Academic Electives

Primary Graduation Requirement: Health Education Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled. Electives

UC A-G Approved: N/A

This course strives to meet the needs of today's teens by focusing on health issues from an adolescent perspective. Course topics are directed toward adolescent risk behaviors and the acquisition of life skills. This course is designed to enable students to develop positive health-related attitudes and behaviors. Satisfies graduation requirement.

Course Length: Semester Course Credit: 5 Grade Level(s): 9 - 12

Primary Graduation Requirement: Computer Education Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled. Practical Arts Electives

UC A-G Approved: G

This course is designed as an introduction to business management across all functional areas of an organization to meet the needs for a solid understanding of marketing fundamentals to succeed. Marketing allows students to discover customer wants and needs and to gain a solid understanding in creating, advertising and selling products. This course offers all aspects of marketing, from basic economics to employment in the marketing field. Students will learn how marketing affects many aspects of their lives and how they will benefit from understanding it. Students will learn how to apply economic and human resources and marketing functions and foundations to solve business problems and develop competence in such areas as product/service planning, selling, pricing, risk management, promotion and information management. Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements.

SUGGESTED PREPARATION: Entrepreneurship or Teacher Approval

Course Length: Yearlong Course Credit: 10 Grade Level(s): 10 - 12

Primary Graduation Requirement: Computer Education Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled. Practical Arts Math Electives

UC A-G Approved: G

The goals of this course are comparable to those in the introductory sequence of courses for computer science majors at the university level. This course is intended to serve as both an introductory course for computer science majors and for those students whose majors will require significant involvement with computing. Students who enroll in this course are strongly encouraged to take the Advanced Placement examination given in May. A score of 3, 4 or 5 on the examination will enable the student to obtain 3 semester units of college credit in computer science at participating universities. SUGGESTED PREPARATION: Successful completion of Algebra II or approval from the instructor in lieu of the math requirement. Students who sign up for AP classes after the registration period will be accommodated on a space available basis.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements. Course Length: Yearlong Course Credit: 10 Grade Level(s): 11 - 12

The purpose of Creative Writing for Performance is to improve and develop students’ writing and public speaking skills through writing and performance in various genres. Students will write poems, short stories, memoir, and creative non-fiction, emulating the structures and styles of various authors and their works. They will develop a portfolio of 6-8 finished pieces per semester through drafting and revision. Students will perform finished pieces out loud, as well as perform out loud during the revision process to get feedback from peers, the teacher, and guest artists. Students will additionally reflect on their growth and improvement as writers, and gain an understanding of the significance of writing to people’s lives.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements.

Course Length: Yearlong Course Credit: 10, Grade Level(s): 9 - 12 This class is not a substitute for your English 9-12th classes.

Primary Graduation Requirement: Practical Arts Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled. Electives UC

A-G Approved: G

College and Career Seminar is a required class for all incoming 9th graders and all 10th-12th graders new to SVUSD schools. This one-semester course is designed to help students learn and practice valuable skills to help them to be career and college ready. Students will identify interests, skills, values and personality types, research employers and industries, gain experience with job search tools and learn goal setting. Every student who successfully completes this class will leave with a detailed 10-year skill development plan that includes his/her high school and post-secondary plans, as well as a professional portfolio. Students must also show evidence of participation at least one school or community based activity or attend school or community events.

Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements

Course Length: Semester Course Credit: 5 Grade Level(s): 9 - 12

Primary Graduation Requirement: Electives Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled.

UC A-G Approved: G

Psychology I: Students will better understand themselves and others by learning and applying the psychological principles presented in this semester class. Areas covered include personality theory: Freudian principles, trait and conditioning theories; perception, motivation and emotion, proxemics: body language, lie detection; understanding relationships, and the cognitive domains of learning, thinking, memory, and states of consciousness, including dream analysis and meditation. This course is based on the National High School Psychology Framework. Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements.

Psychology II: Advanced Psychology addresses the complexities of modern living and the need for students to learn advanced theories of human behavior and to develop skills in interpersonal communication. Course objectives include: Promote critical thinking; Show that psychology is a human endeavor; founded and used by people; Encourage appreciation of the research process; Explain and apply strategies for problem solving; Present a balanced and intellectual view of psychology; Show the relevance of psychology to everyday life. Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements

Course Length: Semester Course Credit: 5 Grade Level(s): 11 - 12

Primary Graduation Requirement: Electives Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled.

UC A-G Approved: G

The purpose of the Advanced Placement course in Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of behavior and mental processes of human beings and animals. Students will prepare to do acceptable work on the Advanced Placement Examination in Psychology. Students are exposed to the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with the major subfields within psychology. They also learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements.

SUGGESTED PREPARATION: All students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum should be considered for admission to AP Psychology.

Course Length: Yearlong Course Credit: 10 Grade Level(s): 9 - 12

Primary Graduation Requirement: Electives Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled.

UC A-G Approved: A, G

The purpose of the AP course in Human Geography is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use and alteration of Earth's surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements.

SUGGESTED PREPARATION: Teacher approval

Course Length: Yearlong Course Credit: 10 Grade Level(s): 9 - 12

Primary Graduation Requirement: Electives Can meet alternate graduation requirement(s) below if primary is already fulfilled.

UC A-G Approved: G

The Advanced Placement Program enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies, with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both while still in high school. Students who earn a qualifying score on an AP Exam are typically eligible to receive college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college. Every aspect of AP course and exam development is the result of collaboration between AP teachers and college faculty. They work together to develop AP courses and exams, set scoring standards, and score the exams. College faculty review every AP teacher's course syllabus. The AP Seminar course is the first of two courses that are part of the overall AP Capstone program that is designed to function as a culminating AP program for students taking a minimum of three AP courses that demonstrates to colleges that the students are capable of high level critical thinking and analytical research at the college level. AP Seminar can also be an initial AP course for students who are interested in taking AP classes and want to understand the level of research and analytical thinking required to be successful in AP classes. Satisfies UC/CSU entry requirements.

Course Length: Yearlong Course Credit: 10 Grade Level(s): 11 - 12