Academic Courses
- Art
- Business Education
- English Language Arts
- English Language Development
- Foreign Language
- Home Economics
- Industrial Arts
- Mathematics
- Music
- Physical Education
- Science
- Social Science
- State Requirements
Art
Welcome to the Art Department

Our mission at Cesar E. Chavez Art Department is to create a learning environment where the students will perceive and understand the world we live through basic knowledge of the visual arts. Creative learning will encourage the student to relate visual knowledge to other core subjects and to respond with originality, appreciation, flexibility, and imagination.
Goals
Art Department Goals
The overall goals of the Art Department at CCHS
- Encourage each student to reach their full potential and extend their artistic abilities.
- Provide students with experiences that promote individual creativity and learning styles.
- Students will learn and use the Elements and Principles of Art when expressing themselves through their artwork.
- Appreciate other cultures and historical periods.
- Study and understand different careers in the art field.
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of art terminology.
- Study art criticism and be able to critique their own work as well as others.
- Through personal expression and communication, the student will develop technical skills with a variety of art mediums.
- Strengthen perceptual awareness and develop critical thinking skills through sensory experiences.
- Exposure to different cultures, artists, and art history, will help the student develop into a well-rounded and creative individual.
Courses
ADVANCED ART
Pre-Requisite: Two semesters of Drawing and Painting II or Pottery and Sculpture II with a "C" or better, or permission of instructor (based on portfolio of prior work).
CID: 201
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Articulation: None
This course is an advanced art course for students who would like to develop an individual line of interest. Students would have the opportunity to work with a variety of media. All students will be expected to develop on extensive portfolio. Students will develop a digital portfolio and create an artist statement. This is a Two-semester course open to juniors or seniors.
ART APPRECIATION
Pre-Requisite: None
CID: 196
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Articulation: None
Art Appreciation is a first year art course in the fundamentals of art, technology, appreciation, art history, and personal expression. This course emphasizes the necessary skills to provide the understanding of artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context; aesthetic valuing and connections, relations, applications of the Visual Arts. The art elements and principles of design serve as a foundation of each unit covered. The appreciation of artworks from selected historical or cultural contexts will be explored.
DRAWING/PAINTING I
Pre-Requisite: Art Appreciation or Introduction to Art (2 semesters, "C" or better), or permission of instructor. This course also will meet the A-G requirements for the UC system.
CID: 205
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Articulation: None
This course is designed for students expressing a desire and displaying the ability to continue their art education in a creative drawing and painting. Students will begin to create works of art that they will add to their portfolio. Media covered art acrylics, charcoal, watercolors, collage, pencil, pen and ink, pastels, chalk, mixed media, and digital imaging. Students will learn about and experiment with different painting styles such as realism, naturalism, impressionism, and abstraction. Art History as it relates to drawing and painting will be covered.
DRAWING/PAINTING II
Pre-Requisite: Drawing/Painting I or permission of instructor.
CID: 206
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Articulation: None
This course is a continuation of drawing/Painting I, designed for students expressing a desire and displaying the ability to engage in advanced study in creative drawing and painting. Students will continue to create works of art that they will be adding to their portfolio. Media covered art acrylics, charcoal, watercolors, collage, pencil, pen and ink, pastels, chalk, mixed media, and digital imaging. Students will learn about and experiment with different painting styles such as realism, naturalism, impressionism, and abstraction. Art History as it relates to drawing and painting will be covered.
INTRODUCTION TO ART
Pre-Requisite: None
CID: 195
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Articulation: None
Introduction to Art is the first year art course in the fundamentals of art, technology, appreciation, art history, and personal expression. The art elements and principles of design serve as a foundation for each unit covered. Artwork from selected historical or cultural contexts will be explored.
Business Education
Welcome to the Business Education Department

The Cesar E. Chavez High School Business Education Department has a two-fold goal:
(1) to provide students with the skills and attitudes to handle their own personal life as it relates to business matters and
(2) to provide career training in the following career pathways:
- Production and Managerial Arts
- Entrepreneurship
Personal counseling from their business teachers to plan a four-year certificate program that will enable them to present themselves to an employer with a certificate of competency that will list the various skills they have attained in the department.
Welcome students to the many opportunities that are ahead of you!
Courses
- Business Management I
- Business Management II
- Computer Literacy/Introduction to Microsoft (DE)
- Multimedia I
- Multimedia II
Business Management I
Prerequisite: Computer Literacy
Career Pathway: Business Management I
Length: 1 year
Credit: 10
This course is designed as a survey course that will expose you to business terminology, concepts, and current business issues, with the intent of helping students develop a viable business vocabulary, foster critical and analytical thinking, and refine business decision-making skills.
Business Management II
Prerequisite: Business Management I
Career pathway: Business Management
Credit: 10
Length: 1 year
Students learn to apply the five business management principles of planning, organizing, staffing, leading and controlling. The course is hands-on and project based and is enhanced by the use of guest speakers. Computer simulations and case studies are also used to allow the students the opportunity to actually apply the information and knowledge that they have acquired. One or more
field trips may also be offered.
Course Goals
- The student will understand the important of professional behavior and soft skills in the workplace.
- The student will understand the basic aspects of business management
- The student understands the elements and purpose of a business plan.
- The student will understand how to use technology in a small business to gain a competitive advantage.
- The student will understand effective finance and marketing of a small business.
- The student will understand the key economic concepts that affect small business ownership.
Course Objective
- Demonstrate understanding of career strategies by successfully completing assignments in choosing, planning a career, getting, adapting to, and keeping a job
- Demonstrate understanding of money management by successfully completing and discussing exercises dealing with employee pay and benefits, federal and state income tax, budget, financial records and banking services
- Demonstrate understanding in consumer rights and responsibilities, including the role of the consumer, and legal protection
- Demonstrate appropriate customer service skills including the ability to complete sales transactions
- Demonstrate an understanding of planning, production, and displaying of products
- Complete a market research study for the business of their choice
- Compute basic math problems including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, decimals, and fractions as they relate to the world of business.
- Explain advantages and disadvantages of sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, cooperatives and franchises
- Apply knowledge of local, county, state, and federal laws that govern activities for public protection to business operations
- Project business income and calculate payrolls and tax forms using a word processing program, computers, spreadsheets, and the ten key calculator
Computer Literacy/Introduction to Microsoft (DE)
Pre-Requisite: None
Course ID: 255
Credit: 5
Length: Semester
Grades: 9-11
COMP B5 Course Description
This course is intended for home users and businesspeople who desire a working knowledge of personal computer hardware and software. Special emphasis is placed on software that is most widely used in the nation. This course mainly focuses on business and home applications of personal computers, hands-on training with word processing, spreadsheets, database management systems, electronic presentations, and the necessary operating system fundamentals to use the listed application software.
Objectives
- The following are the goals for students taking this class.
- The student will successfully identify computer hardware.
- The student will use menus, the keyboard, and the mouse to perform functions in the Windows Explorer program, such as managing files.
- The student will successfully create, edit, print, and format Word documents.
- The student will successfully create, edit, print, enhance, insert formulas, and create charts in Excel documents.
- The student will successfully create, edit, print, enhance, and run a PowerPoint presentation.
- The student will successfully design, create, and edit, in an Access file.
Multimedia I
Pre-Requisite: Computer Literacy recommended
Career Pathway: Software and Systems Development
CID: 256
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Grades: 10-11
This course provides entry-level training in media production and technology. Instruction covers the following areas: multimedia history and careers, web development, animation, computer programming, computer graphics and audio. Students will learn best practices for digital workflows and the management of a variety of digital assets.
Upon completion of this course the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate understanding meeting goals and timelines
- Creating original production pieces and write original copy
- Demonstrate an understanding of elements of style and design
- Effectively incorporate image, audio, animation and text media into multimedia presentation
- Prepare a product for publishing/distribution
- Organize files that are part of a multimedia program logically and efficiently
- Use hardware and software to develop quality images, video and audio and edit multimedia presentations.
Multimedia II
Pre-Requisite: Computer Literacy, Multimedia I
Career Pathway: Software and Systems Development
CID: 257
Credit: 10
Length: Year
Grades: 11-12
This course is a yearlong, hands on course in which students are expected to actively participate in all aspects of the class. This course will provide a project-based program by providing students with the technical instruction and practical experiences for aspiring video, media, and film makers in the production of film, video, and new media projects for business and entertainment. Students are instructed in pre-production planning, writing and script editing, on-camera acting, technical work, critical analysis, post-production editing of projects and their presentation to outside audiences.
Students develop and demonstrate skills through creation of multimedia production and presentation. Students are expected to create and produce original projects that examine specific genres i.e. documentary, narrative, entertainment, etc. and to understand and effectively use standard pre-production techniques such as storyboards, shot lists, script writing, identifying target audiences, and to learn to use digital equipment, lights, and audio to effectively communicate an idea. Each student will follow their project through all stages of production to the finished product with each student working individually and/or collaboratively as part of a production crew.
Course Objectives:
- Students will learn and understand the history of the motion picture including, but not limited to early mechanisms, pre-conditions of the motion picture, and the early studio system.
- Students will understand basic camera shots and angles along with various common framing heights; understand concepts of composition, perspectives, and point-of-view
- Students will learn and understand the structure of the narrative diagram and how it applies to media.
- Students will learn and understand how to adhere to copyright and intellectual property laws and regulations in the creation of original works.
- Students will be able to create a rough draft of a storyboard, convey their ideas to paper, and be able to work together as a team.
- Students will understand the basic categories of sound for film and video as well as the related terminology.
- Students will learn and apply proper transitions, edits, titles, effects, media and output control.
- Students learn and understand how to set-up audio and lighting equipment properly for a variety of applications.
Business Certifications
Why Get Certififed?
The business department is a Certiport testing site and offers several industry certification exams. Getting a certification validates one's practical skills and knowledge using the world's leading programs. One can list this qualification on resumes, job applications, profiles, work portfolios and personal websites. Earning a certificate can help one stand out from other candidates and demonstrate knowledge of the application.
Adobe Certified Professional is the industry-recognized certification that demonstrates mastery of Adobe Creative Cloud software and must-have knowledge for digital media careers.
Certified Students
- Adobe After Effects Certificates
- Adobe Animate Certificates
- Adobe Illustrator Certificates
- Adobe Photoshop Certificates
- Adobe Premiere Pro Certificates
- Microsoft Excel
- Professional Communication in Business
Adobe After Effects Certificates
This certificate validates knowledge of Adobe After Effects, the industry-standard tool for video compositing, motion graphics design, and animation.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved an Adobe After Effects certificate.
2023-2024
-
- Aaron Simmons
- Damien Olivares Tornero
- Harjas Gill
- Jared Pinoliar
- Jose Sanchez
- Matthew Serna
Adobe Animate Certificates
Adobe Illustrator Certificates
This certificate validates knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, the world's leading vector graphics software.
