Programs of Study
Junior Year
All students take the same courses except for electives. Class size rarely exceeds 16 students and most language classes have eight per section. Active engagement characterizes everything. The school day runs 8 to 4, except Wednesdays, 8 to 12. Required courses follow:
Advanced Inquiry Physics examines the fundamental properties of matter and energy. Through open-ended laboratory investigation, students describe the phenomena and develop, as opposed to memorize, the models of mechanics, gravitation, thermodynamics, wave motion, optics, electricity, magnetism, and atomic energy. The result is a student who is prepared to think beyond the textbook to function as a young scientist.
Mathematical Modeling shows how mathematics is used to analyze and model the natural and man-made worlds. In the process, the student learns the properties and applications of algebraic, geometric, trigonometric and statistical functions and techniques that appear in traditional high school mathematics up to and including calculus. Eschewing a textbook approach, the course teaches through open-ended problem solving, extensive computer simulations, and collaborative work.
Humanities is the study of Western Civilization from its origins to the present, with a primary focus on literature and a secondary focus on history, philosophy, and the arts. Students learn the methodology needed to demonstrate their understanding of literary and non-literary movements and influences via formal essays, discussions, group projects, and class presentations.
Research Seminar requires students to conduct research: review the literature, develop researchable questions, relate evidence and inferences, make conjectures, design experiments, iterate, communicate, etc., so that they start to think like young scientists, engineers, and mathematicians. The outcome is a school-wide science fair exhibit and advancement to regional and state science fairs for the best projects.
Romance Languages The goal of the courses is oral proficiency. Class discussions and activities take place exclusively in French or Spanish. Homework assignments are written or submitted electronically by voice recordings. Class materials include authentic literature, poetry, theatre, film, music, historical texts and legends. Other activities may include movie making, independent research, special projects, games and international conversation exchanges via internet.
Engineering (half-year) requires students to work in small teams to develop a new product or process. From designer trouser cuffs to color-timed hand soap to spring-loaded highway guard rails, students utilize the engineering design process to search patents, apprentice in shops and labs, build prototypes, and demonstrate their products to a panel of expert judges. Each year patent applications and, from time to time, patent awards emerge from this class.
Computer Science introduces students to programming concepts using the Scheme language and strengthens their general problem-solving and algorithm design skills.
Science and Technical Writing (half-course all year) demands that students value purpose, clarity and even appeal when writing about quantitative, technical topics. Assignments consist of technical reports, research papers, and nature essays that have been drafted and re-written, peer and instructor edited, and, in some cases, submitted for publication.
Electives (1 per quarter) allow students to explore topics of interest with less intensity than core courses. Drawing on both sides of the brain, recent electives include watercolor, UNIX computing, cooking, calculus review, photography, music, astrophysics, arts and crafts, math puzzles, creative writing, electronics, aviation, personal investing, and robotics.
Senior Year Program
Seniors enroll fulltime at WPI and so complete a year of college: 12 courses, 3 per term, one each in science, math, and humanities. Seniors usually select freshmen or sophomore level courses, but Academy students have done well in upper level classes including graduate work in mathematics. In addition, seniors complete an independent study project.
Science. The most common choices are physics, chemistry, computer science, biology and mechanical engineering.
Mathematics. The most common choices are the 4-term Calculus sequence or, for the more advanced students, the Introduction to Analysis sequence.
Humanities. Of the four required courses, two must be in English. Preferred classes include Shakespeare, Intro to Poetry, American Literature, and Elements of Writing. Sometimes students partially fulfill the four-course requirement with one or two classes in the social sciences, such as American History.
Senior Independent Study Project. SISP requires students to pursue a subject that is new to them outside of the classroom. Recent projects include American quilt-making, EMT training, learning Japanese, walking a Renaissance Spain pilgrimage route, interning in a UMass Medical School lab, and starting a web page development business.
Maintained by webmaster@wpi.eduLast modified: April 03, 2009 15:03:53