Electives

Meets graduation requirement:T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: d

The major focus of the Medical Biotechnology course is to train students in scientific concepts and laboratory research techniques currently used in the field of biotechnology. Students will be introduced to the major concepts from the areas of molecular biology, genetics and genomics, DNA/RNA technology, bioinformatics, recombinant technologies, and bioethics. Lessons will engage students in conducting laboratory experiments, collecting and analyzing real data, researching and communicating scientific information, and critically discussing the ethical and social issues surrounding the use of biotechnology in today’s society. This course aims to produce technically sound scientists who can apply their newfound knowledge in an academic, commercial, or a medical laboratory setting.

Meets graduation requirement:T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: d

Advanced Medical Biotechnology course is a continuation of Introduction to Medical Biotechnology. Students will continue to learn the tools and techniques of DNA and protein manipulation and analysis that they can apply in an academic, commercial, or a medical laboratory setting. Lessons will engage students in conducting laboratory experiments, collecting and analyzing real data, researching and communicating scientific information, and critically discussing the ethical and social issues surrounding the use of biotechnology in today’s society.

Meets graduation requirement: S/T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: d

Forensics is a third year science for students that are college bound and/or interested in the field of forensics. This class will introduce students to the fields of forensic science and provide a general overview of the forensic sciences. Students will participate in many qualitative hands-on labs and simulations that develop the practical and theoretical aspects of forensics. This class will integrate previous science courses and demonstrate to the students the relevance of science education for practical use.

Meets graduation requirement:T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

This introductory course prepares students to understand children’s physical, mental, emotional, social growth and development as well as provide for their care and guidance. Instruction includes prenatal developments, inherited characteristics, health and safety, guidance and discipline, cultural diversity, child abuse and neglect. This course provides a solid foundation in any career that involves working with children, including childcare and education.

Meets graduation requirement:T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

This concentration  course is a study of the physical, perceptual, cognitive, personality, and language developmental stages of children from conception through adolescence, including the principle theories of development and their application. The need for an understanding of how children develop and what influences their development is an important component of contributing to the demands of our complex society. Students will develop an understanding of children and the developmental process through readings, case studies, observations, individual research projects and group project work. This course will examine the major theories of child development and their application. 

Meets graduation requirement:T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

This Capstone course is designed to provide students with knowledge of careers in the field of child development and teaching professions. Students will learn child development through classroom instruction as well as developing and presenting age appropriate activities to children.  Career preparations standards, which include basic academic, safety, communication, interpersonal, and problem-solving skills, are integrated throughout the course. Active class participation is enhanced by fieldwork at school sites under the guidance of a mentor teacher. Community internships include placement in preschools, elementary schools, and middle schools. All students are required to provide their own daily transportation to this internship. This course helps prepare students for entry into college or university teacher-training programs.

Meets graduation requirement:T/EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

The Careers in Advanced Manufacturing and the Trades course provides students with the opportunity to focus on one or more areas of industrial technology, creatively pursuing new knowledge and information on careers in Advanced Manufacturing and the Trades. Students will use advanced manufacturing processes in the areas of forming, joining, assembly, mechanics, construction and the trades. Best practices for operating hand tools. specific equipment and safety.

Meets graduation requirements: FA/T/EL

Meets UC a-g requirements: g

This is an intermediate course in which students will continue to develop an understanding, appreciation, and a more personal approach to expression in film. Students will expand their abilities with practice of advanced video equipment, lighting and story possibilities. Collaboration with school clubs and community organizations will influence some projects; emphasis will be placed on the development of creative depth and meaning. 

Meets graduation requirements: FA/T/EL

This is an intermediate course in which students will continue to develop an understanding, appreciation, and a more personal approach to expression in film. Students will expand their abilities with practice of advanced video equipment, lighting and story possibilities. Collaboration with school clubs and community organizations will influence some projects; emphasis will be placed on the development of creative depth and meaning. 