Congratulations to the following students who have earned an Adobe Illustrator Certificate:
2023-2024
-
- Emson Ipac
- Mia Jones
- Althea Ballesteros
- Ammeille Rose Eisenberg
- Julian Lagunsad
- Jonah Gutierrez
- Juan Rojas
- Suhaily Avil
- Glian Usi
- Daniela Martinez
- Eli Reyes
- Ashley De Jesus Garcia
- Cecilia Reyes
- Jairus Pinoliar
- Jocelyn Guiterrez
- Keanu Palacpac
- Sergio Cisneros
Adobe Photoshop Certificates
This certificate is the highest official certification one can get by proving skills in Photoshop.
Congratulations to the following students who've successfully passed the Adobe Photoshop Certification Exam. The Adobe certification is valid for two years.
Adobe Photoshop v2022
2023-2024
-
- Althea Ballesteros
- Ammeille Rose Eisenberg
- Ashley De Jesus Garcia
- Cecilia Reyes Hernandez
- Damien Olivares
- Daniela Nicole Martinez
- Dayanara Nicole Oliva
- Eli Rangel Reyes
- Emson Cheri Ipac
- Glian Kyle Usi
- Jocelyn Michelle Gutierrez
- Jonah Gutierrez
- Jose Gallegos Sanchez
- Juan Rojas
- Julian Lagunsad
- Keanu Palacpac
- Matthew Serna
- Mia Jones
- Nico Rivera
- Sergio Cisneros
- Suhaily Avila
Adobe Premiere Pro Certificates
Earning a Premiere Pro certificate shows you have the skills to create high-quality videos that incorporate motion graphics, layers, and visual media as well as the ability to pursue a career in video editing.
Congratulations to the following students who've successfully passed the Adobe Premiere Pro Certification. The Adobe certification is valid for two years.
Microsoft Excel
Professional Communication in Business
Outstanding Business Students
2024-2025: Julius Gonzales
2023-2024: Jose Sanchez
2022-2023: Jasmine Robles
2021-2022: Karanbir Sunner
2020-2021: Lorence Salango
2019-2020: Paola Garcia and Parneet Sahota
2018-2019: Brenden Gutierrez
2017-2018: Alex Magana
2016-2017: Kristine Carrillo
2015-2016: Jose Orellano
2014-2015: Bekah Reed
2013-2014: Gilbert Arellano
2012-2013: Johnny Jones
2011-2012: Christian Espinoza and Bernardo Magana
2010-2011: Ashley Moya
2009-2010: Rosa Morales
Future Business Leaders of America
English Language Arts
Welcome to the English Department

As a department, we strive to develop our students' critical thinking skills so that they are able to negotiate the challenges that they face in and out of high school. Our teachers focus on increasing literacy through extensive reading and writing that broaden our students' understanding of our world. We encourage independent thinking as well as creative collaboration because we are fully aware that success in a 21st century economy depends on one's ability to offer innovative ideas, to work well with diverse groups, and to communicate effectively. We want our students to be competitive beyond high school, to have the skills necessary to contribute positively to their community. Therefore, we encourage them to ask questions, to inquire about the world they inhabit, the world they will inherit, the world they will help shape.
- Career, Life Ed BC
- Career Writing
- English 9 General
- English 9 CP
- English 9 Pre-AP
- English 9 Honors
- English 10 General
- English 10 CP
- English 10 Pre-AP
- English 10 Honors
- English 11 General
- English 11 CP
- English Language & Composition 11 AP
- English/Writing 11-12 Support
- English 12 General
- ERWC/EAP (English 12 CP)
- English Literature 12 AP
- English Expository Composition (Dual Enrollment with Bakersfield College)
Career, Life Ed BC
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course guides students through a decision-making process that will help them envision and plan for a future that is productive, achievable, and stimulating. The culmination of this process is the development of a career and educational plan that will create a pathway for students to reach their career and academic goals. Critical thinking skills will be utilized through a systematic approach to career development by examining values, interests, skills, life roles, personality types, personal self-management, decision-making and goal-setting throughout the life span. This is a Dual Enrollment class that satisfies the 0.5 unit educational planning requirement for graduation from the local community college, Bakersfield College.
Career Writing
GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The focus in this course will be practice and improvement in the areas of grammar and writing. The strong focus and reinforcement of grammar and writing will help all students excel in their high school careers, on high-stakes tests and beyond high school and in college and careers. The focus will be on grammar and how it applies to writing to improve overall writing skills, to produce clear, coherent, and effective essays in the areas of Narrative, Explanatory, Persuasive, and Argument.
English 9 General
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: High school ninth grade students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum content made comprehensible using SDAIE techniques. Students will work with a variety of core literary pieces, including short stories, poetry, novels, and plays. Interpersonal communication skills will be fostered through cooperative learning. The students multiple skill levels will be addressed through a variety of student based pedagogical techniques. Students will be expected to read a minimum of 600 pages per semester of appropriate reading level material.
English 9 CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: College prep students will learn the elements of fiction and develop vocabulary by reading short stories, novels, essays and dramas. Students will be introduced to various forms of writing including expository, argumentative, and comparison/contrast. Reading comprehension, analyzing literature and learning to draw inferences through reading, writing, discussion and graphic arts will be emphasized.
English 9 Pre-AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: Pre-AP students must have demonstrated the highest level of academic achievement. They must be at or above grade level in reading and writing skills. Pre-AP students must be willing to accept the additional workload required.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Pre-AP students will participate in the core curriculum. The core curriculum will be enhanced with advanced vocabulary study and advanced literature. The extended reading is designed to challenge Pre-AP students to a high degree of comprehension, analysis, and inference. Pre-AP students will be expected to respond to literature through expository, argumentative, and comparison/contrast writing, discussion, oral presentations, and graphic arts. Writing will also be included.
English 9 Honors
GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: Pre-AP students must have demonstrated the highest level of academic achievement. They must be at or above grade level in reading and writing skills. Pre-AP students must be willing to accept the additional workload required.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Pre-AP students will participate in the core curriculum. The core curriculum will be enhanced with advanced vocabulary study and advanced literature. The extended reading is designed to challenge Pre-AP students to a high degree of comprehension, analysis, and inference. Pre-AP students will be expected to respond to literature through expository, argumentative, and comparison/contrast writing, discussion, oral presentations, and graphic arts.
English 10 General
GRADE LEVEL: 10
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a standards based course that emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with the California Common Core State Standards (Grade 9/10). General students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum content made comprehensible using SDAIE techniques. Students will work with a variety of core literary pieces, including short stories, poetry, novels, and plays. Interpersonal communication skills will be fostered through cooperative learning. The students' multiple skill levels will be addressed through a variety of student-based pedagogical techniques. Students will be expected to work towards the Reading Comprehension standard of reading 2 million words annually on their own by grade twelve using appropriate reading level material.
English 10 CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: College prep students will participate in the core curriculum. Students will continue to build on their knowledge of the elements of fiction that began during 9th grade through the reading of short stories, novels, essays, and dramas. Reading comprehension, analyzing literature, and learning to draw inferences through reading, writing, discussion, and graphic arts will be emphasized. Vocabulary development, expository writing, and creative writing will also be included.
English 10 Pre-AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in English I Honors and/or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Honors students will participate in the core curriculum. The core curriculum will be enhanced with advanced vocabulary study and advanced literature. The extended reading is designed to challenge Honors students to a high degree of comprehension, analysis and inference. Honors students will be expected to respond to literature through expository writing, discussion, oral presentations and graphic arts. Creative expression will be encouraged and emphasized.
English 10 Honors
GRADE LEVEL: 10
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in English 9 Pre-AP and/or instructor's permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a standards based course that emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with the California Common Core State Standards (Grade 9/10). Pre-AP students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum but will be enhanced with advance vocabulary study and advance literature. The extended reading is designed to challenge Pre-AP students to a high degree of comprehension, analysis, and inference. Pre-AP students will be expected to respond to literature through expository writing, discussion, orals presentations, and graphic arts. Students will be expected to work towards the Reading Comprehension standard of reading 2 million words annually on their own by grade twelve using appropriate reading level material.
English 11 General
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a standards based course that emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with the California Common Core State Standards (Grade 11/12).
General students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum content made comprehensible using SDAIE techniques. Students will work with a variety of core literary pieces, including short stories, poetry, novels, and plays. Interpersonal communication skills will be fostered through cooperative learning. The students’ multiple skill levels will be addressed through a variety of student-based pedagogical techniques. Students will be expected to work towards the Reading Comprehension standard of reading 2 million words annually on their own by grade twelve using appropriate reading level material.
English 11 CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a standards based course that emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with the California Common Core State Standards (Grade 11/12).
This course is designed for students who intend to pursue a post-high school baccalaureate degree. Students will enter a course of study that will give them the necessary background to successfully complete college preparatory courses in their twelfth grade year of high school English.
College Prep students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum and will work with a variety of core literary pieces, including short stories, poetry, novels, and plays. Interpersonal communication skills will be fostered through cooperative learning. The students’ multiple skill levels will be addressed through a variety of student-based pedagogical techniques. Students will be expected to work towards the Reading Comprehension standard of reading 2 million words annually on their own by grade twelve using appropriate reading level material.
English Language & Composition 11 AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in English 10 Pre-AP and/or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is an Advanced Placement class; students receive an extra grade point from the University of California for grades of C or higher. It requires a substantially greater amount of preparation and homework than does the college prep course and all previous GATE/ Pre-AP classes. Students read widely and extensively from literature and there is a summer project to complete. Two outside reading projects are required. This course includes regular homework and a comprehensive final exam. All English 11 AP students are expected to take the AP exam in May.
English/Writing 11-12 Support
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11-12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a standards based course that emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with the California Common Core State Standards (Grade 11/12).
Students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum content made comprehensible using SDAIE techniques. Students will work with a variety of core literary pieces, including short stories, poetry, novels, and plays. Interpersonal communication skills will be fostered through cooperative learning. The students’ multiple skill levels will be addressed through a variety of student-based pedagogical techniques. Students will be expected to work towards the Reading Comprehension standard of reading 2 million words annually on their own by grade twelve using appropriate reading level material.
English 12 General
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a standards based course that emphasizes reading, writing, speaking, and listening in accordance with the California State Standards for Language Arts (Grade 11/12).
General students will be exposed to grade level appropriate curriculum content made comprehensible using SDAIE techniques. Students will work with a variety of core literary pieces, including short stories, poetry, novels, and plays. Interpersonal communication skills will be fostered through cooperative learning. The students’ multiple skill levels will be addressed through a variety of student-based pedagogical techniques. Students will be expected to work towards the Reading Comprehension standard of reading 2 million words annually on their own by grade twelve using appropriate reading level material.
ERWC/EAP (English 12 CP)
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The 12th Grade Expository Reading and Writing Course seeks to help students meet the expectations of college and university faculty and the requirements of the California English-Language Arts Content Standards. This course satisfies the fourth year high school “a-g” English requirement.
