Foundations of Government (Non-Honors) – SPRING
Is the U.S. a republic or a democracy? Should the mass media play a role in defining American government? Did the Founding Fathers define the government adequately? Do citizens serve the government, or does the government serve the people, abiding by the Judeo-Christian values granted it by the Constitution?
This course will be an eye-opener for students! The objective of American Government is to provide pupils with an understanding of the principles and ideals of the Founding Fathers, the structure and function of the branches of government, as well as the policy considerations and politics facing our nation. Students will have an opportunity to participate in a Mock Congress utilizing concepts learned in this course. This is a highly interactive class, in which critical thinking and discussion are cornerstones. Supreme Court cases and original documents of the framers will be discussed and analyzed.
Special Note: This course is available as dual credit; however, a student does not have to dual enroll to take the class.
Intro to Graphic Design Using Canva – SPRING
This introduction to Photoshop class will give students a foundational knowledge of a tool that can be used to pursue graphic design, photo manipulation, print design, and a myriad of other careers. Incorporating fine art principles with technological execution will give students a variety of solid skills in basic design procedure that will be a launching pad for a diverse portfolio of work. Students can expect to submit projects each week to show they understand the technical aspects and there will be two large projects to incorporate their understanding of the technology, design principles, and craftsmanship in a creative format. This class is intended to give students a broad overview of this powerful industry-standard software. By the end of class, they should have mastered the basic layout and functions of Photoshop and begun to incorporate workflow habits that are essential to efficient and effective design.
Projects include removing backgrounds, cloning objects, blemish removal, color correction, book covers, movie posters and much more!
Intro to Graphic Design Using Canva – FALL
This introduction to Photoshop class will give students a foundational knowledge of a tool that can be used to pursue graphic design, photo manipulation, print design, and a myriad of other careers. Incorporating fine art principles with technological execution will give students a variety of solid skills in basic design procedure that will be a launching pad for a diverse portfolio of work. Students can expect to submit projects each week to show they understand the technical aspects and there will be two large projects to incorporate their understanding of the technology, design principles, and craftsmanship in a creative format. This class is intended to give students a broad overview of this powerful industry-standard software. By the end of class, they should have mastered the basic layout and functions of Photoshop and begun to incorporate workflow habits that are essential to efficient and effective design.
Projects include removing backgrounds, cloning objects, blemish removal, color correction, book covers, movie posters and much more!
Chronicles of Faith: Tracing the New Testament Across Centuries
Join us for an in-depth exploration of works by modern African authors. They are all written by female authors of the last fifty years. Exploring themes of family, womanhood, war, violence, love, friendship, politics, and more, all are stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. The works selected are heavy-hitting award winners and include both authors that still reside in their native countries and those that have immigrated to other nations. Several of the works are translated from French or other indigenous languages. The countries represented include Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Liberia. All books deal with mature themes and situations, so students require a mature disposition.
Your teacher, while not an expert in African culture or politics, is an avid reader and fiercely curious. This course is part of our Bridge Builder series. The goal for this series is simple: to help students cultivate the capacity to show compassion, grow in empathy, share love with all people, and ultimately collaborate with others to provide solutions to problems in an increasingly complex world. While this is not the case in most of our classes, the courses in this series require live attendance with video and audio capability to aid in discussion.
Digs and Scriptures: Exploring the Bible Through Archaeology
Join us for an in-depth exploration of works by modern African authors. They are all written by female authors of the last fifty years. Exploring themes of family, womanhood, war, violence, love, friendship, politics, and more, all are stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. The works selected are heavy-hitting award winners and include both authors that still reside in their native countries and those that have immigrated to other nations. Several of the works are translated from French or other indigenous languages. The countries represented include Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Liberia. All books deal with mature themes and situations, so students require a mature disposition.
Your teacher, while not an expert in African culture or politics, is an avid reader and fiercely curious. This course is part of our Bridge Builder series. The goal for this series is simple: to help students cultivate the capacity to show compassion, grow in empathy, share love with all people, and ultimately collaborate with others to provide solutions to problems in an increasingly complex world. While this is not the case in most of our classes, the courses in this series require live attendance with video and audio capability to aid in discussion.
