11th Grade Odyssey

Can you handle a year full of fun projects, great teachers and fieldtrips? Well then welcome to your junior year, where the teachers promise you a fun packed and fulfilling educational experience. During your 11^th grade year you will create and present several integrated projects including: The Odyssey Commercial, The Odyssey Expo and The Odyssey Decades Museum. We will also go on a variety of fieldtrips including The LA River Adventure, The House of Blues, and The infamous Catalina Snorkeling Trip. By taking different tests and surveys we hope that each student learns a lot about them and in the process learn to set some future goals. During the junior year the students are provided with opportunities to assess where they are in this critical year that will help them make decisions in their future. By working in groups, we hope that all student learn how to teat others with respect. We tend to do things a little differently in the 11^th grade so just sit down, come with an open mind and hold on tight because this will be the wildest ride in your Odyssey Adventure! 

  Mrs. Hess will be your American Literature teacher. The course is based in American literature from the colonial period to modern day. Students will use writing process activities in a variety of genres: persuasive, expository, narrative, and literary analysis, as well as read several classic American novels. Among these are The Crucible, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Great Gatsby, Of Mice and Men, and The Catcher in the Rye.  

 Mr. Manson will be your United States history teacher. This history/social science course surveys the major political, economic, social and cultural develo0pments in the United States from reconstruction ere to the present. We will trace the changing relations among America’s various economic, racial, ethnic, religious, social, and political groups, as well as broad shifts in family and gender patterns and practices. We will also explore the dynamic relationship between domestic developments and international politics. The class will be divided into the following units: History and Historians Review Unit (American Revolution to Civil War) Industrialization, Immigration, Urbanization and Progressivism Imperialism World War I The 1920’s The Great Depression and the New Deal World War II Cold War Civil Rights Movement Vietnam Our Times  

Mrs. Bauer will be your Marine Biology teacher where you will study marine ecology, evolution of marine species, and marine flora and fauna. In addition to familiarizing you with the features of the marine environment which is an integral part of Southern California, this will acquaint you with the ecology of other marine ecosystems, and occupational opportunities present in the field of marine biology. dissection of preserved organisms, field research, and scientific reporting are all part of the laboratory experience. A major goal of marine biology is to provide an understanding of the interconnectedness of biology to other science disciplines and the areas of the curriculum such as math, history, reading, writing, etc.   You will experience the dynamics of marine ecosystems and how human activity has affected them. You will also demonstrate a working knowledge of oceanic sampling equipment and their applications. You will apply critical thinking skills to a wide spectrum of application, especially decision-making. You will analyze mathematical data from a laboratory experience, quantify the results through the use of graphs, data tables and other statistical tools, and use these results and outside resource materials to produce written results. In addition you will identify vocational opportunities in marine biology and oceanography. 

We in the 11^th grade like to think of ourselves as a big family. We hope all students walk away from this year with new friends and great memories.