English 1 (Survey of Literature)

This course initiates students into the English program. The course includes writing, literature, and oral communication, with a strong emphasis on critical thinking. Writing is process-based, moving students from writing about close observation of detail and personal experience to writing about ideas. The major emphasis evolves from self-observation to observation and analysis of the ways in which people interact with each other. Students are introduced to critical thinking and editing skills. Vocabulary development and mechanics and grammar are taught in the context of reading and writing assignments. Research and library skills are introduced and practiced in multiple contexts. The literature includes core works in the major genres: short stories, poems, novels, plays and nonfiction. Oral language activities are designed to sharpen the students' facility with language in group activities, classroom discussion, oral readings, and formal presentations. 

Algebra 1

Concepts covered in Algebra 1 include translating problems into equations, solving equations in one-variable, polynomials, factoring polynomials, solving quadratics, applying complex fractions, functions, systems of equations, inequalities, and quadratic functions. A wide variety of applications are introduced when appropriate. Semester projects include using primary and secondary waves and triangulation to locate earthquake epicenters and using systems of inequalities to solve linear programming problems. Students who have completed Algebra 1 will be enrolled in the appropriate higher level math course.

Geography

This full year course focuses on the profound role that geography plays in shaping our world. Students analyze the relationship between physical and human geography through the study of demography, cartography, history, and modern cultural phenomena of the major global regions, including North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. They discover the links between regions in addition to the characteristics that make them culturally and physically unique. The class is conducted in seminar format. Key skills emphasized include writing, oral presentation and the research process. The curriculum and assessments are designed to prepare students for higher-level social science and history courses.

Biology

Biology is a laboratory-based course designed to provide an introduction to the life sciences as well as a background for advanced studies in the sciences. There is a strong effort to make the material as relevant to the students' lives as possible and allow students to participate in hands-on learning; frequent field studies are included to various locations in the Bay Area. The course is divided into major conceptual units that are designed to provide the students with an overview of contemporary biosocial issues as they relate to the course content. The students follow a series of interrelated themes as they wind their way through the course. In addition to tests and lab reports, students write reaction papers about the issues discussed in class. Students also submit a project for the school's science fair.

Biology Honors

In Biology Honors there is a major emphasis on cellular and molecular biology. Significant course time is also spent on current research in DNA and genetic engineering. Lab work is an intrinsic part of the curriculum, as well as the application of research techniques to current issues. Students study experimental design. Writing includes lab reports and reaction papers about bioethical issues discussed in class. Students also submit a project for the school's science fair. 

Skills-Based Biology

This full-year, skills-based course is designed to provide an introduction to the life sciences and open students’ eyes to the living world. The class is specifically designed to be interactive and hands-on, aiding in making the content as relatable to the students' lives as possible. This course covers a variety of topics, including cellular biology, genetics, evolution, ecology, and human reproduction. The course promotes thinking about content in a new light through problem solving, a process that encourages curiosity, careful inquiry and critical thinking. In addition to tests and lab reports, students will work on group projects, oral presentations and will also submit a project for the school's science fair. The fundamental skills acquired in this course are designed to prepare students in areas besides science, such as reading, writing, organization, and time management. 

Spanish 1

Spanish 1 is the language course in which students learn the basics of speaking, listening, reading and writing in Spanish. Students practice speaking and listening skills intensively in class and complete regular writing and reading assignments outside of class. This first year includes vocabulary for everyday existence in a Spanish-speaking culture, basic grammar including agreement, and forming and answering questions. Students learn the conjugations of regular, irregular, and stem changing verbs and the present progressive. Students enrolling at TMS will be placed according to their previously completed language study.

Strategies for Success

At its heart, Strategies for Success is an introduction to the values of The Marin School and an opportunity for the incoming class to develop their academic and community-building skills.  In this class 9th grade students develop an awareness that their education and happiness for the next four years are in their hands.  We encourage students to take control of their education and to become active participants in their learning process. We focus on organizational and study skills as well as time management skills.  Students will develop listening and note taking skills and also be introduced to high school level library and research skills. Strategies for Success is also an opportunity for the 9th grade class to build connections within their peer group and to have a regular forum for discussion of their academic concerns.

Visual and Performing Arts

All 9th graders are required to enroll in a visual or performing arts class. Possibilities include Basic Art and Design, Drama 1, and Jazz Band. See Visual and Performing Arts Curriculum for descriptions of arts courses.

Physical Education

TMS has an alternative P.E. program. Students receive credit for participating in TMS sports and activities such as basketball or yoga but are also allowed credit for participating in an organized physical activity outside of school. This may include gymnastics, swimming, community sports, and so on. The program must be approved by the school, and the required number of hours verified by the end of each semester. 

