CURRICULUM
Empowering Lifelong Learners
At Burke Mountain Academy, our college-preparatory academic program fosters a passion for lifelong learning. Our expert faculty, who hold 100% Master's Degrees or higher, is deeply committed to our students' success.
With an average class size of eight, BMA leverages an individualized approach to education. We focus on engaging students and empowering them to be partners in their educational journey. Here, students learn how to solve problems and think creatively in an academic environment that encourages exploration, growth, and the pursuit of knowledge.
Curriculum
Firmly rooted in project-based and experiential learning, our curriculum is constantly refined, reflecting our dedication to innovation and our commitment to providing a rich and challenging course of study to empower each student. Using small classes and strong relationships between students and faculty, we strive toward character development goals, work ethic, and lifelong intellectual curiosity.
Course Catalog 2025-26
HUMANITIES
English
Humanities 8 is an exploration of American history and literature. Every unit begins with a contemporary belief, event, or literary work to ignite curiosity about the underlying historical catalysts. Compelling themes such as American Exceptionalism, the Individual vs. the American Wilderness, the American Dream, and American Civil Liberties and Civil Rights provide a rich environment for the development of curiosity, connections, and critical thinking. Reading skills are honed using historical primary sources and literature as well as contemporary literature and informational texts. Writing is developed through analysis of texts, writing workshops, and research skills development. Geography is integrated into each unit. Vocabulary is taught through the study of Greek and Latin roots, affixes, and prefixes, and grammar is taught through sentence analysis and modeling.
Teacher: Erin Sweeney
- Course Catalog
- English
- Humanities
- academics
In English 9, students will read, analyze, and use works of poetry, creative nonfiction, persuasive nonfiction, fiction, and speech to inspire writing on topics of personal interest. We will begin with poetry to study language devices, format, and word choice, and then use these tools in our storytelling unit modeled on NPR’s The Moth Radio Hour. What makes a story “true,” and can there be truth in fiction? To explore these questions and the art of characterization, we will read Daniel Wallace’s Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions and analyze how director Tim Burton adapts the story for the big screen. We will then focus on theme by reading Golding’s classic Lord of the Flies, discussing the rules of a civil society and the breakdown of civility, and then practice civil dialogue in a Socratic Seminar on the novel. Finally, in our quest to become competent communicators and involved citizens, we will study the art of persuasion using short texts and speeches from the American Environmental Movement. Students will choose an issue they care about, research, and write a persuasive essay and speech. Throughout the course, vocabulary will be studied through Greek and Latin root groups, and students will apply their understanding through reading contemporary news articles, and grammar will be studied through sentence patterns and professional models.
Teacher: Erin Sweeney
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- English
- Humanities
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English 10 is primarily focused on developing critical thinking through monumental works of dystopian fiction and the Western canon. These works utilize trends in human psychology, society, and government to produce extreme scenarios that force readers to reflect on their own 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. While somewhat outside the dystopian theme of the first couple of trimesters, our final units will be dedicated to a study of the holocaust, an introduction to the Western philosophical tradition, and considering perspective through The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Teacher: Jonathan Gerkin
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- English
- Humanities
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Academic Writing is an innovative course intended to help upperclassmen prepare for the rigors of college writing assignments. During the first trimester, 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 trimesters, students will be writing weekly essays in their Google portfolios with constantly varying topics, styles, and points of views. 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
- Course Catalog
- English
- Humanities
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In English 12, students will engage with a wide variety of shorter texts—essays, op-eds, articles, and book excerpts—that offer diverse perspectives on contemporary issues, human behavior, and the art of communication itself. The goal is not to get through a single story, but to encounter many, with curiosity as the compass. English 12 is designed to inspire a genuine appreciation for good reading and writing—not as schoolwork, but as essential tools for thinking, connecting, and making sense of the world.
This course will empower students to recognize how language shapes experience and understanding, and how clear, thoughtful writing can expand the quality of their relationships and interactions, in and out of the classroom. We’ll read to discover new ideas; we’ll write to work through those ideas; and then we’ll go back to reading (and writing) again—with new questions and connections. At the heart of this course is the belief that stories—whether personal, persuasive, or analytical—shape how we see the world and how we move through it. Ideally, students will leave this class not just as more skilled readers and writers, but as more confident thinkers, communicators, and citizens of a rapidly changing world.
