Course Catalogue - Beth Tfiloh

Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolHigh School Course Catalogue2010/2011

PMS 654 75%Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolHigh School Course Catalogue2010-2011Curriculum Overview and Graduation Requirements....................................................................................... 3Computer Science...................................................................................................................................................................... 3English.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3Hebrew..............................................................................................................................................................................................6History...............................................................................................................................................................................................7Jewish History............................................................................................................................................................................. 8Judaic Studies..............................................................................................................................................................................9Mathematics................................................................................................................................................................................12Modern Languages.................................................................................................................................................................13Physical Education.................................................................................................................................................................. 15Science............................................................................................................................................................................................ 15Curriculum Grids............................................................................................................................................................... 17-18PreSchool through High School Learning together. For life.

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolCurriculumCollege Preparatory/Dual - General Studies and JudaicStudiesThe curriculum of the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community HighSchool is designed to provide students with a balance ofintellectual, aesthetic, religious, and physical educationexperiences. Students who successfully complete theprogram are well prepared to meet the challenges of highereducation. The academic program for all students exceedsthe requirements of the Maryland State Department ofEducation for a high school diploma and also affordsstudents the opportunity to take advanced study in avariety of fields.Graduation RequirementsGeneral StudiesEnglishHistoryScienceMathematicsAcademic ElectiveArtsPhysical EducationJudaic StudiesHebrew LanguageJewish HistoryBible Literature (Tanach)Rabbinic Literature (Talmud)Additional RequirementsCommunity ServiceSenior Thesis4 credits4 credits4 credits4 credits4 credits2 credits2 credits4 credits4 credits4 credits4 creditsSenior Israel SeminarSenior InternshipAP/Honors CoursesAdvanced Placement and Honors sections exist in mostcurricular disciplines. Beth Tfiloh strives to provide levelsof acceleration and challenge in each section of requiredcourses and in the elective program.Computer ScienceThe four-year Computer Science curriculum at BethTfiloh has been designed to meet three specificobjectives. First, each level of the program develops andexpands the ability of students to apply logic and analysisto a set of variables in order to solve problems using acomputer. Second, the curriculum introduces students toincreasingly more complex programming methodologiesand languages. Finally, students who complete the four-yearcurriculum are fully prepared to take the College BoardAdvanced Placement Computer Science exam in May oftheir senior year.Introduction to Programming Animation 9This is an introductory course where students will learnto create movie animations and games. Students designprojects using Alice, a software package in which studentscreate 3-D virtual worlds in the animation style of Pixar andDisney. The emphasis of this course is hands-on labs, withsome lecture/presentation. This course is designed for thenovice programmer. Access to a home computer is notrequired.Honors Computer Science 10This course is designed to introduce students to higherlevel concepts and skills in computer programming usingMicrosoft Visual Basic as the primary language. The skillsacquired in this course provide the essential building blocksto prepare students for the two-year Advanced PlacementComputer Science program which begins in the junioryear. The 9th grade Intro course is not a pre-requisite forthis course; however, strong logical and deductive problemsolving skills and mathematical reasoning ability arerequired. Access to a PC computer at home is required forstudents in this course. An Apple computer is acceptableas long as it is capable of running Microsoft Windowssoftware.AP Computer Science I 11This is the first of a two-year lab-based course that meetsthe requirements of the College Board Advanced Placementcurriculum in preparation for the Computer Science examin the Java programming language. Students will gain anadvanced understanding of this object-oriented language.The 10th grade Honors course is a pre-requisite for thiscourse. Access to a computer either PC or MAC at homeis required for students in this course. The course willculminate with the AP exam in May of the senior year.AP Computer Science II 12This course continues study of the Java programminglanguage in order to prepare students to take the AdvancedPlacement Computer Science exam in May of their senioryear. Access to a computer at home is required for studentsin this course. Students are required to sit for the AP examas the final component of this course.EnglishThe English department has created a scope andsequence in Grades 9-11 that offers students a varietyof literature, a consistent study of composing skills, anda comprehensive review of language usage. From thebackgrounds of western culture in World Literature Grade9 to a survey of American literature in Grade 10 andBritish Literature in Grade 11, teachers expose studentsto all genres and various writers from different culturesto highlight the universal themes and archetypes presentin literature. In Grade 12, students select a senior elective

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Schoolranging from creative writing to college writing andfrom American drama to contemporary literature. As adepartment, we hope to develop not only critical readersand thinkers but also students who appreciate literature andread for enjoyment.In all grades, students engage in a comprehensive writingprogram from formal and informal writing assignments, tocreative writing journals, and research papers. Teachers ineach grade level build on previous writing experiences todevelop students who can process information accuratelyand efficiently, conduct independent research, and expressthemselves effectively and creatively. Students also reviewstandard written English as well as multiple styles andorganizational strategies to enhance their writing and toprepare for the PSAT/SAT/ACT tests.The English department offers honors and collegepreparatory courses in all grades as well as AP EnglishLanguage and Composition in Grade 10 and AP Literatureand Composition in Grade 11.College Prep World Literature 9Surveying World Literature from the Ancient Middle Eastto contemporary World Literature, this course examinesarchetypal themes in literature focusing on the heroicjourney as well as the journey of self-discovery. Studentsexamine universal themes as they are expressed in differentgenres. Actively participating in a variety of studentcentered, problem solving activities, ninth-grade studentslearn to read and write critically, to process informationaccurately and efficiently, to conduct independent researchof a poet, and to express themselves effectively andcreatively. The ninth grade college preparatory curriculumoffers extensive choices in literature and composingactivities to allow the teacher to utilize resources to fit theindividualized learning styles of all students.Honors World Literature 9Surveying World Literature from the Ancient Middle Eastto contemporary World Literature, this course examinesarchetypal themes in literature focusing on the heroicjourney as well as the journey of self-discovery. Studentsexamine universal themes as they are expressed in differentgenres. With a focus on literary criticism, honors studentsdevelop historical/biographical analysis of requiredreadings as well as supplemental texts and engage inenriched independent reading and writing assignments.Actively participating in a variety of student centered,problem solving activities, ninth-grade students learn toread and write critically, to process information accuratelyand efficiently, to conduct independent research of a poet,and to express themselves effectively and creatively. Theninth grade honors curriculum offers extensive choices inliterature and composing activities to allow the teacher toutilize resources to fit the individualized learning styles ofall students.College Prep American Literature 10Focusing on the broad range of American literature, thiscourse examines the American experience as it relates topresent society through an historical context. The courseinvolves issues relevant to our identity as Americans,such as the pursuit of the elusive and ever changingAmerican Dream. Students develop and express their ownideas through a variety of expository and creative writingassignments, as well as through independent reading andresearch that leads to composing a formal research paperwhich focuses on an American short story. In addition,the course offers opportunities for students to developvocabulary, grammar, and critical reading/thinking skillsthat prepare them not only for the PSAT/SAT/ACT examsbut also for overall academic success. The tenth gradecollege preparatory curriculum offers extensive choices inliterature and composing activities to allow the teacher toutilize resources to fit the individualized learning styles ofall students.Honors American Literature 10Focusing on the broad range of American literature, thiscourse examines the American experience as it relates topresent society through an historical context. The courseinvolves issues relevant to our identity as Americans, suchas the pursuit of the elusive and ever changing AmericanDream. With a focus on literary criticism, honors studentsdevelop formalistic, philosophical, psychological analysisof required readings as well as supplemental texts. Besidesthe survey of American Literature, honors students engagein enriched independent reading and writing assignments.Students also write a literary research paper that focuseson the short story genre. Students develop and expresstheir own ideas through a variety of expository and creativewriting assignments, as well as through independentreading and research that leads to composing a formalresearch paper which focuses on an American short story.In addition, the course offers opportunities to developvocabulary, grammar, and critical reading/thinking skillsthat prepare them not only for the PSAT/SAT/ACT examsbut also for overall academic success. The tenth gradehonors curriculum offers extensive choices in literatureand composing activities to allow the teacher to utilizeresources to fit the individualized learning styles of allstudents.AP Language and Composition 10This course explores literary classics from many Westerncultures, focusing mainly on American literature. Studentsexamine the political, social, cultural, and philosophicalaspects that have influenced the major writers of eachliterary period. Students analyze all genres to recognizehow authors use language to convey meaning; howliterature reflects the time and place in which it was written;and how figurative language, imagery, allusion, symbolism,diction, and tone contribute to the meaning of a work.

