ESS High School (4.0 cr):
Check WINGS class descriptions for information about each class.
Contemporary World Issues (0.25 cr) - Social Studies: This course presents students with contemporary world issues using readings about the historical background of an issue, primary source documents, news articles, maps, interviews with leading experts, and competing points of view of key stakeholders in the issue. We will explore topics such as: disease and mortality, gender inequality, immigration, the environment, natural resources, economics, the arts, conflict, and poverty. This course will introduce you to some of the issues currently facing the countries of the world, inclusive of the United States. The main objective of this course is to familiarize you with global issues and how your experience in the United States is quite different from the experience in other countries around the world. Students are asked to interact with course resources on their own and with classmates through analysis and critical-thinking exercises in order to come up with proposals for dealing with these issues.
English Lit/Comp (0.5 cr) - Language Arts: Students will work on reading and writing skills choosing topics from within the Environmental Science School curriculum. They will participate in reading and book discussion groups. Class and online discussion, written essays, and oral presentations will help students discover and publish their own learning about the language arts. Students will learn reading comprehension strategies, build their vocabulary, and will write essays and complete other assignments using Six-Trait writing skills learned in class. Upon successful completion of a full year of this class, students will earn 1.0 English credit.
Environmental Science School - Language Arts; Science; Social Studies: The Environmental Science School uses the outdoors as a laboratory for learning and reinforcing traditional school subjects. As always, we emphasize local flora and fauna in our studies. The program uses a mixture of classroom teaching and outdoor field work to inspire interest and learning in subjects such as language arts, science, social studies, and the fine arts. Two additional courses can be taken from class offerings at the Sky Valley Education Center. High School credit is available for students 9th grade and up who complete the required assignments and projects.
Field Science (0.25 cr) - Science: Students will learn essential field natural history skills, outdoor skills, and participate in research and restoration projects. Students will work in multi-grade teams and share project results both in written form and orally. Emphasis on nature study using the field journal and field guides, recording data from field experiences, and biological illustration and sketching.
Integrated Science/lab (0.5 cr) - Life & Physical Sciences: Environmental Science School students will engage in an interdisciplinary theme of "Cause and Effect: our biotic and abiotic environment." Content focus will be on physics, chemistry, earth science, and interconnections between living and non-living systems. Students will explore the broad and locally specific conditions that shape environmental health. The students will understand and use scientific concepts and principles as they apply science in an ecology framework through design and implementation of their own local research. Students will apply science knowledge and skills to solve problems. In addition, they will develop technical and science skills that they can use to inform, rethink, re-envision, and reinvent how humans interact with and use biotic and abiotic resources in our local, national, and international communities. Students must meet mastery (quality) levels of selected Washington State science standards (GLE’s).
Outdoor Recreation (0.25 cr) - PE: Through field experiences, students will participate in physical exercise through hiking, habitat restoration, and field games. Health and wellness topics such as diet and sleep are also covered to a limited extent in the classroom.
Irish Dance Beginning (0.25 cr) - Dance: This class is for dancers new to Irish Dance. They will learn solo steps and a showpiece for spotlight night. This class continues all year and each session builds upon the last session. We will not be accepting new beginners after the fist session. Please dress comfortably for class, no jeans please. Dancers do not need shoes for class, but will need soft shoes for spotlight night. Dancers are expected to participate in Spotlight night. Dancers will need to practice material each week. Dancers will need to bring a notebook to each class and keep up with wings assignments.
