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Where you Design Your Dream & Where Your Dream Comes True

Academics

  • Academic Program
  • Faculty
  • Departments
  • Directed Research Program
  • Exchange Programs
  • Academic Honesty Policy
  • Academic Calendar
  • Weekly Schedule

Departments

  • ENGLISH

    ENGLISH Departament

    The primary goal of the GLP English Department is to help students communicate in as effective and sophisticated a manner as possible in their writing and speaking. Like the top college prep schools in America, Bugil GLP focuses on reading entire works of literature (novels, plays, poetry, and essays), discussing them in a seminar-type atmosphere, and writing about them at length and in depth. By doing so, students develop skills in critical and creative thinking that are the hallmarks of the program.

    Unlike other schools in Korea, Bugil GLP expects all students to collaborate actively with teachers in creating a literary community. Our students drive discussions and challenge assumptions - of both classmates and teachers. They write creatively and use their own works as texts for analysis. They regularly stop their teachers in the hallways to extend the class discussion or to ask for advice about good books. Sometimes, teachers ask students for recommendations, as we incorporate books from western and eastern literature into our courses and make sharing our different cultural perspectives a regular part of class. Augmenting the English Department (and all other academic departments) is the GLP library—one of the best high school English-language multimedia libraries in South Korea.

    English Department Course Offering

    • Effective Communication

      Overview: This full-year course combines two related though distinct areas of study: non-fiction writing and speech communication. Each course unit will focus on a different general theme and questions through which students will strengthen their writing and speaking skills. First, students will focus on the building blocks of writing, using these to construct meaningful compositions. The building blocks include mechanics, parts of speech, sentence construction, sentence variety, and sentence sophistication. Next, students will work on constructing organized, clear paragraphs on different topics for different purposes and/or audiences. Finally, students will expand single-paragraph compositions into full-length essays, written for a variety of audiences and purposes. Types of essays include description of a place, explanation of a process, editorial, an essay that tells a story, and a mini-research essay. In addition, students will practice writing in the major disciplines of math, science, and social sciences. Since the class will be taught in conjunction with English 10, in which most essays are forms of literary analysis, this form will not be covered in Effective Communication. Assessments include grammar exercises and quizzes, projects, and, most importantly, compositions and essays.

      During the second part of each unit, students will learn and practice the basic principles of effective oral communication. Students will practice the mechanics of physical delivery, including both verbal and non-verbal cues that influence an audience by controlling and integrating physical behavior and tonal variety. Next, students will write and/or perform different types of speeches, such as informative, persuasive, and entertaining, as well as impromptu speaking and the oral interpretation of literature. Throughout the course, students learn to demonstrate basic proficiency in speech preparation, tonal variety, audience analysis, research, motivation, and organizational.

    • English Language and Composition (AP)

      Overview: This year-long class engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and genres, and in becoming skilled writers in multiple contexts. Our model for this course is the Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition class. Students may elect to take the AP Language and Composition exam at the end of this course, but it is not required. This class helps students move beyond the formulaic 5-paragraph essay model and craft their writing more expertly, taking into consideration multiple conceptions of audience and purpose. The reading material will focus on essays more heavily than do other English courses, but students will also read novels, short stories, and poetry with the same close-reading skills that apply to any written material. Rather than focusing on thematic development, however, students will focus more heavily on the rhetorical and stylistic choices that authors make to communicate their message. In other words, rather than focusing on WHAT the author is saying, students will focus on HOW he or she is saying it. There will be one long research paper. Our main text is The Language of Composition, a book written by English teachers who have worked closely with the College Board. This text may be supplemented by: Julius Caesar (Shakespeare), The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (Anne Fadiman), Candide (Voltaire), The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald), the film Dr. Strangelove, and others.

    • English Literature and Composition (AP)

      Overview: AP Literature and Composition is designed to provide students with the experience of a U.S. college-level literature class. Close reading and analysis of imaginative literature, particularly in the form of discussion and written criticism, will lie at the heart of the class. Students will study a work's structure, language, motifs, and themes, and then communicate understanding of the works in well-written, perceptive essays and other projects.

      The course has two main goals: first, to prepare students for the AP English Literature and Composition exam; and, second, to develop (or perhaps spark) a love of literature that will last a lifetime. You will read and study a variety of shorter works—essays, short stories, poems, one-act plays—from which you will increase your understanding of how writers construct meaning out of language. You can then apply that understanding, in the form of analytical and interpretive skills, to longer works, such as novels and full-length plays. Each semester, students will also have the opportunity to apply their understanding of how each major genre uses language devices to create meaning through creating original literature and interpretive performances.

