Enrichment Classes
American Popular Culture
This course explores American popular culture from all realms. Print media, cinema, art, literature, music, entertainment, fashion, and more comprise this course on the influences of American popular culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. This course is designed to provide students with a closer examination of the living history all around them. Projects include song writing, comic book creation, film critiques, theme park design and construction, poetry sharing, and more.
Book Making
As a means of expression and a tool to support literacy, bookmaking is an exciting art craft. Using simple materials such as cardboard, paper, and thread with needles students will build their own book. Subsequent lessons will prompt students to fill the journal in unique and creative ways.
College 101
This course will provide students with an opportunity to see what college might be like. This course will also investigate different types of colleges. Students will also explore the details involved with selecting a college, applying for scholarships, researching financial aide, meeting college entrance requirements, and what it means to have a major/ minor, etc. This course is designed to help the student who is already college bound, as well as encourage students who may have not yet thought about what comes after college.
Creative Writing
Students will be assigned tasks to explore their creative imagination through the learned and applied skills of journaling, poetry, and free-write essay construction. Assignments may include song lyric writing, poetry writing and speaking, storybook construction, related art projects, and more.
Criminal Justice
This course examines the origins and development of Criminal Justice as reflected in ideas, institutions and events. Areas of focus include the U.S. Constitution; structure and powers of the judicial branches; policy-making and factors influencing national policy decisions; civil liberties and civil rights. The course also gives students a look in crime seen investigation, Forensic procedures, law enforcement techniques, and a look into due process.
Drama
This course provides students with an opportunity to study, write, act, and perform beginning drama in a theater setting.
Advanced Drama
Prerequisites: Drama. This course provides an opportunity to further their knowledge and experience of drama building on the first course curriculum. To study, write, act, and perform advanced drama in a theater setting.
Drawing and Painting
This class involves the investigation of many different approaches to creating art with media such as charcoal, pastel, graphite, ink, Craypas, tempera, and acrylic. Students will be encouraged to develop at their own pace. This course will highlight a variety of techniques and approaches to drawing and painting as well as methods for presenting artwork in a portfolio.
Dance
This course provides students with an opportunity to study, practice, and perform various types of dance. Students examine the history and cultural implications of several dances from around the world.
Dance Fitness
This course is designed to offer an exciting way to strengthen core muscles and elevate each student’s fitness level. Cardio exercises will be introduced throughout this class. This class offers modifications for all fitness levels from beginning to advanced.
Guitar A
Students in the Guitar I course will receive a broad introduction to guitar playing and the fundamentals of music. The performance emphasis will be on caring for the guitar, tuning the instrument, applying correct posture and right and left-hand technique, as well as playing first position chords, the five root positions, basic scales and beginning songs. The music theory fundamentals covered in this course include chromatic and diatonic scales, note names, simple intervals, chord qualities, melody, harmony, and rhythm.
Guitar B
Prerequisite: Guitar 1
Students in the Guitar II course will expand on their foundations of guitar playing and the fundamentals of music. The performance emphasis will be on refining technique, playing barre chords, scales and arpeggios, and playing more advanced music as an ensemble. The music theory fundamentals covered in this course include understanding how scales and chords are constructed (and how they relate to each other), working in keys, analyzing, transposing chord progressions, and song writing.
Introduction to Art
This course is designed to give students a basic overview of various art techniques through the study of art history and art creation. The elements and principles of design will be studied through two dimensional and three dimensional art.
Intermediate Art
Prerequisite: Intro to Art
Students taking this course will begin to develop their technical and conceptual art-making skills using several artistic media, writing assignments, and critiquing exercises. Students will explore important themes, such as community, diversity, and identity in order to expand their understanding of their worlds.
Journalism
This course provides students with a historical and cultural context for understanding journalism. This rigorous writing program emphasizes performance learning, the journalistic writing process, current design trends and desktop publishing skills. Students will gain awareness of professional opportunities in the journalism field and the skills necessary in communicating in the print media. There is an emphasis on vocabulary development, critical thinking, researching, interviewing, listening, observing, reporting, writing, editing, word processing, desktop publishing, and photography.
