Upper School Course Offerings

In Freshman English, students focus primarily on reading, discussing, and writing about literature. Texts are selected annually to include a wide range of genres, eras, geographical regions, interests, and themes, but students perennially study at least one Shakespearean play. During class, students develop their speaking and listening skills as they discuss the works they read together. Throughout the year, they write formal, analytical, argumentative papers over the literature they read and discuss. In addition to these academic writing assignments, several creative, personal writing assignments are also required of the students. These typically relate in some way to the literature being read. Students are also expected to generate short, informal written pieces (usually of paragraph length) several times a week. Formal grammar review and instruction derive mainly from common errors in the students’ own writing and are delivered primarily through a mini-lesson format. Students also work through a vocabulary workbook over the course of the year.

During the course of the year, students in Sophomore English will read novels, plays, poetry, and short stories by authors from all over the world. We will work on reading comprehension skills and literary analysis. In major essay assignments as well as daily writing exercises, students work on grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary. The class focuses on the process of writing, everything from structure and mechanics to content and stylistic development. Students will write timed pieces as well as take-home, extended, multi-draft papers. Students’ skills are developed through writing workshops during which we work in small groups and utilize peer editing techniques.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 10
Prerequisites: Freshman English

The course is designed for students willing to proceed at an accelerated pace through the existing Sophomore English curriculum and to explore both reading and writing in detail. The course is recommended for students who love discussing a wide variety of readings and who have mastered the basic process of writing and enjoy pushing themselves to develop stylistically as writers. The course is also recommended (but not required) for students who wish to enroll in either or both AP English courses.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 10
Prerequisite: Freshman English

College Preparation American history and American English focuses on a combined American Studies approach. Both courses blend the history and the literature of the United States, from early contact to the twentieth century. The course is writing-centered and project-based with a focus on investigative learning. Students will engage primary sources and a wide variety of literary material to come to conclusions about various movements and intellectual trends in American literature and history. There will also be course components which explore the idea of conspiracy in American thought and the evolution of American identity.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisites: Freshman, Sophomore English

In accordance with College Board guidelines for this course, students in AP English Language and Composition are engaged in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their reading make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language complement meaning. Students in AP English 11 write in a variety of styles including formal analytical and argumentative papers, in-class timed essays, and informal personal/reflective pieces. All students enrolled in the course must take the Advanced Placement English Language and Composition Examination administered by the College Board in May. Students earning a three (3) or higher may be eligible to receive college credit and/or exemptions.

College Prep Senior English focuses on the continued development of communication and critical thinking skills through a variety of texts and assessments, including Socratic seminar based discussion, multi-draft papers, in-class timed writes, speeches and debates, and group projects.  Texts include fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and visual media such as movies and graphic novels.  Students refine their writer's voice, focusing on making deliberate rhetorical choices appropriate to a variety of audiences.  Students also continue to hone their research skills, finding and synthesizing multiple texts into sophisticated and unified arguments. Additionally, students build on the grammar and vocabulary concepts introduced in previous years.  Although specific topics of study (such as war, science fiction / fantasy, crime, or creative writing) will change each year, students will study material representative of a diversity of experiences and time periods, better preparing them to meet the challenges of college and the world beyond.

Yearlong
Grade Level:  12
Prerequisites:  none

In accordance with College Board guidelines for this course, students learn and practice skills in close reading, literary criticism, and analytical and critical writing. Classes are small with emphasis on discussion, analysis, and student responses to class texts. Students read works from a wide range of geographical and historical perspectives, and though the readings vary from year to year, texts are selected on the basis of their literary merit and degree of sophistication and artistry. AP English 12 students write frequently and in a variety of settings and modes, including analytical and critical papers, in-class essays, and original poetry. The class seeks to develop active, thoughtful, and incisive readers and agile, graceful, and effective writers.

