grade 9 curriculum overview 2014 2015

British and European Literature Dr. Sabol and Ms. Saraceno 2014-‐2015

Course Description: The ninth grade English course develops students’ maturing skills as readers and writers through a range of writing to learn techniques as well as through the drafting and revision of more formal pieces; students write in a range of genres, including literary analysis, multi-‐media essay, fiction, and poetry. Selected literary texts engage students in an inquiry central to emerging Western concepts of the individual in relation to community, religion, and nation, ranging from Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, in the medieval and Renaissance periods, to voices from the Romantic period (William Blake, William Wordsworth, and Charlotte Bronte) and the moderns (Gertrude Stein, T.S. Eliot, and Virginia Woolf). Throughout the course, students are challenged to work on projects that intersect with their studies in European History, Modernism: Art, and Modernism: Music. The year concludes with a Modernist salon that students design and present to the Hewitt community. Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The first semester begins with an evaluation of the summer reading text, Karen Maitland’s Company of Liars, a contemporary work set in England during the plague of 1348. Through writing-‐to-‐learn and class discussion, students discover the deadly consequence of hypocrisy and prejudice in a time that resembles our own. This book also sets the stage for a close reading of Canterbury Tales, where students practice critical reading skills and formal essay writing. These assignments extend our inquiry of hypocrisy and prejudice through a consideration of the place of women in the medieval world. During our last unit of the semester, Romeo and Juliet engenders discussion concerning the relationship between love and death, the conflicts between free will and destiny, and the danger of fixed attitudes about men and women, children and adults. This rich work also allows us to investigate further the complexity of metaphor, allusion, pun, and irony. We conclude our study of this text with a viewing of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of the play. A creative assignment and a formal test bring our semester to a close. The second term begins with a study of the Romantic poets and a writing assignment that asks students to explicate individual poems. As the unit progresses, we search for the common elements that link these diverse poets and introduce students to the concept of a literary movement. We continue this work with an examination of Jane Eyre, a romantic text whose use of the female gothic highlights the struggles of women and the working class in the nineteenth century. The year concludes with an inter-‐disciplinary project on modernism completed along with several other ninth grade courses. Students in the English classroom craft several poems in the style of the imagists, Dadaists, and surrealists in preparation for a night of performance art

that nods to Hugo Ball’s Cabaret Voltaire, the Zurich, Switzerland club founded in 1916 that helped give rise to Dada. Finally, students work throughout the year to develop a more thorough understanding of grammar and vocabulary to strengthen their writing. They complete lessons from Don and Jenny Killgallon’s Grammar for High School, a textbook that uses model sentences from well known 20th century writers such as Harper Lee, John Steinbeck, and J.K. Rowling to help students learn, practice, and master fourteen common grammatical tools. Students build their vocabulary by completing exercises in Richek’s Vocabulary for Achievement and defining words selected from the literature they read.

Educational Resources:

Appelbaum, Stanley. English Romantic Poetry: An Anthology. Mineola, NY: Dover, 1996. Print.

Brontë, Charlotte. Jane Eyre. Ed. Stevie Davies. London: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Chaucer, Geoffrey, A. Kent Hieatt, and Constance B. Hieatt. The Canterbury Tales. Toronto:

Bantam, 1971. Print.

Franco Zeffirelli's Production of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Dir. Franco Zeffirelli.

Perf. Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, John McEnery, Milo O'Shea, Pat Heywood, and

Dyson Lovell. Paramount Pictures Corp., 1968. DVD.

Killgallon, Don, and Jenny Killgallon. Grammar for High School: A Sentence-‐composing Approach

: A Student Worktext. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2007. Print.

Maitland, Karen. Company of Liars. New York: Delacorte, 2008. Print.

Richek, Margaret Ann. Vocabulary for Achievement, Second Course. Massachusetts: Great

Source Education Group, Inc., 1998.

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.

New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2011. Print.

Geometry Mr. Burgess 2014-‐2015 Course Description: The Geometry course begins with an in-‐depth logic and reasoning unit, where constructing a valid argument is stressed. Students then apply this reasoning to writing formal Geometric proofs involving line segments, angles, triangles, parallel and perpendicular lines, and quadrilaterals. After logic, there is an investigative exploration of various geometric transformations, using both ruler and compass, as well as the computer software Geometer’s Sketchpad. This exploration will culminate in a study of congruence and isometries. Throughout the year, students continue to use Sketchpad, as they investigate the various properties of triangles, quadrilaterals, and circles as well as parallel and perpendicular lines. There will be an emphasis on the construction of logical arguments concerning these properties and why such arguments are important in the study of mathematics. Next there is a unit on measuring perimeter, circumference, area, surface area, lateral area, and volume of geometric figures. The course concludes with a brief unit on modern geometry and how it relates to the modernism movement that all ninth grade students study.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The Geometry course begins with a unit on inductive and deductive logic as it is the basis for geometric reasoning. Students will use the principles of logic to understand the interdependence among these geometric and algebraic concepts. Transformations are then studied with an investigative approach. Students will solve puzzles and construct shapes based only on their properties and principles of logic. The students use their sequential logic and deductive reasoning skills to provide justifications and arguments for geometric proofs. Theorems for altitudes, angle bisectors, medians, and perpendicular bisectors of triangles are just a few theorems that we will prove using a variety of approaches. Properties of points, lines, planes, angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, and polyhedrons are stressed. Solid geometry is presented and students are encouraged to expand their understanding of the three dimensional world and their spatial reasoning skills, particularly through the study of perpendicular and parallel lines and planes. The year ends with a look at some of the history behind geometry and a discussion on modern geometry and its founding principles.

