Middle School Elective Courses
Because of Oakwood’s eight-period day, students are able to complete all of their core academic subjects and still select from a wide variety of electives. These courses are generally one trimester in length and are designed to provide students the opportunity to explore various interests. In addition, some courses are required to be taken during the elective period. Oakwood requires the following single trimester courses:
- Computer Competence - 6th Grade
- Geography 1 - 7th Grade
- Geography 2 - 8th Grade
- One Public Speaking Course during Middle School
Most electives are offered each year, but some will vary depending on student and faculty interest with a high degree of effort focused on providing selections from many different disciplines. The sample list and descriptions provided here are geared for a student audience:
Art Exploration
“Exploration” is the operative word in this exciting course, which is all about ‘what do you want to know?’ ‘What would you like to investigate?’ Make your own bound book – make the paper that goes in the book! Study some architecture and design your own building. Try on a little Art History – whatever DID happen to Van Gogh’s ear, anyway? Say, ever thought about maybe a career in art? What careers are available? You might be surprised! There is no limit to where your imagination can soar in this popular class.
Babysitting 101
Love kids? Want to earn some extra spending money? This class will teach you how to be an effective, safe babysitter. Learn skills like interviewing with parents, elementary first aid, feeding and bathing children, and how to increase your client base. Topics will include the basics of both child care and running a teen business. Participants will need to bring a life-sized baby doll to class.
Brain Busters
Do you enjoy thinking outside of the box? Do you like puzzles, mysteries, riddles and brain-teasers? The goal of this elective is to twist your brain in a novel way, helping you see language, math, science and the world in a whole new light! Play around with word puzzles, visual puzzles, math puzzles, science puzzles – and some puzzles that there is just no name for! Feel once more that “YES!” of satisfaction when you and your buddies solve these puzzles and problems. Make puzzles of your own to stump your friends and family. Check it out – it’s a blast!
Calligraphy
Hey, have you ever wanted to do really fancy writing? Have you ever wanted to learn how to write in different kinds of lettering styles and fonts? Come and learn how to do calligraphy. It’s fun, exciting and your practice may even pay off! People actually earn money while using calligraphy on certificates for organizations. This class will also include projects on how to make great posters and teach basic skills in creating eye-catching signs.
Comic Books Graphic NOVELS (Not Your Father’s Comic Books!)
Do you find yourself gravitating towards the comics in Barnes and Noble? Do you read manga under the covers by flashlight? This class will take you through the history, basic and advanced techniques of comic book design. Using Scott McCloud's ground-breaking book Understanding Comics, we will study the genre, exploring both Western and Asian techniques. The end product will be a completed graphic novel using the same techniques that professionals use. Due to technical considerations, we will be using high quality colored pencils instead of production quality ink. (This class assumes good basic drawing skills; the focus is on the techniques that make a good graphic novel.)
Community Service
Note: This class is limited to 12 participants per trimester. “Service with a smile” is the motto of this class. This is a fun and exciting class that provides great experiences and teaches students the value of helping to serve others. Students will leave campus once a week, returning to school by 3:30 pm, to serve organizations. This class serves the community at large, as well as the school community.
Computer Competence
You already know this, but it bears repeating – the computer is your friend! And it will be an even better buddy to you as you proceed through school, so learn to navigate your way around this amazing tool now. Plummet the depths of the word processor; hone your keyboarding skills, amaze and astound your family and friends with your fabulous flying fingers (while finishing your homework assignments in record time!); find out what a header and footer is (no, they are not parts of your bed); insert page numbers and attach documents to email with confidence. All these and more mysteries will be revealed in this marvelously practical course.
Consumer Savvy
Do you wish there was some way to know which products are better than others before you lay out the cash to buy them? Are you paying more money than your best friend for the same thing – only under a different label? Well, stop throwing your money away, Bunkie! Use your scientific know-how and test those products to find out which ones are truly superior, and which ones simply cost more. In this elective we will test everything from bottled water to bubble gum; cereal to jeans; and nail polish to shampoo. Combine the discovery method with your science and math skills and discover the best products for you!
Cooking
Lucky students taking this tasty course will experience foods from many countries as well as learn about the culture and customs of that country. You will create your own cookbook with recipes prepared in class. Class size is limited on this elective. Be advised that this class requires teamwork and attention to detail -- and the results are YUMMY!
Debate
Contrary to popular belief, debate consists of a whole lot more than yelling louder and longer than your opponent! Come learn the fine art of debate – that skill which, when done right, will win you arguments with your parents, influence your teachers, and earn you big bucks in the years to come!
Digital Illustration & Design
Make your computer more than just a tool for school! Come explore the digital art world! In this class we will learn how to manipulate and create several different types of media. Through specific projects, you will learn the basics of design and get a firm grasp on the workings of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.