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolBesides the survey of American Literature, students engagein additional independent reading. Although students aregiven opportunities to write many different types of essays,they also prepare for the AP exam by writing timed essaysin response to a given prompt or a selected literary poemor prose passage. Students also write a literary researchpaper that focuses on the short story genre. Emphasizingthe reading and analysis of literature; developing clear andlogical expository writing skills that include independentresearch; refining language skills; and utilizing criticalreading, writing, and thinking skills, this class affordsstudents the opportunity to prepare for the AP EnglishLanguage and Composition exam.College Prep British Literature 11Exploring literary classics from British Literature,this course examines the political, social, cultural, andphilosophical aspects that influenced the major writers ofeach literary period.Students analyze all genres to recognize how authorsuse language to convey meaning, how literature reflectsthe time and place in which it was written, how figurativelanguage, imagery, allusion, symbolism, diction, and tonecontribute to the meaning of a work. Students develop andexpress their own ideas through a variety of expository andcreative writing assignments. Students also write a literaryresearch paper that focuses on a single author. In addition,the course offers opportunities to develop vocabulary,grammar, and critical reading/thinking skills that preparestudents for the PSAT/SAT/ACT exams.Honors British Literature 11Exploring literary classics from British Literature,this course examines the political, social, cultural, andphilosophical aspects that influenced the major writersof each literary period. Students analyze all genres torecognize how authors use language to convey meaning,how literature reflects the time and place in which itwas written, how figurative language, imagery, allusion,symbolism, diction, and tone contribute to the meaning ofa work. With a focus on literary criticism, honors studentsanalyze the required readings as well as supplementaltexts by applying various approaches to literary criticismreviewed in Grads 9 and 10. Besides the survey of BritishLiterature, honors students engage in more independentreading and writing assignments. Students develop andexpress their own ideas through a variety of expository andcreative writing assignments. Students also write a literaryresearch paper that focuses on a single author. In addition,the course offers opportunities to develop vocabulary,grammar, and critical reading/thinking skills that preparestudents for the PSAT/SAT/ACT exams.AP English Literature 11Exploring literary classics from many Western cultures,this course focuses mainly on British Literature. Studentsexamine the political, social, cultural, and philosophicalaspects that influenced the major writers of each literaryperiod. Students analyze all genres to recognize howauthors use language to convey meaning, how literaturereflects the time and place in which it was written, howfigurative language, imagery, allusion, symbolism, diction,and tone contribute to the meaning of a work. Besidesthe survey of British Literature, AP students will engagein more independent reading of world literature and theanalysis of literary criticism. Although students willbe given opportunities to write creatively, most of thewritten assignments will relate to AP type timed essays.Emphasizing reading and analyzing literature, writing clearand logical expository assignments including independentresearch papers, refining language skills, and utilizingcritical reading, writing, and thinking skills, this classaffords students the opportunity to prepare for the APEnglish Literature and Composition exam. Students willalso write a literary research paper that focuses on a singleauthor.Honors Contemporary Literature 12Reflecting current trends in modernism andpostmodernism, globalization, and the proliferation oftechnology, this course explores a wide range of genresand world authors through a variety of critical approaches,especially those involving social analysis and readerresponse. Students will develop contemporary themes fordiscussion. Students will complete essays for their collegeapplications, a resume for their internship, and a researchpaper.Honors Creative Writing 12This course allows students to encounter universal humanexperiences through a variety of literature from variousprofessional authors and time periods, and to engage inthe creative process by experimenting with many formsand genres of writing. Through specific assignments andjournals, class discussion, and draft revision, students willgain general confidence and skill in writing, as well as agreater insight into the process and problems of creativeexpression. Students will complete essays for their collegeapplications, a resume for their internship, and a researchpaper.College Writing/Advanced Composition 12This course will help students to write more fluently,express ideas more convincingly, and think more criticallyas students experiment with language and ideas to helpprepare , as a writer, for the demands of college levelcourse across the disciplines. This is not a grammar andcomposition course. Students will complete essays for theircollege applications, a resume for their internship, and aresearch paper. This course may be taken for honors credit.

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolAmerican Drama 12Exploring some of America’s most famous and influentialplays; students will study works that may include playsby Thornton Wilder, Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson,Tennessee Williams, and Arthur Miller. Students will havethe opportunity to perform scenes from plays and to createdramatic situations. Students will complete essays for theircollege applications, a resume for their internship, and aresearch paper. This course may be taken for honors credit.HebrewAt Beth Tfiloh, we view the Hebrew language as anessential tool in connecting to Israel, its culture and itspeople. Therefore, we strive to bolster students’ academicstudy of Hebrew as a living language while integratingHebrew study with an engaging and comprehensivecultural experience. In each grade, we offer a full range oflevels of instruction, starting in 9th grade with a mechinaclass for students with little to no Hebrew background,through instruction appropriate for native Hebrew speakers.The NETA Hebrew curriculum, a highly structured programof study units which integrates language skills withreasoning, listening comprehension, and speaking skills,within the context of a central theme that varies from book,is the curriculum in which the majority of our studentsreceive their instruction. Throughout the curriculum,Hebrew language acquisition is built gradually, from thesimple to the more complex and from passive knowledgeto creative activity. Although all levels and all units use thesame elements of language, the length and complexity oftexts, richness of vocabulary, and syntactic complexity ofsentences becomes more advanced as the students progressfrom book to book throughout the series. Prior to enteringthe High School, every student takes a placement test todetermine at which level of NETA, he or she will be placed.Hebrew 9This course is an introduction to High School Hebrew.Emphasis is placed on the development of basic vocabularyand the conjugation of verbs in different tenses. Studentswill gain experience with the sentence structure of theHebrew language, and in the proper use of adjectives,while improving their reading comprehension through avariety of short stories. The class will discuss the culture,the current events and the geography of the State of Israelin order to strengthen students’ relationship to Israel andits people. Music, movies, and other forms of modern mediawill be used.Honors Hebrew 9In Honors Hebrew students develop linguistic competencyand the ability to study autonomously. Honors Hebrewenhances the students’ thinking process and encouragescreativity as it builds familiarity with the core of Jewish andIsraeli culture in all its diversity. The content draws on theworld of ideas, both within Jewish and other cultures. At thesame time, the curriculum integrates grammar with contentthat appeals to the students.Students are immersed in a wide range of genres, includingBiblical texts, Midrashim, prose, news, scientific articles,e- mails and Israeli slang. Teaching methods consistentlyintegrate the four language skills: reading, writing, listeningand speaking. The linguistic activities are challenging,designed to build upon the students’ prior experience andfacility with Hebrew language.Hebrew 10The Grade 10 college preparatory Hebrew languagecurriculum places a great deal of emphasis on the structureof sentence formation with special attention to grammar.Students review of all three tenses including the imperativeand the use of prepositions and infinitives. Frequentvocabulary quizzes, oral and written tests are given foreach unit taught in class. Students are also required towrite dialogues and short summaries of stories. Movies andcontemporary Israeli music, from audio cassettes, radio,and Internet Hebrew media resources, help students growin their ability to understand spoken Modern Hebrew. It isour goal that through the teaching of new vocabulary andidioms, the students will have an opportunity to learn aboutthe Israeli culture, people of Israel and different ethnicgroups among the Jewish people.Honors Hebrew 10The 10th grade Honors Hebrew class is designed forstudents who have a strong command of the language.Conducted exclusively in Hebrew, this class continuouslyreinforces basic skills as advanced linguistics andgrammatical items are added. The goal of this class is tobroaden the students’ interest in different genres and equipthem with the necessary tools to approach any materialindependently, while enriching their vocabulary andproviding practice in essay writing.The material in this class is drawn from Hebrew literatureand poetry, conversations, Israeli newspapers, movies andtelevision, representing a variety of topics of interest fromJewish and Israeli culture, including generational conflicts,moral dilemmas, values clarification, ethnic diversity, warand peace, the Holocaust, tradition, Jewish holidays and theland of Israel.Hebrew 11This course will continue to advance the students’vocabulary knowledge and grammar skills, includingthe proper use of verbs, verb tenses, and adjectives, inspeech and in writing. Reading comprehension and thedevelopment of conversational skills will be stressed.The students will be encouraged to develop a love andconnection to the people and state of Israel via the use ofmovies, music, current events, and other forms of modernmedia.

