ICON Course Catalog 2012-2013

High School Core Classes

 

SOCIAL STUDIES

 

ICON Government (12 Units/Year Long Course) American Government is a study of the American political system and how it functions.  This course examines the fundamental political institutions of our nation and the governmental operations of the United States, both at home and abroad. Special emphasis is given to the role of citizens at the local, state, and national levels. First semester explores the ideas of philosophers from Thomas Aquinas through Enlightenment thinkers like Locke and Rousseau. The focus is on how the political idea incorporated into our system function and the evolution of American political institutions over our nations’ history. Second semester focuses on the state constitution of Idaho and the makeup of Idaho political institutions and state code.

 

ICON Economics (6 Units/One Semester Course) The study of economics examines the basic theories, structures, and operations of economics with special focus on the American free enterprise system. The course features a strong foundation in basic economic principles. Topics include: scarcity, economic roles of individuals, factors affecting supply and demand, different market structures, market regulation, and the macro economy. State standards for this course include content knowledge and skills in the following areas: critical thinking and analytical skills, the evolution of democracy, economic fundamentals and institutions, concept of money, influences on economic systems, and personal finance.

 

ICON US History-Reconstruction to Present (13 Units/Year Long Course) Important: US History-Reconstruction to Present is only for Sophomores and Juniors who have previously taken a US History Foundations to Reconstruction Course. This course is the second year of a two-year study of United States (U.S.) history. U.S. History 11 is an in-depth exploration of the American experience during the twentieth century. First semester begins with a review of the Civil War and covers the Reconstruction, Industrialization, and the Gilded Age, followed by a survey of U.S. history from 1900 to 1939. Second semester opens with a study of the Second World War and concludes with an analysis of contemporary issues and events. State standards for this course include content knowledge and skills in the following areas: critical thinking, the evolution of democracy, exploration and expansion, migration and immigration, responses to industrialization and technological innovation, international relations and conflicts, and cultural and social development.

 

ICON U.S. History: Foundations to Present (13 Units/Year Long Course) U.S. History is a survey course that begins with a study of the political and economic situation in Europe that led to the founding of the colonies, continues with an examination of the events that defined our country’s emergence as an international power in the twentieth century, and ends with present-day topics. Special attention is paid to the Colonial period, the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, the Federal period, the War of 1812, the Age of Jackson, the Ante Bellum period, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Gilded Age, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the demise of communism. First semester begins in the Pre-Colonial era and ends in Reconstruction. Second Semester begins during the era of American industrialization and ends in the modern era.

 

 

 

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ENGLISH

 

 

ICON English I (13 Units/Year Long Course) This course provides a solid foundation for the advanced study of the language with reviews of sentence and paragraph structure, the parts of speech, literary genres, essays, and poetry and a detailed study of the novel. Audio and video clips, familiar to today’s tech-savvy students, bring writing and literature to life in this innovative and interactive language arts class.

 

ICON English II (13 Units/Year Long Course) High school students build their vocabulary, study etymology, and examine various American dialects as they dive into  English II. Internet-based and technology-rich, this course helps students develop their writing skills as they increase their understanding of the different forms of literature with dynamic, interactive content. Video clips, clickable text, and learning games engage students to aid retention of information and enhance self-directed learning.

 

ICON English III (13 Units/Year Long Course) As high school students prepare for post-secondary education, a good language arts foundation becomes more important.  English III is an in-depth study of the language with an emphasis on strengthening written and oral communication skills, improving proficiency in literary analysis, broadening students’ literary knowledge base, and expanding research aptitude. This interactive, core course fosters essential skills, building strong English foundations for 21st century learners.

 

ICON English IV (13 Units/Year Long Course Round off your high school students’ study of language arts with enriching, interactive  English IV. From a colorful overview of British and world literature to a journey of creative expression through short stories and poetry, 12th graders explore the language in depth to develop a broad knowledge that will guide them through post-secondary academics or their transition to a career.

 

ICON Essentials of Communication/Speech (6 Units/One Semester Course) - Public Speaking proficiency. Topics included are:  components of the communication process and their functions, types of communication, functions of language, non-verbal communication, listening styles and barriers, interpersonal relationships, conversation management, etiquette, criticism, understanding groups, group communication, problem solving, leadership, presenting and interpreting public messages, defining the audience, research, supporting materials, speech outlining, speaking notes, and rehearsing.

