Looking for online high school courses and self study classes that are flexible to fit your schedule and help meet your education goals? Students can enroll in our correspondence online high school at any time of the year. You don’t have to wait for a traditional school year to start or end in order to enroll for a new class.
Read this document or send an email to americanschoolonline@americanschool.org for more information on how to enroll in any of the courses listed below.
Calculus (online)
This multi-media online course is an advanced math course designed for the college-bound student seeking to build a strong math foundation. After reviewing properties of functions, students study limits, continuity, differentiation, integration, and differential equations while working in an interactive, virtual environment. In their studies, students will explore Riemann Sums, the Chain Rule, the Mean Value Theorem, the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, as well as several differentiation and integration techniques.
An online textbook Calculus: Graphical, Numerical, Algebraic by R. L. Finney et al., published by Pearson Prentice Hall is provided to students as an additional resource. Students must supply their own graphing calculator.
Completion of Algebra 2 is a prerequisite for taking this one-unit course. Calculus has 9 examinations.
American School does not offer Calculus as an Advanced Placement* course. (The College Board* does, however, allow students not enrolled in AP* program courses to take the AP*exams, which are given annually in May. Motivated and interested students are encouraged to check with the College Board* for more details on registering for the Calculus AB* exam, which is one of two Calculus AP* exams offered.)
*AP/Advanced Placement are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
The American School is not affiliated with or endorsed by the College Board.
Earth Science (online)
Earth Science is the study of our planet Earth and its place in the universe. This online Earth Science course incorporates themes from a variety of sciences, including geology, oceanography, meteorology and astronomy. Students investigate topics that include the Earth’s structure and motion; geologic time; mineral and rock formations; plate tectonics and mountain building; earthquakes and tsunamis; volcanoes; features of the ocean; properties of our atmosphere; weather and climate; and features of our sun, solar system and universe.
Upon completion of this multi-media rich course, among other activities, students will be able to identify mineral and rock structures and properties (with assisted video activities), describe plate tectonic concepts involving earthquake and volcano development, locate and map ocean characteristics and life forms, explore atmospheric structures, interpret weather maps and storm development features, analyze climate differences and changes, describe how Earth is affected by sun and moon movements, and research how Earth’s environments can be affected by human activities.
This full unit course is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required. There are 25 examinations in this course.
Economics (online)
This multi-media on-line course focuses on the decision making of individuals, organizations, and governments in a market setting. It covers topics such as scarcity, opportunity cost, demand, supply, price, and the four types of market structures. Students learn about business organizations, labor, money and banking, financial markets and international trade. There is a focus on the Gross Domestic Product and how it is calculated as well as on various economic challenges that affect the economy. Taxes and government spending are highlighted as well as the role of the Federal Reserve and monetary policy.
There are 10 videos dealing with personal finance that are assigned to provide students with practical knowledge and skills that are immediately applicable to their everyday lives, such as buying insurance, paying for education, and how to open a savings account.
The course is worth one-half unit. It is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required. There are a total of 19 examinations in this course.
English IV (online)
The online English IV is a full unit course in which students review grammar basics, write essays, and study selections in English literature from Shakespeare’s time to the modern era. In this course, among other activities, students strengthen their grammar and basic sentence and paragraph writing skills. Students learn about major literary themes, and read excerpts from some of England’s finest authors. In addition, students learn the steps in the writing process and complete several essays as well as a short research paper. There are 17 examinations in English IV.
The course is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required.
World Geography (online)
This multi-media online Geography course introduces students to different cultures and societies throughout the world. In Geography, students learn about weather and climate and how these two factors influence the products that are sold and manufactured in different countries. The influences of trade and economics are explained in the creation of an international culture. Students have the opportunity to see how industry has impacted the ecosystems of the various geographic regions studied. Students also investigate various forms of government and the impact that governmental control can have on its citizens. In the first half of Geography, students explore the North American Continent, South America, and parts of Europe. In the second half of Geography, students continue their study of Europe, as well as exploring Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East (Southwest Asia) and the Pacific region.
The full-unit course is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required. There are 26 examinations in this course.
Geometry (online)
This online Geometry course begins by covering constructions, reasoning, and definitions. Mastering these topics form the foundation that supports the student’s progress through the remainder of this course. By understanding deductive reasoning students are able to comprehend the logical steps utilized to explain theorems, postulates and the relationship between triangles.
Students proceed to study parallel and perpendicular lines, followed by lessons on angle measurements for polygons. Angle measurements and lengths are then utilized to explain triangular congruency. Triangles are explored in detail with a focus on midsegments, bisectors, concurrent lines, medians, and altitudes. Quadrilateral properties are investigated along with special parallelograms. Ratios and proportions are introduced and then utilized to show and prove similarity between triangles.
After learning about the Pythagorean theorem, students are introduced to trigonometry followed by transformations of polygons. Area, surface area and volume of polygons, circles and 3-dimensional forms are explained. The course ends with an exploration of the circle and its chords, arcs, and inscribed angles.
Algebra I is a prerequisite for this course as algebra forms a part of the discussions throughout online Geometry.
This full unit course is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required. There are 12 examinations in this course.
Pre-Algebra (online)
Variables, exponents, inequalities, linear functions and equations may sound like a foreign language to many students. Pre-Algebra translates these concepts in such a way that students are comfortable enough to use them as they would everyday idioms. In order for the concepts to become “second nature” the rules are set down with the operations and properties of numbers. These rules are extended to rounding, estimating, decimals, ratios, proportions, percents, and square roots. Ample interactive practice is given with the result being that students are able to manipulate the aforementioned concepts with confidence.
Building on these basics, the course continues to address equations, inequalities and linear functions. The course sifts to a practical aspect with an introduction to geometry. Area, surface area and volumes are explained for two- and three-dimensional forms with Algebra integrated into these topics. The course ends with data analysis and probability. Box-and-Whisker plots, frequency tables, line plots and histograms are all investigated.
This full unit course is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required. There are 19 examinations in this course.