Journey Through the Bible: Themes, Narratives & Perspectives
Join us for an in-depth exploration of works by modern African authors. They are all written by female authors of the last fifty years. Exploring themes of family, womanhood, war, violence, love, friendship, politics, and more, all are stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. The works selected are heavy-hitting award winners and include both authors that still reside in their native countries and those that have immigrated to other nations. Several of the works are translated from French or other indigenous languages. The countries represented include Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Liberia. All books deal with mature themes and situations, so students require a mature disposition.
Your teacher, while not an expert in African culture or politics, is an avid reader and fiercely curious. This course is part of our Bridge Builder series. The goal for this series is simple: to help students cultivate the capacity to show compassion, grow in empathy, share love with all people, and ultimately collaborate with others to provide solutions to problems in an increasingly complex world. While this is not the case in most of our classes, the courses in this series require live attendance with video and audio capability to aid in discussion.
Asia: The New Silk Road: A History of Asia from 1800 to the Present
Join us for an in-depth exploration of works by modern African authors. They are all written by female authors of the last fifty years. Exploring themes of family, womanhood, war, violence, love, friendship, politics, and more, all are stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. The works selected are heavy-hitting award winners and include both authors that still reside in their native countries and those that have immigrated to other nations. Several of the works are translated from French or other indigenous languages. The countries represented include Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Liberia. All books deal with mature themes and situations, so students require a mature disposition.
Your teacher, while not an expert in African culture or politics, is an avid reader and fiercely curious. This course is part of our Bridge Builder series. The goal for this series is simple: to help students cultivate the capacity to show compassion, grow in empathy, share love with all people, and ultimately collaborate with others to provide solutions to problems in an increasingly complex world. While this is not the case in most of our classes, the courses in this series require live attendance with video and audio capability to aid in discussion.
The Middle East: The Center of History from 1800 the the Present
Join us for an in-depth exploration of works by modern African authors. They are all written by female authors of the last fifty years. Exploring themes of family, womanhood, war, violence, love, friendship, politics, and more, all are stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. The works selected are heavy-hitting award winners and include both authors that still reside in their native countries and those that have immigrated to other nations. Several of the works are translated from French or other indigenous languages. The countries represented include Rwanda, Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Senegal, and Liberia. All books deal with mature themes and situations, so students require a mature disposition.
Your teacher, while not an expert in African culture or politics, is an avid reader and fiercely curious. This course is part of our Bridge Builder series. The goal for this series is simple: to help students cultivate the capacity to show compassion, grow in empathy, share love with all people, and ultimately collaborate with others to provide solutions to problems in an increasingly complex world. While this is not the case in most of our classes, the courses in this series require live attendance with video and audio capability to aid in discussion.
Intro to Ink: High School Journalism
Do you read or listen to the news? Do you listen to podcasts? Have you wondered if you could write news or produce a podcast? This introductory class is for you! Students who are interested in learning more about journalism writing and the craft of podcasting are encouraged to sign up for this fun spring semester class. Students will spend the first half of the semester learning about journalism basics: interviewing, news writing, editing and radio broadcasting. They will finish the semester practicing podcasting by writing and producing one episode of the Excelsior Classes Podcast.
Illustration and Visual Storytelling
Learn to see, think, and draw like an architect! The first of two semester-long courses will introduce students to architectural design thinking and representation through freehand and technical drawing exercises. We will focus on translating between 2D and 3D drawing and visualization while learning the standard orthographic views in architectural drawings – plan, elevation, and section. Students will be exposed to various architects and works of architecture throughout the course.
Weekly assignments will consist of a sketchbook or drafting assignment as well as a reading requirement. A weekly assessment will account for the completion of the reading assignment. Three projects will be done during the semester. For the final design project students will create architectural drawings consisting of plan, elevation, and section and then present their projects in the final class. This course is a prerequisite for Intro to Architecture II.