 

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MATH

 

ICON Algebra I (13 Units/Year Long Course) Algebra I covers the algebra basics and prepares students for higher level math instruction. Topics include:  variables and expressions, factoring absolute value, distributive property, coordinate plane, linear equality, slope , substitution method, polynomials, Pythagorean Theorem, exponents, square roots, raising to a power, quadratics, probability, linear equations,  and compound inequalities.

 

ICON Geometry (13 Units/Year Long Course)  This course guides students through interactive lessons that cover terminology, postulates and theorems, angles, shapes, and equations for determining area, circumference, volume, and area. Topics include:  sets, lines, theorems and postulates, proofs, transversals and special angles, proving triangles congruent, parallelograms, independent triangles, overlapping triangles, 30,60,90 degree triangles, sines, cosines, tangents, area of circles, solids, perpendicular lines, congruence and similarity, inverse and identity transformations, polygons, coordinates and proofs, arcs, cones, prisms, isometry, graphs of algebraic sentences, circle equation, and midpoint formula.

 

 

ICON Algebra II (13 Units/Year Long Course) From combining terms in algebraic expressions to compound sentences, and from advanced polynomial functions to data analysis, this course builds upon concepts taught in Algebra 1.  Topics include:  sets, functions, graphs, algebraic expressions, multi-step equations with parenthesis, graphing solution sets for inequalities, motion problems, line graphs, point slope equations of a line, solutions by substitution, factoring trinomials, synthetic division, inverse and direct variation, joint and combined variation, multiplying and dividing with fractions, conjugates, quadratic equations, sums and products of roots, exponential functions, progressions, sequences, series, integers, the discriminate, imaginary numbers, binomial coefficients, logarithms, and conditional probability.

 

ICON Algebra Course of Study Extended Application

This is a two year course in the basic structure of algebra and includes the properties of real numbers, equation solving, polynomial operations, factoring, algebraic fractions, linear equations, and their graphs, systems of their equations, work problems, and inequalities. The course content covers the same objectives as Algebra I, but is spread out over a longer period for students who need more time to process, practice and retain math concepts. 

 

 

 

SCIENCE

 

ICON Biology (13 Units/Year Long Course) Lessons begin with a look at taxonomy and the classification of plants and animals and culminate with an exploration of the human body, habitats, ecosystems and biotechnology. Topics include:  taxonomy, binomial nomenclature, molecular basis of life, static electricity, covalent bonding, organic compounds, lipids, carbohydrates, enzymes, microscope, microbiology, protozoa, amoeba, algae, cell design, osmosis, anatomy and morphology of plants, reproduction in animals and plants, anatomy and physiology, systems of the body, chromosomes, diseases, probability, cell division-meiosis, mitosis, food chains, ecology, biomes, quadrants.

 

IDLA Chemistry (Year Long Course/this course taught and supported by IDLA staff) Chemistry is the study of the composition, structure, and properties of matter and the changes it undergoes. Matter is all the “stuff” around us. In this first semester class you will learn about atomic structure, physical and chemical change, chemical bonding, naming compounds, percentage composition and molecular geometry. Since chemistry is a laboratory based course, each unit will include a lab simulation and/or a kitchen lab experience. So get ready to investigate! Prerequisite: 2 years HS Science and Algebra 2 The text for chemistry is online and available with the course at no extra charge. The text we are linking to is Modern Chemistry published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. ISBN: 978-0-030-36786-.  Students must take an IDLA Orientation Course before beginning this course for the September Fall Block. 

 

ICON Earth Science (13 Units/Year Long Course) Explores the Earth’s origin and history, structure, forces and features of the earth and its crust, interacting systems, and place in the universe. Concepts and processes include topics in:  Astronomy, Geology, Meteorology and Oceanography.

 

ICON General Science 900 (10 Units/Year Long Course) This course is an exploration of various scientific topics including matter, scientific measurement, oceanography, and astronomy.  Topics include:  structure of matter, radioactivity, Wilson’s cloud chamber, nuclear composition, neutrons, beta particles, alpha particles, standard units, metric measures, sub-division of units, formula for gravitational force, buoyancy, Archimedes, densities of common substances, igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks, crust, mantle, earth layering, erosion, entrenched meanders, and plate tectonics.

