Course Catalog

Accelerate to Geometry is a short course designed to prepare students for success in Geometry. It focuses on reviewing the essential skills and mathematical concepts that serve as the foundation for upcoming learning. Students will apply their understanding of algebraic techniques to rewrite and solve expressions and equations. Students will also explore simple probability and revisit fundamental geometric relationships.

Algebra 2 v7.0 is a completely re-designed course that offers 100% alignment to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics. In addition to the emphasis on alignment, the new lessons in the course are designed to be shorter in length than lessons of previous versions, offering focused exploration of topics to make concepts more digestible for learners and intentionally grouped to reinforce connections. Practice questions are included with each lesson, including technology-enhanced items and explanations to assist learners in their understanding of the concepts. New features to support student mastery include worksheets for practice and guided notes to help learners record key takeaways as they move through the tutorial. The course is built around learner engagement, with more interactive lessons, videos that work through examples and model problem-solving skills, and experiences to support multi-modal learning and sense-making. Scaffolding pieces are included throughout the course to provide learners with opportunities to build on foundational skills as well as prepare for greater success by drawing learners’ attention to common misunderstandings and articulating the big ideas that underpin learning. This fresh new look and feel for the course was inspired by educator feedback. Algebra 2 v7.0 reflects our commitment to standards alignment and putting the needs of educators and learners first in all aspects of course design.

In Math 2, students will continue developing a strong number sense as well as mental math and problem-solving skills using researchbased methods. Students will also focus on three-digit numbers, addition and subtraction to 1000, data collection, money, time, and shapes. Engaging, project-based units promote critical-thinking skills and include activities such as designing a sneaker and organizing a fundraising event.

Math 4 dives deeper into addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers; fractions; data and graphing; measuring angles and symmetry; and calculating perimeter and area of squares and rectangles. In this project-based course, students will have the opportunity apply the skills they have learned in activities such as building a travel itinerary, preparing a budget for a trip, and using geometry to design a dream neighborhood.

Kindergarten Math focuses on the basics of counting to 100, simple addition, subtraction, measuring, and shapes. Students will engage in projects that utilize learning in useful ways, such as creating a number book and measuring and weighing an item to ship to a family in need. Students will practice skills in both offline and engaging online activities and in game-based practice.

Financial Algebra is designed to instruct students in algebraic thinking while also preparing them to navigate a number of financial applications. Students will explore how algebraic knowledge is connected to many financial situations, including investing, using credit, paying taxes, and shopping for insurance. In studying these topics, students will learn about the linear, exponential, and quadratic relationships that apply to financial applications. In addition, the course will help prepare students to tackle the wide variety of financial decisions they will face in life, from setting up their first budget to planning for retirement.

These two semester-long courses are designed to enable all students at the high-school level to develop a deep understanding of the math objectives covered and leave them ready for their next steps in mathematics. The courses are built to the Common Core State Standards. The three units in Semester A advance students through the study of single-variable expressions to systems of equations, while Semester B covers functions, advanced functions, and concludes with a practical look at the uses of geometry and trigonometry.

Beginning with the simplification of rational and polynomial expressions, Semester A takes students through the next steps in mastering the principles of integrated math. These two semester-long courses focus on meeting Common Core objectives with engaging and interactive content. Semester B begins with the derivation of the trigonometric formula for the area of a triangle, and proceeds through the use of functions and on developing the critical thinking skills necessary to make logical and meaningful inferences from data.

Math 7 builds on material learned in earlier grades, including fractions, decimals, and percentages and introduces students to concepts they will continue to use throughout their study of mathematics. Among these are surface area, volume, and probability. Real-world applications facilitate understanding, and students are provided multiple opportunities to master these skills through practice problems within lessons, homework drills, and graded assignments.

Precalculus builds on algebraic concepts to prepare students for calculus. The course begins with a review of basic algebraic concepts and moves into operations with functions, where students manipulate functions and their graphs. Precalculus also provides a detailed look at trigonometric functions, their graphs, the trigonometric identities, and the unit circle. Finally, students are introduced to polar coordinates, parametric equations, and limits.

Accelerate to English 11 is a short course designed to prepare students for success in English 9. It focuses on the reading and writing skills that will serve as the foundation for upcoming learning. Students will read literary and informational texts to analyze how authors use various structures, elements, and techniques to create effects. Students will also use close reading strategies to interpret texts and inform your writing.

Business English is designed to strengthen students’ ability to read and write in the workplace. Writing for business purposes is a main focus of the course. Students will learn how to communicate effectively through email and instant messaging, as well as format specific types of business messages and workplace documents. The role of digital media, visuals, and graphics in workplace communication will be explored. The importance of professionalism, ethics, and other positive skills are also emphasized in the course. Additionally, guidance is provided to help students through the process of searching, applying, and interviewing for a job.

