Potomac Senior High School Curriculum Chart

ART

BUSINESS

CAREER AND TECH

EDUCATION
Technical Drawing
Design, sketch, and
make drawings, models,
prototypes. Spatial
abilities and
mathematical concepts.
Focus on industry
vocabulary.

Art 1
Two-dimensional and
three-dimensional art
production, visual
literacy experiences,
elements of art,
principles of design.

Econ and Personal

Finance Career
exploration, budgeting,
banking, credit,
insurance, spending,
taxes, saving, investing,
vehicle and home
ownership, fiscal
responsibility,
inheritance

Art 2
Focus on the principles
of design, with
reinforcement of the
elements of art.

Accounting
Transactions, payroll,
statements, cash
systems, ethics and
professional conduct.

Engineering & Design

Design process, graphic
language, illustration,
patent, structural
drawing. Build on
foundation of technical
drawing prereq.

Art 3 & 4
Focus on art periods,
styles and cultures and
artists through art
production

Principals of
Business and
Marketing
Free enterprise system,
global economics,
banking, insurance, tax,
investments.

Welding 1 Fusible
materials and high heat
used to manufacture,
repair, and alter tools
and products. Manual
welding, cutting,
electric arc welding.

IGCSE Art and Design

Focus on artistic
contribution of a variety
of cultures and
understanding the role
of visual arts in history:
drawing, painting,

CIS
Word processing,
spreadsheets,
databases, multimedia,
software, networks,
telecommunications

Welding 2 Fine-tuning
of skills, multiple
welding processes, Vgroove welds. Students
earn industry
certification at
completion of course.

LANGUAGE ARTS
Grade 9
Short stories, drama
poetry, autobiography,
biography, myths,
epics, nonfiction.
Independent reading.
*Romeo and Juliet,
Hunger Games,
Animal Farm, Spirit
Bear (ESOL)
Grade 10
World Lit: Novels,
poems, essays
editorials, sci-fi,
information
management and oral
communication. In the
Time of the
Butterflies, Night,
Midsummer Nights
Dream, Esperanza
Rising (ESOL)
Grade 11
Research Paper,
American Lit:
Literary periods, SOL prep,
The Crucible, The
Scarlet Letter,
transcendentalists,
Harlem Ren, Their Eyes
Were Watching God,
Huck Finn, Catcher in
the Rye, Raisin in the
Sun

Grade 12
British Lit, college and
career prep, Beowulf,
Canterbury Tales,
Hamlet and/or Macbeth,
British poets, sonnets,
etc. Research, oral
communication, narrative,

Prepared by Kathleen OConnor for SLIB 510, Prince William County Cohort

FAMILY AND
CONSUMER SCIENCE
Intro to Culinary
Exploration of careers in
the food industry, food
science and technology,
international cuisines,
food/beverage
production and prep,
food safety and
sanitation

Culinary Arts 1
Managerial, production,
service skills. Plan,
select, store, purchase,
prepare, and serve food.
Use and care of
commercial equipment.
Nutrition and dietary
guidelines.

Culinary Arts 2
Continue to refine skills
from CA1, dining room
management, prepare
for careers: chef/cook,
pastry, dietetic aid, food
demonstrator.
Entrepreneurship.

Child Development
Parenting roles and
responsibilities, healthy
start for mother and
child, evaluating
support systems for
families, parenting

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Spanish 1-3
Use of Spanish
authentically,
communicate in reallife, grammar, vocab,
culture and customs.
Students continue to
build interpersonal and
written communication
skills through the three
levels.
Spanish 4-5
Conversation, group
discussion, skits,
dialogue, reports and
reading selections,
writing and literary
works, free composition.
Check with instructor
on literature
selections annually.

French 1-3
Use of French
authentically,
communicate in reallife, grammar, vocab,
culture and customs.
Students continue to
build interpersonal and
written communication
skills through the three
levels.
French 4-5
Conversation, group
discussion, skits,
dialogue, reports and
reading selections,
writing and literary
works, free composition.

