The Morgan School traditionally offered very demanding academic courses that provided students with an excellent foundation for further studies in college and also met the strictest course requirements for acceptance into college.

These courses, though, had not been set forth as a distinct program. Students select courses to create individualized programs to meet their own needs and interests. While this approach has merit and will continue, an Honors Program has been formulated to direct students toward an academically sound preparation for the most demanding university courses of study.

The Morgan School Honors Program has been designed to challenge the student who has demonstrated an unusually intense motivation to succeed academically and has proved skillful in mastering subject matter through his/her elementary school years. A student does not need to have scored extremely well on standardized IQ tests nor have participated in gifted classes to find success in this program. If the student has displayed a serious sense of purpose about schoolwork, an ability to plan and carry out his/her own homework schedule, and success in most academic areas, he/she should consider entering into this program.

For HONORS courses students need a B+ or better average in the preceding course AND the recommendation of their present teacher in that discipline. Preceding course means either the Grade 8 class or a College Prep course at Morgan in the content area. Once enrolled in an honors course, an average of C or better is required in order to continue the Honors sequence in that content area.

GRADE 9

Full-Year Courses

HONORS ENGLISH I 1 Credit

#0404

Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation

If a student wishes to override this recommendation, he/she must petition for a conference with the English teacher and the department chairperson prior to being admitted into the course. Parents are encouraged to attend this conference.

Students will use the archetypal approach to explore early Western Literature such as classical Greek and Roman epics, plays, and speeches. The course will conclude with a study of Medieval Literature with an emphasis upon Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Students will receive instruction in a variety of expository and narrative writing techniques.

HONORS INTRODUCTION TO PHYSICAL SCIENCE

#0514 1 Credits 1 1/4 Periods

A rigorous introduction to science skills that will prepare students for chemistry, physics, and advanced science courses. This course is designed for students who are exceptional in mathematics and have demonstrated excellent analytical abilities and strong writing skills. Scientific methods will be explored using experiments in measurement, motion, energy, earth and space science and atomic structure. Similarity and graphical analysis of motion are key concepts. An accelerated pace will be maintained throughout the year. Students will prepare and keep science journals, which are integral part of the course.

HONORS SPANISH II

#0214 1 Credit

This is an intensive course which will develop the students' speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Short talks and dialogues will be prepared, short readings will be discussed, and short essays and paragraphs will be written in the target language. In addition, students will research the cultures of Latin America. Prerequisites for World Language Honors courses are found in World Language Section.

HONORS FRENCH II

#0204 1 Credit

This is an intensive course which is designed to develop the students' speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Students will continue to study grammar, vocabulary, and culture. The French in Action series and other teacher-produced materials will be used to supplement texts with the objective of further improving the proficiency level of students by means of authentic, current videos.

HONORS ALGEBRA I

#0604 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Grade of B+ in eighth grade mathematics

This course, rigorous in approach, covers at a faster pace the essential topics of Algebra I, level I. While emphasis is placed on the development of a mathematical structure (algebraic proofs), fundamental skills will not be ignored. The intent is to build a solid foundation for future sequential courses.

HONORS GEOMETRY

#0614 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Grade of B+ Algebra I, level I

This course covers at a faster pace the essential topics of Geometry, level 1, with an emphasis being placed on proofs. Enrichment topics will include certain aspects of non-Euclidean geometry and a limited study of Aristotelian logic. In addition to this, students will be assigned independent work on constructions.

First-Semester Courses

HONORS WORLD HISTORY I

#0144 1/2 Credit

Students selecting this course should be highly motivated, capable of independent work, and able to think critically. They will be expected to analyze, criticize, and form hypotheses. Reading and writing demands will be substantial. The course will begin with a short review of ancient man and civilizations, and an overview of Greco-Roman Civilization.

Second-Semester Courses

HONORS WORLD HISTORY II

#0124 1/2 Credit

Students will begin there study with the Byzantine Empire and conclude with the European Renaissance and Reformation. Students will make use of prime sources and documents. There will be a considerable amount of writing and research.

GRADE 10

Full-Year Courses

HONORS ENGLISH II

#0414 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English I (Honors), teacher recommendation or teacher recommendation and a grade of A in English I CP

This course continues the investigation of archetypes - such as appearance - reality, passion- reason-introduced in Honors English I. Literature of the fourteenth through the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries will be studied to show these archetypes at work. In addition, intensive vocabulary and writing practice will be offered.