Digital Photography
Can’t go on vacation without your camera? Do you feel the need to take pictures, even with a camera phone? If so, this class is for you! We will spend the trimester learning how to take great digital pictures, download them to the computers, and enhance them with computer software. Our culminating project will be “A Day in the Life of Oakwood Country School,” and we will publish the results on a website for all to see.
Drama 1
Satisfy the actor in you in a way that doesn’t irritate your teachers! Answer the call of the smell of the grease paint and the roar of the crowd! There is nothing like performing live on stage. Many of you have been doing it here at the school for years. Continue the stage work you’ve always loved. Here you will work on character development, improvisation and choreography in preparation for performance in a play. You will also participate in the creation of the set and publicity for your show. That’s entertainment!
Drama 2 (Advanced)
This exciting and groundbreaking production will be a hybrid High School / Middle School elective. Middle school and high school students who enroll in this class should be prepared for an intense performance experience, with an after school commitment of approximately once-twice a week for performers cast in lead roles. This class has a prerequisite of middle school drama or middle school improvisation.
Drawing and Color
Lions and tigers and bears – OH MY! Jungles and mountains, woods and plains, geometric shapes, floral arrangements, and that fantastic image that has been rolling around in your head for months – draw them all! Lucky students in this class experience a multi-medium approach to art by using color pencil, charcoal, marker, pen, and ink. You will explore creative design, still life, landscape, wildlife, and the styles of the old masters. If art is your thing, this class will make you sing. If you think art is not for you, it could just change your mind and rock your world!
Dreamweaver & Website Design
Do you love surfing the net, but hate looking at ugly websites? Do you long to make one of your own? Well, this class is for you. We will learn how to design fast-loading and fabulous websites using Dreamweaver. Be proud of your website! (Students must have parental permission to post their website to the Internet to take this class; no pictures of students nor any school identification information will be posted.)
Forensics
Ever think about becoming a Crime Scene Investigator? Have you seen every CSI episode ever made - new and in reruns? Does it amaze and astound you that a criminal can be identified, apprehended, tried and convicted on the basis of a fingerprint? Then this class is for you! Come learn how to investigate a crime scene using scientific standards. Learn fingerprint analysis; lip print analysis; handwriting analysis; ink pen chromatography, soil sampling, shoe print analysis and much, much more! At the end of the trimester you will synthesize all your skills and analyze an authentic mock crime scene!
French 1
Discover the beauty and diversity of French culture and language. This class establishes the basics of conversational and written French language skills. Students complete weekly assignments with occasional cultural projects, as well as daily oral practice.
French 2
This course provides the linguistic base necessary to build communication skills, including more complex language functions and tenses. Students complete weekly assignments with occasional cultural projects, as well as daily oral practice. This is a year-long academic course and is taught combined with French 3.
French 3
Students continue their study of the French language with a look at grammatical structure, verb tenses, pronunciation, and oral comprehension. Students complete weekly assignments with occasional cultural projects, as well as daily oral practice. Classes may read selections from classic French short stories and children’s literature. This is a year-long academic course and is taught in combination with French 2.
7th Grade Geography
What do Michael Jordan and Mother Theresa have in common? Geography! Did you know Michael majored in it in college, and Mother Theresa taught it for years? Here is your chance to find out why the subject fascinated these extraordinary individuals. Geography is the study of the earth in all its variety -- remote rain forests, bleak deserts, bustling marketplaces, and mountainous villages. Geographers study the earth as the home of people, where and how they live and what they do and believe. You will look at the places people have created and try to understand how and why they are different. You will explore physical and political boundaries, cultural and economic factors, and investigate the people that make it all happen.
8th Grade Geography
Last year you covered half the world! In this class you will explore the other half. Man, have you been busy!
Health & Fitness
This class will conduct experiments involving aerobic and anaerobic exercise. We will also study kinesiology (study of human movement) and carry out hands-on physical experiments. Each student will be put on a weight-training program to enhance the goals they wish to achieve over the course of the trimester (get faster, build muscle mass, etc.). Participants will be the subject of their own exercise study, and will be introduced to statistics (avg., mean, norm, margin of error, etc.). Personal nutrition as well as nutrition relative to high-level athletes will also be covered throughout the course of the trimester. Say, I’ll bet you Arnold Schwarzenegger started this way!
History of Rock & Roll
If you like music and rock and roll, this class is for you! America is where several kinds of music were born and the music of America has played an important part in its history. The two biggies are jazz and rock and roll. This class is a fun, in-depth look at America’s music, with lots of music listening, video clips and blasts from the past. Did you know that Jerry Lee Lewis used to set his piano on fire during his concerts to hear the girls scream, while Little Richard was a rock star and a priest? The term “British Invasion” has nothing to do with war and well . . . this class is for you . . . if you like music.