All students enrolled in the course must take the Advance Placement Literature and Composition Examination administered by the College Board in May. Students earning a score of 3 or higher may be eligible to receive college credit and/or exemptions.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisites: Recommendation of the Department

The "Spirit of Stratford" begins rehearsal in the summer with a two-week camp, during which time the instrumentalists and color guard members learn the marching show. The ensemble performs at half-time at the varsity football games and competes in Marching Band Festivals/Competitions. The band and color guard consistently receives superior ratings and has received numerous Sweepstakes Awards for straight superior ratings in all captions at competitions. 

Introduction to Theatre, Theatre Appreciation, Musical Theatre 1, Musical Theatre 2, and Acting/Directing - These courses cycle through every four years before repeating. This allows theatre-focused students to pursue all that our department can offer, while remaining accessible to students wishing to have just a sampling of academic theatre. Each class is designed to introduce students to various aspects of the world of theatre arts.

Students will develop knowledge of basic stage terms, vocal and physical acting exercises, as well as broaden writing skills through critique of theatre works. Students learn the art as both an audience member and as a performer. Class activities will include a combination of exposure to existing theatre works and practical application through both on-campus and area theatre opportunities. Exercises to build physical stage presence, vocal projection, and self-esteem are integrated with the technical aspects of drama. Students will read, perform and experience a variety of both straight plays and musical theatre classics. The larger goal of this class is for these students to understand the vast amount of behind-the-scenes work involved in presenting individual shows.  

Yearlong
Grade Level: 9,10,11,12
Prerequisites: none 

This elective is designed for students who enjoy music, singing, and performing. In this course, students will learn the physical mechanics of the voice, as well as essential elements of music theory. Through the unique bond of singing as a group, students will get up close and personal with a variety of musical genres and styles from many cultures and historical periods. Students in Chorus will prepare music for performances both in and out of school, and as such, will need to be prepared for the occasional commitment of time outside of school hours.

Latin 1 is a comprehensive and informative introduction to the foundations of the Latin language and Greco-Roman culture. It introduces students to myriad facets of Roman daily life in Rome and Italy through first and third person perspectives. Students will explore the home, the family, the mythology, the businesses and sights of Rome, while preparing their Latin to be competent for directional and descriptive terms. This course will also introduce verb tenses reflective of historic and future time. The students will continue to explore Roman Italy through a journey to and through historic Pompeii in order to investigate Roman cultural rituals. The students will also explore the history of Roman Southern Italy, the upheavals that occurred there, and the responses of the Roman Senate.

Year-long
Grade Level: 9,10,11,12
Prerequisites: none

Latin II
Latin II covers advanced grammatical constructions and a few clauses that express purpose and result. The students will continue the first and third perspective as they conduct a journey through several of the more notable and historic locales in the wider Mediterranean world. Students will explore famous events, such as the Punic wars, Roman conspiracies and assassinations, local politics, ancient science and technology, Greek heroes, prophecy, and the Trojan War. Students will focus on the grammatical topics of the passive voice, subjunctive mood, participle usage, and reported speech. The bulk of the coursework should focus on Latin grammar, phrase development, and translation in a right-wrong grading format. Per AP curriculum and grading standards, linguistic precision and performance is key. Language production is to be used for change of pace, student motivation, and student challenge.

Year-long
Grade Level: 9,10,11,12
Prerequisite: Latin I

Latin III
Latin III will cover advanced grammatical constructions and expressions. Additionally, Latin 3 will cover the literary and poetic analysis techniques for deeper learning and discussion. The students will continue their journey through the ancient world. Latin will focus cultural learning on Greek history, Greek history, philosophy, ancient courtship customs, poetic styles and constructions, gender roles, and ancient virtues.

