Course Descriptions 2008-2009

List of Credit Areas :

Click on the name of the credit area to jump directly to that place in the Course Descriptions. To see more specific information about graduation requirements, click here.

Community Service
Cultural Arts
            Music
            Performing Arts
            Visual Arts
Enrichment
Foreign Language and Culture
            French
            Spanish
Health
Language Arts
Mathematics
Physical Education
            Dance
            Interscholastic Sports Teams
            Other Physical Education Classes
            Yoga
Science
            Biological Science
            Physical Science
Social Studies
            European History
            Geography
            Non-Western History
            Other Social Studies
            US History

Community Service (CS)
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Students are required to take two terms of community service per year for a total of eight courses to graduate.

Art Show
Students in this class will help to coordinate, design and follow through with the production of the Spring Art Show.  Before the big event, we may explore site-specific work and establish through conversation and experimentation how we would best like to produce a successful Art Show that incorporates visual art, music, and a fashion show by the Fashion Design class.
CREDIT:  CS

Building Techniques
Students in this class will work on a construction project on campus.  Past projects have included a shed for storage, a tree house, and a hut for the Lower School pigs.
CREDIT:  CS

Construction Maintenance
In Con Main classes, students will be caring for the grounds, doing some work on buildings and generally helping to keep the school running.   This class also helps to manage the school’s recycling program.
CREDIT:  CS

Lakewood Elementary School
Students travel to Durham’s Lakewood Elementary School, accompanied by an Upper School teacher, to assist younger students with their studies.  Students who have worked at Lakewood have thoroughly enjoyed being mentors to their younger counterparts.
CREDIT:  CS

Peer Tutoring
Students may earn credit by tutoring another Upper School student in a subject area in which they feel particularly competent. This tutoring may take place during a student’s free period, at lunchtime, or after school. In order to earn credit students must keep track of their contact hours and complete a minimum amount of time agreed upon with their supervisor. Students should indicate their interest in tutoring during course registration time by filling out a Peer Tutoring form, listing times available and the content area they would like to cover. Students will then be matched with those requesting tutoring.
CREDIT:  CS

Site Specific Project in Dance 
In this class we will explore the relationship of place and space.  We will study artists that have chosen to set their work in areas other than the proscenium stage.  Improvisational structures and choreographic assignments will be designed to help dancers generate and structure innovative movement for a specific geographic place within the CFS landscape.  Think basketball court, steps of the US, Miller’s Bluff, etc.  Jeramie Orton and Annie will work together with you to create a piece that will be shaped by the environment and shared in an informal way.  We are interested in having several live musicians as part of this experience.  It promises to be a once in a lifetime learning experience of dancing into spring.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-PA, CS, or PE

Teaching Assistant
Please check with Willy for the available times and locations before you sign up.  Teaching Assistants work in the Campus Early School, Lower School, Middle School, Upper School and in the Center.  In the younger units students might assist younger students with their work or assist the classroom teachers with an assortment of tasks.  Students may work in the Lower School library or in the Upper School/Middle School library.  Students may also serve as a teacher’s assistant in the Upper School either for a specific teacher or with Willy in the Main Office.  Students who TA in the Center will assist Nancy with general work for the entire school.  Students should check with individual teachers for such service opportunities before signing up.
CREDIT:  CS

Teaching Assistant in the Computer Lab
TAs in the Computer Lab will provide assistance to computer users by answering questions about the hardware and software.  They will also help to clean and maintain the equipment, install software, make signs, photocopy, and do data entry.
CREDIT:  CS

Teaching Assistant in the Art Studio
Students interested in doing service work in the studio are welcome during any period of the day.  If you have a specific interest like ceramics or photography, please sign up to assist in those areas.
CREDIT:  CS

Tech Theatre
This class will function as support for the Upper School Dance Concert and Spring Play.  Class work might include set building and design.
CREDIT:  CS or CA-PA

Yearbook
This class will be working on the production of the annual CFS Yearbook.  Students will be involved in the process of lay-out, cropping and editing (both on computer and on paper), selling ads, creating artwork and taking and printing of photographs.  The fall trimester will only involve yearbook students from the past year.  Students new to Yearbook are encouraged to sign up for the winter term.  All yearbook students will be required to spend one full out-of-school day to finalize the yearbook sometime during the last week of the winter term.  A keen interest in detailed work is of utmost importance for this class, as well as a sense of responsibility in being able to work both independently as well as cooperatively on a team directed by peers.
CREDIT:  CS or CA-VA

Cultural Arts (CA)
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Students are required to take eight total Cultural Arts courses to graduate.  Two of these courses must be in the Visual Arts (CA-VA), two in the Performing Arts (CA-PA), and one in Music (CA-MU).  All of the classes listed below are term-long classes unless otherwise noted.

Music (CA-MU)

Acoustic Guitar Making
The course in Acoustic Guitar Making can accommodate up to six students per term.  One to three students may build a ‘school’ guitar, that is, the materials will be purchased by CFS, and the completed guitar will stay in the Music Department; another 1-3 students may choose to purchase the materials themselves, and work on a guitar that they can keep afterwards.  No musical ability required - you do not have to play an instrument to build one.  But some experience in woodworking is preferable.  Patience and attention to detail are an absolute MUST.  See Ken for more information.
CREDIT:  CA-MU or CA-VA

History of Rock and Roll
This course examines fundamentals of music including rhythm, harmony, melody, form and style.  Emphasis is given to the development of the 20th century popular forms with extensive listening and analysis of significant innovators.  Students also research and present a project examining an important musical force – be it an individual, group or stylistic trend.
CREDIT:  CA-MU

Music Ensemble
These groups explore a variety of popular styles including rock, country, folk, blues and jazz.  Instrumentalists need to have at least some experience.  Everyone is welcome to sign up as a vocalist.  The only prerequisite is a desire to sing (most vocals are a soloist with background singers).  The groups typically perform once a term.
LIMIT:    3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-MU

Music 101
This music class offers students the chance to listen to, share, write, experiment with, invent and perform music.  No experience playing an instrument is necessary for this class, and students are invited to experiment with a variety of instruments.  Experienced players are welcome, too!
CREDIT:  CA-MU

Quaker N’oats
The Upper School A’Capella group, the Quaker N’oats, is open to all interested students.  The group performs at many school functions including Riser’s Night, Visitor’s Day, and Graduation.
CREDIT:  CA-MU or CA-PA

Performing Arts (CA-PA)

Advanced Yoga
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between mind, body and spirit. Many people think that yoga is stretching.  While stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses (known as “asanas”), each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. Yoga also helps one maintain a “one pointed mind” or the ability to stay focused in the moment, thereby quieting mental chatter and increasing peace of mind.
The goals of this class include the exploration of these physical and mental possibilities and practices. This class is particularly characterized by an emphasis on fitness in the Hatha yoga style (the branch of yoga which concentrates on physical health and mental well-being through bodily postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana) with the goal of bringing about a sound, healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind). As a class, we journey through asanas during each class meeting, with the end goal being that each person grows through his/her own unique experience and self-discovery within the group. *Further, as Advanced Yoga students, additional expectations for the course include a creative project of one’s own choosing to conceptualize that person’s deeper understanding of the mind-body-breath/spirit connection within the practice, as well as the philosophical underpinnings of this ancient art. Finally, each student is expected to teach five asanas to the class by the end of the course (the purpose being that through this method, one learns the practice like never before--from another angle, thereby deepening one’s overall understanding).
Students taking this course should have an authentic desire to pursue Yoga at a deeper level, both physically and mentally (and therefore come to class with that expectation and opportunity in mind).
CREDIT:  CA-PA or PE

Quaker N’oats
The Upper School A’Capella group, the Quaker N’oats, is open to all interested students.  The group performs at many school functions including Riser’s Night, Visitor’s Day, and Graduation.
CREDIT:  CA-PA or CA-MU

Tech Theatre
This class will function as support for the Upper School Dance Concert and Spring Play.  Class work might include set building and design.
CREDIT:  CA-PA or CS

Acting – Introductory Level

Beginning Acting
Students will focus upon fundamentals of performance by studying, rehearsing, and performing before the class selected monologues and scenes.  Basics include character development, vocal technique, physicalization of internal states, and improvisation.
CREDIT:  CA-PA

Acting – Intermediate Level

Play Production
Auditions will be held in the Winter Term for the Spring play, the musical Footloose.  You may sign up for this class if you have had Beginning Acting.  This class will be a two period class (7th and 8th period) in the spring.  One class period will focus on the dance and movement, the other on the acting and music.  Students must sign up for both class periods.
CREDIT:  CA-PA

Acting – Advanced Level

Advanced Acting
For the 2008-2009 school year the Advanced Acting class will present Lillian Hellman’s The Children’s Hour.  This powerful drama about the dangers of misinformation and negative assumptions is a fresh today as when it was first performed in the 1930s.  We hope that our production will lead to some meaningful conversations.  Auditions will be held in the spring term.
CREDIT:  CA-PA
PREREQUISITE:  Beginning Acting and a Performance Class (Improvisation, Play Production, or a previous Advanced Acting project).