Algebraic skills are maintained, strengthened, and expanded in this course as a bridge to Algebra 2 next year. Writing about mathematics will be emphasized as it encourages students to reflect on and justify mathematical conjectures, to discover counterexamples, and to express mathematical ideas in their own language. Formal assessment would be based on problem sets, writing assignments, tests and quizzes. Informal assessment will include class participation as well as homework completion.

Educational Resources: Geometry, by Jurgensen, Brown, and Jurgensen.

Algebra 2 Ms. Palacios 2014-‐2015 Course Description: This course is an analytic and graphical approach to families of functions including constant, linear, absolute value, quadratic, polynomial, radical, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions. Domain, Range, intercepts, roots, and behavior of each family is examined. Transformational relationships and inverse relationships between functions are studied, as is the basic operations of functions and composition of functions. Students will study techniques for solving linear, quadratic, polynomial, radical, exponential, and logarithm equations. Students will then use these techniques to model and solve real world problems using functions. Each unit will include a focus on constructing an argument and expressing mathematical ideas orally and in writing so that students will master concepts and not procedures. In addition, the course will focus on problem creation that enables the students to take ownership of the material.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The class starts out the year with a review of basic algebraic concepts, including the use of variables, writing and evaluating algebraic expressions, and solving equations and inequalities. This sets a foundation for the rest of the course. Then the class focuses on linear equations and developing the idea of a function. Students review the use of slope and its relation to rate of change, such as with distance traveled as a function of time. This leads to solving systems of linear equations using a variety of methods. Next, we investigate non-linear function families, specifically quadratic, polynomial, radical, rational and natural functions of exponential and logarithmic. Students learn to represent the functions in various ways, such as with words, equations, tables, and graphs. Domain, range, intercepts, roots, and behaviors of each function are examined graphically and analytically using traditional and alternative methods. Applications are used to reinforce theory and concepts; the students model real-world situations using functions to solve problems arising from those situations. This course gives the students a chance to be immersed in mathematics. They will be creating their own problems. They will be representing their mathematical ideas orally and in writing. A major component of this course will consist of a yearlong project called “Letters to Sofia” which students will be able to express their mathematical ideas in writing. This project will enable students to understand the concepts more fully, make connections between ideas, and create a polished mathematical argument. They will be asked to analyze and critique multiple solutions to the same problem. Critical thinking and discussion will be daily occurrences.

The students will take a cumulative midterm in January and a cumulative final in May. These assessments will be worth the same as two in-class test grades.

Educational Resources: • Algebra and Trigonometry by Sullivan • TI – 84 Plus Graphing Calculator

Honors Algebra 2 Ms. Palacios, Ms. Brennan 2014-‐2015 Course Description: This course is an analytic and graphical approach to families of functions including constant, linear, absolute value, quadratic, polynomial, radical, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions. Domain, Range, intercepts, roots, and behavior of each family is examined. Transformational relationships and inverse relationships between functions are studied, as is the basic operations of functions and composition of functions. Students will study techniques for solving linear, absolute value, quadratic, polynomial, radical, exponential, and logarithm equations and inequalities. Students will then use these techniques to model and solve real world problems using functions. Students in the accelerated class study each topic in greater depth and solve more complex problems. Each unit will include a focus on constructing an argument and expressing mathematical ideas orally and in writing so that students will master concepts and not procedures. In addition, the course will focus on problem creation that enables the students to take ownership of the material.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: Students will review basic algebraic concepts, including the use of variables, writing and evaluating algebraic expressions, and solving equations and inequalities. This sets a foundation for the rest of the course. Then the class focuses on linear equations and developing the idea of a function. Students review the use of slope and its relation to rate of change, such as with distance traveled as a function of time. This leads to solving systems of linear equations using a variety of methods. Next, we investigate non-linear function families, specifically quadratic, polynomial, radical, rational and natural functions of exponential and logarithmic. Students learn to represent the functions in various ways, such as with words, equations, tables, and graphs. Domain, range, intercepts, roots, and behaviors of each function are examined graphically and analytically using traditional and alternative methods. Applications are used to reinforce theory and concepts; the students model real-world situations using functions to solve problems arising from those situations. If time permits, other topics such as probability and sequences and series are also covered. This course gives the students a chance to be immersed in mathematics. They will be creating their own problems. They will be representing their mathematical ideas orally and in writing.