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolHonors Hebrew 11This accelerated class is expected to speak in Hebrew,exclusively. The textbook selected is a collection ofarticles and essays taken from various Israeli newspapers.Students will be exposed to a variety of writing styles,e.g. instructions, information, messages, debates, reports,opinions, advertisements, and editorials, as well as literatureand poetry. Each unit covers grammar, idioms, proverbs,and expressions used in daily life. Our goal is for thestudents to acquire the Hebrew language for purposesof communication and at the same time embrace Israeliculture and values.Hebrew 12In the senior year, students study Hebrew at an advancedlevel with the ultimate goal of preparing the students fortheir class trip to Israel. The course will place a strongemphasis on the continued advancement of the students’conversational skills. The students will improve theirreading comprehension by reading Hebrew literature.Writing will also be emphasized and advanced topics inHebrew grammar will be studied. The class will preparefor a rich integration with modern Israeli life via the use ofcurrent events, movies, music, and other forms of media.Honors Hebrew 12Students enrolled in this advanced class are expected tobe equipped with a strong foundation in all Hebrew skills.In order to prepare the senior class for the trip to Israel,the students will learn the everyday terminology that isnecessary to communicate in Israeli life. Students willlearn how to invite and apologize to others, express theiropinions, compliment and register complaints. Drills arebased on conversations among students, debates, questionand-answersessions, and group work, with audio-visual aidsplaying an integral part of our instruction.HistoryThe goals of the History Department include developingan appreciation of the historical evolution and presentfunction of the principles, institutions, and processes of ourpolitical, economic, social, and cultural systems in America;understanding the history, diversity, and commonalityof the peoples of the world and the reality of humaninterdependence; promoting responsible citizenship bydeveloping a positive self-image and strong moral valuesbased on American democratic ideals and our rich Judaicheritage; and inspiring a love of history and preparingstudents for future learning, both formal (college) andinformal (lifelong independent learning).The skills covered include the development of historicalknowledge and comprehension of the material, selectionand organization of key facts/ideas and their appropriateapplication to the topic under consideration, and analysisof material presented, as well as the development ofwriting skills which include a succinct thesis statement,comprehensive breadth & depth of the topic, use ofevidence to support generalizations and opinions, abalanced presentation and analysis of conflicting views, anda conclusion.Students are sectioned according to ability into Honors andCollege Prep in Grade 9, and into Advanced Placement,Honors, and College Prep in Grades 10 and 11. TheAdvanced Placement and Honors sections cover the samecore curriculum as the College Prep sections, but withgreater expectations and depth of coverage, includingthe use of supplementary readings and considerabletime given to preparation for the AP Document-BasedQuestion (DBQ). Emphasis is placed on the developmentof analytical skills, the ability to write cogently, and themastery of factual knowledge.The texts used by both the Honors and College Prepsections in World and U.S. History provide a srong narrativeoverview of the course. The text used by the AP class is amore challenging, college-level text specifically geared toprepare students for the AP Exam at the end of Grade 11,and the class moves at a faster pace in order to have moretime for review in the spring before the exam.Internet research, cooperative learning, student-generatedlessons and in-class presentations, use of period documentsand scholarly articles, consideration of differing viewpointson controversial topics, and discussion of current events areall features of the history program.Students are required to take traditional survey courses inWorld and United States History in Grades 9-11; however,they are able to choose from a variety of trimester electivesin Grade 12.World History 9The second year of a two-year sequence begun in EighthGrade, this course covers the period from the Renaissanceto the modern era. Topics include the Reformation andwars of religion, Columbus and overseas exploration, therise of nation-states in Europe, the age of Louis XIV andabsolutism in France, the Puritan revolution and emergingconstitutionalism in 17th century England, the scientificrevolution and Enlightenment, the French Revolution andNapoleonic era, the worldwide impact of the IndustrialRevolution and Marxism, consolidative and disintegrativenationalism in the late 19th century, imperialism inAfrica, Asia, and Latin America, the two world wars andintervening decades, and the beginnings of the Cold War.United States History 10This course, the first of a two-year overview of U. S.History, surveys the development of American ideals andinstitutions through consideration of the major political,economic, cultural, and social developments from thefifteenth century through the nineteenth. Topics include theAge of Discovery and Exploration, the Colonial Period, the

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolAmerican Revolution, the Constitution, the early NationalPeriod, Jacksonian Democracy, the Sectional Crisis, theCivil War, and Reconstruction.United States History 11The second year of the U.S. History course addressesthe major political, economic, social, and intellectualdevelopments from the post-Reconstruction period to thepresent era. Topics include the West, the New IndustrialAge, Urbanization and Immigration, Gilded Age politics,Populism and Progressivism, Imperialism and World WarI, the 1920s and the Great Depression, FDR and the NewDeal, World War II, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Civil Rightsmovement, the Great Society, the Conservative revival, andthe contemporary era.History Electives 12In their senior year, students are given the opportunity toselect from the following two-trimester offerings:American Social History/DocumentaryPhotographyExamining social and cultural changes from 1900 to thepresent through the eyes of documentary photographers/photo-journalists. This course covers topics includingthe Progressive Era, Depression, World War II, CivilRights, Vietnam, and Terrorism. Emphasis is placed onthe relationship between photography and historicalchange, as well as the role of images in the media andtheir connection to social change. Major photographersinclude Lewis Hine, Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange, W.Eugene Smith, Robert Frank, among others.Honors EconomicsThis course provides students with a thoroughunderstanding of the principles of economics. Inaddition to the study of basic microeconomic concepts,such as the price system, supply and demand, andelasticity, the course places particular emphasis on thestudy of macroeconomic concepts, such as GDP, fiscaland monetary policies, economic performance measures,economic growth, and international economics. TheHonors Economics course serves as preparation for theAdvanced Placement Examination in Economics.Honors U.S. Government & PoliticsThis course covers an overview of the constitutionalunder-pinnings of the U.S. government. Discussionwill include the power of interest groups and the roleof the media and public opinion on politics and publicissues, parties, and electio. This course also explores theinstitutions of government (the Congress, the Presidency,the bureaucracy, and the federal courts), an in-depthstudy of the constitution (including constitutionalcontroversies, interpretations, and issues of law andrights), and a focus upon the significant issues/problems facing the United States today. The HonorsU.S. Government course serves as preparation for theAdvanced Placement Examination in Government.Jewish HistoryThe Jewish History Department aims to provide studentswith an historical overview of the Jewish experience,from the time of the Second Temple to the contemporaryJewish world. This critical historical presentation is usedto assist students in understanding and appreciating thedevelopment of Jewish traditions, liturgy, beliefs, andinstitutions, the diversity and commonality of the Jewishpeople of the world, their relationships with the civilizationsin which they lived and the effect those civilizations hadand continue to have on the Jewish people. The JewishHistory curriculum is also designed to guide and assiststudents in the development of a positive self-imageand strong Jewish values, teaching them to respect andappreciate religious and cultural diversity and to ensureawareness for the Jewish individuals’ responsibility in theirown community as well as the world at large.In addition to teaching events of the past and assisting inthe development of students’ Jewish identity, the JewishHistory Department also focuses on the development ofskills specific to the critical study of history, such as readingand writing academic history, primary source analysis,critical thinking and problem solving, cohesive and clearargumentative writing and researching skills.Students are required to take Jewish History each year,with a set curriculum in each of those years. Students aresectioned according to ability into Honors and CollegePrep. The Honors sections cover the same core curriculumas the College Prep sections, but with greater expectationsand depth of coverage.Jewish Identity and Community 9This class is designed to help students gain anunderstanding of the religious and cultural diversity ofthe Jewish people, the responsibilities and privileges ofbeing a Jewish citizen of the United States of Americain the 21st century and their relationship to the Jewishhomeland of Israel and its people. Utilizing personal,familial, and communal experiences and perceptions,students are challenged to explore their identity as a Jewin the contemporary global society from social, ethnic,political, and historical perspectives. Each trimester coversa different one of the aforementioned topics and, wherepossible, is taught by a different member of the JewishHistory Department faculty. The honors curriculumemphasizes advanced critical reading and thinking as wellas expository writing.Introduction to Jewish History 10The 10th Grade Jewish History curriculum offers students