HONORS BIOLOGY

#0504 1 Credits 1 1/4 Periods

Prerequisite: Honors IPS or permission of the department chairperson

This course will consist of lecture material correlated with outside readings. The library will be used as a resource center. The major areas of study - ecology, cytology, microbiology, genetics, biochemistry, and anatomy and physiology of the animal kingdom - will be treated both micro - and macroscopically. The laboratory will include investigating fresh water systems, microbiology, and the phylogenetic approach to the animal and plant kingdoms.

HONORS FRENCH III

#0234 1 Credit

This course continues to develop skills established in the previous year in an intense and fast-paced program. In addition to speaking and listening skills, stress will be placed on the development of writing skills. Reading selections of classic and modern French prose and poetry will be studied. The study of French culture will include a unit of French art. The French in Action series and other teacher produced materials will be used to supplement texts with the objective of further improving the proficiency level of students by means of authentic, current videos.

HONORS SPANISH III

#0224 1 Credit

This course continues to develop skills established the previous year in an intense and fast-paced program. In addition to speaking and listening skills, stress will be placed on writing compositions, and reading selections of classic and modern Hispanic prose and poetry. Hispanic cultures will be studied throughout the text with an emphasis on Spanish literature.

HONORS ALGEBRA II

#0634 1 Credit Grades 9, 10

Prerequisite: Grade of B+ in Geometry level 1

This course, rigorous in approach, covers at a faster pace the essential topics of Algebra II, level 1. Structure and computational skills are stressed, while emphasis is placed on problem-solving techniques.

First-Semester Courses

HONORS WORLD HISTORY III

#0154 1/2 Credit

Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in Honors World History I and II

The story of the history of the world continues with the Age of Absolution in Europe. Subsequent topics include scientific, agricultural, industrial, and political revolutions as well as major developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Second-Semester Courses

HONORS CIVICS IN THE FORMATION OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC

#0134

Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in Honors World History III

The origins and growth of democracy of America from its European discovery and settlement through the ratification of the Constitution will be the focus of this semester course. Civic participation in America will be explored in both a historical and modern content at the local and state, as well as the national, levels of government. This represents the honors program social studies course for second semester sophomores.

HONORS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING

#0664 Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

The Java language is studied with students learning to write programs using an object oriented programming language. This course is the basis for continued studied toward the Advanced Placement test in Computer Science.

GRADE 11

Full-Year Courses

HONORS PRE-CALCULUS

#0693 1 Credit

Prerequisite: Grade of B+ in Algebra II, level 1

This course, rigorous in approach, includes an in-depth study of those topics listed in the course description of Pre-Calculus, level 1. The use of graphing calculators is an integral part of the curriculum.

HONORS ENGLISH III

#0424 Grade 11

Prerequisite: Successful completion of English II (Honors), teacher recommendation or a grade of A in English II CP and teacher’s recommendation

Students will read extensively in the works of nineteenth century writers, both European and American. Concentration will be on the novel, but essays, short stories, and poetry will also be examined. Inferential and critical reading skills will be stressed as well as a variety of writing techniques. Archetypal concepts introduced in grade 10 will be further explored. Failure to turn in a research paper by the last day of the academic year will result in 0 credit for both English III and U.S. History.

HONORS FRENCH IV

#0244 Grades 11, 12

This course stresses composition and discussion by means of an integrated approach to the study of French language, literature, and culture. The primary goal of the course is to improve the students’ proficiency in writing and speaking. The French in Action series and other teacher produced materials will be used to supplement texts with the objective of further improving the proficiency level of students by means of authentic, current videos.

HONORS SPANISH IV

#0254 Grades 11, 12

This course is an intensive study of Spanish literature and history from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century. It will begin an Advanced Placement sequence which can be completed the following year.

HONORS CHEMISTRY

#0524 1 Credits 1 1/4 Periods Grades 11,12

Prerequisites: Grades of C - or better in Algebra I, and Honors IPS or permission of department chairperson.

Honors chemistry is designed for the more ambitious and academically talented student who plans to enroll in a highly selective college and perhaps major in the sciences. The course moves at a faster pace than College Prep Chemistry and explores a larger number of topics as well as requiring a greater depth of understanding. Laboratory summary reports and a short research report are required.

First-Semester Courses

HONORS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING II

#0674 Grades 10, 11, 12

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Programming I

This course is a continuation of Honors Computer Programming I using the Java. Emphasis is placed on implementing object oriented programming, using classes for array sorting methods and searching techniques,

graphic files, and pointers and abstract windowing toolkit. This course is further preparation for the Advanced Placement test.

