Anderson High School

2015-2016 Course Selectionfor current 10th and 11th graders

KNOW YOUR OPTIONS!

Course Fair is on Wednesday, January 21st. Your time there is limited, so, before you go, we want you to know about the requirements for graduation and the many different courses at Anderson.

Write down some that you think sound interesting and make sure you visit those tables during the course fair!

4x4 Graduation Requirements

4x4 Graduation Plans

Recommended Plan• English Language Arts…..4.0• Math…...4.0• Science…..4.0• Social Studies…..4.0• Physical Education…..1.5• World Languages…..2.0• Fine Arts…..1.0• Health….0.5• Speech…...0.5• Elective Courses…..4.5• Total Credits…..26.0

Distinguished Plan• English Language Arts…..4.0• Math…..4.0• Science…..4.0• Social Studies…..4.0• Physical Education…..1.5• World Languages…..3.0• Fine Arts…..1.0• Health….0.5• Speech…...0.5• Elective Courses…..3.5• Total Credits…..26.0

**4 Advanced measures are required in addition to the credits.

HB5 Graduation Plan

• Current 10th-12th graders can choose to move to the new HB5 graduation plan.

• Moving to the new graduation plan will change your graduation requirements.

• Students who are interested in switching to the Distinguished Foundation + Endorsement Plan need to visit with their counselor about requirements and the differences between the new plan and the 4x4 Plans.

Abbreviations

• R – Regular (meaning a course that is taught on grade level and is taken for a 4.0 credit)

• H – Honors (meaning a course that is taught at an advanced level and is a weighted 5.0 course)

• PreAP – These are courses that prepare you to later take an AP course in the same subject. All PreAP courses are also Honors courses (so they receive weighted credit).

Abbreviations Cont’d.

• AP – Advanced Placement course. These courses are taught at an advanced level, are weighted credit, and prepare you to take the AP test in May. Students who score a 3 or higher on an AP exam may receive college credit for the course.

• IB – International Baccalaureate course. These courses are taught at an advanced level, receive weighted 5.0 credit, and prepare you to take the IB test in May. Students who score a 4 or higher on an IB exam may receive college credit for the course.

• DC – Dual Credit course. These courses are taught by an ACC instructor on the Anderson campus. Students who complete the course with a passing grade receive both high school credit and college credit for the course. ACC credits will transfer to most universities.

English Courses

English Requirements

All students must take the following English courses:

• English I (R or PreAP)• English II (R or PreAP)• English III (R, AP, or IB)• English IV (R, AP, IB, or DC)

English Electives

Electives offered by the English department include:

• Creative Writing I-II (R or H)

• Debate I-III (H)• Film Analysis I-II (H)• Greek/World Mythology (H)• Newspaper Staff (H)

• Oral Interpretation (H)• Public Speaking (H)• SAT/ACT Prep & College Readiness (R)• Scholars (H)• Speech & Debate After School I-III (H)

Social Studies Courses

Social Studies Requirements

All students must take the following social studies courses:• World Geography (R or PreAP)• World History (R or AP)• United States History (R, AP, or DC)• United States Government (R, AP, or DC) • Economics (R, AP, IB, or DC)

IB History replaces US History, Government, and Economics

Social Studies Electives

Electives offered by the Social Studies department include:• Psychology (R, AP, or IB)• Sociology (R)• Contemporary Issues (H)• Street Law (H)• Criminal Law (H)• CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) (H)• Social Justice: Community & Ethnic Studies (R)• Texas Government (DC) This course counts for college credit

ONLY, but is offered at AHS in the spring.

Math Courses

Math Requirements

All students must take:• Algebra I (R or PreAP)• Geometry (R or PreAP)• Algebra II (R or PreAP)

The 4th math course can be chosen from the following courses:• Math Modeling• Statistics (AP)• Pre-Calculus (R or PreAP)• Advanced Quantitative Reasoning• Calculus AB (AP, IB)• Calculus BC (AP, IB)• Math Studies (IB)• College Algebra (DC)

Any math course taken beyond the 4 required courses becomes a math elective.

Science Courses

Science Requirements

All students must take:• Biology (R or PreAP)• Chemistry (R or PreAP)• Physics (R or PreAP)

The 4th science course can be chosen from the following courses:• IPC (R or H)• Astronomy (R)• Physics I , II or C (AP or IB)• Biology (AP, IB, or DC)• Chemistry (AP or IB)

• Medical Microbiology (R or H)• Pathophysiology (R or H)• Anatomy & Physiology (R or H)• Environmental Systems (R or H)• Advanced Biotechnology (H or

DC)

Any science course taken beyond the four required courses becomes a science elective.

World Languages Courses

World Languages Requirements

Students on the Recommended Plan must have 2 years of the same language other than English and students on the Distinguished Achievement Plan must have 3 years of the same language other than English.• Chinese I-VI• French I-VI• German I-VI• Latin I-VI

Levels I-II are R, level III is H, level IV is AP or IB, and level V is H or IB, and level VI is H.

Any World Language course taken beyond the requirements becomes an elective.

World Languages Requirements Cont’d.