English 2 (World/Multi-Cultural Literature)

This course continues the work of English 1 with a major focus on writing and critical thinking. As the course progresses, students continue to develop skills of observing, reporting, recounting, and synthesizing that enable them to evaluate literature of all genres. Writing assignments often model the literature in form, style, and content. In addition to writing in response to literature, students write narratives, personal essays, persuasive research projects, and persuasive essays. Instruction builds on skills taught in English 1. Attention is paid to stylistic concerns at the sentence, paragraph and essay levels. Speaking and listening activities include oral interpretation, persuasive speeches and debate.  (Summer Reading List)

Geometry 

Geometry is a college preparatory course that is normally taken after Algebra 1 and before Algebra 2. Topics include points, lines, planes, angles, triangles, polygons, parallelism, congruency, similarity, triangle  inequalities, trigonometry, circles, areas, and volumes. Theorems and other results are derived using formal reasoning.  Mathematical ideas are communicated using graphical (drawings, graphs,  sketches, geometric constructions), numerical (tables, patterns, calculations), algebraic (formulas, symbolic reasoning, solutions), and verbal approaches (conjectures, proofs, explanations, self-reflection).  Puzzles, applications, and projects are integral parts of the course.

Modern World History

Students in this course examine the major trends, characters, and events of Western civilization since Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece. We consider the philosophy, science, art, and literature of each period and discuss how these historical developments relate to contemporary social and political issues. The course is conducted in a variety of formats including seminar-style discussions, lectures, and group work. Student work includes short essays, artistic projects, presentations and major research projects. Most of the class readings are from primary documents and outside sources, including the internet, magazines, and newspapers. As many of today’s conflicts can be traced to the history students are studying, current events have an important place in this course.

Chemistry

Chemistry is designed to provide a well-rounded background in fundamental areas of chemistry. The curriculum is based on the principle that observation and experimentation are necessary for a meaningful understanding of chemistry. As a result, heavy emphasis is placed on experience in the lab and the interpretation of results. Specific attention is given to analytical problem solving through the application of course material, and in particular to interpreting everyday events in terms of chemical concepts and principles. Students wishing to take the SAT II in chemistry will be required to do extracurricular preparation with teacher guidance. All students are expected to engage in a first semester inquiry-based project and submit a finished display for the school science fair.

Chemistry Honors

This is an Honors class in the theories and applications of modern chemistry. The course emphasizes the structure and behavior of atoms and molecules, the chemistry of gases, solutions and equilibrium, periodic properties, organic chemistry, acid-base reactions, and oxidation-reduction reactions. Students are introduced to the basic calculations of stoichiometry. The laboratory work develops students' critical thinking and problem solving skills, the ability to apply chemical principles being presented, as well as acquainting students with basic chemical laboratory techniques. The subject's relevance to the students' lives will be stressed throughout the course. Students are expected to submit a project for the school's science fair. Students wishing to take the SAT II in chemistry will be required to do extracurricular preparation with teacher guidance. Students will be expected to keep up with the rigorous pace of the course.

Spanish 2

Spanish 2 students study intermediate skills in Spanish, building on basic vocabulary and grammar from Spanish 1. Students learn to understand, speak and write the language at a higher level than previously. Students expand their vocabulary and learn additional regular and irregular present tense verbs, the imperative mood, the past tense, and direct and indirect object pronouns. They use the target language almost exclusively in class, in response to the teacher, and in group exercises. Oral work is emphasized and designed to solidify new grammatical structures and vocabulary, to improve pronunciation, and to enhance communication skills. Students may be placed in a higher level course, dependent upon their previous year’s coursework.

Visual and Performing Arts

Students in 10th grade are expected to take a second year of visual or performing arts. At this level, they have the choice of studio art, photography, jazz band, or drama. SeeVisual and Performing Arts for descriptions of the arts classes.

Physical Education

TMS has an alternative P.E. program. Students receive credit for participating in TMS sports and activities such as basketball or yoga but are also allowed credit for participating in an organized physical activity outside of school. This may include gymnastics, swimming, community sports, and so on. The program must be approved by the school, and the required number of hours verified by the end of each semester.  

English 3 (American Literature)

This course is designed to familiarize students with their American literary heritage. Authors and works are considered both in the context of their historical background and for their lasting impact on society today. Discussions, writing assignments, creative projects and presentations cover the political, social, and cultural influences operating in each time period and on individual authors and works. Students will be introduced to the concerns and styles of major American writers, and to movements in American literature. The course provides students with a solid writing program, a study of the vocabulary which will support success on college aptitude tests, as well as an appreciation for the beauty of this country’s various literary landscapes. (Summer Reading List)

English 3 Honors

Here students are additionally expected to meet a standard of excellence in their work, exhibit an ability to function independently as well as collaboratively, and to move through material quickly with a great degree of proficiency. Essays spring from student-created theses, and lessons are designed to guide students who already excel at writing to develop their own voice and style. Honors students develop formal oral presentations with critical evaluation by the teacher and their peers. Projects are in-depth and challenging, offering students opportunities to stretch their abilities, creativity, and potential. 