Life Connections A
Grades: 11 or 12 or instructor approval
This course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of important life issues that concern the self. Emphasis will be placed on identity development, self-esteem, values, family, peer relationships, realistic wellness, and drug education. Students will be consistently required to connect all of the above topics to their lives in order to evaluate the direction in which their lives are headed.
Life Connections B
Prerequisite: Life Skills I
This course concentrates on life after high school. Areas of study include etiquette, career exploration, job applications, resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Financial planning, living on your own, paying bills, and balancing a checkbook are some of the units covered. Additionally, we discuss components of the college application process, including financial aid, internet scholarship searches, filling out scholarship applications and writing personal essays.
Mexican American Studies
This class will explore Mexican-American history and examine the influence of Hispanic culture on American citizens. Border issues, historical study, and the exploration of significant Mexican-American history will all be touched upon.
Reflections: Poetry & Lyrics
This course allows students to examine various forms of musical lyrics as inspiration for poetic and artistic projects
Sociology
This course focuses on human relationships and interaction with sociological emphasis on human interaction and psychology. This course brings together aspects of social studies and science as it examines how the actions of human beings impact the lives of others.
Psychology
This course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human being and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
Qi Gong/Tai Chi
This course focuses on historical and physical applications of Qi Gong/Tai Chi. Breathing, stretching, and meditations techniques will be learned and practiced as students learn the Asian art of Qi Gong/Tai Chi.
Yoga
This course focuses on the Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures. This classis will promote health and relaxation.
Yearbook
This course provides students with a hands-on learning opportunity that emphasizes performance learning, the yearbook journalistic writing process, sales, promotion, marketing, advertising, fundraising, current design trends and desktop publishing skills. Staff members are expected to be active participants in all class activities and discussions. Students are responsible for writing, editing, designing, and laying out the publication of Alta Vista High School’s student yearbook. Students will take this course for two blocks.
This course explores American popular culture from all realms. Print media, cinema, art, literature, music, entertainment, fashion, and more comprise this course on the influences of American popular culture in the 20th and 21st centuries. This course is designed to provide students with a closer examination of the living history all around them. Projects include song writing, comic book creation, film critiques, theme park design and construction, poetry sharing, and more.
Book Making
As a means of expression and a tool to support literacy, bookmaking is an exciting art craft. Using simple materials such as cardboard, paper, and thread with needles students will build their own book. Subsequent lessons will prompt students to fill the journal in unique and creative ways.
College 101
This course will provide students with an opportunity to see what college might be like. This course will also investigate different types of colleges. Students will also explore the details involved with selecting a college, applying for scholarships, researching financial aide, meeting college entrance requirements, and what it means to have a major/ minor, etc. This course is designed to help the student who is already college bound, as well as encourage students who may have not yet thought about what comes after college.
Creative Writing
Students will be assigned tasks to explore their creative imagination through the learned and applied skills of journaling, poetry, and free-write essay construction. Assignments may include song lyric writing, poetry writing and speaking, storybook construction, related art projects, and more.
Criminal Justice
This course examines the origins and development of Criminal Justice as reflected in ideas, institutions and events. Areas of focus include the U.S. Constitution; structure and powers of the judicial branches; policy-making and factors influencing national policy decisions; civil liberties and civil rights. The course also gives students a look in crime seen investigation, Forensic procedures, law enforcement techniques, and a look into due process.
Drama
This course provides students with an opportunity to study, write, act, and perform beginning drama in a theater setting.
Advanced Drama
Prerequisites: Drama. This course provides an opportunity to further their knowledge and experience of drama building on the first course curriculum. To study, write, act, and perform advanced drama in a theater setting.
Drawing and Painting
This class involves the investigation of many different approaches to creating art with media such as charcoal, pastel, graphite, ink, Craypas, tempera, and acrylic. Students will be encouraged to develop at their own pace. This course will highlight a variety of techniques and approaches to drawing and painting as well as methods for presenting artwork in a portfolio.