Year-long
Grade Level: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite: Latin II

Latin IV
Latin IV is interchangeable with the Latin III course in intensity, while covering different cultural topics but most of the same grammatical topics, so that the courses can have mixed classes. The course will focus on using primary sources and research opportunities. The course will explore Roman identity, Romanization of provinces, and how the Romans shaped their own history and foundations. It will also focus on Xenia vs. Xenophobia and the prescribed roles for people in society. Latin 4 also often includes an exploration of medieval and modern Latin and the reading of modern texts, such as Harry Potter or the Hobbit, in Latin.

Year-long
Grade Level: 10, 11, 12
Prerequisite: Latin III

This course is strictly for preparing students to take the Advanced Placement Latin exam at the end of the year. As such students will cover the topics, prescribed by the College Board, while reading selections from Vergil’s Aeneid and Julius Caesar’s Commentaries on the Gallic War. Students should be well versed in Roman mythology and history of the end of the Roman Republic and early Empire. Students will be encouraged to analyze and present their own supported thoughts throughout the course, while also delving into the who, what, when, and how of the Latin.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11,12
Prerequisite:  Latin IV* and recommendation by the department

*A Senior who has completed Latin III and has recommendation from the department is eligible.

Spanish I
Spanish I is an introductory course which emphasizes aural, oral, reading and writing skills. Basic vocabulary and grammar are supplemented by an introduction to cultures of the Spanish speaking world. These building blocks are used to enable the student to socialize, to exchange information, to express attitudes, opinions, feelings and emotions in the Spanish language.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 9,10,11
Prerequisites: none

Spanish II
This course continues the study of Spanish by presenting the more complex structures of basic Spanish. The focus is on attaining an acceptable degree of proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing through extensive grammar study and through oral/aural practice.

Yearlong
Grade Levels: 9,10,11,12
Prerequisite: Spanish I

Spanish III
This course is an in-depth study of the grammar concepts introduced in Spanish I and II. The focus is on building vocabulary and then combining structure and vocabulary to gain proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students read Spanish literature for the first time in graded readers and in excerpts taken from the works of notable authors.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 10,11,12
Prerequisite: Spanish II

Spanish IV
This advanced course is designed to provide students the necessary skill set to pursue college-level studies in Spanish. It may serve as preparation for the AP Spanish Language course. Spanish IV will engage the students in an exploration of both modern-day Hispanic cultures and these cultures throughout history, as well as drawing parallels and contrasts between these cultures and the students' own. This course is designed to give students the opportunity to put their knowledge of the language into practice and build their vocabulary and fluency through the analysis of literary and cinematic texts. Though grammatical skills and vocabulary from the previous levels will be reviewed, the class will strongly emphasize real-world communication in various different contexts and across all four major language skill areas (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). The class will be conducted entirely in Spanish, and students will be expected to communicate exclusively in Spanish.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11,12
Prerequisite: Spanish III

The AP® Spanish Language and Culture course is a rigorous course taught exclusively in Spanish that requires students to improve their proficiency across the three modes of communication within six thematic units: Global Challenges, Science and Technology, Contemporary Life, Personal and Public Identities, Families and Communities, Beauty and Aesthetics. The course focuses on the integration of authentic resources including online print, audio, and audiovisual resources; as well as traditional print resources that include literature, essays, and magazine and newspaper articles; and also a combination of visual/print resources such as charts, tables, and graphs; all with the goal of providing a diverse learning experience. Students communicate using rich, advanced vocabulary and linguistic structures as they build proficiency in all modes of communication toward the pre-advanced level.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisites: Spanish IV and Departmental approval

French I
French I is an introductory course which emphasizes aural, oral, reading and writing skills. Basic vocabulary and grammar are supplemented by an introduction to the culture of France and the French-speaking world. These building blocks are used to enable the student to exchange information and to express attitudes, opinions, feelings and emotions in the French language.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 9,10,11
Prerequisites: none

French II
This is a continuation of French I with an introduction of more complex grammatical concepts. Students should be able to communicate basic needs and thoughts upon completion of this course. This course is supplemented with simplified reading material and other French realia. Much of the class is conducted in French.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 9,10,11,12
Prerequisite: French I

