Art I is an introductory course that offers students an opportunity to try different art materials, learn art processes, and gain primary knowledge of famous artists from the realm of art history.
A course in advanced design, drawing and painting techniques. Some three-dimensional projects are created. This class is designed for those interested in improving their artistic skills and to prepare for Art III.
An in-depth course designed for those planning an art career, or who have exhibited serious interest and ability in drawing and painting. This class further advances the student’s techniques in design, drawing and painting.
A beginning course for students who are interested in working with clay. Ceramics involves making functional pottery and other decorative items. This course focuses primarily on hand-building but sculpture and wheel throwing are introduced.
Advanced Ceramics is intended to build upon students’ prior knowledge of ceramic history, as well as the building techniques and procedures for working with clay. This course focuses on a variety of ceramic techniques including wheel throwing and deeper learning about the history of ceramic art, specific ceramic artists, critique of aesthetic quality, and personal artistic development.
Animation 1 will provide a comprehensive base of foundational skills utilized throughout the animation industry. The course develops the student’s hand-drawing abilities and expands their computer software capabilities as they learn to produce original works of art within the environments of traditionally drawn 2D animation and 2D/3D digital animation. The course is designed to allow students to explore the Elements of Art, Principles of Design, Principles of Animation, and relevant terminology as related to the animation industry. The class will cover the history of animation produced for film and television, from the 1800’s to the present incorporating key animators, significant technological advances, and the progression of animation studios. Animation assignments will include pre-production elements-conceptualization of story, setting, character, determination of target audience, script writing, and story-boarding, production process-layout, animation construction, rendering, and post production-effects, compositing, editing, and audio. Throughout the course students will complete a series of individual and group assignments, written critiques of all major projects, participate in verbal classroom critiques of peer-generated work, and all students will finish the course by creating a digital portfolio for use in advanced studies, or career purposes.
An intensive study course for those interested in applying for Advanced Placement in the Studio Arts. Focus is on in-depth concentration in design, drawing and painting. Extensive time is spent outside of class and is required to prepare artwork.
A course with a focus on creating sculptures from various media. Three-dimensional design is included. It includes the use of wood, stone, clay, and metal.
Art Appreciation is the knowledge and understanding of the universal and timeless qualities that identify all great art. The more you appreciate and understand the art of different eras, movements, styles and techniques, the better you can develop, evaluate and improve your own artwork.
Media arts application is offered to students to increase their knowledge and skills on the computer. The course content helps to increase student proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite which includes: Word, Excel, Access and PowerPoint. Students will also learn about Adobe Illustrator and Publisher.
An introductory course to digital photography and art as it pertains to advertising, social media, multimedia, and business. Students learn basic camera techniques and how to process their images in digital format. This course provides the student with basic aesthetic principles as well as an extensive range of practical photographic techniques, design skills and applications needed for entry into the photographic workplace and/or for artistic expression. It provides experience in traditional and contemporary photographic techniques for art, multimedia, business, and television. An emphasis on the use of computers and related image design software programs is included.
The Video/Animation Class is offered to high school juniors and seniors to introduce students to a variety of occupations in visual communications and the technical and artistic requirements of these positions. Students are exposed to a variety of occupations in the communications industry. Instructional strategies provide students with hands-on experiences in a variety of media applications and equipment utilization and a curriculum focus on project development and presentation.
Theatre Arts I introduces students to the world of acting, directing, and technical theatre magic. Through pantomime, body movement, voice training, improvisation, and character development, young actors will explore many hands-on activities and projects that will introduce historical, traditional, and contemporary practices of the entertainment industry. Drama creates confidence, creativity, and vocal skills for a fulfilling future.
As a continuation of the theatre arts pathway, this invigorating course concentrates on character study methods, classic playwrights, monologues, scenes, and improvisation to help a student build a portfolio of work that can be used in auditioning and competitive arenas. Students will also be introduced to playwriting and response to dramatic literature.
This course is designed to allow an advanced theatre arts student to polish an acting portfolio, perform in mainstage productions, compete in regional festivals, and direct or write monologues and scenes.
This course is designed for those students interested in pursuing the field of acting and for fine-tuning their on-stage performance skills. Students are required to perform in a variety of productions throughout the school year.
This class is for students who love technology, painting, construction, electronics, and magic! Students collaborate to design and build practice and actual productions of theatre in various forms. Design teams (scenic, lighting, sound, costume, marketing, etc) are to perform research in order to produce sketches, renderings, models, and technical drawings suitable for the production, as determined by the director through collaboration with designers. A final theatre design portfolio will be presented as a summative response and could be implemented in an actual stage production.
The Theater Production class is designed for students with production as a central emphasis. Students will focus on specific areas of interest in stagecraft specialization: lighting, set design, sound or costumes. Students will actively participate in production analysis, publicity, and production projects. Students will crew shows and audition for experience.