Teacher: Alyssa Belcher
- Course Catalog
- English
- English 12
- Humanities
- academics
In The Twilight of the Idols, Frederich Nietzsche referenced Dostoevsky as “the only psychologist from whom I had something to learn.” Freud, Sartre, and Camus claimed to be similarly influenced by his works. Through his stories, Dostoevsky conveyed a host of contradictory theories, religious ideals, and major moral questions that conflict constantly due to his erratic characters; however, he is not the only author to do so. While fiction is, by definition, the telling of imagined stories, these stories can carry the weight of their author’s moral perspective, details of their historical context, and the very essence of their philosophical worldview. Throughout history, art, literature, religion, and philosophy have participated in the same conversation on the meaning and perception of life itself. How does Camus’ The Stranger convey the absurdity of existence to its readers? What does Woolf’s modernist style convey about the human psyche? In Philosophy and Literature, students will study literature, literary theory, and philosophy in order to explore literature as a sounding board for major philosophical concepts throughout history.
Teacher: Jonathan Gerkin
- Course Catalog
- English
- Humanities
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History
This full-year course is a comprehensive survey intended to expose students to the major themes and events of modern World History. The course is organized chronologically, beginning with the Age of Absolutism and closing with the conjoined calamity of World War II and the Holocaust. Formal assessments include unit tests, quizzes, short analytical essays, formal debates, and projects.
While the course takes an in-depth look at European state formation and the subsequent geopolitical rivalries and conflicts that beset that continent, significant attention is dedicated to developments in the global south and in Asia. Given the bewildering number of events and developments over the last four centuries globally, the course seeks to bring meaning and coherence to our study of modern history by organizing the material around the four major themes listed below.
Teacher: Dave Chamberlain
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- History
- Humanities
- academics
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
- Course Catalog
- History
- Humanities
- academics
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 as well as 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 will include unit tests, projects, formal debates, presentations, and short analytical essays.
Throughout the year, we will use American Yawp, a free online textbook, and excerpts from Eric Foner’s Give Me Liberty as our primary readers. Supplemental readings will also be distributed each week; these will include 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
- Course Catalog
- History
- Humanities
- academics
This full-year course is a comprehensive survey intended to expose students to the major themes and events of Modern World History, giving unity to this broad topic through the four themes of 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
- Course Catalog
- History
- Humanities
- academics
MATH
Statistics
The Statistics course at Burke Mountain Academy introduces students to the core principles of statistics and probability, equipping them with essential tools for data literacy in today’s digital world. Throughout the year, students will build the skills needed to critically interpret and engage with data from their everyday lives. t to more accurately and critically interpret the digital and social world around them. Beginning with foundational concepts such as descriptive statistics and data visualization, the course gradually moves toward more advanced topics, including probability, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing, and correlation analysis. As the course progresses, students will advance from interpreting available data to collecting and analyzing their own data. Students will explore topics of personal interest and use statistical reasoning to thoughtfully engage with complex, real-world, and community issues—developing the ability to construct evidence-based arguments from multiple perspectives.
Teacher: Ida Sargent
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- Math
- academics
Calculus 2
Calculus 2
This comprehensive course covers advanced integration techniques and applications for single variable functions. Students will extend their knowledge of integration from Calculus I to include integration by parts, trigonometric substitution, and improper integrals. Applications of differentiation and integration will extend to parametric equations and equations defined in polar coordinates. An in-depth study of sequences and series will complete the course with emphasis placed on tests for convergence and divergence, power series, McLaurin and Taylor series, and the interval and radius of convergence. Successful completion of this class enables students to move on to more advanced mathematical coursework such as Multivariable Calculus, Differential Equations, or Linear Algebra.
Teacher: Britta Milks
- Course Catalog
- Math
- academics
Calculus
Calculus
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
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- Math
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Precalculus
Precalculus
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
- Course Catalog
- Math
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Algebra 2
Algebra 2
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
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- Math
- academics
Geometry
Geometry
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. As an intermediary class between Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, Geometry class also aims to keep algebraic skills fresh by interweaving concepts of algebra, including the slopes of parallel and perpendicular lines, working in a coordinate plane, equations of circles, factoring, and simplifying radicals. By working through formal proofs, students will use logic in order 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 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 and gauging students’ mastery of the content. Units will also contain more physical, project-based assessments in order to demonstrate various practical applications of concepts.