In this course, students will increase the complexity of foundational phonics, high-frequency words, sentence creation, and other daily activities. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are intertwined so that students learn them organically and with purpose. Students will read a variety of trade books, shorter texts, excerpts, articles, and leveled readers across genres to keep engagement high and learning fresh. Through reading and writing, students explore character analysis, story structure, biographies, and interpretation of informational texts. Projects include exploring pioneer life through narrative, informational, and persuasive writing.

In ELA, students will develop reading and writing skill with a growing focus on nonfiction and opinion writing. Exploring topics like natural disasters and currencies, students will increase their autonomy as readers and sharpen claims supported by evidence. Students will learn how to conduct research, integrate information, make connections across sources, and organize information. Later, they will demonstrate their understanding and skills through project-based activities such as creating an investigative journalism report for a television news segment.

Kindergarten ELA begins to develop students’ reading skills through daily phonemic awareness, phonics, print concepts, and decoding work. Students will learn how to identify characters, settings, and major events in a story, all contextualized in authentic texts. Projects include writing about communities and finding patterns in the real world. Students will be given multiple opportunities to practice their foundational skills when thinking and communicating about texts.

English 7 Integrates the study of writing and literature through the examination of a variety of genres. Students identify the elements of composition in the reading selections to understand their function and effect on the reader. Practice is provided in narrative and expository writing. Topics include comparison and contrast, persuasion, and cause and effect essays, as well as descriptive and figurative language. Lessons are supplemented with vocabulary development, grammar, and syntax exercises, along with an introduction to verbal phrases and research tools.

English 9 v7.0 is a completely re-designed course that offers 100% alignment to Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. In addition to an emphasis on alignment, the redesigned lessons are designed based on a clear thematic connection and build upon each other ensuring that standards are scaffolded and covered multiple times doing deeper with each lesson. Texts in this course are diverse, authentic, complex, and rich in length. Students encounter texts multiple times over the course of a unit digging deeper in theme and focus standards. Each lesson follows a clear instructional model mirroring that of the traditional tier-one lesson cycle: warm-up, direct teach with modeling, guided practice, independent practice, and closure. Instructional best practices are embedded throughout lessons such as close reading, modeling, and chunking. Features to support student mastery included guided notes and graphic organizers. Scaffolding pieces, such as Clarifying Big Ideas (CBI) lessons are included throughout the course to provide learners with opportunities to build on foundational skills as well as prepare for greater success by drawing learners’ attention to common misunderstandings and articulating the big ideas that underpin learning. These CBI lessons include additional modeling, student examples, and detailed explanations to ensure students internalize key concepts discussed in tutorials.

English 10 is a completely re-designed course that offers 100% alignment to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts. In addition to the emphasis on alignment, the new lessons in the course are designed to be shorter in length than lessons of previous versions, offering focused exploration of topics to make concepts more digestible for learners, and intentionally grouped to reinforce connections. Practice questions are included with each lesson, including technology-enhanced items and explanations to assist learners in their understanding of the concepts. This new design offers learners multiple opportunities to experience the reading and writing connection via analysis tasks, and other opportunities to engage in research and experience writing across genres. Instructional best practices are embedded throughout lessons such as the close reading of texts and application of reading strategies. New features to support student mastery include worksheets for practice and guided notes to help learners record key takeaways as they move through the tutorial. Scaffolding pieces, such as Clarifying Big Ideas (CBI) lessons, are included throughout the course to provide learners with opportunities to build on foundational skills as well as prepare for greater success by drawing learners’ attention to common misunderstandings and articulating the big ideas that underpin learning. These CBI lessons include additional modeling, student examples, and detailed explanations to ensure students internalize key concepts discussed in tutorials. This fresh new look and feel for the course was inspired by educator feedback. English 10 reflects our commitment to standards alignment and putting the needs of educators and learners first in all aspects of course design.

Students in grade 3 Science are encouraged to think critically about their observations and explore multiple answers to problems. Students strengthen their writing skills through detailed reporting, logical reasoning, managing data in tables, and graphical drawings. Students conduct sophisticated research using variables, technology, engineering, and fair test practices. While exploring force and motion, cause and affect relationships, the life cycles of living organisms, and weather patterns, students will make claims about the merit of solutions by citing relevant evidence that meet specific criteria. Students also begin learning how limited resources and materials put constraints on problem-solving.

In Social Studies, students will learn about the growth of the United States after the Civil War—through World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and into the modern era. Students will employ historical thinking skills and activities to investigate and analyze historic events, social and political changes, and economic changes, connecting the events of the past to their world today, including how their state contributed to major revolutions in thought, such as the Civil Rights Movement.

National Civics is a one-semester course offering seven units that cover topics including the origins of American government, the structure and function of our government, rights and responsibilities of citizens, the American federal system, political parties and the election process, basic economic principles, and current matters regarding domestic and foreign policy. The course includes a variety of unit and lesson activities that examine the history, culture, and economy of the nation that encourage research and reflection. In these activities, students will examine seminal documents and landmark Supreme Court cases in American political history, analyze changes in federal and executive power over time, explore the political election process and data related to recent voting trends, research and propose a public policy plan, as well as compare and contrast the functions of the national government with state and local governments. The course also prepares students to pass the civics portion of the USCIS Naturalization Test.

