World Languages

Ojibwe 1 (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. This language course prepares learners to communicate effectively in Ojibwe language and provides the base for further learning and creating an Ojibwe language community in Saint Paul and surrounding areas.

Ojibwe 2 (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: Ojibwe 1

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. Ojibwe II provides the language base for further learning and creating an Ojibwe language community in Saint Paul and surrounding areas. It reviews the language and culture presented in Ojibwe 1 and introduces new situations and themes. Learners increase proficiency in the language through expanded vocabulary and grammar. Students converse and write in the present, past and future tenses, allowing them to communicate more effectively.

Hmong 1 (Hmong Language) (Virtual)

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. This language course introduces the basic skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing in Hmong through thematically-designed units. Students will learn the basic Hmong alphabet and phonetics, Hmong grammar, and sentence structure. Themes include family, leisure activities, folk stories, story cloths, life in refugee camps, and traditional Hmong games. Through these themes, students will explore the history, traditions, and beliefs of the Hmong people.

Hmong 2 (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: Hmong 1

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. This course continues to develop the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing through thematically designed units. Students will continue to study the Hmong alphabet, structure and phonetics and increase proficiency in the language through expanded vocabulary and grammar. Themes include family-clans, dark folktales, the Secret War, Hmong leaders, folk songs, and poetry. Students will explore the history, culture, traditions, and beliefs of the Hmong through these thematic units.

Japanese 1 (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year long

Credits: 4 elective credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. In this language course, students will learn the basic structure of the Japanese language through speaking, listening, reading, and writing. We will examine elements of Japanese culture such as family life, schooling, and anime. Students will get a solid grasp of the hiragana alphabet in the first semester, katakana in the second semester, and will learn about some kanji (characters).

Japanese 2 (Virtual)

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: Japanese 1

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. Topics from Japanese 1, including Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji will be reviewed. New language structures will be introduced to help you gain confidence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing Japanese. We will learn everyday conversation, Kanji, adjectives, verb forms, and Japanese culture through group work, pair work, projects, and skits. You need to know Hiragana and Katakana to start Japanese II.

Karen 1 (Virtual)

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. Karen 1 introduces the basic skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing at the Novice Mid proficiency level. At this level, students will be able to understand and communicate on very familiar, everyday topics, using a variety of practiced ro memorized words, phrases, simple sentences, and questions.  Content is taught through thematically-designed units, which includes the themes of family, school, cultural foods and activities. Through these themes, students will explore the history, traditions, and beliefs of the Karen people.

Karen for Karen Speakers (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Year-Long

Credits: 4 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. Karen for Karen speakers is for students who understand and speak Karen at home and want to advance their listening, reading, speaking, and writing skills. This course targets the Intermediate proficiency level. At this level, students will be able to understand and communicate on familiar topics, creating sentences and series of sentences to ask and answer a variety of questions. Content is taught through thematically-designed units, which includes the themes of clothing, celebrations, why the Karen people came to America, and what makes a leader. Through these themes, students will explore the history, traditions, and beliefs of the Karen people.

Electives

Intro to App Development (Virtual) 

Grade level: 9th-12th

Duration: Semester

Credits: 2 elective credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. Code is all around you. Whether you're using an app on your phone or just crossing the street at the traffic light, code is everywhere and coding is for everyone. This semester-long course is an introduction to app development using Swift programming language and Xcode (Apple’s integrated development environment). Intro to App Development is designed to help students build a solid foundation in programming fundamentals using Swift as the programming language. Throughout this course, students get practical experience ​with the tools, techniques, and concepts needed to build a basic iOS app from scratch. Students will also learn user interface design principles, which are fundamental to programming and making great apps.

Drone Flight Training (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Semester

Credits: 2 Elective Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. Students will learn the required safety regulations, airspace, procedures and weather information in order to pass the Federal Aviation Administration Drone Pilot Safety test. Students will also learn how to fly drones through an online drone simulator app on their iPad. Upon completion, students will be able to legally fly a drone, understand how different drones work and learn about the latest technology that will make drones more influential in our society.

Health & Physical Education

Leadership in Coaching & Officiating (Virtual) 

Grade Level: 11th-12th

Duration: Semester

Credits: 2 Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is a 2-part course: Part I: Leadership in Coaching introduces the knowledge, skills, coaching techniques and philosophies for being a successful leader on and off the field. Part I is taught ONLINE with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Part II: Sport Officiating will allow students to learn the rules, game play, officiating calls and hand signals as well as the role a sports official plays in maintaining fair play. Sports that could be included depending on student interest and instructor expertise are soccer, basketball, softball/baseball, volleyball, football and tennis. Upon completion of this course, students will be eligible for employment with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation.

Notes:  This course will contain an in-person job shadow/internship with a coach/official in SPPS or St Paul Parks & Rec in 2nd quarter that is potentially outside of the school day.

Arts

Digital Filmmaking (Virtual)

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Semester

Credits: 2 Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. This laboratory course will teach the fundamentals of filmmaking; idea generation, project organization, production stages, elements of film, technical terms, and editing techniques. Students will work individually and in small groups to produce short experimental, narrative, and documentary films while studying the works of specific artists. Students will be encouraged to share finished films with SPNN and IFP, utilizing community resources. Film will be viewed as a communication tool, which can be used to entertain, educate, inform, or persuade.

Video Game Music (Virtual)

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Semester

Credits: 2 Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. This course will explore the history, evolution, and impact of video game music. Students will learn to understand 8-bit programming concepts, apply common orchestration techniques, manipulate modern composing using digital assets, and analyze important video game composers and their influences. Students will identify and evaluate the emotional impact of music and how it is used to create the intended environment of the game. Students may examine the music and sound-design for first-person perspective action and suspense games, games with elements of horror, soaring fantasy themes, as well as whimsical songs such as the (in)famous Wii sports waiting room theme. This class will culminate in a project in which students either create original video game music or analyze a video game score through the lens of the creators intent, influences, and effectiveness.

Music of Social Change (Virtual)

Grade Level: 9th-12th

Duration: Semester

Credits: 2 Credits

Prerequisite: None

This is an ONLINE course with a mix of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, students log into class from their school building. In Music and Social Change, students will explore the integral role music has played in major social justice movements throughout American history. They will learn about various music styles throughout history and learn to draw connections between music and the social themes of war, politics, oppression, and the human condition. They will examine how American popular music has both brought people together and threatened the status quo. Students will discover how musical performance has been used as a way to promote awareness and encourage activism such as the Civil Rights, Anti-War and Women’s Rights movements of the 1960’s to the Black Power and Red Power movements of the 1970’s all the way through to the current contemporary movements of #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter. This is not a performance class, so performance experience is not required, however students may choose to create songs that align with their interests and projects if they choose.