Grade 9
Tesseract’s ninth-grade curriculum introduces students to the accuracy and rigors of college-preparatory work. Freshmen acquire the skills and knowledge needed for success in high school, college and in life. Classes are taught in an innovative setting that emphasizes authentic learning and cross-curricular and global connections. Capitalizing on our small-class sizes and student-centered approach, educators are able to work with students to help them each develop their individual strengths, capturing their interest and stimulating a lifelong love of learning.
In freshman humanities, students learn that to understand the future, one must understand the past. Through the study of the history, philosophy, literature, government, visual art and architecture of ancient Greek and Roman cultures, ninth-grade students come to understand how these two seminal cultures came to influence our own. In this humanities course, a careful study of the history and politics of the region complements students’ literature studies. This class comes alive for students as they explore ruins, museums and more on their class trip to the Mediterranean.
Ninth-grade math studies build upon what was learned in middle school, with a focus on geometry and algebra. In algebra, students write and graph linear equations and linear inequalities. In geometry students explore the basic principals of two and three-dimensional shapes and the principles of logic and proofs. Technological tools and real-world problems play a central role in individual and group investigations.
Freshman biology is a laboratory-based science course that provides students with an overview of the fundamentals of biology. This includes an examination of the human organism as well as the relationship between humans and their environment. Students apply these principles in laboratory work where they work on the scientific method and lab procedures.
In ninth grade, our foreign language program offers students beginning and advanced Spanish as well as beginning Mandarin instruction. Each course has been carefully designed to emphasize spoken and written communications through integrated project-based lessons. Students are exposed to the rich diversity and culture of Spain, Latin America and China as they learn to read, write and speak these languages in authentic situations.
Throughout high school, technology is integrated to support each subject’s curriculum. Foreign language, the arts, athletics, service learning, advisory, field trips and the class trip to the Mediterranean further enrich students’ freshman experience.
Beginning in ninth grade, students meet with our college counselor to discuss the college application process, including competitive grade point averages (GPA), course profiles and selection criteria for different colleges and universities. Ninth-graders also start the creation of portfolios and resumes that will represent their academic progress throughout high school.
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