      The year is divided into two semesters. Semester 1 will generally focus on the study of nonfiction essays and short fiction and will begin the study of poetry, while Semester 2 will complete the study of poetry and then focus on the study of drama. Novels will be covered in both semesters.

    • Contemporary Literature

      Overview: This full-year course engages students in the reading and analysis of contemporary literature in its various forms: novels, short stories, plays, essays, and poetry. In addition to reading, students will continuously write, focusing on both analytical essays, personal essays (e.g., description, narration, comparison and contrast, editorial, etc.), and creative writing. Literary analysis, in reading, discussion, and writing will allow students to continue to develop the skills they have acquired in previous English classes - i.e., examining subtext, placing works in historical context, and connecting a work's meaning to its literary devices and techniques. Works for reading and discussion will be chosen based on their literary complexity and quality, as well as their appeal to modern adolescent readers. Throughout the course, students will expand and polish their basic composition skills at the levels of mechanics, sentence structure and variety, and paragraph structure and variety.

    • Creative Writing

      Overview: This year-long course has a different focus for each semester, with Semester 1 focusing on autobiographical writing/creative nonfiction, and Semester 2 focusing on fiction and poetry. During Semester 1, this workshop-style class will have students write and revise several pieces of writing, all with the goal of developing, strengthening, and honing the students' personal writing voices. Students will write personal essays involving narrative, introspection, and analysis. In addition, students will write one or two "journalistic" pieces in which the subject is not themselves, but in which their own personalities are encouraged to shine through. The workshop process will also teach students the art of giving constructive feedback to their peers. A major goal of this class is to create finished work that may serve as college application essays. Students will also read and discuss several works of nonfiction, working to understand the rhetorical choices made by the author.

      During Semester 2, the focus will be on fiction and poetry. Students will write and revise several short stories and poems. There will also be many short writing drills and exercises designed to stimulate creativity while also teaching form and technique. Students will also examine, analyze, and discuss numerous short stories and poems to better understand the traits that good stories and poems possess, and to understand the myriad artistic choices open to the writer. The art of feedback (oral and written) is also stressed in this class.

    • Senior Seminar: Perspectives in Race, Gender, Culture, Class, Nationality

      Overview: This course is designed to give students the opportunity to explore diverse experiences and perspectives through literature. The books on the syllabus have been selected to highlight a range of cross-cultural topics and considerations that students may not otherwise have the opportunity to study in-depth in a high school curriculum. This course will cover 12 books in ten months. One book will be read over each break, and the remaining ten books will be studied over approximately one month each during the academic year. Course units and themes include the following: Africa and Gender; Black America and Victimization; Latin America and Magical Realism; The Middle East and Alternatives to the Novel; India and the Outsider's Perspective; and Asia and Identity.

    • American Literature

      Overview: In this course, students will explore the vast body of American literature from the past 250 years, looking specifically at dominant themes pertaining to the American experience. Works covered will include all major literary forms such as poetry, drama, essays, short stories, and novels.

      The three major themes are:
      1. Man versus Man(y): The tension between individualism and democracy in American self-identity
      2. One Nation Under God?: The role of religion in a so-called "Christian nation"
      3. A Melting Pot of Stew: Racial identity and conflict as the fabric of the American experience

      All works will be studied in the context of American as well as world historical events that influenced the style and content of the works. Students will develop the analytical critical thinking skills begun in their first year English class and will express these skills in discussion, debate, and essay writing. The course will also focus on SAT Preparation. Finally, students will conduct a major research project that culminates in a long research paper and a presentation.

  • MATHEMATICS

    MATHEMATICS Departament

    Learning is the best gift we give ourselves. Mathematics is particularly valuable because of its immediate application to real world problems as well as the logical thinking skills it helps to develop. The gift of mathematics is particularly profound because it reveals the fundamental connectedness in the structure of our physical universe, from the drift of the galaxies to the orbit of an electron. What is gained from mathematics is directly proportional to the effort applied towards mastering it.

