Year at a glance
Ten monthly themes, 36 weeks. Tap a month for its goals, or a week for its skills and plans.
September: Welcome / Foundations and Documents
September builds the routines that carry the year: annotation, an analysis notebook, a lab notebook and a writing portfolio. We read the earliest American voices, from Native oral tradition to colonial and enslaved writers, review the algebra that Algebra 2 builds on, learn to measure and describe motion, and study how geography, Native nations and colonization shaped early America.
Reading & writing
Build reading routines, cite strong evidence, compare accounts and points of view in early American texts, and write a literary analysis essay with MLA citations
RL.11-12.1, RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.9, RI.11-12.6, W.11-12.2, W.11-12.9, L.11-12.4b
Math
Review linear equations, inequalities and absolute value; use function notation, domain, range and rate of change; transform parent functions; graph piecewise functions and find inverses
HSA-REI.B.3, HSA-CED.A.4, HSF-IF.A.2, HSF-IF.B.6, HSF-BF.B.3, HSF-BF.B.4a
Science
Work safely, measure in SI units with significant figures, and describe one-dimensional motion with graphs and the kinematic equations, including free fall
HSN-Q.A.3, HS-PS2-1
Social studies
Source primary documents, connect geography to settlement, and explain Native nations, the Columbian Exchange, the English colonies, slavery and colonial self-government
C3 D2.His.1.9-12, D2.His.11.9-12, D2.Geo.2.9-12, D2.Geo.4.9-12
- Week1Stories of BeginningsRoots ver and cred · Linear equations and inequalities review · Lab skills and measurement · Sources and U.S. geography · 5 day plans
- Week2Encounters and AccountsRoots duc and pel · Functions, domain, range and rate of change · Position, velocity and motion graphs · Native nations and contact · 5 day plans
- Week3Covenants and ColoniesRoots fid and pac · Parent functions and transformations · Acceleration and velocity-time graphs · Jamestown and the colonial regions · 5 day plans
- Week4Voices in Chains and in PrintRoots ject and voc · Piecewise functions and inverses · Kinematic equations and free fall · Slavery, self-government and the Great Awakening · 5 day plans
October: Fall / Colonial to Revolution
October follows America from Puritan pulpits to the Declaration of Independence. We study theme and character in writers from Jonathan Edwards to Phillis Wheatley, solve quadratic equations and meet complex numbers, launch projectiles and test Newton's laws, and trace the road from the French and Indian War to independence.
Reading & writing
Analyze theme, character, persona and irony in Puritan and Revolutionary writing; write a theme and character essay comparing two texts
RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.3, RL.11-12.6, RI.11-12.6, W.11-12.2, L.11-12.4b
Math
Graph quadratics in three forms, solve quadratic equations by four methods, compute with complex numbers and model with quadratics
HSF-IF.C.8a, HSA-REI.B.4, HSN-CN.A.2, HSN-CN.C.7, HSA-REI.C.7
Science
Add and resolve vectors, predict projectile motion, and apply Newton's three laws with free-body diagrams
HS-PS2-1
Social studies
Explain the causes of the Revolution, analyze the Declaration of Independence, and describe the war from many perspectives
C3 D2.His.4.9-12, D2.His.11.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12, D2.His.16.9-12
- Week5Sermons and SuspicionRoots sanct and pen · Quadratic functions in three forms · Vectors · The French and Indian War · 5 day plans
- Week6The Self-Made CitizenRoots bene and mal · Solving quadratics · Projectile motion · Taxes, protests and the Tea Party · 5 day plans
- Week7Common Sense and IndependenceRoots rupt and volv · Complex numbers · Newton's first and second laws · Lexington to the Declaration · 5 day plans
- Week8Voices of the RevolutionRoots jur and dict · Quadratic models and linear-quadratic systems · Newton's third law and weight · The War for Independence · 5 day plans
November: Family and Gratitude / Early Republic
November is about how Americans argued their way to a new government and how they gave thanks. We analyze the rhetoric of founding documents, letters and proclamations, work with polynomials, study forces, friction and momentum through an egg-drop challenge, and follow the nation from the Articles of Confederation to Marbury v. Madison.