This course is for the student who desires to be more expressive, creative, and imaginative in an English class!" The written word comes to life in Language Takes the Stage, a course in which students consider what theater is and why we feel compelled to create it. In addition to analyzing, researching, and writing about text, students in the course take an active role in transforming text to performance. Language Takes the Stage could be part of an Arts, Media, and Entertainment Academy as an intro course in a sequence of English and performing arts courses.
Social Action Theatre integrates English with the Arts, Media and Entertainment pathways in a way that emphasizes arts and social action. Students develop and refine their personal and unique mission statement (credo) and aesthetic, which will be reflected through their year-long course work including a personal monologue, reflective essay, and portfolio development.
Additionally, students will apply their personal credo to create individual proposals for a social action arts organization. In groups, students will create and present a business plan for one of the proposed social action performing arts organizations, and design and
perform a piece that would exemplify work from said organization. This business plan will be added to a digital portfolio created at the beginning of the course and added to throughout the course. This digital portfolio is one element, along with the final performance piece, which is presented to a career readiness jury panel of professionals as a final assessment.
Marching Band PE is a course designed for band students to satisfy the three-year physical education requirement for graduation. A student must successfully complete marching band season (fall semester). The Marching Band is a competitive field show group consisting of musicians (wind and percussion instruments) along with a group of students that make up the color guard. They rehearse 7-12 hours a week after school and on Saturdays. They also compete in at least four major competitions during the fall semester.
This course is designed to satisfy the three=-year physical education requirement for graduation.
This course is designed to satisfy the three=-year physical education requirement for graduation.
This band performs at various places and times throughout the year. This is a zero-period class.
This course is designed for beginning vocal students. Members learn the basics of note reading, musicianship, and perform at Fall, Winter, and Spring concerts.
The Concert Choir performs extensively in the community at Christmas time, at various schools, at C.M.E.A. festivals, and takes a spring trip. In addition, the Concert Choir performs at the fall and spring concerts.
This course is designed for the more advanced vocal students. Students continue to learn note-reading and musicianship and perform in a wide variety of concerts throughout the year.
This course provides an opportunity for students to develop advanced and refined vocal and choral techniques. Advanced knowledge and skill in theory and sight singing is expected and further study of music history will be emphasized. The study and performance of advanced literature including music from other cultures will be the focus of this course. Public performance and participation in regional, state, division, or national honors choir, solo, and ensemble festivals are required.
Students learn how to read musical notations. Technical skills are addressed on a daily basis. Performance skills are also addressed daily through practice and performance of individually assigned music pieces. Due to the individual nature of guitar performance, teaching strategies are designed, developed, and implemented based on each student’s strengths.
This one-year course is designed for students who have successfully completed the skills outlined in the Beginning Guitar syllabus. This course includes further development of the skill necessary to become independent as a guitarist. This course emphasizes the development of style, articulation, dynamics, rhythmic ability, and skills inherent to performance. Areas of concentration include correct posture, note reading, aural skills, flat-picking, singing songs, rhythmic patterns, chord study, finger picking styles, musical forms, improvisation, and performing experiences. A progression in technical proficiency is expected.
Students continue to learn musical notations. Theoretical and analytical skills are enhanced through daily musical analysis of individually assigned literature. Students analyze the role of music in past and present cultures throughout the world, noting cultural diversity as it relates to music. Students critically assess and derive meaning from works of music and the performance of musicians in a cultural context according to the elements of music. Students apply instrumental musical skills in performing a varied repertoire of music.
Students learn how to read musical notations. They apply instrumental musical skills learned and perform in a varied repertoire of music. Due to the individual nature of piano performance, teaching strategies are implemented based upon each student’s strengths.
Students continue to learn musical notations. They listen, analyze and describe music using music terminology. Students apply musical skills learned in performing a varied repertoire of music. Students also compose, arrange music and improvise melodies. Digital and electronic technology are be utilized.
This is an introductory course designed to assist students with developing and enhancing professional musicianship skills through the study of music composed expressly for Mariachi Ensembles. In this setting, the ability to learn an instrument with basic technical proficiency and aesthetic sensitivity will be emphasized in preparation for a career in mariachi in real-world settings. Students will encounter a wide range of "Mexico's traditional music" that will include Bolero, Ranchera, and Son.
Music Appreciation is designed to help students cultivate an appreciation for many types of music by developing informed listening skills. This course is a listening class intended to introduce students to a multitude of styles, genres, and historical periods of music. Students will learn how to effectively listen to gain a greater appreciation for the art. The course familiarizes students with the history and theory of music. This course explores the historical, cultural, social, and personal context of music from each period. As students discover the music of old, they will compare it to their personal music choices of today. The first semester covers music theory and early musical forms of the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classical eras. The second semester presents the modern musical traditions since 1900.
This Music Appreciation course earns transferable college credit. Instruction is provided on the Madera Unified school campus by an instructor approved by the Madera Community College using the current college course outline, viewable here.