English Literature 12 AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 12 AP
PREREQUISITES: Successful completion of English 11 AP is desirable, but not mandatory.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is an Advanced Placement class; students receive an extra grade point from the University of California for grades of C or higher. It requires a substantially greater amount of preparation and homework than does the college prep course and all previous GATE/ Pre-AP classes. Students read widely and extensively from literature. Two outside reading projects are required. This course includes regular homework and a comprehensive final exam. All English 12 AP students are expected to take the AP exam in May.
English Expository Composition (Dual Enrollment with Bakersfield College)
GRADE LEVEL: 12
PREREQUISITE: English Level 6 on the Bakersfield College English placement test.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Critical reading, writing, and thinking. Students will critically read and write primarily expository and argumentative texts that respond to a variety of rhetorical situations and contexts and incorporate college level research. Students will complete a minimum of 6,000 words formal writing.
English Language Development
Welcome to the ELD Department

Cesar E. Chavez High School's ELD Department provides service to Emerging and Expanding English Learners. We are committed to offer challenging and standards-based curriculum to all English learners.
Our goals are to:
- Help ALL students gain fluency and proficiency in the English language.
- Provide equal and universal access to state adopted curriculum through rigorous instruction.
- Help ALL students acquire essential reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills needed to succeed in mainstream courses and graduate from high school.
- All students will exit our ELD program speaking fluent English.
- Prepare students for life beyond high school.
Foreign Language
Welcome to the Foreign Language Department

The Foreign Language Department works towards creating an atmosphere of learning and academic excellence giving his/her students the opportunity to learn and love the target language being taught. Such is done through the study of grammar, immersion of the language, and the study of noted authors and their works. Students are encouraged to express themselves exclusively in the language with the purpose of broadening their awareness in the subject matter. The students are offered the opportunity to take up to four years of the offered language courses, thus ensuring that they achieve a certain degree of awareness and knowledge essential, not only for every day use, but also necessary for university requirements.
Foreign Language Courses
- Spanish III CP/SPAN B1 Elementary Spanish (Dual Enrollment)
- French I CP
- French II CP
- French III CP
- French IV CP
- Spanish I CP
- Spanish I S CP
- Spanish I Pre-AP
- Spanish II CP
- Spanish III CP
- Spanish II S CP
- Spanish II Pre-AP
- Spanish Language & Culture AP
- Spanish Literature AP
Spanish III CP/SPAN B1 Elementary Spanish (Dual Enrollment)
GRADE LEVEL: 11-12
PREREQUSITE: Completion of Spanish I and II CP with a passing grade of “C” or better
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish 3CP/SPAN B1 Elementary Spanish. Introduction to the Spanish Language and Culture by means of a program that involves video, audio, and print media into an integrated method of “planed immersion.” Emphasis on the development of all four language skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) within a communicative approach. At this level the student will be expected to do a considerable amount of discussions, reading and writing on a variety of topics. This is an advance course to teach the students to speak fluently.
French I CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Concurrent enrollment in English CP or Pre-AP
COURSE DESCRIPTION: French I is an introductory course that stresses listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in French. More emphasis will be placed on listening and speaking at this stage. Much of the daily practice will consist of listening and communication activates that will be done with a classmate or in small groups.
French II CP
French III CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in French II
OURSE DESCRIPTION: French III is a course in which students explore more advanced speaking, writing and grammatical skills as well as cultural understanding of the French language. Students will continue to build on the prior knowledge acquired during the first two levels.
French IV CP
Spanish I CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Concurrent enrollment in English I CP
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish I is an introduction to the basic elements of the Spanish language and the various cultures where it is spoken. Spanish I involves communication, written exercises and listening to tapes. Spanish I includes the three basic tenses and about a 1500 word vocabulary.
Spanish I S CP
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: A native ability in speaking and understanding Spanish and some experience with informal and formal written Spanish.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed for students who speak Spanish at home, write informally and wish to improve their writing, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling skills. Formal aspects of the language will be stressed including: spelling, punctuation, accentuation, composition, reading, standard grammar, and vocabulary enrichment. The course will be taught in Spanish.
Spanish I Pre-AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Native ability to speak Spanish
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish I S is a course for students who already have some ability to speak Spanish. Emphasis will be placed on reading and writing skills, as well as developing a more advanced level of comprehension and speaking. Special attention will be focused on elements of vocabulary that are often confused.
Spanish II CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Spanish I
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish II is a continuation of the study of the Spanish language. There is more intensive dialogue and conversation study, more listening comprehension activities, and reading and writing. There is more study of Spanish culture. At the end of the course the student should be able to carry on a simple conversation and read effectively with the help of a dictionary.
Spanish III CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Spanish II
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish III is an advanced course to teach the student to speak fluently. The course will have a more intensive study or grammar, as well as advanced reading and writing activities. The student will be expected to do a considerable amount of discussion, reading and writing on a variety of topics.
Spanish II S CP
SPANISH II S CP
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITE: A native ability in speaking and understanding Spanish and some experience with informal and formal written Spanish. A passing grade for Spanish I S CP or a high score in the placement test.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish IIS is the continuation of the study of the Spanish language. This course provides Spanish native-speakers students with all the basic and necessary skills in the areas of grammar, reading, writing and spelling. In addition, this class is also an introduction to Spanish Literature and will cover all types of literature at an appropriate level. Once all these areas achieved, they are ready to move up into AP Spanish courses.
Spanish II Pre-AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Spanish I Pre-AP.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Spanish II Pre-AP is a continuation of Spanish I Pre-AP. Spanish II Pre-AP covers grammar, tenses and syntax from a Spanish speaker’s point of view. All texts are in Spanish. Spanish II Pre-AP is also an introduction to Spanish literature and will cover all types of literature at an appropriate level. Spanish II S is for near native or native speakers.
Spanish Language & Culture AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade (“B” or better) in Spanish II and/or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course in AP Spanish Language covers the equivalent of a third year college course in Advanced Spanish writing and conversation. It encompasses aural/oral skills, reading comprehension, grammar, and composition. Spanish Language AP is offered to those students who have successfully completed Spanish I and II and have demonstrated interest and enthusiasm in continuing to study Spanish. The AP Spanish language course is conducted exclusively in Spanish. The curriculum is designed to meet the goals of the AP Spanish Language Exam, which requires students to demonstrate a competency in listening comprehension, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish. AP Spanish provides frequent opportunities for students to integrate these four language skills. Students discussions and compositions focus on the six overarching themes that are the heart of real-world communications.
Spanish Literature AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 -12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade (“B” or better) in Spanish III and/or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The AP Spanish Literature Course is designed to introduce students to the formal study of a representative body of literature, written in Spanish, from Spain, Latin America and the United States. The course provides students with ongoing and varied opportunities to develop proficiency in Spanish across a full range of skills, with emphasis on critical reading and analytical writing. It also encourages students to reflect on the many voices and cultures included in a rich and diverse body of literature written in Spanish. This class will prepare the student to successfully pass the AP exam at the end of the school year.
Home Economics
Welcome to Home Economics

Home Economics focuses on the inter-relationships between diet, health, family, resources and home, and man’s physical, economic, social and aesthetic needs.
Hence, the central concern is the optimal quality of life of individuals and family; it recognizes the family as the most important influence in the nurture, care and education of its members.
Through the goal-setting of empowering individuals, strengthening families and enabling communities, Home Economics aims to help students to lead effective lives, not only as individuals, but also, as members of a family and the community, within the context of a culturally, socially and economically diverse society.
Overall, Home Economics encompasses the learning and mastery of knowledge and skills which enable students to develop and maintain lifelong healthful behaviors, become productive citizens and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Foods & Nutrition I
Foods and Nutrition I is designed for students who are interested in understanding the principles of food and nutrition and in maintaining a healthy life style. Units of study include:
-
- Kitchen Safety
- Recipe Basics
- Functions of Ingredients
- Mise en Place
- Meal Management and Planning
- Etiquette and Table Setting
- Making Decisions about Food
- Nutrients and Nutrition
- Food Preparation Techniques
- Career Awareness and Employability Skills
- Leadership, Communication and Teamwork
Foods & Nutrition II
Foods and Nutrition II is designed to prepare students with food production, preparation, and service skills for food and hospitality industry occupations. Units of study include:
- The Culinary Profession
- Culinary History
- Sanitation Hazards and Procedures (California Food Handler Card)
- Safety in the Professional Kitchen
- Equipment
- Knives and Knife Skills
- Standardized Recipes and Conversions
- Mise en Place
- Ingredients, Preparation, and Presentation
- Table Service and Menus
- World Cuisine
- Career Awareness and Employability Skills
- Leadership, Communication and Teamwork
FCCLA
Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national Career and Technical Student Organization that provides personal growth, leadership development, and career preparation opportunities. Through involvement in FCCLA, students are able to sharpen their personal leadership and career skills by participating as members and officers in competitive recognition events, and leadership development activities.
Industrial Arts
Welcome to the Industrial Arts Department

The Industrial Arts Department provides students a hands-on approach to learning the principles of design and production. Through the development of teamwork and interpersonal communication skills, and while utilizing traditional practices combined with emerging technologies, students will be able to conceptualize, design and produce quality products.
Courses
Construction I/Building Skills I
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This introductory is designed to provide career information and technical training and prepares students for direct entry into the trades and for college bound students wising to follow a career in the Construction Trade Areas (CTA’s).
Construction II/Building Skills II
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Wood Technology or successful challenge of prerequisite described above
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This advanced course is designed to provide career information and technical training to prepare students for all upper level Carpentry courses. It also prepares students for direct entry into the trades and for college bound students wishing to follow a career in the Construction Trade Areas (CTA’S).
Mathematics
Welcome to the Math Department

Welcome to the math department. The usual course of study for a CCHS student is Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II. Most of these courses are taught as college preparatory courses and the pace and levels of difficulty are set accordingly. For students with exceptional background and/or exceptional aptitude in math, there are honors and AP options.
Math Courses
- Applied Math
- Pre-Algebra
- Algebra I Pre-AP
- Algebra I CP, Algebra IA CP, Algebra IB CP
- Algebra II CP
- Algebra II Honors
- Advanced Algebra I
- Trigonometry CP
- Geometry
- Geometry CP
- Geometry Pre-AP
- Geometry Honors
- Pre-Calculus
- AP Calculus AB
- AP Statistics
- Math Support
Applied Math
GRADE LEVEL: 11
PREREQUISITES: A grade of C- or lower in Algebra 1.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Applied Math is supplemental course offered in conjunction with advanced algebra 1 to juniors who are close to moving into the next proficiency level. Applied Math reviews and reinforces the concepts learned in Algebra I while introducing the most important concepts of Algebra II and Geometry.