Reading & writing
Analyze rhetorical situations and choices in founding documents, letters and speeches; write a full rhetorical analysis essay
RI.11-12.4, RI.11-12.6, RI.11-12.8, RI.11-12.9, W.11-12.2, L.11-12.4b
Math
Add, subtract, multiply and divide polynomials, use the Remainder and Factor Theorems, graph polynomials from zeros, and apply identities and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra
HSA-APR.A.1, HSA-APR.B.2, HSA-APR.B.3, HSA-APR.C.4, HSN-CN.C.9
Science
Analyze friction, inclines and gravitation, then use momentum and impulse to design a device that protects an egg
HS-PS2-1, HS-PS2-2, HS-PS2-3, HS-PS2-4
Social studies
Explain the Articles, the Constitution's compromises and principles, ratification, the Bill of Rights and the early republic, plus the history of Thanksgiving
C3 D2.Civ.3.9-12, D2.Civ.4.9-12, D2.His.1.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12
- Week9A More Perfect UnionRoots dem, crat and arch · Polynomial operations and graphs · Friction, inclines and gravitation · From the Articles to the Convention · 5 day plans
- Week10Appeals to the NationRoots path, log and eth · Polynomial division and the Factor Theorem · Momentum and impulse · Principles, ratification and the Bill of Rights · 5 day plans
- Week11Proclamations of GratitudeRoots grat · Polynomial identities and the Fundamental Theorem of Algebra · Conservation of momentum and egg-drop testing · Washington to Marbury and the story of Thanksgiving · 5 day plans
December: Winter Holidays / Expansion
December pairs American Romanticism with American expansion. We read Irving, Poe, Hawthorne, Emerson and Thoreau and write original short stories, work with rational expressions and functions, measure work, energy and power, and study the Louisiana Purchase, the Jacksonian era, Indian removal and the Mexican-American War, ending with holiday traditions and a semester review.
Reading & writing
Analyze author's craft in Romantic and Transcendentalist writing and write an original short story with a deliberate narrator, structure and mood
RL.11-12.3, RL.11-12.5, RL.11-12.9, RI.11-12.2, W.11-12.3, L.11-12.4b
Math
Simplify and operate on rational expressions, graph rational functions with asymptotes and holes, and solve rational equations
HSA-APR.D.6, HSF-IF.C.7d, HSA-REI.A.2, HSA-CED.A.1
Science
Calculate work, kinetic and potential energy, power and efficiency, and design a device that converts energy
HS-PS3-1, HS-PS3-2, HS-PS3-3
Social studies
Explain U.S. expansion from 1803 to 1848, the Jacksonian era and Indian removal, and the growth of holiday traditions
C3 D2.His.1.9-12, D2.His.4.9-12, D2.Geo.5.9-12, D2.Civ.10.9-12
- Week12Tales of the New NationRoots luc, lumin and noct · Rational expressions · Work and energy · Louisiana, Lewis and Clark and the War of 1812 · 5 day plans
- Week13Dark RomanticsRoots mort and spect · Rational functions and asymptotes · Conservation of energy and power · Jacksonian democracy and Indian removal · 5 day plans
- Week14Self-Reliance and Manifest DestinyRoots sol and nat · Rational equations and semester review · Efficiency and energy design · Manifest Destiny, the Mexican-American War and holiday traditions · 5 day plans
January: New Year / Industrialization
January brings realism, research and the rumble of factories. We read Twain and Bierce, write an informative research paper, model growth with exponential and logarithmic functions, study waves and sound, and trace how industry, reform and the fight over slavery pulled the nation toward war.
