Curriculum

Intensives

In addition to the general academics, Crefeld offers Intensive courses in Upper School English, Science, and History, for those students who wish to delve deeper into the subjects that interest them most, and in which they are particularly adept. Intensives provide students with an opportunity to extend their learning beyond the standard curriculum, and challenge them with higher level readings, discussions, and projects. The decision to take an intensive level class is typically made by the student, though teacher and administrator approval is required.

Here are some examples of how intensive class projects compare to their standard class counterparts:

Examples of Intensive class projects vs. their standard class counterparts: 
Science: Forensics (11th & 12th) Intensive Science: Forensics (11th & 12th)
One of the units in this class explored the use of blood spatter to determine details about a crime.  The class heard an overview of the Sam Sheppard case, in which blood spatter was eventually used to exonerate Mr. Sheppard.  They then had a series of in-class projects to further understand the use of blood spatter in police work.  This culminated in a lab where they splattered their own "blood" (watered-down paint), from various angles and positions. The students in the Intensive version of this class delved much deeper than an overview of the Sam Sheppard case, and spent several days combing through the details of the forensic evidence used in the case.  They did the same projects as the regular class, but rather than completing them in class, these were assigned as homework.  This unit in this class also culminated in a blood spatter lab.
9th & 10th English Intensive 9th & 10th English
One of the past, first quarter projects in this class has been a 2-3 paragraph descriptive essay.  Students use the setting of a short, personal story, as the basis for this descriptive essay.    During the first quarter, one of the Intensive class's past projects has been to read Chronicle of a Death Foretold, then produce an essay that provides a full character analysis on one of the characters.  This is a longer-term project than that of the regular English classes'.
9th & 10th History Intensive 9th & 10th History

Each year, students in this course complete a research paper and project on the topic of their choosing, but related to the current curriculum. Students work through a detailed and guided process with their teacher, participating in a series of mini-lessons to select a topic, gather the necessary data, construct the research paper, and select an appropriate accompanying project.

 

The paper may be explanatory, analytical, or persuasive, and be a minimum of four pages in length. The project must relate directly to the subject matter covered in the paper, and can be in a variety of modes of expression, including: song, poem, rap, spoken word; a 3D model; a short film; a children’s book; a wiki-space, podcast, or PowerPoint; creating a time capsule or packing a suitcase; a board game; a theme park design.		 In the Intensive History class, students will also complete the research paper and project, but with greater requirements. These students must write their paper as a persuasive essay, choosing a definitive point of view, and addressing the reader with a message of conviction. Additionally, the paper must be a minimum of six pages in length