    The Bugil GLP math curriculum emphasizes mastery at all levels of the critical thinking spectrum, with particular emphasis on application, analysis, and synthesis. Unlike many other programs in Korea and many test-prep programs around the globe, the Bugil GLP math curriculum goes beyond preparation for standardized tests, which barely scratches the surface of students' mathematical potential. Unlike many high school programs in the U.S., the GLP math curriculum begins with pre-calculus and continues through calculus, statistics, computer science, and discrete mathematics to develop an ever deeper, broader, and more versatile capacity for posing and solving mathematical questions.

    Math Department Course Offering

    • Pre-Calculus

      Overview: Pre-Calculus is a year-long mathematics course for students who have completed algebra and geometry. The course is designed to prepare students for Calculus. The subjects covered are functions and their graphs, polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometry, analytic trigonometry, systems of equations and inequalities, matrices and determinants, sequences, series and probability, and topics in analytic geometry. Topics will be investigated using four representational structures: analytical, graphical, numerical, and verbal.

    • Calculus AB (AP)

      Overview: The AP Calculus AB course is designed to be taught over a full high school academic year. The course develops students' understanding of the concept of calculus and provides experience with its methods and applications. The main topics in this course are functions and graphs; limits and continuity; derivatives with applications; and integrals with applications. The course emphasizes a multi-representational approach to calculus. Each topic is presented numerically, geometrically, symbolically, and verbally as students learn to communicate the connections among these representations.

    • Calculus BC (AP) and Multivariate Calculus

      Overview: The AP Calculus BC and Multivariate Calculus is taught as a continuation of AP Calculus AB. It is designed to be taught over a full high school academic year and is divided into two major components. The course develops students' understanding of the concept of calculus and provides experience with its methods and applications. The topics of the first component are parametric and polar functions, advanced integration techniques, differential equations, and power series. In the second component the topics are vectors, three dimensional graphs, functions of several variables, multiple integration, and vector calculus. The course emphasizes a multi-representational approach to calculus. Each topic is presented numerically, geometrically, symbolically, and verbally, as students learn to communicate the connections among these representations. The goal for each class period is to develop an interesting discussion and make the teaching occur when a student asks "Why?" or "Why not?" The class then proposes answers that need to be examined.

    • Discrete Mathematics

      Overview: Discrete Mathematics is designed to be taught over a full high school academic year. The course develops students' understanding of discrete mathematics along with their ability to write rigorous mathematical proofs. The main topics in this course are logic, sets, functions, mathematical induction, bijections, cardinality, combinatorics, divisibility, modular arithmetic, probability, and graphs. This course emphasizes a rigorous approach to mathematics. Students are required to justify their statements and answers using mathematical language. The goal for each class period is to have students consider the properties of various mathematical objects and then use what they have learned to prove other relationships and theories.

    • AP Statistics

      Overview: AP Statistics is the high school equivalent of a one-semester, introductory college statistics course. In this course, students develop strategies for collecting, organizing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data. Students design, administer, and tabulate results from surveys and experiments. Probability and simulations aid students in constructing models for chance phenomena. Sampling distributions provide the logical structure for confidence intervals and hypothesis tests. Students use a TI-83 graphing calculator and computer software programs to investigate statistical concepts. To develop effective statistical communication skills, students are required to prepare frequent written and oral analyses of real data. Students also will read Freakonomics in sections as a basis for investigating the real-world use of statistical data for the following purposes: to provide insight into large-scale trends; to advance both plausible and unorthodox conclusions; and to shape public dialogue and awareness. In addition to mastering the core methods of data compilation and statistical analysis, students will evaluate the use and abuse of statistics in academic and political discourse.

    • AP Computer Science

      Overview: This elective AP course serves as an introduction to the process of program design and analysis using the Java programming language for students without any programming experience. Topics to be covered include basic data types and their operators, I/O, control structures (selection, loops), classes (including methods and fields), arrays, and simple sorting and searching algorithms. Students will develop an understanding of the methodologies, concepts, and principles that distinguish Object Oriented programming from conventional programming languages. In addition, the course touches upon the ethical and social implications of developing end-user systems in today's society.

      The course will be divided into two parts. The first half will introduce students to the world of programming and ease the transition to more advanced stages. The second half will concentrate on advanced programming topics, building upon the established foundation from the first half and meeting all AP standards.

