Electives

Exploring the Possibilities

Lopez School offers an innovative roster of electives geared to interests in the sciences, the arts, the natural world and more. This is a partial list of electives offered to grades 6-12 in recent years. For a more complete list of available courses click here.

Course Descriptions

AP English, American Literature 

AP World Literature is a class intended for accelerated students in 11th or 12th grade and will prepare them to take Advanced Placement exams in English. Students will study standard, challenging works in American literature, and write expository essays. Students will study Greek and Latin roots and standard literary conventions.

 

AP English, World Literature

AP World Literature is a class intended for accelerated students in 11th or 12th grade and will prepare them to take Advanced Placement exams in English. Students will study standard, challenging works in World literature, and write expository essays. Students will study Greek and Latin roots and standard literary conventions.

 

Math, AP Calculus

A first year Calculus class, this course is designed to prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in the spring.  Some summer work prior to class may be required.  Graphing calculators are required.  Prerequisites:  “C” or better in Pre-Calculus.

 

AP Environmental Science

Full-year lab science elective, meets 3 days a week. AP test success in May qualifies for college credit, AP credit on transcript is an advantage in college acceptance. Open to grades 9-12. Prerequisites or concurrently: 2 years lab science (Biology, Physical Science) and 1 year Algebra. Curriculum: Earth science: geology, atmosphere, water resources, soil. Ecology: ecosystems, energy flow, diversity, evolution, cycles. Population: dynamics, impacts of growth. Land & water use: agriculture, forestry, rangelands, residential, mining, fishing. Energy resources & consumption: history of use, types of energy. Pollution:  air, noise, water pollution and their impacts. Global change: ozone depletion, global warming, biodiversity loss. Laboratory and Field work: Learning specific skills and procedures, Planning for and conducting investigations in the field/lab, Analyzing data, preparing and presenting conclusions. Ongoing project on Lopez Hill with local scientists throughout the year.

 

Aeronautical Science

Students will learn about airplanes and how they fly through building flying model airplanes. Students will learn about and experience: aviation history, science of aerodynamics, building flying models, and testing model airplanes.

 

Anatomy and Physiology thru Art

This class will focus on learning about the systems and structures of the human body by studying them with an artist's eye.  Depictions and conceptions of human anatomy throughout history will also be explored.  Students will demonstrate their knowledge through drawing and other art media.

 

Ancient World Cultures

The course covers the study of ancient cultures including Egypt, China, the Mediterranean, Greece, Rome, Viking, Feudal Europe, Mayan, Aztec and Zimbabwe and compare how they rose to power as a civilization and why they declined. It examines their every day life including food, housing, clothing and social structure.

 

Architecture 

Students will design and build a scale model of a “starter” house as part of the class requirement.

 

Art History

This year-long class is project-based course in Art History covering prehistoric to modern art.  The class includes lectures, art projects, tests, and presentations.  Students are required to keep a portfolio of notes and work for review at the end of each semester. Permission from instructor is required for students entering the class at mid-year.

 

Botany

Field and lab-based course. Study the anatomy and function of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds. Progagate plants in the green house by a variety of methods. Identify and classify plant types by phylum or family. Study the natural history, habitats and adaptations of plants and the historical and current uses of plants by people.

 

Ceramics 

In order to get a passing grade, the student must complete at least two projects, one coil container and one slab-built container no less than 4 inches in diameter/with and height.  A wheel-thrown pot of similar dimensions may replace slab, coil, or both. Course fee: $50

 

Cornerstones of Thought 

Students will examine, interpret, analyze, and compare systems of thought discussed by recognized thinkers. They will appreciate similarities, differences, and growth over time, and recognize the previous generations made to subsequent systems of thought.

 

Creative Writing 

Students gain confidence and skill by approaching writing from different creative angles and practicing that craft on a regular basis; they learn to appropriately interest their intended reader while working with a range of themes, from advertising to letter-writing. In order to meet these goals, students write a new item every week, editing with a partner and completing at least three drafts of each item; the themes and methods change weekly.

 

Culinary Arts  

Students will study institutional food preparation. They will learn how to prepare healthy, nutritional food within the guidelines of the San Juan County Health Dept. and WA State School Lunch Program students will obtain a food handlers permit and learn basic culinary skills including, but not limited to knife care, knife skills, food preparations prior to cooking, and techniques for preparing and presenting several kinds of composed salads.

 

3-D Design

In this class students will explore the process of 3-Dimensional Design from the planning phase through the completion of sculptural pieces.  Students will have opportunity to experience a variety of media and art making processes, such as clay, plaster, etc..  Both additive and subtractive methods of sculpture will be included.