Students will frequently be asked to solve non-routine problem and to write about their mathematical ideas and conjectures in their problems sets. They will be asked to justify their solutions and their methods. They will be asked to analyze and critique multiple solutions to the same problem. Critical thinking and discussion will be daily occurrences.

The students will take a cumulative midterm in January and a cumulative final in May. These assessments will be worth the same as two in-class test grades.

Educational Resources: • Algebra and Trigonometry by Sullivan • TI – 84 Plus Graphing Calculator

9th Grade European History Carey Jackson 2014-‐2015 Course Description: This class provides a survey of European history from the medieval period to the early twentieth century. Students learn how to identify and analyze political, economic, social, intellectual, military, and cultural themes. They read primary and secondary sources and are asked to think about a variety of historical views to come to their own conclusions about why the past is important to study today. Projects include essays, presentations, and historical simulations. To arrive at a multidimensional sense of the periods they examine, students work on projects in several genres that integrate their History, English, Art, and Science studies.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: This course is an introduction to the history discipline in the upper school. Students are encouraged to think independently and critically as they examine what "European History" often means: essentially, the study of “Western Civilization.” The timespan and geographic extent of European History is vast, but our class time is relatively limited. The course is inevitably selective, both geographically and thematically. Throughout the course, students will be asked to assess why we emphasize certain events, and to critique these emphases. Students will also be asked to assess the ideas they encounter in this course in an interdisciplinary way, placing them in context with their studies across the content areas at Hewitt.

Strong writing is an essential aspect of the discipline on an advanced level. As this is the first history course that students will encounter in the upper school, we will attempt, through informal and graded assessments, to equip students with a solid "analytical writing toolbox." By the course's conclusion, students should be able to draw upon these skills in history (and other) courses while at Hewitt, as well as on the collegiate level.

Assignments and Assessments: Students are expected to consult MyHewitt daily for assignments, test schedule posting, links, and downloads of important and relevant material. Assessments of various kinds occur about every month or following units. Assessments may take the form of quizzes, tests, in-class essays, or projects, as well as a “Connections” assignment due each unit. In this assignment, students are asked to analytically explain connections they make between things studied in this class and anything they hear/see/think of outside of class.

Participation, including attendance in class, contributes 5% to the grade for each term, and a participation rubric in available on the MyHewitt European History site. Students meet approximately 3 times each term to discuss their participation and examine their achievement level in that category.

Educational Resources: Roger B. Beck, Linda Black, Larry S. Krieger, Phillip C. Naylor and Dahia Ibo Shabaka. Modern World History: Patterns of Interaction

Students are also expected to access information from MyHewitt attachments and online articles.

Course Agreements: Students should consult the syllabus and the participation rubric.

Biology (Grade 9) Ms. Wolf 2014-‐2015 Course Description:

The ninth grade biology course provides students with a comprehensive study of the major concepts of the subject. The course focuses on ecology, genetics, evolution, and the human body. The major themes of this course are two-‐fold. One is that all life processes are interrelated. For example, Darwin’s theory of evolution can easily be understood once a

student has a clear understanding of genetics. The second theme is the necessity of understanding the environmental and genetic issues of today in order to make educated decisions about the future in terms of genetic engineering and the ecological challenges they will face.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale:

The 9th grade biology course gives students a solid foundation of biological concepts that will help them make decisions that will shape their future. Students read relevant news articles about each topic discussed that make them aware that what we discuss does not just take place in a text book.

In the first semester students study ecology (with an emphasis on environmental problems), the chemistry of life, and photosynthesis and respiration, the two reactions on which all life is based). Some of the highlights of the first semester are labs involving water testing and the effects of oil on a bird’s feathers. The class also takes a trip to Soundwaters in Stamford, Connecticut where students take a class called Advantageous Adaptations and board a schooner that serves as a floating classroom to examine the rich diversity of life in the Long Island Sound. The semester culminates in a project on invasive species in the parks and waterways of NYC.

In the second semester, genetics, DNA and chromosomes, evolution and human organ systems are explored. Each topic is reinforced with an appropriate lab requiring critical thinking. For example, students test “animals” with different number and/or arrangement of legs to determine stability in order to better understand the process of evolution. The year culminates with a semester long project on zoo habitat design. In addition, the biology class participates in a program called “Trout In the Classroom”, raising brook trout from eggs until they are released in the spring into the streams at Blackrock Forest.

Assessments for this course include tests, lab reports, article analysis, and two major projects.

Educational Resources:

• Text – Biology-‐ Miller and Levine • Relevant Articles

French III Ms. C. Arnod 2014-‐2015 Course Description: Students continue to explore selected aspects of French-‐speaking cultures, as expressed through literature and other materials. The course introduces a formal examination of different themes through the close reading of French and francophone texts and the writing of compositions and analytic essays on those themes. In addition, this level reviews and consolidates all grammatical structures and introduces more complex and advanced grammatical topics in context.