    • Web Design

      Overview: This elective course serves as an introduction to the design and implementation of websites. The aim is to give students the knowledge and technical skills to build creative, interactive, and aesthetically pleasing 21st century websites while learning system analysis and design. Students will gain hands-on practice and acquire technical skills in applications like Photoshop, Flash, and Dreamweaver. Furthermore, they will learn XHTML/Java/Action script and CSS to enhance their web design techniques. Finally, through a real-world, team-based project, students will acquire hands-on practice with systems analysis, design, and implementation, whereby students create a real website that fulfills a real-world client's needs for a website. This course is an extensive course designed to enhance a student's ability in project management, develop technical skills, and mature their social skills.

      During the 1st semester, students will learn the technical aspects of web planning and design. A final project will start during the first semester in which students, grouped into teams, will consult with a real world client who needs a website. The plan and design developed during the first semester will be implemented and presented to the client at the end of the second semester. Evaluation of the student's final grade will be based on how well the team's design and implementation process meets the client's needs and expectations.

  • SOCIAL SCIENCE

    SOCIAL SCIENCE Departament

    The GLP Social Science Department offers students the opportunity to master skills and content through a variety of college-preparatory, AP, and more advanced courses. Students will learn to digest material, ask questions, perform research, think critically, and defend their reasoning both in class discussions and through written and oral assignments. In addition, students will learn to appreciate the value of acquiring knowledge and developing analytical skills as the basis of life-long learning. For the Social Science Department, the process of learning is as important as the content acquired.

    Although students at the GLP are expected to take a combination of history and social science courses, the variety of offerings and flexibility in scheduling allow students to tailor their social science curriculum to fit their particular strengths and interests. By the end of senior year, the department expects that each student will have mastered the requisite skills necessary for success at western colleges and universities as active, informed global citizens.

    Social Science Department Course Offering

    • Human Geography (AP)

      Overview: AP Human Geography is a year-long class that is meant to replicate the experience of taking an introductory college course in human geography. This class will go beyond memorization of facts and require students to employ higher-level thinking skills such as evaluation, synthesis, application, comprehension, and application. In this course students will be introduced to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth's surface. Students will employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. Students will also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice. The course framework includes understanding the history of human geography as a discipline, exploring cultural patterns and political processes, analyzing political organization of space, gaining familiarity with agriculture and rural land use, investigating industrialization and economic development, and examining the development of cities and urban land use. At the conclusion of the course, students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement Exam in Human Geography. Goals/Objectives: • To understand maps and spatial data sets
      • To understand and interpret the implication of associations among phenomena in different places
      • To recognize and interpret at different scales the relationships among patterns and processes
      • To define regions and evaluate the regionalization process
      • To describe and analyze changing interconnections among places

    • World History (AP)

      Overview: AP World History is a year-long class designed to explore history from around the first time humans appeared on Earth to the present. Through this class students will develop the ability to think thematically about history by drawing comparisons and highlighting distinctions between societies, by examining primary historical documents, and understanding how different societies change over time. Specifically, our journey through history will be structured around the investigation of four primary key concepts and six course themes across six different chronological periods. At the conclusion of the course, students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement Exam in World History. Key Concepts: 1. Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
      2. Chronological Reasoning
      3. Comparison and Contextualization
      4. Historical Interpretation and Synthesis       World History themes: 1. Interaction between Humans and the Environment
      2. Development and Interaction of Cultures
      3. State-Building, Expansion, and Conflict
      4. Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems
      5. Development and Transformation of Social Structures

    • Economics (AP)

      Overview: This thorough, year-long investigation of both Macroeconomics and Microeconomics provides the foundation for the continued study of economics and prepares students for success on the Advanced Placement exams. Macroeconomic topics covered include choice, opportunity cost, the market system, supply and demand, the private sector, gross domestic product, national income accounting, unemployment, inflation, aggregate supply and demand, fiscal and monetary policies, money and banking, the loanable funds market, Keynesian, Classical, and Monetarist theory, economic growth, world trade, trade restrictions, and exchange-rate systems. Microeconomic topics covered include choice, opportunity costs, the market system, supply and demand, profit maximization, firm behavior, perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, factor markets, market failure, externalities, and the role of government. Major research projects in both Macroeconomics and Microeconomics will be completed during the course of the year. Although strong performance on the AP Exam is one objective, the course is taught to give students a comprehensive understanding of economic systems and their interconnected components.

