The Pennington School - 11th Grade Curriculum

English - required - English III/IV/English III/IV AP

Math - required - placement based on 10th grade performance and recommendation

History - required - US History II/US History II AP

Science - required - Physics/Physics Honors or non-lab science

Language - strongly recommended (if continuing, placement based on 10th grade performance and recommendation). Spanish, French, German, Latin, Greek.

Religion - recommended

Arts - recommended

Health - recommended

Technology - recommended

The English department offers junior/senior English, with the curriculum centered on British literature or word literature in alternate years. Each year, the first semester is a prescribed course of study focused on major works; during the second semester, students choose among elective courses on related works and themes. AP placement in English is based on performance in sophomore English and teacher recommendation.

Since US History is a two-year course, most juniors will take US History II in their junior year. Placement in US History II AP is based on performance in US History I Honors with a minimum grade of B or performance in US History I with a minimum grade of A and the approval of their most recent history teacher.

Although The Pennington School requires only two years of a foreign language, we strongly recommend at least three years of a foreign language as preferred by most competitive colleges. Students who express an interest in languages may choose a second language.

In science, most of you have several options, depending on your interest in the sciences and your future goals in college, as well as past performance in science and math. It is recommended that students also consider the course work they hope to take in the 12th grade when selecting courses. After completion of chemistry, students have fulfilled their lab science requirement and may elect to take a non-lab course such as Environmental Studies or Marine Biology to fulfill their required three credits in science. Students may elect AP Chemistry, based on the recommendation of their chemistry teacher. Any student who chooses this option must also plan on taking a course in physics. This course work can be done concurrently or in the 12th grade.

Students may elect physics or honors physics based on the recommendation of their current science teacher and their level in math. Students should be enrolled in Algebra II or higher concurrently for either course. Note: many students take a non-lab science in the 11th grade and elect to take physics in the 12th grade.