A Day at Thrive High School Communities
Our high school students enjoy a dynamic day of learning designed to promote a sense of community with their peers. All of our curriculum is constructed to help students develop confidence and find their place as thoughtful citizens in our world.
Students are grouped into grade-level cohorts and rotate to three classes throughout the day. Each class is 80 minutes followed by a break so that students can recharge and connect with friends.
CLASSES OFFERED:
Expressive Arts- Theater, Speech & Debate, and Art
This course is designed to engage high school students in the enriching world of expressive arts, comprising three distinct yet interconnected trimesters focused on Theater, Speech & Debate, and Art. Each trimester empowers students to develop their creative and rhetorical skills, culminating in practical applications of the concepts learned. The theater trimester concludes with a live performance at our annual History Festival, giving students a platform to showcase their dramatic talents.
Course Objectives:
Develop Comprehensive Artistic Skills: Students gain foundational skills in various artistic disciplines, including dramatic performance, public speaking, argumentative structure, and visual arts.
Enhance Communication Abilities: Students focus on enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication skills, critical for effective public speaking, debate, and theatrical performance.
Foster Creativity and Expression: Encourage personal expression and creativity through guided projects and performances in each discipline.
Cultivate Critical Thinking: Build analytical skills through critique of artistic works and strategic debate techniques.
Promote Collaborative Learning: Students collaborate on projects, performances, and debates, learning to work effectively in diverse groups.
Connect Disciplines to Broader Themes: Link the skills and knowledge from each discipline to broader historical, cultural, and ethical themes, particularly during the theater performance at the History Festival.
Course Structure:
Trimester 1: Speech & Debate
Study and practice of public speaking techniques, including voice modulation, diction, and pacing.
Exploration of debate formats, argument development, and research methods.
Exercises in extemporaneous speaking and structured debates on current issues.
Trimester 2: Theater
Introduction to theater history and various theatrical forms.
Exercises on acting, directing, scriptwriting, and stage management.
Preparation and rehearsal for a group performance at the History Festival, interpreting a significant historical event or era.
Trimester 3: Art
Overview of art history with an emphasis on various movements and famous artists.
Practical sessions in drawing, painting, sculpture, and mixed media.
Development of a portfolio that includes personal artwork reflecting themes studied throughout the course.
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind is an innovative course that cultivates creative problem-solving skills in high school students. Through collaboration and intellectual rigor, students engage in unique challenges that span a broad range of disciplines, including vehicle design, technical challenges, classical arts, literature, structural engineering, and performance arts. This class provides an exciting opportunity for students to think outside the box and apply their creativity in novel ways.
Course Objectives:
Foster Creative Problem-Solving: Encourage students to use creativity and critical thinking to solve complex problems.
Promote Team Collaboration: Develop teamwork and leadership skills as students work in groups of up to seven to brainstorm, design, and execute solutions.
Enhance Practical Knowledge: Apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios across various domains like technology, art, and engineering.
Encourage Budget Management: Teach students to develop cost-effective solutions, adhering to a predefined budget, enhancing their financial and resource management skills.
Build Presentation Skills: Improve communication and presentation skills as students present their solutions to classmates and teachers.
Course Structure:
Team Formation and Problem Selection: At the beginning of the course, students form teams and select one of six long-term problems from the Odyssey of the Mind program. These problems are updated annually and fall into categories such as vehicle, technical, classical art and literature, structure, performance, and "primary".
Problem-Solving Phase: Teams spend several weeks or months, depending on their pace, to brainstorm, design, and implement their solutions. During this phase, students are expected to be self-directed, with the teacher providing guidance on problem-solving techniques and critical evaluation skills without directly solving the problem for the team.
Adherence to Guidelines and Limitations: Throughout the problem-solving process, teams must adhere to the general rules provided in the Odyssey of the Mind guide, the specific limitations of the problem, and any clarifications updated throughout the year on the Odyssey of the Mind website.
Budget Management: Each team must develop their solution within a specified cost limit, encouraging creativity and resourcefulness in managing finances and materials.
Final Presentation: The course culminates in a presentation where each team showcases their solution to the class and teacher, explaining their creative process, the challenges faced, and how they overcame them.
Historical Inquiry
Embark on a journey through time in our Historical Inquiry course, designed to transform students into historians and critical thinkers. This course is centered around the text Mysteries in History: American History (ISBN 1420630474), which guides students in the art of analyzing historical documents, understanding varying perspectives, and crafting evidence-based arguments.
Throughout this course, students learn how to engage with primary sources from various periods in history, ranging from letters and diaries to speeches and photographs. By examining these artifacts, students gain insights into the complexities of historical events and the nuances of historical narratives. The course emphasizes skill development in critical reading, analytical writing, and thoughtful discussion, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of history as a dynamic and interpretive field.
Course Objectives:
Develop Historical Questions: Learn to formulate insightful questions that drive historical inquiry and research.
Analyze Primary Sources: Gain proficiency in interpreting a wide array of primary documents to understand historical context, perspective, and bias.
- Construct Historical Arguments: Master the skills necessary to develop coherent historical narratives and arguments supported by relevant evidence.
Engage in Scholarly Debate: Participate in discussions and debates that challenge preconceived notions and promote a deeper understanding of historical complexities.
Conduct Research: Undertake a research project that requires the application of learned skills to investigate a historical topic.