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Category: Course Catalog

Middle School 2D Art

Course Length:

One-semester course

Course Description: 

Close your eyes and imagine you’re standing in an art studio—the smell of paint, the heat of the kiln, and the infinite creative possibilities that linger in the air. This is where art is born, and in 2D Studio Art, you’ll learn how to bring your art visions to life. Whatever medium you prefer—painting, drawing, photography—this course will teach you the design elements and principles needed to create a work of art, explore your artistic inspirations, travel back in time to look at art in different cultures, and gain insight about the art of critiquing. If you’ve ever dreamed about making a living as an artist, this course will give you the tools and background that you need to turn those dreams into a reality!

Prerequisites:

None

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

Middle School 2D Art Public Syllabus

Required Materials:

    • A working computer with reliable access to the internet is required. 
    • Various sizes of white drawing paper
    • Various sizes of colored paper
    • Paintbrushes in varying sizes
    • Empty cans or jars to wash paintbrushes
    • Rules and/or protractor
    • Erasers
    • Scissors
    • Miscellaneous household objects to use for still life art
    • Digital camera, camera phone, or other type of camera

Paint: (at least two or more of the following)

    • Tempera Paint
    • Watercolor
    • Oil Paint
    • Acrylic Paint
    • Ink Wash

Drawing Tools: (at least two or more of the following)

    • Pastels
    • Markers
    • Crayons
    • Charcoal
    • Colored Pencil

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: available
Spring: available

Lead Teacher:

Leslie Snoke, Missoula County Public Schools, leslie.snoke@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Middle School Scratch Coding

Course Length:

One-semester

Course Description:

Scratch is a program developed by MIT teaching students the basics on how computers think! This program will introduce students to real coding programs and allow them to drag and drop coding blocks creating a fully functional program.  The simple user interface and tutorials allow students to quickly create and run their code to see its results!  This course assumes no prior computer coding knowledge and includes self-graded multiple-choice tests and quizzes.

Prerequisites:

None

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

Middle School Scratch Coding Public Syllabus

Required Materials:

  • Students will need a computer or laptop for this course; tablets are not sufficient.
  • Students will download the scratch coding app onto their devices. It works with MAC/Windows/Chrome device and no login will be required.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: available
Spring: available

Lead Teacher:

Gary Myers, Helena Public Schools, gary.myers@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

HSTA 102H – US History I & II Dual Credit

Course Length:

Two semesters

Course Description: 

The first part of this course is a survey of American history from the pre-Columbian era to the Reconstruction period (for Part I).  It will include topics in social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history with the study of Pre-Columbian, colonial, revolutionary, early national, slavery and sectionalism, and the Civil War/Reconstruction eras. History is made up of themes, which we will address in this course.  Some themes that we will address include American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, slavery, civil and human rights, imperialism, economic and technological change, immigration and migration, war and diplomacy, and the creation and evolution of the federal government. 

In part two, this course will cover a survey of American history from 1877 to the Present.  It will include topics in social, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual history with the study of the West, Industrial Era, Progressive Era, Postbellum America, Imperialism, both World Wars, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, Cold War, Civil Rights, and current history. History is made up of themes, which we will address in this course.  Some themes that we will address include American settlement and diversity, American culture, religion, effects of slavery, civil and human rights, imperialism, economic and technological change, immigration and migration, war and diplomacy, and the evolution of the federal government.

Prerequisites:

Intended for incoming high school junior or senior students

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

US History I & II Dual Credit Syllabus

Required Materials:

None

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: Available
Spring: Available
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Lindsay Thompson, Hellgate High School, lindsay.thompson@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

M151 – Pre-Calculus A & B Dual Credit

Course Length: two semesters

Course Description: 

Pre-Calculus is available for Dual Credit from the University of Montana-Missoula College. Dual credit requires a separate registration with UM-Missoula College and fees and tuition paid to that institution.  Dual credit is only available to students that take the full-year course.

This course brings together and extends the concepts of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2/Trigonometry including the study of functions (polynomial, rational, logarithmic, trigonometric, and exponential), analytic geometry, vectors, and an introduction to limits/derivatives. Successful completion of this course prepares students for AP Calculus.