Advanced Acting:   Winter Senior Project
This class will be by invitation-only to advanced female actors.  It will be taught in the Winter Term.  The play will be R & J, a modern-day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.  Auditions will be held in the spring term.
CREDIT:  CA-PA

Dance – Introductory/Intermediate Level

Dance Styles Exploration
Have you ever wondered about the vast range of techniques and styles that make up modern dance?  This new and exciting dance experience will provide an opportunity to work with a series of guest artists in specific styles.  These guest artists will each teach a unit on their particular area of expertise.  The styles will range from traditional modern to hip-hop to aerial dance.  It is a chance to develop your technical skills as you experiment with new ways of moving your body.  Along the way we will analyze the characteristics of each style of dance and study some of the choreographers who have brought the style forward.  Students will be required to dress out and participate on a daily basis.  There will be required outside reading and reflections.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-PA or PE

Improvisation & Dance
This course is designed for you to learn about yourself as a mover and to interact closely in group movement activities.  Principles of improvisation involve working within limitations and thinking on your feet.  By setting various improvisational structures, we will work with spontaneous creation and sustained concentration.  This is a process-oriented rather than a product-oriented course.  Attendance is crucial to receive credit and to build the feeling of group.  Limited outside reading and reaction writing are required.  Improvisational activities because of their nature are a challenge to the experienced dancer as well as the beginner, both are welcome.  Improvisational activities will vary for each group and each trimester, therefore, this course may be taken more than once.  If interest is high, we may share some of our improvisational structures with an audience.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-PA or PE

Site Specific Project in Dance
In this class we will explore the relationship of place and space.  We will study artists that have chosen to set their work in areas other than the proscenium stage.  Improvisational structures and choreographic assignments will be designed to help dancers generate and structure innovative movement for a specific geographic place within the CFS landscape.  Think basketball court, steps of the US, Miller’s Bluff, etc.  Jeramie Orton and Annie will work together with you to create a piece that will be shaped by the environment and shared in an informal way.  We are interested in having several live musicians as part of this experience.  It promises to be a once in a lifetime learning experience of dancing into spring.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-PA, PE or CS

Dance – Intermediate/Advanced Level

Modern Dance:  Collaboration & Performance
This class will emphasize the body in motion and the technique of modern dance.  Students will work collaboratively on a dance inspired by the theme of the “Landscape of Emotion.”   Dancers will be asked to contribute and learn dance phrases in the process.  There will be a specific emphasis on the relationship between technical and creative development.  STUDENTS NEED TO TAKE THIS CLASS FOR BOTH THE FALL AND WINTER TERMS BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS CUMULATIVE.  There will be outside rehearsals initially on Monday afternoons and then on Thursday afternoons after the winter term begins until the December sharing.  After winter break, dancers will have the opportunity to collaborate with a guest artist during the last third of the term.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-PA or PE
PREREQUISITE: Consistent Dance experience in the US or permission of Instructor

Dance – Advanced Level

Advanced Dance:  Collaboration & Performance
Students will work collaboratively to develop work thematically related to the concept of the “Landscape of Emotion.”   The theme will be explored in both dance and video.  Dancers participating in this project will need to research a particular emotion in depth during the summer months and collect dance phrases.  All dancers will meet in August with the instructor, videographer and other artists where their findings will shape the direction of the concert.  Students will explore motivations for selecting movement around the stated theme.  The concert will be on continuous thought that invites audience engagement in a particular way.  There will be opportunities for dancers to design small portions of this collaborative work based on their research. This process requires a high level of commitment and self-direction.  After school rehearsals on Thursday afternoons will be required until winter break.  There will be a sharing of work midway through the Winter Term.  STUDENTS NEED TO TAKE ADVANCED DANCE IN BOTH THE FALL AND WINTER TERMS BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS CUMULATIVE. After winter break students will have the opportunity to work with a guest artist during the last third of the term.
LIMIT:   3 excused absences
CREDIT:  CA-PA or PE
PREREQUISITE:  Modern Dance or Advanced Dance & Permission of Instructor

Visual Arts (CA-VA)

Acoustic Guitar Making
The course in Acoustic Guitar Making can accommodate up to six students per term.  One to three students may build a ‘school’ guitar, that is, the materials will be purchased by CFS, and the completed guitar will stay in the Music Department; another 1-3 students may choose to purchase the materials themselves, and work on a guitar that they can keep afterwards.  No musical ability required - you do not have to play an instrument to build one.  But some experience in woodworking is preferable.  Patience and attention to detail are an absolute MUST.  See Ken for more information.
CREDIT:  CA-VA or CA-MU

Advanced Photography
Need description.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Art and Politics
This class will examine politically committed art in its historical context in order to get a better understanding of the power of art.  We will look at Guernica by Pablo Picasso and works by the Guerilla Girls, as well as street performance and other political expressions.  The goal of this class is to study art as a tool and then wield that tool ourselves. During the term students will be asked to choose a political issue and create a work of art that addresses that issue in a new and creative way.  Often when faced with complex political situations we ask ourselves, what can we do?  In this class we will study people’s response to that question and look for our own answers.  This is a studio Art History course.
CREDIT: CA-VA or SS-OT

Basketweaving
Relax and enjoy weaving baskets the way it’s been done for hundreds of years.  We’ll weave several different styles of baskets, but we’ll concentrate on regional Appalachian ribbed baskets and functional basic baskets.  The historical aspects of baskets will also be discussed. 
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Clay and Sculpture
This class will include 3-D projects in a variety of media.  The class includes an introduction to clay for both vessels and sculpture (including slipping and scoring, hand-building, using the slab roller, wheel, kiln and glazes).  Other art projects will incorporate found objects, with a successful design incorporating objects of either formal or emotional significance, in a way in which the whole becomes more important than its individual parts.  Other projects may explore abstraction of forms, structure and construction, line and wire, site-specific artwork, plaster or kinetic sculpture.  Students will also have the opportunity to view and discuss modern and contemporary artists working with unconventional materials, and will be asked to participate in group critiques.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Drawing & Painting
This class exposes students to a variety of two-dimensional media, and practice skills and techniques necessary for improving drawings and paintings.  Practice will include contour and gesture drawings, pen and ink, charcoal, pastels, and colored pencils, as well as watercolor and acrylic painting.  Focus is on design and composition principles used in 2-D artwork, and applying them towards projects that encourage students to ‘draw what they see, not what they know’.  Classes will focus primarily on still life, portraiture and life drawing, landscapes and storytelling.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Fashion Design
This class will give students the opportunity to create their own definition of “fashion.”  A project-based class, students will create weekly drawings on croquis (figures to draw clothing on), demonstrate basic presentation skills through sketching figures and fabric, explore fashion theory through history, color, fabric, silhouette, proportion and details, and use visual research for inspiration and to develop their collection.  There will be at least three main projects:  work with an assortment of materials from the Scrap Exchange to create a new style, rework an ensemble of three articles of clothing (cut and re-sew), and design and produce three articles or outfits for an end of term final collection.  All main projects will be presented with conceptual drawings and an inspirational collage, color swatches and promotional explanation.  We will produce a runway show at the end of the term.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Photography
This class includes an introduction to 35mm black and white photography including the camera, film and darkroom techniques.  The students will be in the darkroom half of the week, and will participate in group critiques and other projects on photographers and photographs the other half.  Students will discuss the birth and history of photography, learn to control and use their cameras, and make, develop and print contact sheets, as many work prints and test strips as needed, and at least 8-10 good quality 5x7 or 8x10 prints.  Chemistry and darkroom safety will be covered, as well as responsible darkroom set-up and clean-up.  One group project may be completed each term.  Students must provide their own camera, at least 2 rolls of TRI-X film and photo paper (or we will work out a fee system based on class needs).
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Portfolio
This class is for Juniors and Seniors only, and is a studio class focusing on building and presenting a portfolio of work.  National Portfolio Day occurs in the winter term in both Charlotte and Washington, DC, and a trip to one location or the other will be determined during the class.  National Portfolio Days are meant as opportunities for high school students to present a body of their work to a variety of Art Schools from all over the US and abroad.  During the term, we will be focusing on life drawing exercises, individual’s particular creative interests, discussions and critiques and photographing all the students’ work to be saved on a CD.  Students will be asked to partner their thoughts on life after CFS with this class, as we talk about and look into Art Schools as well as Colleges and Universities and their requirements for portfolio review.  Being self-motivated and focused is of the utmost importance, as this class offers a lot of studio time to work on individual projects.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Printmaking
This printmaking class will learn printing terms, how to use a Printing press, and how to create using additive and subtractive methods of printing.  Students will participate in projects including screen printing, linoleum block prints, cut-outs, stenciling, and cloth/pattern design.  This class will introduce many of these printmaking techniques early in the term then allow students to spend most of their time creating t-shirts, cards, posters and prints.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Sewing
Students will complete project of their own choosing with guidance using both hand and machine sewing.  Note, this class is being offered only once this year.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Woodworking
The instructor will assume that you know how to use a tape measure and ruler and have some knowledge about what kinds of woods are suitable for various applications, about different types of joinery and about how to plan a project. Hopefully students know to use the tools in the shop in a PROPER AND SAFE MANNER but just in case, there will be some review.  We will spend the first few class periods, doing that and working on designing what your project will be.  Please keep in mind that it will need to be small in nature unless you want to pay for your own materials. A box, tape or c.d. case, what-not shelves, or a clock, are possibilities.  Safety will be a focus as will proper use of the tools.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Yarn Arts & Crafts
Students will begin the term learning about the huge upsurge in the DIY Craft movement, and we’ll explore a number of crafting websites including etsy.com, craftpop.com, craftzine.com, whatthecraft.com, craftster.org, and other sites that provide endless ideas for crafts involving yarn arts (knitting & crocheting) as well as paper, sewing, jewelry, candle and soap-making, lip balms and natural body care products, card-making, stamps, and scrap booking.  We will also research the endless crafting communities that create works for charity and donations.  All members of the class will begin by learning the basics of knitting, purling, and crocheting, including how to read a pattern and decipher abbreviations.  After the general techniques are covered, students choose their own projects to work on, and we meet each class to work on these projects.  Students will create at least one yarn-centric piece, one piece for an organization (Binky Patrol, Chemocaps, Afghans for Afghans, etc…) and then choose from the endless craft possibilities to work on for the remainder of the term.  This is a relaxed class, and students should be self-motivated and able to stay on task as they craft their individual creations.
CREDIT:  CA-VA

