Statesboro STEAM Academy Courses

The high school world history course provides students with a comprehensive, intensive study of major events and themes in world history. Students begin with a study of the earliest civilizations worldwide and continue to examine major developments and themes in all regions of the world. The course culminates in a study of change and continuity and globalization at the beginning of the 21st century.

U.S. History provides a comprehensive overview of the history of the United States, surveying the major events and turning points of U.S. history as it moves from the America's cultural roots through modern times. As students examine each era of history, they will analyze primary sources and carefully research events to gain a clearer understanding of the factors that have shaped U.S. history. In early units, students will assess the foundations of U.S. democracy while examining crucial documents. In later units, students will examine the effects of territorial expansion, the Civil War, and the rise of industrialization. they will also assess the outcomes of economic trends and the connections between culture and government. As the course draws to a close, students will focus on the causes of cultural and political change in the modern age. Throughout the course, students will learn the importance of cultural diversity while examining history from different perspectives.

The Economics course provides students with a basic foundation in the field of economics. The course has five sections: fundamental concepts, microeconomics, macroeconomics, international economics, and personal finance. In each area, students are introduced to major concepts and themes concerning that
aspect of economics.

Algebra II (or Advanced Algebra) is intended to help students enrich their skills and develop more concepts beyond basic algebra as they prepare for higher level mathematics courses. This course is designed to help students apply the mathematics they learned in the classroom to real world situations, model mathematical situations, communicate mathematically, and use technology appropriately. Lessons that connect various areas of mathematics to algebra, geometry, statistics and trigonometry will be studied. Students will study real numbers, operations, and patterns as they extend their understanding of algebraic concepts. They will work with matrices, complex numbers, logarithms, polynomial functions and their inverses, systems of equations and inequalities, transformations, mathematical models, scatter plots, and statistics

Geometry students will be interacting with topics covered including the language of geometry (points, lines, planes and angles), reasoning and proofs (paragraph, two column, flow, indirect, and coordinate), parallel and perpendicular lines, congruent triangles, applications of congruent triangles, quadrilaterals, similarity, right triangles and trigonometry, circles, polygons and area, surface area and volume, coordinate geometry, and transformations. This course is designed to emphasize the study of the properties and applications of common geometric figures in two and three dimensions. It also includes the study of transformations and right triangle trigonometry and emphasizes writing proofs to solve (prove) properties of geometric figures.

The Biology course will allow students to investigate biological systems at the molecular, cellular, and macrobiological level. Hands-on laboratory exercises incorporating cellular biology, genetics, DNA technology, evolution, and ecology will be provided to assist students in their understanding of biological themes. Projects and reading assignments may be required with each unit of instruction.

A survey of American literature from the period of exploration and settlement to the present.
Students will study works of prose, poetry, drama, and fiction in relation to their historical and cultural contexts. Texts will be selected from among a diverse group of authors for what they reflect and reveal about the evolving American experience and character.

This course is designed to emphasize the study of multiple representations of linear and non-linear functions. It includes mathematical concepts for working with rational numbers, various expressions, analyzing and solving linear equations & inequalities, data analysis, probability, statistics, and polynomials.

The Physical Science curriculum is designed to continue student investigations of the physical sciences that began in grades K-8 and provide students the necessary skills to have a richer knowledge base in physical science. This course is designed as a survey course of chemistry and physics.

A study of representative works of world literature from Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the Renaissance. The course emphasizes the study and consideration of the literary, cultural, and human significance of selected great works of the Western and non-Western literary traditions. An important goal of the class is to promote an understanding of the works in their cultural/historical contexts and of the enduring human values which unite the different literary traditions. The course's pedagogy gives special attention to critical thinking and writing within a framework of cultural diversity as well as comparative and interdisciplinary analysis.

This course is designed to transition students from middle school reading and language arts to the rigorous expectations of a high school English classroom. With a focus on the study of literature, writing, vocabulary, and communication skills, students establish successful study skills and appropriate learning behavior. Additionally, this course helps students develop research and speaking/listening skills. Through the genre approach to literature, students read short stories, novels, drama and poetry,emphasizing the distinct elements and analysis of each type of literature.

Georgia Studies provides students an opportunity to study Georgia geography, history, government, and economics. While the four strands are interwoven, there is an opportunity provided for a look at the geography and government of Georgia. U.S. historical events are included to ensure students understand Georgia’s role in the history of the United States.

In Eighth Grade Science, students will develop and maintain a wide range of science and critical thinking processes. The science processes include but are not limited to observing, comparing, measuring, classifying, predicting, inferring, hypothesizing, and experimenting. Critical thinking includes analyzing, synthesizing, evaluating, generating questions and solving problems. These processes promote the development of well-organized scientific habits. The Physical Science standards stress a more in-depth understanding of the nature and structure of matter and the characteristics of energy. The standards place considerable emphasis on the technological application of physical science principles.

In Grade 8, instructional time will focus on three critical areas: (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; (3) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.

Students in the 6-7th grade math will focus on active engagement with numbers by focusing on conceptual understanding, computational and procedural skills, and problem solving. The 6th grade standards require students to study the following areas: rational numbers, algebraic thinking, proportional reasoning, statistics, data analysis, probability, and plane and solid shapes.

The Georgia Standards of Excellence are designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills for proficiency in 8th grade English Language Arts through rigor. The GSE address the expanding interests and needs of the middle school student through high expectations in the areas of independent reading, literature, reading for information, writing across the curriculum, inquiry, and listening and speaking, all supported by technology. The overall result of proficiency in these areas should be the ability to apply the knowledge and skills to problems and situations that promote creative and critical thinking. Eighth grade ELA consists of the following areas of study: literary comprehension, information & media literacy, reading skills & vocabulary acquisition, grammar & sentence construction, research, and the writing process.

This course will target students’ growth in the areas of reading, writing, listening, speaking, discussion, reflection, and viewing. Reading strategies, critical thinking skills, and vocabulary building comprise the main elements of reading instructions. Through fiction, nonfiction, and poetry reading, students will practice reading strategies and comprehension skills. The focus of writing will be on narrative, informational, and argumentative writing. The overall goal of the class is to increase the literacy and writing ability of students.