Upper Division Curriculum
Coursework in the Upper Division program (Grades 11 & 12) pushes students to find connections between the disciplines, and to synthesize knowledge gained from examining multiple, and often divergent, perspectives. Seminar-style classes foster closer collaboration between students and teachers, and inquiry-driven projects encourage students to see themselves as skilled researchers, creative problem-solvers, and lifelong learners.
Grade 11: American Studies
The 11th Grade asks students to examine the complex cultural, historical, social, and political events that have shaped the history of the United States and those who have told its story. Students will engage in a critical study of American literature and rhetoric and participate in the process of writing history to answer the question: What does it mean to be an American? This will remain an open question, for as Harvard historian Jill Lepore reminds us, "The story of America isn't carved in stone, or even inked on parchment; it is, instead, told, and fought over, again and again."
Grade 12: Self & Society
The 12th Grade program aims to get high school seniors thinking critically and independently about questions every adult ought to be asking: What makes life meaningful? What are our roles and responsibilities in the world? How can we create the best possible society? In pursuit of their own answers to these questions, students will analyze, compare, and evaluate the perspectives of a diverse group of thinkers that includes novelists, poets, politicians, economists, philosophers, and more.
Service Learning Project
All Magnet students complete a Service Learning Project at the end of their senior year. This experience provides students with an opportunity to apply the knowledge they’ve acquired over their four years in high school towards active civic engagement. Students learn the valuable skills of being able to organize information, resources, and people to improve the community while satisfying an LAUSD graduation requirement.
Senior Capstone Portfolio
To culminate their high school experience, students in their senior year will assemble a digital portfolio that demonstrates their mastery of the academic content and the skills they’ve acquired, as well as the essential documents required for entry into any basic job and college or university. Students will present this portfolio to a panel of faculty and staff to be eligible for graduation from the magnet program.
