Welcome to Creekside Junior High School  Elective Department

Creekside's Elective Department fosters innovative learning environments promote inquiry and facilitate collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and creativity to help meet the needs of a variety of learners. STEAM learning environments that are student-centered require flexibility and accessibility for various types of learning, including project-based and Social-Emotional Learning, outdoor learning, modernized technology, and personalized instruction. 

This is a beginning course in robotics. We will be utilizing EV# Lego kits, EV3 Lego Mindstorm programming software and various Lego Robotics materials. The objective of this course is to introduce the student to basic programming as well as problem solving strategies. This course will involve students in the development, building and programming of an EV3 robot. Students will work hands-on in teams to design, build, program and document their progress. Topics may include motor control, gear ratios, torque, friction, sensors, timing, program loops, logic gates, decision-making, timing sequences, propulsion systems and binary number systems. Student designed robots will be programmed to compete in various courses as developed by First Lego League.

This course is designed to allow students to create powerful illustrations, videos, and web design on the computer. A variety of software will be used including Photoshop and  Illustrator software to create works of expressive art that communicate stories, AudioBoom, Audacity, or GarageBand to create podcasts, and iMovie to create videos and movies. The class is project based and students will be required to work in groups. The course will use the creative process as students conceptualize, brainstorm, refine and execute their idea. Each trimester will wrap up with a portfolio of all of their work.

Theater Arts/Drama is designed for students who are interested in developing their acting skills, as well as for those who simply want to build confidence before an audience. Theater games help students learn to work with each other and practice specific skills such as the use of their voices, focus, body movement, and characterization. Students will gain experience in improvisation, pantomime, readers’ theater, skits, short scenes, and plays before an audience

Prerequisite: Students must be in band, beginning or advanced, in 6th grade.

Designed for the intermediate band student, this class provides a well-rounded band experience while expanding expertise on the individual instrument, greater knowledge of music theory, and exposure to various styles of music.  Jr. High Band provides opportunities to prepare and perform in a group as all band students will perform in both concert and marching band. Marching Competition Percussion and Winter Percussion are additional performing opportunities for Jr. High Band students. Winter Guard and marching band Color Guard are opportunities for students who do not play an instrument to be part of the Jr. High band program.

Learn to play the guitar! This class is for everyone, whether you’ve studied music or not. You will learn to read standard sheet music and guitar tab, and play melodies. The class teaches the basic chords, simple strumming patterns, and an introduction to finger picking. Students learn by playing along with simple traditional, folk, pop and rock songs. Guitar class is like a series of short, private lessons, tailored for each student. Course may be repeated. Eighth graders given priority based on space and availability.

Choir is a performance-oriented class designed to provide the singer basic training in music theory, vocal production, and performance proficiency through concert experiences.

We would begin by learning to draw what you see, training your hand and eye to work together, using just pencils, after which the class would focus on color theory, using aqueous media in the form of different types of paint. Spend some time doing printmaking using everyday materials, and learning how to sculpt with paper, doing both paper Mache, and origami. Class would consist of three main techniques: pinch pots, slab pots and coil pots. Pinch pots will be used for many different final projects: animals, fish, birds, monsters, gargoyle luminary, small boxes, and designer rocks. Slab pots will be used for candy dishes, flat vases, boxes, masks, houses, cars, and flower pots. Coil pots will be used for tall vases (hand rolled and extruded). Extruded shapes make many containers. Draped projects will lead to the bowls for the Empty Bowls Program. One great year of many beautiful finished ceramic pieces.

Prerequisite: application process, instructor approval. Attendance required at Junior High MESA day Saturday, April 4, 2020.

Criteria for Passing: Students will be required to join the MESA program and will be required to complete various projects for the MESA day competitions, and attendance at LBJH/Creekside MESA day is mandatory.

MESA’s goal is to encourage students—especially those from underserved populations—to learn about math, engineering, science and technology in order to attend a 4-year-university after graduating from high school. Students work on hands-on projects to compete at the local regional level. They attend several Saturday Academies at Fresno State but in order to do this, students must maintain a “B” average or better! Students are given the opportunity to participate in several college field trips and math/science related field trips. Teachers provide tutoring and support for those students who earn low grades.

This interdisciplinary course is designed to offer support in science, math and technology for students involved with the MESA program. Students will complete hands-on projects using concepts from science, math, engineering and technology. Projects include gliders, bridges, mouse trap cars and web design. There will be optional field trips to colleges and museums.

Prerequisite: Application process/interview; instructor approval

The class will require students to creatively reflect the school's history for the year.  They will be required to interview, record quotes, meet deadlines, design layouts, take photographs, and use artistic design. Students will be expected to fund raise, sell books, sell advertisements, and balance the budget.  It is important that students involved in this course work as a team. This course will require students to work outside of class time (before/after school, lunch, etc.).

Student must have a minimum 2.0 GPA from the previous year, and have received no “F” grades. The student have an excellent attendance record, (less than 10 period absences), as well as excellent citizenship. Confidentiality in every aspect is required. Students violating campus policies, procedures, or disciplinary expectations may expect to receive a failing grade and immediate removal from the course. Student is accepted to an office to assist in needed clerical functions. The student will be responsible for such tasks as coordinating student appointments, maintaining logs answering phone, taking messages, and anything else designated by the office secretary or administrator.

This is an academic support course designed to help students earning a GPA below 2.0 and/or failing a core subject throughout the school year the opportunity to improve their overall academic performance.  Students strengthen academic skills through individualized and small group instruction utilizing assignments from General Education Courses and/or a variety of instructional programs. Strategies in note taking, literacy, writing, reading comprehension, math computation and math literacy, test taking, organization and time management are examples of skills students will acquire in this academic recovery course.

Sport Education is a class where students will learn the participant/athlete, performer, referee, coaching, and scorekeeper role for the sport. Students will learn the rules of the game for an in-depth understanding of each sport.

Books to Movies is a year-long elective course open to all 7th and 8th graders. This course will offer students the opportunity to read classic and contemporary books and compare them to their movie adaptations.

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