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Schoolan initial exposure to the discipline, chronology andthemes of Jewish History. In the early part of the course,students grapple with some basic historiographical issues,such as definition, periodization, and biases in historicalnarratives. Students then explore the major religious,geo-political, economic, social and cultural developmentsfrom the post-Temple, Rabbinic period (70 CE) throughto the early-Modern era of Jewish History (17th/18thCentury). Special attention is given to a basic study of theorigins of Christianity and Islam and the impact of thethree major monotheistic religions on each other and onthe development of the Jewish historical narrative. Someof the enduring themes include the historical diversityand commonality of all Jewish people, the relationshipsof Jews with the civilizations in which they lived, and theinfusion of the secular world in Jewish cultural and socialdevelopments.Modern Jewish History 11This course will examine the emergence of the modernera in Jewish history. In the first trimester, we will focus onearly modern and modern European Jewish communities,paying special attention to the impact of Enlightenmentand emancipation, as well as the emergence of Haskalah(Jewish Enlightenment) and new religious movements suchas Reform and Hassidism.In the second trimester, we will study the Holocaust,examining the historical roots of racial anti-Semitism,Hitler’s rise to power, and the Nazi Final Solution. Wewill focus on Jewish resistance and what factors led toindividual and national decisions to act as bystanders,rescuers or collaborators.In the third trimester, we will study the American Jewishcommunity from its origins in the mid-seventeenth century,through the massive immigrations of the nineteenthcentury, to the emergence of modern American religiousmovements of Reform, Conservative and modern Orthodoxin the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Specialattention will be given to the origins and rise of freedom ofreligion in America, as well as how the unique Americancontext has impacted on the Jews.A History of Zionism and Israel 12This course offers students the opportunity to learn aboutthe origins, development and realization of the Zionistdream, as well as contemporary issues connected toZionism, the State of Israel and the relationship of Jewsto Israel. The course begins by reflecting on the contextof general and Jewish society prior to the Zionist idea toprovide a basis of understanding for the perceived necessityof a Jewish state. It tracks the various political and practicalstrides made toward the establishment of the state from theFirst Aliyah through the Declaration of Independence ofthe State of Israel in 1948. The second half of the course istheme-based and uses historical context to focus on currentevents and relevant issues regarding Israel today, suchas the Arab-Israeli conflict, US-Israel relations and IsraelAdvocacy.Judaic StudiesThe High School Judaic Studies department offers achoice of two different approaches to the study ofJudaics, called the Beit Midrash and the Yahadut programs,which differ in the methods of study and the texts used.The Beit Midrash program focuses on the developmentof textual skills in the study of Tanakh and Talmud.Instruction focuses on how to read and translate theprimary texts and their traditional commentaries in theoriginal Hebrew or Aramaic. As students gain facility withthe texts, they will actively engage in in-depth analysesof the texts. In Talmud classes, portions of a tractate ofTalmud are studied each year in order to familiarize thestudents with a range of topics and texts. In Tanakh classes,each year a different book or selection of books is studiedin depth with selected commentaries. Students will studybooks from all three divisions of Tanakh (Torah, Neviim andKetuvim) over the course of their high school education.The Yahadut program emphasizes the content and coretopics in Biblical and Rabbinic texts; however, they arestudied in English translation. Using a broad range ofprimary and secondary sources, the Rabbinics coursesurveys topics including ethics, man’s relationship toG-d, and the significance of Jewish identity. The BiblicalLiterature course will survey selected books of the Biblewith an eye to biblical personalities, religious values,historical backgrounds, and textual analysis. Both Yahadutcourses emphasize themes and concepts more than textualskills and translation.Within both the Beit Midrash and Yahadut tracks, Honorsand College Prep level classes provide the level of challengeappropriate for the individual student. At the College Preplevel, discussion and analysis of the texts, their meaning,and application to the students lives are conducted inclass, whereas in the Honors classes, the concepts aretaught at a deeper, more abstract and analytical level, withthe expectation that the students are comfortable withindependently applying critical thinking skills.Judaic Studies – Beit Midrash ProgramTanach 9 and Honors Tanach 9The People of the Scroll: The Five MegillotIn this, the first-year component of the Tanakh curriculum,students examine the Megillot in detail, while continuingto sharpen their textual skills. The course will make useof selections from the Talmud and other relevant texts toilluminate the students’ understanding of the content andhistorical context of the Megillot.