Yearbook
This class will be working on the production of the annual CFS Yearbook.  Students will be involved in the process of lay-out, cropping and editing (both on computer and on paper), selling ads, creating artwork and taking and printing of photographs.  The fall trimester will only involve yearbook students from the past year.  Students new to Yearbook are encouraged to sign up for the winter term.  All yearbook students will be required to spend one full out-of-school day to finalize the yearbook sometime during the last week of the winter term.  A keen interest in detailed work is of utmost importance for this class, as well as a sense of responsibility in being able to work both independently as well as cooperatively on a team directed by peers.
CREDIT:  CA-VA or CS

Enrichment (ER)
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Enrichment courses are term long classes that do not fit under the guidance of any one department.  Students need 26 total enrichment credits to graduate.  Many of these are acquired when a student goes above and beyond the graduation requirements within a specific department (for example:  with 3 Foreign Culture courses required to graduate, all Foreign Culture courses beyond the first year in a foreign language count as enrichment courses).  Other enrichment credits could be earned by taking some of the following courses:

Car Control
The Car Control class focuses on two areas related to motor vehicles:  1) basic familiarity with the various systems that all vehicle have (brakes, cooling, electrical, etc.), and 2) a more comprehensive understanding of how vehicles actually perform and react to various road conditions and driver inputs (accelerating, braking, and turning) than that offered in the typical Driver’s Education program.  Readings from the textbook and hands-on exercises and maintenance work done on actual cars are designed to enhance students’ previous knowledge of motor vehicles, how to perform maintenance on them, and how the various systems function.  Whenever possible, students will participate in a one-day driver training session offered through the Street Survival program.
CREDIT:  ER

Chess
In this Chess course, students will learn about the fundamentals of chess and have the opportunity to practice and refine their skills.  No experienced is necessary or assumed.  Students will learn the proper names and moves for each piece, the rules of the game and some of its history, and proper notation for a match (both English Descriptive and Algebraic).  We will also review proper chess etiquette.  Students will examine several great games and work on chess problems in class sessions to draw attention to successful openings, middle game and end game scenarios.
CREDIT:  ER

Introduction to Business
Students can take this course on a term by term basis for ER credit or take the entire year for MA credit.
Fall Term Accounting:  Students will be introduced to the income statement and balance sheet. We will look at various accounting methods for inventory (FIFO, LIFO, JIT, etc) and we will look at various ways objects can be depreciated.
Winter Term Organizational Behavior:  This class will study organizational structures and how they help to improve efficiency and maximize personnel output.  This class will also look at manager/employee relations and how to deal with people.
Spring Term Marketing:  This class will study the process of identifying and creating a strategy for targeting goods to their proper market.
CREDIT:  ER (term by term) or MA (full year)

Introduction to Programming I, II, III
This class will vary depending on interest and background of students enrolled.  Some possibilities include: Java, Visual Basic, C++, ColdFusion.
CREDIT:  ER

Language Arts Tutorial
This class is a guided study hall.  The teacher is available specifically to students who need help with language arts skills, including reading, writing, grammar, editing, revision and organization.  Students work independently, unless they need help with a particular class or assignment. 
CREDIT:  ER

Orientation
This class is designed for all first year students; it is taken in the fall term.  The class is divided into thirds and each group rotates through three mini-sessions:  Introduction to Quakerism, Art Studio, and Climbing Wall.  This class has several upper class students who serve as Teaching Assistants.
CREDIT:  ER

SAT Math Prep
This course is designed to aid students in their preparation for the Math sections of the SAT I exam.
CREDIT:  ER

Study Hall
This class is intended for athletes on the winter basketball teams.  This class will provide a space and time for students to get homework completed under the supervision of a teacher.
CREDIT:  ER

Web Design
This course will cover: Basic HTML, Javascript, and ASP; Database Sql Statements; Insert, Update and Delete information from database using internet interface
CREDIT:  ER

Writing Workshop
This class provides students with extra time to focus on their writing skills.  The main goal is to make the process of writing easier, by writing often and learning strategies for writing essays.  Students will learn a number of skills helpful in the process of developing an essay and polishing their work.  They will be encouraged to share their work often and get frequent feedback from their teacher and their peers.  Students will write smaller in-class assignments based on prompts as well as formal essays. One day a week will be set aside for assignments from other classes and one-on-one time with the instructor.  Organizational skills will be emphasized as well.  Finding a way to share their best pieces, through a magazine or evening sharing, will also be explored.
CREDIT:  ER

Zero, Infinity and a Brief History of Math
This advanced-level course will center around changes the historical development of key mathematical concepts from both mathematical and philosophical points of view. Students should consult with the instructor before registering for this class.
TEXTS: Euclid’s Window by Mlodinow (0-684-86524-6); and Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea by Seife (0-14-02.9647-6)
CREDIT:  ER

Foreign Language and Culture (FC)
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Students are required to take three FC courses to graduate.  With the exception of French Cinema, all Foreign Language courses are year-long classes (3 credits per year).

French Cinema
This term long course will survey a large number of foreign films from France.  Students will be required to produce a written project comparing at least two films thematically.
CREDIT:  FC

French

French I
The goal of our French program is to have students gain a practical, working knowledge of the language – in addition to reading and writing with reasonable accuracy, students should be able to understand spoken French, and speak the language themselves. Frequent paired speaking exercises allow students to practice and develop confidence in their speaking ability.  Participation is a major component of this class.  Students will also be introduced to French culture and history through cultural notes and class discussions.
TEXT: Discovering French Nouveau (Level I), Workbook, CD-ROM
CREDIT:  FC

French II
The Level II course continues to offer a typical mix of reading, writing, listening, and speaking activities, with an emphasis on building functional speaking ability, and exposing the students to the variety and richness of the French language.  Various combinations of paired exercises, short speaking activities from the classroom CD set and individual work with their take-home CD-ROM program require students to express themselves verbally on a daily basis.
TEXT: Discovering French Blanc (Level II), Workbook, CD-ROM
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISITE:  French I

French III
This course is conducted almost exclusively in French, and is very interactive. Daily preparation and participation in paired activities and classroom discussions are an important part of a student’s evaluation.  Students will also be expected to do written work on a daily basis, and give periodic oral presentations based on the theme of the particular unit we’re covering (household chores, weekend activities, nature, etc.). The study of French grammar, verb tenses, history and culture will continue, building on previous knowledge.
TEXT: Discovering French Rouge (Level III), Workbook, CD-ROM
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISITE: French II

Advanced French (Levels 4 & 5)
This is a combined class of students at two different ability levels.  Level 4 students will continue to develop their knowledge and control of the language.  Emphasis will be on the development of listening and speaking skills and acquisition of vocabulary and phrases necessary for communication in everyday contexts.  Instruction for Level 5 will be geared toward the student who is eager to read the great writers of French and to develop his/her writing skills in particular. Readings will include 3 or 4 full-length novels or plays, from classic to contemporary (what high school students and young adults are reading in France).  Students will be evaluated through a variety of methods, including reading and writing assignments, periodic exams, individual presentations, and class discussion (participation).
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISITE: French III

