Electives

ART DEPARTMENT
Fundamentals of Art Grade 9-12
The Fundamentals of Art Course is a general survey class designed for students with little or no experience in art.  Students will explore a variety of techniques and materials to create art as well as to develop an appreciation and understanding of art.  Through their studies students will become familiar with historically significant artists and periods of art.  Assignments are designed to allow students to improve their skills as well as explore and develop their personal vision; class critiques play an important part in this development. 

Studio Art 1
Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Art
This class is designed to continue the study of the principles of design and composition through drawing, painting, printmaking, and/or sculpture.  Students will use a journal, a sketchbook as well as a portfolio to further refine their artistic expression and direction. Individual critiques as well as group critiques will continue as students have more opportunities to display their art work.

Studio Art 2
Prerequisite: Studio 1
This class is intended to allow students to concentrate on building a portfolio of work and a collection of sketches using a variety of media.  Students will have an opportunity to choose their own special area of artistic expression.  Realistic, abstract, and nonobjective art will be studied.  Visiting artists and museum trips may be arranged.

Studio Art 3
Prerequisite:  Studio 2
This class is intended for serious art students to continue their studies from Studio Art 2 who perhaps might want to continue their art studies in college. Some of the assignments given during this year will be college level. In this class students may concentrate on a medium and art form of their choice, working from both assigned and individually selected subject matter.  Students will continue to discuss their own work as well as significant works from art history.  The culminating activity for this class will be individual one-person shows at the art show at the end of the year.

Ceramics and Sculpture 1
This course concentrates on basic hand-building techniques in clay.  Students will examine compositional elements of 3D forms while creating art work that reflects historically significant pottery ideas as well as contemporary pottery.  The potter’s wheel will be introduced.

Ceramics and Sculpture 2, 3
Prerequisite:  Ceramics and Sculpture 1
Students will continue to use both hand-building as well as throwing techniques to develop their skills.  A variety of different surface treatments as well as different techniques are introduced to help the student develop his or her own personal style.  Students will be required to make “matching sets” and other similar projects to increase their ability with the media. Techniques introduced and used in this class will be more demanding and challenging for the students to master. Each level of Ceramics and Sculpture will build on the techniques learned in the previous year.

Drawing/Painting 1, 2
Prerequisite: Studio1
This class is designed for the serious studio art student.  The students will explore drawing and painting techniques in order to develop their own personal styles.  Exercises in gesture drawing, line drawing, linear perspective, and foreshortening will be activities that will be explored in order to improve the artistic skills. Sketch books and journals will be required for sketching and ideas for painting and drawing projects.

Senior Art Seminar
Prerequisite: Fundamentals of Art or permission of the instructor
This class is designed for seniors to get an opportunity to work with the 2D or 3D media of their choice as well as working together on group projects. A background in drawing and painting is not necessary since the techniques required to create 2D and 3D art work can be done without prior drawing or painting instruction.

Digital Photography 1
This introductory course is designed to familiarize students with a variety of digital photography shooting techniques as well as to provide a working knowledge of the ways to adjust their images in Photoshop for higher image quality.  Students will either photograph during class on the MJBHA Campus or work on manipulating their photographs at a personal computer work station.  Teacher critiques will be given for all photos taken.  Four high quality photographs are required in the student’s CD and print portfolios by the end of each quarter.  Having a 5 mega-pixel digital camera is suggested.

Digital Photography 2
Prerequisite:  Digital Photography 1 or previous instruction in digital photography with print portfolio approval of the instructor.
Students will photograph the MJBHA student experience and school activities while on campus and pursue photo projects off campus of particular interest to them. Students will be directed to take on longer term projects with related themes. Developing a portfolio of images that convey the student's unique way of seeing their world around him or her will be encouraged. Students are required to have five new portfolio images in their CD and Print portfolios at the end of each quarter.  Use of camera strobe illumination techniques will be introduced at the beginning of the 3^rd quarter.  It is highly advantageous for students to have their own camera, though borrowing a digital camera from school is possible occasionally.

Honors Digital Photography
Prerequisite:  Digital Photography 1and 2 with the permission of the instructor.
Emphasis will be on creating a college or art school level portfolio of photographs that demonstrate the student’s ability to consistently create photographs with high artistic and/or photojournalistic standards. While working in a more independent learning situation. Honors photography students will be required to pursue a specific project on and off campus during the 3^rd and 4^th quarters.  A portfolio of 25 best images, 10 from Photo 1& 2 and at least 15 from the current year will be presented in a professional photo portfolio volume for the final quarter’s grade.  Honors photographers must have a camera of their own.

Advanced Placement, Studio Art
Prerequisite: 2 credits in Visual Arts, including Studio 1 and permission of Department Head.
AP Studio Art courses are designed for the highly motivated and able students who are seriously interested in the practical experience of art.  The AP Studio Art program follows national standards for performance in the visual arts. The culminating activity for AP Placement, Studio Art is a choice of three main units. Students must concentrate in one of the units. These units are as follows:

The drawing unit is designed to address a very broad interpretation of drawing issues and materials.  Light and shade, line quality, rendering of form, composition, surface manipulation, and illusion of depth are drawing issues that can be addressed through a variety of drawing and painting materials.

The two-dimensional unit addresses a broad interpretation of two-dimensional design and communication issues. These could include, but are not limited to, graphic design, digital imaging, photography, collage, fabric design, illustration, painting, and printmaking. A variety of approaches including abstraction and expression will be used.

The three-dimensional unit addresses a broad interpretation of sculptural issues in depth and space.  These may include mass, volume, form, plane, light, and texture.  Such elements may be articulated though additive, subtractive, and/or fabrication. In the spring, students focus on one unit as they prepare a portfolio for assessment by AP evaluators.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Arabic I
Description:  Arabic l is an introduction to the Arabic language and culture.  The class is taught communicatively, in Arabic, with clear focus being on oral communication skills.  All grammar and vocabulary are presented formally.  Classes are supplemented with outside activities, readings, videos and presentations.
 

Journalism:

STUDY SKILLS
Description:  Some students benefit from our study skills course that allows them to succeed at our rigorous program.  Learning how to allot sufficient time to be successful requires a high level of organizational skills.  Some of the objectives of this class are to facilitate the development of time-management skills, refine research techniques, reinforce test-taking strategies, and, in general, provide professional assistance to students for whom this class is recommended.  Director of Special Needs approval is required.  Class size is limited.