 

IDLA Physics (this class taught and supported by IDLA staff) Physics is a study of the world around us and the laws of nature that govern that world. The first semester of physics will cover the topics of motion (one dimensional, projectile motion) forces that cause this motion, circular motion, collisions and momentum, simple harmonic motion, work and energy. This is an algebra-based introductory physics class. A student who has completed geometry will adapt well to this course work. Prerequisite: 2 years HS science and Algebra 2 The text we are linking to is to the 2009 edition of Holt Physics, ISBN: 978-0030368165. The publisher is Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.  -.  Students must take an IDLA Orientation Course before beginning this course for the September Fall Block. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High School Electives

 

 

ICON World History (13 Units/Year Long Course) World History is a survey course where students study the history of humankind from the dawn of civilization to the present day. First semester the course begins with the Neolithic Revolution and the rise of river valley civilizations, continuing through the Greco-Roman Era, the Middle Ages, the European Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. Second semester begins with the Scientific, French, and Industrial Revolutions and continues through the modern era. Special emphasis in this course is made on the cause-and-effect relationships between ideas and events, the growth and evolution of nations, and the different methods historians use to interpret the events of the past such as point of view and historical context. 

 

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ICON Physical Fitness (5 Units/One Semester Course) This course is designed not only to explore the benefits of basic nutrition, physical fitness, and healthy lifestyles, but to encourage off-computer fitness activities by requiring that students log daily activities that promote health and fitness. Topics include:  knowledge and skills needed to analyze the key components of successful physical activity and ability to use this analysis to determine if a program is reasonable and effective.

 

 

 

ICON Physical Education (1 Unit/One Semester Course)  This Semester-length course focuses on performance of individual and team sports, with explanations of proper technique, rules of the game, and preparation. Team sports include soccer, basketball, football, baseball, and volleyball. Students have the opportunity to perform each sport, keeping an activity log. Students learn to define physical fitness, evaluate their fitness level, and apply fitness, weight management, and nutrition-related skills to their lives.

 

ICON Personal and Family Living (6 Units/One Semester Course) This semester-long high school elective takes students on an interactive exploration of the challenges they may face as they transition into adulthood, including constructive conflict resolution, nutrition and health, building healthy families, safety and first aid, financial responsibility, and long-term employment. Topics include:  personal development, tolerance, maturity, exercising self control, developing friendships, peer pressure, making decisions, consequences, and identifying major sources of stress.   

 

ICON Civil War (6 Units/One Semester Course) This course examines the strife of a nation ripped in two by ideology. From the secession of South Carolina to the Confederacy’s surrender at Appomattox, the pivotal events of the Civil War come to life with compelling stories that recreate the major battles and examine key figures.   THIS COURSE ONLY OFFERED IN THE FALL. 

 

ICON Twentieth Century American History (6 Units/One Semester Course) While enrolled in 20th Century American History, students will examine the country’s economic, political, governmental, cultural, and technological growing pains during the 1900s.Topics include:  Industrial Revolution, American Workforce, poor working conditions, Socialism, Labor Unions, farmers and populists, Gilded Age, urbanization, women in society, discrimination, segregation, origins of progressivism, social reform, American Imperialism, Panama Canal, Main causes of World War I,  and Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points. 

 

ICON Vietnam Era (6 Units/One Semester Course) From the initial involvement of the United States in Vietnam to the Paris cease-fire agreement signed in 1973, this six-unit course chronicles three turbulent decades of conflict that began in Southeast Asia but affected the entire world. Topics include are:  Vietnam’s geography, early history, French Indochina, colonization of Indochina, nationalist movement, freeing Vietnam from France, Vietnam during World War II, French Indochina War, the Cold War, and Vietnam today.  THIS COURSE ONLY OFFERED IN THE SPRING. 

 

ICON Consumer Math (10 Units/Year Long Course) This course covers basic money management including employment issues, budgeting and recordkeeping, insurance, loans, taxes, banking and credit cards. Topics include:  Number skills, division, prime numbers, and fractions: adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing, real life applications: using fractions in the kitchen, linear measurement, volume, weight, money, and finding a job. 

 

ICON French I (12 Units/Year Long Course) Entry level high school foreign language course which explores the French language through communication, culture, connections, comparisons and communities. Topics include:   use of French in everyday situations in both oral and written communication, vocabulary necessary to function as a tourist in francophone countries, and basic knowledge of France as a country. 

 

ICON French II (12 Units/Year Long Course) French II course builds on French I and reviews skills and concepts taught in French I with further exposure to communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Topics include:  grammar review, French products, markets in the Francophone World, cost of goods, health care professions, professions in the arts, trades, helping professions, character traits, Cannes Film Festival, and the French lifestyle.   