Potomac Senior High School Curriculum Chart

graphics, photography,
textiles and 3D

AICE Art and Design

Broad range of activities to
pursue personal interests
and develop student
portfolio. Use relevant
vocabulary to make critical
judgments and
demonstrate appreciation
for cultural influences.

Adv. Design,
Multimedia and Web
Web site development,
publications, interactive
media.

Criminal Justice 1 and

2
Principals, techniques,
and practices for
pursuing careers within
the security and
criminal justice system.

analytical, expository,
technical writing.

practices, case studies.

Check with instructor

on literature
selections annually

*Librarian should meet

with English team
leaders each August as
the major works covered
are subject to change.
Also check with
Cambridge team for
their reading lists.

Independent Living
Relating to others,
financial literacy,
resource management
(clothing, food,
housing), leadership
and career planning.
Consumer skills.

Italian 1 &2
Use of French authentically,
communicate in real-life,
grammar, vocab, culture
and customs. Students
continue to build
interpersonal and written
communication skills
through the three levels.

Nutrition & Wellness

Food and lifestyle choices
for self and family,
nutrition, problem solving,
psychological and social

needs.

PHYSICAL
EDUCATION
HPE 1 Individual and
team activities,
personal fitness,
nutrition, mental health,
family, substance abuse
prevention.

MATH Continued
Geometry Two and
three dimensional
reasoning skills,
transformational and
coordinate, real-world
application.

HPE 2 All of the above

^^ plus lifetime fitness,
family life, first aid, CPR
and classroom driver
education.

Trigonometry
definitions, applications,
graphing, and solving.
Right angle, trig, and
circular functions.
Equations and
inequalities.

Weight Training Focus

on personal fitness

Alg. Functions
Mathematical modeling

Marketing

Music

Science

Sports Marketing
Concepts for sports,
entertainment, and
recreation. Branding,
sponsorship,
endorsements,
promotion plans.
Business Law
Foundations of
American legal system,
economic and social
concepts, business and
personal law

Orchestra Technical
and ensemble skills,
proper playing of
stringed instrument,
study literature
according to their ability
level.
Guitar technical and
ensemble skills, music
reading, proper playing
technique, study of
various musical genres
for guitar

Earth Science
Astronomy, space,
meteorology,
oceanography, geology
and environmental
resources.

World History/Geo 1

Biology Ecology,
taxonomy, cells,
genetics, microbiology,
and physiology

US/VA History

Fashion Marketing
Apparel and accessories

Band/Percussion
Learn technical and

Chemistry Atomic
structure, chemical

Prepared by Kathleen OConnor for SLIB 510, Prince William County Cohort

(*students who object to

dissection must be provided
comparable learning
experience)

Social Studies

(to 1500) Paleolithic era,

agricultural era, river
valley, Persia, India, China,
Greece and Rome,
Byzantine, early Islam,
Mayans, Incas, Aztecs

Exploration and
colonization, Euro economic
influences, slavery,
revolution, constitution,
civil war, WWI and II, Cold
War, civil rights movement,
Vietnam, Contemporary US

World History /Geo 2

(1500 to present)

Potomac Senior High School Curriculum Chart

goals: cardio, muscular,
endurance, flexibility,
body fat control.

and data analysis,

functions and their
behavior. Practical app
in business, science and
finance.

industry, fashion history

and trends, specialized
marketing techniques
and employment

ensemble skills through

the study of related
literature, rehearsals
and performances,
marching band

bonding, formulas and

equations, kinetic
theory, acid-based
theory and simple
organic chemistry

Reformation, Age of
Discovery, Absolutism,
Scientific/Industrial Rev,
Enlightenment,
Imperialism, world religions,
20th C conflicts.

Athletic Injuries 1-3

Recognition, prevention,
management and
treatment of common
sports injuries. Personal
and communication
skills of an athletic
trainer.
MATH

Computer Math
Automated theoremproving, sets, relations,
algebra, geometry,
calculus and proofs
using computer to
problem-solve.

NJROTC: Naval
Science 1-4

Physics Newtonian
mechanics, fluids, wave
phenomena, electricity
and magnetism,
thermodynamics and
modern physics.