Prerequisites:

Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2 or course equivalents

Intended for incoming high school junior or senior students

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

M151 – Pre-Calculus Dual Credit Public Syllabus

Required Materials:

None

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: Available
Spring: Available
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Dawn Roe, Columbia Falls High School, dawn.roe@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Photoshop Introduction

Course Length:

One semester

Course Description:

This course introduces students to the world of Adobe Photoshop. Students will get an insight into what it is like working in the visual and graphic design industry. Over 11 modules, students will learn everything from absolute basics like navigating Photoshop to performing complex tasks like editing and retouching photos, applying filters and effects, and even creating original artwork. The course contains guided, do-it-yourself projects, and great resources that will help students practice and learn how to work in Photoshop.

Prerequisites:

none

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

Photoshop Introduction Public Syllabus

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Required Materials:

Access to Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Bridge Creative Cloud on a Windows or Mac laptop or desktop is a minimum requirement to this course.  MTDA does not provide access to this software so please confirm you have access via your school or personal access before you enroll in the course. You are not required to purchase any books for this course.

Photoshop is a powerful processing/robust software program. Please review the minimum system requirements to run Photoshop on your own computer before you sign up for a Creative Cloud subscription.

Bridge is a powerful creative asset manager that lets you preview, organize, edit and publish multiple creative assets quickly and easily. Please review the minimum system requirements to run Bridge on your computer before you sign up for a Creative Cloud subscription.

You must also always back up your work to multiple storage devices. You may also want to purchase an external hard drive for backing up your work. You can also use Google Drive, Dropbox, or Adobe Creative Cloud Files to backup and store your files

Recommended Materials:

A graphics tablet is also strongly recommended when working in Photoshop. 

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

At least two current (most recent update) web browsers from the following list:

Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Google Chrome
Apple Safari (MAC)

This course does not support Chromebooks.

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: semester available
Spring: semester available

Lead Teacher:

Cindy Schultz, Sentinel High School, cindy.schultz@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Hospitality and Tourism Marketing

Course Length: 

One semester

Course Description: 

Where is your dream travel destination? Now imagine working there! You’ll be introduced to a thriving industry that caters to the needs of travelers through managing hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, resorts, theme parks, and any other kind of hospitality you can imagine. Operating busy tourist locations, creating marketing around leisure and travel, spotting trends, and planning events are just a few of the key aspects you will explore within this exciting field.

Prerequisites:

none

Comprehensive Syllabus:

Hospitality and Tourism Marketing Public Syllabus

Required Materials:

None

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: available
Spring: available

Lead Teacher:

Nicole Bogunovich, Billings West High School, nicole.bogunovich@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

Public and Global Health

Course Length:

One Semester

Course Description: 

What is public health? Who decides which diseases get funding and which do not? What are the reasons for health inequality? Study both infectious and non-communicable diseases as well as learn how we conquer these on a community and global level through various methods, including proper hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition. Explore the role of worldwide current and future technologies and the ethics and governance of health on a global scale, and discover unique career opportunities you can pursue to make a difference.

Prerequisites:

Public Health is designed as an elective for students interested in Health Science. Students should successfully complete Health Occupations or the equivalent before enrollment.

Comprehensive Syllabus:

Public and Global Health Syllabus

Required Materials:

All required materials are provided in the course.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

This course requires students to have access to desktop development platforms.  ChromeOS/Chromebooks are not compatible with this course.

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: available
Spring: available

Lead Teacher:

Dr. Constance K. Haan, MD, MS, MA, Billings Career Center, constance.haan@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

 

 

English I A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

Students will work with universal themes and archetypes throughout English I. They will continue to build their facility with rhetoric, the craft of using language in writing and speaking, and using classic literature, essays, and speeches as mentor texts.

The benchmarks in this course are mastery goals that students are expected to attain by the end of the year. To build mastery, students will continue to review and apply earlier grade-level benchmarks and expectations.

Prerequisites:

Should be prepared to read and write at a 9th-grade level.

Comprehensive Course Guide:  

http://mtda.link/english1ab

Required Materials:

  • Disk space on your computer as well as an external device to back up your files (flash drive, external hard drive, CD-Rom, etc.)

