👍 = Student Recommended 🎉= New Course for the 2026/2027 School Year! * = Indicates semester-long course (P) = College Prep Elective area G
🎉*African American Studies (P)
This semester-long course traces the experiences of Africans in the Americas from 1500 to the present day. In this course, students will explore history, politics, and culture. Although the course proceeds in chronological order, lessons are also grouped by themes and trends in African American history.
🎉*Artificial Intelligence (P)
The course Artificial Intelligence is a single-semester course that explains the evolution of Artificial Intelligence and its scope in the future. This course also describes how Artificial Intelligence is used in fields such as games, speech recognition, and computer vision. In this course, you will learn about different types of intelligent agents and their environments. You will also learn how to formulate problems and represent knowledge. Artificial Intelligence also covers the concepts of machine learning, natural language processing, expert systems, and robots. You will also learn about the ethics and safety issues related to artificial intelligence.
*Career Choices (P)
Career Choices (aka Get Focused Stay Focused) is an initiative designed to provide every student with the necessary information and experiences to develop college and career readiness skills as well as facilitate the development of an online 10-year Career and Education Plan.
This Curriculum utilizes the Career Choices and Changes workbook, allowing students to discover who they are, what they want, and how to get it. The course is broken down into three sections:
Section One: Who Am I?
Section Two: What Do I Want?
Section Three: How Do I Get It?
*Health (P)
Health is a valuable, skills-based health education course designed for general education in grades 9 through 12. Health helps students develop knowledge, attitudes, and essential skills in a variety of health-related subjects, including mental and emotional health, social health, nutrition, physical fitness, substance use and abuse, disease prevention and treatment, and injury prevention and safety. Through the use of accessible information, realistic interactions, and project-based learning, students apply the skills they need to stay healthy. These skills include identifying and accessing valid health information, practicing self-management, identifying internal and external influences, communicating effectively, making healthy decisions, setting goals, and advocating. Students who complete Health build the skills they need to protect, enhance, and promote their own health and the health of others. The content is based on the National Health Standards (SHAPE) and is aligned to state standards. One semester course.
*College and Career I (P) - Popular Grade 10
High school students have many questions about the college application process, what it takes to be a successful college student, and how to begin thinking about their careers. In College and Career Preparation I, students obtain a deeper understanding of what it means to be ready for college. Students are informed about the importance of high school performance in college admissions and how to prepare for college testing. They know the types of schools and degrees they may choose to pursue after high school and gain wide exposure to the financial resources available that make college attainable. Career readiness is also a focus. Students connect the link between interests, college majors, and future careers by analyzing career clusters. Students come away from this course understanding how smart preparation and skill development in high school can lead to expansive career opportunities after they have completed their education and are ready for the working world. Students who complete College and Career Preparation I have the basic skills and foundation of knowledge to progress into College and Career Preparation II, the capstone course that provides hands-on information about the transition from high school to college and career. One semester course.
*College and Career II (P) - Popular Grade 11
High school students have many questions about the college application process, what it takes to be a successful college student, and how to begin thinking about their careers. College and Career Preparation II builds on the lessons and skills in College and Career Preparation I. The course provides a step-by-step guide to choosing a college. It walks students through the process of filling out an application, including opportunities to practice, and takes an in-depth look at the various college-admission tests and assessments, as well as financial aid options. College and Career Preparation II also instructs students in interviewing techniques and provides career guidance. Students explore valuable opportunities such as job shadowing and internships when preparing for a career. Students who complete this course obtain a deeper understanding of college and career readiness through informative, interactive critical thinking and analysis activities while sharpening their time management, organization, and learning skills that they learned in College and Career Preparation I.College and Career Preparation II prepares students with the knowledge and skills to be successful in college and beyond. The course is based on the American School Counselors Association National Standards for school counseling programs. One semester course.
*Creative Writing (P)
Creative Writing is an English elective course that focuses on the exploration of short fiction and poetry, culminating in a written portfolio that includes one revised short story and three to five polished poems. Students draft, revise, and polish fiction and poetry through writing exercises, developing familiarity with literary terms and facility with the writing process as they study elements of creative writing. Elements of fiction writing explored in this course include attention to specific detail, observation, character development, setting, plot, and point of view. In the poetry units, students learn about the use of sensory details and imagery, figurative language, and sound devices including rhyme, rhythm and alliteration. They also explore poetic forms ranging from found poems and slam poetry to traditional sonnets and villanelles. In addition to applying literary craft elements in guided creative writing exercises, students engage in critical reading activities designed to emphasize the writing craft of a diverse group of authors. Students study short stories by authors such as Bharati Mukherjee and Edgar Allan Poe, learning how to create believable characters and develop setting and plot. Likewise, students read poetry by canonical greats such as W. B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson as well as contemporary writers such as Pablo Neruda, Sherman Alexie, and Alice Notley. Studying the writing technique of a range of authors provides students with models and inspiration as they develop their own voices and refine their understanding of the literary craft. One semester course.
