Academics: Electives
Home | Biblical Studies | Electives | English/Literature/Composition | Math | Science | Social Studies

Electives: Art | Drama | Music | Band | P.E/Health | Foreign Language | Occupational Education

Fine Arts Department

BEGINNING DRAWING 1 SEMESTER
Students will advance their ability to see and interpret what is seen in 3-D form onto a 3-D surface. They will expand their knowledge of the elements of design and principles of composition. They will explore different kinds of drawing and learn to develop their own style of drawing

CERAMICS 1 SEMESTER
A basic class for students to learn how to hand-build pottery and other clay objects by the coil, pinch and slab methods. Students will experiment with different methods of decorating and glazing their projects. Emphasis will be on creative design and craftsmanship.

ADVANCED CERAMICS 1 SEMESTER
Advanced Ceramics is class that expands on previous experience in basic techniques of project preparation, painting methods and firing. This course offers a chance to use a pottery wheel and learn the variety of material and methods of this are form. This semester of ceramics also will allow for freedom to discover a favorite method and to develop it. This may include but it not limited to: dry brushing, throwing on a wheel, smoke-fired pottery, figurines, decorative painting, sculpture building, and hand-built projects. Requirements for this class include a variety of functional pieces (plates, bowls etc.) a piece for the auction and several wheel throw projects. Other requirements will involve learning about different glazes, loading the kiln and using techniques not previously covered in other classes

Academy Drama

DRAMA 1 SEMESTER
This is a class in basic drama practice and techniques. Students will participate in a variety of skits, sketches and short drama presentations to other classes, chapels, and other groups or schools as the situations arise. At the appropriate time in the class, students will write and participate in their own and/or other students' dramatic sketches. All activities are videotaped for student evaluation/critique. Drama for video may be developed for a creative drama project.

Academy Music

CHAMBER CHOIR FULL YEAR
Chamber Choir is a highly select mixed vocal ensemble that will provide students an opportunity to develop their musical skills to an advanced level of performance. Chamber Choir will perform a wide variety of musical styles at school chapels, concerts, church services, community performances, festivals, television specials, etc. The director, via audition, will select members of Chamber Choir. The following criteria will be used for selecting this group's members: positive attitude, work ethic, availability for the entire school year, musical experience, year in school, tone pitch, music reading ability, etc.

Academy Band

CONCERT BAND FULL YEAR
The director based on musical proficiency, attitude and effort selects membership. An additional criterion for selection is the need for proper instrumentation and balance of sound for the total ensemble. This performing group will perform a wide variety of musical styles at chapels, games, and concerts in school and at outside events.

WIND ENSEMBLE FULL YEAR
Wind Ensemble is Life Christian's most advanced band. Admission is open to high school students with instructor approval (a few advanced eighth graders may be admitted to balance the instrumentation). Since this ensemble represents Life Christian at many events on and off-campus, participation is expected all-year to keep consistency within the band.

CREATIVE WRITING 1 SEMESTER
Creative Writing teaches the fundamentals of plot, structure, voice, description, character developement, point of view, and dialogue, accompanied by several other literary elements.  Short stories, writing exercises, lecture, and six-strait writing methods are used to illustrate and teach these concepts.  Students study examples of what is incorporated in fiction writing and learn to model these concepts using their own creativity.

PUBLIC SPEAKING 1 SEMESTER
Eleventh grade students will learn how to plan, develop, and present a variety of oral presentations for a variety of occasions.  Speeches to convince, inform, stimulate, and entertain will be prepared to be delivered extemporaniously, as oratories, or sometimes done impromptu.  Students will be interviewed using their resume, and will participate in a group presentation as well as learn debating techniques.  The importance of outlining, organization, and practice will be emphasized, and speeches may be videotaped for student evaluation.

Physical Education/Health Department

Physical Education / Health Department
The Physical Education Department's goal is to prepare students to become independent and knowledgeable in directing their physical and health needs. Our classes run in a progressive manner building a foundation to independence. Our goal is not to lead students through classes, but to instill the tools necessary to allow them to make wise decisions about their physical health.

Physical Education
This course is designed with an emphasis on fitness and skill development along with social interaction. Students will participate in conditioning, and sports skills (soccer, volleyball, basketball, badminton, football, softball). This is an introductory course based on developing basic skills, terminology, and basic fitness practices.

Health
This course is designed to present a Biblical scientific approach to a healthy lifestyle. Major areas of health include physical, mental, social, and spiritual dimensions of life. Students will take part in a variety of areas that include relevant topics for this age range. Topics include basic nutrition, exercise, disease, dating relationships, choices, success, peer group, and personal hygiene.

Weight Training
This course is designed teach and acquaint students with various forms of weight training. Students will begin with body weight only training and progress through various methods of weight training leading to a personal design of their own style of weight training.

Conditioning
This course is designed to allow students to explore different methods of cardiovascular and muscle conditioning. Students will experience Cardio Circuits, Running, Medicine Ball and Swiss Ball exercises.

Nutrition
This college prep course will allow students to learn the science of nutrition along with the practical application of nutrition in their lives. The goal is to teach a lifestyle of proper nutrition that will follow students their entire life. Students will also learn to cook once a week.

Self Defense
This course, though not a fighting class, is designed to give each participant a general knowledge of self defense principals and tactics. Each student will learn methods to keep them out of situations that many people fall prey to.