Students in Spanish have a choice whether to take advanced or regular courses in the upper levels:• Spanish I-II (R)• Spanish III (R or PreAP) • Spanish IV (H, AP, or IB)• Spanish V (AP or IB)• Spanish VI (H)

Fine Arts Courses

Fine Arts Requirement

Students must have one Fine Art credit:

• The first level of fine arts courses are always R credit.• All additional fine arts courses are electives. Levels I-II

are R and levels III-IV are H except where noted.

• Art I• Band I• Choir I• Guitar I• Musical Theater I

(before school)

• Orchestra I• Piano I• Technical Theater I• Theater I• Freshmen Select Theater I

(audition required)

Fine Arts Electives

Dance• Dance II-IV• Dance Guard II-IV• Belles II-IV (audition required)

Choir• Boys Choral Music II-IV• Girls Choral Music II-IV

(level II is R, level III-IV R or H. H by audition)

Visual Arts• Drawing II-IV• Fibers II-IV• Painting II-IV• Printmaking II-IV• Studio Art (AP)• Art (IB)

Fine Arts Electives Cont’d.

Instrumental Music• Band II-IV

Concert, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic• Instrumental Ensemble II-IV• Orchestra II-IV• Stage/Jazz Band I-IV (before

school; audition required)

• Guitar II-IV • Music Theory (R or AP)• Music (IB)

Theater• Technical Theater II-IV• Musical Theater II-IV

(before school)

• Theater II-IV• Theater Production II-IV

(audition required)

Fitness Courses

Fitness Requirement

Students are required to have one Fitness Credit:• PE – Aerobics, Individual Sports, Team Sports• PE Substitutions – Marching Band, Dance Guard, Off Campus

PE, Cheerleading• Athletics

• Football• Volleyball• Basketball• Baseball• Softball

• Tennis• Soccer• Swimming• Golf• Wrestling

• Cross Country (fall, before school)

• Track (spring, after school)

• All Fitness courses are regular weighted credit.

Fitness Electives

Students can take up to two years of PE:• PE – Aerobics, Individual Sports, Team Sports

And up to four years of PE substitutions or athletics:• PE Substitutions – Marching Band, Dance Guard, Off Campus

PE, Cheerleading• Athletics

• Football• Volleyball• Basketball• Baseball• Softball• Soccer

• Swimming• Golf• Wrestling• Lacrosse (does not

count as an elective, but is offered after school)

• Tennis• Wrestling• Cross Country• Track• Water Polo (does not

count as an elective, but is offered in the spring, after school)

Health/Speech Courses

Health/Speech Requirements

• Students must take:

• Health (R)

and• Professional Communications (R)

or• Speech (DC)

Elective Courses

Elective Requirements

• Students on the Recommended Plan must have 4.5 elective credits and

• Students on the Distinguished Achievement Plan must have 3.5 elective credits

• Any courses taken beyond the specific graduation requirements for graduation are considered electives.

• Most students will have more than the required amount of elective credits.

CTE Electives

Consumer Science• Child Development• Instructional Practices

in Education & Training

• Lifetime, Nutrition, and Wellness

• Hospitality Services (application required)

Business• Business Information

Management• Principles of

Business, Marketing, & Finance

• Money Matters• Accounting I• Virtual Business

All CTE electives are H credit

CTE Electives Cont’d.

Yearbook/Photography• Graphic Design and

Illustration• Yearbook Staff I-III

(application required)• Commercial

Photography• Adv. Commercial

Photography

Filmmaking• Audio Video

Production• Adv Audio Video

Production• Problems/Solutions in

AVP I-II• Film (IB)

All CTE electives are H credit

CTE Electives Cont’d.

Engineering• Engineering Design &

Presentation• Adv Engineering

Design & Presentation• Electronics• Adv. Electronics• Robotics Team I-II (after

school)

• STEM Entrepreneurship

Manufacturing• Principles of

Manufacturing• Precision Metal

Manufacturing• Adv Precision

Manufacturing

All CTE electives are H credit

CTE Electives Cont’d.

Animation• Digital & Interactive

Media• Animation• Adv Animation I-II• Video Game Design

Computer Programming / Science• Web Technologies• Computer Programming• Adv Computer Programming• Fundamentals of Computer

Science• Computer Science I• Computer Science (AP or IB)

All CTE electives are H credit

Other Electives

General Electives

• AVID I-IV (R)• Sports Medicine I-II (R)

(application required)

• UIL Academic Team (H)• PALS (R) (application and interview required)

• Student as Teacher (H)• TOK (IB)

(IB diploma students only)

Off Periods

• Seniors who have completed their graduation requirements may have up to two off periods each semester. These off periods must be 1st, 2nd, 7th, and/or 8th period.

• Counselors will try to accommodate preferences for morning or afternoon; however, off periods are determined by your other classes and may not be at the time you prefer. Once scheduled, students are not able to change their off period to a different time.

Courses at Other Campuses

Shared Students (new)

Beginning next school year, students can travel to another AISD campuses to take specific courses that are not available on their home campus. Transportation will be provided. These courses include:• American Sign Language (Austin High)• Culinary (Austin High)• Welding (Lanier)• Health Science (Lanier)• Cosmetology (Lanier)• Firefighter (LBJ)• Architecture (McCallum)• JROTC (Reagan)

The counselors will have more information about this at the course fair!

More Information?

Go to www.andersononline.org (2015-2016 Course Selection) for links to the course sheets, course list, and course descriptions.