Pre-Algebra
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is two semesters in length. The students will review general arithmetic and notation equation and basic work problems will be emphasized. Pre-Algebra A covers the first half of the course. Pre-Algebra B covers the second half of the course.
Algebra I Pre-AP
Algebra I CP, Algebra IA CP, Algebra IB CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Pre-Algebra or a score of 7.5 on SAT-9
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will solve and graph linear and higher degree equations, and equations with radicals, etc. Algebra 1A CP covers the first half of the course. Algebra 1B CP covers the second half of the course.
Algebra II CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Geometry or CPM II
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Algebra 2 is a two-semester course. It is the third course in the traditional college-preparatory mathematics sequence. The course is an extension of Algebra 1 and Geometry, with emphasis placed on abstract thinking skills, the function concept, and the algebraic solution of problems in various content areas.
Algebra II Honors
GRADE LEVEL: 10
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade of C or better in Geometry Pre-AP.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Algebra II Pre-AP is a course that satisfies one year of the mathematics A-G requirement for the Universities of California. Algebra II is an extension of Algebra I and covers advanced topics in Algebra. This course is offered to students who plan to take AP Calculus their senior year. Topics include quadratic/cubic and square/cube root functions, higher order polynomial functions, rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, basic trigonometric functions and the unit circle, statistics and probability, and the complex number system.
Advanced Algebra I
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PREREQUISITES: For incoming freshmen, a mid-range score on the 8th grade math placement test. For 10-12 grade students, a grade of D or F in Algebra I.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Advanced Algebra 1 is designed for highly motivated students with above average foundational skills whose placement is mainly determined by performance on a district-wide mathematics placement exam. Unlike traditional Algebra 1 courses in our district, Advanced Algebra 1 begins the study of algebra with minimal pre-algebra review which allows for a more in-depth study of algebra with an extra emphasis on application problems. Students begin the study of algebra with linear functions and start to apply modeling techniques, which are a central theme throughout the course. The course continues with a study of systems of linear equations and inequalities; a special emphasis is placed on linear programming problems. The study of exponents leads to quadratics and exponential functions. In addition to studying polynomials and factoring, students are also taught synthetic division as a means of finding zeros. Students conclude the course with simplifying rational expressions and solving rational equations and with a basic introduction to graphing logarithmic functions, and square root functions.
Trigonometry CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade (“B” or better) in Algebra II or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The course will emphasize the analysis of the algebraic and trigonometric functions with attention given to their graphs. In addition, vectors, operations of vectors, and applications of vectors to the solution of problems are covered. Pre-calculus and introductory calculus topics will also be taught.
Geometry
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Algebra I or CPM I
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is two semesters in length – the second course in the traditional four-year college preparatory mathematics sequence. It is an investigation of the properties and relationships of points, lines and planes and of two and three-dimensional figures and their application in area, volume, and proportion. It includes an introduction to analytic geometry, a study of the structure of logic, deductive and intuitive reasoning, and development of proof and demonstration.
Geometry CP
GRADE LEVEL: 10-12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade of C or better in Algebra I
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Geometry is a college preparatory course that satisfies one year of the mathematics A-G requirement for the Universities of California. Geometry offers students an opportunity to relate concepts in Algebra I to geometric phenomena with an emphasis on critical thinking skills and logical reasoning and argument. Topics include plane, solid, and coordinate geometry, parallel lines and polygons, perimeter and area analysis, volume and surface area analysis, similarity and congruence, basic trigonometry, and analytic geometry.
Geometry Pre-AP
Geometry Honors
GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade of C or better in Algebra I
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Geometry is a course that satisfies one year of the mathematics A-G requirement for the Universities of California. This course is offered to students who plan to take AP Calculus their senior year. Geometry offers students an opportunity to relate concepts in Algebra I to geometric phenomena with an emphasis on critical thinking skills and logical reasoning and argument. Topics include plane, solid, and coordinate geometry, parallel lines and polygons, perimeter and area analysis, volume and surface area analysis, similarity and congruence, basic trigonometry, and analytic geometry.
Pre-Calculus
GRADE LEVEL: 11 - 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade of B or better in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry, or teacher recommendation.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Pre-Calculus is mostly designed for juniors who wish to take AP Calculus AB their senior year. Pre-Calculus will prepare seniors to take the mathematics placement test prior to being admitted into college. Pre-Calculus will cover all topics in Trigonometry in addition to various Calculus topics, such as limits, analysis of functions, and series
AP Calculus AB
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade (“B” or better) in Trigonometry/Analysis or instructor’s permission
COURSE DESCRIPTION: AP Calculus is a college level course offered to students who wish to earn college credit by passing the Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus test. Students who pass the Calculus AB exam will be granted college credit for Calculus 1 at the college level. Calculus AB covers the topics outlined by the College Board that revolve around the 3 big ideas: Limits, Derivatives, and Integrals.
AP Statistics
GRADE LEVEL: 10 - 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade of B or better in Algebra II
COURSE DESCRIPTION: AP Statistics is a college level course offered to students who wish to earn college credit by passing the Advanced Placement (AP) Statistics test. Students who pass the AP Statistics exam will be granted college credit for Elementary Statistics. AP Statistics covers the topics outlined by the College Board that revolve around 4 major themes: Exploring Data, Sampling and Experimentation, Anticipating Patterns, and Statistical Inference.
Math Support
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is a 2-semester course designed for students who test below the 5th grade level on the SAT-9. These students will be concurrently enrolled in Pre-Algebra. Course content is basic arithmetic, Pre-Algebra, and introductory Algebra. Elective credits only.
Music
Welcome to the Music Department

The Music Department of Cesar E. Chavez High School is structured to meet the needs of all students. Students are provided with the opportunity to participate in a variety of music programs. For those who play band instruments, marching band is available along with indoor percussion and various ensembles.
In the vocal area, Cesar E. Chavez High School has a Chamber Choir along with various vocal ensembles.
All of the above-mentioned groups are active in performances with the exceptions of Music Appreciation.
Cesar E. Chavez High School award-winning Titan Band, Colorguard, and Indoor Percussion programs have a rich tradition of excellence in music making. Our programs offer a great opportunity for each student to be involved in performance and competition. The heart of our success has been the hard work, responsible, and motivated students.
The Titan Band and Indoor Percussion is directed by Mr. Alex Gonzales.
Please contact Mr. "G" at agonzales@djuhsd.org if you have any questions.
Physical Education
Welcome to the Physical Education Department

The Physical Education Department teaches students the skills needed to adopt healthy, active lifestyles, as well as promoting discipline, cooperation, and positive social interaction.
Physical Education Courses
CoEd PE 9
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will receive preparation and training for FitnessGram state testing during the fall semester. Students will demonstrate the knowledge and skills to achieve and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical activity and fitness and exhibits responsible personal and social behavior that respects self as well as others. Students will test for the FitnessGram in the spring semester to demonstrate they are in the healthy fitness zone the state recommends for individuals of their age. Department policy requires the student’s attire to meet safety and health guidelines.
CoEd PE 10-12
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Physical Education 9
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Students will participate in team and individual activities to demonstrate competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns. Activities may include but are not limited to: basketball, volleyball, tennis, football, and soccer. Students will also apply knowledge of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance. Department policy requires the student’s attire to meet safety and health guidelines.
CoEd Athletic Conditioning
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Physical Education 9
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course consists of a total fitness program with emphasis on a core strength program, flexibility exercises, plyometric, and speed training. Department policy requires the student’s attire be appropriate for participation in the activities as specified in each department’s handbook.
CoEd Weight Training/Conditioning
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Physical Education 9
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Designed for athletes, the purpose of this course is to enrich the student’s knowledge of conditioning and lifting weights to increase speed, power, flexibility, strength and endurance. Students will create a program that is beneficial to the sport and the desired level that they are interested in. Students are required to wear the Physical Education apparel.
Fitness Gram
**All students in a Physical Education class are expected to dress out daily for class.
**Non dress students will be placed on an Assertive Discipline Five (5) Step Contract.
**PE uniform consists of a grey Cesar Chavez PE shirt and black Cesar Chavez PE shorts. Students must also wear closed toe tennis shoes. No tank tops or cut off sleeves please!
**PE Clothes can be purchased in the ASB office.
**All students are issued a CCHS PE lock. This lock is the property of CCHS. If the lock is lost, a replacement fee of $10 must be paid to the ASB office in order for students to check out a new lock.
**Students are graded on attendance, dressing out for class, participation, and occasional skill or written assignments.
**If a student is ill or injured and is in need of a PE excuse from class, the student must take a written note to the nurses office prior to coming to class.
Science
Welcome to the Science Department

Welcome. The Science department's goal is to introduce and educate students of all levels and backgrounds to the complexities of the sciences, to challenge students to reach their highest potential, provide a diversified curriculum, and encourage students to welcome the sciences.
Science Courses
- Chemistry CP/HCA
- Chemistry Pre-AP
- Chemistry Honors
- Environmental Science AP
- Integrated Science CP
- Laboratory Biology CP/HCA
- Laboratory Biology Pre-AP
- Laboratory Biology Honors
- AP Biology
- Life Science HS
- Physical Science HS (Earth Science)
- Physics CP
- AP Physics I
Chemistry CP/HCA
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade or concurrent enrollment in Algebra II.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to help students understand basic chemical principles and master problem-solving skills. Students explore the fundamental principles of chemistry which characterize the properties of matter and how it reacts. Topics include but are not limited to: Measurement, atomic structure, chemical bonding, and nomenclature, matter and its changes, periodic table and chemical periodicity, reactions, mole concept and stoichiometry, chemical equilibrium, thermodynamics, acids and bases, gas laws, solutions, organic and biochemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Through many laboratory activities, students will demonstrate how theory is applicable in laboratory situations. Students will develop good methods of problem-solving and proper laboratory technique.
Chemistry Pre-AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Algebra II and concurrent enrollment in Trigonometry
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Chemistry Pre-AP is a rigorous introductory-level science course, designed for students with the ability and background to proceed through concepts at an above-average pace. The topics to be studied include chemical nomenclature, atomic models and theory, the periodic table, the kinetic theory of matter, mole concepts, stoichiometry, gas laws, chemical bonding, solutions, acids/bases thermodynamics, equilibrium, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Problem solving skills are reinforced in this laboratory-oriented course.
Chemistry Honors
GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Concurrent enrollment in Algebra II Pre-AP.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Chemistry Pre-AP is a rigorous introductory-level science course, designed for students with the ability and background to proceed through concepts at an above-average pace. The topics to be studied include chemical nomenclature, atomic models and theory, the periodic table, the kinetic theory of matter, mole concepts, stoichiometry, gas laws, chemical bonding, solutions, acids/bases thermodynamics, equilibrium, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and nuclear chemistry. Problem solving skills are reinforced in this laboratory oriented course.