Spanish

Spanish I
A course in which students will develop a firm foundation in Spanish grammar which will enable them to master basic comprehension, reading, writing, and speaking skills.  There is a strong emphasis on vocabulary memorization and on verb conjugations.  The class is conducted increasingly in Spanish.  Regular quizzes, chapter tests and a final exam will be given.
TEXT:  En Espanol
CREDIT:  FC

Spanish II
This course is a continuation of  Spanish I.  Second-year Spanish is an intensive study in grammar and verb tenses.  Students will expand on reading, writing, comprehension, and speaking skills.  The class will be conducted primarily in Spanish.  Regular quizzes, chapter tests and a final exam will be given.
TEXT:    En Espanol
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISITE:  Spanish I

Spanish III
This course will be conducted primarily in Spanish and will continue to focus on Spanish grammar, reading, writing and speaking skills.  Students will be expected to participate in class discussions and give oral interviews and presentations in Spanish.  Regular chapter tests and a final exam will be given.
TEXT:   En Espanol
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISITE:    Spanish II

Spanish IV
This advanced-level class will be conducted entirely in Spanish.  There will be an emphasis on in class discussions and class participation.  The class will include advanced grammar, and Spanish and Latin American literature and music.  Students will be expected to read literature and write analytical essays and papers as well as creative works in Spanish.  An addition to the writings, tests and oral presentations will be used to evaluate students.
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISTE:  Spanish III

Advanced Spanish
This course is an advanced-level class that will be conducted entirely in Spanish.  There will be an emphasis on discussion. The class will include advanced grammar picking up where Spanish IV left off.  There will be a focus on Spanish and Latin American short stories, short novels compositions, dramatic work and poetry.  Students will be required to write one longer essay per term as well as shorter pieces both creative and analytical.  There will be essays, tests, and oral presentations.
CREDIT:  FC
PREREQUISITE:  Spanish IV

Health (HS)
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Students are required to take one term-long HS course to graduate (either Adolescent Health Issues or Single Gender Adolescent Health Issues).
“Friends view sexuality as a Divine gift.  It is the source of human life and a part of our identity and self-understanding.  At Carolina Friends School (CFS) we want students to understand sexual intercourse as a profound expression of love at its deepest, most caring, and responsible level.  Teenagers who wait to experience intercourse in a loving, committed relationship will gain the greatest appreciation for this gift.  We encourage our students to abstain from sexual intercourse until they grow into such a relationship.  We ask CFS families to join us in sharing this message with our students.” From Carolina Friends School Sexuality Education Policy, April 24, 1992

Adolescent Health Issues
Topics which this class will explore include peer pressure; risk taking; interpersonal relationships and the importance of clear communication; and teens’ personal decisions regarding sexual activity, including sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STD’s and STI’s), the various methods of contraception and disease prevention, and abstinence.  We will visit Planned Parenthood of Durham and learned first-hand about the services and counseling they provide.  We plan to devote significant time to the study of drugs and alcohol using Cynthia Kuhn’s book Buzzed as a guide.  Additionally, Cynthia may come to the class for a personal lecture on her most recent research and to answer questions about her book’s content.   Also planned will be a presentation by staff members from the Orange County Rape Crisis Center on date rape, and preventative strategies and safeguards.  The class will view a number of informative videos including “The Teenage Brain,” “Spin the Bottle,” “Fat,” and “Thank You For Smoking.”  The class is team-taught by a staff member of each gender in order to help assure a balanced discussion of sensitive topics.
CREDIT:  HS

All Male or All Female Adolescent Health Issues
This class provides an all-male or all-female group of students the space to explore the same topics mentioned above in Adolescent Health Issues.  For much of the term students engage with issues related to body image, mental health, substance use and abuse, sexual orientation, and sexuality with other young men or women, paying particular attention to how these issues affect adolescent males or females.  Throughout the term, we will examine all of the issues at hand with attention to the interrelated questions: what does it mean to be healthy?  What does it mean to be a healthy adolescent male or female?
CREDIT:  HS

Language Arts (LA)
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Students are required to take one LA class each term they are enrolled at Carolina Friends School, 12 are required to graduate.  Classes are structured by level.  Introductory level courses are intended for first year students, Intermediate level courses are intended primarily for sophomore students, Upper level courses are intended for junior and senior students, and Advanced level courses are open only to senior students.  Only one language arts course is a year-long class (Foundations of Literature).  All other language arts courses are term-long offerings.
Many LA courses are cross-registered in the social studies department as the departments move toward a more humanities-centered curriculum.

Introductory Level Language Arts

Foundations of Literature
The goal of this year-long language arts class is to introduce first year students to essential skills in communicating ideas in reading, writing, and conversation.  By continuous development of these skills over the year it is our hope to facilitate their success in our humanities program.  We want to develop critical readers who can draw meaning from a text and make a personal connection to what they’re reading.  We view writing as a process, so we work hard on the stages of an essay:  organizing an argument around a thesis, outlining an argument before writing, expressing ideas creatively, revising – not just editing drafts of papers.
Students may be asked to provide constructive feedback to their peers as well. We may also ask students to conduct research and document their sources.   We help students to recognize and employ basic grammar and expand their working vocabulary.   Classroom discussion plays a key role in this introductory class.  Students are encouraged to communicate their ideas, listen carefully to others, deliver presentations, and take notes. They may also work collaboratively with their peers on class projects.
Our theme for this class will be the relationship between an individual and society. What is the rapport between the main characters in our novels and the society in which they live?   In what ways do they find themselves connected to that society or alienated from it?  What myths are created that keep a society together?   We’ll read a variety of classical texts over the year including the works of Hemingway, Steinbeck, Kafka, Wiesel, Salinger, Sophocles, and Shakespeare.   In the fall and winter terms students will read fiction, while in the spring the focus will be theater.  Students can expect to write at least two formal essays per term.  They may also have frequent shorter reading responses as well as weekly vocabulary quizzes.
CREDIT:  LA

Intermediate Level Language Arts

Sophomores will be engaged in a new integrated humanities curriculum that teaches global citizenship.  This will include a set of individual, self-contained humanities classes that will:  emphasize changes leading up to the world were we currently live, develop awareness and understanding of the contemporary world, and outline how we got to be who we are.  Classes will provide students a perspective from which to think critically about current global issues.  Our main goal is to help students learn how to participate as global citizens in an ever-changing, dynamic world.  Courses that fit the Global Citizenship requirement will be marked with a GC.  Sophomores will take one GC class per term (in Language Arts or Social Studies) and two additional LA/SS courses per year.  Enrollment in GC courses will prioritize sophomore students.

African-American Literature
This course will use literature to learn about African-American identity.  Drawing primarily upon fiction and poetry, we will examine the multiple and changing ways in which African-American experience and identity has been created by and shaped through literature and intellectual debate.  We will encounter a range of authors, such as Sojourner Truth, Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Gwendolyn Brooks, James Baldwin, Chester Himes, Amiri Baraka, Nikki Giovanni, August Wilson, Ntozake Shange, and Colson Whitehead.  Each work will be examined in its proper literary and historical context.  Students should expect to complete nightly reading assignments, several short essays, a presentation on an author of their choosing, and a longer research-based project.
CREDIT:  LA

The Civil Rights Movement (GC)
Jim Crow.  Plessy v. Ferguson.  Brown v. Board of Education. The  Montgomery Bus Boycott.  Sit-ins.  Freedom Rides.  The March on Washington.  Central High in Little Rock, Arkansas.  During the tumultuous decades of the 1950s through the 1970s, our country reinvented itself in many ways, attacking problems that had been there since the early days of our republic. America demanded a country that was truly free for all its people, a land of equal opportunity for every person.  People rode busses, sat at lunch counters, and took to the streets in massive number to demand change.  Some even died. In this class we’ll examine the key players and events of the Civil Rights Movement though primary and secondary accounts, film documentaries, and music.  Among other accounts we’ll read Warriors Don’t Cry, a riveting memoir of the integration of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Contemporary Venezuelan Literature
This course introduces students to various currents in 20th century Venezuelan literature.  Readings include poems, shorts stories and essays, with an emphasis on contemporary authors.  We will also study the current political landscape in Venezuela under the self-proclaimed “Bolivarian Revolution.”  Students will have the opportunity to explore their own voices as writers, through a series of creative writing assignments.  All readings will be in English translation.
CREDIT:  LA

Dante’s Divine Comedy
In this class we will read through the first part (The Inferno) of one of the greatest poems ever written.  In order to understand the poem, we will also need to look at the complex world of Italy in the 13th and 14th centuries.  The course will be unable to avoid questions of love, religion, politics, and the nature of evil.  Students will keep a reading journal, write two papers, and complete a final project.
CREDIT:  LA

