JHS 2015-2016 Elective Selection Form

You will have a choice of electives for Monday/Wednesday and Tuesday/Thursday during 7th period. Some are semester long courses and will be denoted by an asterisk (*). Most of the classes are year-long so choose wisely. Please select a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice, with your most desired elective being your 1st choice. Make sure you make note of any prerequisites that you need prior to selecting it to make sure you qualify. You can choose from the following electives:

INTRO TO ART - The course encourages students to build up some skills in drawing basic figures starting from basic line and ending with mixed geometric figures. As one gains a good hold on the basic shapes, the course will introduce the idea of perspective, horizon line, and vanishing points. Not only will a student then be able to draw basic shapes, but he or she will also be able to think in a three-dimensional way. Later in the course, students will be introduced to the idea of shading, value, texture, and cast shadows. Finally, they will be asked to duplicate artworks to reach perfection and accumulate enough experience in fine detailed artworks. An exhibition of students' finished work will be held in the school.

ACTIVISM - Your Voice - Your Choice! Develop your leadership skills, explore human rights, direct social change, find what sparks you. Become aware, informed, and get involved. Change your school, your community, and beyond… positively! Meet and learn how amazing leaders/organizations have made significant changes in their communities and the world. We will be going on field trips to learn from others, partner, and get involved. If you are currently in Student Government or have ever wanted to be, this class is a great opportunity where you not just talk but LEAD and DO.

ADVANCED ART - Students will start by making complicated sketches in all aspects of life such as landscape, seascape, still life, animal life, and portraits. Later on, they will be introduced to color theory and begin their first painting using acrylic paints, gradually moving to oil paints. Along the way, there will be some classes on cartoon characters and murals.

DRAMA - Explore the wacky world of stage through improv and performance! Drama classes combine activities to build stage presence and speech skills with lessons in costuming and set design. Mini performances during the year will build to a second-semester production in the spring. Come get in the act!

PHOTOGRAPHY - Do you have a fancy camera but don't know how to use it? Do you want to learn to see the world in a new way? Or do you just want to take your Snapchat game to the next level? In Photo 1 (first semester) we learn how to make a photograph through compositional techniques, and in Photo 2 (second semester) we learn how to utilize our camera's functions to help us grow as artists. This fun class requires a bit of work outside of school but provides you with the skills you need to call yourself a photographer. Don't let this opportunity pass you by. (Students planning to stay in the class all year long do need to have a DSLR camera at their disposal and available for every class. A phone does not count as a camera.) All photography students must have a camera.

REVOLUTIONS - Can ordinary people take extraordinary actions to end oppression and injustice? Can love overcome evil? Can nonviolent resistance be stronger than a weapon? Is nonviolence possible in Palestine? Can nonviolent power really make any sustainable change in the world? Discuss, debate, critique, and engage with these questions and more in this year's Peace Research class. Students will learn about the philosophies of nonviolence, strategies of non-violent resistance, and the impact of nonviolence through case studies of successful nonviolent revolutions around the globe. Simultaneously, students will learn about the research process; acquiring skills to find sources, draft, write, edit and effectively construct a research paper. Required for all Academy students.

SAT 2 PREP - Learn the content and the skills you need to succeed on the SAT 2 subject test in: Math 1C, 2C, Biology, and/or Chemistry.

STUDY HALL - Make sure you have all your work you need to get done and have dedicated space and time to accomplish all of it. This will be a quiet space with a teacher there to help you.

YEARBOOK - Capture everything that has taken place this year around JHS! Then work with a team to put it in a nice, unique package. For the first time ever, Yearbook staff will create a digital copy of the yearbook! With a digital yearbook, you'll be able to easily send your work to all the schools you are thinking of.