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolTalmud 9 and Honors Talmud 9Texts on Jewish LivingIn the second year of the five-year Talmud curriculum, 9thgraders will be exposed to topics in the Jewish legal systemas addressed within the Talmud, focusing on holidays inthe Jewish calendar. Selections will be made from variousTalmudic tractates. The students will also study laterHalakhic works to see how the discussions of the Talmudevolved into normative Jewish practice. This year will focuson building a vocabulary of key terms in the Talmud, whileteaching the students how to maneuver through the pageapparatus of a Talmud folio.Tanach 10 and Honors Tanach 10Shemot: Becoming the Chosen PeopleStudents in this course will receive an in-depth view ofthe books of Sh’mot (Exodus) and Vayikra (Leviticus)beginning with the Torah portion of Yitro and continuingthrough the book of Vayikra, with the focus on the ethicalcommandments and the narrative portions of the books. Inthe book of Vayikra, rather than lecture, many of the topicswill be researched as independent projects by the studentsand presented in class.Talmud 10 and Honors Talmud 10Text Study in MoedTenth Grade Talmud is the third year of the five-yearTalmud curriculum. The students will receive moreexperience reading and analyzing texts, as well as reviewingbasic Talmudic vocabulary. There will be an emphasis oncovering more material and comprehensive study of Rashi.Tanach 11 and Honors Tanach 11Nevi’im: Models & Messages of PersonalDevelopmentNevi’im is a one-year course focusing on the Nevi’imAcharonim (the Later Prophets). The emphasis of thecourse will be on gaining an appreciation of the variousstyles of the prophets, their literary techniques andpersonalities. Consideration will also be given to thehistorical and social background within which the prophetis working, and the injustices the prophet is attemptingto combat. Students will be called upon in class to readand translate verses and commentaries. Text skills will bestressed.Talmud 11 and Honors Talmud 11Text Study in KiddushinThis eleventh grade course is the fourth year of the five-yearTalmud curriculum. The course will focus on the complexlaws of relations and obligations between parents andchildren, women’s obligations and exemptions in Jewishlaw, and the special relationship of the Jew to the Land ofIsrael. Study will utilize standard reference materials such10as the Shulchan Aruch and Maimonides’ Mishna Torah.Bais Medrish 11Learning Bais Medrish style, students have the opportunityto learn text in a small group. They may choose to learnwhatever texts they have an interest in, typically mishna orhalacha, or additional Talmud. Students will take this coursein place of their arts elective, and will meet three times in atwo week rotation.Judaic Text Elective 11This course involves further text study and analysis ofthe mesechta of Talmud covered in class. Students willlearn additional commentaries as well as the halachikdevelopment of the topics covered by the Talmud.Tanach, Honors Tanach 12Great Beginnings: A Contemporary View ofBereishitThe course in Parshanut (biblical exegesis) is intendedas the culmination of the four-year Bible program withinthe Beit Midrash track. The student will study selectedportions of the books of Genesis along with the classicalcommentaries on the Torah. The course will focus onareas about which there are many interpretations. Thestudent will learn to analyze the different approaches of thecommentators and to appreciate how each one brings a newdimension of understanding to the verse under discussion.The course also focuses on literary analysis of the Biblicaltext, and examines the claims of Biblical criticism withthe aim of offering alternative explanations of textualdifficulties through varied means.Talmud V and Honors Talmud VText Study in Bava MetziahTwelfth Grade Talmud is the final year of the five-yearTalmud curriculum. By this point the student will haveachieved a level of proficiency in his/her approach toTalmud study. The emphasis of this year will be on themore abstract legal facets of the halachic system and on thepractical aspects of the Gemara.Judaic Enrichment Elective 12Intensive Parsha StudyStudents will study parshat ha’shavua on their own eitherguided by the teacher or using sources prepared by theteacher. The course will focus on the development of skillsand a deeper understanding of each week’s parsha. All workwill be completed in class, with the students presentingtheir learning to one another.Judaics Seminar 12Senior Seminar/Jewish ThoughtThis course explores history and philosophy of the

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Schoolmajor movements in Judaism, with an emphasis onunderstanding differences and similarities among them.Guest lecturers are invited from each movement to fosterawareness and respect for the Jewish diversity in our schooland in the world, thus strengthening our commitment toK’lal Yisrael. The course includes an overview of Judaismand Christianity as well as contemporary issues in Judaismto prepare students for their entry into their college years.Students also prepare for their upcoming Senior Seminarin Israel and Poland, which is the culmination of this courseand their Jewish day school experience.Judaic Studies – Yahadut ProgramBible 9 and Honors Bible 9Evolution of a People: 40 Years in theDesertTorah is the first part of the four-year Tanakh curriculum inthe Yahadut track. The student will receive an overview ofthe Torah beginning in the Torah portion of Sh’mot (Exodus1) and continuing through until the very end of the Torah.(Students will cover Bereshit (Genesis) in their junior yearin the Biblical Commentary class.) The focus of the coursewill be on the narrative portions of the Torah, with anemphasis on the ethical and legal commandments and theirramifications in today’s world.Mechina 9Mechina is offered for 9th graders who have a limitedJudaics background. The class meets every other day andcovers the 9th grade Bible curriculum at a pace comfortablefor the students, while providing necessary background forthe Rabbinics course, as well. Students are given supportas needed throughout 9th grade in order to prepare themto join the rest of the grade for 10th grade Bible andRabbinics..Rabbinics 9 and Honors Rabbinics 9Ritual: From Learning to LivingRitual is the first part of the four-year Foundations ofJudaism course. The goal is to examine basic areas ofJewish ritual through the categories of The Jew at Homeand in Shul, in Space and in Time. Emphasis will be placedon the study of the classical rabbinic texts in Englishtranslation, as well as contemporary articles relating to thetopics. In addition, the class will discuss the underlyingtheological principles of the rituals - the “Why” as well asthe “How.”Bible 10 and Honors Bible 10The Poetry and People of Writings (Ketuvim)This course is the second-year component of the Tanakhcurriculum. Its purpose is for the students to examineseveral of the five Megillot in detail, as well as several otherprominent books (the philosophical issues of Job, thehistorical and social issues of Ezra and Nechemiah) throughthe use of an English/Hebrew text. Additionally, the coursewill make use of selections from the Talmud and otherrelevant texts to illuminate the student’s understanding ofthe historical context and the content of these works.Rabbinics 10 and Honors Rabbinics 10Jewish Values: Our Responsibilities to theWorld and Each OtherThis course introduces students to the field of Jewish Ethicsas it relates to those commandments which are betweenman and his fellow man. The course follows Maimonides’Laws of Knowledge and deals with such topics as humandignity, self-image/self-esteem, speech and communication,honesty, and friendship.Judaic Enrichment Elective 10Values in the MediaWe are bombarded by TV and other media images ofviolence, misogyny, drug abuse, promiscuity, cynicism,hatred. Music videos, sitcoms and dramas, reality TV,commercials, and Internet sites often are what shape ourviews of relationships, honesty, love and language. Thiscourse will provide a tool that enables students to viewthe media through critical eyes. Participants will learn todeconstruct media images and compare those messageswith a Jewish alternative. Through this course our youngpeople will be able to see through the mayhem to the coreof ideas being presented, be it good or bad.Bible 11 and Honors Bible 11Great Beginnings: A Contemporary Look atthe Book of GenesisThe course in biblical exegesis is intended as theculmination of the four-year Bible program within theYahadut track. The student will study selected portions ofthe books of Genesis and the beginning of Exodus alongwith translations of some of the classical commentarieson the Torah. The course will focus on areas about whichthere are many interpretations. The student will learn toanalyze the different approaches of the commentators andto appreciate how each one brings a new dimension ofunderstanding to the verse under discussion.Rabbinics 11 and Honors Rabbinics 11Theology: Close Encounters with G-dJewish Theology will be discussed based on rabbinic texts(texts will be English translations whenever possible). Theclass will focus on the question of the nature of God, theconcept of a Chosen People, an understanding of how Godreveals Himself to us through prophecy, the purpose ofprayer, and an understanding of the Jewish concept of theMessiah.11