 

Digital Movie Making

In this class you will learn the basic techniques used in making a quality film.  During the course you will be responsible for making at least two short films that incorporate a variety of audio and video techniques.  The Family Resource Center will provide digital video cameras, laptop computers for editing and lighting equipment to make your work look professional.  This open to all students in the middle/highschool.  Course fee: $25.

 

Farm, Food, Sustainable Living

In this class, students will learn how to grow food, care for soil, plants, and animals, to bake breads, prepare, process, and preserve seasonal foods, and to live sustainably. Students will spend two afternoons a week at the S&S Homestead Farm, working with the farmers and their interns. Topics will include developing a garden; taking plants from seed to plate; understanding water systems, rotational grazing, orchard management, pest control, fertility management, and animal husbandry. Grades 9-12. Vocational credit. P/F or A. To Pass, students must participate, do assigned readings, and keep a journal. A level requires a project, to be agreed upon by student and instructors. Limit - seven students. 

 

Farm-to-School Gardening

Come on down to S&S Homestead to get your hands in the soil and grow some food! This elective class will be a very "hands-on" approach to learning about soil, plants, seeds, food choices, and growing healthful foods year-round here on Lopez. We will spend class periods down on the farm managing a 20' x 48' greenhouse and bring the harvest back to school to be used in the cafeteria. Expect to learn a lot and get dirty.

 

Computer Assisted Design CAD

Students will learn 3-D modeling concepts and the use command and capabilities of Rhino software. They will use basic geometry including curves, solids and surface as well as render and present final projects.

 

Film and Literature

Students compare and contrast the essential elements of visual and written literature. In order to meet these goals, students read and analyze texts prior to class sessions, view significant films or clips, participate in class discussions, and present their thoughts in writing; a journal is a major component of this course. 

 

French 1

Comprehend and produce oral statements, questions and commands, related to basic survival and social needs. Comprehend printed material and oral communications related to basic survival and social needs when the structure and syntax parallels the English language. Meet written basic survival and social needs through completion of forms, short messages and simple letters. Learn the basic phonemes of the French language, with acceptable non-native pronunciation. Build a basic working vocabulary of approximately 1000 words.

 

French 2

Comprehend and produce oral statements, questions and commands, relative to basic facts of daily life, including the acquisition of meals, lodging and transportation. Meet written basic survival and social needs through completion of forms, short messages and simple letters. Approach and communicate in a non-culturally offensive manner with a collaborative francophone, through increased cultural awareness. Increase the basic vocabulary to approximately 2000 words.

 

French 3

Recognize oral statements, questions and commands, beyond the basic facts of daily life, including comprehension of inflection and subject-verb agreement, at a semi-automatic level. Produce oral statements, questions and commands, relative to leisure time activities and personal history and preferences, which could plausibly result in successful interactions with an average francophone speaker, with minimal interference from the English language, increasing grammatical accuracy. Comprehend printed material, produce written paragraph, and differentiate between formal and familiar writing styles in fundamental and intermediate areas of socio-linguistics. Increase the basic working vocabulary to approximately 3000 words.

 

French 4

Comprehend and produce spontaneous oral statements, questions and commands related to a wide range of topics, including abstract subjects and concepts. Comprehend printed fictional and non-fictional material and oral communications at a public media reading level. Produce brief letters, business communications, synopses and short compositions on familiar topics. Demonstrate in writing and orally a basic comprehension of authors in French literature. Comprehend French history. Increase the basic vocabulary to approximately 4000 words.

 

French 5

This course will be jointly designed in cooperation by the instructor and the students in order to fulfill the needs of the students. The course may include the study of French literature, advanced grammar practice, practical projects, or instruction of lower level students.

 

French 6

This course will be jointly designed in cooperation by the instructor and the students in order to fulfill the needs of the students. The course may include the study of French literature, advanced grammar practice, practical projects, or instruction of lower level students.

 

Marine Biology

Marine biology is a full year science elective (open to grades 10-12) that emphasizes experience in the field and in the lab.  We will be using local intertidal locations (and the lab) regularly to do investigations, collect, identify and document. Participation is expected (sometimes this means getting wet/cold!). Students will compare abundance and diversity around Lopez and investigate ecological questions.  Topics include:  all the invertebrates, marine mammals and birds, fish, seaweeds, plankton and the various ecosystems these inhabit. Permission from instructor is required for students entering the class at mid-year.

 

Off the Rock Project

Students will work as a group to organize 4 class trips. One will be local (on-island) and be service-oriented. The next trip will likely be off island, but within our county. Trips 3 and 4 will be overnight trips in the spring to the mainland. One of these needs to be service-oriented as well. Students in the class will work together to create, plan, and organize all elements of each trip such as: where each trip will go & what the focus will be, when each trip will happen to accommodate all students, planning logistics, fundraising, developing a budget, securing all paperwork for the district, publicizing to the community, planning for trip documentation, contacting chaperones, meal planning, arranging for transportation and activities, etc. The semester will culminate in a community presentation about the endeavors of the class produced by all students in the group. 