    • Psychology (AP)

      Overview: AP Psychology is a year-long course that prepares students for the AP Psychology exam. The purpose of AP Psychology is to introduce students to the systematic and scientific study of behavior and mental processes of human beings. Students will develop an understanding of psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the theoretical approaches in psychology. Students will learn about the methods psychologists use in their science and practice. This course will promote student awareness of and respect for the psychological diversity of human beings with reference to biological, social, and cultural influences. Students will be provided with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory psychology courses. In addition to the mastery of the fundamentals of psychology, students will engage in the study of research designs, methods, statistics, and ethical issues in psychological research and application. During the year-ling course, students will also undertake one research study.

    • European History (AP)

      Overview: This course provides a two semester chronological survey of European history from approximately 1450 to 2001. The course is divided into two semesters: (1) the Renaissance through the French Revolution (1450-1815), and (2) the Industrial Revolution to the present. We will investigate topics in politics, diplomacy, science, economics, culture, and society. The course will trace these thematic topics throughout the year, emphasizing the ways in which they are interconnected and examining the ways in which each helps to shape the changes over time that are so important to understanding European history. At the conclusion of the course, students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement Exam in European History.

    • United States History (AP)

      Overview: This course provides a full-year chronological survey of American history from its Native American origins to the post 9/11 era. Students will grapple with some of the major interpretive questions of American history by focusing on the following themes: American cultural diversity and demographic changes over the course of America's history, American national identity, the development of political institutions and the components of citizenship, social reform movements, the role of religion in the making of the United States and its impact in a multicultural society, the history of slavery and its legacies in this hemisphere, war and diplomacy, economic trends and transformations, environmental issues, and the place of the United States in an increasingly global arena. The course will trace these themes throughout the year, emphasizing the ways in which they are interconnected and examining the ways in which each helps to shape the changes over time that are so important to understanding United States history. At the conclusion of the course, students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement Exam in US History.

    • Government and Politics (AP)

      Overview: This year-long investigation of government and politics provides the foundation for continued study of government and prepares students for success on both the AP Comparative Government & Politics and AP United States Government & Politics exams. The Comparative Government & Politics portion of the course introduces students to fundamental concepts used by political scientists to examine the processes and outcomes of politics in a number of countries. The course shows the diversity of political life, institutional alternatives, differences in processes and policy outcomes, and the importance of global economic and political changes. Comparison is helpful in identifying problems and evaluating policymaking, and by comparing the political institutions and practices of wealthy and poor nations, one can understand the political results of economic well-being. The course covers six specific countries and their governments: Great Britain, Russia, China, Mexico, Iran, and Nigeria. Students will gain insight by comparing relevant facts from the six core countries.

      The United States Government & Politics portion of the course studies the constitutional underpinnings of the United States government, with close attention paid to federalism and the separation of powers; institutions of national government, including Congress, the presidency, the federal courts, and the bureaucracy; political socialization and behavior, including voting, protest, and mass movements; mechanisms of the political process, including campaigns, elections, political parties, interest groups, and mass media; public policy development with deeper studies of social welfare policy, foreign policy, and economic policy; and civil rights and civil liberties.

    • Advanced Economics

      Overview: This seminar is a year-long continuation of the study of Macroeconomics and Microeconomics. Building on the theories and concepts studied in AP Economics, students will further study topics selected by the class members. Potential areas for macroeconomic study include, but are not limited to: international trade, economic growth, the expenditures model and the LM-IS models of aggregate demand, stabilization policy, government deficits and debt, money markets, and business cycle theories. Potential areas for microeconomic study include, but are not limited to: consumer preferences, choice, asset markets, uncertainty, risky assets, surpluses, auctions, firm structures, game theory and applications, behavioral economics, externalities, and asymmetric information. Once specific topics have been determined, the class will study each through a combination of teacher-led and student-led lectures, class discussions, student presentations, and class activities. Individuals or teams of students will take responsibility for the instruction of each unit determining the approach for instructing their fellow students. The success of the course will depend on the willingness of all students to embrace the seminar style and student-teaching approach.