Meets graduation requirements: EL

This course is designed for students that have proven mastery of academic standards to provide support for their peers enrolled in the requested and previously mastered course. Peer Academic Tutors work under the supervision of the classroom teacher, providing additional assistance and instruction to students in need. Peer Academic Tutors typically work one-on-one with students to assist with understanding and apply principles taught by the classroom teacher. Peer Academic Tutors circulate around the classroom while students are completing assignments and assist students who are struggling with their work. Peer tutors are able to explain, model and provide support for mastery of new concepts or techniques being taught by the classroom teacher.

Meets graduation requirements: EL

The yearbook is a memory book, a historical documentation of the year, a resource/reference book, and a pictorial representation of contemporary school life.  Students are responsible for developing layouts, writing copy, computer desktop publishing, taking and developing photos, video production, proofreading, and selling ads in the community.  To ensure a quality publication, time commitment is essential; therefore, students may be required to give extra time during lunch, after school, at night, and occasionally on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.  Yearbook is a commitment for the entire school year.  This course is a two term commitment. 

Meets graduation requirements: EL

Meet UC a-g requirements: g 

Critical Approaches to Cinema - Ethnic Studies asks students to watch films through four critical lenses, or approaches.This course lays the foundation for the study of reading visual media. Students will learn two theoretical frameworks common to a typical advanced English course: an Aesthetic Approach and a Mythological Approach. Students will move beyond a plot-level understanding of the story to interpret how structures of film—sound and lighting, framing and camera angles, tropes and archetypes—create meaning. The course is designed to meet the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum anchor standards by using film as the central text for exploring identity, histories, systems of power, and agency/solidarity/futures. Through the Civic Approach, students critically analyze how films reflect, challenge, or reinforce power structures and inequalities, paying particular attention to the representation of African American, Chicano/Latino, Asian American, Native American, and other communities. This analysis engages students in questioning stereotypes, examining who has power and who does not, and considering how filmmakers use storytelling to advance or resist dominant ideologies. Through the Cultural Approach, students study a wide range of global and U.S. films that highlight diverse voices and cultural perspectives, emphasizing the importance of understanding multiple ways of seeing and knowing. Together, these approaches ensure that students engage with the lived experiences and contributions of marginalized communities, while also recognizing the role of cinema in shaping cultural literacy, building empathy, and fostering a vision of equity and social justice. 

Meets graduation requirements: EL

Meet UC a-g requirements: g 

This course is designed to teach students how to see context and make connections across the humanities. Students will piece together the cultural history of the world by studying and critically analyzing various sections of art, music, history and literature. The course will encourage students to focus and think critically about the cultural artifacts of the past and the importance on today’s society. Students in this class will use this material to prepare for the local Academic Decathlon competition. The purpose of the United States Academic Decathlon is to develop academic competitions, curriculum, and assessment to promote learning and academic excellence through teamwork among students of all achievement levels. The goal of this class is to enhance students’ critical thinking and reasoning skills by using selected reading pieces from the humanities and having students respond in writing, through discussions and with prepared speeches. Although each year the topic changes as detailed by USAD, United States Academic Decathlon, the basic humanities’ components remain the same. Each area of study will have a component related to the assigned theme. 

Meets graduation requirements: FA/EL

Meet UC a-g requirements: g 

With a combination of theory, skills practice, and competency evaluation, students (1) learn to understand the major concepts of communication theory and research, (2) are able to recognize those concepts in their own experiences and those of others, (3) have access to a range of choices concerning their communication behavior, thus increasing communication competence. In addition, students can export acquired information, and begin a process of lifelong learning about effective communication skills. Students will study the fundamentals of written and oral communication, will experience a variety of writing opportunities and participate in numerous interactive simulations. 

Meets graduation requirements: T/EL

Meet UC a-g requirements: d

Engineering Technology is an introductory course in which students develop problem-solving skills, with emphasis placed on three-dimensional solid models.  Students will work from sketching simple geometric shapes to applying a solid modeling computer software package.  They will learn a problem solving design process and how it is used in industry to manufacture a product.  The Computer Aided Design System (CAD) will also be used to analyze and evaluate the product design.