Environmental Science AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 11-12
PREREQUISITES: Completion of Biology CP with a grade of A or Biology Pre-AP with a grade of B+ (or better). Completion of Chemistry CP with a grade of A or Chemistry Pre-AP with a grade of B+ (or better). Recommendation of the Science Department faculty. Recommended one year of Algebra.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: The AP Environmental science course enables willing and academically prepared students to identify and analyze natural and human-made environmental problems, evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them. The course will include the following topics: Earth Systems and Resources, the living world, population, land and water use, energy resources and consumption, population and global change. AP Environmental Science course includes a strong laboratory and field investigation component.
Integrated Science CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 9
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is an introductory course with broad spectrum coverage of dynamic earth processes, waves, electromagnetic phenomena, Newton’s Law of Motion, Atomic and Molecular structure, chemical bonding and reactions, Biogeochemical Cycles, Ecology, Evolution and California geology. The hands-on activities and inquiry approach are designed to enhance interest in science and develop critical thinking skills, drawing upon all science disciplines. The course emphasizes the study and proper use of fundamental science tools including the metric system, periodic table and graphing.
Laboratory Biology CP/HCA
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Algebra I or concurrent enrollment, and English CP
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Biology is an introduction to the study of living things and their interdependence with the environment. This course will emphasize the development of student’s scientific process skills, laboratory techniques, and an understanding of the fundamental principles of living organisms. Students will explore biological science as a process, cell structure and function, genetics and heredity, evolution, diversity of living things and their ecological roles, botany, anatomy and physiology. Students will learn practical scientific skills, which they can use to investigate, study, analyze, and explain the world around them. Lab activities and dissection is involved.
Laboratory Biology Pre-AP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Algebra II Pre-AP or concurrent enrollment in Algebra II Pre-AP and English.
COURSE DESCRIPTION Biology Pre-AP is designed for the highly motivated student with a strong interest in the field of science. The course will investigate the following topics: Cell biology, genetics biochemistry, ecology, evolution, botany, physiology and the scientific process. This course will emphasize higher order thinking skills using online activities, laboratory investigations, independent research, collaborative learning projects, problem solving, and bioethical discussions.
Laboratory Biology Honors
GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Algebra II Pre-AP or concurrent enrollment in Algebra II Pre-AP and English.
COURSE DESCRIPTION Biology Pre-AP is designed for the highly motivated student with a strong interest in the field of science. The course will investigate the following topics: Cell biology, genetics biochemistry, ecology, evolution, botany, physiology and the scientific process. This course will emphasize higher order thinking skills using online activities, laboratory investigations, independent research, collaborative learning projects, problem solving, and bioethical discussions.
AP Biology
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 10 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Completion of Biology CP with a grade of A or Biology Pre-AP with a grade of B+ (or better). Completion of Chemistry CP with a grade of A or Chemistry Pre-AP with a grade of B+ (or better). Recommendation of the science department faculty.
COURSE DECRIPTION: AP Biology aims to provide students with the conceptual framework and analytic skills necessary to understand and assess the rapidly growing science of biology. The course will include the following topics: Molecules and cells, hereditary and evolution, organisms and population.
Life Science HS
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVELS: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Life Science is an introductory level course designed to enable students to explore basic biological concepts in a laboratory setting. Topics include: Scientific method, cells and heredity, genetics, life over-time, diversity of living things, ecology, botany, human biology, disease and immune response. Concepts are learned through a variety of instructional strategies, including dissection, special projects, and research.
Physical Science HS (Earth Science)
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9 – 12
PREREQUISITES: None
COURSE DESCRIPTION: An introductory course designed to allow students to explore the basic concepts of physical science. The course includes an introduction to the fundamental concepts of physics, chemistry, astronomy, Earth science, and California geology. Hands-on activities, labs, projects, and group work are emphasized. These concepts are investigated through laboratory experiences designed to promote appropriate skills in science inquiry. Laboratory work includes study of rocks and minerals, topographic and geologic maps.
Physics CP
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Passing grade in Algebra II or concurrent enrollment and one year of Chemistry CP.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed for students with a strong foundation in mathematics and the physical sciences. The format will include lecture, discussion, problem-solving, and laboratory work. Quantitative skills learned in Algebra II and Chemistry will be employed in the problem-solving concepts covered. Inquiry is applied to the study of matter and energy and their interaction. General areas of study will include concepts of mechanics, motion, heat, light, sound, magnetism, and electricity. Students should learn to design solutions to problems that interest them.
AP Physics I
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 11 – 12
PREREQUISITES: Concurrent enrollment in AP Calculus
COURSE DESCRIPTION: AP Physics I is a Calculus-based study of two main areas of Physics: Mechanics and Electricity/Magnetism. Differential and integral Calculus is essential in order to solve problems associated with above concepts. Laboratory experience is very essential.
Social Science

Historical and Social Sciences Analysis Skills
The intellectual skills noted below are to be learned through, and applied to, the content standards for grades nine through twelve. They are to be assessed only in conjunction with the content standards in grades nine through twelve.
In addition to the standards for grades nine through twelve, students demonstrate the following intellectual, reasoning, reflection, and research skills.
Chronological and Spatial Thinking
- Students compare the present with the past, evaluating the consequences of past events and decisions and determining the lessons that were learned.
- Students analyze how change happens at different rates at different times; understand that some aspects can change while others remain the same; and understand that change is complicated and affects not only technology and politics but also values and beliefs.
- Students use a variety of maps and documents to interpret human movement, including major patterns of domestic and international migration, changing environmental preferences and settlement patterns, the frictions that develop between population groups, and the diffusion of ideas, technological innovations, and goods.
- Students relate current events to the physical and human characteristics of places and regions.
Historical Research, Evidence, and Point of View
- Students distinguish valid arguments from fallacious arguments in historical interpretations.
- Students identify bias and prejudice in historical interpretations.
- Students evaluate major debates among historians concerning alternative interpretations of the past, including an analysis of authors' use of evidence and the distinctions between sound generalizations and misleading oversimplifications.
- Students construct and test hypotheses; collect, evaluate, and employ information from multiple primary and secondary sources; and apply it in oral and written presentations.
Historical Interpretation
- Students show the connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and larger social, economic, and political trends and developments.
- Students recognize the complexity of historical causes and effects, including the limitations on determining cause and effect.
- Students interpret past events and issues within the context in which an event unfolded rather than solely in terms of present-day norms and values.
- Students understand the meaning, implication, and impact of historical events and recognize that events could have taken other directions.
- Students analyze human modifications of landscapes and examine the resulting environmental policy issues.
- Students conduct cost-benefit analyses and apply basic economic indicators to analyze the aggregate economic behavior of the U.S. economy.
Courses
- World History, 10th Grade, Two Semesters
- United States History, 11th Grade, Two Semesters
- Government, 12th Grade, One Semester
- Economics, 12th Grade, One Semester
- AP United States History
- AP Government & Politics
- AP Macroeconomics
- Sociology
- Psychology
World History, 10th Grade, Two Semesters
Levels offered:
- High School Sheltered
- High School
- College Preparation
- Honors
Course Description:
- Students in World History study major turning points that shaped the modern world, from the late eighteenth century through the present, including the cause and course of the two world wars. They trace the rise of democratic ideas and develop an understanding of the historical roots of current world issues, especially as they pertain to international relations. They extrapolate from the American experience that democratic ideals are often achieved at a high price, remain vulnerable, and are not practiced everywhere in the world. Students develop an understanding of current world issues and relate them to their historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Students consider multiple accounts of events in order to understand international relations from a variety of perspectives.
United States History, 11th Grade, Two Semesters
Levels Offered:
- High School Sheltered
- High School
- College Preparation
Course Description:
- This is a two-semester course that will examine the history of the American people from the colonization to the present, including their diverse traditions and common experiences. It will include their history from early contacts between Native Americans and Europeans, through planting of various European colonies in the New World, to establishment of the British empire in North America; creation of the United States as a new nation during the American Revolution, its republican and democratic politics and capitalist economy, and its paradoxical freedom for European Americans and slavery for African Americans; territorial expansion to the West and regional differences between the South and the North that culminated in the American Civil War and Reconstruction; industrialization and immigration in the late 1800’s; populism, expansion of the economy, imperialism, Social Darwinism and the causes/effects of the Great Depression; the changes in American society and politics as an earlier agrarian society became an industrial-urban one and as the nation took up an ever larger role in world affairs from the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korean Conflict, Vietnam, and present international relations. This course follows the state framework and meets the requirements for graduation in California. This course also prepares students to take the California Standards Test (CST) in U.S. History.
Government, 12th Grade, One Semester
Levels Offered:
- High School Sheltered
- High School
- College Preparation
Course Description:
- Students in Government pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. They compare systems of government in the world today and analyze the history and changing interpretations of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the current state of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches of government. An emphasis is placed on analyzing the relationship among federal, state, and local governments, with particular attention paid to important historical documents such as the Federalist Papers. These standards represent the culmination of civic literacy as students prepare to vote, participate in community activities, and assume the responsibilities of citizenship.
Economics, 12th Grade, One Semester
Levels Offered:
- High School Sheltered
- High School
- College Preparation
Course Description:
- Students in Economics will master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics, and equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of operations and institutions of economic systems. Studied in a historic context are the basic economic principles of micro- and macroeconomics, international economics, comparative economic systems, measurement, and methods.
AP United States History
Course Description:
- The AP program in United States History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses. Students learn to assess historical materials- their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance—and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. An AP United States History course thus develops the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in an essay format.
AP Government & Politics
The AP Government & Politics: United States course provides an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute U.S. political reality.
AP Macroeconomics
The AP course in Macroeconomics is designed to give students a thorough understanding of the principles of economics that apply to an economic system as a whole. Such a course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price determination, and also develops students' familiarity with economic performance measures, economic growth, and international economics.
Sociology
Sociology is an academic and applied discipline that studies society and human social interaction. Sociological research ranges from the analysis of short contacts between anonymous individuals on the street to the study of global social processes. This class focuses on how and why people are organized in society, either as individuals or as members of associations, groups, and institutions.
Psychology
Psychology is an academic/applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior of humans and animals. This class will study such phenomena as perception, cognition, emotion, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships with the application of such knowledge to various spheres of human activity, including problems of individuals' daily lives and the treatment of mental health problems.
Social Science Standards
- Grade 10 World History CA Standards
- Grade 11 US History CA Standards
- Grade 12 Government & Economics CA Standards
Grade 10 World History CA Standards
World History, Culture, and Geography: The Modern World
Students in grade ten study major turning points that shaped the modern world, from the late eighteenth century through the present, including the cause and course of the two world wars. They trace the rise of democratic ideas and develop an understanding of the historical roots of current world issues, especially as they pertain to international relations. They extrapolate from the American experience that democratic ideals are often achieved at a high price, remain vulnerable, and are not practiced everywhere in the world. Students develop an understanding of current world issues and relate them to their historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Students consider multiple accounts of events in order to understand international relations from a variety of perspectives.