    • Argumentation and Ethics

      Overview: This course is a year-long inquiry into two distinct, yet related, academic fields: the construction and evaluation of arguments and an introduction to applied ethics, or the philosophy of morality. While such other fields as science and religion, address some of the same issues, philosophy explores ancient and contemporary questions through reason. Because philosophers and ethicists justify their views with arguments, laying out the strongest reasons in favor of their positions and responding to the strongest objections against them, the course will focus on analyzing the component parts of arguments as well as the history and development of argumentation and rhetoric as academic disciplines. Students will develop a sophisticated understanding of ethical issues that aid us in developing arguments and opinions on ethical matters: right action, right virtue, and religious ethics. In addition, students will discuss the experiences as they relate to gender and race and explore whether different perspectives affect how ethical decisions are made. Finally, students will look at several areas of ethical inquiry, such as performance enhancing drugs, euthanasia, abortion, animal rights, the death penalty, and economic justice. Areas of inquiry may be guided by current events as well as teacher and student interest. Concurrent with discussions of ethical issues will be the development of strong argumentation skills such as constructing cases, identifying the main or focal point of a dispute, and reasoning through comparisons and correlations.

    • Introduction to Law

      Overview: Introduction to Law provides an overview of the law and the legal system in the U.S. This course covers the Constitution, civil procedure, legal ethics, administrative law, crimes, torts, contract law, family law, corporate law, employment law, international law, and the litigation process. This class will be quite demanding —proceeding quickly through challenging material. A working knowledge of U.S. Government is recommended but not required. By the end of the course, students should be able to do the following: • analyze a fact pattern and spot the relevant legal issues
      • figure out how to read a statute
      • comprehend the basic legal principles and doctrines that undergird most American law
      • recognize the legal and ethical obligations of attorneys in the American legal system
      • understand the anatomy of a simple trial
      • discern the differences between a crime and a tort
      • grasp the relevant legal concepts involved in each particular subject area
      • appreciate the distinctions between the federal and state legal systems
      • conduct a (mock) trial from beginning to end

  • SCIENCE

    SCIENCE Departament

    The GLP Science Department introduces students to both the content and critical thinking skills required for advanced, college-level study in the sciences. Students will have the opportunity to develop a deep curiosity about the physical world around them and an appreciation for the scientific method as it pertains to approaching and understanding that world. Laboratory and inquiry-based instructional techniques are integral parts of all science classes offered in the department.

    Students are challenged to develop and evaluate models describing the structure and functioning of the natural world through experimentation and data analysis. This process is often facilitated through small study groups, oral presentations, and formal written reports.

    Science Department Course Offering

    • Physics B (AP)

      Overview: AP Physics B is a math-based college level course designed to provide an understanding of the concepts and principles of physics, emphasizing creative thinking and the development of problem-solving ability. The course covers Newtonian and fluid mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves and optics, and thermal, atomic, and nuclear physics. The math prerequisites are algebra and basic trigonometry.

    • Chemistry (AP)

      Overview: This course is designed to fully introduce students to the topics studied in a first-year university chemistry course in the United States. Areas of study include atomic structure, chemical bonding, periodicity, states of matter, the concept of the mole, solution chemistry, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, equilibrium, thermochemistry, and electrochemistry. In each content area, concepts are taught so that students will gain an understanding of the subject on symbolic, particulate, and submicroscopic levels. Specific attention is given to understanding the utility of mathematical modeling and calculations in analyzing data and predicting chemical behavior. Modes of instruction include a combination of lecture, discussion, and guided-inquiry data analysis to generate conclusions about chemical principles.

    • Biology (AP)

      Overview: The AP Biology course will cover the content studied in introductory biology courses in United States colleges and universities. The course content reflects the three major AP Biology topics: molecules and cells, heredity and evolution, and organisms and populations. The course is taught using a combination of lecture, discussion, and guided-inquiry data analysis to generate conclusions about basic biological principles. Themes emphasized in the course include correlations between structure and function at the molecular, cellular, and organism levels, homeostasis as a characteristic of life, and natural selection as a mechanism of adaptive change.

    • Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

      Overview: This class is designed to allow experienced science students to explore topics at the interface of biology and chemistry. This course begins with a review of the major classes of biomolecules and pays specific attention to relating the structure and function of biomolecules. Proteins will be the subject of extensive study, and the mechanism and kinetics of enzyme-catalyzed reactions will be studied in detail. Attention will then be shifted to the study of nucleic acids and practical applications of DNA technology.

    • Advanced Topics in Chemistry

      Overview: This course introduces students to chemical concepts that are beyond the scope of AP Chemistry. The first semester is largely devoted to the study of organic chemistry. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of the relationships between structure and function of hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Students will then investigate reaction mechanisms used in the synthesis of organic compounds and some of the methods used to identify them. The course is not devoted to memorizing a large number of organic mechanisms, but instead to gaining a strong understanding of the overarching principles that can be used to comprehend the field.