Advanced Conditioning and Weight Training
This course is designed to take athletes or those serious about conditioning to another level. Students will alternate between weight lifting and conditioning circuits Monday through Thursday. Fridays are generally sport specific days or a variation on circuits. This course also offers a martial arts circuit portion as well as speed and endurance circuits. This class is the culmination of all our PE offerings put into practice.

Foreign Language Department

Second language learning provides students with the opportunity to acquire more than a few phrases in the target language. It also gives an opportunity for students to enhance cognitive and social growth, competitiveness in the global marketplace, to be aware of other cultures and understand diverse people, to appreciate in-depth music, history, art, geography, etc.

FRENCH II FULL YEAR
French II actively builds on the language foundation laid in French I, and seeks to deepen the students' skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as their understanding of the French-speaking would and culture. Vocabulary and structure are reviewed and expanded with the expectation that students will be able to use conversationally all that they learn. To this end, students are moved more into immersion in the language with most of the class conducted in French..

FRENCH III FULL YEAR
French III contuines to review and expand vocabulary and structure previoulsy acquired, but encourages the student to understand and use more complex language in both oral converstation and in writing. Students countinue to build their skills in listening comprehension and daily conversation, as well as increasing their capacity to read and discuss French literature.

SPANISH I FULL YEAR
First year Spanish introduces students to the Spanish language through listening, speacking, reading and writing and to Spanish culture through reading, lecture, a Culture Project, and a variety of other activities. Specifically the course explores basic pronuciation, present tense verbs, pronouns, articles, useful prases, and vocabulary to describe everyday themes such as: sports, people, places, food, clothing, colors, numbers, leisure and school activities, time, weather, and much more. Assessment of these skills will be based on written and oral work as well as tests, quizzes, and projects.

SPANISH II FULL YEAR
Second Year Spanish builds on students' knowledge and abilities in listening, speacking, reading, and writing everyday Spanish vocabulary and in understanding and appreciating Spanish culture. All FIrst Year Spanish material is as important as new material, so students will be expected to use and apply these concepts. Students use additional tenses, including preterit and imperfect in maningul contexts, as well as continue to build increasingly complex vocabualry and grammer skills. Vocabulary concepts will include travel, childhood experiences, places, special celebrations, daily routines, and more. Both students and the teacher will speak more Spanish. Daily oral and written work will be as basis for assessment, as well as test, quizzes, and projects.

SPANISH III & IV
Third and Fourth Year Spanish students will contuinue to gain fluency as they build their listening, speaking, reading, and writing abilities using increasingly complex vocabulary, grammer, and verb tenses. Students will gain fluency in thier use of present, imperfect, preterit, and future tenses, and are introduced to the use of the conditional, reflexive, subjunctive, and complex conjugations. Students will be expected to speack Spanis in this class! An emphasis in the literature, arts, and culture of Hispanic countries will be presented. Spanish literature will be read and analyzed by students, particularly in the Fourth Year. Oral and written skills will be assessed during in-class activities, tests, quizzes, and projects.

Occupational Education Department

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS 1 SEMESTER
Computer Applications is a course designed to give the students more experience some of the advanced functions of Office 2000 as well as practice at creating documents in Publisher (Desktop), creating a Web Site with FrontPage and also creating a Web site while learning to write HTML computer languages. The areas covered in Office 2000 are in the Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs. Students must have taken Keyboarding or have good keyboarding skills.

KEYBOARDING 1 SEMESTER
This is a beginning class in keyboarding which will be taught on PC computers with the Office 2000 software. The students will use a basic tutorial program while learning the keys by the touch-typing method. Formatting of letters, reports, tabulation problems, outlines and manuscripts will be taught. In addition, the students will do work in Excel (spreadsheets) and PowerPoint (graphics).

DESKTOP PUBLISHING 1 SEMESTER PREREQUISITE: KEYBOARDING
Students will learn the applications related to Desktop Publishing with the PageMaker software. Students will produce documents such as business cards, memos, advertising flyers, brochures, newsletter, catalogs advertising copy, announcements as well as their own letterheads. Students must have taken Keyboarding or have good keyboarding skills.

MULTIMEDIA 1 SEMESTER PREREQUISITE: KEYBOARDING
The Multimedia class uses the PowerPoint program in Office 2000. Students will individually work on activities that focus on learning the basic concepts of creating data for the slides, importing pictures, graphics and sound. The second half of the class is devoted to creating PowerPoint projects for the elementary teachers or working on Christian projects. The projects are recorded to CD's so that the elementary teachers can use them in their classrooms. Students must have taken Keyboarding or have good keyboarding skills.

WEB PAGE DESIGN 1 SEMESTER PREREQUISITE: KEYBOARDING
Web Page Design teaches student how to create their own Web site as well as Web sites related to the Birth of Jesus, famous people, the city of Tacoma, favorite vacations, and other short topic sites. The students create their own personal web site as the final project. FrontPage 2000 is the software used. Students must have taken Keyboarding or have good keyboarding skills.

APPLIED WEB DESIGN 1 SEMESTER PREREQUISITE: KEYBOARDING
The students will be learning the HTML computer language while creating their own Web pages and sites. We will use a text/workbook for the class that will require the students to complete end of chapter assignments. In addition, to the textbook work, the students will create project Web sites/pages.