Reading & writing
Analyze realism in Twain and Bierce and write an informative research paper with credible sources and MLA citations
RL.11-12.3, RL.11-12.5, RL.11-12.6, W.11-12.2, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8
Math
Model with exponential functions, use logarithms and their properties, and solve exponential and logarithmic equations
HSF-LE.A.1, HSF-LE.A.2, HSF-LE.A.4, HSF-IF.C.8b, HSF-BF.B.5
Science
Describe periodic motion and waves, use v = fλ, and explain sound, interference, resonance and the Doppler effect
HS-PS4-1
Social studies
Explain early industrialization, antebellum reform and the sectional crisis through secession
C3 D2.His.3.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12, D2.His.15.9-12, D2.Eco.1.9-12
- Week15Mills, Canals and Local ColorRoots fract and frag · Exponential growth and decay · Periodic motion and waves · Early industrialization · 5 day plans
- Week16Reformers and RaftsRoot port · Compound interest and e · Wave speed · Antebellum reform · 5 day plans
- Week17A House DividingRoots scrib and graph · Logarithms · Sound · The sectional crisis · 5 day plans
- Week18The Union BreaksRoots sequ and secu · Exponential and logarithmic equations · Interference, resonance and Doppler · From Dred Scott to secession · 5 day plans
February: Friendship / Civil War Era
February focuses on the Civil War and the voices that defined it. We analyze Douglass, Lincoln, Whitman and Dickinson, solve systems of equations and work with matrices, explore light and optics, and study the Civil War and Reconstruction through primary sources.
Reading & writing
Analyze evidence and rhetoric in Douglass and Lincoln and form and figurative language in Whitman and Dickinson
RI.11-12.1, RI.11-12.6, RI.11-12.9, RL.11-12.4, RL.11-12.5, W.11-12.2
Math
Solve systems in two and three variables, use matrices and inverse matrices, and apply linear programming
HSA-REI.C.6, HSA-REI.C.9, HSA-REI.D.12, HSN-VM.C.6, HSN-VM.C.8
Science
Explain light as an electromagnetic wave and investigate reflection, refraction, lenses, color and diffraction
HS-PS4-1, HS-PS4-3
Social studies
Analyze the causes, turning points and outcomes of the Civil War and the achievements and limits of Reconstruction
C3 D2.His.2.9-12, D2.His.3.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12, D2.Civ.14.9-12
- Week19Learning to Read, Learning to FightRoots liber and serv · Systems of equations review · Light and the electromagnetic spectrum · The Civil War begins · 5 day plans
- Week20Whose Fourth of July?Roots loqu and locut · Systems in three variables · Reflection and mirrors · Emancipation and turning points · 5 day plans
- Week21A New Birth of FreedomRoots cor and cord · Matrices · Refraction and lenses · The war's end and the Thirteenth Amendment · 5 day plans
- Week22Reconstruction and Two PoetsRoot anim · Inverse matrices and linear programming · Color, diffraction and polarization · Reconstruction · 5 day plans
March: Spring / Progressive Era
March moves from the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era. We read naturalist fiction and muckraking journalism, build sequences and series, wire series and parallel circuits, and study industry, immigration, labor and the reformers who pushed for change.
Reading & writing
Analyze naturalism and muckraking for theme, irony and purpose; build complex vocabulary; write an argument essay
RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.6, RI.11-12.6, W.11-12.1, L.11-12.4b
Math
Write and use arithmetic and geometric sequences and find sums of finite and infinite series
HSF-IF.A.3, HSF-BF.A.2, HSA-SSE.B.4, HSF-LE.A.2
Science
Explain electric charge and Coulomb's law, use Ohm's law, analyze series and parallel circuits, and calculate electric power and cost
HS-PS2-4, HS-PS3-1, HS-PS3-5
Social studies
Explain industrialization, immigration, labor and Progressive reforms from several perspectives
C3 D2.His.4.9-12, D2.Geo.7.9-12, D2.Eco.1.9-12, D2.Civ.14.9-12
- Week23Open Boats and Open HearthsRoot fort · Arithmetic sequences · Electric charge and Coulomb's law · The Gilded Age and labor · 5 day plans
- Week24Building a Fire, Building a CityRoots urb and migr · Geometric sequences · Current, voltage and resistance · Immigration and cities · 5 day plans
- Week25MuckrakersRoot tract · Series and sigma notation · Series and parallel circuits · Progressive reforms · 5 day plans
- Week26Voices for ChangeRoot equ · Infinite geometric series · Electric power and safety · Suffrage and civil rights before 1920 · 5 day plans
April: Earth and Environment / 20th Century
April carries us from World War I through World War II. We research the Harlem Renaissance and modernism and read The Great Gatsby, study statistics, sampling and the normal distribution, explore magnetism, electromagnetism and how electricity is generated for Earth Day, and trace war, boom, depression and recovery, including the economics behind them.
