ESSEX STREET ACADEMY

Academics

We offer core and elective courses that challenge students to develop their own ideas.

We cultivate our students to be active learners, not passive, who will graduate from our school confident in their ability to tackle any problem they encounter.

The mission of the Literature department at ESA is to develop lifelong readers and writers.  We believe that in order to foster a lifelong love of reading and writing, students need to explore a variety of genres from both an analytical and a creative perspective.  We believe that students learn best when they can make choices about their reading and engage collaboratively with their peers to discuss texts with relevant themes.  We know that students learn to write well by reading good writing with an eye for its craft.  To that end, we believe that students should model their writing after authentic mentor texts including essays, poetry, short fiction, and memoir.

9/10 Briana Kira 

In this course, we’ll be diving into the novels Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, Sanctuary by Paola Mendoza and Abby Sher, and Feed by M.T. Anderson. These works will take students on a rollercoaster ride through worlds that are both eerily familiar and deeply unsettling. They’ll explore what happens when the lines between reality and fiction blur, and how characters react when faced with extraordinary circumstances.

9/10 Literature w/ Jackson Jenny

This semester we are going to be focusing on a variety of texts that all grapple with the theme of secrets and secrecy. These texts will bring to life the complexities of why we keep secrets, what it feels like to discover a secret has been kept from you, and it will delve into whether or not some secrets are better kept untold.  Some essential questions we will explore include:

  • What is the difference between keeping a secret and lying (if there is one?
  • What are some ways secrets can both harm and help people?
  • In what ways are secrets within families an unavoidable part of the coming of age experience?

9/10 Literature w/ Greg

This course is all about life. We’ll read books about what it means to be alive. That’s often what literature is. A window into the lives of others—real or fictional—that sometimes lets us see something new, sometimes lets us see our reflections, and sometimes both. 

This semester, your literary analysis class is ‘The Journey.’ It is a course focused on the adventures and trials of traveling from point A to point B. Sometimes a journey crosses an ocean, sometimes it crosses space and time, and other times you’re walking a road and the destination may seem less important than just keeping moving. We’ll read and analyze literature in which the protagonists go on literal and metaphorical journeys. We’ll explore themes of self-discovery, cultural identity, power dynamics, race, and a search for meaning. Our characters go on physical journeys, but more importantly, they go on emotional, spiritual, interpersonal, and historical journeys. We will analyze the journey narrative to understand the relationship between literary works and the above themes. We’ll also look inward and analyze our journeys (and those of the people in our lives). Lastly, the class will focus on the “journey” of brainstorming, outlining, drafting, and revising analytical writing. 

11/12 Literature w/ Jane Jenny
This semester we will navigate the complicated ways literature can expose and express truths.  We will read excerpts of several famous memoirs in order to determine how and why the writers chose to expose truths through this medium. In this class you will:
  • Write your own excerpts of memoirs that explore critical moments in your life
  • Listen to an entire podcast with the goals of collecting evidence, drawing conclusions and making sense of complicated situations
  • Write a formal, 5 paragraph essay that draws your own conclusions based on the podcast
  • Engage in book clubs with other students
  • Write a book review of the book club choice they chose, and in that review, they will explain some of the truths exposed in the text
  • Think about real world applications through weekly viewingings of “Retro Reports” which expose the complicated nature of finding “the truth” in any situation. 
  • Engage in rich discussions with classmates about issues that matter

11/12 Literature w/ Jane
This semester we will read a variety of fiction and non fiction texts that explore how society defines crime and criminality. In addition to our central question of “what makes something a crime?” We will explore the following questions about crime and society, using our texts as an anchor and guide through these discussions: 
  • Who decides what a crime is? And a crime against what? Family? Community? Convention? According to the law? Religion? The heart? 
  • When is something a  justified crime? When is a crime okay? When is the law wrong? When is convention wrong? 
  • What motivates crime? Self interest? Poverty? Destitution? Desperation? Revenge? Infatuation? 
  • When is crime rational? When is crime irrational? 
  • What are the consequences of crime? Who gets harmed? Who persecutes/judges the criminal?
  •  In what context is something a crime that would not be in another? How does context contribute to our understanding of a crime? 

11/12 Literature w/ Briana
This introductory unit for the “Food and Literature” course is designed to engage students in exploring the profound connections between food, culture, and literature. Over the semester students will examine how authors use food as a symbol, a plot device, and a means of exploring cultural identity and social issues. Through a combination of readings, discussions, and creative projects, students will begin to appreciate the richness of food as a literary element.

