Bored of the current class options? Starting next year there are 10 new classes that could be chosen, almost all of which are for upperclassmen. There are several English classes, two science classes and one new PE class.
The English classes consist of: Comedy, Horror, Novel to Film, Superheroes & Anti-heros, Heroes & Monsters, Mythology, American Literature 1, and American Literature 2; which are all half year classes. There is also Contemporary Literature 1 and 2 which are full year classes. All of the new English classes are for grades 11-12 except for Contemporary Literature 1 which is for 11th grade and Contemporary Literature 2 which is for 12th grade.
The new science classes are Uconn Earth’s Dynamic Environment and astrophysics which will be taught by Mrs. McGillicuddy (for grades 10-12), and the new PE class is personal training which will be taught by Mrs. Gregory (for grades 11-12). All these classes were added in hopes of allowing students to customize their schedule to their interests more so than in the past. The implementation of these new classes may also make students enjoy school more since they get more choice in what they learn.
What you learn about in each of the English classes is mostly evident by the name. In the Comedy class, you learn about how an author creates humor, along with how audiences interpret it. Same goes for the horror class, where you learn about how an author can make something scary, as well as the human attraction to horror. In Novel to Film, you learn about story development and how it brings the novel alive. In Superheroes & Anti-Heroes, as well as Heroes and Monsters, you’ll learn about the differences between a Superhero and other characters, as well as bring in some real-life examples. What you learn in Mythology is what you’d expect: you learn about myths, how they’ve changed over time, how they may vary from different cultures and how they affect society. The American literature classes are the most similar to the standard English classes, but are half year courses. Finally, contemporary literature is a more challenging class but it does provide more of a choice for what you read. It helps improve your reading, writing, researching and communication skills.
As for the science classes: In the UConn Earth’s Dynamic Environment class you will learn about how the earth works as a system to create the landscapes, seascapes, and climates that exist. You will also learn the affects humans have on the environment. It’s said to be a good class to take if you want background knowledge on the earth. In Astrophysics, you will learn a lot about the universe, stars, planets, galaxies, the solar system, and how various things in the galaxy were formed. Mrs. McGillicuddy says that “people have been asking for this class for 15 years.” If you were one of those people wanting it, Congratulations! It’s finally a class.
The topics learned in Personal Training are simple, you learn how to become a personal trainer. This is recommended for all of those that are considering a career in personal training or similar fields. You learn leadership skills and various fitness related skills.
Again, all of these classes will become options this fall. If you have any questions regarding these new classes, please contact your guidance counselor. You can find a reminder of who your assigned counselor is on your class’ Google Classroom.
