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"Midland educates kids
about real issues in the world that all citizens should know about,
and helps them decide what they want to do with their lives." ~Blaze
Elation, `09
Midland's Academic
Program provides authentic, experiential learning opportunitites
that give students the chance to use their minds, hands, and in some
cases, their feet. We use our 2,860-acre campus endlessly, with classes
that involve field studies, solar energy explorations, camping, and
just getting outside. A Midland education attempts to teach environmental
stewardship, self-reliance, and scholarship for the sake of scholarship.
By the senior year, students are writing 15-page theses about a topic
of their choice, making presentations about environmental issues, and
enrolling in small class seminars about subjects like Film Studies,
Naturalist Studies, Sustainable Building, and Water in the West. In
its uniqueness, a Midland education sets students apart by giving them
the chance to think, and care, deeply about their subjects.
A Midland graduate
must fulfill the following graduation requirements (18.5 academic credits):
• Four years of English
• Three years of mathematics (including Algebra II and Geometry)
• Two years of history, including one year of U.S. and one year
of world history
• Two years of laboratory sciences (including Chemistry &
Biology)
• Three years of a foreign language
• One year in the visual or performing arts
• Two elective courses
• One year of Midland 101
(if entered as a freshman)
• Senior thesis (.5)
9th
grade
Midland 101:
Its Ecosystems and History (1 credit): A team-taught course designed
to incorporate a scientific study of our land with a history of the
school and our local surroundings. Topics and skills include: topographic
mapping, data collection, field studies, field notation, compassing,
GPS, ecology, Midland history, Chumash history, California history,
anthropology, local agriculture. Course will include outdoor work and
camping.
Algebra I or Geometry (according to skill level) (1
credit): This traditional mathematics course will include applications
of skills to an on-campus environmental project that requires longitudinal
information for measurement and assessment.
English (1 credit): This course will focus on skills
and content. Rigorous work on written and verbal expression; cross-disciplinary
work with Midland 101 on research papers, lab reports and presentations.
In addition to studying classical literature, students will be introduced
to works in the genre of Literature and Environment, with a focus on
works of local interest and application.
Foundations in Visual Art (1 credit): This yearlong
course will introduce students to the fundamental tools and language
of visual arts, from the two- to the three-dimensional. The environment
and the Midland landscape serves as the core instruments for practicing
learned skills like line, shape, texture, color, space, perspective,
and value.
Spanish I (1 credit): While learning and practicing
the foundations of the Spanish language, students will consider Spanish
culture, its local influences, and Spanish impact on the land and indigenous
peoples. The course will focus on written and verbal communication skills
and include several local field trips. A student may be placed in a
higher Spanish section if appropriate.
10th grade
World Studies (2 credits): This team-taught, interdisciplinary
course combines topics from world literature and world history and geography.
Geometry or Algebra II (according to skill level) (1
credit): This traditional mathematics course will include applications
of skills to an on-campus environmental project that requires longitudinal
information for measurement and assessment.
Chemistry (1 credit): This course will include topics
covered in a traditional Chemistry course, with particular emphasis
on application of this knowledge to Midland and its water sources and
system.
Spanish II (1 credit): A student may be placed in a
higher Spanish section if appropriate.
11th grade
American Studies (2 credits): This team-taught course
combines topics covered in U.S. history and American literature.
Algebra II or Precalculus/Trig (according to skill
level) (1 credit): This traditional mathematics course will include
applications of skills to an on-campus environmental project that requires
longitudinal information for measurement and assessment.
Biology (1 credit):
Spanish III (1 credit): This class will include a two-week
trip to a Spanish-speaking country for an immersion experience. A student
may be placed in another Spanish section if appropriate.
12th Grade
English 12 (1 credit) (required)
Senior Thesis (.5 credits) (required)
Electives
Advanced Art (1.0)
Advanced Spanish (1.0)
Anthropology (.5)
Calculus (1.0)
Ceramics (.5)
Creative Writing (.5)
Film Studies (.5)
Finance and Investing (.5)
Geology (1.0)
Macro-Economics (.5)
Micro-Economics (.5)
Metals (.5)
Naturalist Studies (.5)
Physics (1.0)
Representational Drawing (.5)
Statistics (.5)
Utopia/Dystopia (.5)
Water in the West (.5)
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