By taking a Creative Writing course, students find new approaches to reading and writing that can affect them on a personal level, as the skills they gain in each lesson directly benefit their own creative goals. Students who are already actively engaged writers and readers learn additional tools and insight into the craft of writing to help them further hone their skills and encourage their creative as well as academic growth.
👍Ethnic Studies (P)
Multicultural Studies is a one-semester elective history and sociology course that examines the United States as a multicultural nation. The course emphasizes the perspectives of minority groups while allowing students from all backgrounds to better understand and appreciate how race, culture and ethnicity, and identity contribute to their experiences. Major topics in the course include identity, immigration, assimilation and distinctiveness, power and oppression, struggles for rights, regionalism, culture and the media, and the formation of new cultures. In online Discussions and Polls, students reflect critically on their own experiences as well as those of others. Interactive multimedia activities include personal and historical accounts to which students can respond using methods of inquiry from history, sociology, and psychology. Written assignments and Journals provide opportunities for students to practice and develop skills for thinking and communicating about race, culture, ethnicity, and identity. One semester course.
Exploring Computer Science (P)
Exploring Computer Science offers a focused curriculum designed around foundational computer science concepts, including computer systems, programming, networks, and data management. The course also introduces students to foundational computer science skills such as coding, troubleshooting, and being a responsible digital citizen.
Course topics include the history and impact of computers; careers in computer science; computing laws and ethics; bias and equity issues in computing; algorithms and coding; data storage, organization, and analysis; hardware and software; robotics; networks and the internet; cybersecurity and online safety; website design; and the use of abstraction in computing. Students discover new concepts through guided instruction and confirm their understanding in an interactive, feedback-rich environment.
*Geography and World Cultures (P)
Geography and World Cultures offers a tightly focused and scaffolded curriculum that enables students to explore how geographic features, human relationships, political and social structures, economics, science and technology, and the arts have developed and influenced life in countries around the world. Along the way, students are instructed how to read maps, charts, and graphs, and how to create them. One semester course.
*Geography and World Cultures Honors (P)
Geography and World Cultures Honors is a robust, one-semester course that explores how geographic features, human relationships, political and social structures, economics, science and technology, and the arts have developed and influenced life in countries around the world. Along the way, students are given rigorous instruction on how to read maps, charts, and graphs, and how to create them. Geography and World Cultures Honors is designed as the first course in the social studies sequence. It develops note-taking skills, teaches analytic writing, and introduces students to the close examination of primary documents. One semester course.
🎉*Gothic Literature (P)
This one-semester course is intended to familiarize you with the different conventions, themes, and elements of Gothic literature through the analysis of representative literary works. The course discusses classics such as Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Ann Radcliffe’s novel A Sicilian Romance, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. It also analyzes Edgar Allan Poe’s Gothic short stories, Robert Browning’s Gothic poems, and Emily Dickinson’s poems about death, mortality, and spirituality. Finally, you get a glimpse of Matthew Lewis and Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Gothic dramas, learn about Gothic parodies and Gothic subgenres, and discuss contemporary Gothic literature.
👍*Financial Literacy (P)
Financial Literacy offers an engaging, scaffolded curriculum that introduces key topics and principles necessary to financial literacy. The one-semester course covers earning and spending; savings and investing; credit and debt; protection of assets; and financial planning and decision-making. Through real-life scenarios and hands-on activities, the course explores choosing among banking and investment options, shopping for an auto loan, choosing among career and college options, financing options for continuing education, planning for retirement, and creating and living within a budget.
🎉*Introduction to Anthropology (P)
This one-semester elective course is intended as a practical guide to introduce you to the field of anthropology. You will explore the evolution of anthropology as a distinct discipline, learn about anthropological terms, concepts, and theories, and discuss the evolution of humans and human society and culture. Students will also learn about social institutions, such as marriage, economy, religion, and polity.
🎉*Introduction to Archaeology (P)
Introduction to Archaeology is a one-semester course that introduces students to the work and techniques involved in archaeology and the career prospects of an archaeologist. This course covers subject areas such as the history of modern archaeology, discoveries in archaeology, careers in archaeology, research techniques, evidence, site excavation, and many more.