HONORS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING IV

#0654 Grades 11, 12

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Programming III

This course is a continuation of Honors Computer Programming III. Emphasis is placed on programming exception handling, file processing, more data structures, bits, characters and strings, and the Advanced Placement case study. Examples are taken from previous Advanced Placement tests. This course is further preparation for the Advance Placement test.

AP U.S. HISTORY I

#0174 Grades 11,12

Prerequisite: Completion of Honors civics in the Formation of the American Republic with a C average or better or CP World I and II with an average of B+ or better and the department chairperson's approval.

This is an in-depth, intellectual approach to the study of the United States history up to the Twentieth Century. Students are expected to be highly motivated and capable of independent work. Successful completion of AP U.S. History I and AP U.S. History II will qualify students to take the Advanced Placement examination in United States History. Successfully completing the AP test with a score of 3, 4, or 5 frequently assures students of college credit.

Second-Semester Courses

AP U.S. HISTORY II

#0194 Grades 11, 12

Prerequisite: Completion of AP U.S. History I with a grade of C or better.

This course begins with the Twentieth Century particularly in the areas of social history and foreign policy and continues into modern times. Emphasis will be on modern themes in American life. A considerable portion of the class will be devoted to preparing students to take the Advanced Placement United States History examination. Failure to turn in a research paper by the last day of the academic year will result in 0 credit for both English III and AP U.S. History I and II.

HONORS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING III

#0644 Grades 10.11.12

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Programming II

This course is a continuation of Honors Computer Programming II. Emphasis on classes as data structures such as trees, queues and linked lists. This course is a more in-depth study of the implementation of classes using tempolate classes, inheritance, polymorphism, and operator overloading. This course is further preparation for the Advanced Placement test.

HONORS COMPUTER PROGRAMMING V

#6545 Grades 11, 12

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Programming IV

This course is the conclusion of the Advanced Placement Curriculum. A close examination of several case studies used on the advanced placement exam. Previous Advanced Placement Exams will be administered for practice. After completion of this course, the student will be eligible to take the Advanced Placement Test.

GRADE 12

Full-Year Courses

ENGLISH IV: SEMINAR IN WRITING THROUGH LITERATURE

#0455 Grade 12

Prerequisites: Approval of the department chairperson; C+ in Honors English III; and top 20% of his/her class or have attained a score of 550+ on verbal SAT. Credit may be given by the University of Connecticut for English III.

This course offers training in writing through the analysis of selections from prose, drama, and poetry, as well as by the critical analysis of patterns of exposition found in selected essays. Written composition involves literary interpretations and expository writing. Successful completion of the course qualifies students to take the AP English examinations.

HONORS HUMANITIES

#0024 Grade 12

This course will explore the modes of human experience in art, history, music, philosophy, and literature. Modern culture will be related to those of the past to examine the quest for an understanding of the human experience.

ADVANCED SPANISH

#0284 Grade 12

Prerequisites: Spanish IV and approval of the department chairperson

This course stresses composition and cultural readings. It is designed to further familiarize students with the great authors of Hispanic literature; to give the students a sense of history and the evolution of the arts; and to continue their progress in the other language skills by means of study, discussion, and analysis of literary works. Students may choose to prepare for the Advanced Placement Spanish language examination in this course. If that preparation is undertaken, students will receive honors credit for the class. The successful completion of that examination may lead to college credits and/or placement in advanced courses.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT FRENCH LITERATURE

#0294 Grade 12

Prerequisites: honors French IV and approval of the department chairperson

This course is an intensive study of French prose and poetry from the seventeenth century to modern times. It is designed to present to students well known authors and their works and to give the students a sense of history and evolution of the arts. Students will acquire skills in "analyse de texte" and dissertation style critical writing. The course will prepare students for the Advanced Placement examination in French literature, successful completion of which may lead to college credits in French and/or placement in advanced college French courses.

ADVANCED FRENCH

#0274 Grade 12

#0275 - College Prep

Prerequisites: French IV and approval of the department chairperson

This course allows students to continue their progress in reading, composition, and conversation in French. Although it is designed to further familiarize students with the great authors of French literature, this course stresses reading and discussion of current topics. The focus of the course is to improve the oral and listening proficiency of students. Students may choose to prepare for the Advanced Placement French language examination in this course. If that preparation is undertaken, students will receive honors credit for the class. The successful completion of that examination may lead to college credits and/or placement in advanced courses.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT BIOLOGY 1 Credit 1 1⁄4 periods Grade 12

#5211

Prerequisite: Grade of B- or better in Biology and Chemistry and Permission from instructor.