Semester I: • General review of material covered previously. • Vocabulary, grammar, and culture related to various themes, such as: the world of fashion, the

environment, inventions, new technologies and cinema. • Literature: Alain Fournier’s Le grand Meaulnes; excerpt from Daniel Pennac’s novel Chagrin

d’école, and St Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince, • Films: Entre les murs, Le Petit Nicolas, Cyrano de Bergerac, Bienvenue chez le CH’TIS, • Project: Modernism: Research paper on Paris in the 1900’s and Research paper on World War I

Semester II

• Vocabulary, grammar, and culture related to various themes, such as: food, games and sport, the world, explorations, French TV series and shows and family

• Literature: Raymond Queneau, Jean Cocteau, Anna Gavalda and bandes déssinées • Project: Research paper on a French explorer or geographer • Project: Modernism: Research paper on Cubism

Educational Resources: • Himber, C., Adospheres 3 and 4 – text, workbook, and CD-‐ROM. Hachette FLE, 20112. • Fournier, A Le grand Meaulnes, Paris , 1913 • Internet resources: TV5 ; www.phosphore.com (French magazine for upper school students) ;

www.rfi.fr (Radio France Internationale – news, culture, economics, etc.); www.musee-‐orsay.fr/en/home.html (Musée d’Orsay); and www.louvre.fr (Louvre).

• Age-‐appropriate excerpts of different French and francophone films.

Spanish II Sr. Vélez 2014-‐2015

Course Description:

In this course students are presented with material from a range of text types, in which they encounter intermediate level vocabulary structures and some advanced grammatical concepts, which they use in class activities such as listening exercises, class presentations, and dialogues. Students develop the four language skills (speaking, listening, reading, and writing), with special emphasis on conversational skills. Cultural readings present people and places from the Spanish-speaking world. Students are also exposed to reading brief literary selections in order to provide additional opportunities to develop their reading skills in an enjoyable and rewarding context. There is an excursion to the Museo del Barrio for a guided tour and a hands-on workshop in Spanish in order to spark curiosities, create conversations, and foster observational, critical thinking, and creative skills.


Semester I: • Review of topics from previous year • Comprehensive study of more complex grammar structures such objet pronouns, past tenses of

regular verbs, reflexive verbs and adverbs • Study and discuss topics such leisure activities and health matters in the Spanish-‐speaking world • Facts, history and culture of a Spanish-‐speaking country: Costa Rica and Argentina

Semester II

• Comprehensive study of more complex grammar structures, including past tenses of irregular verbs, prepositions, possessive pronouns and commands

• Introduction to the subjunctive mood in Spanish • Study and discuss new topics such as technology and the household in the Spanish-‐speaking

world • Facts, history and culture of a Spanish-‐speaking country: Panama

Educational Resources: • Descubre 2 Audio/Video and Online material. Vista High Learning , 2014. Boston, MA • Schmitt, K., Spanish Grammar. McGraw Hill, 2014 • http://www.vhlcentral.com

Spanish III Sr. Gray 2014-‐2015

Course Description: This course reviews and expands upon core content from Spanish I and II, before students move on to more advanced language skills. They are expected at this level to have the necessary skills that allow them to contribute with some degree of fluency to class discussions o a variety of topics. Additionally, this course aids the students in their very real desire for self-‐expression by learning grammar in context through reading and analyzing poems and short stories by well-‐know writers such Pablo Neruda, Mario Benedetti, Rosario Castellanos, Ángeles Mastretta, Gabriel García Márquez, and Julio Cortázar. Students also learn the nature of language and culture by comparing other languages and cultures with their own. Furthermore, students go beyond the classroom to explore how to use Spanish for personal enjoyment and career possibilities. Students visit the Museum of Modern Art to further their study and research of modernist artist of Spanish speaking world. In addition, students visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art to view the influences of the Arab world on Spanish culture and history. Finally, there is one major project each semester where literature, history and cinema interconnect to promote cultural awareness and diversity. The first project covers the Mexican Revolution and the second, the Spanish Civil War. Both projects emphasize the role of women during difficult times and their struggles to find their own identity.


Semester I: • Overview of authors from the Spanish-‐speaking world and their works: Poema 20 de Pablo

Neruda, Idilio de Mario Benedetti, Autorretrato de Rosario Castellanos, Mujeres de ojos grandes de Ángeles Mastretta, La luz es como el agua de Gabriel García Márquez.

• Comprehensive study of more complex grammar structures such as formal and informal commands, comparatives and superlatives, subjunctive in noun, adjective and adverbial clauses, present and past perfect.

• Study and discuss new topics such as personal relationships, diversions, daily life, health and well-‐being, travel.

• Culture: Sonia Sotomayor: la niña que soñaba, el toreo: ¿cultura o tortura?, el arte de la vida diaria, la ciencia: la nueva arma en una guerra antigua, la ruta maya.