Emotional Intelligence and the Social Dynamics of Diversity
What are the factors at work when people of high IQ flounder and those of modest IQ do surprisingly well? These factors add up to a different way of being smart, and are characterized by this descriptor: emotional intelligence, or “EQ”. Emotional Intelligence includes self awareness, a deeper sense of people, empathy, self-motivation, persistence, and social deftness. These are some of the EQ qualities that mark people who tend to enjoy better relationships, both personally and in the workplace, who find and honor their authentic selves, and who demonstrate tolerance, compassion and a zeal for diversity and multiculturalism.
In this course we will examine EQ and its link to mental health from a variety of angles, from traditional research and psychoanalytic theories to experiential art and music therapies, and self-discovery tools (such as the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and Multiple Intelligence Inventories). Further, we will examine social dynamics through drama therapy techniques, movies and other media. Ultimately, it will be a self-reflection journey: who one is as an individual and who one is within various communities and relationships. Through these combined methods, we will steadily unearth ways in which we can rise to and maintain the best of our authentic selves, even as we reach beyond the self to others.  Finally, we will unravel the meaning of the word “diversity,” and examine its numerous categories (in an effort to deepen our awareness of what it’s like to “walk a mile in another’s shoes” when that “walk” is potentially very different than our own).
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Guy Gavriel Kay
This course will be a study of his book “The Lions of Al-Rassan.” Through this book we will study the historical period of medieval Spain when Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived in relative harmony and how that broke down into the Crusades. We will also explore present day religious tensions here in the US and abroad.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

The Immigration Experience (GC)
Many of us have ancestors who recently left their homes in Central or South America Africa, Asia, or Europe to make a new life for them and their children in the United States.  What brought them here?  How did they adapt to a new country, culture, and language? In the process of becoming U.S. citizens, what did they retain or lose from their past?  This class will examine the immigration experience through fiction and oral history.  Students can expect to read two novels over the term.  Frequent shorter reading responses, as well as two formal essays will be assigned.  For our research component, the class will wrestle with questions concerning the future of the millions of undocumented immigrants now living in the U.S. We will contact local aid organizations to determine ways in which we can be of service to those immigrants who’ve recently arrived in the Triangle. The class will create a group project to share what we’ve learned and invite the public to attend.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Latin American Literature: Borges and Bolaño
The work of two Latin American masters, Jorge Luis Borges (Argentina, 1899-1986) and Roberto Bolaño (Chile, 1953-2003) serves as the focus for this course.  While the short stories of Borges often employ elements of science fiction and mythology, Bolaño is influenced by American writers of the Beat generation.  We will study their work within the wider context of 20th century Latin American culture and politics.  All readings will be in English translation.
CREDIT:  LA

Latin American Literature in Translation
This course will focus on contemporary short stories from all over Latin America.  The class will explore works from the Latin American literary boom era of the sixties and beyond.  We will also examine issues dealing with translation and interpretation.
CREDIT:  LA

Literature in Translation: The Master and Margarita
“At the hour of sunset, on a hot spring day, two citizens appeared in the Patriarchs’ Pond Park.”  Thus begins one of the greatest Russian novels of the 20th Century, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov.  This book is an absurd, satirical story that was banned in the Soviet Union for 26 years and includes such characters as Satan, Pontius Pilate, a writer known only as the Master, and Behemoth, a sarcastic talking black cat, all romping through 1930s Moscow.  Like much of Bulgakov’s work, the story is comical and tragic and provides a rich study of power and love.  We will read this novel (and perhaps some shorter fiction by Bulgakov) as well as learn about the history of the early Soviet Union, Bulgakov as a writer and his literary circle, and the role of satire under political repression of the arts.  Students should expect to complete nightly reading assignments, several short essays and a longer research-based project.
CREDIT:  LA

The Literature of War (GC)
Quakers believe that peace is not the absence of conflict, but the peaceful resolution of conflict.  They are committed to nonviolent means of resolving disputes.  But (unfortunately) that is not the world we live in, and all too often, countries have been engaged in bloody, lengthy and devastating wars.  Yet some of the most powerful peace testimonies have come from authors who have had direct experiences of war’s horrors – as combat soldiers and/or support personnel.  In this class we will examine our understanding of the Quaker commitment to nonviolence as we study poems, stories, novels, music, and film of war.  Novels may include All Quiet on the Western Front and The Things They Carried.  Students can expect at least two formal essays as well as short written assignments.  Our research component will focus on an area of recent conflict in Africa.  We will design a service project to educate the public and help an aid organization.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Poetry & Music
This class explores the close relationship between music and poetry, with an emphasis on experimental writers, alongside innovative musicians in genres such as folk, punk and hip-hop.  We will investigate how these two art forms often share similar goals and techniques.  Students will have the opportunity to develop their own voices as poets through creative writing exercises and assignments.  Possible poets and musicians include: Arthur Rimbaud, Allen Ginsberg, Fanny Howe, Jennifer Moxley, Bob Dylan, Syd Barrett, Joy Division and De La Soul.
CREDIT:  LA

Short Stories  
The art and craft of the short story will be studied, using well known examples of the genre from the European and American tradition.  Each student will write an original story and 2-3 analytical essays.
CREDIT:  LA

Southern Culture
In this course, we will be finding out how a geographical region is culturally defined.  We will be exploring several of the different aspects that make up a culture (particular to the Southern United States).  Throughout the term we will be discussing the diversity of language/dialects, music, religion, politics, food and more.  We will look at how this rich and diverse patchwork quilt was put together.  There will also be an emphasis on North Carolina history.  It is important to be aware of one’s surroundings, and by the end of the term each student will have a better understanding of the place that he/she calls home.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Tolkien
This course is intended to explore the works of fantasy writer J.R.R. Tolkien, including The Hobbit and most of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, as powerfully imaginative modern works of mythology.  Extensive reading and discussion, research paper and test.
CREDIT:  LA

Upper Level Language Arts

American Literature: Fiction
This first of three courses on American Literature will take a close look at fiction, both through the novel and through short stories.  The goal of the class will be to introduce students to major works of American fiction, but also provide a space to examine lesser-known works that push on the boundaries of content, form, and genre.  We will direct our study towards an analysis of what makes literature distinctly American, if at all, and how this literature contributes to an “American” identity.  Therefore, we will also read these works against their specific historical context.  Authors to be read include but are not limited to William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Roth, John Steinbeck and Richard Wright. Students should expect to complete nightly reading assignments, several short essays, a presentation on an author of their choosing, and a longer research-based project.
CREDIT:  LA

American Literature:  Poetry
This is the third in the series of courses that focus on American Literature and will be a class that is a survey of American Poetry from Dickinson and Whitman to the present.  While we will focus on canonical writers and poems, we will also take time to examine certain poets whose works were once popular, but have now lost their relevance.  The class will carefully frame poetry in the historical moment in which it was written.  Students will be expected to write three critical papers.
CREDIT:  LA

American Literature:  Theater
This will be second in a series of classes on American literature.  We will examine works by some of the masters of American theater in the 20th and 21st centuries.  Authors on our list could include:  Eugene O’Neil, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, Edward Albee, August Wilson, Sam Shepard, Tony Kushner, David Mamet, Craig Lucas, Paula Vogel, and Wendy Wasserstein.  As we read works by a number of these playwrights, we will try and determine what makes these decidedly American voices, highlight the role they play in our theater history and discover which themes are important to different generations of American playwrights.  Students can expect to write a number of short reader responses over the term and two formal papers.  An independent project will also be assigned.  Expect to read scenes out loud frequently in class!   It would also be great if we could catch a local show or two as a class.
CREDIT:  LA

The Beats and Beyond
This class will examine the generation of American writers who were creating a new literary movement in the 1950s and 1960s.  Know as the “Beat Generation,” they included such authors as Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsburg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Ken Kesey, and Richard Brautigan.  We will read three novels during the course of the term:  On The Road, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, and Trout Fishing In America.  We’ll take a look at the poetry of Ginsburg, Ferlinghetti and other “Beat” writers, and listen to the music of some of the great jazz artists who inspired them at the time.  Placing this literature in its social context will also be important as we examine the 1950s and 1960s.  Students can expect at least two formal essays, shorter written assignments, and a research component that will include a creative visual to present to the class.
CREDIT:  LA

