A proven leader in promoting student success in academics.
Elementary School Fine Arts Courses
Third Grade Art Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of art in 3rd Grade begins by exploring the basics of art, including the elements of art and principles of design. In this integrated art course, students explore the many ideas and themes found throughout art history. Each Module advances students’ art skills by requiring hands-on Projects, utilizing the skills studied and gained in each Lesson. Students utilize multiple art tools and technologies to produce a variety of mediums. Projects include creating drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, installation art, digital art, and photography. The course concludes with an exploration of available art and career opportunities along with the creation of a professional art portfolio showcasing the work created throughout the course.
Fourth Grade Art Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of art in 4th Grade begins by exploring the basics of art, including the elements of art and principles of design. In this integrated art course, students explore the many ideas and themes found throughout art history. Each Module advances students’ art skills by requiring hands-on Projects, utilizing the skills studied and gained in each Lesson. Students utilize multiple art tools and technologies to produce a variety of mediums. Projects include creating drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, installation art, digital art, and photography. The course concludes with an exploration of available art and career opportunities along with the creation of a professional art portfolio showcasing the work created throughout the course.
Fifth Grade Art Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of art in 4th Grade begins by exploring the basics of art, including the elements of art and principles of design. In this integrated art course, students explore the many ideas and themes found throughout art history. Each Module advances students’ art skills by requiring hands-on Projects, utilizing the skills studied and gained in each Lesson. Students utilize multiple art tools and technologies to produce a variety of mediums. Projects include creating drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, mixed media, installation art, digital art, and photography. The course concludes with an exploration of available art and career opportunities along with the creation of a professional art portfolio showcasing the work created throughout the course.
Third Grade Music Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of music in 3rd Grade focuses on basic sight-reading skills, performing folk dances, and learning the history of folk music in America. Students will learn to play songs in 2/4 and 4/4 time signatures on the soprano recorder. Virtual games teach students to listen for changes in dynamics, count the number of beats, and recognize where measures start and end. By the end of the year, students will know how to read music and play the recorder. They will also know how to clog-dance and how to behave during a formal music concert. The goal of the 3rd Grade Music course is to learn musical performance, active listening skills, and mindfulness in a fun and relaxed environment.
Fourth Grade Music Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of music in 4th Grade opens the gateway into exciting development. Building upon the basics covered in 3rd Grade (while still teaching these basics in order to function as a stand-alone course), 4th Grade music allows students the opportunity to learn how music recording and distribution has changed over the years. Students will learn to conduct and play music on the recorder in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time signatures while also learning different musical forms. 4th Grade music has a focus on Texas heritage, noting the influence of Mexican-American, African- American, and European immigrant culture on the music and dancing of the state. Students will listen to great examples of music from a variety of instruments, historical recordings, and cultures as their understanding and respect for different varieties of music increases.
Fifth Grade Music Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of music in 5th Grade integrates singing into the student’s musical experience. The 5th Grade course enhances sight singing skills by adding in new examples with different key signatures and compound time signatures. Musical form is taught through activities that allow students to express themselves and talk freely about the music and films they prefer, while also providing the critical vocabulary needed to describe this music in a more polished manner. Cultural representation is a key factor in 5th Grade Music, with African-American, Native- American, American Sign Language, and European immigrant representation. Students will finish the 5th Grade Music course with a greater understanding and appreciation for the music of the different cultures around them.
Third Grade Health Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The 3rd Grade Health course builds on the knowledge and skills learned in the second grade. In this course, the student acquires the health information and skills necessary to become healthy adults and learn about behaviors in which they should and should not participate. Skills are taught in seeking guidance in the area of health from parents, how personal behaviors can increase or reduce health risks throughout the lifespan, how health is influenced by a variety of factors, and how to recognize health information and products. Beyond physical health, this course helps students learn personal/interpersonal skills needed to promote individual, family, and community health. Several projects help the student expand health thinking and practice skills learned in the course.
Fourth Grade Health Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) In 4th Grade Health, the student acquires the health information and skills necessary to become healthy adults and learn about behaviors in which they should and should not participate. Skills are taught in seeking guidance in the area of health from parents, how personal behaviors can increase or reduce health risks throughout the lifespan, how health is influenced by a variety of factors, and how to recognize health information and products. In addition to learning age-specific health information on a variety of health topics, students learn how their behaviors affect their body systems. Students are taught the consequences of unsafe behaviors while using social skills to deal with peer pressure and communicate effectively.