US/VA Govt. National,

state, local,
constitutional principles,
citizenship, political
parties. Free-market
economics, democratic
process

Algebra 1 Equations,
expressions,
inequalities, behaviors
of functions. Graphing
calculator use.

Trig/Functions
Combo of trig and
functions above, taught
at an accelerated pace.

Concert Choir, treble

choir, mens choir,
advanced choir:
Learn a variety of vocal
skills through study of
related choral literature;
develop technical
facility and proficient
musicianship,
performances/styles
genres and periods of
music. Various
performances and
evaluations at multiple
venues throughout the
school year.

AICE Psychology
Cognitive, social,
physiological,
development.
Psychology of individual
differences and
abnormalities.
Relationship of psych to
education, health,
organizations, and
environments.

Algebra 2 Advanced
algebraic concepts,
building on ^^ skills,
polynomials, rational
and radical numbers,
sequence and series of
equations.

AICE Higher Math

AICE Thinking Skills

Increase ability to analysis

problems logically, identify
and interpret relevant
factors and select
appropriate mathematical
method to solve problems.

Applied arithmetic,
evaluating evidence,
evaluating &presenting
argument reason and logic

Astronomy
Mathematical treatment
of topics such as
universal laws, galaxies,
stellar evolution solar
system and its motion,
space
Oceanography Ocean
basins, marine
chemistry, salinity and
density, waves and
tides, tools, methods,
ecology.
Environmental
Management (AICE)

Advanced Math
extends algebra and
trig. Functions and their
inverse, graph theory,
matrices, conic sections
and logarithms.

Leadership, maritime
history, geography, Sea
Power, National Security,
uniform protocol, naval
weapons and aircraft, Naval
operations. Levels 3 and 4
provide leadership
opportunities for cadets.
Optional Level 5 Challenge
course is capstone: tread
water, swim, physical
readiness and fitness test.

Gifted CrossCurricular

Leadership Seminar
Planning, coordinating,
and implementing
school wide activities.
Event planning.
GEMS American
Identity (11)
Philosophy (12)

Prepared by Kathleen OConnor for SLIB 510, Prince William County Cohort

Local and global issues

concerning lithosphere,
hydrosphere, biosphere,
and atmospheres. Effect of
human activity on these
systems.

Yearbook Production
class focuses on
photography, layout and
design, writing, ,
responsible journalism,
First Amendment
freedoms, marketing
and sales of finished
product and
participation in VHSL
competition.

Potomac Senior High School Curriculum Chart

Reflection Statement
In order to create my chart, I used our schools teacher locator document, which is a spreadsheet that lists where
each teacher is every period of the day, and what class they teach that period. This was the skeleton of my project.
I then went to the course catalog to get an idea for each courses description, and from there I went to department
chairs and teachers to see if the description in the catalog was an accurate depiction of what actually goes on in the
classroom. In the English department, I found that teachers would MOST like librarians to be aware of the major
works that they teach each year, because these are paperbacks students typically have to acquire for themselves,
either by purchasing them or checking them out from the library. From there, I filled in my chart. The librarians at
my school, though they do not use a chart like this, really seem to have their finger on the pulse of what is going
on in school. Mrs. K took time to show me all the new books that we received in the library this year that tie
specifically to things that teachers in the building are doing.
Formatting my chart and using very precise language and concise descriptions, in order to meet the two-page
requirement, was my biggest challenge. The most significant and alarming thing that I noticed in creating my chart
is just how many electives we have lost due to budget constraints. I was shocked at the number of courses that are
no longer offered in my school, including some that seem quite essential, like journalism, creative writing, and Latin.
I was also amazed to see how much information World History/Geo teachers are required to cover in one year! 1500
through the 21st Century?? I cant believe that! I could barely fit all the information in my chart, I cant imagine how
they teach all that in a year.
Overall, I think this was a very helpful project. I learned a lot about what is going on in my school outside of the
English department.

Prepared by Kathleen OConnor for SLIB 510, Prince William County Cohort