Table Of ContentACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
2202002-201 –H2IG1H HSCIGHOHO LSCHOOL
Table of Contents
Language Arts AKS 3 Career and Technical Education AKS 177
Mathematics AKS 32 Fine Arts AKS 402
Science AKS 107
Modern/Classical Language AKS 671
Social Studies AKS 126
Health and Physical Education AKS 696
Gifted AKS 155
Peer Leadership AKS 739
English to Speakers of Other Languages AKS 158
JROTC AKS 741
Character Education
The school system supports a mandate from the Georgia General Assembly requiring all schools to teach character edu-
cation. Society and culture are tied together through common threads that guide the way we live, work, and learn. These
common beliefs are taught at home and reinforced by the community, schools, religious institutions, and youth service
groups. These basic tenets guide the way Gwinnett County teachers teach and the way the school system conducts the busi-
ness of teaching and learning. Character education is thoroughly embedded in the AKS curriculum. Traits emphasized in
the curriculum include the following:
courage respect for self-control generosity respect for creativity
patriotism others courtesy punctuality environment sportsmanship
citizenship cooperation compassion cleanliness respect for loyalty
honesty kindness tolerance cheerfulness creator perseverance
fairness self-respect diligence school pride patience virtue
Parent Involvement
Research shows that when parents are involved in their student’s education at home, their student does
better in school. When parents are involved at school, their student’s achievement increases and the
school becomes even stronger. Be There is a national movement that inspires parents to become more
involved in their student’s education and their public schools. Teachable moments are everywhere. You
can be your student’s favorite teacher by connecting in meaningful ways as you go through the ordinary
routines of the day… driving in the car, preparing a meal, shopping, or doing chores. Below, you will find
tips for helping your student have a successful high school experience. Look for more helpful tipsheets and other resources
on the school system website and your local school website.
Suggestions for Helping Your Student Achieve Academically
The school system encourages parents to be an active part of their student’s education. The following are just a few ways
you can be involved:
• Review the AKS for your student’s grade. • Support your student and communicate that his or her
You also can access the AKS on the system’s website— academic success is important to you.
www.gcpsk12.org.
• Read and write with your student often. Remind
• Ask to see your student’s work. students to edit the entire sentence and paragraph
when they write and to use complete sentences with
• Ask your student to show his or her work in
appropriate grammar and spelling.
assignments, making sure to answer the question asked,
not just provide information that may or may not be • Participate in parent-teacher conferences.
relevant.
Share these Keys to School Success with Your Student
Be prepared each day. Have the needed materials and Review your work from each class every evening, even
assignments for each class. if you don’t have a homework assignment due the next
Stay organized. Keep your desk, notebooks, book bag, day.
and home study area neatly arranged. Study for every test and quiz.
Use an agenda book or calendar to keep track of as- Ask your teacher questions if you do not understand a
signments and due dates. Check it every day. lesson or an assignment.
Give your best effort to both homework and in-class Get involved in at least one extracurricular activity.
assignments. Complete assignments and turn them in
on time.
3
High School Language Arts
Freshman Language Arts
A - Reading Literary Text
• cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text
• determine a theme or central idea of text and closely analyze its development over the course of
the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an
objective summary of the text
• analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme
• determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning
and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or
informal tone)
• analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g.,
parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery,
tension, or surprise
• analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from
outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature
• analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums (e.g.,
Auden's poem "Musée des Beaux Arts" and Breughel's painting Landscape with the Fall of
Icarus), including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment
• analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how
Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare)
• read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the
grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range, by the end of grade 9
B - Reading Informational Text
• analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in
which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that
are drawn between them
• determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper)
• analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular
sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter)
4
High School Language Arts
B - Reading Informational Text (continued)
• determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses
rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose
• analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both
print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account
• delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and
fallacious reasoning
• analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell
Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from
Birmingham Jail," Nelson Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize Speech, The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights), including how they address related themes and concepts
• read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 9-10 text complexity band proficiently by
the end of grade 9
• cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text
• determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective
summary of the text
C - Writing
• write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
• write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content
• produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a
new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience
• use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to
display information flexibly and dynamically
• conduct short, as well as more sustained, research projects to answer questions (including self-
generated questions) or solve problems; narrow or broaden inquiries when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subjects, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation
5
High School Language Arts
C - Writing (continued)
• gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question;
integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism
and following a standard format for citations
• draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
• write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences
• write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events, using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences
D - Speaking and Listening
• initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
• integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, and orally), evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source
• evaluate and/or reflect on a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric,
identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence
• present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and
style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task
• make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive
elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and
to add interest
• adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate
E - Language
• acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient
for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level;
demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or
phrase important to comprehension or expression
• demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking
• demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing
6
High School Language Arts
E - Language (continued)
• apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to
make effective choices for meaning or style, to comprehend more fully when reading or
listening, and to write and to edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual
(e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian's Manual for Writers, APA Handbook) appropriate for the
discipline and writing type
• determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies
• demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings
7
High School Language Arts
Sophomore Language Arts
A - Reading Literary Text
• cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text
• determine a theme or central idea of text and closely analyze its development over the course of
the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an
objective summary of the text
• analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop
over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the
theme
• determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative
and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning
and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or
informal tone)
• analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g.,
parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery,
tension, or surprise
• analyze a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work of literature from
outside the United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature
• analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums (e.g.,
Auden's poem "Musée des Beaux Arts" and Breughel's painting Landscape with the Fall of
Icarus), including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment
• analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material in a specific work (e.g., how
Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play
by Shakespeare)
• read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the
grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range, by the end of grade 10
B - Reading Informational Text
• analyze various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a person's life story in both
print and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized in each account
• delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the
reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and
fallacious reasoning
• analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Washington's Farewell
Address, the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech, King's "Letter from
Birmingham Jail," Nelson Mandela's Nobel Peace Prize Speech, The Universal Declaration of
Human Rights), including how they address related themes and concepts
8
High School Language Arts
B - Reading Informational Text (continued)
• read and comprehend literary non-fiction at the high end of the grades 9-10 text complexity
band independently and proficiently, by the end of grade 10
• cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text
• determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text,
including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective
summary of the text
• analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas or events, including the order in
which the points are made, how they are introduced and developed, and the connections that
are drawn between them
• determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative,
connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper)
• analyze in detail how an author's ideas or claims are developed and refined by particular
sentences, paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or chapter)
• determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses
rhetoric to advance that point of view or purpose
C - Writing
• write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence
• write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of
content
• write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events, using effective technique,
well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences
• produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a
new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and
audience
• use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology's capacity to link to other information and to
display information flexibly and dynamically
• conduct short, as well as more sustained, research projects to answer questions (including self-
generated questions) or solve problems; narrow or broaden the inquiries when appropriate;
synthesize multiple sources on the subjects, demonstrating understanding of the subject under
investigation
9
High School Language Arts
C - Writing (continued)
• gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question;
integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism
and following a standard format for citations
• draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
• write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences
D - Speaking and Listening
• initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (e.g., one-on-one, in
groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9-10 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively
• integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source
• evaluate and/or reflect on a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric,
identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence
• present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that
listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and
style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task
• make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive
elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and
to add interest
• adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate
E - Language
• demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing
or speaking
• demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing
• apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to
make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or
listening, and to write and to edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual
(e.g., MLA Handbook, Turabian's Manual for Writers, APA Handbook) appropriate for the
discipline and writing type
• determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based
on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies
• demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings
Description:Use an agenda book or calendar to keep track of as- signments and tips for helping your student have a successful high school experience. Look for
