Class Overviews
MMA is considers a college-prep pathway, meaning that the classes fufill the A-G Requirement for UC and CalState admission. These are the classes the students participate in. These course descriptions can also be found in the Serrrano High School Course Catelog online.
ENGLISH II
This is a college prep course in which students will explore major literary forms by reading and analyzing essays, speeches, short stories, plays, novels, and poetry. This course will emphasize the writing process, review grammar usage, and present new grammatical elements as required by California State Standards. The unique aspect of this course is that practical life exercises and fieldtrips are integrated into the standard curriculum, and each student will use a laptop regularly in class to help them strengthen their computer and writing skills. Further, integration with other academy courses provides meaningful class projects.
ENGLISH III
This course is based on major American authors, their styles, and the literary trends related to American history. Students will explore many genres while working to refine their own writing skills through examination of the works of professional writers, grammar and mechanics refinement, and structural practice. The unique aspect of this course is that each student participates in a mentor job shadow program and the teachers all use integrated curriculums, making learning more meaningful for students. Field trips and laptops are also provided to support the curriculum.
ENGLISH IV
This course is designed to acquaint students with a wide spectrum of non-fiction units that are used to explain, describe, give information, or inform. Emphasis in this course will be on the in depth study of expository, analytical, and argumentative readings, documentaries, and writings. Furthermore, students will continue to develop their writing skills by producing the academy’s newsletters, writing and submitting numerous scholarships, and presenting senior projects. These seniors are also provided with a laptop and a mentor experience that is designed to prepare them for life after high school.
WORLD HISTORY
This course will focus on the history of World conflicts and interactions between nations, beginning with the Renaissance and the Reformation and ending with Desert Storm and the war on terrorism.
UNITED STATES HISTORY
This course will focus on the history of American ideals, institutions, and values. The course will trace U.S. History beginning with the Civil War, ending in the present. Major events, episodes, issues, and people will be studied. Field trips will be planned to support topics discussed in class. U.S. History is a leader in integrated projects between other Academy classes.
AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
This course will focus on the history of American ideals, institutions, and values. The course will trace U.S. History beginning with the Civil War, ending in the present. Major events, episodes, issues, and people will be studied. Field trips will be planned to support topics discussed in class. U.S. History is a leader in integrated projects between other Academy classes.
ECONOMICS
This course gives the student an ability to understand concepts of economics and the economic theory. Students will solve economic problems through inter-departmental projects linked with technology. Analytical application practices will be featured. Macroeconomics and microeconomics will be analyzed, as well as a unit in Personal Finance.
BIOLOGY I
This course is designed as an introductory first year course in biology. The objectives of the course are based on the California Life Science State Standards with an emphasis on biochemistry, cells, energy, heredity, biotechnology, evolution, ecology, anatomy and physiology. Students will be required to take an active role in their education, which may include reading and evaluating science literature, maintaining a lab/notes notebook, learning how to evaluate reputable sources, and investigating social interest topics through research and other projects. Laboratory investigations and dissections correlate with content material with the goal of developing observational, experimental, critical thinking, and communicative skills. Students who successfully complete this course with a “C” or better may not enroll in Agricultural Biology, which covers similar material at the same level.
GEOLOGY
This course is designed to acquaint students with the major concepts in geology and the investigative processes through which geologic discoveries are made. The configuration of the earth, geologic time scales, physical processes that have shaped the earth's surface, and the earth's origin and history will be investigated. Specific topics will include: earthquakes, faults, rocks, minerals, volcanoes, weathering, oil, geologic resources, water resources, and more.
INTEGRATED MATH I PLUS
This class is designed for those students who earned a C- or below in Integrated Math 1 as a 9th grade student and need review before moving on to Integrated Math 2. This class is aligned to Common Core State Standards. The focus on this class will be on linear equations, inequalities, systems, functions, and coordinate geometry. Students will study how to solve equations, inequalities, and systems, and use them to solve word problems and understand how units will apply. Students will study how functions can apply to real world applications and model real world examples. Students will learn the connection between geometry and algebra through the study of coordinate geometry. This class may also be taken by 10-12 grade students that have not taken Integrated Mathematics 1.
INTEGRATED MATHMATICS II
This is a college prep math class that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The focus of the class is on quadratic expressions, equations, and functions. Real and complex numbers are introduced so that all quadratic equations can be solved. The link between probability and data is explored through conditional probability and counting methods, including their use in making and evaluating decisions. The study of similarity leads to an understanding of right triangle trigonometry and connects to quadratics through Pythagorean relationships. Circles, with the quadratic algebraic representations are included.
GRAPHIC DESIGN
In this course, students will be introduced to the Windows Operating System and network environment in the MMA computer lab. Students will learn how to troubleshoot and solve basic computer problems. The students will also be required to write essays, type, scan, and use the Internet to effectively maximize their learning in this class. Students will also learn how to operate Microsoft PowerPoint to prepare them for multimedia projects for other classes. There will be other projects and other software applications used to maximize student learning in other MMA classes. Students will design and layout publications such as: newsletters, flyers, brochures, posters, and much more. We will be working closely with small businesses to create publications for our community. Students will learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to edit and prepare photos for video and web design.
VIDEO PRODUCTION
Students will learn how to use Adobe Photoshop to edit and prepare photos for video and web design. They will also learn how to use Adobe After Effects to efficiently produce motion graphics and visual effects for film, video, multimedia, and the Web. They will use Adobe Premiere to create videos for steaming and VHS output. Students will be required to write scripts, news articles, and be responsible for their grammar and punctuation in all publications. They will also write a short script, storyboard and film, and produce their work. Students will be required to learn how to operate all hardware devices in the classroom such as the scanner, video-editing machine, digital video camera, and the digital still camera.
VISUAL GRAPHIC ART DESIGN
In Visual Graphic Art Design, students will learn the fundamental elements of art and design. The ability to plan and create original works of art will be developed through research, analysis, and critiques of other computer generated art. Students will research and develop an awareness of historical context of graphic design and cultural art used in California based on diverse times, places, and cultures. Students will develop skills in artistic perception, critiquing, and the use of application to design and create their own works of art. Art criticism experiences will further develop students abilities to see how personal life affects interpretations of design. All experiences will focus on developing perception and application of the elements of art and principles of design through the use of computer applications. A portfolio will be generated that can be used to demonstrate their abilities and explore two-dimensional and three-dimensional real world and business applications of computer generated design.