FAIRFIELD — The school district has introduced two new courses for high school students for the next school year.
The new courses are environmental chemistry and an African American, Black, Puerto Rican and Latino studies class.
School officials said that the environmental chemistry class provides an opportunity to provided the students with coursework that the science department currently lacks. The Black and Latino studies class comes after Gov. Ned Lamont signed a law in 2019, making Connecticut the first state to require public high schools provide a course on Black and Latino studies.
“We’re very fortunate in the sense that this Black and Latino studies course so closely aligns with some of the principles of this district and board of education,” said Lisa Olivere, director of social studies and student centered learning. “Certainly recognizing and respecting and promoting the dignity and worth of every student is something the board of education exposes.”
“It was pleasing to us to see such a strong alignment,” she added.
Under Public Act 19-12, all regional and local school boards must include an elective course at the high school level that provides students with a better understanding of the contributions from Black and Latino communities to the United States. The course dives into these contributions through the lens of history, society, economy and culture.
While high schools were allowed to offer the course this year, all high schools will be required next year. Fairfield will be among a group of 50 districts that will be piloting this course, though the district customized their offering.
“It would be a course that was accessible to our students and excites and empowers them by providing students with choice, which is something we talk about often here,” Olivere said.
Juniors will be able to take one of three options in Fairfield. The first option includes the traditional U.S. History and English 11 courses. The second option includes an interdisciplinary course in American studies.
The third option would be the new Black and Latino studies course, an interdisciplinary, full-year, two-credit course.
The first semester would focus on Black and African American history, spanning from the African origins and contributions of ancient African empires to world civilizations, all the way to the Black movement for equality beginning in 1915 until modern day. Sections examines Black literacy, liberation and organization, protest, politics, power and how African Americans persisted through slavery.
The second semester would focus on Puerto Rican and Latino culture from the early beginnings of ancient civilizations to U.S. citizenship, as well as the resistance and defiance.
The framework of the course would satisfy the requirements of the Common Core State Standards for ELA and history.
While board members believed the course will be beneficial, board member Jennifer Jacobson questioned the true accessibility of the course. Since Fairfield only offers this course as a junior, Jacobson believes some students won’t choose to take this course over the other options.
“I’m a little worried that you are going to bud up against U.S. History and it will become a choice of that,” Jacobson said. “Given that U.S. History is a requirement and this is not, we could lose people that may be interested in it by being so prescriptive in the year that this needs to be taken.”
Olivere said the same question and feelings were on the minds of the Fairfield Public Schools Black and Latino Studies Course Committee when discussing this course. However, Olivere said the new course would satisfy the requirements for U.S. History, so students would be able to take either class.
The environmental chemistry course will be a year-long, laboratory-based, college preparatory course that integrates chemistry with earth science.
School officials said students will explore the central role chemistry plays in addressing global challenges and the opportunities of modern society to ensure a sustainable future. The course is targeted to 10th grade students and also serves as an AP Chemistry and AP Environmental Science readiness course.
The course allows students to investigate real world phenomena, which better inspires and prepares them for advanced studies and careers in science and engineering, according to the presentation,
The course explores the origins and structure of matter; chemical reactions and interactions in the environment, the chemistry of sustainability, the chemistry of living systems, heat and energy in the earth system and the chemistry of climate change.
“The science program as it is currently structured does not provide a structure for scientific thinking skills through a progression of course work through the high school,” said Justine LaSala, director of secondary science and STEAM.
“This course creates an opportunity for students to receive instruction in both physical science, chemistry, and earth science in one course that is centered around engaging real world and environmental issues,” she added.
"course" - Google News
October 14, 2021 at 05:06PM
https://ift.tt/3j0Pp7q
Fairfield schools add Black and Latino studies course, new science option - Fairfield Citizen
"course" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35q9ps5
https://ift.tt/35rCFi1
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Fairfield schools add Black and Latino studies course, new science option - Fairfield Citizen"
Post a Comment