Fifth Grade Health Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) In 5th Grade Health, the students acquire the health information and skills necessary to become healthy adults and learn about behaviors in which they should and should not participate. Skills are taught in seeking guidance in the area of health from parents, how personal behaviors can increase or reduce health risks throughout the lifespan, how health is influenced by a variety of factors, and how to recognize health information and products. Beyond physical health, students are taught about the human body and the changes that come with puberty. Students are taught how to maintain healthy body systems and prevent disease. Students also learn how technology and the media influence personal health and how to apply problem-solving skills to improve or protect their health.
Middle School Fine Arts Courses
Middle School Art Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) The study of Middle School Art integrates visual literacy skills using critical thinking, imagination, and the senses to explore the world through the use of elements of art and principles of design. The student explores ideas from life experiences about self, peers, family, and community and uses the imagination to integrate them into original works of art. Creative expression is emphasized throughout the course as numerous works of art will be created using several art mediums such as drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, modeled forms, fiber works, mixed media, installation work, digital art, and photography. Historical and cultural relevance in art is explored while analyzing styles, historical periods, and a variety of cultures. The course explores critical evaluation and response to the artworks of the student and others. The course concludes with an exploration of available art and career opportunities along with the creation of a professional art portfolio showcasing the work created throughout the course.
Middle School Music Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) Taking a more classical approach, the study of music in middle school teaches students the instruments of the orchestra and the classical voice ranges with exemplary performance examples. Students will also learn how to notate musical scores, sight-read using solfège and Curwen hand signs, and critically compare art music performances. Students enrolled in the middle school music course will understand the difference between a genre and a style and the parts of sonata form. The middle school music course also introduces a more expansive world view of music with entertaining and interactive tools for learning.
Middle School Theater Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) In Middle School Theater, students incorporate the study of theater, dialog, music, and dance to offer unique experiences that help students explore realities, relationships, and ideas. The foundations of theater include inquiry and understanding, creative expression, historical and cultural relevance, and critical evaluation and response. Through these foundations, students develop a perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theater. Through projects and exercises, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner. Through the study of historical and cultural relevance, students increase their understanding of heritage and traditions in theater and the diversity of world cultures as expressed in theater. Through critical evaluation and response, students develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate live theater.
Sixth Grade Health Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) In 6th grade Health, students are encouraged to continue good health practices learned at home. These practices include hygiene, nutrition, medical and dental care, and personal health choices. Coverage is given to sorting through information to make choices among health products. Attention is given to navigating social pressures, puberty, and reproductive processes. Students are given the opportunity to refine their critical thinking skills by evaluating the consequences of their decisions and actions. They are guided to understand that their decisions have consequences not only to themselves, their friends and families, but also to the community at large. By learning to find and evaluate health materials and understand the consequences of their actions, students are being equipped to make good choices and ensure good health throughout their lives.
Seventh/Eighth Grade Health Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) This course is designed to give middle school students the information they need to have health for a lifetime. This includes how to make good decisions about health. Issues covered include eating disorders, stress-related emotional disorders, coping with stress, peer pressure, relationships, as well as use and misuse of prescription, illegal, and OCT drugs. Adolescence and puberty are presented. The course also presents safety and first aid, including first on-scene responses such as CPR, choking rescue, and use of an AED. Students are given instruction on avoiding danger, abuse, and violence. This discussion includes information about gangs and weapons. Students are given tools to enhance their own social skills and improve their outlook for personal and community health. They are taught the importance of respect for themselves and others, including preventing bullying behavior. Students are exposed to long-term strategies and goal setting, as well as career information and outlooks in health-related industries.
High School Fine Arts Courses
High School Art History Course
(Full Year Course) Art History will help students develop skills to recognize and appreciate the diversity of art. The course begins with prehistoric and ancient art before introducing students to the classical art of the Greeks and Romans. Students will survey medieval art before exploring the glory days of art and architecture, the Renaissance. The use of light and shadow to evoke emotion during the Baroque period will impress students as will the whimsical style of the Rococo period. Students will contrast the Neoclassical return to idealized subjects with the Romantic era’s imagination. Appreciation of art will grow as students study Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists such as Monet and Van Gogh. The course concludes with students tracing modern art movements, including expressionism, minimalism, as well as conceptual art and artists, including Rodin, Picasso, Mondrian, and O’Keeffe.
High School Health I Course
(Half Year Course) HS Health 1 is a course focused on empowering late adolescents with skills and knowledge in order to maximize healthy decision-making. The course will allow students to explore a general approach to topics, such as nutrition and fitness, disease prevention, healthy risk-taking, health services, drug-use prevention, STDs, and abstinence. Students will focus on ways to maximize their physical, emotional, and social health. This is accomplished by promoting healthy relationships with family and peers, understanding the health risks of drug use and sexual activity, all the while providing skills for avoiding unhealthy decisions. Throughout this half-credit course, students will become empowered as agents over the future of their own health.