Algebra 2

The purpose of the Algebra Two curriculum is to increase student awareness of the importance of mathematics in the modern world. The students will become more confident of their ability to work with mathematical concepts and relationships. They will learn how to think systematically and use the precise logic required for mathematical problem solving. This course builds on the student's understanding of basic algebraic and geometrical concepts in the study of more advanced algebraic skills and problem solving.  Students will learn to express real-world problems in algebraic sentences in order to find solutions. Successful completion of the course is an indispensable step in preparation for pre-calculus and calculus courses. 

United States History

This seminar-style course focuses on discussion of the major turning points in American history from the colonial era to the present. The first semester will look at the events that shaped America as a nation before the 1900s, the westward expansion, the transformation brought about as a result of the Industrial Revolution, the Civil War and its economic, social, and political ramifications for the United States as an emerging world power, and the rise of big business and the industrialists, coupled with the impact of immigration on the U.S. The second semester includes WWI and the nation's subsequent turn to isolationism, the Jazz Age and the economic stability of the 1920's, the Great Depression and the New Deal, the role of the U.S. as a new player on the world scene, and finally, the role of the US as a superpower and the problems inherent with that authority. 

United States History Honors

The honors class covers the same material as the U.S. History class but explores events in greater depth. The class has a stronger emphasis on writing, and students are required to complete research projects and write research-based expository essays weekly.

Spanish 3

Reading and writing activities are more sophisticated and receive greater emphasis in Spanish 3. Throughout the course, students learn about the daily lives of Spanish-speaking peoples. They learn expressions conveying agreement and disagreement as well as those used to continue or change the direction of conversation. The Spanish 3 course focuses on improving conversation skills as well as reading comprehension. The topics covered encompass a review of Spanish 1 and 2, preterit tense versus "imperfect" tense, future tenses, conditional, present perfect, progressive forms of the tenses, commands, and an introduction to the subjunctive.

Visual and Performing Arts

See Visual and Performing Arts Electives.

English 4

This senior course offers a survey of English literature and an in-depth study of major authors and works. Students become familiar with the development of English thought and language from the days of the Anglo-Saxons to the present time. Students examine the historical context of the literature as well as particular writers, ideas, and styles. Discussions on the political, cultural, and social background of the era will precede study of each period; lectures will provide background information on individual authors and works as well. An integral aspect of English 4 is the focus on the advanced composition skills students will need to be successful writers in college and in the world. Class time is spent in a variety of activities: short lectures, full class discussion, small group analysis and interpretation, oral recitation and dramatic presentations, sharing of student papers, viewing of film and theatre productions of works studied, essay and objective exams on each era. Small groups are used to generate ideas, to encourage students to share ideas with ease and to work cooperatively, to critique one another's writing, to prepare group presentations, and to analyze and interpret selected works. (Summer Reading List)

English 4 Honors

The Honors class is also a survey of English literature and an in-depth study of major authors and their works. Students read more complex, and/or longer works than the regular classes. Assignments are more sophisticated, and students are expected to execute them with far greater independence. Honors students are expected to move quickly through their writing assignments with a great degree of proficiency. Essays spring from student-created theses, and lessons guide students who already excel at writing to develop their own voice and style. English 4 students create formal, independent oral presentations and speeches. The elements of a speech (eye contact, voice modulation, gesture, posture, etc.) are judged critically in the Honors class, and research done for Honors reports and projects is expected to be thorough, independent and formal. (Summer Reading List)

Government

This one-semester course, offered in the Fall, examines the basic three-part system of government in the United States. Foreign policy, economic issues, on-going elections and current events are part of regular class discussions as we consider American government in action. The main goal is to promote a greater understanding of and appreciation for our system and democratic institutions, and to engender a spirit of civic awareness and responsibility. Constitutional law is a key part of the course and the cumulating project for the term is the TMS Moot Court, where the students research a case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, write a legal brief and present an oral argument.

Government Honors

The Government Honors class covers the same material as in the Government class, and also significant additional reading and writing assignments. 

Economics

This one-semester course, offered in the Spring, introduces students to the language, tools, and concepts of macro- and microeconomics. Topics include scarcity, supply and demand, business structures, economic systems, GDP, fiscal and monetary policy, and international trade. The class engages in a stock market simulation and several projects involving research and presentations. Classes operate in a seminar format, with students discussing and applying concepts from the text or additional readings.