• Cinema: Di algo, Espíritu deportivo, Adiós mama, Éramos pocos, El anillo.

Semester II

• Overview of authors from the Spanish-‐speaking world and their works: El eclipse de Augusto Monterroso, Ese bobo del móvil de Arturo Perez-‐Reverte, La abeja hiragana de Horacio Quiroga, Sueños digitales de Edmundo Paz Soldán, Continuidad de los parques de Julio Cortázar.

• Comprehensive study of more complex grammar structures such as other uses of subjunctive, conditional and future tenses, prepositions, diminutives and augmentatives, Si clauses with simple tenses, present perfect and past perfect subjunctive

• Study and discuss new topics such as nature, technology and science, economy and work, popular culture and means of communication, literature and art.

• Culture: la conservación de Vieques, Hernán Casciari: arte en la blogosfera, Carolina Herrera: una señora en su punto, Guaraní: la lengua vencedora, De Macondo a McOndo.

• Cinema: El día menos pensado, Happy Cool, Clown, Sintonía, Las viandas

Educational Resources: • Blanco, J. A., Descubre III Textbook and Workbook. Vista • Schmitt, C. J., Schaum’s Spanish Grammar, 4th edition. Mc Graw Hill • Descubre III Supersite: www.vhl.com

The Hewitt School Course Descriptions

Latin II Benjamin Joffe Jack Kaufmann Classics Department At this second level, familiarity with our methodology provides the basis for students to move forward through a combination of new material and review. Having learned the basic structures of verbs and nouns in Latin I, we are now ready to explore all manners of Latin description – that is, adjectives, prepositional phrases, relative clauses, demonstratives, participles, and an expansion of our study of comparative and superlative forms. Moreover, we complete our study of the five Latin declensions and the six Latin cases, and we learn a new tense of Latin verbs, along with the command forms of all four Latin conjugations. If the first year treats the core of a Latin sentence and paragraph, year two adorns them with details. Along the way, students continue to their study of English derivatives by adding another hundred to their list, and they begin to see English sentences to be translated into Latin of noticeably more developed sophistication. Again, students write a derivatives essay, and they also start taking part in discussions of how to translate their own thoughts and ideas into fully formed Latin sentences, with the same eye towards gaining mastery of the Latin forms they encounter.

Above all, though, we are still very much grounded in the reading approach, and our narrative now takes us from Roman Britain to ancient Alexandria, and then back again, where students meet a whole new cast of characters (and welcome some familiar ones, too). This exploration of the farther reaches of the Roman Empire allows students to examine typical daily life in the provinces, the interaction of Romans and local inhabitants – sometimes fraught with tension, and even conflict, as in the contrasting cases of Queens Boudica and Cartimandua – the palace at Fishbourne, the diversity of cultures in Roman Egypt, glassmaking, the importance of the Nile to the entire Mediterranean world, math, science, medicine, and engineering at history’s most famous Library and Museum, the Baths at Aquae Sulis, curses, divination, and the limitations of travel across such a massive expanse of land. And once more, students are analyzing and writing to learn throughout. Related Extracurricular Experiences Officina Latinae The National Junior Classical League The National Latin Exam The National Classical Etymology Exam The Medusa Mythology Exam

Modernism: Music Mr. Denver 2014-‐2015

Course Description:

Modernism in Music explores the music of the early years of the twentieth century, when an explosion of ideas in all the arts transformed society and created the modern psyche. Students listen to, analyze, and research the various musical styles and compositional genres, sharing their findings with the class through a variety of creative presentations on the music and musicians. Students will travel to venues in New York to hear music from the era, identify elements of style, place them in the appropriate cultural context, and reflect critically upon the work and its performance. The course culminates in a performance event, created with the Modernism in Art course, that explores the Modern era through a lens designed by the students. This is a required ninth grade course.


Students in this one-‐semester class are introduced to the making of the Modern era, from its precursors at the end of the nineteenth century and continuing through its development into the mid-‐thirties. The

major movements of music and their primary composers will be explored, as well as the politic and social context from which they sprung. The course investigates the musicians of Europe and the new world primarily, but also touches upon important figures in Japan and Africa. Each student is encouraged to delve deep enough to find an artist, composer or performing ensemble that strikes a chord that resonates within her, and to write and speak about their discoveries to the other members of the class. Each semester, the class takes one or two field trips to hear live music in the city; after which students review what they have heard.

The class will also feature continued cross-‐disciplinary work on Modernist theory and practice in conjunction with the Modernism: Art, language, history and English classes. Students in both semesters will have the opportunity to explore the extraordinarily fruitful period of European art just after the turn of the twentieth century. Students will gain insight into the genesis of the movements that comprised modernism, will study its major movements, and will have an opportunity to create a piece that will be a public performance and exhibition of material learned throughout the year.