10.1 Students relate the moral and ethical principles in ancient Greek and Roman philosophy, in Judaism, and in Christianity to the development of Western political thought.
- Analyze the similarities and differences in Judeo-Christian and Greco-Roman views of law, reason and faith, and duties of the individual.
- Trace the development of the Western political ideas of the rule of law and illegitimacy of tyranny, using selections from Plato's Republic and Aristotle's Politics.
- Consider the influence of the U.S. Constitution on political systems in the contemporary world.
10.2 Students compare and contrast the Glorious Revolution of England, the American Revolution, and the French Revolution and their enduring effects worldwide on the political expectations for self-government and individual liberty.
- Compare the major ideas of philosophers and their effects on the democratic revolutions in England, the United States, France, and Latin America (e.g., John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Simón Bolívar, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison).
- List the principles of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights (1689), the American Declaration of Independence (1776), the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen (1789), and the U.S. Bill of Rights (1791).
- Understand the unique character of the American Revolution, its spread to other parts of the world, and its continuing significance to other nations.
- Explain how the ideology of the French Revolution led France to develop from constitutional monarchy to democratic despotism to the Napoleonic empire.
- Discuss how nationalism spread across Europe with Napoleon but was repressed for a generation under the Congress of Vienna and Concert of Europe until the Revolutions of 1848.
10.3 Students analyze the effects of the Industrial Revolution in England, France, Germany, Japan, and the United States.
- Analyze why England was the first country to industrialize.
- Examine how scientific and technological changes and new forms of energy brought about massive social, economic, and cultural change (e.g., the inventions and discoveries of James Watt, Eli Whitney, Henry Bessemer, Louis Pasteur, Thomas Edison).
- Describe the growth of population, rural to urban migration, and growth of cities associated with the Industrial Revolution.
- Trace the evolution of work and labor, including the demise of the slave trade and the effects of immigration, mining and manufacturing, division of labor, and the union movement.
- Understand the connections among natural resources, entrepreneurship, labor, and capital in an industrial economy.
- Analyze the emergence of capitalism as a dominant economic pattern and the responses to it, including Utopianism, Social Democracy, Socialism, and Communism.
- Describe the emergence of Romanticism in art and literature (e.g., the poetry of William Blake and William Wordsworth), social criticism (e.g., the novels of Charles Dickens), and the move away from Classicism in Europe.
10.4 Students analyze patterns of global change in the era of New Imperialism in at least two of the following regions or countries: Africa, Southeast Asia, China, India, Latin America, and the Philippines.
- Describe the rise of industrial economies and their link to imperialism and colonial-ism (e.g., the role played by national security and strategic advantage; moral issues raised by the search for national hegemony, Social Darwinism, and the missionary impulse; material issues such as land, resources, and technology).
- Discuss the locations of the colonial rule of such nations as England, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Portugal, and the United States.
- Explain imperialism from the perspective of the colonizers and the colonized and the varied immediate and long-term responses by the people under colonial rule.
- Describe the independence struggles of the colonized regions of the world, including the roles of leaders, such as Sun Yat-sen in China, and the roles of ideology and religion.
10.5 Students analyze the causes and course of the First World War.
- Analyze the arguments for entering into war presented by leaders from all sides of the Great War and the role of political and economic rivalries, ethnic and ideological conflicts, domestic discontent and disorder, and propaganda and nationalism in mobilizing the civilian population in support of "total war."
- Examine the principal theaters of battle, major turning points, and the importance of geographic factors in military decisions and outcomes (e.g., topography, waterways, distance, climate).
- Explain how the Russian Revolution and the entry of the United States affected the course and outcome of the war.
- Understand the nature of the war and its human costs (military and civilian) on all sides of the conflict, including how colonial peoples contributed to the war effort.
- Discuss human rights violations and genocide, including the Ottoman government's actions against Armenian citizens.
10.6 Students analyze the effects of the First World War.
- Analyze the aims and negotiating roles of world leaders, the terms and influence of the Treaty of Versailles and Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points, and the causes and effects of the United States's rejection of the League of Nations on world politics.
- Describe the effects of the war and resulting peace treaties on population movement, the international economy, and shifts in the geographic and political borders of Europe and the Middle East.
- Understand the widespread disillusionment with prewar institutions, authorities, and values that resulted in a void that was later filled by totalitarians.
- Discuss the influence of World War I on literature, art, and intellectual life in the West (e.g., Pablo Picasso, the "lost generation" of Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway).
10.7 Students analyze the rise of totalitarian governments after World War I.
- Understand the causes and consequences of the Russian Revolution, including Lenin's use of totalitarian means to seize and maintain control (e.g., the Gulag).
- Trace Stalin's rise to power in the Soviet Union and the connection between economic policies, political policies, the absence of a free press, and systematic violations of human rights (e.g., the Terror Famine in Ukraine).
- Analyze the rise, aggression, and human costs of totalitarian regimes (Fascist and Communist) in Germany, Italy, and the Soviet Union, noting especially their common and dissimilar traits.
10.8 Students analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.
- Compare the German, Italian, and Japanese drives for empire in the 1930s, including the 1937 Rape of Nanking, other atrocities in China, and the Stalin-Hitler Pact of 1939.
- Understand the role of appeasement, nonintervention (isolationism), and the domestic distractions in Europe and the United States prior to the outbreak of World War II.
- Identify and locate the Allied and Axis powers on a map and discuss the major turning points of the war, the principal theaters of conflict, key strategic decisions, and the resulting war conferences and political resolutions, with emphasis on the importance of geographic factors.
- Describe the political, diplomatic, and military leaders during the war (e.g., Winston Churchill, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Emperor Hirohito, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Joseph Stalin, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight Eisenhower).
- Analyze the Nazi policy of pursuing racial purity, especially against the European Jews; its transformation into the Final Solution; and the Holocaust that resulted in the murder of six million Jewish civilians.
- Discuss the human costs of the war, with particular attention to the civilian and military losses in Russia, Germany, Britain, the United States, China, and Japan.
10.9 Students analyze the international developments in the post-World World War II world.
- Compare the economic and military power shifts caused by the war, including the Yalta Pact, the development of nuclear weapons, Soviet control over Eastern European nations, and the economic recoveries of Germany and Japan.
- Analyze the causes of the Cold War, with the free world on one side and Soviet client states on the other, including competition for influence in such places as Egypt, the Congo, Vietnam, and Chile.
- Understand the importance of the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, which established the pattern for America's postwar policy of supplying economic and military aid to prevent the spread of Communism and the resulting economic and political competition in arenas such as Southeast Asia (i.e., the Korean War, Vietnam War), Cuba, and Africa.
- Analyze the Chinese Civil War, the rise of Mao Tse-tung, and the subsequent political and economic upheavals in China (e.g., the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and the Tiananmen Square uprising).
- Describe the uprisings in Poland (1952), Hungary (1956), and Czechoslovakia (1968) and those countries' resurgence in the 1970s and 1980s as people in Soviet satellites sought freedom from Soviet control.
- Understand how the forces of nationalism developed in the Middle East, how the Holocaust affected world opinion regarding the need for a Jewish state, and the significance and effects of the location and establishment of Israel on world affairs.
- Analyze the reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the weakness of the command economy, burdens of military commitments, and growing resistance to Soviet rule by dissidents in satellite states and the non-Russian Soviet republics.
- Discuss the establishment and work of the United Nations and the purposes and functions of the Warsaw Pact, SEATO, NATO, and the Organization of American States.
10.10 Students analyze instances of nation-building in the contemporary world in at least two of the following regions or countries: the Middle East, Africa, Mexico and other parts of Latin America, and China.
- Understand the challenges in the regions, including their geopolitical, cultural, military, and economic significance and the international relationships in which they are involved.
- Describe the recent history of the regions, including political divisions and systems, key leaders, religious issues, natural features, resources, and population patterns.
- Discuss the important trends in the regions today and whether they appear to serve the cause of individual freedom and democracy.
10.11 Students analyze the integration of countries into the world economy and the information, technological, and communications revolutions (e.g., television, satellites, computers).
Grade 11 US History CA Standards
United States History and Geography: Continuity and Change in the Twentieth Century
Students in grade eleven study the major turning points in American history in the twentieth century. Following a review of the nation's beginnings and the impact of the Enlightenment on U.S. democratic ideals, students build upon the tenth grade study of global industrialization to understand the emergence and impact of new technology and a corporate economy, including the social and cultural effects. They trace the change in the ethnic composition of American society; the movement toward equal rights for racial minorities and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. An emphasis is placed on the expanding role of the federal government and federal courts as well as the continuing tension between the individual and the state. Students consider the major social problems of our time and trace their causes in historical events. They learn that the United States has served as a model for other nations and that the rights and freedoms we enjoy are not accidents, but the results of a defined set of political principles that are not always basic to citizens of other countries. Students understand that our rights under the U.S. Constitution are a precious inheritance that depends on an educated citizenry for their preservation and protection.
11.1 Students analyze the significant events in the founding of the nation and its attempts to realize the philosophy of government described in the Declaration of Independence.
- Describe the Enlightenment and the rise of democratic ideas as the context in which the nation was founded.
- Analyze the ideological origins of the American Revolution, the Founding Fathers' philosophy of divinely bestowed unalienable natural rights, the debates on the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, and the addition of the Bill of Rights.
- Understand the history of the Constitution after 1787 with emphasis on federal versus state authority and growing democratization.
- Examine the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction and of the industrial revolution, including demographic shifts and the emergence in the late nineteenth century of the United States as a world power.
11.2 Students analyze the relationship among the rise of industrialization, large-scale rural-to-urban migration, and massive immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.
- Know the effects of industrialization on living and working conditions, including the portrayal of working conditions and food safety in Upton Sinclair's The Jungle.
- Describe the changing landscape, including the growth of cities linked by industry and trade, and the development of cities divided according to race, ethnicity, and class.
- Trace the effect of the Americanization movement.
- Analyze the effect of urban political machines and responses to them by immigrants and middle-class reformers.
- Discuss corporate mergers that produced trusts and cartels and the economic and political policies of industrial leaders.
- Trace the economic development of the United States and its emergence as a major industrial power, including its gains from trade and the advantages of its physical geography.
- Analyze the similarities and differences between the ideologies of Social Darwinism and Social Gospel (e.g., using biographies of William Graham Sumner, Billy Sunday, Dwight L. Moody).
- Examine the effect of political programs and activities of Populists.
- Understand the effect of political programs and activities of the Progressives (e.g., federal regulation of railroad transport, Children's Bureau, the Sixteenth Amendment, Theodore Roosevelt, Hiram Johnson).
11.3 Students analyze the role religion played in the founding of America, its lasting moral, social, and political impacts, and issues regarding religious liberty.
