Curriculum

The goal of the CTK Theology program is to instill and nurture within the students both a knowledge of, and a love for, the Revelation of Jesus Christ through His Holy Church. The program has, at its aim, to bring students to a deeper understanding of the content of the Catholic Faith and to aid the students as they internalize the teachings of Christ. Of fundamental importance is the utilization of class discussions on the theological, moral, spiritual, and social dimensions of the life of a believer in our age and culture. Students will go deeper in their faith through a practical study of the Church's teachings, technology-based exploration of the richness of Christian culture, discussions, lectures, and other teaching techniques. Through a careful study and discussion of Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, the Magisterium, and the beauty of the Church's history, the students will come to a more comprehensive understanding of the truth, beauty, and reliability of the Revelation of Jesus Christ and His Holy Church.

The progression of the courses is determined by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops who set out a general curriculum for Catholic high schools. 

COURSES

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Theology 9A - The Revelation of Jesus Christ in Scripture

Theology 9B - Who is Jesus Christ?

Part 1: The Biblical Story through Film - The purpose of this unit is to examine biblical themes through film. In this quarter, students will build on their knowledge of God’s salvation for his people, in and through his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Some of the main themes that will be explored are Creation, Fall, the Incarnation, and Redemption. Students will also learn how these themes are interconnected, as well as how they can be presented through cinema.

Part 2: The Church’s Story through Film - The purpose of this unit is to examine how God works in and through his Church for the sake of his world through film. In this quarter, students will build on their knowledge of the history of the Church, through watching selected films on different time periods, from the end of the 1st century to the 21st century. Some of the themes that will be explored are martyrdom, the Protestant Revolution, and the Church in the modern era.

The role of the English Department is to challenge students to be:

• Accomplished writers. Students will formulate arguments; weigh, select, and correctly cite evidence; reason logically and effectively; express personal views; use language imaginatively; and present their collected works in clear, grammatically correct prose.
• Critical readers. Students will cultivate a respect for reading a rich diversity of genres, becoming intellectually and emotionally engaged, and comprehending and appreciating an author’s diction, syntax, tone, style, ideas, and methods in the historical context of the work.
• Empathetic, Catholic beings. Students will analyze and respond, both orally and in writing, to the universal connections made between works of literary merit and cultural history, as well as their own lives and the lives of others, as we all participate in the process of nurturing our faith.
• Interactive scholars of the world. Students will establish and understand the interconnectedness among each discipline in the context of our faith. 

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

English 9 - Composition and Literature

English 10 - World Literature

Why are things the way they are? What is our place in the world? How did ancient man think we should interact with the gods and each other? In this survey of Greek and Roman mythology students will become better acquainted with this body of traditional stories which are more than just stories, exploring not only what Greeks and Romans thought about gods, heroes, and the universe, but also how that thinking influences the art, literature and culture of our own time and place. Using a variety of media and assessments, students will develop the tools needed to identify and analyze mythology, both ancient and modern, from all over the world.

The goal of the CTK math program is to give students the mathematical skills, quantitative information, problem-solving techniques, and analytical skills necessary to function in today’s society. Through student-centered discussions, technology-based explorations, discovery exercises, lectures, and other teaching techniques, we encourage students to investigate and analyze a variety of mathematical problems. From exposing our students to age-old traditional problem sets to less traditional new-age real world application problems, we strive to impart in our students an ability to competently solve problems in a manner that demonstrates a well-organized effort on the task at hand. We seek to place students in math sections relevant to their skill level, and in which they will be challenged to think quantitatively, work efficiently, and contribute actively in class discussions. The department will determine the appropriate placement of students in math courses.

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Algebra I

Honors Geometry 

Our science curriculum is designed to foster scientific literacy in a genuinely Catholic setting. Students will ascertain knowledge and skills to ask good questions, to design and conduct investigations, to interpret data, to build and evaluate arguments, to propose models, and to competently critique their own scientific work and the work of others. In order to execute this vision, we use a curriculum that starts with freshman physics, the most approachable of sciences. We build on this with chemistry and then biology, each vertically aligned with the other science courses and laterally integrated in a rich way with all other courses taught at our school. This sequence gives each student a portfolio of at least three solid lab sciences. We then provide our students with the opportunity to continue their science experience via a selection of upper-grade science electives and AP courses. 