French III
Students continue to learn and to improve their knowledge of French grammar and vocabulary. They also get a first taste of French literature through novels such as Le Petit Prince and excerpts from Graded French Reader. An emphasis is placed on oral and written communication. Most of the class is conducted in French.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11,12
Prerequisite: French II

French IV
As a continuation of French III, the French IV class is designed to meet the needs of students as they prepare for the subsequent year in AP French. Students who aren't planning to take AP French may also sign up for French IV, as they may wish to continue polishing their language skills after level three. In the French IV course, students will further refine their intermediate language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) while learning the linguistic nuances through a focus on communication. The main focus of the class will be on building vocabulary and increasing fluency while further polishing skills. The French IV course shall be conducted predominantly in French, and students will be expected to speak and practice daily in the target language. Authentic resources such as Le Monde; French-language newspapers; Les Champs Elysées, and selected literature works may be used in conjunction with a textbook and pre-AP materials to help students better prepare for the AP course.

The course objective is to refine the student’s communication skills, aural/oral and written, and to increase his vocabulary to such a degree that s/he may receive college credit by scoring a 3 or better on the AP exam in May. This course is supplemented with various works of French literature, films, tape exercises, and other realia. This class is conducted entirely in French.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisites: French III and Departmental approval

AP Human Geography is equivalent to a college-level introductory course in human geography. The curriculum covered in the course examines the patterns by and processes through which humans have understood, used, and altered the Earth. Specific topics covered will include basic geographic concepts and tools, population patterns and distribution, cultural patterns and processes, political patterns and processes, agriculture and rural land use, industrialization and economic development, and cities and urban land use.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 9
Prerequisites: none

CP World Geography examines how place and space affects human interactions. This course will weave together both physical and human geography so students can better understand how geography is a driver of history and the modern world and will include key cultural and historic developments influenced by geography. The course moves through early world history to c. 1200 AD, covering subjects such as the Paleolithic Era, early agricultural societies, the development of world religions, and early world empires. Students will develop reading comprehension and analytical skills, as well as strengthen writing skills. Additionally, students will continue to develop map skills, including using modern GIS and GPS technologies to interpret and understand the earth and humans’ interaction within the environment.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 9
Prerequisites: none

AP World History: Modern is equivalent to an introductory college course on modern world history. The AP World History course is structured around the investigation of six course themes and multiple key concepts across nine different chronological periods, from approximately 1200 C.E. to the present. Those major themes include humans and the environment; culture developments and interactions; governance; economic systems; social interactions and organization; and technology and innovation.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 10
Prerequisites: None

CP World History begins c. 1200 and covers a broad spectrum of human activity progressing into the modern era. The course examines the themes that seem to drive human relationships: agriculture, population growth, urbanization, power structures, empire, religious belief, trade, technological innovation, and economic systems, clear patterns emerge that help students to better understand the world in which we live. Major units include the development of trade networks across the world, land-based and transoceanic empires, the Columbian Exchange, the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, the World Wars, and post-WWII decolonization. Emphasis is placed on connecting the histories of Asia, Africa, and other continents and world regions to traditional North American and European histories. Among other skills, students will develop skills in reading comprehension, source analysis using both primary and secondary source material, historical research and writing, and presentation skills.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 10
Prerequisites: none

AP U.S. History is equivalent to a college-level survey of U.S. History, beginning with 1492 (and earlier) and continuing to the present. The course focuses on eight major themes throughout U.S. History: American and national identity; work, exchange, technology; geography and the environment; migration and settlement; politics and power; America in the world; American and regional culture; and social structures. Students are also introduced to schools of historiography and consider how historians have written and continue to write about the past.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisites: none

CP U.S. History is a year-long course that begins with a brief investigation of pre-Columbian North and Central America before examining the causes and consequences of European exploration. Major areas of focus during the year include colonization, the American Revolution, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, imperialism and the world wars, the Cold War, the Civil Rights movement, and post-1960s U.S. History. Students will engage in various types of primary and secondary sources, and they will continue to refine and add to their historical thinking and writing skills.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11
Prerequisites: none

