Embedded Files
ENGLISH - Persepolis and Critical thinking - Mr. Burgess.
In an English 11 class, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi offers a powerful platform for developing critical thinking skills. As a graphic novel that describes the author’s coming of age during and after the Iranian Revolution, Persepolis challenges students to look beyond surface-level narratives and engage with complex political, cultural, and personal issues. As they interpret Satrapi’s use of black-and-white illustrations and her depiction of life under a repressive regime, students learn to question perspective, bias, and the ways in which truth is shaped by context.
Throughout the course, critical thinking becomes essential as students examine the themes of identity, resistance, and freedom within Persepolis. The book creates an environment where questioning is encouraged, allowing students to grow. In this way, Persepolis not only deepens literary understanding but also serves as a springboard for thoughtful inquiry and self-reflection in an English 11 classroom.
HISTORY - Model United Nations - Miss. Stone
Participating in Model United Nations (MUN) has significantly broadened my worldview by challenging me to step outside of the familiar U.S.-centered lens through which I often view global issues. Representing different countries in MUN required me to research their unique political systems, cultural values, economic interests, and historical experiences. For example, while the U.S. might approach climate change from a policy-driven and economic standpoint, a developing nation I represented in MUN viewed it through the lens of survival and justice, given its vulnerability to rising sea levels and limited resources.
Through debate and collaboration with other delegates, I began to understand how nations’ positions are influenced by more than just ideology, they reflect geography, history, and national identity. It helped me see that progress in international relations often depends on compromise, cultural sensitivity, and the willingness to understand others’ perspectives. Overall, MUN has helped me grow into a more thoughtful and globally aware individual, able to consider complex issues from multiple angles rather than defaulting to an American-centric viewpoint.
‘CO-CURRICULAR/EXTRA CURRICULAR’ - Service
As a part of my personal life, I help out my grandfather with his lawn as he travels to Arizona for half of the year and returns home for the other half of the year. I mow his lawn to help keep his home safe and make it seem like someone is living there instead of a jungle continually growing. He is a veteran who fought in Vietnam, and with his age and status, it helps him a lot to relieve some lawn care chores from his shoulders onto mine, as it provides me with some income and him a beautiful lawn.
Helping my grandfather is a small step toward my service that goes beyond the outside-of-school-required community service. It has taught me a lot about time management and responsibility to make sure that when he is gone, the home is safe, secure, and his mail is not piling up in his mailbox. Even if it seems like a small gesture, it goes a long way for myself for working hard and learning responsiblity of lawn care, but it also helps those who are beginning to see the ending years of their life, and relax to enjoy the remaining time they have left.
WORLD LANGUAGE - Spanish III - Señor Fradl
Taking Spanish III and reading the novel 48 Horas played a key role in strengthening both my Spanish speaking skills and overall literacy in the language. The class pushed me beyond basic vocabulary and grammar, requiring me to engage in more complex conversations, write detailed responses, and understand deeper cultural contexts. 48 Horas, a suspenseful novel written entirely in Spanish, provided an immersive experience that helped reinforce the language in a real-world context. Reading the book challenged me to decode unfamiliar words using context clues and to follow a fast-paced plot while improving my comprehension and vocabulary.
In addition to reading, our class discussions and activities centered around 48 Horas gave me the chance to express my thoughts aloud in Spanish, building my confidence and fluency. Answering questions, summarizing chapters, and role-playing scenes helped me practice speaking in a way that felt natural and engaging. The suspenseful storyline kept me motivated to continue learning, and I noticed that my ability to think and respond in Spanish improved significantly over time. Spanish III, paired with the novel, transformed language learning from a classroom exercise into a meaningful and practical skill set I can continue building on, with the slideshow displaying our Familia throughout the year that I was included in.
MATH - Statistics and Probability - Mrs. Clevidence
Studying statistics and probability has helped me see how math is directly connected to everyday decision-making and real-world situations. Instead of just working with numbers in abstract ways, I learned how to interpret data, recognize patterns, and calculate the likelihood of certain outcomes. Concepts like standard deviation, sampling, and probability distributions made me realize how businesses, scientists, and even everyday people use statistics to make informed choices. I now see how statistics provide the tools to evaluate information critically and make logical conclusions.
This class also taught me to question the reliability of data and the way it's presented. In a world filled with games with chances, cards, and life around me and the chance of all of this around me not existing. Understanding probability and statistics gives me the ability to continuously think about the possibilities that I have. I’ve learned that data can be manipulated depending on how it’s collected or shown, like new channels and their political ideology. Being able to analyze it myself is a valuable skill. Overall, statistics and probability gave me not only mathematical knowledge but also practical reasoning skills that I can apply in future academic work, careers, and everyday problem-solving.
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