Genesis: A Close Reading of the Narrative Text
In 1453 Johannes Guttenberg changed the world by his printing of the Bible.  Now, after worldwide translations, the Bible reigns as one of the “Great Books” of human history.  This book has had a profound influence on philosophy, science, literature, politics, race/gender relations and, of course, religious beliefs.  Yet, few of us have read, reflected upon, or discussed this book outside of a religious setting.
In this course, we will read and examine the narrative text of Genesis, the first “book” of the Hebrew Bible.  We will investigate the origins of the written story; explore the gaps and conflicting accounts within the text; and examine important variations in our English translations of the Bible.  We will reflect upon and discuss the questions that life often asks us and that the Bible struggles to answer.  Where did we come from?  Where do I belong?  Why am I here?  What is our relationship to each other, and to the Source of Creation/Life (“God”).  Lastly, we will search Genesis for metaphors of our own personal development, and the Biblical themes rooted within modern literature and cinema.
The course will include lectures, class discussion, and a visit to a local synagogue to examine the hand written Hebrew scroll (Torah).  There will be three short essays during the term.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Holocaust and Human Behavior
Learning about the horrors that occurred during WWII is difficult and makes people feel uncomfortable.  It is important, however, for all of us to know the truth and remember.  Once a person has been subjected to the materials of the course, they can never again feel the same way about their own humanity or that of others.  We will look closely at Society and the Individual, anti-Semitism, German History and Nazi philosophy, and the Holocaust.  We will use the text, Facing History and Ourselves.  We will visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.  Class discussion will play an important role in this class, as will the journaling of personal feelings.  Students can expect 100-125 pages of reading per week and a research paper or project.  This class will also require summer reading.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-EU

Advanced Level Language Arts

Literature and the Colonial World
This is the first of three term-long courses designed to understand the cultural, historical, intellectual, and political impact of modern colonization through the literature it produced.  Focusing on the colonial period that began with the Age of Exploration in Europe and linked places across the globe into the 20th Century, this term will examine how colonization shaped conceptions of power and identity for those in mother countries and in the colonies themselves.  To gain an international perspective, we will read authors such as Joseph Conrad, Olaudah Equiano, Rudyard Kipling, T.E. Lawrence, Robert Livingstone, W. Somerset Maugham, Rabindranath Tagore as well as the early figures of the Négritude Movement.  We will also read philosophical and political works that examined the question of colonization during its expanse.  Stress will be placed on coming to terms with the ways in which Europeans defined themselves against their colonial subjects, but also how non-Europeans defined themselves through literature under colonial regimes.  Students should expect to complete nightly reading assignments, several short essays and a longer final essay.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-NW

Literature and Decolonization
This is the second of three term-long courses designed to understand the cultural, historical, intellectual, and political impact of modern colonization through the literature it produced.  In this term we will examine the literatures of the global movement to decolonize after World War II and how that brought about new understandings of power and identity within and beyond the colonial world.  We will focus on the growth of modern African literature as exemplary of this shift through writers such as Chinua Achebe, Mongo Beti, Sembene Ousmane, Wole Soyinka and Ngugi wa Thiong’o as well as examine the arguments of other anti-colonial writers and activists such as Amilcar Cabral, Franz Fanon, C.L.R. James, Albert Camus, and Kwame Nkrumah.  We will pay particular attention to how writers used literature as part of political projects and how that raised questions about defining identity.  Students should expect to complete nightly reading assignments, several short essays and a longer final essay.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-NW

Literature and the Postcolonial World
This is the third of three term-long courses designed to understand the cultural, historical, intellectual, and political impact of modern colonization through the literature it produced.  In this term, we will look at how writers have come to terms with the post-colonial world and the ambivalence towards new forms of identity and power.  Focusing on writing since the 1970s, we will examine the works of authors such as Mariame Bâ, Chinua Achebe, Christophe Bataille, V.S. Naipaul, Salman Rushdie, Ken Saro-Wiwa, and Zadie Smith.  We will also read the work of major postcolonial critics, such as Kwame Anthony Appiah, Paul Gilroy, Stuart Hall, Edward Said and Gayatri Spivak, in order to better understand the complexities of a postcolonial identity that constructed by “roots and routes.”  Students should expect to complete nightly reading assignments, several short essays and a longer final essay.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-NW

Modernism
This class picks up where Romanticism ends and contains a focus on major American and European poets and novelists from the beginning to the twentieth century up to World War II.  Writers included in this class are Wallace Stevens, T.S. Eliot and Franz Kafka.  We will look at how various social forces in the first half of the twentieth century shaped the way these individuals wrote.  Students will be expected to contribute to class discussion and write three papers.
CREDIT:  LA

Postmodernism
This class follows Modernism in this series and will look at experimental writing from the last thirty years in America, Europe and the “Third World.”  We will look at what this literature tells us about the world in which we live and how we view ourselves.  Students will be expected to contribute to class discussion and write three papers.
CREDIT:  LA

Romanticism
This course will look at the historical context of Romanticism and we will read important English and Continental Romantic writers.  Writers include Wordsworth, Keats, Goethe, Blake, Shelley, and Hugo.  Students will be expected to contribute to class discussion and write three papers.
CREDIT:  LA

Senior Seminar:  Public and Private Spheres
Senior Seminar will examine the relationship between our private and our public lives.  It will focus around the questions of how we determine where our privacy ends and our obligation to our society begins – to what extent do our beliefs inform our actions?  Focusing around the relationship between the public and the private will allow us to look into other philosophical questions that have been discussed for centuries:  How do we determine our individual (or collective) identities?  To what extent do we get to determine the course of our own actions?  How does our balance between what is public and what is private inform the course of our lives?  The readings for the class include important philosophers from the ancient to post-modern traditions.  The class culminates in an Oral Defense where students submit their final papers to a panel of four adults (the two class teachers and two others) and spend one hour defending their work to questions from the panel.  This is a double-period class that is team-taught in the fall and winter terms and enrollment in both periods and both terms is required.  There is a significant component of summer work for Senior Seminar.  By application only.
CREDIT:  LA or SS-OT

Mathematics (MA)
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Students are required to complete three year-long mathematics courses from the US offerings during their four years of US. Most students will find it to their advantage to take four year-long mathematics course during their US career. The particular courses will vary depending on the strengths and inclinations of the individual student.

Note: The math department requires each student to have a graphing calculator. Currently the Texas Instrument TI-83 Plus© and the TI-84 Plus© are being used at CFS. The TI-84 Plus© is the “updated” version of the TI-83 Plus©, and it is suggested that students needing a calculator invest in the TI-84 Plus©.

Math 100 (Algebra I)
This course is open to incoming US students depending on their backgrounds in mathematics.  This course will cover the same topics as Math 110, but will develop the topics at a slower pace and to less depth than Math 110.
TEXT: Elementary Algebra,4th ed. by Larson and Hostetler (0-618-38817-6)
CREDIT:  MA

Math 110 (Algebra I)
This course is open to Freshmen on the recommendation of their MS teachers.
Topics covered include: Review of Arithmetic Operations; Linear equations and inequalities, with graphing; Systems of Linear equations and inequalities, with graphing; Exponents; Square Roots; Polynomial Expressions; Quadratic Equations and graphing.
TEXT: Elementary Algebra,4th ed. by Larson and Hostetler (0-618-38817-6)
CREDIT:  MA

Math 200 (Geometry)
This course is open to students having completed Math 100 or Math 110. It is not open to Freshmen.
This course will cover the same basic topics as Math 210, but from an inductive and empirical approach, rather than a theoretical and deductive approach. There will also be an emphasis on numerical computational and algebraic methods.
TEXT: Discovering Geometry: An Inductive Approach, 2nd ed. by Serra (1-55953-200-9), as well as teacher handouts
CREDIT:  MA

Math 210 (Geometry)
This course is open to students who have completed Math 100 (with instructor permission), Math 110, or Freshmen on the recommendation of their MS teachers
Topics covered include: Lines and Angles (ch. 1); Parallel Lines (ch 2); Triangles (ch 3); Quadrilaterals (ch 4); Similar Figures (ch 5); Circles (ch 6); Area (ch 7); Solid Figures (ch 8); Analytic Geometry: Parabolas and Quadratics (supplemental); Introduction to Right Angle Trigonometry; and, Coordinate Geometry in the Cartesian Plane.
TEXT: Elementary Geometry, 3rd ed. by Alexander and Koeberlein. (0-618-22176-X)
CREDIT:  MA

Math 305 (Algebra II & Trigonometry)
This course is open to students who have completed Math 200 or Math 210. It is not open to Freshmen. This course will cover the same basic topics as Math 310, but it will develop the topics at a slower pace and to less depth than Math 310. While this course is not intended as preparatory background for Math 410 (Pre-Calculus), students who find success in this course may, after consulting with their instructor, consider Math 410.
TEXT: Intermediate Algebra, 4th ed. by Larson. (0-618-38826-5)
CREDIT:  MA
.          
Math 310 (Algebra II & Trigonometry)
This course is open to students who have completed Math 200 (with instructor permission), Math 210, Math 300 (with instructor permission) or Freshmen who have worked at an advanced level during their MS careers, but only on the recommendation of their MS teachers. This course is intended as preparatory background for Math 410 (Pre-Calculus). Students should consult with the instructor before registering for this class.
Topics covered include: Rational Expressions: Factoring, Simplifying and Operations; Absolute value Equations; Introduction to Functions ; Linear and Quadratic Equation Review; Complex Numbers (ch. 4); Conics Sections (ch. 5); Introduction to Exponential and Logarithmic Functions (Ch. 7); Right Angle Trigonometry (ch. 1-3); Unit Circle Trigonometry; and, Graphing Trigonometric Functions.
TEXTS: Intermediate Algebra, 4th ed. by Larson (0-618-38826-5) and
        Trigonometry: A Graphing Approach, 4th ed. by Larson. (0-618-39458-3)
CREDIT:  MA