This is a year-long course designed to prepare students for the AP exam in U.S. Government and Politics. Topics include the foundations of American democracy, interactions among branches of government, civil liberties and civil rights, American political ideologies and beliefs, and political participation. Emphasis will be placed on applying course content to real-world scenarios including elections, legislative matters, Supreme Court decisions, and contemporary news media.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisites: None

U.S. Government is a semester-long course that covers the various functions of the American government. Special attention will be paid to the idea of federalism and the interactions between state and local governments, the three branches of government, the concept of checks and balances, past and contemporary debates over the role of government in society, and citizens’ role in the political process. Discussion and analysis of current events will be paired with the study of key founding documents, including the Constitution and Federalist Papers.

One Semester
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisites: None

One Semester
Grade Level: 11,12
Prerequisites: none

AP Psychology is an introductory college-level psychology course. Students cultivate their understanding of the systematic and scientific study of human behavior and mental processes through inquiry-based investigations as they explore concepts like the biological bases of behavior, sensation, and perception, learning and cognition, motivation, developmental psychology, testing and individual differences, treatment of abnormal behavior, and social psychology.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11 and 12
Prerequisites: none

AP European History is a yearlong introductory college level course focusing on the historical development of Europe from 1450 to the present. Students will study the social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental history of the continent and its role in relationships to the larger world, analyzing the changes that take place over time and across regions. This course delves into essential analytical skills such as source analysis, contextualization, comparison, identifying causation, understanding continuities and changes over time, and how to compose and evaluate historical claims. Both analytical skills and writing skills will be emphasized.

Yearlong
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisites: none

Economics and Personal Finance is a semester-long class designed to provide students with foundational knowledge of economics and the skills to be able to succeed financially as adults. Topics covered will include markets, supply and demand, supply chains, inflation, unemployment, banking, and the Federal Reserve. Special attention will be paid to practical financial knowledge, such as loans, mortgages, participation in the stock market, the American tax system, and planning for retirement.

One Semester
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisites: None

The course begins by addressing the inherent deficiencies of Reconstruction Era politics, which—even in the aftermath of an unsuccessful Confederate, pro-slavery insurrection—still laid the ideological foundations for subsequent decades of state-sanctioned, systemically racist legislation at various levels of governance. By tracing the evolution of America’s innate structure of ethnic oppression—from slavery through Reconstruction and Jim Crow, and from the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s to the current Black Lives Matters protests—this class aims to untangle the unfinished, and often contradictory, quest for ongoing racial equality in contemporary U.S. society. The courses uses various cultural mediums—oral histories/written testimonials, primary/secondary sources, and documentary/fictional films—to better understand how the enduring struggle over civil rights in the modern era has been enacted in the public sphere.

One Semester
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisites: None

The course examines the Nazi attempt to annihilate the Jewish people during the years 1933-1945. Over the course of a few short years, leaders from one of the world’s most civilized countries organized and carried out the murder of almost six million Jewish men, women, and children, using the most advanced techniques available in management, science, and technology. The course examines the Holocaust from a number of different angles, including its ideological origins, efforts to isolate and marginalize German Jewry during the 1930s, the transition to mass murder during WWII, the experiences of Jewish victims, survival strategies and forms of resistance, the experiences of bystanders and perpetrators, and the memory of the Holocaust.

One Semester
Grade Level: 11, 12
Prerequisites: None

This semester course is designed to discover who we are and how we deal with relationships. We will discuss such topics as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and relationships with peers, family members, and significant others. We will also discuss issues related to human sexuality. Other topics may include alcohol and drugs, growing old, death, and suicide. This course is designed for seniors only because of the mature subject matter.

One Semester
Grade Level: 12
Prerequisites: none