🎉*Introduction to Astronomy (P)
In Introduction to Astronomy, you will learn about the history of astronomy from ancient times to modern times. You will identify the movements of the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars across the sky. You will describe the formation of the solar system and the role of the Sun and Moon in the solar system. You will describe the causes of seasons on Earth and the reasons for life on Earth. You will learn about stars, galaxies, and the Milky Way. You will explain various theories of cosmology and the advantages and disadvantages of space exploration.
🎉*Introduction to Forensic Science (P)
Introduction to Forensic Science examines the critical role and inherent limitations of the field while highlighting diverse career opportunities. Students will master crime scene processing and evidence preservation, focusing on the analysis of biological markers such as fingerprints, blood spatter, and DNA. The curriculum covers methods for determining the time and cause of death in homicides, alongside the study of ballistics and skeletal remains. Finally, students will explore specialized investigative techniques used to solve cases involving arson, cybercrimes, financial fraud, and forgery.
🎉*Introduction to Marine Biology (P)
This Introduction to Marine Biology course explores the fundamental concepts of marine science, beginning with the formation and physical characteristics of the world’s oceans. Beyond mastering scientific methodology and exploring industry career paths, you will examine the taxonomic diversity, unique life forms, and specialized adaptations that define marine ecosystems. The curriculum further investigates ecological succession and energy flow, concluding with a critical analysis of the resources oceans provide and the modern threats they face from human activity.
🎉*Introduction to Military Careers (P)
Introduction to Military Careers is a single-semester course that describes the different careers offered by the US military and its branches. This course begins by describing the US military, including its branches, history, and organizational structure. In this course, you will also learn about the different occupations offered by the military branches and the qualifications required for them. This course also covers enlistment requirements, training, pay systems, and benefits of joining the US military. You will also learn about the importance of personal traits, habits, and good health for a successful career in the military.
🎉*Introduction to Philosophy (P)
Introduction to Philosophy is a one-semester course that provides students with an introduction to the field of philosophy and its great, timeless questions. This course is intended to act as a practical guide to help students understand the subject matter of philosophy, its main branches, and the major ideas and issues discussed in each branch. Students will explore the origin and evolution of philosophy as a discipline and learn about the times, lives, and intellectual contributions of essential philosophers.
🎉*Introduction to World Religions (P)
Introduction to World Religions is a one-semester course that familiarizes students with the origins, history, beliefs, and practices of various prominent world religions, primal religions, and contemporary religious movements. The target audience for this course is high school students. This course covers primal religious traditions, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shinto, and contemporary religious movements.
🎉*Media Literacy (P)
Media Literacy teaches students how to build the critical thinking, writing, and reading skills required in a media-rich and increasingly techno-centric world. In a world saturated with media messages, digital environments, and social networking, concepts of literacy must expand to include all forms of media. Today's students need to be able to read, comprehend, analyze, and respond to non-traditional media with the same skill level they engage with traditional print sources.
A major topic in Media Literacy is non-traditional media reading skills, including how to approach, analyze, and respond to advertisements, blogs, websites, social media, news media, and wikis. Students also engage in a variety of writing activities in non-traditional media genres, such as blogging and podcast scripting. Students consider their own positions as consumers of media and explore ways to use non-traditional media to become more active and thoughtful citizens. Students learn how to ask critical questions about the intended audience and the underlying purpose of media messages, and study factors that can contribute to bias and affect credibility.
🎉*Mythology and Folklore (P)
This one-semester course is intended for you to familiarize yourself with various myths, legends, and folklore from around the world. In Mythology and Folklore, you will describe myths related to the creation of the world, the natural elements, and the destruction of the world. You will identify the main characters of various dynastic dramas, love myths, and epic legends, and describe their journeys. You will trace the evolution of folklore and describe folktales from around the world.
🎉*Native American Studies: Contemporary Perspectives (P)
Native American Studies: Contemporary Perspectives is an elective course exploring modern Indigenous experiences, focusing on sovereignty, culture, and current social issues in North America. It covers topics like political governance, land rights, and cultural revitalization, providing a contemporary lens on Indigenous life.
🎉*Native American Studies: Historical Perspective (P)
Native American Studies: Historical Perspectives is likely a specialized elective course providing an in-depth survey of Indigenous cultures in North America. It generally covers pre-colonial history, the impact of European contact, treaty-making, removal, and modern-day issues, typically emphasizing sovereignty and cultural resilience.
