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High School

High School Courses (9th and 10th Grade)

WYMLA’s high school program offers a specific set of courses to prepare our young men for Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) Early College Program. These courses begin the process of completing Math and Science graduation requirements at the end of 10th grade. WYMLA students may also complete their World Language requirement within the high school program or at SAU. Below is a list of the courses students will take during their 9th and 10th grade year. Click on the section title to open courses in that section and read their course description.

For High School Courses at the 11th and 12th grade level see our Early College page.

High School Social Studies

WORLD HISTORY (HONORS)
Grade Level: 9th

This honors course is designed to challenge students. This course will address six periods in the study of world history, with a key focus of study from the mid‐15th century to the present. Students will study major turning points that shaped the modern world. The desired outcome of this course is that students develop understandings of current world issues and relate them to their historical, political, economic, geographical, and cultural contexts. Students will broaden their historical perspectives as they explore ways societies have dealt with continuity and change, exemplified by concepts such as civilization, revolution, government, economics, war, stability, movement, and technology.

CIVICS AND ECONOMICS (HONORS)
Grade Level: 10th

This honors course is designed to challenge students. This course provides students with a framework for understanding the basic tenets of American democracy, practices of American government as established by the US Constitution, basic concepts of American politics and citizenship, and concepts in micro‐ and macroeconomics and personal finance. The goal of this course is to help to prepare students to become responsible and effective citizens in the interdependent world.
High School English

ENGLISH I (HONORS)
Grade Level: 9th

This honors course is designed to challenge students. It concentrates on developing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through an intensive survey of literary types and appropriate oral and written responses. The course provides a review of grammar, mechanics, vocabulary, and usage as needed. This college preparatory course focuses on the development of complex thought processes, independence in learning, and creative expression through discussion and frequent writing assignments. Homework is a reinforcement and extension of classroom instruction.

ENGLISH II (HONORS)

Prerequisite: English I

This honors course is designed to challenge students. This course concentrates on developing reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through an intensive study of a variety of selected world literature and appropriate oral and written responses. The course provides a review of grammar, mechanics, vocabulary, and usage as needed. This college preparatory course focuses on the development of complex thought processes, independence in learning, and creative expression through discussion and frequent writing assignments. Homework is a reinforcement and extension of classroom instruction.
High School Math

Math II (Honors)
Grade Level: 9th
Recommended prerequisite(s): Math I

In Math II, students continue to deepen their study of quadratic expressions, equations, and functions; comparing their characteristics and behavior to those of linear and exponential relationships from Math I. The concept of quadratics is generalized with the introduction of more sophisticated polynomials. New methods for solving quadratic and exponential equations are developed. The characteristics of more advanced types of functions are investigated (including power, inverse variation, radical, absolute value, piecewise‐defined, and simple trigonometric functions). The link between probability and data is explored through conditional probability and counting methods. Students explore more complex geometric situations and deepen their explanations of geometric relationships, moving towards formal mathematical arguments. Important differences exist between Math II and the historical approach taken in Geometry classes. For example, transformations are explored early in the course and provide the framework for studying geometric concepts such as similarity and congruence. The study of similarity leads to an understanding of right triangle trigonometry and connects to quadratics through Pythagorean relationships. Honors Math II explores content at a rigorous level to begin students’ preparation for advanced math courses. The Standards for Mathematical Practice apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, require that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations. This course fulfills the North Carolina high school graduation requirement for Math II. The final exam is the North Carolina Final Exam for Math II or a teacher made exam.
Math III (Honors)
Grade Level: 9th

Recommended prerequisite(s): Honors Math II
This course is designed so that students have the opportunity to pull together and apply the accumulation of mathematics concepts learned previously. They apply methods from probability and statistics to draw inferences and conclusions from data. Students expand their repertoire of functions to include polynomial, rational, and radical functions, including an intense study of families of functions and the relationships therein. They expand their study of right triangle trigonometry to include general triangles and in the study of trigonometric functions to model simple periodic phenomena. Finally, students bring together all of their experience with functions and geometry to create models and solve contextual problems. Appropriate technology and tools, including manipulatives and calculators, will be used regularly for instruction and assessment. The Standard for Mathematical Practice apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, require that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that means use of their ability to make sense of problems situations. This course fulfills the North Carolina high school graduation requirement for Math III. The final exam is the North Carolina Final Exam for Math III or a teacher made exam.
Honors Integrated Math IV
Grade Level: 10th

This course provides the opportunity for students to study limits, rates of change, how area relates to integrals, permutations and combinations, mathematical induction, logarithmic functions, composite and inverse functions, periodic functions, vectors, linearizing data, polynomial and rational functions, complex numbers, binomial distributions, space geometry, informatics (the mathematics of databases and search engines, cryptography, error-correcting codes, data compression), problem solving, algorithms, and spreadsheets. The instruction features a problem centered approach that emphasizes the connections between algebra, geometry, statistics and discrete mathematics. Students who successfully complete IM IV may choose to continue their study of mathematics by taking AP Calculus AB or AP Calculus BC, and/ or AP Statistics. It is recommended that those students considering calculus should take Honors IM IV. The honors level of the course serves as a bridge between Honors IM III and AP Calculus and is designed for college-bound students who plan to major in math or a math-related field.
High School Science