- Describe the contributions of various religious groups to American civic principles and social reform movements (e.g., civil and human rights, individual responsibility and the work ethic, antimonarchy and self-rule, worker protection, family-centered communities).
- Analyze the great religious revivals and the leaders involved in them, including the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, the Civil War revivals, the Social Gospel Movement, the rise of Christian liberal theology in the nineteenth century, the impact of the Second Vatican Council, and the rise of Christian fundamentalism in current times.
- Cite incidences of religious intolerance in the United States (e.g., persecution of Mormons, anti-Catholic sentiment, anti-Semitism).
- Discuss the expanding religious pluralism in the United States and California that resulted from large-scale immigration in the twentieth century.
- Describe the principles of religious liberty found in the Establishment and Free Exercise clauses of the First Amendment, including the debate on the issue of separation of church and state.
11.4 Students trace the rise of the United States to its role as a world power in the twentieth century.
- List the purpose and the effects of the Open Door policy.
- Describe the Spanish-American War and U.S. expansion in the South Pacific.
- Discuss America's role in the Panama Revolution and the building of the Panama Canal.
- Explain Theodore Roosevelt's Big Stick diplomacy, William Taft's Dollar Diplomacy, and Woodrow Wilson's Moral Diplomacy, drawing on relevant speeches.
- Analyze the political, economic, and social ramifications of World War I on the home front.
- Trace the declining role of Great Britain and the expanding role of the United States in world affairs after World War II.
11.5 Students analyze the major political, social, economic, technological, and cultural developments of the 1920s.
- Discuss the policies of Presidents Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.
- Analyze the international and domestic events, interests, and philosophies that prompted attacks on civil liberties, including the Palmer Raids, Marcus Garvey's "back-to-Africa" movement, the Ku Klux Klan, and immigration quotas and the responses of organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the Anti-Defamation League to those attacks.
- Examine the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution and the Volstead Act (Prohibition).
- Analyze the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment and the changing role of women in society.
- Describe the Harlem Renaissance and new trends in literature, music, and art, with special attention to the work of writers (e.g., Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes).
- Trace the growth and effects of radio and movies and their role in the worldwide diffusion of popular culture.
- Discuss the rise of mass production techniques, the growth of cities, the impact of new technologies (e.g., the automobile, electricity), and the resulting prosperity and effect on the American landscape.
11.6 Students analyze the different explanations for the Great Depression and how the New Deal fundamentally changed the role of the federal government.
- Describe the monetary issues of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that gave rise to the establishment of the Federal Reserve and the weaknesses in key sectors of the economy in the late 1920s.
- Understand the explanations of the principal causes of the Great Depression and the steps taken by the Federal Reserve, Congress, and Presidents Herbert Hoover and Franklin Delano Roosevelt to combat the economic crisis.
- Discuss the human toll of the Depression, natural disasters, and unwise agricultural practices and their effects on the depopulation of rural regions and on political movements of the left and right, with particular attention to the Dust Bowl refugees and their social and economic impacts in California.
- Analyze the effects of and the controversies arising from New Deal economic policies and the expanded role of the federal government in society and the economy since the 1930s (e.g., Works Progress Administration, Social Security, National Labor Relations Board, farm programs, regional development policies, and energy development projects such as the Tennessee Valley Authority, California Central Valley Project, and Bonneville Dam).
- Trace the advances and retreats of organized labor, from the creation of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations to current issues of a postindustrial, multinational economy, including the United Farm Workers in California.
11.7 Students analyze America's participation in World War II.
- Examine the origins of American involvement in the war, with an emphasis on the events that precipitated the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- Explain U.S. and Allied wartime strategy, including the major battles of Midway, Normandy, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the Battle of the Bulge.
- Identify the roles and sacrifices of individual American soldiers, as well as the unique contributions of the special fighting forces (e.g., the Tuskegee Airmen, the 442nd Regimental Combat team, the Navajo Code Talkers).
- Analyze Roosevelt's foreign policy during World War II (e.g., Four Freedoms speech).
- Discuss the constitutional issues and impact of events on the U.S. home front, including the internment of Japanese Americans (e.g., Fred Korematsu v. United States of America) and the restrictions on German and Italian resident aliens; the response of the administration to Hitler's atrocities against Jews and other groups; the roles of women in military production; and the roles and growing political demands of African Americans.
- Describe major developments in aviation, weaponry, communication, and medicine and the war's impact on the location of American industry and use of resources.
- Discuss the decision to drop atomic bombs and the consequences of the decision (Hiroshimaand Nagasaki).
- Analyze the effect of massive aid given to Western Europe under the Marshall Plan to rebuild itself after the war and the importance of a rebuilt Europe to the U.S. economy.
11.8 Students analyze the economic boom and social transformation of post-World War II America.
- Trace the growth of service sector, white collar, and professional sector jobs in business and government.
- Describe the significance of Mexican immigration and its relationship to the agricultural economy, especially in California.
- Examine Truman's labor policy and congressional reaction to it.
- Analyze new federal government spending on defense, welfare, interest on the national debt, and federal and state spending on education, including the California Master Plan.
- Describe the increased powers of the presidency in response to the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War.
- Discuss the diverse environmental regions of North America, their relationship to local economies, and the origins and prospects of environmental problems in those regions.
- Describe the effects on society and the economy of technological developments since 1945, including the computer revolution, changes in communication, advances in medicine, and improvements in agricultural technology.
- Discuss forms of popular culture, with emphasis on their origins and geographic diffusion (e.g., jazz and other forms of popular music, professional sports, architectural and artistic styles).
11.9 Students analyze U.S. foreign policy since World War II.
- Discuss the establishment of the United Nations and International Declaration of Human Rights, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and their importance in shaping modern Europe and maintaining peace and international order.
- Understand the role of military alliances, including NATO and SEATO, in deterring communist aggression and maintaining security during the Cold War.
- Trace the origins and geopolitical consequences (foreign and domestic) of the Cold War and containment policy, including the following:
- The era of McCarthyism, instances of domestic Communism (e.g., Alger Hiss) and blacklisting
- The Truman Doctrine
- The Berlin Blockade
- The Korean War
- The Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Atomic testing in the American West, the "mutual assured destruction" doctrine, and disarmament policies
- The Vietnam War
- Latin American policy
4. List the effects of foreign policy on domestic policies and vice versa (e.g., protests during the war in Vietnam, the "nuclear freeze" movement).
5. Analyze the role of the Reagan administration and other factors in the victory of the West in the Cold War.
6. Describe U.S. Middle East policy and its strategic, political, and economic interests, including those related to the Gulf War.
7. Examine relations between the United States and Mexico in the twentieth century, including key economic, political, immigration, and environmental
issues.
11.10 Students analyze the development of federal civil rights and voting rights.
- Explain how demands of African Americans helped produce a stimulus for civil rights, including President Roosevelt's ban on racial discrimination in defense industries in 1941, and how African Americans' service in World War II produced a stimulus for President Truman's decision to end segregation in the armed forces in 1948.
- Examine and analyze the key events, policies, and court cases in the evolution of civil rights, including Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, and California Proposition 209.
- Describe the collaboration on legal strategy between African American and white civil rights lawyers to end racial segregation in higher education.
- Examine the roles of civil rights advocates (e.g., A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Thurgood Marshall, James Farmer, Rosa Parks), including the significance of Martin Luther King, Jr. 's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "I Have a Dream" speech.
- Discuss the diffusion of the civil rights movement of African Americans from the churches of the rural South and the urban North, including the resistance to racial desegregation in Little Rock and Birmingham, and how the advances influenced the agendas, strategies, and effectiveness of the quests of American Indians, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans for civil rights and equal opportunities.
- Analyze the passage and effects of civil rights and voting rights legislation (e.g., 1964 Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act of 1965) and the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, with an emphasis on equality of access to education and to the political process.
- Analyze the women's rights movement from the era of Elizabeth Stanton and Susan Anthony and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the movement launched in the 1960s, including differing perspectives on the roles of women.
11.11 Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society.
- Discuss the reasons for the nation's changing immigration policy, with emphasis on how the Immigration Act of 1965 and successor acts have transformed American society.
- Discuss the significant domestic policy speeches of Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton (e.g., with regard to education, civil rights, economic policy, environmental policy).
- Describe the changing roles of women in society as reflected in the entry of more women into the labor force and the changing family structure.
- Explain the constitutional crisis originating from the Watergate scandal.
- Trace the impact of, need for, and controversies associated with environmental conservation, expansion of the national park system, and the development of environmental protection laws, with particular attention to the interaction between environmental protection advocates and property rights advocates.
- Analyze the persistence of poverty and how different analyses of this issue influence welfare reform, health insurance reform, and other social policies.
- Explain how the federal, state, and local governments have responded to demographic and social changes such as population shifts to the suburbs, racial concentrations in the cities, Frostbelt-to-Sunbelt migration, international migration, decline of family farms, increases in out-of-wedlock births, and drug abuse.
Grade 12 Government & Economics CA Standards
Principles of American Democracy and Economics
Students in grade twelve pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. They compare systems of government in the world today and analyze the history and changing interpretations of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the current state of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches of government. An emphasis is placed on analyzing the relationship among federal, state, and local governments, with particular attention paid to important historical documents such as the Federalist Papers. These standards represent the culmination of civic literacy as students prepare to vote, participate in community activities, and assume the responsibilities of citizenship.
In addition to studying government in grade twelve, students will also master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics, equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of operations and institutions of economic systems. Studied in a historic context are the basic economic principles of micro- and macroeconomics, international economics, comparative economic systems, measurement, and methods.
Principles of American Democracy
12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy.
- Analyze the influence of ancient Greek, Roman, English, and leading European political thinkers such as John Locke, Charles-Louis Montesquieu, Niccolò Machiavelli, and William Blackstone on the development of American government.
- Discuss the character of American democracy and its promise and perils as articulated by Alexis de Tocqueville.
- Explain how the U.S. Constitution reflects a balance between the classical republican concern with promotion of the public good and the classical liberal concern with protecting individual rights; and discuss how the basic premises of liberal constitutionalism and democracy are joined in the Declaration of Independence as "self-evident truths."
- Explain how the Founding Fathers' realistic view of human nature led directly to the establishment of a constitutional system that limited the power of the governors and the governed as articulated in the Federalist Papers.
- Describe the systems of separated and shared powers, the role of organized interests (Federalist Paper Number 10), checks and balances (Federalist Paper Number 51), the importance of an independent judiciary (Federalist Paper Number 78), enumerated powers, rule of law, federalism, and civilian control of the military.
- Understand that the Bill of Rights limits the powers of the federal government and state governments.
12.2 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on the scope and limits of rights and obligations as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how they are secured.
- Discuss the meaning and importance of each of the rights guaranteed under the Bill of Rights and how each is secured (e.g., freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, petition, privacy).