Math 401 (Discrete Mathematics and Problem Solving)
This course is open to students who have completed Math 200, Math 210, Math 300 or Math 310.  Topics covered include: Problem Solving Skills (Word Problems Demystified, McGraw-Hill); Economics and Business Applications (Instructor’s Handouts); Discrete Math Topics (Discrete Mathematics Through Applications, by Crisler, Fisher, and Froelich (0-7167-3652-7)
CREDIT:  MA

Math 410 (Pre-Calculus)
This course is open to students who have completed Math 310 or Math 300 (with instructor permission). Students should consult with the instructor before registering for this class.
Topics covered include: Review of Functions and Graphs (ch. 2); Polynomial and Rational Functions (ch. 3); Exponential and Logarithmic Functions (ch. 4); Polar Coordinates (ch. 8 and 9); Analytic Trigonometry (ch. 6); Matrices (ch. 10) ; and, Introduction to Series and Limits (ch. 11 and 13).
TEXT: Precalculus, 6th ed. by Sullivan (0-13-041214-7).
CREDIT:  MA

Math 420 (Advanced Statistics)
This course is open to students who have successfully completed Math 305 (with instructor’s permission) or Math 310. Students should consult with the instructor before registering for this class.
This course will cover many of the topics from the Advanced Placement Statistics curriculum, including: Probability, Descriptions of data; Binomial distribution, Normal distribution, Distribution of sample means and proportions; Hypothesis testing; Regression analysis; and, Sample collection.
TEXT: Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis, 2nd ed. by Peck, Olsen and Devore   (0-534-46710-5)
CREDIT:  MA

Math 510 (Calculus)
This course is open to students who have successfully completed Math 410 (Pre-Calculus). Students should consult with the instructor before registering for this class. Topics covered include: Limits; Derivatives; Integrals; and Applications.
TEXT: Calculus of a Single Variable, 8th ed. by Larson, Hostetler, and Edwards (0-618-5034-8)
CREDIT:  MA

Calculus II and Advanced Math Topics
This course is open to students who have successfully completed Calculus during their junior year. The study of Calculus will be continued as well as introductions to various other fields of mathematics.
Topics covered include: Methods of Integration; Taylor and Maclaurin Series; Parametric Functions; Functions in Polar Coordinates; and, Introduction to Chaos Theory and Fractals (TEXT: Introduction to Fractals and Chaos by Crayton W. Bedford); Introduction to Non-Euclidean Geometry; Introduction to Naïve Set Theory.
TEXT:  Calculus of a Single Variable, 8th ed. by Larson, Hostetler, and Edwards (0-618-5034-8) as well as Instructor’s Handouts
CREDIT:  MA

Physical Education (PE)
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Students are required to take two PE courses each year for a total of eight courses to graduate.  Unless otherwise noted, all PE courses are term long.  When a student completes a season on an Upper School Interscholastic Sports Team, he/she receives one PE credit.

Dance

Advanced Dance:  Collaboration & Performance
Students will work collaboratively to develop work thematically related to the concept of the “Landscape of Emotion.”   The theme will be explored in both dance and video.  Dancers participating in this project will need to research a particular emotion in depth during the summer months and collect dance phrases.  All dancers will meet in August with the instructor, videographer and other artists where their findings will shape the direction of the concert.  Students will explore motivations for selecting movement around the stated theme.  The concert will be on continuous thought that invites audience engagement in a particular way.  There will be opportunities for dancers to design small portions of this collaborative work based on their research. This process requires a high level of commitment and self-direction.  After school rehearsals on Thursday afternoons will be required until winter break.  There will be a sharing of work midway through the Winter Term.  STUDENTS NEED TO TAKE ADVANCED DANCE IN BOTH THE FALL AND WINTER TERMS BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS CUMULATIVE. After winter break students will have the opportunity to work with a guest artist during the last third of the term.
LIMIT:   3 excused absences
CREDIT:  PE or CA-PA
PREREQUISITE:  Modern Dance or Advanced Dance & Permission of Instructor

Dance Styles Exploration
Have you ever wondered about the vast range of techniques and styles that make up modern dance?  This new and exciting dance experience will provide an opportunity to work with a series of guest artists in specific styles.  These guest artists will each teach a unit on their particular area of expertise.  The styles will range from traditional modern to hip-hop to aerial dance.  It is a chance to develop your technical skills as you experiment with new ways of moving your body.  Along the way we will analyze the characteristics of each style of dance and study some of the choreographers who have brought the style forward.  Students will be required to dress out and participate on a daily basis.  There will be required outside reading and reflections.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  PE or CA-PA

Improvisation & Dance
This course is designed for you to learn about yourself as a mover and to interact closely in group movement activities.  Principles of improvisation involve working within limitations and thinking on your feet.  By setting various improvisational structures, we will work with spontaneous creation and sustained concentration.  This is a process-oriented rather than a product-oriented course.  Attendance is crucial to receive credit and to build the feeling of group.  Limited outside reading and reaction writing are required.  Improvisational activities because of their nature are a challenge to the experienced dancer as well as the beginner both are welcome.  Improvisational activities will vary for each group and each trimester, therefore, this course may be taken more than once.  If interest is high, we may share some of our improvisational structures with an audience.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  PE or CA-PA

Modern Dance:  Collaboration & Performance
This class will emphasize the body in motion and the technique of modern dance.  Students will work collaboratively on a dance inspired by the theme of the “Landscape of Emotion.”   Dancers will be asked to contribute and learn dance phrases in the process.  There will be a specific emphasis on the relationship between technical and creative development.  STUDENTS NEED TO TAKE THIS CLASS FOR BOTH THE FALL AND WINTER TERMS BECAUSE THE MATERIAL IS CUMULATIVE.  There will be outside rehearsals initially on Monday afternoons and then on Thursday afternoons after the winter term begins until the December sharing.  After winter break, dancers will have the opportunity to collaborate with a guest artist during the last third of the term.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  PE or CA-PA
PREREQUISITE: Consistent Dance experience in the US or permission of Instructor

Site Specific Project in Dance
In this class we will explore the relationship of place and space.  We will study artists that have chosen to set their work in areas other than the proscenium stage.  Improvisational structures and choreographic assignments will be designed to help dancers generate and structure innovative movement for a specific geographic place within the CFS landscape.  Think basketball court, steps of the US, Miller’s Bluff, etc.  Jeramie Orton and Annie will work together with you to create a piece that will be shaped by the environment and shared in an informal way.  We are interested in having several live musicians as part of this experience.  It promises to be a once in a lifetime learning experience of dancing into spring.
LIMIT:  3 excused absences
CREDIT:  PE, CA-PA, or CS

Interscholastic Sports Teams

Fall – Soccer (boys); Volleyball (girls)
Winter – Basketball (boys and girls); Ultimate Frisbee (co-ed); Swimming (boys and girls)
Spring – Soccer (girls); Ultimate Frisbee (co-ed); Tennis (boys and girls)

Students receive one PE credit for each term of an interscholastic sport.

Other Physical Education Courses

Biking
We will ride on the trails and logging roads of Duke Forest to develop cardiovascular fitness and simply enjoy the spring while on a bike.  Students must have their own mountain bike, helmet and water bottle.
CREDIT:  PE

Climbing Wall and Tree Climbing
This course will focus on the basic skills needed to safely ascend the CFS Climbing Wall and to prepare students for climbing experiences in wilderness settings.  Additionally we will learn techniques to ascend very large trees and work comfortably in the canopy.
CREDIT:  PE

Fitness
This class is a fitness course.  The focus throughout the term is on improving endurance, flexibility, and strength.  Classes meet in the weight room or the gym, as necessary.  Each student is expected to develop a training plan for the course and to work toward particular goals.  This class is open to anyone interested in improving his/her fitness.  Previous experience in the weight room is not necessary.
CREDIT:  PE

Gym Sports
Activities in Gym Sports will include nerf hockey, volleyball, dodgeball, basketball, and other student-generated activities.
CREDIT:  PE

Hiking
This class is intended to provide a break from classroom stress in the woods of Duke Forest, as well as low-impact exercise and a chance to experience both nature and conversations with others!
CREDIT:  PE

Swimming
This class provides two of the training sessions for the swim team.  Students travel on a CFS bus to the Triangle SportsPlex (Hillsborough).  The actual in-the-water training time is 2:20 or so to 3:45.  Students on the swim team are also expected to attend two additional afterschool training sessions on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:35 to 4:45.
CREDIT:  PE