*Psychology (P)
Psychology provides a solid overview of the field's major domains: methods, biopsychology, cognitive and developmental psychology, and variations in individual and group behavior. By focusing on significant scientific research and on the questions that are most important to psychologists, students see psychology as an evolving science. Each topic clusters around challenge questions, such as “What is happiness?” Students answer these questions before, during, and after they interact with direct instruction. One semester course.
*AP Psychology (P)
AP Psychology provides an overview of current psychological research methods and theories. Students will explore the therapies used by professional counselors and clinical psychologists and examine the reasons for normal human reactions: how people learn and think, the process of human development and human aggression, altruism, intimacy, and self-reflection. They will study core psychological concepts, such as the brain and sensory functions, and learn to gauge human reactions, gather information, and form meaningful syntheses. Along the way, students will also investigate relevant concepts like study skills and information retention. The equivalent of an introductory college-level survey course, AP Psychology prepares students for the AP exam and for further studies in psychology or life sciences.
*Reading Skills and Strategies (P)
Reading is a course designed to help the struggling reader develop mastery in the areas of reading comprehension, vocabulary building, study skills, and media literacy, which are the course's primary content strands. Using these strands, the course guides the student through the skills necessary to be successful in the academic world and beyond. The reading comprehension strand focuses on introducing the student to the varied purposes of reading (e.g., for entertainment, for information, to complete a task, or to analyze). In the vocabulary strand, the student learns specific strategies for understanding and remembering new vocabulary. In the study skills strand, the student learns effective study and test-taking strategies. In the media literacy strand, the student learns to recognize and evaluate persuasive techniques, purposes, design choices, and effects of media. The course encourages personal enjoyment in reading with 10 interviews featuring the book choices and reading adventures of students and members of the community.
🎉*Revolutionary Ideas in Science (P)
Revolutionary Ideas in Science is a one-semester course with lessons that cover the discoveries and inventions in science from prehistoric to present times. This course covers topics such as prehistoric science, technology, ancient and medieval science, the scientific revolution, thermodynamics and electricity, and many more.
🎉*Social Issues (P)
Social issues affect everyone—they are issues that revolve around governmental policy and the enforcement of laws on the civilian population. These laws and policies can have any number of significant outcomes. They can protect minorities and women from discrimination, regulate drug use, give aid to the poor, provide guidelines for education, and much more. Social issues are often controversial and debated, so having the ability to form an educated opinion on them is an important part of your citizenship.
👍*Sociology (P)
Sociology examines why people think and behave as they do in relationships, groups, institutions, and societies. Major course topics include individual and group identity, social structures and institutions, social change, social stratification, social dynamics in recent and current events, the effects of social change on individuals, and the research methods used by social scientists. In online discussions and polls, students reflect critically on their own experiences and ideas, as well as on the ideas of sociologists. Interactive multimedia activities include personal and historical accounts to which students can respond, using methods of inquiry from sociology. Written assignments provide opportunities to practice and develop skills in thinking and communicating about human relationships, individual and group identity, and all other major course topics. One semester course.
🎉*Structure of Writing (P)
Structure of Writing is the study of principles of grammar and effective writing, and the application of these principles to writing. In Structure of Writing, you will learn about sentence types, punctuation marks, and grammar rules such as subject-verb agreement and tenses; you will also learn about different parts of speech and their correct usage; examine the concept of parallel structure in sentences; and identify and correct run-on sentences. Finally, you will learn about developing paragraphs and essays.
🎉*Women's Studies (P)
Women's Studies is a course that is designed to help you understand the concepts of gender and gender roles, and the social discrimination that exists based on gender. You will learn about the history of feminism and feminist theories. You will also learn about the social and political movements that raised awareness about equal rights for women and other marginalized groups. You will explore the role of media in reinforcing gender stereotypes. This course also looks at the difference in the Western and non-Western ideas of gender, feminism, and activism. The course ends with a discussion on the possible challenges in the path toward creating an equal society.
*Writing Skills and Strategies (P)
Writing Skills and Strategies develops key language arts skills necessary for high school graduation and success on high-stakes exams through a semester of interactive instruction and guided practice in composition fundamentals. The course is divided into ten mini-units of study. The first two are designed to build early success and confidence, orienting students to the writing process and to sentence and paragraph essentials through a series of low-stress, high-interest hook activities. In subsequent units, students review, practice, compose and submit one piece of writing. Four key learning strands are integrated throughout: composition practice, grammar skill building, diction and style awareness, and media and technology exploration. Guided studies emphasize the structure of essential forms of writing encountered in school, in life, and in the workplace. Practice in these forms is scaffolded to accommodate learners at different skill levels.