Music Appreciation Course
(Full Year Course) This course is designed to help the non-musician understand music basics, including such topics as reading a musical score, melody and harmony, rhythm, music history (styles by period), music theory, musical genres, instruments, orchestration, and arrangement. The course even covers the creation of musical scores using popular music arrangement software. Other topics include the science of musical sound, health and wellness for performers, classical symphony concerts, besides opera performances and etiquette when attending. The course strives to help non-musicians gain an understanding of the world of music and to become well-rounded individuals.
Old Testament Course
(Half Year Course) The Old Testament (OT) course will equip students with a basic literacy of the Hebrew scriptures. The course begins with an examination of the major divisions, authorship, and translations of the OT before surveying each individual book. The second unit examines the impact of the OT on worldview, society and morals, family, human fallibility, modern science, and the value of human life. Students will recognize the impact of Hebrew scriptures on important events and historical documents including the Reformation, the Magna Carta, and the U.S. Constitution. Students will next probe the influence of the OT on language, culture, and literature, including idioms, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Handel’s Messiah, Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost, and spirituals. The course will conclude by introducing students to the influence of OT on artworks including The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo.
New Testament Course
(Half Year Course)The New Testament (NT) course will equip students with a basic literacy of the NT scriptures. To begin, students will explore the history and characteristics of the NT, survey each book, and recognize the centrality of Jesus of Nazareth. An inquiry into the Christian era will inform students of the NT impact on children, slavery, women, marriage, and education. Students will investigate the profound influence of the NT on politics, limited government, and the concept of justice as seen in important American events including the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution. Students will understand the effect of the NT on literature after reading selections from Great Expectations, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and other literature. The course concludes with an examination of artwork related to NT events including the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
High School Logic I Course
(Half Year Course) The Logic I course will improve the critical thinking skills of students through the study of informal logic. The course will challenge students to evaluate whether humans are rational or emotional beings. The majority of the course explores occurrences of faulty reasoning known as logical fallacies. Students will learn to recognize and expose fallacies when evaluating and critiquing arguments. Fallacies covered include appeal to fear, irrelevant thesis, straw man, false analogy, red herring, and misuse of statistics. Students will apply the study of types, components, and principles of argumentative dialogue in preparing a dialogue of their own. During the course, students will consider and analyze Aesop’s Fables and “The Cave” by Plato. The course concludes with a comprehensive review of fallacies and a preview of formal logic.
High School Logic II Course
(Half Year Course) Logic II introduces the student to the world of Aristotelian formal logic. Students will use classical tools, including the Porphyrian tree and Euler’s circles to translate arguments into propositions organized within the categorical form. Students will also learn to analyze the validity of arguments using the square of opposition, terminological rules, Venn diagrams, and the Barbara, Celarent, Darii, Ferio mnemonic. The course concludes with an evaluation of presuppositional disputes and a survey of hypothetical syllogisms.
High School Psychology Course
(Half Year Course) The Psychology course begins with a look at basic social science skills including ethical decision-making and statistical evaluation. After a brief survey of careers in psychology, the student will explore the physical processes of the brain and body systems that shape sense and perception. The student will then study theories of development, personality, and conditioning. Next, students will explore mental processes behind thinking and memory, language acquisition, motivation, and emotions. Students will investigate the levels of consciousness and disorders leading to abnormal behavior. The course concludes with an examination of the individual and social behavior. Students will learn about stress, attitude formation, conflict resolution, conformity and obedience, altruism, and morality.
High School Spanish I Course (Digital Only)
(Full Year Course) Spanish 1 is an introduction to Spanish Language and culture and focuses on the four key areas of foreign language study: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The primary purpose of the course is to prepare students to be college-ready, well-rounded global citizens who can communicate effectively in Spanish and are aware of the cultural influences of the Spanish and Latino heritage at home and abroad. This course encourages interpersonal communication through speaking and writing, providing opportunities to make and respond to basic requests and questions, to understand and use appropriate greetings and forms of address, and to participate in brief guided conversations on familiar topics. Students will be expected to master proper Spanish sentence constructions, articles and adjectives, subject-verb agreement, and regular and irregular verb conjugations. As part of the course, students will be provided opportunities to read, write, listen, and speak Spanish while they work towards becoming linguistically and culturally literate.
Bright Thinker’s curriculum can promote learning in every type of learning environment.
Blended Learning