Improvisation
Improvisation is a class for anyone and everyone. Whether you want to be a politician, a doctor, or an actor, knowing how to think on your feet will improve your chances for success. Using the exciting medium of acting, classic improv techniques will help you learn how to work together as a team and as individuals, using your imagination to create characters and scenes. Be prepared for wacky and wild improv games, an energetic learning experience, and most of all, a lot of fun!
Introduction to Oral Communication (or “That’s Not What I Said!”)
Have you ever tried talking to your parents and they just didn't get it? Do you say something to a friend and they thought you meant something else? Did your English teacher ask you stand up in front of class to give a speech and you were shaking so hard you couldn't read your notes? Did your notes even make sense? What do you mean you didn’t have any notes??? Have you disagreed with something you heard but didn't know how to respond? Well, then this is the class for you! Learn the basics of oral communication through studying interpersonal communication, public speaking, debate and small group communication. Not even sure what interpersonal communication is? Then come and find out!!
Leadership
This class is mandatory for all students elected to Middle School Council positions, including class senators. We will focus on building leadership abilities, enhancing project and people management skills, increasing communication effectiveness, and learning to work with others to accomplish group goals.
Outdoor Adventures
Explore the outdoor world! Learn how to read a compass, create and follow a map, basic first aid and survival tips. Learn how to handle a whittling knife and carve a project. Prepare and go on two overnight adventures. Learn about and practice disaster survival. Practice cooking outdoors. Go on bike rides in the community. Have fun!!!
Puppetry
"There are too many souls of wood not to love those wooden characters who do indeed have a soul" (Jean Cocteau on marionettes). This unique course, rarely offered in a middle school, involves students in the preparation of all aspects of a marionette puppet performance -- from devising and interpretation of the script, to the actual construction of the puppets and creation of sets and props. This course culminates in an intimate performance for family and friends. What a fantastic opportunity! If you love the world of theater, but would prefer to be behind the scenes, this is just the place for you.
Set Design
Do you enjoy being a part of the theater experience, but you feel more comfortable working behind the scenes than starring on stage? If so, this is the place for you! This class challenges and involves Middle School students in designing and constructing sets and props for up to 14 plays performed at Oakwood throughout the year. Did you ever wonder where those huge background sets and terrific props come from (remember the huge food in Jack and the Giant)? This is the place! The show can’t go on without you.
Shakespeare
Think’st thou that Shakespeare is dull? Well, Baby, think again! Come experience Shakespeare the fun way! Learn a little about the life and times of the Bard; delve into a play from the point of view of the actors, the director and the characters. Roll the rich language around on your tongue and learn an Elizabethan insult or two. All the world is a stage – play a part in a Shakespearean production!
Sketching & Illustration
Come one, come all! For everyone who thinks they'll never be an artist, this is the elective for you! In this class we will learn to draw using different approaches that are guaranteed to bring out the artist in all of us. Are you already proficient in sketching? Learn the tricks of the trade to create realistic and proportionate drawings quickly and easily.
Spanish 1
Discover the beauty and diversity of the Spanish culture and language. This class establishes the basics of conversational and written Spanish language skills. Students complete weekly assignments with occasional cultural projects, as well as daily oral practice. This is a year-long academic course.
Spanish 2
This course provides the linguistic base necessary to build communication skills, including more complex language functions and tenses. Students complete weekly assignments with occasional cultural projects, as well as daily oral practice. This is a year-long academic course.
Study Smart
This elective helps you get organized and learn effective ways to study, in addition to giving you specific homework help where you really need it. Take this elective if you could use some extra academic support, or if you just need a quiet, dedicated time to get your homework done!
Word Weaving
Come learn the ancient art of oral storytelling! Feel the thrill of mesmerizing others with fabulous folktales, fairytales, fables, myths and legends. Learn the power of gesture, vocal control and some secrets for quelling forever those annoying nervous butterflies. Discover your own storytelling style and how to maximize your talents. Experience the power of holding an audience in the palm of your hand.
Yearbook
Interested students apply for staff positions in the spring. Here is a golden opportunity to create a lasting legacy, and to present a very special, enduring gift to everyone who loves our school. Each and every student here receives a book of memories in the spring – one that they look forward to and will treasure for years to come. Creation of a yearbook is a very, very satisfying labor, but it is not for everyone. Commitment, care, dedication, grace under pressure, and an ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others are necessary qualities. And you will learn so much! Yearbook staff will learn design, layout, and project management skills, as well as explore options for expanding the yearbook into digital media (Web, CD-ROM, DVD, etc.)