- Explain how economic rights are secured and their importance to the individual and to society (e.g., the right to acquire, use, transfer, and dispose of property; right to choose one's work; right to join or not join labor unions; copyright and patent).
- Discuss the individual's legal obligations to obey the law, serve as a juror, and pay taxes.
- Understand the obligations of civic-mindedness, including voting, being informed on civic issues, volunteering and performing public service, and serving in the military or alternative service.
- Describe the reciprocity between rights and obligations; that is, why enjoyment of one's rights entails respect for the rights of others.
- Explain how one becomes a citizen of the United States, including the process of naturalization (e.g., literacy, language, and other requirements).
12.3 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on what the fundamental values and principles of civil society are (i.e., the autonomous sphere of voluntary personal, social, and economic relations that are not part of government), their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society.
- Explain how civil society provides opportunities for individuals to associate for social, cultural, religious, economic, and political purposes.
- Explain how civil society makes it possible for people, individually or in association with others, to bring their influence to bear on government in ways other than voting and elections.
- Discuss the historical role of religion and religious diversity.
- Compare the relationship of government and civil society in constitutional democracies to the relationship of government and civil society in authoritarian and totalitarian regimes.
12.4 Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution.
- Discuss Article I of the Constitution as it relates to the legislative branch, including eligibility for office and lengths of terms of representatives and senators; election to office; the roles of the House and Senate in impeachment proceedings; the role of the vice president; the enumerated legislative powers; and the process by which a bill becomes a law.
- Explain the process through which the Constitution can be amended.
- Identify their current representatives in the legislative branch of the national government.
- Discuss Article II of the Constitution as it relates to the executive branch, including eligibility for office and length of term, election to and removal from office, the oath of office, and the enumerated executive powers.
- Discuss Article III of the Constitution as it relates to judicial power, including the length of terms of judges and the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court.
- Explain the processes of selection and confirmation of Supreme Court justices.
12.5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments.
- Understand the changing interpretations of the Bill of Rights over time, including interpretations of the basic freedoms (religion, speech, press, petition, and assembly) articulated in the First Amendment and the due process and equal-protection-of-the-law clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.
- Analyze judicial activism and judicial restraint and the effects of each policy over the decades (e.g., the Warren and Rehnquist courts).
- Evaluate the effects of the Court's interpretations of the Constitution in Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland, and United States v. Nixon, with emphasis on the arguments espoused by each side in these cases.
- Explain the controversies that have resulted over changing interpretations of civil rights, including those in Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, and United States v. Virginia (VMI).
12.6 Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.
Analyze the origin, development, and role of political parties, noting those occasional periods in which there was only one major party or were more than two major parties.
- Discuss the history of the nomination process for presidential candidates and the increasing importance of primaries in general elections.
- Evaluate the roles of polls, campaign advertising, and the controversies over campaign funding.
- Describe the means that citizens use to participate in the political process (e.g., voting, campaigning, lobbying, filing a legal challenge, demonstrating, petitioning, picketing, running for political office).
- Discuss the features of direct democracy in numerous states (e.g., the process of referendums, recall elections).
- Analyze trends in voter turnout; the causes and effects of reapportionment and redistricting, with special attention to spatial districting and the rights of minorities; and the function of the Electoral College.
12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.
- Explain how conflicts between levels of government and branches of government are resolved.
- Identify the major responsibilities and sources of revenue for state and local governments.
- Discuss reserved powers and concurrent powers of state governments.
- Discuss the Ninth and Tenth Amendments and interpretations of the extent of the federal government's power.
- Explain how public policy is formed, including the setting of the public agenda and implementation of it through regulations and executive orders.
- Compare the processes of lawmaking at each of the three levels of government, including the role of lobbying and the media.
- Identify the organization and jurisdiction of federal, state, and local (e.g., California) courts and the interrelationships among them.
- Understand the scope of presidential power and decision making through examination of case studies such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, passage of Great Society legislation, War Powers Act, Gulf War, and Bosnia.
12.8 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life.
- Discuss the meaning and importance of a free and responsible press.
- Describe the roles of broadcast, print, and electronic media, including the Internet, as means of communication in American politics.
- Explain how public officials use the media to communicate with the citizenry and to shape public opinion.
12.9 Students analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles.
- Explain how the different philosophies and structures of feudalism, mercantilism, socialism, fascism, communism, monarchies, parliamentary systems, and constitutional liberal democracies influence economic policies, social welfare policies, and human rights practices.
- Compare the various ways in which power is distributed, shared, and limited in systems of shared powers and in parliamentary systems, including the influence and role of parliamentary leaders (e.g., William Gladstone, Margaret Thatcher).
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government.
- Describe for at least two countries the consequences of conditions that gave rise to tyrannies during certain periods (e.g., Italy, Japan, Haiti, Nigeria, Cambodia).
- Identify the forms of illegitimate power that twentieth-century African, Asian, and Latin American dictators used to gain and hold office and the conditions and interests that supported them.
- Identify the ideologies, causes, stages, and outcomes of major Mexican, Central American, and South American revolutions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
- Describe the ideologies that give rise to Communism, methods of maintaining control, and the movements to overthrow such governments in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Poland, including the roles of individuals (e.g., Alexander Solzhenitsyn, Pope John Paul II, Lech Walesa, Vaclav Havel).
- Identify the successes of relatively new democracies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the ideas, leaders, and general societal conditions that have launched and sustained, or failed to sustain, them.
12.10 Students formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy and the importance of maintaining a balance between the following concepts: majority rule and individual rights; liberty and equality; state and national authority in a federal system; civil disobedience and the rule of law; freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial; the relationship of religion and government.
Principles of Economics
12.1 Students understand common economic terms and concepts and economic reasoning.
- Examine the causal relationship between scarcity and the need for choices.
- Explain opportunity cost and marginal benefit and marginal cost.
- Identify the difference between monetary and nonmonetary incentives and how changes in incentives cause changes in behavior.
- Evaluate the role of private property as an incentive in conserving and improving scarce resources, including renewable and nonrenewable natural resources.
- Analyze the role of a market economy in establishing and preserving political and personal liberty (e.g., through the works of Adam Smith).
12.2 Students analyze the elements of America's market economy in a global setting.
- Understand the relationship of the concept of incentives to the law of supply and the relationship of the concept of incentives and substitutes to the law of demand.
- Discuss the effects of changes in supply and/ or demand on the relative scarcity, price, and quantity of particular products.
- Explain the roles of property rights, competition, and profit in a market economy.
- Explain how prices reflect the relative scarcity of goods and services and perform the allocative function in a market economy.
- Understand the process by which competition among buyers and sellers determines a market price.
- Describe the effect of price controls on buyers and sellers.
- Analyze how domestic and international competition in a market economy affects goods and services produced and the quality, quantity, and price of those products.
- Explain the role of profit as the incentive to entrepreneurs in a market economy.
- Describe the functions of the financial markets.
- Discuss the economic principles that guide the location of agricultural production and industry and the spatial distribution of transportation and retail facilities.
12.3 Students analyze the influence of the federal government on the American economy.
- Understand how the role of government in a market economy often includes providing for national defense, addressing environmental concerns, defining and enforcing property rights, attempting to make markets more competitive, and protecting consumers' rights.
- Identify the factors that may cause the costs of government actions to outweigh the benefits.
- Describe the aims of government fiscal policies (taxation, borrowing, spending) and their influence on production, employment, and price levels.
- Understand the aims and tools of monetary policy and their influence on economic activity (e.g., the Federal Reserve).
12.4 Students analyze the elements of the U.S. labor market in a global setting.
- Understand the operations of the labor market, including the circumstances surrounding the establishment of principal American labor unions, procedures that unions use to gain benefits for their members, the effects of unionization, the mini-mum wage, and unemployment insurance.
- Describe the current economy and labor market, including the types of goods and services produced, the types of skills workers need, the effects of rapid technological change, and the impact of international competition.
- Discuss wage differences among jobs and professions, using the laws of demand and supply and the concept of productivity.
- Explain the effects of international mobility of capital and labor on the U.S. economy.
12.5 Students analyze the aggregate economic behavior of the U.S. economy.
- Distinguish between nominal and real data.
- Define, calculate, and explain the significance of an unemployment rate, the number of new jobs created monthly, an inflation or deflation rate, and a rate of economic growth.
- Distinguish between short-term and long-term interest rates and explain their relative significance.
12.6 Students analyze issues of international trade and explain how the U.S. economy affects, and is affected by, economic forces beyond the United States's borders.
- Identify the gains in consumption and production efficiency from trade, with emphasis on the main products and changing geographic patterns of twentieth-century trade among countries in the Western Hemisphere.
- Compare the reasons for and the effects of trade restrictions during the Great Depression compared with present-day arguments among labor, business, and political leaders over the effects of free trade on the economic and social interests of various groups of Americans.
- Understand the changing role of international political borders and territorial sovereignty in a global economy.
- Explain foreign exchange, the manner in which exchange rates are determined, and the effects of the dollar's gaining (or losing) value relative to other currencies.
State Requirements
Welcome to State Requirements

The Health course is organized to create a relevant, consistent, attractive, and accurate high school course that is both motivating toward learning and easy to comprehend. The units of the course are presented in such a way as to make them highly relevant to the needs of today’s high school-age students. Eight units and a variety of activities for student involvement constitute the organization of the health course. Each unit has a complete review and evaluation program.
Course Offering
HEALTH
ACCEPTED GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
PRE-REQUISITE: None
COURSE SEQUENCE/PATHWAY: Students who have successfully completed Health will have met the pre-requisite for California high school graduation requirements.
DESCRIPTION: The Health course is organized to create a relevant, consistent, attractive, and accurate high school course that is both motivating toward learning and easy to comprehend. The units of the course are presented in such a way as to make them highly relevant to the needs of today’s high school-age students. Eight units and a variety of activities for student involvement constitute the organization of the Health course. Each unit has a complete review and evaluation program. The units are as follows:
A HEALTHY FOUNDATION
- Health, wellness, and environment
- Building health skills
- Being a health literate consumer
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION
- Fitness
- Nutrition and guidelines for healthy eating
- Maintaining a healthy weight
MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH
- Achieving good mental health
- Managing stress and anxiety
- Suicide prevention
- Effects of media
PROMOTING SAFE AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
- Foundations of healthy relationships
- Peer relationships
- Violence prevention
PERSONAL CARE AND BODY SYSTEMS
- Personal care
- Skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems
- Cardiovascular and respiratory systems
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
- Prenatal development and birth
- Adolescence and the life cycle
TOBACCO, ALCOHOL AND OTHER DRUGS
- The effects of tobacco
- The effects of alcohol
- Medicines and drugs
DISEASES AND DISORDERS
- Communicable diseases
- Sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS
- Non-communicable diseases and disabilities
CURRICULUM:
TEXBOOK AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS:
- Health, Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 2004
- topic-related videos
- guest speakers
- handouts