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolBible 12 and Honors Bible 12Becoming Better People: Lessons from theProphetsProphets is a one-year course. The course will coverthe careers of several prophets and focus on their keyprophecies. Background information will be gained throughmany home assignments. The lectures are intended toexplain and supplement the reading assignments. Classdiscussion is strongly encouraged. The emphasis of thecourse will be on gaining an appreciation of the variousstyles of the prophets, their literary techniques andpersonalities. Stress will also be placed on the historical andsocial background within which the prophet is working, andthe sins and/or injustices that the prophet is attempting tocombat.Rabbinics 12 and Honors Rabbinics 12Contemporary Jewish IssuesThe course in Current Topics is the last part of the fouryearFoundations of Judaism program. Using topics suchas the Jew within the community (capital punishment,self-defense, business ethics), the Jew and his/her ownbody (abortion, smoking, sexuality), and the Jew within thefamily (adoption, birth control, intermarriage), the studentwill become sensitized to many types of ethical dilemmasand see how Jewish law deals with these issues.Judaics Seminar 12This course explores history and philosophy of themajor movements in Judaism, with an emphasis onunderstanding differences and similarities. Guest lecturersare invited from each movement to foster awarenessand respect for the Jewish diversity in our school and inthe world, thus strengthening our commitment to K’lalYisrael. The course includes an overview of Judaism andChristianity as well as contemporary issues in Judaism toprepare students for their entry into their college years.Students also prepare for their upcoming Senior Seminarin Israel and Poland, which is the culmination of this courseand their Jewish day school experience.TefilaTefila is an integral part of daily student life at Beth TfilohDahan Community High School. Beth Tfiloh studentsrepresent a broad spectrum of Jewish observance, and assuch the school is committed to an approach to daily prayerwhich is both rooted in our ancient tradition, and serves asthe basis for the prayer service of all of Judaism’s branches.A variety of tefila groups reflect a range of approaches toJewish prayer consistent with our mission as a communityschool. Our goal is to give students the fundamental tefilaskills they need to feel comfortable in whatever synagogueor temple they choose to worship.A choice of all girls’ and all boys’ services, as well as amechitza minyan, provides male and female students with12the opportunity to lead services and read from the Torah.Our daily girls’/women’s tefilah groups merge on RoshChodesh to enhance the davening on those days. The goalof the daily tefila program is to provide students with thefundamentals of traditional Jewish prayer that have beenshared by Jews throughout the ages and that continue tounite Jews across the world today. Daily Shacharit andMincha (morning and afternoon) services are a welcometime for self-reflection as well as a time to offer prayers forthe ill, prayers for peace in a world of turmoil, and prayers ofthanksgiving for the new month and festive holidays.MathematicsThe goal of the Mathematics Department is to fosterin our students an appreciation for the beauty ofmathematics, while attending to both the acquisitionof skills and exploration of mathematics’ innumerableapplications. We offer a wide variety of courses in everygrade in order to nurture the students’ mathematicalgrowth, meeting each student at his or her level ofunderstanding and ability.Students at Beth Tfiloh are required to take four years ofmathematics. Honors and Advanced Placement courses aretaught at a more rapid pace with a greater emphasis placedon higher order thinking skills. Less time is spent in reviewof earlier material and each topic is explored more deeply.Technology is incorporated wherever it can be used toenhance the learning process.Algebra IAlgebra I is a traditional algebra course offered to incoming9th graders who have had pre-algebra in the 8th grade orwho would benefit from further strengthening their AlgebraI skills. This course is designed help students becomecomfortable with the use of variables in equations andinequalities, applying the use of algebra as a tool to solvereal world problems. Students expand their knowledge ofexponents, polynomials, and graphing.Algebra IIAlgebra II is a traditional, college preparatory class for 9thor 11th graders who have successfully completed AlgebraI. Algebra II deepens and strengthens the students’understanding of the real number system, equationsand inequalities, and polynomials along with quadraticequations, functions, and their applications in the realworld. Emphasis is placed on students’ clear and organizedpresentation of multi-step solutions.Honors Algebra IIHonors Algebra II is a course for academically advanced9th grade students offering in-depth coverage of traditionalalgebra topics and requiring that the student solveproblems involving higher order thinking skills and the

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Schoolapplication of learned concepts and skills to unfamiliarsituations.Fundamentals of GeometryFundamentals of Geometry is a course designed for 10thgraders who would benefit from a concrete approach togeometric concepts and their applications. Emphasis is ondiscovery of geometric relationships through exploration.GeometryIn this 10th grade course, students study a broad rangeof concepts in Geometry, including congruent segmentsand angles, circle chords, secants and tangent segments,parallel and perpendicular lines, angle measure in triangles,triangle congruence and similarity, similar triangles, andthe Pythagorean Theorem. In their introductory study oflogic and proofs, students are expected to critique existingproofs and supply missing steps and reasons.Honors GeometryIn this accelerated Geometry course, students studyGeometry as a mathematical system understood throughthe exploration and application of theorems and postulates.The topics covered in Honors Geometry are the same as incollege-prep level Geometry; however, emphasis is placedon the use of deductive reasoning to create two-columnproofs. When students take Honors Geometry in 9th grade,they are also expected to independently review and betested on their Algebra II skills throughout the year inorder to ensure that their skills will be fresh for 10th gradePrecalculus.College AlgebraCollege Algebra is a course offered in grades 11 and 12,which along with trigonometry, is designed to be partof two year course in precalculus. Algebra II topics arerevisited with a greater intensity and with an eye on thetypes of algebraic processes that are required in calculus.New topics such as exponential and logarithmic functionsare treated in great depth.Honors College AlgebraHonor College Algebra provides 11th and 12th graderswith the opportunity to focus on the study of functions andtheir properties. Algebraic functions are studied in greaterdepth and two new transcendental functions are introduced.Special emphasis is place on algebraic techniques used inthe study of calculus. Students are required to apply theskills they learn to unfamiliar situations and real worldproblems.Fundamentals of TrigonometryFundamentals of Trigonometry is a 12th grade coursethat stresses the application of the trigonometric ratios totriangles. Students learn how to solve for the missing partsof right and oblique triangles in order to apply these skillsto solving real world problems using indirect measurement.TrigonometryIn this 12th grade course, Trigonometry is taught fromboth the triangle and function perspectives. Major topicsinclude solving right and oblique triangle, graphing thetrigonometric functions, verifying identities and solvingtrigonometric equations.Honors Trigonometry/Analytic GeometryThis 11th grade course approaches the study oftrigonometry from both the triangle and functionperspectives. Major topics include solving right andoblique triangle, graphing the trigonometric functions,verifying identities and solving trigonometric equations.The third trimester of this year is devoted to the study ofanalytic geometry with a focus on the conic sections.Honors PrecalculusThis course is offered to academically advanced 10thgraders and is the prerequisite course for AP Calculus.Two courses in one, Honors Precalculus combines thetopics of both College Algebra and Trigonometry. HonorsPrecalculus stresses those topics of College Algebra,Trigonometry, and Analytic Geometry which have thegreatest impact on the study of Calculus. Those topicsinclude an in-depth treatment of polynomial, rational,exponential, logarithmic, and trigonometric functions.AP Calculus (AB)This is a rigorous course for academically advanced juniorswho have successfully completed Precalculus in grade 10.Major topics are limits, continuity, derivatives, indefiniteintegrals and definite integrals.AP Calculus (BC)This 12th grade course will cover topics first year calculustopics not covered on the AB Exam along with topics ofsecond year calculus covered on the BC Exam. Integrationis revisited with additional techniques in addition to suchtopics as sequences and series and polar coordinates.Modern LanguagesIn order to prepare our students to fully participatein today’s global society, we believe that developingproficiency in more than one’s native language, whilefostering awareness and appreciation of other cultures, isessential. The Modern Language curriculum interweaveslanguage and culture to achieve the goal of helpingstudents develop linguistic proficiency and culturalsensitivity.We recognize that not everyone learns at the same rate orin the same way. We also believe that every student shouldhave the opportunity to acquire language proficiency to a13