Teacher: Kenyon Fatt
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- Math
- academics
Algebra 1
Algebra 1
Algebra I is a course that introduces students to strategies enabling them to simplify expressions, solve algebraic equations, and graph equations and inequalities before moving on to factoring polynomials and working with quadratic equations. Through sustained practice in these concepts, students will also reinforce their understanding of fractions, decimals, and square roots, as well as basic computation skills. Students will work on problem-solving skills to build the foundation necessary to tackle more complex mathematics concepts in future classes. During the first trimester, students will be working with algebraic expressions, equations, and functions - gradually working with more complex equations. During the second trimester, students will be working with linear equations and inequalities, solving and graphing these systems. Students will also learn to factor polynomials through trial and error and by recognizing patterns. The third trimester focuses on more factoring skills and working with quadratic equations. In class problem solving, nightly homework assignments, weekly quizzes, and/or larger end of unit assessments will solidify learning.
Teachers: Tom Forster and Kenyon Fatt
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- Math
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FOREIGN LANGUAGE
World Languages
French 1-4 and AP, Spanish 1-4 and AP, German 1-4
We have partnered with Edmentum Online Learning and Educere/Founders Education for our World Language offerings. These partnerships have allowed us to offer online French, Spanish, and German courses to our students at a flexible schedule designed around the individual needs of each student. All courses are asynchronous, so students are able to work at their own pace through the courses with personalized start and end dates to best structure their learning needs throughout the calendar year. In addition to the flexible scheduling, the online platform provides a greater range of course offerings, all designed to build communication skills and confidence in a foreign language.
- Course Catalog
- World Language
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ELECTIVES
Economics
Economics
Economics at Burke Mountain Academy is a Socratic, data-driven exploration of why individuals, firms, and governments make the choices they do and how those choices ripple through markets and society. Blending classical economic theory with hands-on analytics, the course weaves together micro- and macroeconomics, behavioral insights, and introductory econometrics. Students learn to build and test economic models in Google Sheets, clean and visualize real-world data, and communicate their findings in clear, persuasive prose and presentations. By discussing current events and policy proposals, students sharpen their ability to question assumptions, weigh trade-offs, and make evidence-based decisions in their own lives.
During the fall, we anchor ourselves in microeconomics with discussions on utility maximization, supply-and-demand dynamics, and market structures, with brief forays into behavioral and business economics revealing where these theories meet messy human realities. The winter pivots to the econometric “toolbox”: descriptive statistics, probability, confidence intervals, correlation, and linear regression, all practiced on student-collected and public economic datasets. Spring zooms out to macroeconomics, using GDP, unemployment, and inflation to understand the levers of fiscal and monetary policy against the backdrop of today’s political economy. By the year’s end, students should possess a fluent, data-backed economic lens for personal, civic, and career decisions.
Teacher: Duncan Barnes
- Course Catalog
- Electives
- academics
Economics
Economics is a survey course designed to cover the fundamentals of Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, and Data Science and the interrelationships between them. As such, we will rely heavily upon practical exercises, examples, case studies, and projects throughout the year to reinforce the theoretical concepts covered in class discussions.
Teacher: Duncan Barnes
- Electives
- academics
Open Art Studio
The Open Art Studio time is meant to provide students with a low-stakes space to unwind from the academic and athletic rigors that they may be facing in other aspects of their lives. With a door-is-always-open policy, students are encouraged to come in any time they feel without needing to adhere to the strict structure of an official class. Materials for a variety of projects and media will be available for use, allowing students to pursue their own interests. Alongside that, there will be a steady rotation of selected weekly projects in order to encourage students to explore skills, techniques, and ideas that may be unfamiliar to them. Ultimately, the art room is meant to be a welcoming and safe space for students to explore artistic creativity in their own way with as much or as little guidance as they want.
Teacher: Kenyon Fatt
- Electives
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