9/10 Global w/ Fayola

Global Struggles for Human Rights is a class that explores various aspects of human rights issues, with an emphasis on colonization, capitalism and globalization. Students will explore the origin of the concept of human rights, historical examples of the development of human rights and various human rights struggles throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. These struggles include the horrors of the Free Congo State and the Democratic Republic of Congo, the abolition of slavery and development of mass incarceration, and workers rights issues from the Industrial Revolution, to the increase of child labor today.  Additionally, students will gain the skills to identify and contextualize human rights struggles in their own communities, as well as use their agency to spread awareness and promote action about the issues that matter to them. 

9/10 Global w/ Adam 

How does a religion become a ‘world’ religion? For most of human history, religions were strictly local. Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam brought something new. Their universal teachings were open to all people, and they built connections among people all over the world. This course looks at the cultural, political, and economic forces that made this possible. Each religion we study has an unlikely story of conflict, adaptation, and transformation that changed the way millions of people answer life’s most important questions.

11/12 Constitutional Law w/ Cyndy

Constitutional Law is an exploration of U.S. history and current events through the examination of U.S. Supreme Court cases.  Students will think about important and enduring issues of U.S. Constitutional law connected to federalism, separation of powers, civil rights, due process, equal protection, etc.  Constitutional Law is designed to get citizen-students thinking about their power as citizens (or soon to be citizens) and the ways they might use that power, now and in the future.  

11/12 US History w/ Jody

Course Essential Questions:

  • What – if anything – makes the United States “exceptional”?
  • What motivates U.S. foreign policy and what should motivate it?
  • When should we go to war?  Is there ever a “good cause” for war?
  • How do prior experiences and actions, at home or abroad, shape future policies for better and worse?
  • How and why did the US become a global superpower?  Was this good for the U.S.?  Was it good for the world?
  • Why and in what ways have people resisted U.S. actions abroad?
  • How have the ideologies of Westward Expansion shown up in US foreign policy?  

The ESA mathematics department provides courses that are grounded in foundational mathematical content, but emphasize students’ critical thinking skills with respect to logical thinking and data analysis. All of the math courses at ESA focus on creating a classroom of students that can work independently, problem solve persistently, and use patterns they observe to make overarching connections. All courses require students to work in groups, complete homework assignments, and develop a portfolio of projects.

Algebra w/ Rachel

Students start with a study of linear equations and systems of linear equations, by modeling relationships in various situations. Students write, evaluate, graph, and solve equations, explaining and validating their reasoning with increased precision. These insights lead into a unit on two-variable statistics in which students examine relationships between variables, using two-way tables, scatter plots, and linear models. From there, they move on to solving and graphing linear inequalities and systems of linear inequalities to represent constraints in situations.

Students deepen their understanding of functions by representing, interpreting, and communicating about them, using function notation, domain and range, average rate of change, and features of graphs. They also see categories of functions, starting with linear functions, followed by exponential and quadratic functions. For each function type, students investigate real-world contexts, look closely at the structural attributes of the function, and analyze how these attributes are expressed in different representations.

The course ends with a close look at quadratic equations. Through reasoning, writing equivalent equations, and applying the quadratic formula, students extend their ability to use equations to model relationships and solve problems. Along the way students encounter rational and irrational solutions, deepening their understanding of the real-number system.

Geometry w/ Brittney 

In this course students will develop fluency with definitions, constructions, transformations, and proofs while strengthening higher-level thinking through reasoning, modeling, and argumentation. This course will help students move beyond procedures to constructing and evaluating mathematical arguments. 

Problem Solving w/ Brittney, Rachel

This course gives students the opportunity to work with non-routine problems that require different strategies and approaches. Students will learn new ideas in mathematics through thinking about these problems. Both the strategies and the meaning behind the solutions will help students think about mathematical concepts and big ideas with greater nuance and understanding.

The topics covered in this class contain both basic mathematical ideas and more advanced concepts — factors, multiples, fractions, decimals, integers, functions, linearity, exponential and quadratic functions– but the approach is different from the way these ideas are usually taught. In these problems, the concepts are embedded in meaningful contextual situations. 

 11/12 Algebra 2 w/ Mado

Algebra II is a continuation of Algebra I, the two-semester course students take in 9th and 10th grade at Essex. In Algebra II, students will build on the skills they learned in Algebra I (such as solving systems of equations, graphing, and function evaluation) to make predictions and find solutions in abstract and real-world contexts. Students will also use their conceptual knowledge of proofs from Geometry to build an understanding of algebra as another mathematical language of proof. While students focused on linear equations and inequalities in Algebra I, Algebra II will also ask students to use quadratic and cubic functions as helpful tools, and study them as elegant objects in mathematics. Finally, this course will prepare students for Trigonometry and Calculus by building connections between different representations of functions, and introducing important Calculus topics such as rate of change and important points of a function. 
 