Meets graduation requirements: T/EL

Meet UC a-g requirements: d 

Advanced Engineering Technology is a capstone level course in which students build upon the problem-solving skills and three-dimensional solid models taught in the Engineering Technology course. This course is one year in length and primarily offered to 10th to12th grade students. Students will develop an ability to identify, formulate, and solve complex engineering problems by applying principles of engineering, science, and mathematics to produce solutions that meet specified needs with consideration of public health, safety, and welfare, as well as global, cultural, social, environmental, and economic factors. The course will develop and conduct appropriate experimentation, analyze and interpret data, and use engineering judgment to draw conclusions using appropriate learning strategies.

Meets graduation requirement:T/ EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

Computer Science and Programming is a second year computer science course with an emphasis on programming concepts and methodology. Students will learn algorithmic thinking, expression, and be able to understand basic principles of programming logic. They will learn to communicate complex ideas simply and solve problems logically. Topics include computer hardware, troubleshooting, computer security, networking, and program development. Students will engage in several in-depth projects to demonstrate the real-world application of computing and programming. 

Meets graduation requirement:T/ EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: c

This course earns students a weighted grade

Computer Science A emphasizes object-oriented programming methodology with an emphasis on problem solving and algorithm development and is meant to be the equivalent of a first-semester college course in computer science. It also includes the study of data structures and abstraction.

Meets graduation requirement: EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: a

This course earns students a weighted grade

AP Human Geography focuses on the distribution, process, and effects of human population on the planet. Emphasis is placed on geographic models and their applications. Case Studies from around the globe are compared to the situations at local, regional and national scales. Internet activities, field excursions, and videos are used to explore certain topics.

Meets graduation requirement: EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

This course is a year-long, college-preparatory class designed as an overview of the field of sociology aligned to meet the California Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. Students will be introduced to the four major domains of the National Standards for High School Sociology including, but not limited to, sociological concepts, theories, and procedures in the areas of collective behavior, crime, politics, race, ethnicity, education, health, gender, culture, and societal controversies. Students will explore each of these domains via the Ethnic Studies themes of Identity, History & Movement, Systems of Power, and Social Movements. It is also designed to explore the multifaceted experiences of marginalized groups in the United States, focusing on African American, Asian American, Latinx, Indigenous, and other racialized communities. It is intended to strengthen general study skills (e.g., analytical reading, expository writing, and oral communications), provide students an opportunity to begin work that could lead directly into a major program of study, and expose students, at some depth, to new disciplines that support college and career readiness.  

Meets graduation requirement: EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

Science Fiction as Literature is a one-term class in which students will define, analyze, and interpret the genres of Science Fiction through influential works in novels, short stories, and films. This English 11/12 class will include expository, persuasive, and descriptive writing as well as analysis of both fiction and non-fiction

materials related to the overall genre of Science Fiction. Students are expected to respond to course works critically and creatively as well. Students will do outside of class reading from an approved list, generally aligned to the sub-genres being studied. By the end of the course, students are expected to have an understanding of the genres, be able to engage critically with science fiction texts, and identify their broad cultural impact.

Meets graduation requirement: EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

This course earns students a weighted grade

AP Psychology will introduce you to the scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. You will be exposed to many psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields and psychological perspectives. Better still, you will develop advanced skills in college-level reading, critical evaluation, scientific inquiry, and clear writing. Best of all, AP Psychology will help you achieve a better understanding of yourself and humanity. Learn more here.

Meets graduation requirement: EL

Meets UC/CSU a-g requirement: g

The course description is this: The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the study of the behavioral and mental processes of human beings. Students will be exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields and perspectives within psychology. This includes, but is not limited to: the brain and how it works and communicates with the body, memory, learning, emotion, motivation, clinical psychology and performance psychology.  This course will ask students to practice critical thinking skills, as well skills related to reading, writing, and evaluating. This course is designed to give students exposure to the diverse content and experiences related to the field of psychology. This course is designed for student wishing to learn more about the field of psychology without taking an AP exam or the extended rigor of an AP course. This course is NOT designed to prepare students for the AP exam and students taking Psychology will not be allowed to register for the AP Psychology exam. 

Students work in the office assisting staff with clerical duties or a teacher in the classroom.  Attendance is critical for passing grade.

Students have the opportunity to work in our special education classrooms too.  Click here for more info.

Students work in the library assisting staff with clerical duties.  Attendance is critical for passing grade.