Educational Resources: • Igor Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring)-‐ Riot at 1913 Ballet Premiere

(Settling the Score Documentary) • Paris The Luminous Years: Toward the Making of the Modern (Documentary) • http://www.jalc.org/ • Assorted recordings

Upper School Handbell Choir Mr. Denver 2014-‐2015

Course Description: The Handbell Choir is a performance ensemble open to all members of the upper school. The group rehearses and performs handbell music of American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Level 3+, with a great deal of “ensemble ringing” and extended techniques. The class culminates in two concerts at the end of each semester, but there are additional performances for the community scheduled throughout the year.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The handbell choir begins by exploring proper handbell technique, including basic ringing techniques and extended techniques. Students will concurrently develop their facility as music readers, with emphasis placed on memorization of the pitches on the grand staff and rhythmic notation up to and including whole, half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth and dotted rhythms. Each class will begin with a sight

reading exercise, after which the choir will rehearse the selections for the fall and winter concerts. Students are assessed in daily participation grades and on monthly music reading, rhythm skills and performance technique rubrics. Grading and assessment is done both via CourseWeb and during rehearsal. The class has twenty four rehearsals for the fall concert, and then nine rehearsals for the Holiday Concert. In addition, the class will travel to the Jewish Guild for the Blind in December and perform a special set for the students in the school there.

The difficulty of the musical selections is noticeably increased during the second semester, taking advantage of the thirty rehearsal period prior to the Spring Concert. Special emphasis is placed on meter and rhythm studies, with the note values studied expanded to include all triplets, thirty-‐second notes and the introduction of compound meter. The grading system will continue as in first semester. The final performance will be the underclasswomen in the choir, who will perform the [processionals at the Hewitt Commencement as they have in years past.

Educational Resources: • Five-‐octave set of Schulmerich Handbells • Three-‐octave set of Yamaha tone chimes • Various Existing Sheet Music from the pre-‐Renaissance period to the present, AHM Levels 3 to 5 • Compositions and arrangements by the instructor • Notation software: Noteflight (freeware, download)

Drama Ms. Britt 2013-‐2014

Course Description: The Drama 9-‐12 class seeks to develop student’s means for self-‐expression and confidence through the arts. In the first semester they will be working on the basics of directing and script analysis. They will learn the tools to examine and explore an already published script, how to speak to an actor and eventually work with professional playwright on a new work. Through scene work exercises using acting techniques, character research, script analysis, improvisation and physical work the class will present a staged reading for the upper school at the end of the semester. In the second semester the students will create their own play or one-‐woman show using all the techniques and tools from first semester. Together they will write, produce, act

and direct using all the tools from first semester and perform for the upper school and invited outside guests.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The Drama class 9-‐12 will be working with the text The Rehearsal Handbook for Actors and Directors. Learning the basic directing and acting tools and exercises needed for an artist. First semester will be focusing on self-‐expression and the discovery of one’s own voice as a director. We will be working with published plays and a new work by a professional playwright, using script analysis and imagery to create the vision of the director; discovering how to use the space and find ones vision. Learning how to communicate with a playwright, designer and actors to work together to put on a show. Second semester we will write and create our own play incorporating all of the skills and techniques from first semester. Through ensemble work, research, improvisations, writing and rehearsing, we plan to have a final performance of our class work.

Educational Resources: • The Rehearsal Handbook for Actors and Directors by John Perry • Trifles by Susan Glaspell • Everything about Theatre-‐ Robert L. Lee • Lessons for the Stage an approach to acting –Julian S. Schlusberg • Theatre Machine III-‐Albert T Viola • The Ultimate Improv Book-‐ Edward J. Nevraumont and Nicholas P. Hanson

Websites-‐

• http://www.nypl.org/ • Learn Improv: http://www.learnimprov.com/ • Educational Theater Association: http://www.edta.org/adult_html.asp

Upper School Choir

Mr. Denver 2014-‐2015

Course Description: The Choir focuses on the further development and refinement of vocal and choral technique toward the goal of a unified performing ensemble of the highest caliber. Repertoire is chosen from an eclectic variety of eras and styles, from the 13th century to the present. Integral to the course is the study of basic music theory, terminology, sight-‐singing, and vocal production, as well as the application of languages, history, and other arts as they relate to the specific repertoire being studied. The rehearsal process is geared toward the ongoing development of the skills necessary to be fluent, knowledgeable, and confident singers. As Hewitt’s flagship choral ensemble, the Choir is afforded extraordinary opportunities to perform in concerts, festivals, and international tours, and the choir is frequently called upon to represent the Hewitt community at public events.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The year-‐long choir course is a performance-‐oriented course, and the structure of the class is designed to develop students’ vocal and music-‐reading skills in the context of preparing for the semester-‐end concerts. Classes begin with warm-‐ups, a vital tool to the safe and effective work of the choir. These preparatory exercises develop pitch placement, technique, dynamic control, consonant and vowel construction, blend and balance. After warm-‐ups, the class works on the pieces to be prepared for concert. Generally in three-‐part SSA textures, the pieces chosen directly address the growth needs of the choir, and are culled from existing sheet music from the pre-‐Renaissance to the present. The music is not confined by genre; the choir can sing all eras of classical music, jazz, spiritual, pop, music theatre and other types of music. In the first semester, special emphasis is placed on the proper development and balance of tone across the ensemble. The semester culminates in two concerts; the Middle/Upper School Fall Concert and the All-‐School Holiday Concert, both performed at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church.