      Another major component of modern chemistry involves quantum mechanics. The second half of this course will introduce quantum mechanical principles such as quantization, spin, operators, the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, and the Bell inequalities. The class requires a mastery of algebra and a working knowledge of calculus.

    • Introduction to Physical Science

      Overview: The first semester of Physical Science is an introduction to the exploration of physical phenomena using experimentation and mathematical representations. The main focus of study for the first semester is the pendulum, which offers a platform to discuss experimental skills (significant figures, measurement devices, repeated measurement, data analysis, statistics, video analysis, etc.) and theoretical analysis (linear and rotational kinematics, forces, energy conservation, etc.). Using these skills, students will generalize their models to other oscillatory systems and projectile motion. Throughout the course, science literacy and communication will be emphasized.

      The second semester is devoted to exploring basic chemical principles. Students will investigate basic atomic structures and discover how an atom's structure leads to its observed chemical and physical properties. Students will then investigate patterns of chemical reactivity and learn how to predict both the identity and the amount of products created in a chemical reaction. The semester will end with an investigation of bonding within and between molecules. In all areas of the class, students are expected to be able to relate their experimental observations to the topics discussed in the classroom. Quantitative analysis and laboratory skills will be developed, as will the ability to relate the course content with chemical phenomena observed in the real world.

    • Introduction to Life Science

      Overview: Introduction to Life Science exposes students to foundational concepts and seeks to prepare students for AP Biology. In addition to introducing students to the major topics in the life sciences, the class will also introduce students to skills required for advanced science study, including experimental design, analysis of data, developing mathematical models of real-life situations, and science content reading and writing. Topics covered include the nature and practice of biology, applications and uses of biology, the components of the cell, osmosis, homeostasis, body systems, tissues and organs, body functions, and important biochemical reactions. The course is designed so that students can see how each successive area of study is linked to the one that came before. Through the course, current biological techniques used to study the structure, function, and practical application of biotechnology will be investigated in laboratory and classroom settings. Students will be required to design, perform, and report results from an individual research project. Various assignments will be given, including homework assignments, quizzes, tests, and lab reports.

    • AP Physics C

      Overview: AP Physics C is a one year math-based, university-level course designed to provide an understanding of the concepts and principles of physics. The course emphasizes creative thinking and analysis to solve problems. The first semester covers the AP Physics C Mechanics curriculum, focusing on Newtonian mechanics, kinematics, dynamics, gravitation, oscillations and waves, fluids and gases, and thermal physics.

      In the second semester, students will cover the AP Physics C: Electromagnetism content. Students will investigate electrostatics, electric current, magnetism, electrodynamics, and electromagnetic waves. Math prerequisites are algebra and trigonometry; students should have previously completed or be concurrently enrolled in Calculus as the course will make frequent use of differentiation and integration functions.

  • FOREIGN LANGUAGE

    Foreign Language Department(Chinese & Spanish)

    The focus of the GLP Foreign Language Department is communication, rather than translation, memorization or test-taking. Students will read, write, speak, and listen to the target language, as well as study the vibrant, unique cultures of the Chinese or Spanish-speaking societies.

    The key GLP academic outcomes of research, critical thinking, writing, and presentation skills are incorporated into the courses through creative and engaging in-class activities and daily homework, as well as long-term research projects on Chinese or Spanish-speaking cultures.

    Foreign Language Department Course Offering

    • Spanish I

      Overview: Spanish I is for students who have had little or no experience with the language. The focus of the course is communication. Students will communicate using basic Spanish vocabulary and simple grammatical structures by reading, writing, speaking, and listening to Spanish within the cultural norms of Spanish and Latin American society. Course content is based on the educational outcomes of Bugil Academy as well as the specifications for the (U.S.) National Spanish Examinations, also known as "the National Standards." Some of the vocabulary themes are food, shopping, clothing, school, home, medical care, families, and sports and pastimes.