The advanced biology course will expand the major themes presented in the first year of biology. The course is designed to be the equivalent of a college introductory course for biology majors. The two main goals of AP Biology are to help students develop a conceptual framework for modern biology and to help students gain an appreciation of science as a process. The content included in this course is as follows:

I. Molecules and Cells, 25%

II. Heredity and Evolution, 25 %

III. Organisms and Populations, 50 %

HONORS/ AP PHYSICS B

#0534 - Honors 1 Credit 1 1/4 periods Grade 12

Prerequisite: Grades of B- of better in Honors IPS, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 and the approval of the instructor or of the program chairman.

The Physics B course provides a systematic introduction to the main principles of physics and emphasizes the development of problem-solving ability. It is assumed that the student is familiar with algebra and trigonometry. The laboratory experience is used to help students understand the topics being considered. This course will provide a foundation in physics for students in life sciences, pre-medicine, and some applied sciences as well as other fields not directly related to science.

HONORS CALCULUS

#0694 1 Credit

Prerequisite Grade of B- in Honors Pre-Calculus

Credit may be given by the University of Connecticut for Math 115

This course includes a brief review of elementary functions and a rigorous study of introductory calculus. Topics will include: coordinate systems, algebraic functions, introductory calculus, graphs, limits, derivatives, anti-derivatives, and applications of the derivative. Graphing calculators will be used extensively.

First-Semester Courses

HONORS ECONOMICS – MACRO

#0384 Grades 11, 12

The topics are the same as the level 1 and 2 courses. Economic theories are covered in greater depth and more rigorous standards are used in tests and other grade work. Students are also exposed to starting a business though computer simulation, having to solve an array of economic situations and competition in order to develop a successful company.

HONORS PHILOSOPHY

#0104 Grade 12

Prerequisite: To be accepted into this honors level program the student must have obtained at least a C average in his/her 11th grade honors level social studies course or at least a B in his/her 11th grade college prep level social studies course and the department chair’s approval.

The introductory course examines Plato and Aristotle and surveys main trends in metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, politics and logic. Students study Plato’s Republic and Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics as well as selections from other influential Western philosophers.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EUROPEAN HISTORY

#0184 Grade 12

Prerequisite: To be accepted into this honors level program the student must have obtained at least a C average in his/her level 11th grade program or at least a B+ average in his/her 11 grade college prep social studies course and the department chair’s approval. Students signing up for AP European History I should do so with the intention of taking both semesters of the program, as well as taking the AP European Examination in the spring.

This program serves as a full year introductory course in European history from C. 1450 to the present and prepares the student to take the Advanced Placement examination for possible college credit. Questions on intellectual-cultural, political-diplomatic, and social-economic history form the basis for the program and examination.

HONORS COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

#0621 Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

This course provides honors students with experience in computer software commonly used by high school and college students. Emphasis will be places on: a sophisticated word processor for writing mathematical and scientific papers, in advanced database for retrieval of mathematical and scientific information, spreadsheets for mathematical and scientific analysis, and software to create presentations.

Second-Semester Courses

HONORS ECONOMICS - MICRO

#0394 Grades 11, 12

The topics are the same as the level 1 course. Economic theories are covered in greater depth and more rigorous standards are used in tests and other graded work. Students will also experience the same computer simulation of running their own company as students in the level 1 and 2 courses.

HONORS PHILOSOPHY

# 0106 Grade 12

Prerequisite: To be accepted into this honors level program the student must have obtained at least a C average in his/her 11 grade honors level social studies course or at least a B in his/her 11th grade college prep level social studies course and the department chair’s approval.

For course description, read semester 1.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT EUROPEAN HISTORY

#0185 Grade 12

Prerequisite: To be accepted into this honors level program the student must have obtained at least a C average in his/her honors level 11th grade program or at least a B+ average in his/her 11th grade college prep social studies course and the department chair’s approval.

For course description, read semester 1.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT GEOGRAPHY-HUMAN GEOGRAPHY

#0114 – Honors Grade 12

Prerequisite: To be accepted into this honors level program the student must have attained at least a C average in his/her 11th grade honors social studies course or at least a B+ in his/her 11th grad college prep course and the department chair’s approval.