The longer second semester affords more opportunity to delve into both video and audio recordings of other choirs, an exercise that provides modeled examples for emulation of many of the aspects of vocal production. Students will watch and listen to a variety of choirs from student to professional, and they will discuss what they hear. This will happen concurrently to the further development of their own work as an ensemble, and the music that the group learns will be both more challenging to read and to sing. As in the first semester, their work will be shared with the community in the Middle/Upper School Spring Concert, which is performed at the Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church. Other performance opportunities may present themselves over the course of the semester.

Educational Resources: • Sheet music from the pre-‐Renaissance to the present • Experiencing Choral Music, 2nd edition. • Video and audio selections of various ensembles.

Principles of Programming Mr. Nauman 2014-‐2015

Course Description: The Principles of Programming course uses Processing, the open source programming language and environment. Processing allows the user to program images, animations and interactions. The program is used by students, artists, designers, and researchers to explore concepts visually. Students learn to use computer science to create elegant graphics, visuals, and interactive programs. Students will also use Processing to interface with the Arduino microcontroller to explore physical computing, enabling them to create projects that can sense and respond to the environment. This course requires no previous programming experience.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: During the first semester, the focus of this course will be on learning the basic functions and syntax of the Processing language and using them for several design-‐based projects. The projects will range in scope from open-‐ended creative graphics to interactive design solutions that will be used for a specific purpose by specific users, such as web-‐based instructional activities that will be used by young students to learn about patterns and symmetry. Students will learn to incorporate a range of media types into their projects, such as images, video, text, and audio input.

The second semester will be an introduction to object oriented programming as the students learn to write object classes and instantiate objects to organize their programs in a more sophisticated and efficient way. The projects will use the power of object oriented methods to create interactive games and models and simulations of natural phenomena. The second half of the second semester will focus on programming the Arduino microcontroller to create designs with electroluminescent wire and create systems in which behaviors in the computer can be controlled by sensors connected to the Arduino.

Educational Resources: • Learning Processing, by Daniel Shiffman, is the text for the course. • http://www.learningprocessing.com/ is the web site that accompanies the text. • http://processing.org/ is the web site where the Processing IDE can be downloaded and

provides many learning resources we will refer to.

Film Studies Mr. Denver 2014-‐2015

Course Description: Film Studies is a year-‐long course designed to introduce students to the major concepts of film theory. Students learn about the major concepts behind filmmaking while watching films chosen to illustrate those concepts. The students also create film elements of their own, including storyboards, slide shows, color schemes, scripts and a five-‐minute short film. Some of the films viewed are Citizen Kane, Casablanca, The Seven Samurai, and Lawrence of Arabia.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: Students will learn the vocabulary and concepts behind the semiotics of the moving image. They will begin with the fifteen elements of a still shot, which includes shots, angles, light and dark, color, mise en scene, character proximity, camera proximity, and others. They will proceed to incorporate the study of motion into their analysis., involving a discussion of camera work. Individual units will look at some of the technical elements of filmmaking, including directing, photography, and a larger unit on special effects.

The class will travel to the Museum on the Moving Image in November, at which they will screen the film Twelve Angry Men and then engage in a discussion with museum staff, after which they will peruse the museum’s sections of the basics of film, cameras and sound.

In the spring, the students will apply what they have learned in the creation of a short film. Breaking into small groups, they will write, design, storyboard, direct, act in and edit. Using iMovie for the last, the students will each submit her own cut of their film a screen it to the class.

Educational Resources: • Understanding Movies, tenth edition, Louis Gianetti • Special Effects, Ron Miller • Films screened will include:

o The Red Shoes o The Seven Samurai o The 4oo Blows o The Seventh Seal o Twelve Angry Men o Run, Lola, Run

o Casablanca o Lawrence of Arabia o Citizen Kane o Battleship Potemkin (sections) o North By Northwest o Blade Runner o Gold Rush (sections) o Decalogue (Episode One)

Photography I Ms. Dore 2014-‐2015

Course Description: Photography I is an introductory course in traditional black and white photography where students learn to use 35mm film cameras and to develop and print their photographs in the darkroom. Photography I also allows students the opportunity to take inspiration from and analyze professional photographic works both orally and through writing.