 

ICON Spanish I (12 Units/Year Long Course) Entry level high school foreign language course which explores the Spanish language through communication, culture, connections, comparisons and communities. Topics include:  use of Spanish in everyday situations in both oral and written communication, vocabulary necessary to function as a tourist in Spanish- speaking countries, and the Spanish speaking world. 

 

 

ICON Spanish II (12 Units/Year Long Course) Spanish II course builds on Spanish I and reviews skills and concepts taught in Spanish I with further exposure to communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, and communities. Topics include: introduction to the Spanish speaking world, Spanish in the US, geography lesson, and an educational field trip,

 

 

ICON Digital Arts (1 Unit/One Semester Course) Students receive an introduction to visualization-graphics programming on computers. Helps students expand knowledge and skills to identify differences between digital arts and other types of art or photographs; write about the role digital art plays in mass media, define different types of digital photography, the ethics of photo manipulation; and identify strengths and weaknesses of

digital and analog audio. STUDENTS MUST PROVIDE THEIR OWN DIGITAL CAMERA.  THIS COURSE OFFERED IN THE FALL ONLY.

 

ICON PSYCHOLOGY (6 Units/One Semester Course) In this Introduction to Psychology course, students will explore those things that influence human actions and beliefs.  Included are important psychologists and the theories they developed across the areas of Biological, Social, Developmental, Cognitive, Abnormal, and Group Psychology.  Students will also explore the history of psychology, methods used in developing psychological experiments, and using the Scientific Method as a means to reliable, valid, and repeatable results.

 

 

IDLA Driver’s Education (class taught and supported by IDLA Staff) The 6 week Idaho Driver Education and Training Program is a formal and organized education and training program to introduce and develop good driving habits and attitudes for a lifetime of responsible, reduced-risk driving strategies. This online Driver's Education course fulfills the requirement of 30 hours of classroom time; students/schools must separately arrange to complete the required driving-time in order to be eligible for an Idaho Driver's license. Important policies: Students MUST have a permit before they are able to be registered for the course or enrollment in the course will not be possible. Students must arrange and pay for the behind-the-wheel instruction or will be dropped from the course if this isn't set up by the end of Unit One (2nd week of class). Classroom work and driving instruction MUST be completed concurrently. Students are NOT allowed to be behind the wheel of a car until after Unit one is complete (the end of the 2nd week of class). THIS CLASS HAS A 75.00 COURSE FEE.  Additional information available upon request. 

 

ICON Computer Applications I (5 Units/One Semester Course)

Our digital world requires that today’s students are proficient electronic communicators. Students increase their knowledge base for the use and function of the computer while also developing the practical skills necessary to compete in the global environment. With built-in multimedia exercises focusing on effectiveness and productivity, this one-semester elective also supports student success in other subjects as their technological aptitude expands.

 

ICON Computer Applications II (5 Unites/One Semester Course)

To succeed in the technology-infused world, students must become proficient electronic communicators. Students continue their exploration of the uses of computers and their place in the business world. This semester-length elective is a targeted study of telecommunications technology, desktop publishing technology, presentation technology, computer networking, and computer operating systems. Multimedia-rich lessons help illustrate concepts to bolster understanding.  ICON Computer Application I must be taken before a student can enroll in Computer Applications II.

 

ICON Career Explorations/Management (5 Units/One Semester Course)

Students will identify personal interests, aptitudes and learning styles to determine personally satisfying careers.  Considering lifestyle goals educational interests, values, and trains will assist in identifying specific careers from among those that matched interests, aptitudes, and learning styles.  Employment application documents and interviewing skills will be taught in order to assist students with preparing to secure employment. 

 

ICON Project Based Music Application (5 Units/Students can take for one semester or as a year long course) Students will receive credit for private music lessons and real world application of music skills and knowledge.  (Must be approved through school)

 

ICON Project Based Sports/Physical Fitness Application (5 Units/Students can take for one semester or as a year long course) Students will receive credit for private sports/physical fitness involvement and real world application of skills.  (Must be approved through school)

 

Project Based Work Study (5 Units/Students can take for one semester or as a yearlong course) Students will receive credit for work study hours and read world application of business and career skills. (Must be approved through school)

 

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COURSES BEING DEVELOPED FOR SPRING RELEASE:

Exploring Careers in the Health Sciences

Nursing:  Unlimited Possibilities and Unlimited Potential