Tennis
The Tennis Course will be a Tuesday/Thursday class, and will take place this year at Hollow Rock Tennis Center.  Players of any level may participate, from advanced to complete beginners.  As with Bowling, this class will most likely involve a cost to cover court fees at the club ($50-60).  Dedicated tennis shoes suitable for soft courts are a must.
CREDIT:  PE

Weight Training
This class is open to anyone interested in weight training (also referred to as strength or resistance training) – from those with no experience to those with a lot.  Inexperienced students will have the opportunity to learn about the weight machines and free weights and to develop a weight training program.  You will learn terminology used in weight training and learn proper technique for a variety of exercises. Those with prior experience will have the opportunity to expand on what they know.  Early on, students will develop their own plans and be expected to follow through with them during the remainder of the term.
CREDIT:  PE

Yoga

Advanced Yoga
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between mind, body and spirit. Many people think that yoga is stretching.  While stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses (known as “asanas”), each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. Yoga also helps one maintain a “one pointed mind” or the ability to stay focused in the moment, thereby quieting mental chatter and increasing peace of mind.
The goals of this class include the exploration of these physical and mental possibilities and practices. This class is particularly characterized by an emphasis on fitness in the Hatha yoga style (the branch of yoga which concentrates on physical health and mental well-being through bodily postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana) with the goal of bringing about a sound, healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind). As a class, we journey through asanas during each class meeting, with the end goal being that each person grows through his/her own unique experience and self-discovery within the group. *Further, as Advanced Yoga students, additional expectations for the course include a creative project of one’s own choosing to conceptualize that person’s deeper understanding of the mind-body-breath/spirit connection within the practice, as well as the philosophical underpinnings of this ancient art. Finally, each student is expected to teach five asanas to the class by the end of the course (the purpose being that through this method, one learns the practice like never before--from another angle, thereby deepening one’s overall understanding).
Students taking this course should have an authentic desire to pursue Yoga at a deeper level, both physically and mentally (and therefore come to class with that expectation and opportunity in mind).
CREDIT:  PE or CA-PA

Introduction to Yoga
The word yoga means "union" in Sanskrit, the language of ancient India where yoga originated. We can think of the union occurring between mind, body and spirit. Many people think that yoga is stretching.  While stretching is certainly involved, yoga is really about creating balance in the body through developing both strength and flexibility. This is done through the performance of poses (known as “asanas”), each of which has specific physical benefits. The poses can be done quickly in succession, creating heat in the body through movement or more slowly to increase stamina and perfect the alignment of the pose. Yoga also helps one maintain a “one pointed mind” or the ability to stay focused in the moment, thereby quieting mental chatter and increasing peace of mind.
The goals of this class involve introducing one to these physical and mental possibilities and practices. This class is particularly characterized by an emphasis on fitness in the Hatha yoga style (the branch of yoga which concentrates on physical health and mental well-being through bodily postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama), and meditation (dyana) with the goal of bringing about a sound, healthy body and a clear, peaceful mind). As a class, we will journey through an asana practice at each class meeting, with the end goal being that each person grows through his/her own unique experience and self-discovery within the group.
CREDIT:  PE

Science (SC)
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Students are required to take one year of Biological Science (SC-BS) and one year of Physical Science (SC-PS) to graduate.  Within each science, courses are divided by level.  Introductory level courses are open to all students and intended for first year students.  Intermediate courses have a pre-requisite either in science or in math.  Upper and Advanced level courses are intended for juniors and seniors.

Biological Science (SC-BS)

Introductory Level

Introduction to Biology
This year-long lab science course surveys fundamental, unifying topics in biology including: basic chemistry and biochemistry, cells and heredity, evolution and ecology.  All first year students must enroll in Introduction to Biology.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Plant Propagation and Gardening
This term class offered in both fall and spring will be a hands-on class in which students study and practice many basic techniques in plant propagation.  Some of these techniques include starting plants from seeds, spores, cuttings, layering, grafting, and tissue culture.  We will be involved in creating and improving the plantings around upper school.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Research Project in Biology
This term class will be a research project involving the completion of several ongoing experiments with insects.  The experiments will be written up as research papers and bound into a small book.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Intermediate Level

To take intermediate level courses in Biology, students must have successfully completed Introduction to Biology.

Advanced Biology Elective: Principles of Ecology
This term-long course will include studying ecological interactions between organisms in ecosystems and the terrestrial and marine biomes.  We will complete an ecological, hands-on study in our outdoor environment.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Advanced Biology Elective: Biotechnology
This term-long course will investigate the structure and function of DNA, gene expression, and gene regulation and introduce students to modern genetic engineering techniques through many hands-on activities. We will discuss the ethical implications of modern biotechnology.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Advanced Biology Elective:  People and the Environment
This term-long course will focus on the resources of the biosphere, human needs for water, food and energy, and managing human impact towards a sustainable future.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Advanced Level

To take Advanced Level courses in Biology, students must have successfully completed both Introduction to Biology and Chemistry.

Advanced Biology
This year-long course will cover the topics and labs from the Advanced Placement curriculum. Students need to consult with the instructor before registering for this class.  All students taking Advanced Biology will need to take an additional Advanced Biology Lab period in the spring term.
CREDIT:  SC-BS

Physical Science (SC-PS)

Introductory Level

All first year students must take Introduction to Biology.  After their first year, students may enroll in Introduction to Physical Science (IPS) if they do not yet have the math requirements to take Chemistry.

Introduction to Physical Science
IPS covers the fundamental topics of both Chemistry and Physics and is designed to prepare students for more advanced courses in physical science.  The class will be based around hands-on work.  Students will complete a lab and then do investigations into the concepts illustrated in the laboratory work for each unit.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Environmental Science
This is a hands-on class.  Students complete projects that assist in the design and construction of implements used to reduce the carbon footprint of the CFS campus.  Past projects have included solar heaters, solar lighting, and pipe insulation.  The projects that this class tackles depend on student input and investment.  Some ideas for 2008-2009 include electric cars, a greenhouse, and the campus gray water recycling system.  Students also do research and write reports about the environmental science they study.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Intermediate Level

To take Intermediate Level courses in Physical Science, students must be concurrently enrolled in, or have successfully completed, Math 310 (Algebra II & Trigonometry).

Chemistry
This class is a year-long investigation of the composition and interactions of matter.  Experiments conducted by students will form an important part of the course.  Topics covered include:  states of matter, basic stoichiometry, oxidation-reduction reactions, solution calculations, acids and bases, and thermodynamics.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Upper Level

To take Upper Level courses in Physical Science, students must have successfully completed both Chemistry and Math 310 (Algebra II & Trigonometry).

Advanced Chemistry
This year-long course will pick up where Chemistry left off.  Topics like thermodynamics, the applications of equilibrium (buffered solutions), nuclear chemistry and biochemistry will be explored.  It will be a hands-on, lab-based course for the mathematically inclined.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Astronomy
This course is a one-term survey of major topics in Astronomy.  This class will include cosmology, the life cycle of stars, and the origin and history of the solar system.  There will be an emphasis on the mathematical and chemical foundations for Astronomy.  This class ends with a study of the creation of the solar system.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Energy
This course is a one-term survey of all possible energy sources available to humans (nuclear, solar, fossil fuels, geothermal, wind, water, biofuels).  We will examine the magnitude of the possibilities for each type of fuel and current methods to obtain and harness each.  Intended to follow Geology, Energy begins with a study of the availability of resources.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Geology
This course is a one-term survey of major topics in Geology including minerals and rocks, plate tectonics, and structural and regional geology.  Intended to follow Astronomy, Geology begins with the origin of the earth. The course ends with a study of the possibilities available in the fixed system that is the earth.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Physics
This year long science course is a study of mechanics, force, work, energy, momentum, wave behavior, sound, light, electricity, magnetism, and relativity.
CREDIT:  SC-PS

Social Studies (SS)
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Students are required to take nine credits in Social Studies to graduate.  These credits must be distributed as follows:  one credit in European History (SS-EU), one credit in Geography (SS-GE), one credit in Non-Western History (SS-NW), and three credits in US History (SS-US) that come from taking the require year-long US History class in the junior year.  Other than US History, all other social studies courses are term-long courses.  Other credits can be distributed as a student chooses.  Within the Social Studies Department, classes are structured by level with Introductory courses intended for first year students, Intermediate courses intended for sophomore students, Upper level courses are for juniors and seniors, and Advanced level courses are only open to seniors.
Many SS courses are cross-registered in the language arts department as the departments move toward a more humanities-centered curriculum.
Sophomores will be engaged in a new integrated humanities curriculum that teaches global citizenship.  This will include a set of individual, self-contained humanities classes that will:  emphasize changes leading up to the world were we currently live, develop awareness and understandi