Educational Resources: http://www.icp.org/school/teen-‐academy http://whitney.org/ http://pfmagazine.com/ http://www.drexel.edu/westphal/undergraduate/PHTO/HighSchoolContest/ http://www.artandwriting.org/the-‐awards/

Name of Course: Ceramics I Teacher: Ms. Vannata

2014-‐2015

Course Description:

Students are introduced to historical and contemporary practices of using clay to create functional and sculptural ceramic ware. We explore both wheel throwing techniques and basic hand-building techniques such as pinching, coiling and slab rolling. Various surface treatments will be covered, including texture stamping and glaze applications. Students will develop a body of work that reflects a variety of sources and themes: personal, figurative, narrative and architecture. There is at least one museum or gallery visit during the year.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: The first semester begins with the introduction of basic ceramic hand-building techniques (pinching, coiling, slab rolling, scoring and slipping, carving, modeling, building relief layers, etc.) Possible projects and themes include the following: transforming traditional pinch pot forms into creative vessels; glaze and glass experimentation; mandala mirrors inspired by the idea of the sacred feminine across cultures; expressing abstract concepts through the creation of mythical creatures; the sounds of clay instruments and windchimes; the form and function of open and closed boxes; using nature both as inspiration and texture stamping, and collaborative three-dimensional sculpture project inspired by Oaxacan folk art.

The second semester begins with an introduction to the basic skills necessary to successfully “throw” vessels on the pottery wheel. Girls will learn traditional methods of throwing on electric wheels and will be encouraged to develop their own techniques. After practicing and sharing ideas, girls will create various wheel thrown and altered pottery.

Educational Resources: • Collection of books in ceramics library (500 Pots, 500 Figures, 500 Bowls, Oaxacan Ceramics,

Pueblo Storytellers, Mandalas: Past and Present, etc.) • Metropolitan Museum of Art • Museum of Arts and Design • Jopanese Ceramics-‐ Joan B Mirviss Ltd • American Folk Art Museum • Museum of the American Indian

Modernism: Art Mr. Rose

2014-‐2015

Course Description: Modernism: Art (Grade 9 – 1 credit) The course, a required 9th grade semester, focuses on the history of Modern Art in the early 20th C. There is an emphasis on viewing exhibitions and collections in New York City. Students make frequent presentations and learn to respond to art in various ways including research writing, creative writing, and the making of original projects. This course operates in conjunction with many of the students' other ninth grade classes, culminating in a multi-‐disciplinary Modernism event at the end of the year.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: Both Semesters: There will be a survey of Modernism using the MoMA, Guggenheim, and Met resources, museum writing exercises, and student presentations. There will be a special curriculum of project-‐based learning on Modernism in general integrated with Modernism: Music, English, History, Foreign Language, and Visual Art classes. Classes will experience the Toulouse Lautrec exhibition at MoMA and the Cubism exhibiton at the Met among other exhibitions.

Educational Resources: Wide variety of art history websites and books.

http://www.theartstory.org/index.htm http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/

NYC museums and galleries including the Met, Guggenheim, and MoMA. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ http://www.moma.org/explore/collection/index http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1493 http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2014/cubism-‐leonard-‐a-‐lauder-‐collection http://www.guggenheim.org/new-‐york/collections/collection-‐online

Studio Art I Mr. Rose 2014-‐2015

Course Description: Studio Art I (Grades 9-‐12 – 1 credit) This is the initial course for any student who has not taken studio art in the UpperSchool. Students produce a wide variety of work preparing them for continued study.Lessons include observational, imaginative, and abstract drawing and painting, printmaking and mixed media collage, mixed media sculpture, and the use of new technology. Artists are encouraged to develop a personal voice. There are at least two museum or gallery visits. This year, students can expect the curriculum to mimic the development of Modern Art in the 20th C.

Topics of Investigation and Rationale: Fall semester : Students will engage in projects that chart the history of Modern Art from Realism to Expressionism and abstraction. They will engage in observational landscape drawing and painting in Central Park and figure drawing in the studio. They will learn how to use color and drawing expressively and how to abstract essential information from external and internal experience.

Spring semester: Students will engage in projects that utilize collage and simultaneity for found object, non-‐perspectival composition, explore Surrealist approaches to freeing the intuitive and subconscious mind, and take part in contemporary art making through new media, performance, and conceptual approaches.

Educational Resources: Wide variety of books and images encompassing the range of art movements from Realism to Performance Art. Online stop-‐motion animations by William Kentridge.

Physical Education 9th – 10th Melissa Stover, Alison Le Vine 2014-‐2015

Course Description: In grades 9th – 12th the physical education curriculum focuses on trimester electives that support each student’s life-‐long physical, social, and cognitive development. The electives range from a foundational level to a more advanced physical level. Students are encouraged to select an elective that will provide the guidance to reach their personal goals. Each elective will begin with an introduction to the physical concepts, skills, and literacy pertaining to the specific physical education course. This will involve building on the foundation established in 4th – 8th physical

education. Students will then be guided and challenged in the application phase, in which they will utilize the information and skills learned earlier to perform at their personal best. The students will finish the elective with the ability to continuously support their physical development and engagement in an active lifestyle. Electives that are offered include but are not limited to: performance analysis, team concepts, and fitness.

grade 9 curriculum overview 2014 2015

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