Reading & writing
Research the Harlem Renaissance or modernism, analyze The Great Gatsby and modernist poetry, and present findings
RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.9, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8, SL.11-12.4
Math
Summarize data, use the normal distribution and z-scores, and draw inferences from samples, experiments and simulations
HSS-ID.A.2, HSS-ID.A.4, HSS-IC.A.1, HSS-IC.B.3, HSS-IC.B.4, HSS-IC.B.5
Science
Explain magnetic fields and electromagnetism, build an electromagnet and a motor, and evaluate ways to generate electricity
HS-PS2-5, HS-PS3-3, HS-ETS1-3
Social studies
Analyze World War I, the 1920s, the Great Depression and New Deal (including economic ideas), and World War II and the Holocaust
C3 D2.His.4.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12, D2.Eco.11.9-12, D2.Eco.12.9-12
- Week27Over ThereRoots bell and ced · Data, center and spread · Magnets and magnetic fields · World War I · 5 day plans
- Week28The Jazz AgeRoot temp · Normal distribution and z-scores · Electromagnetism · The 1920s · 5 day plans
- Week29Hard TimesRoot fin · Sampling, surveys and experiments · Induction, motors and generators · The Great Depression and the New Deal · 5 day plans
- Week30A World at WarRoot cis · Margin of error and simulation · Generating electricity for Earth Day · World War II and the Holocaust · 5 day plans
May: Oceans / Modern America
May brings modern America and the sea. We read mid-century and contemporary voices, learn radian measure and graph sine and cosine to model tides, explore photons, the nucleus and an ocean engineering design, and study the Cold War, the civil rights movement and America's place in a connected world.
Reading & writing
Analyze theme, allegory and rhetoric in mid-century and contemporary texts and write a final literary analysis essay
RL.11-12.2, RL.11-12.6, RI.11-12.6, W.11-12.2, W.11-12.5
Math
Use radians and the unit circle, graph sine and cosine, and model periodic data
HSF-TF.A.1, HSF-TF.A.2, HSF-TF.B.5, HSF-TF.C.8, HSF-IF.C.7e
Science
Explain photons and nuclear processes and design, test and refine a solution to an ocean engineering problem
HS-PS4-3, HS-PS1-8, HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3
Social studies
Explain the Cold War, the civil rights movement, the 1960s and 1970s and global connections since 1989
C3 D2.His.3.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12, D2.Civ.14.9-12, D2.Eco.15.9-12
- Week31Witch Hunts and the Cold WarRoots phob and phil · Radians and the unit circle · Photons and the photoelectric effect · The Cold War begins · 5 day plans
- Week32Letters and MarchesRoots civ and cit · Graphing sine and cosine · Nuclear physics · The civil rights movement · 5 day plans
- Week33Tides and Turning PointsRoots mar and naut · Modeling periodic data · Engineering design for the ocean · Vietnam, movements and Watergate · 5 day plans
- Week34Global ConnectionsRoot nov · Trigonometry and year review · Test and report the design · From the end of the Cold War to today · 5 day plans
June: Review and Celebration
June wraps up the year. Students review the big ideas in every subject, give book talks, run a physics fair and present a final argument about what makes America change, then celebrate a year of growth with a portfolio showcase.
Reading & writing
Review literature and rhetoric from the year, give book talks and present portfolio pieces
RL.11-12.9, RI.11-12.9, SL.11-12.4, W.11-12.10
Math
Review Algebra 2 and present a real-world application
HSA-CED.A.1, HSA-CED.A.2, HSF-IF.B.4
Science
Review lab investigations and demonstrate one at a physics fair
HS-PS2-1, HS-PS3-1, HS-ETS1-3
Social studies
Build a year-in-review timeline and present a historical argument
C3 D2.His.2.9-12, D2.His.16.9-12