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Conceptual Physics

General Chemistry

The Social Studies Department at CTK will play a vital role in the intellectual, moral, and social development of the school’s students. Inspired by Blessed John Paul II’s encyclical Fides et Ratio, all of the social science courses will strive to illuminate the human condition. In each course, students will consider fundamental, perennial questions that stem from social science investigations. What does it mean to be a human? From where have humans come? To where are humans going? What is the meaning of the Incarnation in human history? What is a just law? What is a humane economy? How ought governments operate? What is the purpose of society? What is the relationship between individual and social development? Through these and other inquiries, teachers will aim to impart a Catholic worldview and develop an authentically Catholic anthropology within the hearts and minds of Crusaders. The social science courses will also be designed to equip students with the academic tools that are readily acquired through study of the social sciences—critical thinking, analytical reading, intensive research with primary and secondary sources, persuasive and elegant writing, and public speaking.

COURSES

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Foundations of Civilization

World History 10

The Intro to Sociology & Social Justice class is an interdisciplinary approach in examining the role of the individual as a community participant. The class emphasizes theories in Metaphysics, Sociology, Theology, and Social Activism.

Combined, these fields will effectively prepare students to become effective advocates poised to tackle complex changes that impact our society and to protect those who are the most vulnerable among us.

At its core, the class will predominantly emphasize truth (Love God) and social activism (Love of Neighbor). As Christians, we are called to be both a disciple and an apostle of Christ. Being a disciple means following in the footsteps of another, and being an apostle means being sent to emulate one’s discipleship. These are important concepts for a Crusader to understand, as it cultivates the heart in regulation of instincts and intelligence.

Being a semester elective, the class predominantly targets Juniors and Seniors with a background in Logic, Theology, Government and History. The course emphasizes quantitative and qualitative research, comparative analysis, activism and community outreach, so participants must be comfortable with these areas before registering for the class.

Students are encouraged to undertake the study of a world language while at Christ the King. Aside from the gratification of mastering listening, reading, speaking and writing skills in a second language, world language study enables students to enhance their understanding of the subtle and complex relations among the world’s peoples. The world languages department aims to not only help students become literate in another language, but to increase their awareness of the history and current issues facing other countries and societies where the target language is spoken.

COURSES

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Spanish I

Spanish III

The role of the Fine Arts Department of Christ the King Catholic High School is to challenge students to be the following:

• accomplished artists. Students will learn to expand on individual creativity through hands-on projects, incorporating the principles and elements of design or drama, demonstrating initiative and self-direction. 
• critical thinkers. Students will use problem solving skills to promote innovation in the fine arts, learning to communicate effectively through in-class critique sessions and small group collaboration. Flexibility and adaptability are highly regarded in the fine arts classroom.  
• empathetic, Catholic beings. Students will analyze and cultivate a respect for differences through the study of cross-cultural and historical genres of works of art. 
• interactive scholars of the world. Students will establish and understand the interconnectedness among each discipline in the context of our faith, especially through the introduction and analysis of Catholic works of art.

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Art I

Art III

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Team Sports

Weight Training

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

AP Computer Science Principles

• Teacher Invitation. 

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COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Advanced Study Skills

• Only available to senior students and, 
• Student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 and, 
• Students by invitation only. 

Senior Independent Study

For a senior student to be considered for an independent study course, they must submit the following components to administration during the course registration process in their junior year:

1.  Selection of a narrowed topic of study. This topic cannot be similar to a student's Horizon Project.
2. Student development of course syllabus (meeting times, topics of study, and grading rubric)
3. Learning Objectives (What does the student expect to learn throughout the course?) Arrange by units or topics
4. Benchmarks (projects, papers, presentations, etc.)
5. A final assessment (project, presentation, paper, portfolio, etc.)
6. Mentor request and approval for administrative consideration.

Prerequisites: 

• Only available to senior students and, 
• Student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 and, 
• Students must be enrolled in or have previously taken at least 2 AP courses and, 
• Student must maintain and excellent attendance record and,
• Limited number of students per semester.