12th Grade Overview

Project: Magical Realism

The essential question is, “How can we use our creative voice to influence societal structures?” When looking at the problems in society, such as the inequality inherent in many social structures caused by the outsized influence of special interest groups and corporations on governments, individuals often use creative outlets to expose these inequities. Those outlets include film, literature and art. Students will emulate this process through an exploration of the use of magical realism in their literature, film, government, and art classes. The semester will culminate in a magical realism film or a surrealistic self portrait

Project: The Metamorphosis of Self

The essential question for Semester B is, "How does self-perception and presentation of self communicate to others who we are? Why does it matter?" In their GMS classes, students explore issues related to identity and place in society. For instance, in their English class they analyze literature with protagonists who have transformed in some way due to societal influences and internal conflicts; in Economics class they compare their lives to those who are less fortunate around the world, examining relative wealth and how this relates to self-perception; in Film class they view films that examine how our socio-economic position influences how we see ourselves, how others perceive us, and what it means for each of our futures. In Art class students study stereotypes and how those stereotypes influence our identity and other people’s perceptions of us. The semester will culminate in a multimedia memoir that represents students' metamorphosis of self throughout high school.