dave Chamberlain

The Art elective class aims to expose students to a wide variety of mediums and projects, ranging from traditional drawing and painting to new media, such as photography, filmmaking, and graphic design. The class will take a conceptual approach, focusing on providing an open and welcoming space for students to explore unique and creative ideas for the sake of their own intellectual exploration. Students will be encouraged to draw inspiration from and make connections to other aspects of their lives while developing new thought processes and ways of viewing the world.

The course will follow a project-based approach, using specific 1-4 week projects to learn and apply concepts. Each project will begin with learning basic techniques related to the medium. Next, students will brainstorm and plan ideas and create smaller or rough-draft versions. Finally, the unit will culminate in a large final project that will often be shared or displayed with the larger student body. While learning techniques related to each individual media, students will also practice developing their own individual creative process that they can apply to any future project, regardless of the subject.

Teacher: Kenyon Fatt

Algebra 1 is a foundational math course with the goal of instilling in students the essential basic math skills necessary to progress to more challenging and complex courses in the following years. 

Topics covered will include:

• Creating and solving equations and inequalities.
• Systems of equations.
• Basic statistics.
• Working with variables.
• Exponential and quadratic functions.
• Factoring.

Particular emphasis is placed on helping students understand how even basic mathematics and a numerical approach can enable them to better understand and analyze different questions in their lives.

New concepts will be introduced in both a traditional classroom setup — lessons in person and practice problems for homework — during the fall and spring and a flipped classroom setup during the winter, in which students watch video lessons for homework and work through practice problems in class. Practice problems will be graded for completion, while assessments will be given at the end of each chapter/unit to check students’ comprehension of the material. Ultimately, the goal is to provide students with an environment where they can feel comfortable taking risks, asking questions, and building a strong foundation of skills as mathematicians.

Geometry is a spatial mathematics class that aims to understand the dimensionality and representation of shapes in space. The concepts in class build over time, beginning with basic points and lines, progressing to angles and parallel lines, two-dimensional polygons, and ultimately three-dimensional shapes. Students will explore plane and solid geometric figures while investigating topics such as congruence, similarity, length, perimeter, and area. Constructions will enable students to travel between worded descriptions of problems, symbolic notation, and visual representations of ideas. To keep algebraic skills fresh, algebra concepts are interwoven, including the relationship between parallel and perpendicular lines, working in a coordinate plane, equations of circles, data analysis, and simplifying radicals. By working through formal proofs, students will use logic to understand the progression from postulates and definitions to complex theorems. 

Students will be assessed through nightly homework assignments, graded for completion. Daily homework discussions will allow students to share and explain their problem solutions in a collaborative discussion format. This component of the class is essential in encouraging students not just to memorize concepts and solutions but to experience mathematics as a process that requires communication, collaboration, discussion, and perseverance. Each chapter or unit will conclude with a summative test combining topics. Units will also contain more physical, project-based assessments to demonstrate various application applications.

Teacher: Kenyon Fatt

This course is designed to advance students' understanding and application of algebra skills. Topics covered include a brief review of first-degree polynomials followed by an in-depth study of higher-power polynomials, rational, radical, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Particular attention is given to the relationship between functions and their graphs. Central to the course is the development of mathematical modeling and problem-solving skills, where students learn how to craft conceptually and procedurally fluent responses to mathematical prompts. Successful completion of this course enables students to move on to Precalculus.

Teacher: Britta Milks

This course is designed to give students greater preparation for calculus by furthering their study of algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. Students will expand their knowledge of linear and quadratic functions, polynomials, exponential and logarithmic functions, as well as radical and rational functions. Additional topics include an in-depth analysis of trigonometry, an introduction to polar and parametric equations, as well as an exploration of sequences and series. Time permitting, additional topics may include conic sections and a brief introduction to calculus concepts. Successful completion of this course enables students to move on to a calculus course.

Teacher: Britta Milks

This course is equivalent to a first-semester introductory college calculus course, covering differential and integral calculus. Students will study limits of functions, continuity, derivatives, and applications of the derivative. As part of integral calculus, students will examine the definite integral as a limit of Riemann sums, area under a curve, area between two curves, volume of solids, solutions to differential equations, and various real-life applications related to economics, biological, and physical situations. Throughout the course, students will build their understanding of mathematical modeling in order to use functions and data to model real-world situations. Successful completion of this class enables students to move on to more advanced coursework in calculus.

Teacher: Britta Milks

This course is equivalent to a second-semester college calculus course, covering advanced techniques and applications in differential and integral calculus with a focus on transcendental functions. Topics studied include integration by parts, integration by partial fraction decomposition, Euler’s method, logistic models, improper integrals, and arc length of smooth curves. Students will extend calculus techniques to polar coordinates and parametric curves and will end the course with an in-depth study of sequences and series, including Taylor series and tests for convergence. Throughout the course, students will be encouraged to examine concepts from a graphical, numerical, and algebraic perspective. At the end of the course, students will be given a cumulative assignment pulling together all topics covered. Successful completion of this class enables students to move to more advanced coursework in calculus, including linear algebra, differential calculus, and multivariable calculus.