This one-semester course serves as an introduction to a college course in human geography and should prepare the student for the Advanced Placement Program examination in the spring. The major content areas covered by the program and examination include: The Nature and Perspectives of Geography: Population: Cultural Patterns and Processes; Political Organization and Space; Agricultural and Rural Land Use; Industrial and Economic Development; and Cities and Urban Land Use.

OTHER COURSES

HONORS DRAWING

#0804

Suggested Prerequisite: Art Basic I and II/Drawing and Painting I and II

Designed for students interested in careers in art, this course will help students prepare art school portfolios. Student portfolios will ultimately include several art works from a particular media, as well as art work from at least two other types of media.

Credit may be given to students by the University of Connecticut upon successful completion of this course.

HONORS ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTURAL DRAFTING TECH PREP

#0734 Second-semester Grades 11, 12

This course will qualify you to obtain college credit through the TECH PREP PROGRAM. This course is aligned with the entry level course Drafting CAD - Tech Studies 121 at Gateway Community Technical College. Upon completion you will receive a college transcript that can be transferred to any state college. The course may also be transferred to private in-state or out-of-state colleges. Computer aided drafting will be included as part of the student's work. IBM AutoCad computer, software capable of state-of-the-art drafting will help students prior to college entry in an engineering field. Design projects will challenge students' creativity and problem solving abilities.

VISUAL BASIC I

#0617 – HONORS Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

The Microsoft Visual Basic Programming language is studied and students learn to write programs using and controlling Microsoft Windows screens.

VISUAL BASIC II Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

#0667 - Honors

Prerequisite: Visual Basic I

A continuation of Visual Basic I with emphasis on data structures, artwork and special effects.

WEBPAGES WITH FRONTPAGE Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

#0690 – Honors

Students learn to create a web site using Microsoft FrontPage 2002. Students will be responsible for maintaining The Morgan School Web page.

MICROSOFT ACCESS Grades 10, 11, 12

#0687 - Honors

Software that allows students to organize information is studied in this course. Databases are a major source of information in a computer system. Learn to organize, structure, search for information, and develop expertise in using Microsoft Access.

CREATING WEB PAGES WITH JAVA Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

#0661 - Honors

Prerequisite: Web Pages with FrontPage

This course is a continuation of Surfing the Internet with an emphasis on writing hypertext markup language tags and learning the JAVA programming language. Writing and maintaining the Morgan School web site along with creating an Intranet web site are the goals of this course.

CREATING WEB PAGES HTML and DHTML Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

#6600 - Honors

Prerequisite: Web Pages with FrontPage

This course is a continuation of the Surfing the Internet course with an emphasis on writing hypertext markup language tags and learning HTML and DHTML programming language. Writing and maintaining the Morgan School web site as well as creating an intranet web site are the goals of this course.

INTERMEDIATE MICROSOFT OFFICE Grades 9, 10, 11, 12

#0625 - Honors

Prerequisite: Introduction to Microsoft Office

This course is a continuation of the Introduction to Microsoft Office course with an emphasis on more advanced techniques and an emphasis on using the software in science and mathematics.

ADVANCED MICROSOFT OFFICE/MATH Grades 10, 11, 12

#6350 - Honors

Prerequisite: Intermediate Microsoft Office

This course is a continuation of the Intermediate Microsoft Office course using the advanced features available in Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint. The course will stress using the software in science and mathematics.

WINDOWS 2000 SERVER NETWORK ADMINISTRATION Grades, 11, 12

#0639 - Honors

This course is intended to prepare students for portions of the MCSE exam. Implementing and supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 server, implementing and supporting Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional will be guides for this course of our study.

NETWORK ESSENTIALS. TCP/IP, INTERNET SERVER Grades 11, 12

#0649 - Honors

This course completes the preparation of the student for a set of the remaining components in the MCSE exam. Networking essential, Internet Information Server and TCP/IP complete the tests needed to pass the MCSE.

VISUAL C++ I Grades 10, 11, 12

#0671 - Honors

Prerequisite: Honors Computer Programming II

The Microsoft Visual C++ Programming language is studied and students learn to write programs using Microsoft Foundations Classes to control Microsoft Windows. Emphasis on MFC console applications, event handling from keyboard and mouse, device content and using Windows controls.

VISUAL C++ II Grades 10, 11, 12

#0675 – Honors

Prerequisite: Visual C++ I

This course is a continuation of the Visual C++ I course with emphasis on Menus, AppWizard, ClassWizard, Toolbars, Status bars, Views, dialog boxes, additional Window controls, drawing, libraries, Window styles and notifications.

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