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Schooldegree commensurate with his or her ability. To that end,the department currently offers levels II to IV in French andlevels II to VI in Spanish with entry level classes offeredin our Middle School program. Lessons center on the fourbasic skills of language acquisition: listening, speaking,reading, and writing.Honors French IIStudy of the French language will continue this year witha focus not only on France, but also on the life and cultureof the world’s Francophone countries. Daily lessons willagain emphasize the four basic skills of listening, speaking,reading and writing with the goal of expanding thestudents’ understanding and use of more sophisticatedvocabulary and grammatical structures.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to making,accepting, and declining requests, making and answeringphone calls, asking and giving advice, relating past events,inquiring about future plans, and regular and irregularverbs in past and present tense. The textbook is used asan essential part of every day’s lesson with a workbookprovided for student practice and review.Spanish IIThis textbook-based course is a continuation of SpanishI, providing practice in all four language skills: reading,writing, listening, and speaking. Attention is focused onverb tenses, and more useful vocabulary is introduced. Toencourage verbal expression and increase the students’awareness of the Hispanic world, a youth-oriented Spanishmagazine will be used periodically. The Spanish II studentswill master the basic grammar, verb tenses, and vocabularynecessary to read and understand longer written passages.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to extendingand responding to invitations, asking and giving directions,talking about past events, stem changing verbs, reflexiveverbs, and the preterite tense of -ar verbs, ir, and jugar.Students will also be able to respond freely in correctSpanish to questions based on the vocabulary andgrammatical structures that have been learned.Honors French IIIThis intermediate course will reinforce and further developboth written and oral skills. As in previous courses, dailylessons will include vocabulary, grammatical structuresand verb tenses. Each trimester will focus not only on theseelements, but will include an in-depth study of the culturalaspects of a French-speaking area of the world. The course,taught in French, will also emphasize the importance ofthe written language with short compositions completedboth during class and as home assignments. The teachingof reading will be done using the textbook as well as shortliterary passages.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to, describingand characterizing yourself and others; relating a seriesof events; present, past and imperfect tenses; direct andindirect object pronouns; and reflexive verbs. Successfulcompletion of French III Honors will prepare students forour final course offering, French IV Honors.Honors Spanish IIISpanish III is an intermediate level textbook based courseaimed at strengthening both written and oral languageskills. All basic instructions in the classroom are given inSpanish, with the students expected to listen and respondappropriately. Selected reading comprehension passagesexplore the cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking countries.Directed composition work is emphasized with a heavyfocus on the learning and usage of additional verb tenses.All verb and structure topics are reinforced with oralexercises and in the students’ written work.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to, describingyourself and others, talking about likes and dislikes, talkingabout feelings, making and responding to suggestions, andasking for and offering help. Successful completion of thiscourse will prepare students for the beginning of literaturestudy in Spanish IV.Honors French IVIn this final course offering in French, students will notonly continue to expand their vocabulary knowledge andgrammatical skills, but will begin to explore some of thesubtleties of the French language. Topics covered willinclude, but not be limited to use of the imperfect tensecontrasted to the compound past; idiomatic use of the verbavoir, making and responding to suggestions, acceptingand rejecting explanations, apologizing and acceptingapologies, and asking for and giving information. Inaddition to language enhancements, students will beintroduced to French art and artists to expand their culturalknowledge. Upon completion of this course, studentsshould be well prepared for continued study at the collegelevel.Honors Spanish IVSpanish IV is a course that furthers the development oflanguage skills. More complex grammatical structures arepresented to enable the students to master some of thesubtleties of the language.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to, theimperfect tense, superlatives, preterite of decir to describea past event, formal commands with usted, ustedes, usingcomparisons to describe people, negative words, si clausesin present tense, and the subjunctive mood.At this level, the students are introduced to adaptedversions of Spanish literary masterpieces. Through thestudy of literature, the students are drawn closer to theHispanic culture. And, since communication in the targetlanguage is the goal, time is set aside for free conversationin Spanish.14

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolHonors Spanish VSpanish V is an upper level course with the objective ofenabling students to begin communicating in Spanish ina sophisticated and spontaneous manner. Students masteradditional subtleties of the language, including the use ofthe subjunctive and the various compound tenses.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to saber vsconocer, informal commands, asking for and giving advice,talking about responsibilities, and double object pronouns.Students develop their writing skills through in-classcompositions. Through the reading of literary works, thestudents examine various aspects of culture in general andthe culture of Spanish-speaking countries in particular.Honors Spanish VISpanish VI, our final course offering in Spanish, is an upperlevel course that builds on earlier skills in order to gainadditional mastery of the spoken and written language.Students prepare and lead discussions in Spanish on topicalissues and current events, and they compare AmericanJewish life with that of Jews in Hispanic countries. Studentsare encouraged to express themselves in speaking andwriting situations, including a monthly in-class theme on anassigned topic.Topics covered will include, but not be limited to,expressing disagreement, emotional reactions, andassumptions; expressing cause and effect; talking aboutfuture plans; the past subjunctive; continued work onpreterite vs imperfect; the conditional tense. Successfulcompletion of this course will prepare students forintermediate or advanced study at the college level.Physical EducationThe high school physical education program strivesto instill in each student an understanding of theirbody and to acquire a sense of pride and appreciation forexercise, physical fitness, and sport. We hope that eachstudent will continue an active lifestyle beyond their highschool experience. In addition, the physical educationprogram promotes a sense of accomplishment that willcarry over into every aspect of our student’s lives. It is thegoal of the physical education program to expose studentsto a variety of fitness activities and sports in order todemonstrate the diverse nature of leading an active lifestyle.The ninth and tenth grade classes have physical educationthree times in a ten day cycle. The female students areoffered a choice between a fitness class and a team sportsclass. The fitness class introduces them to all facets ofexercise such as circuit training, aerobics, stretching andother such techniques. The sports class continues the sportsthat they were involved in thru middle school and includessoccer, basketball, handball and lacrosse. Similarly, the malestudents are offered a choice between strength trainingwith a certified personal trainer or taking the team sportsclass. The eleventh and twelfth graders have the option ofchoosing physical education as an elective. Students whoelect to enroll in physical education class are allowed tochoose between the strength training class and the aerobicscourse.ScienceThe High School Science program at Beth Tfiloh isdesigned with three goals in mind. First, we want ourstudents to develop scientific and technical literacy sothat they will be able to read and understand mainstreamscientific literature so as to make informed decisionsabout their health and the health of the planet aroundthem. Second, we want our students to develop strongproblem-solving and critical thinking skills, and theability to use and adapt technology to solve problems andgenerate solutions, in preparation for success in college,post-graduate studies, and future careers. Finally, we wantstudents to leave Beth Tfiloh with an understanding of therelationships among the sciences, and an appreciation forthe wonder and beauty of the natural world.All students at Beth Tfiloh Dahan High School takefour years of science including biology, chemistry, andphysics. In 9th grade, students are assigned to one of twocourses, College Preparatory Biology or Honors Biology,depending on their independent reading level, preferredpace of learning, and ability to understand abstractconcepts. In 10th grade, students take either HonorsChemistry or College Preparatory Physics, based on therecommendations of their 9th grade math and scienceteachers. Students must be successful in honors-level mathclasses in order to be eligible for placement in HonorsChemistry. In grade 11, students are assigned to eitherHonors/AP Physics or College Preparatory Chemistryaccording which science course they completed in 10thgrade. In grade 12, however, students choose among avariety of classes, each of which draws upon the contentand skills the students learned in grades 9-11.Biology 9Through the process of discovery, this course focuseson how science formulates questions and addressesthem through reasoning, evidence, argumentation, andskepticism. Topics range from biochemistry, ecology andthe environment, cells and how they work, molecular andhuman genetics, and plant and animal functional biology.Additional topics including genetics, biochemistry,evolution, cell theory, and biodiversity will be exploredin order to help our students understand the importantsocietal questions of our time.Honors Biology 9This course’s emphasis is on scientific thought andmethodology in reference to biological principles commonto all living organisms. The hierarchy of learning is15