Dance
This course provides students with an opportunity to study, practice, and perform various types of dance. Students examine the history and cultural implications of several dances from around the world.
Dance Fitness
This course is designed to offer an exciting way to strengthen core muscles and elevate each student’s fitness level. Cardio exercises will be introduced throughout this class. This class offers modifications for all fitness levels from beginning to advanced.
Guitar A
Students in the Guitar I course will receive a broad introduction to guitar playing and the fundamentals of music. The performance emphasis will be on caring for the guitar, tuning the instrument, applying correct posture and right and left-hand technique, as well as playing first position chords, the five root positions, basic scales and beginning songs. The music theory fundamentals covered in this course include chromatic and diatonic scales, note names, simple intervals, chord qualities, melody, harmony, and rhythm.
Guitar B
Prerequisite: Guitar 1
Students in the Guitar II course will expand on their foundations of guitar playing and the fundamentals of music. The performance emphasis will be on refining technique, playing barre chords, scales and arpeggios, and playing more advanced music as an ensemble. The music theory fundamentals covered in this course include understanding how scales and chords are constructed (and how they relate to each other), working in keys, analyzing, transposing chord progressions, and song writing.
Introduction to Art
This course is designed to give students a basic overview of various art techniques through the study of art history and art creation. The elements and principles of design will be studied through two dimensional and three dimensional art.
Intermediate Art
Prerequisite: Intro to Art
Students taking this course will begin to develop their technical and conceptual art-making skills using several artistic media, writing assignments, and critiquing exercises. Students will explore important themes, such as community, diversity, and identity in order to expand their understanding of their worlds.
Journalism
This course provides students with a historical and cultural context for understanding journalism. This rigorous writing program emphasizes performance learning, the journalistic writing process, current design trends and desktop publishing skills. Students will gain awareness of professional opportunities in the journalism field and the skills necessary in communicating in the print media. There is an emphasis on vocabulary development, critical thinking, researching, interviewing, listening, observing, reporting, writing, editing, word processing, desktop publishing, and photography.
Life Connections A
Grades: 11 or 12 or instructor approval
This course is designed to provide the student with a basic understanding of important life issues that concern the self. Emphasis will be placed on identity development, self-esteem, values, family, peer relationships, realistic wellness, and drug education. Students will be consistently required to connect all of the above topics to their lives in order to evaluate the direction in which their lives are headed.
Life Connections B
Prerequisite: Life Skills I
This course concentrates on life after high school. Areas of study include etiquette, career exploration, job applications, resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Financial planning, living on your own, paying bills, and balancing a checkbook are some of the units covered. Additionally, we discuss components of the college application process, including financial aid, internet scholarship searches, filling out scholarship applications and writing personal essays.
Mexican American Studies
This class will explore Mexican-American history and examine the influence of Hispanic culture on American citizens. Border issues, historical study, and the exploration of significant Mexican-American history will all be touched upon.
Reflections: Poetry & Lyrics
This course allows students to examine various forms of musical lyrics as inspiration for poetic and artistic projects
Sociology
This course focuses on human relationships and interaction with sociological emphasis on human interaction and psychology. This course brings together aspects of social studies and science as it examines how the actions of human beings impact the lives of others.
Psychology
This course is designed to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human being and other animals. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
Qi Gong/Tai Chi
This course focuses on historical and physical applications of Qi Gong/Tai Chi. Breathing, stretching, and meditations techniques will be learned and practiced as students learn the Asian art of Qi Gong/Tai Chi.
Yoga
This course focuses on the Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures. This classis will promote health and relaxation.
Yearbook
This course provides students with a hands-on learning opportunity that emphasizes performance learning, the yearbook journalistic writing process, sales, promotion, marketing, advertising, fundraising, current design trends and desktop publishing skills. Staff members are expected to be active participants in all class activities and discussions. Students are responsible for writing, editing, designing, and laying out the publication of Alta Vista High School’s student yearbook. Students will take this course for two blocks.