This course covers basic economic problems such as scarcity, choice, and effective use of resources. It also covers topics on a larger scale such as market structures and international trade. It particularly focuses on the US economy and analyzes the role of the government and the Federal Reserve System. 

In Middle School World History, learners will study major historical world events from early human societies through to the present day. Multimedia tools including custom videos as well as videos from the BBC, custom maps, and interactive timelines will help engage learners as they complete this year-long course. They will explore the development of early humans and early civilizations. They will be introduced to the origins of major world religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Also, learners will study the medieval period. Historical thinking and geography skills will be taught and utilized throughout the course. 

US History v3.0 is a two-semester course aligned to the principles of the C3 Framework. The course promotes the examination, analysis, and evaluation of important people and events in the history of the United States of America. The course also uses investigative questions to guide the examination and analysis of events. The content of the course is designed to promote understanding of the impacts historical events had on the numerous groups of diverse people who make up the United States. Clarifying Big Ideas (CBI) Lessons appear throughout the course to model critical thinking skills and strategies. These skills and strategies are woven throughout the lessons to allow students to practice using the skills in context. Activities further promote critical thinking about historical figures and encourage learners to analyze factors that impacted the decisions these figures made to shape the growth and development of the United States. The activities have learners analyze and evaluate primary and secondary sources, and have them form opinions while using evidence to support their opinions.

In World History, learners will explore historical world events with the help of innovative videos, timelines, and interactive maps and images. Learners will develop historical thinking skills and apply them to their study of European exploration, the Renaissance the Reformation, and major world revolutions. They will also study World War I, World War II, the Cold War, and the benefits and challenges of living in the modern world.

In Science 1, students will make observations about light, sound, matter, plants, animals, and the sky to thoroughly think about problems and ask questions. Students will discover and explore patterns to understand the relationships between objects, animals, and the environment. Students will work individually and collaboratively to compare and test designs to develop solutions. Students will also plan and conduct investigations to produce data as evidence and use a variety of devices to communicate results.

Virtual labs provide an opportunity for students to practice gathering evidence and defending their claims. The Grade 3 curriculum weaves S.T.E.M. skills into lessons to spark a child’s curiosity about these fields. Students learn about plant and animal reproduction, inheritance, and life cycles by devising a plan to save the bee population.

In this course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the transformation of energy and its impact on the environment and living things. Through advanced labs and interactive activities students will discover gravity, systems in space, matter cycles, and the impact humans have on the environment. Students will understand major earth systems and conduct investigations to learn the relationship between living organisms and energy. Students will quantify their solutions and measure and graph certified results. Students will further discover ways communities use scientific ideas to protect the planet’s resources and the environment.

This inquiry- and lab-based course is designed to support modern science curriculum and teaching practices. It robustly meets NGSS learning standards associated with high school chemistry along with additional concepts and standards typically included in a full-year high school chemistry course. Content topics include atoms and elements, chemical bonding, chemical reactions, quantitative chemistry, molecular-level forces, solutions, and energy and changes in matter. 

It also addresses additional concepts and standards typically included in a full-year high school chemistry course, including molar concentrations, acid-base reactions, advanced stoichiometry, gas laws, and organic compounds.  Each lesson includes one or more inquiry-based activities that can be performed online within the context of the lesson. In addition, the course includes a significant number of hands-on lab activities. Approximately 40% of student time in this course is devoted to true lab experiences, as defined by the National Research Council (2006, p. 3).

Lab materials note: Most hands-on labs employ relatively-common household materials. A few labs require specialized scientific equipment or materials, such as an electronic balance (0.01g), graduated cylinders, test tubes, and chemical reagents. These few specialized labs are optional but provide valuable laboratory experience. School laboratories may be used for these specialized labs or single-student Edmentum Lab Kits may be purchased from Ward’s Science. Please refer to the Student Syllabus or Teacher’s Guide for details on lab materials.

This inquiry- and lab-based course is designed to support modern science curriculum and teaching practices. It robustly meets NGSS learning standards associated with high school Earth and space science. Content topics include scientific processes and methods, the universe, the Precambrian Earth, the Earth’s materials and tectonics, the hydrosphere and atmosphere, and human interactions with the Earth’s systems and resources.

Each lesson includes one or more inquiry-based activities that can be performed online within the context of the lesson. In addition, the course includes a significant number of hands-on lab activities. Approximately 40% of student time in this course is devoted to true lab experiences, as defined by the National Research Council (2006, p. 3).

Lab materials note: Most hands-on labs employ relatively-common household materials. A few labs require specialized scientific equipment or materials, such as an electronic balance (0.01g), graduated cylinders, and a water testing kit. These few specialized labs are optional but provide valuable laboratory experience. School laboratories may be used for these specialized labs or single-student Edmentum Lab Kits may be purchased from Ward’s Science. Please refer to the Student Syllabus or Teacher’s Guide for details on lab materials.