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Mandarin II is an intermediate course for students who have completed Mandarin IA and IB or have equivalent experience. The course focuses on topics such as travel, shopping, health, and Chinese songs, poems, and customs. Students will learn approximately 180 new characters, aiming to master around 500 characters and recognize up to 1200 words by the end of the course. They will practice using sentences and engage in conversations, presentations, and short social interactions on familiar topics. Cultural knowledge will include famous Chinese sayings, color symbolism, Chinese Zodiac signs, and discussions about Chinese culture in Mandarin.

Introduction to Latin is a presentation of the language with two primary goals. First, is to prepare the student for the study of Latin at the secondary school level. In this regard, the student is exposed to basic concepts of acquiring a second language such as vocabulary acquisition, word declentions, verb conjugation and a working knowledge of inflection. Intro to Latin stresses basic grammar, syntax and translation skills. The second goal of the course is to support students in general language acquisition, drawing the important connections between English and its Latin roots. Instruction is geared towards students with a variety of learning styles. Topics on Roman society are discussed, especially the impact of the language, as well as the history of Roman culture upon our society. By the end of this ninth grade class, students should be prepared to begin the study of Latin in high school.

Spanish 1 is offered to ninth grade students who have come to IMS with some previous experience with the language, but lack some important foundational elements of the first year curriculum. As a high school level course, the pace is necessarily rigorous. This class completes all the major grammatical components of Spanish 1A and 1B in one year. A priority is placed on consistently high work habits, with frequent assessments to assess the student’s steady progress. Successful completion of this course prepares a student to advance to the next level of Spanish in secondary school.

ESL History covers American history from the pre-colonial era through the Civil War. Using Contemporary’s American History 1: Before 1865, students study Native American cultures, the age of exploration, the colonial period, the American revolution, the Constitution, the growth of the United States, and the Civil War

The course is designed to help students expand their vocabulary and grammar, develop their study and writing skills, and become comfortable making presentations to their classmates. Assessments include class participation and performance on nightly work, quizzes, tests, and projects.

Foundations of Mathematics I seeks to provide a variety of successful learning experiences for each student to encourage growth and a positive attitude towards mathematics. Hands-on activities and short- and long-term projects that suit various learning styles enhance the program. Appropriate cross-curricular activities are also included.

Students start with a review of whole numbers, operations and place values. They then learn about measurement, including customary and metric systems, and measurement of time. Measurement is connected to the study of geometry as students learn area, perimeter, surface area, and volume. Students also explore ratios, proportions and percents, probability and statistics, and beginning algebraic equations.

A main goal of our math program is to expand students’ problem solving skills. Through activities which require mental math, paper and pencil computation, visual thinking, estimation, decision making, communication, and analysis, students gain skills in attempting various strategies, explaining the processes they use to arrive at their solutions.

Foundations of Mathematics II focuses on the development of sound critical thinking and flexible problem solving skills. It is a course that begins the shift from the concrete realm of arithmetic into the abstract area of algebra. The focus of this course is to develop genuine understanding through a blend of problem based learning and explicit instruction, where an emphasis is placed on making connections between old and new concepts. Topics covered include operations with fractions, proportional reasoning, percent problems, algebraic expressions and equations, probability, and the measurements of geometric shapes and solids. Most students who complete this course will take Foundations of Mathematics III in the fall, although a student may be ready for Algebra I at the recommendation of the teacher.

Foundations of Mathematics III offers a bridge between Foundations of Mathematics II and Algebra I for those students who are still transitioning between the concrete realm of arithmetic and the abstract concepts of algebra. The focus of this course is to develop genuine understanding through a blend of problem based learning and explicit instruction, where an emphasis is placed on making connections between old and new concepts. Topics covered include properties of exponents, linear equations, functions, data analysis, systems of equations, congruence and similarity of geometric figures, the Pythagorean theorem and surface area and volume of geometric solids. The successful completion of this course will provide students with the mathematical foundation needed to take Algebra I in the fall.

This course is designed as a fast paced, one year algebra program. The students in this course working both independent and cooperatively to master and apply the foundational skills necessary to find success in future math courses. Students will work through functions using rational numbers, make connections with both algebraic and graphical representations of the work, solve second degree (quadratics) equations and use introductory trigonometry.

Students must have completed an approved Algebra I program to place into Geometry. This course is covered in one academic year. A strong emphasis is placed on the importance of step-by-step proofs and other topics, such as parallel and perpendicular lines, relationships with triangles, polygons and quadrilaterals, right triangles and trigonometry, area, surface area and volume. Students are encouraged to become independent learners through challenging homework questions and in-class collaborative activities.

Students must have completed an approved Algebra I program to place into Honors Geometry. This course is taught in one academic year. Emphasis is placed on the importance of step-by-step proofs and other topics, such as parallel and perpendicular lines, relationships with triangles, polygons and quadrilaterals, right triangles and trigonometry, area, surface area and volume. The Honors section explores these topics in greater depth, often involving more complex proofs and the detailed relationship between geometry and trigonometry. Honors students have skills that allow them to learn both independently and collaboratively.