 11/12 Trigonometry  w/ Mado, Pearl

Literally translated to “measurement of triangles,” trigonometry will expand on students’ knowledge of geometry to build connections back to algebraic thinking.  In this course, students will be studying the elements of trigonometry that can be used to solve practical problems and help them understand the natural universe.  More specifically, students will dive deep into triangle angle/side relationships, apply these relationships to unearthing relationships that make up the unit circle, and use trigonometric graphs to model natural phenomena (such as periodicity).
 

 11/12 Statistics w/ Pearl

In this class, we will learn how to use numbers, graphs, and data to better understand the world around us. Statistics isn’t just about math – it’s about asking questions, finding evidence, and telling the story of what the data means. You will explore real-world issues by working with real data. Some questions we might ask: How can we use the data to test whether a claim is true or misleading? Is there evidence of a wage gap? Do all groups of people have the same access to resources? 
 
Students will build skills in describing data, collecting and organizing data, understanding probability, making inferences, exploring relationships and communicating results. At the end of the course, you will complete a final project where you choose a dataset that matters to you, ask your own research question, and use statistics to answer it. You will share your results, just like a data analyst or data researcher. 
 
 

11/12 Precalculus and Calculus w/ Mado, Pearl

In this class, we will explore different types of functions and growth, including but not limited to: linear functions, quadratic functions, cubic functions, exponential functions, logarithmic functions, and  trigonometric functions.  We will also explore different series, sequences, as well as number visualizations and counting systems.   Using this base of knowledge, we will investigate more sophisticated applications and iterations of these understandings—including but not limited to derivatives, integrals, and formulas used for counting in sequences. 

We will make connections back to patterns explored in Algebra and Geometry, and we will dive deeper with trigonometry relationships.  We will also deeply explore how different types of functions relate to one another through

The mission of the science department at ESA is to cultivate curiosity and excitement about learning science. We want students to embrace science by exposing them to real life science, embedding our content in real-world contexts and providing experiential learning opportunities whenever possible. We want to see our students build confidence and walk away with the ability to solve problems. We believe in helping students build skills and knowledge that will empower them, especially in populations that are underrepresented in the sciences. 


9/10 Engineering w/ Charles

In this course students will be able to follow the engineering and design process to solve real world problems. They  will research real world problems such as access to fresh water, air travel, and renewable energy. After developing contextual knowledge of the topic, students will then design and build prototypes, and then experiment with these prototypes to assess their reliability and feasibility. Students will learn to write as scientists by using data analysis to justify their reasoning and conclusions. For every project, students will make science posters and practice public speaking by sharing their reasoning with their peers. Across all content in the course, students will work in teams and be evaluated for how they perform as a valuable teammate as described in a student generated teamwork rubric.

9/10 Evolution w/ Mah 

In this course we examine human biology and behavior from an evolutionary perspective by analyzing life characteristics, comparing our anatomy and physiology to various living species. We will also examine the relative roles of genes (“nature”) and environment (“nurture”), the biological basis of behavior, diseases and systems, and adaptations in modern science. Students will actively engage in the development of scientific thinking, become good consumers of science by way of evidence and research collection, and critically analyze as part of classroom experiences. Material covered will help prepare students to understand life as it relates to biological evolution in ways that transcends the scientific discipline to explain the human species as well as the human experience. 

9/10 Physics w/Charles

Physics in motion is an introductory physics course that investigates the nature of objects in motion. Students will explore the factors that influence the motion of objects and the relationships between forces, acceleration, energy, and momentum. Students will engage with the content by proposing questions and collecting data to investigate hypotheses in a lab setting. Students will be assessed by completing posters for poster sessions, by writing lab reports, and by completing problem sets and exams.


9/10 Forensic Biology w/ Mah

In this course we examine science from a forensic biologist’s perspective by analyzing the different forms of evidence including DNA, blood, tissues, organ/organ systems, psychology, behaviors, and physiology. We will examine the roles of such evidence as it relates to being an expert witness, while also designing experiments and investigating challenging questions about fact finding. We will actively engage in the development of scientific thinking, become good consumers of science by way of evidence and research collection, and critically analyze as part of classroom experiences and as a part of designing experiments. Material covered will help prepare you to understand how scientists play an integral role in society especially when it comes to understanding biology, conditioning, and behavior.  


11/12 Chemistry w/ Liz

In this course we’ll get curious about what we observe in the world around us (the macroscopic level), the mystical inner mechanisms we can’t see (the microscopic level and smaller) and how these phenomena are represented (with symbols, equations, and models) in Chemistry. Knowing information at the atomic level helps to explain the behavior of matter on larger scales. Theoretical models are used to describe chemical behaviors of matter that are not directly measurable. By the end of this semester, students will better understand that precious metals, energy technology, and food can all be explained and manipulated through Chemistry.