 

Mountain Biking 

Students must have a bike with traction tires and a helmet. The bikers will be riding every class period regardless of weather conditions, excepting typhoons and heavy snowfall. During cold weather, students should bring extra clothing to change into after class.

 

 

Photography

This is a course for those who have never gone beyond a basic snap and shoot camera and would like to learn camera basics, how to work in a darkroom, how to use a digital camera and begin to explore Adobe Photoshop.  Students that have taken beginning photography but are not independent in the darkroom should sign up for this course.  This will be a graded course (weekly assignments) and will require time outside of the scheduled class time.  Students will learn how to work with black and white film, look critically at lighting and learn how to compose an excellent photograph.Course fee: $50 (to cover the expense of paper, chemicals and batteries).

 

Psychology

This is the study of how the mind works and its effect on behavior.  Topics may include: the development of psychology, scientific methods used in studying behaviors, principles of development, biological influences on behavior, personality theories, different ways to measure personality and intellect, principles of learning, thinking, sensation vs. perception, motivations and emotions, frustration and conflict, personality disturbances and their treatment. Permission from instructor is required for students entering the class at mid-year.

 

Shakespeare

Students approach, interpret, and analyze elements of the works of Shakespeare, including history plays, problem plays, comedies, tragedies, and sonnets. In order to meet these goals, students read and analyze texts prior to class sessions, view filmed interpretations of plays, participate in class discussions, and present their thoughts in writing; a journal is a major component of this course.  

 

Sources of Literature

This course is an elective English course, and is open to most high school students; successful completion of the Language and Literature course is recommended. Over the course of the semester, students explore the philosophical and religious sources of western literature, and learn to respond to those sources. In order to meet these goals, students read a group item before every class session, write down reflections in a personal journal, and discuss the item with the other students during class. Students will complete timed essays at regular intervals in order to verify their comprehension of the subject. As a major project, students will individually read one book from the Bible and present it to the class; they will objectively discuss its setting, characters, and themes. They will also prepare questions for assessments based on Bloom’s Taxonomy. Most assessments will be corrected in accordance to the Six Traits rubrics that our school has adopted. Students need to schedule an individual conference by the end of the second week of class if they wish to jointly design a personalized honor curriculum.

 

Spanish 1 

Students will master basic Spanish grammar and learn basic Spanish vocabulary. Students will be able to generate the language at a basic level, understand spoken Spanish at a basic level, and respond appropriately to common phrases. Students will be able to read and write simple Spanish while developing good pronunciation skills. They will understand something about the diverse cultures that use Spanish, including those in the United States.

 

Spanish 2 

Students will master basic Spanish grammar and learn basic Spanish vocabulary. Students will be able to generate the language at a basic level, understand spoken Spanish at a basic level, and respond appropriately to common phrases. Students will be able to read and write simple Spanish while developing good pronunciation skills. They will understand something about the diverse cultures that use Spanish, including those in the United States.

 

Spanish 3

In this level of Spanish we are working to build increasing skills in communication.  The focus of each unit is an information-based theme, such as personal choices, foods and meals, and traditions from other eras.  All vocabulary, grammar and cultural content come from and feed into the themes and are supplemented with films, poetry and cultural encounters.  Thus, students are from day one practicing the skills of seeking and providing information; and the grammar covered includes all verb tenses and the subjunctive mood.  To make certain that the work is in line with state and national standards, the chosen text, ¿Sabías Que?, is also used at the University of Washington and across the state at the high school level to complete the first year university coursework.

 

Stained Glass

This class will provide instruction on how to create stained glass windows. Students will learn techniques such as cutting, foiling and soldering as well as design and history of stained glass. Course fee: $25

 

Stained Glass, Advanced 

This class is designed only for high school students who have taken the stained glass class before. Students are expected to choose their own project designs which are appropriate and challenging to their personal skill level. Students are responsible for purchasing their own lamp kits, if desired. Course fee: $50 * Students must apply for and be accepted into Advanced Stained Glass. Students may only sign up for the class with teacher permission.

  

World Percussion and Cultures 

The music focus will be the use of percussion instruments. We will study how the music of a culture is a reflection of social upheaval and change in a country. In studying the cultures from around the world, we will look at how cultures were “colonized” and the results of clashes between cultures. 

 

Yearbook

Be a part of the high school yearbook staff!  Take part in ensuring that the memories of your school are captured for a lifetime.  Students in yearbook learn how to design pages and layouts using professional programs, how to sharpen up business skills, and how to take better pictures.

International Travel

Athletics

Music

Art & Drama

L.I.F.E. Garden Program

L.I.F.E. Trail

Biodynamic Farming

K-5 Discovery Days

Middle School Mini Week