      Students speak through partner conversations, skits, and games. They listen to teacher-speaking, videos, music and audio recordings, and they read graded-level selections, textbook selections, and cartoons. They write short compositions, outlines for oral presentations, and conversations for specific contexts. Included in the study of culture is geography, immigration, customs, holidays, food/beverages/meals, courtesy, bargaining, and vacation destinations. Students complete research projects on topics of their own choosing that are related to Spain or Latin America, and they are assigned projects and activities that require the use of technology, including Power Point presentations, video, and online homework practice, all of which are coordinated with the textbook program. By the end of Spanish I, all students should be approaching the Intermediate-Low level of proficiency in each of the four skill areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

    • Spanish II

      Overview: Spanish II is a second-year course for students who have either completed Spanish I or can demonstrate that they have achieved the Intermediate-Low level of proficiency in all four skill areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The assessment for appropriate placement includes a written test and an oral/aural evaluation.

      The focus of this course is communication using the fours skill areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) within the cultural norms of Spain and Latin America. Course content is based on the educational outcomes of Bugil Academy as well as the specifications for the (U.S.) National Spanish Examinations, also known as "the National Standards." Some of the vocabulary themes are entertainment, relationships, health & exercise, travel, jobs & careers. There will be a more in-depth study of grammar - including verb tenses — which enables students to communicate abstract ideas more effectively by using more complex grammatical structures. Students continue to perfect their pronunciation as they approach more native-like speaking. This course also includes a more systematic investigation of the cultures and histories of the Spanish-speaking countries, and students present this research to their peers using available technology. Technology is incorporated into the course through online homework activities, presentations and student-created videos and presentations. By the end of Spanish II, all students should be approaching the Intermediate-High level of proficiency in each of the four skill areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL).

    • Spanish III

      Overview: Spanish III is a third-year course for students who have completed levels I and II, or who can demonstrate that they have achieved the Intermediate-High level of proficiency in all four skill areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). The assessment for appropriate placement includes a written test and an oral/aural evaluation.

      The focus of this course is communication using the fours skill areas (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) within the cultural norms of Spain and Latin America. In addition to the interpersonal and presentational modes of communication used in previous courses, interpretation through literature will be an integral part of this course. At this level, literature serves as the primary context for analysis, comparison, conversation, translation, and interpretation. Course content is based on the educational outcomes of Bugil Academy, as well as the specifications for the (U.S.) National Spanish Examinations, also known as "the National Standards," and the specifications for the Advanced Placement exams given in May. Some of the vocabulary themes are contemporary issues, directions and the automobile, urban and rural life, technology, religion and beliefs, tools, job search, and the arts. Teacher-generated vocabulary lists based on the literature selections, the National Standards, and the AP exam will be provided. Culture study focuses on the arts from Spanish-speaking countries. By the end of level III, all students should be approaching the Advanced level of proficiency in the four skills according to ACTFL.

    • Chinese I

      Overview: This is an introductory course in Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua), designed for students who have had no prior exposure to the Chinese language. Over the course of one semester, students will develop a strong foundation of Chinese pronunciation through the study of the Pinyin phonetic system as well as the grammatical structures of spoken Chinese and basic tones. They will acquire a basic vocabulary to comprehend and navigate through daily conversational topics such as greetings, family dialogue, dates and time, and hobbies. The course will introduce Chinese culture and history to expand students' understanding of China. The key to effective learning of Chinese is to master listening and speaking first, followed by reading and writing. In addition to lectures, the instructor will use videos, music, newspaper clips, photo stories, and CDs. Students will be put into "conversational pairs" to facilitate practice of spoken Chinese. Students will speak as much Chinese as possible in class. In the process, students will develop listening, reading, and writing skills in preparation for further study in Chinese II.

    • Chinese II

      Overview: Chinese II is an intermediate course designed for students who already have knowledge of basic Chinese learned either through skills learned in Chinese I or through some other relevant experience. The purpose of this course is to facilitate oral practice and allow students to communicate in travel and other real-life situations: dining, library, post office, asking directions, seeing a doctor, renting apartments, playing sports, etc. The course will cover a wide range of materials, both in terms of vocabulary and grammar. Students will learn to read and write Chinese texts with minimal use of Pinyin. In addition, the course will integrate Chinese culture into language learning to enhance the understanding of cultural influence on the language.

    • Chinese III

      Overview: The objective of this course is to refine and further develop students' abilities in Chinese oral and formal written communication. Chinese III prepares students to demonstrate their level of Chinese proficiency across the three communicative modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. Students will be able to engage in Mandarin Chinese conversations with more common phrases and word usage and read and understand written Chinese with a broader range of vocabulary. Students will also be able to demonstrate knowledge of Chinese values, traditional customs, philosophy, and lifestyles of various regions and communities in China.

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