The guiding belief of Edison’s English Department is simple but powerful: proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening forms the foundation of achievement in all academic areas.
For this reason, the English Department strives to give students the literacy skills they need to succeed in school and in the workplace. As they discuss universal themes in literature, students learn to listen critically and defend their views orally and in writing.
The English program is a four-year sequence offering Regents track courses in grades 9 through 12. Special programs include grade level honor classes; high school extension programs offering college credit courses; drama classes; and reading and writing acceleration classes. In addition to the study of literature and oral written communication skills, each course offers specialized units that address such areas as media study, myth and folklore, etc. A major term project is also required in the spring term.
*Honor classes are offered to students based on teacher recommendation, high scholastic ability as evidenced generally in a minimal grade of 92, and commitment to the rigors of the curriculum.
This one-term supplemental English Course identifies writing strengths and weaknesses of ninth graders. Emphasis is placed on the improvement of individual skills through the process of pre-writing‚ producing the first draft‚ revising‚ and proofreading. Students use the Writing Process Approach to write on a variety of topics‚ such as literary themes‚ contests‚ interdiciplinary activities‚ and student journals.
The Accelerated Reading Course is designed to improve reading and study skills especially in the content area subjects. Its objectives are to: familiarize students with different reading strategies‚ to enable students to identify and comprehend material which is written on a variety of levels‚ to engage students in problem solving‚ and cooperative learning groups‚ to introduce conferencing as part of the ongoing assessment process‚ to encourage students to use study guides and methods such are SQ3R to enhance their study habits. During the reading process‚ pupils are encouraged to think about their predictions and/or expectations; to use context clues‚ to recognize signal language‚ to identify pronoun referents‚ etc.
Finally‚ at the conclusion of a reading assignment‚ pupils are led to evaluate what they've read; to consider its significance and to make inferences-to reflect on the new learning. Students prepare projects such as book logs as part of the assessment process.
The Introduction to Journalism Course is designed for upper-level students with interests in the world around them, in advanced writing and in learning formats specifically designed for the dissemination of information to a wide audience. This course will establish solid skills in the five major areas of journalism: reporting, writing, production, ethics, and teamwork, providing students with the foundation necessary to pursue more advanced areas of journalism. Considerable emphasis is placed on ethics and teamwork enabling students to take journalism beyond the classroom and into successful practice via school publications. The course will emphasize conventional mediums such as newspapers and magazines, as well as the more innovative areas of telecommunications and the Internet.
Prerequisite: A score of 480 on the SAT, or a 75% on the New York State English Regents, or a passing score on the CUNY/ACT Writing and Reading tests. Note: Credit will not be given to students who have successfully completed EN-103. Development of a process for producing intelligent essays that are clearly and effectively written; library work; 6,000 words of writing, both in formal Themes written for evaluation and in informal writing such as the keeping of a journal. During the recitation hour, students review grammar and syntax, sentence structure, paragraph development and organization, and the formulation of thesis statements.
The AP Program offers two courses in English studies, each designed to provide high school students the opportunity to engage with a typical introductory-level college English curriculum.
The AP English Language and Composition course focuses on the development and revision of evidence-based analytic and argumentative writing and the rhetorical analysis of nonfiction texts. The AP English Literature and Composition course focuses on reading, analyzing, and writing about imaginative literature (fiction, poetry, drama) from various periods. There is no prescribed sequence of study, and a school may offer one or both courses.
More InformationThe AP English Literature and Composition course aligns to an introductory college-level literary analysis course.The course engages students in the close reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature to deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as its use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone. Writing assignments include expository, analytical, and argumentative essays that require students to analyze and interpret literary works.
More InformationA major goal of the Mathematics Department of Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical Education High School is to give our students the Math skills that they will need to be successful both in college and throughout life. Our staff incorporates real life situations that deal with math so that students can see where the various topics covered can be used.
CC Integrated Algebra is the first mathematics course in the high school. This course will assist students in developing skills and processed to be applied using a variety of techniques to successfully solve problems in a variable, quadratic functions with integral coefficients and roots as well as absolute value and exponential functions. Coordinate geometry will be integrated into the investigation of these functions allowing students to make connections between their analytical and geometrical representations. Problem situations resulting in systems of equations will also be presented. Data analysis including measures of central tendency and visual representations of data will be studied. An understanding of correlation and causation will be developed and reasonable lines of best fit will be used to make predictions. Students will solve problem situations requiring right triangle trigonometry. Elementary probability theory will be used to determine the probability of events including independent, dependent and mutually exclusive events.