Biology (Honors)
Content and principles for biology are taught but in greater depth and magnitude. Students do extensive research, independent study, and laboratory investigations. This course is designed for students who have shown superior achievement and high interest in previous science courses. The final exam is the North Carolina Biology End‐of‐Course Test.
Chemistry (Honors)
Recommended prerequisite(s): Algebra II or concurrent enrollment in Math III

The concepts and principles of chemistry are presented in greater depth and at a more rapid pace than in Academic Chemistry. Students perform extensive research, independent study, and laboratory work. Theoretical and mathematical relationships in chemistry are studied.
Earth Science/Environmental Science (Honors)
This course focuses on inquiry into the functions of the earth's systems. Emphasis is placed on matter, energy, coastal dynamics, environmental awareness, materials availability, and the cycles that circulate energy and material thorough the earth systems. Laboratory work is a major component of the course.
Optional Electives

Spanish II
Recommended prerequisite(s): Spanish I
Students enrolled in this course have successfully completed a Level I course at middle or high school or have placed out Level I due to previous language study and/or established proficiency.
This course provides students with opportunities to continue the development of their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Students participate in short conversational situations by combining and recombining learned elements of the language orally and in writing. They are able to satisfy basic survival needs and interact on issues of everyday life in present time and past time, inside and outside of the classroom setting. They compose related sentences which narrate, describe, compare, and summarize familiar topics from the target culture. Focus is placed on understanding main ideas in simple text.
Students develop a better understanding of the similarities and differences between cultures and languages and they examine the influence of the beliefs and values on the target culture(s). Integration of the other disciplines is ongoing throughout the course.
Visual Arts I (Beginning)
This course introduces the elements and principles of design through an exploration of a broad range of media. Activities emphasize skills and techniques in the following areas: drawing, painting, graphics, fibers, ceramics, art history, and three‐dimensional design (fibers, ceramics, etc.).
Visual Arts II (Intermediate)
Recommended prerequisite(s): Visual Arts I‐Beginning or portfolio
This course offers an in‐depth study of design through repeated use of art elements and principles, while expanding technical abilities. Design is taught through experiences in the following areas: drawing and painting, art history printmaking (silk screening, lino cuts and/or woodcuts), and three‐dimensional design (wood, clay, fibers).
Entrepreneurship I (Honors)

Prerequisite: Marketing or Personal Finance or Principles of Business and Finance. Recommended for Grades 10‐12.
In this course students evaluate the concepts of going into business for themselves and working for or operating a small business. Emphasis is on the exploration of feasible ideas of products/services, research procedures, business financing, marketing strategies, and access to resources for starting a small business. Students develop components of a business plan and evaluate startup requirements. English language arts and social studies are reinforced. Work‐based learning strategies appropriate include cooperative education, entrepreneurship, internship, mentorship, school‐based enterprise, service learning, and job shadowing. Apprenticeship is not available for this course. DECA (an association for Marketing Education students) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competitive events, community service, and leadership activities provide the opportunity to apply essential standards and workplace readiness skills through authentic experiences. The courses Principles of Business and Finance or Marketing are recommended as preparation for this course. The Entrepreneurship I and II courses can help prepare students for the Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (A*S*K), http://www.askinstitute.org/l.
In addition to the standard course requirements for Entrepreneurship I, this honors level course extends the standard course of study to a more challenging level for the student who is highly motivated, able to work independently and has a history of high academic achievement. Students will be expected to take and pass the appropriate industry certification exam associated with the course, if available.
Required Electives

Freshman Seminar
Grade Level: 9th Grade

The goal of Freshman Seminar is to develop as individuals while simultaneously finding ways to make our community stronger. Initially we learn about improving our own school but we then slowly zoom out, focusing on Raleigh, our country and our world. The class concludes back in the Triangle, as groups create a community service project proposal that they will pit against their classmates’. Local nonprofit Activate Good awards the winning group a $250 grant so that they can implement the project.

Speech I (Honors)
Grade Level: 9th Grade
This course, designed for the beginning and experienced speaker alike, helps all students excel as it cultivates a positive and supportive classroom environment in which students become comfortable in front of an audience of their peers, giving a wide variety of speeches, practicing the virtues of constructive criticism, and learning the fundamentals of academic and legislative debate. Students taking this course for Honors credit must write and deliver deeply considered and polished responses to course assignments, participate in peer review panels, and extend their thinking through preparing presentations that fulfill fundamental standards for selected events promoted by the National Forensics League.

PRINCIPLES OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE
Grade Level: 10th grade

Prerequisite: None

This course introduces students to topics related to business, finance, management, and marketing to cover business in the global economy, functions of business organization and management, marketing basics, and significance of business financial and risk management. English language arts, social studies, and mathematics are reinforced. Students will have daily access to computers for application of content current/real world topics. Work‐based learning strategies appropriate for this course include mentorship, school‐based enterprise, service learning, and job shadowing. Apprenticeship and cooperative education are not available for this course. DECA (an association for Marketing Education students) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) competitive events, community service, and leadership activities provide the opportunity to apply essential standards and workplace readiness skills through authentic experiences.

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