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community Schooldeveloped from an expanded explanation of scientificmethod to basic chemistry; biological chemistry; cellularstructure, function, and metabolism; molecular and classicalgenetics; molecular and cellular reproduction, throughthe anatomy and physiology of the human body. Unifyingconcepts including evolution and homeostasis, and currentperspectives on biotechnology and ecology are emphasized.Conceptual Physics 10This course emphasizes scientific reasoning throughthe exploration of physics concepts which includethermodynamics, motion and force, energy and energytransfer, properties of matter, electricity, magnetism, andlight. Insight into the structure, the beauty and the power ofthe physical sciences is stressed throughout the course withspecific applications to earth systems science. Each topicis taught on three levels: concrete example, developmentthrough lab exercises and problem solving, and applicationof concepts. Students are required to solve basicquantitative problems, with mathematical relationshipsoften described in words, tables or diagrams.Honors Chemistry 10This course provides an introduction to the principles ofchemistry, following in the footsteps of the great chemistsof the past, from ancient alchemy to nuclear fission. Themethods, experiments and data that led to our currentunderstanding of chemistry will play a central role in ourunderstanding of atomic theory, stoichiometry and othermajor topics. Because success in this course requires strongquantitative and visual abstract reasoning skills, placementin Honors Chemistry correlated with placement in HonorsMath.College Prep Chemistry 11This course is designed to introduce students to the basicprinciples of chemistry, with an emphasis on chemistry’sapplications in everyday life. Through demonstrations,laboratory experiments, and other hands-on classroomactivities, students will gain experience with scientificreasoning, measurement, data analysis, and problemsolvingin chemistry.Honors Physics 11Topics studied include classical mechanics, electricity andmagnetism, and wave phenomena. Each topic is taught onthree levels: concrete examples, conceptual developmentthrough lab exercises and problem solving, and skillapplication. Laboratory exercises in the honors class requirestudents to apply advanced mathematical skills to thesolution of quantitative, multi-step physics problems.Advanced Placement Physics 11The AP Physics course (s) is intended for students whohave already completed an introductory course in physicsand is designed to be the equivalent of a first year college16course. The course covers topics in mechanics, electricityand magnetism, fluid mechanics and thermal physics,waves and optics, and atomic and nuclear physics.Considerable mathematical rigor will be presented as partof the curriculum.Honors Environmental Science 12This interdisciplinary course covers topics ranging fromenvironmental justice to climate change and is designedto provide students with the scientific principles, concepts,and methodologies to understand the interrelationships ofthe natural world. Students will also be able to identify andanalyze environmental problems, both natural and manmade,to evaluate the risks associated with these problemsand to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/orpreventing them.Honors or College Prep Introduction toEngineering 12This dynamic program provides students with real-worldlearning and hands-on experience. Students interestedin engineering, robotics, aeronautics, and other appliedmath and science arenas will benefit from this coursesunique approach. Field trips enable students to learn howengineering concepts are applied in research facilities andconstruction sites.Advanced Placement Chemistry 12The AP Chemistry course is designed to be the equivalentof the general chemistry course usually taken during thefirst college year. Topics such as the structure of matter,kinetic theory of gases, chemical equilibria, chemicalkinetics, reactions, stoichiometry, and the basic conceptsof thermodynamics will be presented in considerabledepth and at a fast pace. Review of 10th grade chemistry isrequired over the summer prior to enrolling in this course.Human Biology 12The emphasis of this course is on human health anddisease. Basic topics include human anatomy, physiology,reproduction, growth, development, behavior and evolution.Topics associated with health include nutrition, exercise,and sleep. Topics associated with threats to human healthinclude risk-taking behavior, cancer, emerging diseases andenvironmental change. A unit on biotechnology is also animportant aspect of this course.Honors Neuroscience 12This course is designed to give the highly motivatedstudent an overview of the field of neuroscience. Studentswill explore not only normal brain function and theincredible variation that makes us truly unique asindividuals, but also what our current understanding is ofthe neurobiological basis of learning disabilities, attentiondeficit disorder, depression, drug addiction, stroke, as wellas many other brain-based disorders.

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolHigh School General Studies Curriculum 2010/2011•5771SUBJECTGRADE 9GRADE 10GRADE 11GRADE 12EnglishHonors WorldLiteratureWorld LiteratureA.P. English LanguageHonors AmericanLiteratureAmericanLiteratureA.P. English LiteratureHonors BritishLiteratureBritish LiteratureHonors Contemp. Lit.Honors CreativeWritingCollege Writing*American Drama*HistoryHonors WorldHistory IIWorld History IIA.P. U.S. History IHonors U.S. History IU.S. History IA.P. U.S. History IIHonors U.S. History IIU.S. History IIHonors U.S.GovernmentHonors EconomicsAmerican SocialHistoryMathematicsScienceModernLanguagesComputerScienceAlgebra IAlgebra IIHonors Algebra IIHonors GeometryHonors BiologyBiologyHonors French IIHonors Spanish IIISpanish IIIntroduction toProgramming:AnimationFund. of GeometryGeometryHonors GeometryHonors Pre-CalculusHonors ChemistryConceptual PhysicsHonors French IIIHonors Spanish IIIHonors Spanish IVHonors ComputerScienceAlgebra IICollege AlgebraHonors Trig./Analyt.A.P. Calculus (AB)A.P. PhysicsHonors PhysicsChemistryHonors French IVHonors Spanish IVHonors Spanish VA.P. ComputerScience IFundamentals of Trig.TrigonometryHonors CollegeAlgebraA.P. Calculus (BC)A.P. ChemistryHonors NeuroscienceEngineering*Human BiologyHonors EnvironmentalScienceStudents have the option to take a Modern Language, Computer Science or Academic Elective.Honors French VHonors Spanish VHonors Spanish VIA.P. ComputerScience IIAcademicElectivesJudaic Text StudyAcademic SupportSocial ActionIsraeli FilmJudaic Text StudyAcademic SupportValues in the MediaJudaic Text StudyPopular CultureAcademic SupportStrategies for SuccessWorld CulturesJudaic Text StudyRelationships inTanachPhysicalEducation &HealthPhysical EducationWellness/HealthPhysical EducationWellness/HealthAerobics/WeightTrainingAerobics/WeightTrainingCreative Arts*Honors OptionFundamentals of ArtInstrumental MusicTheatrePublic SpeakingDanceFilm & ElectronicMediaScenic Design &ConstructionInstrumental MusicVisual ArtDance17Art HistoryDanceVisual ArtFilmmakingBandTheatreCookingArt HistoryDanceVisual ArtFilmmakingBandTheatre

High School Course Catalogue 2010-2011 • Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community SchoolHigh School Judaic Studies Curriculum 2010/2011 • 5771SUBJECTGRADE 9GRADE 10GRADE 11GRADE 12CORE REQUIREMENTSHebrewLanguageNETAConversationalHebrewNETAConversationalHebrewNETAConversationalHebrewHebrew LiteratureNETAConversationalHebrewJewish Historyand JewishThoughtJewish Identity andCommunityIntroduction toJewish History:Survey of Ancientand Medieval JewishHistoryModern JewishHistory: Europe,Holocaust andAmericaZionism and IsraelSenior Seminar:Understanding theFour Movements ofJudaismJudaics Track - Students choose either the Beit Midrash or Yahadut ProgramBEIT MIDRASH PROGRAMTalmudTalmud II: ATimeless Text Studyin MoedTalmud III: ATimeless Text Studyin Bava MetziaTalmud IV: ATimeless Text Studyin SanhedrinTalmud V:Bava MetziaContemporaryJewish IssuesTanachThe People of theScroll: Five MegillotShemot: Becomingthe Chosen PeopleBecoming BetterPeople: Lessons fromthe Nevi’imGreat Beginnings:A ContemporaryView of BereishitYAHADUT PROGRAMRabbinicLiteratureRitual: FromLearning to LivingJewish Values: OurResponsibilities tothe World and EachOtherTheology: CloseEncounters with G-dContemporaryJewish IssuesBiblicalLiteratureEvolution of aPeople: 40 Years inthe DesertThe Poetry andPeople of Writings(Ketuvim)Great Beginnings: AContemporary Viewof GenesisBecoming BetterPeople: Lessons fromthe ProphetsJudaic Studies required courses are offered at the Honors and College Prep levels.Courses that may be offered depending on interest: A.P. Environmental Science,Russian History, 20th Century Revolutions, Global Issues and Production Theatre18