Teacher: Britta Milks

The Econometrics course is designed to introduce the tools and principles essential for estimating and testing economic and statistical relationships. These methods are widely applicable across various disciplines, including accounting, finance, marketing, management, and social sciences. Throughout the course, students will develop an understanding of data collection, analysis, and visualization, with a specific focus on economic and financial systems. To facilitate the learning process, students will utilize tools such as Google Sheets, CODAP, and RStudio to explore statistical and algebraic approaches to working with data and further enhance their understanding of econometrics principles.

By the end of the course, students will possess the knowledge and skills to navigate the intricacies of data analysis effectively. They will also be able to apply fundamental economic theories to real-world fiscal decisions undertaken by governments, businesses, and individuals. By engaging in research, discussions, and presentations, students will have opportunities to interpret and effectively communicate their findings. Using these analytical skills, students should leave the Econometrics course with a solid foundation in applying economic theory and be empowered to make informed decisions throughout life.

Teacher: Duncan Barnes

Dive into the captivating world of biology, where students will learn to ask testable questions, develop critical thinking skills, and explore the intricacies of life. This comprehensive course takes students on a journey through the fascinating realms of organisms, their structures, functions, and interactions within ecosystems. From the cellular level to larger organisms, students will uncover the mysteries of life sciences while addressing pressing contemporary topics, including genetics, ecological conservation, and human impact on ecosystems. Through engaging in hands-on laboratory experiences and field studies, students will hone their scientific inquiry skills, designing experiments and analyzing data to draw informed conclusions. By the end of this course, students will not only have a solid foundation in biology but also an appreciation for the wonders of life and the ability to think critically about the world around them. Inspire your scientific curiosity and embark on an exploration of life's complexities in Biology at Burke Mountain Academy.

Teacher: John Mckinnon

Anatomy and Physiology is an introduction to the anatomy, structure, physiology, or functions of the human body. Building on concepts from biology, students take a tour through the body, learning about the workings of each organ system. Homeostasis, or the stable internal environment of the body, will be a theme of the course, and the class will investigate what homeostasis means for each organ system and what happens when that balance is lost. The first trimester will open with an introduction to homeostasis and an overview of the course before exploring the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems. The second trimester will focus on the skeletal, nervous, and respiratory systems, while the third will finish the year with the digestive, urinary, endocrine, and integumentary systems. Throughout the course, each body system will be assessed through a sports science lens connecting the material learned to the training demands of a ski racer. Assessments in this course include tests and quizzes, lab activities, and research projects.

Teacher: Ida Sargent

Chemistry at Burke Mountain Academy is designed around the unique three-semester curriculum of the alpine race season. The fall curriculum works with weekly chemical interaction investigations that drive the discussions and logic around the basic types of atomic structure, electron configuration, electronegativity, reactivity, and reaction types. The winter material shifts to deeper investigations of the mathematics of chemistry and following a more linear path of learning. This is coupled with SAT and ACT broad science questions in preparation for those tests. During the spring semester, the students will take a concentrated look at the biochemistry of an athlete. Further, we’ll look at global resources in metals and minerals to research and discuss mining and trade.

Teacher: John Mckinnon

Physics at Burke Mountain Academy is designed around the unique three-semester curriculum of the alpine race season.  The fall curriculum is investigation driven, with weekly activities, lab design, and mechanical constructions supporting and testing physics concepts and theories of mass, energy, position, and motion. The winter material shifts to deeper investigations of the mathematics of physics and follows a more linear learning path. The many equations and mathematical theories of physics will be heavily derived, reviewed, and manipulated. Further, each unit will have culminating projects tying math to the physical world.  The content will investigate the field effects of electricity and magnetism for the winter months. The spring semester involves multiple research article reviews and tying rotational and angular concepts to the linear systems studied.

Teacher: John Mckinnon

The Environmental Studies course aims to foster student engagement with scientific and socio-economic principles, concepts, and methodologies essential for comprehending the interrelationships within the natural world and between the natural world and human society. Through this course, students will develop the skills to identify and analyze environmental issues, both natural and anthropogenic, evaluate associated risks, and explore alternative solutions for resolution and prevention. Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses diverse topics such as economics, sociology, ethics, geology, geography, biology, ecology, and chemistry. Within each unit, students will delve into local, regional, national, and international environmental concerns by examining case studies, utilizing media resources, and drawing from personal experiences. Additionally, students are required to collect, analyze, and interpret data and present their findings through detailed reports. Upon completion of the course, students will possess a comprehensive understanding of environmental issues and the necessary tools to actively participate as engaged citizens. They will be equipped to initiate meaningful discussions on environmental concerns at the community, national, and global levels.

Teacher: Duncan Barnes