  • Research materials which are typically found online or at public and school libraries

  • Word processing and presentation software

  • All students will need to provide one of the following novels for segment one Journey to Identity Unit:

    • Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

    • I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui

    • Now Is the Time for Running by Michael Williams

    • The Red Umbrella by Christina Gonzalez

    • Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs

    • Of Beetles and Angels: A Boy’s Remarkable Journey from a Refugee Camp to Harvard by Mawi Asgedom

    • In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

    • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

    • The Boy from Baby House 10 by Alan Philps and John Lahutsky

    • Tasting the Sky: Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Local schools may count either semester for credit for either A or B semester.

Lead Teacher:

Lacy Svingen, Helena Public Schools, lacy.svingen@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

AP® Language & Composition A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

This course is a demanding, college-level class that prepares students for the AP* English Language and Composition exam in May. Students focus on becoming skilled readers of prose written from different time periods and rhetorical contexts, as well as becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Emphasis is on expository, analytical and argumentative writing that forms the basis of academic and professional communications, as well as the personal and reflective writing that fosters the ability to write in any context. Students should check with their intended college to see which AP* English exams may exempt them from freshmen English composition requirements. For a more extensive course description visit: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/sub_englang.html?englang

AP courses have challenging time demands. Students taking AP courses should be able to dedicate significant time to reading and studying each week. It is not recommended that students take this course as a supplement to a regular core course but in replacement of it.

Prerequisites:

Advanced Placement courses are open to all students, but students should be prepared for college-level work and have strong writing and analytical skills. Generally speaking, students below Junior or Senior level do not have the writing background to be successful in this course.

Comprehensive Course Guide:  

http://mtda.link/aplangandcomp

Required Materials:

    • The AP Language & Composition website
    • The AP Language & Composition Course Description
    • Access to a computer with word processing and presentation software
    • It is recommended that students purchase a test preparation book to work on independently. Speak to your instructor about which test prep book might be most appropriate.
    • Students will need to obtain the following texts, either from a library or a bookseller:
      • Segment One (Fall)
        • Civil War Edition: Choose one of the following:
          • Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
          • On Writing Well by William Zinsser
      • Segment Two (Spring)
        • Contemporary Edition: See the lesson entitled The Memoir for an overview of text choices and choose one of the following:
          • **Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
          • *A Work in Progress: A Memoir by Connor Franta
          • The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
          • *The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
          • *The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
          • *I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafza
          • *I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
          • Dust Tracks on a Road by Zora Neale Hurston
          • ***Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
          • **The Story of My Life by Helen Keller
        • Student Edition: See the Checklist lesson for an overview of text choices and choose one of the following:
          • Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
          • *Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
          • Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, A Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder
          • *The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson
          • **Up from Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington
          • Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
          • The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
          • Warmth of Other Suns by Isabell Wilkerson
          • Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
          • The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

* All works have rhetorical merit for the AP English student; texts marked with asterisks deal with mature subject matter or contain adult language or situations. If this is a concern for you or your family, please choose a different text from the list.

** This text can be read online.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Course is not available to join at semester without permission from MTDA Curriculum Director and Instructor.
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Jenna Clark, Helena High School, jenna.clark@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES

English II A & B

Course Length:

Two one-semester courses (students must independently register for each semester)

Course Description:

English II emphasizes language arts skills including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Coursework focuses on the reading and understanding of difficult texts selected from British and Western literature. The objective is for students to develop their writing performance, comprehend and analyze literature, and deepen their understanding of the organic process of revision. Special attention is given to improving students’ research skills and writing abilities.

Prerequisites:

To be successful in English II, the student should have successfully completed a freshman level English or Language Arts course.

Comprehensive Syllabus:  

English II Public Syllabus link

Required Materials:

Materials will be provided in the course.

Specific Technical/Software Requirements in Addition to General Requirements:

Please review the general original credit software requirements at http://mtda.link/techreq

Course Availability (subject to resource and teacher availability):

Fall: A semester available
Spring: B semester available
Local schools may count either semester for credit for either A or B semester.
Summer: Not available

Lead Teacher:

Marne Burt, Billings Public Schools, marne.burt@montanadigitalacademy.org

PLEASE SEE YOUR LOCAL COUNSELOR TO REGISTER FOR MTDA COURSES