11/12 Human Biology w/ Susie

Human Biology focuses on the human body and its survival mechanisms. In this course, students will learn why organisms must maintain an internal balance and what happens something upsets that balance. They will also identify common life processes (circulation, nutrition, regulation), describe the functioning of organ systems and explain how these organs systems contribute to maintaining homeostasis. Students will also be able to explain the effect of common diseases (heart disease, diabetes, asthma) on organ systems and understand the relevance of these health problems in today’s society. Students will sharpen their scientific method skills by conducting physiology experiments on pulse, cardiac recovery rates, vital capacities, and visual reaction time, before designing their own panel project on one of these variables.

11/12 Neuroscience w/ Susie

In this neuroscience class for 11th and 12th graders, we will focus on one of the most important organs in the human body, the brain. We will explore how the brain is organized and the biological bases of behavior. We will see how scientists and doctors have come to learn about the structure and functioning of the brain by learning about different cases of brain injuries and disorders. We will also study how drugs alter the normal neural functions. Students will use the scientific method and inquiry skills to investigate variables that affect memory, learning, perception, emotions, and attention.


11/12 Computer Science w/ Lev

In the fall term of this year-long computer science course, students will code in 3 different programming environments (Scratch, QBasic and Processing4), learning many fundamentals of modern programming: identifying and naming objects and variables of different data types, testing user input with logic to create interactivity and blending external media into the flow of a program. Our focus on object-oriented programming (“OOP”) principles will build the vision and skills vital in all higher-level professional languages. Following the principle that you can’t explain computer science using computer science, we will use short stories, film and music to explore and nail down these understandings. The major work of the fall term will use design thinking (discover/define/design/develop/deliver) to create and refine video games. In addition to creating their own original games, students will test and provide feedback for the games of their peers.


Spanish 1

Spanish 1 is a course that will encompass elements of the language and culture of the Spanish-speaking world. The class will focus primarily on the language skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening in order to get students communicating in the target language from day 1. The course will be content rich; the products, perspectives, and practices of the Spanish-speaking world will be investigated in order to cultivate a deep and nuanced understanding of the various cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. 

Spanish 2

Spanish 2 advances the linguistic skills developed in Spanish 1  by providing ample opportunities for students to read, speak, listen, and write in Spanish. Students will complete interpretive, interpersonal, and presentational tasks that will require them to actively use the Spanish language in simulated and real-life contexts. A wide range of authentic materials will be employed from the Spanish-speaking world in order to foster curiosity and to expose students to multiple varieties of the Spanish language. 

French 1

French I is an introduction to French language and culture. The fundamentals of French pronunciation, grammar, and culture are presented through a balanced development of all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The importance of communication and cultural awareness is stressed through a wide variety of activities (group/pair work, video, audio recordings, computer assignments, etc.). This course is designed for students with little or no knowledge of French language or culture.

French 2

French 2 is a course that focuses on the continued development of the three modes of communicative competence: interacting with other speakers of French, understanding oral and written messages in French, and making oral and written presentations in French.  The class will continue to show greater accuracy when using basic language structures and be exposed to more complex features of the French language. Emphasis will continue to be placed on the use of French in the classroom as well as on the use of authentic materials to learn about the culture(s) of francophone countries. The importance of communication and intercultural awareness is stressed through a wide variety of activities (group/pair work, video, audio recordings, computer assignments, etc.).  This course is designed for students with significant prior exposure to or at least one year of study of French language and culture.

11/12 Restorative Justice

History of Restorative Justice is a humanities course in which students will engage in study of the history and origins of restorative practices from a global perspective as well as through a lens focused on the United States. Additionally, students will examine and critique the history of the United States regarding policing, schools, and other institutions that perpetuated the systemic problems of our society today. Students will engage in weekly seminars, daily work consisting of journaling, open discussions, and analysis of primary and secondary sources of both historical and contemporary nature. The final unit of the course will focus on the real world application of restorative justice and restorative practices, potentially in the form of student to student meetings here at ESA.

11/12 Computer Science w/ Lev

In the fall term of this year-long computer science course, students will code in 3 different programming environments (Scratch, QBasic and Processing4), learning many fundamentals of modern programming: identifying and naming objects and variables of different data types, testing user input with logic to create interactivity and blending external media into the flow of a program. Our focus on object-oriented programming (“OOP”) principles will build the vision and skills vital in all higher-level professional languages. Following the principle that you can’t explain computer science using computer science, we will use short stories, film and music to explore and nail down these understandings. The major work of the fall term will use design thinking (discover/define/design/develop/deliver) to create and refine video games. In addition to creating their own original games, students will test and provide feedback for the games of their peers.