👍 = Student Recommended 🎉= New Course for the 2026/2027 School Year! *Indicates semester-long course
🎉*Academic Success
This one-semester elective course is intended as a practical, hands-on guide to help you improve your study habits and enhance your prospects for academic success, now and in the future. This course is designed to help you improve your study skills regardless of your skill level at the time that you take the course. It is structured into lessons and Course Activities as follows: ❖ The first five lessons are about specific aspects of studying. Before and after these lessons, you will assess your study habits in two Course Activities. ❖ The last three lessons focus on writing as a process and using that process to write a research paper. The lessons are followed by a Course Activity in which you will submit a research paper.
Applied Digital Skills
Applied Digital Skills is a Grow with Google Program designed to allow students to practice life skills while building projects using Google’s Suite of apps. Digital literacy skills are at the core of the Applied Digital Skills course and are a key to success in any number of careers and jobs available today or in the future. This course provides learners with critical thinking and digital skills to solve problems in work and life.
Community-Based Education
Community-based Education provides students with the opportunity to meaningfully engage with and contribute to their local community. This Community-Based Education course supports the skill sets that employers have been asking of our graduates: collaboration, empathy, humility, research skills, service above self, and multiple other 21stCentury skills. It creates natural opportunities to form relationships with self, peers, and community. The goal of this course is to encourage volunteerism within the nonprofit organizations of Nevada County.
Exploratory Work Experience
This course connects Career Technical Education Pathways to student interests through the Edmentum eDynamic courses. It prepares students for career training and post-secondary choices that fit the needs of the growing and changing economy. Students will gain relevant 21st-century workplace skills.
Literature Lab
The literature lab is designed to increase students' joy for reading. Students choose from an abundance of district-approved titles to increase their understanding and retention of literature by reading challenging text, improving critical thinking skills and improving writing skills in the interpretive, analytical and evaluative domains. This course may be repeated for credit.
Math Lab
In-person course - Math Lab is a class that supports student success in Algebra/Integrated Math completion. Students will be recommended for this class based on teacher feedback, test scores, and their level of success in Algebra/Integrated Math courses.
👍 NPA Strong
NPA Strong elective is driven by student choice within the social-emotional learning framework. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) has five broad and interrelated areas of competence: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Students will be using the online platforms from BASE Education and EverFi.
North Point 101-104
One unit of NPA 10X (101, 102, 103, 104) is required each year as it serves as an orientation. Every NPA student will earn at least 1 credit in NPA 10X each semester. This orientation will earn a student 1 elective credit. Up to 5 elective credits per semester are approved for NPA 10X.
Peer Tutor
Topics covered will be self-discovery, individual learning styles and strategies, diversity issues, the fundamentals of communication, test-taking procedures, and effective listening methods. Students will orient themselves to the tutoring program by being involved in tutoring observations, role-playing, and learning ways to assess their own tutoring sessions. Students will be required to participate as Peer Tutors on campus, during the school day. Credits would be assigned according to the number of hours worked per week. Students will be required to fill out an application and obtain a teacher recommendation in order to qualify. Administrative approval is required.
Psychology
This psychology course introduces students to the people and theories of psychology, the methods of research used in psychology, the relationship between biology and behavior, the basic mental processes of perception, memory and learning, the understanding of motivation, goal setting, stress and stress management, the understanding of sleep, dreams, and sleep disorders, and a better understanding of oneself and others. Additionally, students will gain an understanding of the study of personality (theories and people), infancy and childhood - human development, adolescence and adulthood - human development, abnormal psychology (mental disorders), and psychotherapy (methods of treatment).
👍Social Justice
In this course, students will increase their understanding of family history as they gain a better understanding of themselves. They will learn the relationship between history and present day events. Students will foster a greater understanding of others and demonstrate involvement with the community.
👍Work Experience
Work Experience Education (WEE) is designed to link the school curriculum with the world of work. Students will demonstrate job seeking skills, skills for keeping and advancing on the job, and skills for making a positive impression when leaving a job. Students will understand wage systems, payroll deductions, taxation, insurance benefits, basic business operations and personal money management. Students will demonstrate an awareness of career opportunities and will utilize the career decision making process to identify career choices and develop a plan of achieving career goals. Students may earn up to 10 credits per semester through a combination of hours on the job and related classroom assignments. A maximum of 40 credits may be earned in WEE. This course is for students who are in grade 11 or 12.