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In Latin III, students continue to build upon their foundations of grammar and vocabulary. They learn independent uses of the subjunctive mood while expanding their understanding of the uses of nouns. New grammatical constructions are practiced and previously learned grammar is reviewed. Students begin the fall using Ritchie’s Fabulae Faciles as their text. Here they read translations of Greek myths in Latin. Students will swiftly transition to reading classical and medieval authors. They will study rhetorical and literary devices and learn to analyze Latin texts and parse complex passages. The focus of the course is on reading and understanding Latin as students transition to reading unaltered poetry and prose.

Students must have fully completed Algebra I and Geometry and need a teacher recommendation to be placed in Algebra II. This is a rigorous and competitive course that contains some of our top math students. The focus is on polynomials, operations and simplifying rational expressions, working with the graphing calculator and other graphing devices to explore functions and transformations. Students engage with radians and degrees, connecting the unit circle and the graphs of periodic functions to one another. Working both independently and cooperatively, students seek to solve word problems and other challenging material.

Language Acquisition and Development (LAD) is designed to strengthen studentsí understanding of language, and to reinforce their skills in the areas of reading fluency, reading comprehension, word attack skills, vocabulary recognition and usage, grammatical concepts, and other rudiments of language. Throughout the year, students will study short stories, articles, short essays, and other literature to deepen their understanding of the material and be able to analyze, interpret, and converse constructively about what they have read. Vocabulary words will mostly derive from the context of assigned reading, and punctuation and grammar will complement reading-based coursework. Assessments will include a variety of informal writing assignments, creative projects and quizzes.

Students must have fully completed Algebra I and Geometry and need a teacher recommendation to be placed in Algebra II. This is a rigorous and competitive course that contains some of our top math students. The focus is on polynomials, operations and simplifying rational expressions, working with the graphing calculator and other graphing devices to explore functions and transformations. Students engage with radians and degrees, connecting the unit circle and the graphs of periodic functions to one another. Working both independently and cooperatively, students seek to solve word problems and other challenging material.

In the eighth grade history program, Modern United States and World History, students build upon the skills introduced in the seventh grade to examine the twentieth century. During the eighth grade students investigate the domestic and international issues that have shaped the world, giving the class a perspective from which to better understand the present day U.S. and its place in the world. Supplementing the course are map studies, documentary videos, first-hand accounts and related current event articles. This course also emphasizes the development of research and writing techniques through note taking, tests, essays, and a term paper.

The year will be divided into three main sections of study. The first section is entitled Social Movements. In this unit we will look at how people are able to affect great changes in society. We will study the American Civil Rights Movement, and its intersection with other American struggles for justice. Students will be introduced to and explore the lives of a wide range of leaders of the Modern Civil Rights Movement. Through our investigations of de-colonization in India and Africa, we will also learn of social justice leaders on the international stage, such as Mohandas Gandhi, and Nelson Mandela, as well as the role of the many anonymous individuals who fought to make the world a more just place.

The second section of study is entitled War and Conflict. In many ways, war has been the defining characteristic of the 20th century, and we will spend the fall term analyzing many of these conflicts, starting with the Spanish-American War, moving through the two World Wars, and concluding with the Cold War. Rather than focusing solely on the United States, we will use these conflicts as a lens to view the larger world.

After taking the final exam, the year concludes with the eighth grade research paper. Students, choose the topic they wish to explore in greater depth, and by the end of the year, will have completed a high-quality, high school level paper.

Ninth graders at Indian Mountain take Applied Biology, which we regard as gaining an understanding of the scientific processes and mechanisms that impact the human population living on Earth and, reversely, the impact that our population has on Earth’s systems. In addition to being a study of living systems, this course touches upon a myriad of key science disciplines including environmental science, ecology, oceanography, climate science, and human health.

Aligning with themes within other core courses, Applied Biology utilizes current events and the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations as a gateway to foundational science understanding and skills. Students delve into topics such as infectious diseases and consider the ethics behind genetic engineering. They study plant biology and human nutrition and contemplate how to feed a global population. They learn about keystone species and analyze the impact of population decline on other species within an ecosystem. Throughout the year, opportunities present themselves for students to follow their own interests as well as to work collaboratively with their peers.

Applied Biology aims to give students a relevant lens through which to learn about the science of today to address the problems of tomorrow.

In the sixth grade, art students learn to look at and respond to works of art, objects in nature, events, and the environment. They also learn to use the vocabulary of the visual arts to express their observations. Students use a variety of media to create increasingly complex original works of art reflecting personal choices and increased technical skill. All of these components of art making are combined in a safe and fun environment that encourages creativity and creative risk taking.

Learning and the Brain is a general survey class focused primarily upon the “learning process” and principle topics associated with the acquisition, interpretation, organization, storage, and retrieval of information. Students are asked to continually reflect on their own learning process, their unique pattern of strengths and weaknesses, and the similarities and differences between their process and that of others in the class. Controversial topics, such as learning styles, laterality, multiple intelligences, and the like, are presented during class discussions in an effort to promote students’ critical thinking skills. Near the midpoint of the term, students complete an Executive Functioning Self-Assessment (adapted from the work of George McCloskey) to further examine their own strengths and weaknesses as it relates to the areas of attention, engagement, memory, efficiency, etc. The course concludes the term with studies of classical and operant conditioning, schedules of reinforcement, sensation, perception, and other related topics.

Spanish II is a second-year Spanish course that follows the successful completion of Spanish 1A and 1B. As a high school level course, the pace is necessarily rigorous. The emphasis is on solidifying the foundational concepts taught in the Level I course, while building the student’s mastery through the study of advanced verb tenses. This class is taught primarily in the target language and students are expected to participate only in Spanish. Skills that emphasize reading, writing, listening, and speaking are woven into every lesson. Cultural studies include the history of Mexico, the diversity found in different regions of the Spanish-speaking world, and the culinary contribution of Spanish and Latin American kitchens to the world palate. Upon successful completion of Spanish II, student are prepared to advance to Level III at IMS or in secondary school.

Spanish 1A is an introductory course and the rough equivalent to the first half of Level 1 Spanish in high school. The class begins with verbal practice in greetings, introductions and to introduce rules for pronunciation. Throughout the year this course covers foundational rules of grammar primarily in the present tense. Lessons related to school, food, family and daily activities help build a foundation in basic vocabulary. Daily activities include all four modalities: speaking, listening, reading and writing. Class participation is encourage through verbal exercises. A variety of cultural units are studied in order to bring a relevance to the student as they explore the richness in the lives of the people of Latin America and Spain. Successful completion of this course advances the student to the next level, Spanish 1B.