CC Geometry intended to be the second course in mathematics for high school students. Students will have the opportunity to make conjectures about geometric situations and prove in a variety of ways, both formal and informal, that their conclusion follows logically from their hypothesis. This course is meant to employ an integrated approach to the study of geometric relationships. Integrating synthetic, transformational, and coordinate approaches to geometry, students will justify geometric relationships and properties of geometric theorems. Transformations including rotations, reflections, translations, and glide reflections and coordinate geometry will be used to establish and verify geometric relationships. A major emphasis of this course is to allow students to investigate geometric situations.
CC Algebra II/Trigonometry is the capstone course of the three units of credit required for a Regents diploma. This course is a continuation and extension of the two courses that preceded it. This course is intended to continue developing alternative solution strategies and algorithms. Within this course, the number system will be extended to include imaginary and complex numbers. The families of functions to be studied will include polynomial, absolute value, radical, trigonometric, exponential, and logarithmic functions. Problem situations involving direct and indirect variation will be solved. Problems resulting in systems of equations will be solved graphically and algebraically. Algebraic techniques will be developed to facilitate rewriting mathematical expressions into multiple equivalent forms. Data analysis will be extended to include measures of dispersion and the analysis of regression that model functions studied throughout this course. Associated correlation coefficients will be determined, using technology tools and interpreted as a measure of strength of the relationship. Arithmetic and geometric sequences will be expressed in multiple forms, and arithmetic and geometric series will be evaluated. Binomial experiments will provide the basis for the study of probability theory and the normal probability distribution will be analyzed and used as an approximation for these binomial experiments. Right triangle trigonometry will be expended to include the investigation of circular functions. Problem situations requiring the use of trigonometric equations and identities will also be investigated.
This course is given over 2 terms and may be taken by those students who have successfully passed the Math A Regents or Integrated Algebra Regents. Statistical methods are presented with a focus on understanding both the suitability of the method and meaning of the result. Statistical methods and measurements are developed in the context of the applications. The course covers such topics as: Averages and Variation; Correlation and Regression; Probability Theory; The Binomial Probability Distribution and Related topics; Normal Curve and Sampling distributions; Estimation; Hypothesis Testing and Inferences about Differences
AP Calculus AB and AP Calculus BC focus on students’ understanding of calculus concepts and provide experience with methods and applications. Although computational competence is an important outcome, the main emphasis is on a multirepresentational approach to calculus, with concepts, results, and problems being expressed graphically, numerically, analytically, and verbally.The connections among these representations are important.
Teachers and students should regularly use technology to reinforce relationships among functions, to confirm written work, to implement experimentation, and to assist in interpreting results.Through the use of the unifying themes of calculus (e.g., derivatives, integrals, limits, approximation, and applications and modeling) the courses become cohesive rather than a collection of unrelated topics.
More InformationThe AP Statistics course is equivalent to a one-semester, introductory, non-calculus-based college course in statistics.The course introduces students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data.There are four themes in the AP Statistics course: exploring data, sampling and experimentation, anticipating patterns, and statistical inference. Students use technology, investigations, problem solving, and writing as they build conceptual understanding.
More InformationThe Science Department is committed to educating the students of Thomas Edison High School in a manner that leads to a greater understanding of scientific as well as moral principles. We believe that true scientific thought can lead individuals to make sound moral decisions that are the very centerpiece of a democratic society. As a result, we believe that for students to merely memorize information is not enough. Our science teachers are facilitators of understandings and insights that will help students in ways that memorization could never approach. Over the past two years, scores on all Science Regents exams have improved significantly. The department is very proud of the continuing achievement of our students and the professional development of our staff.
The Living Environment is the science of life. Students will learn to explain, analyze and interpret biological processes and phenomena. Instruction will focus on understanding important relationships, processes, mechanisms, and applications of concepts dealing with diversity of life, genetics, evolution, reproduction and development, dynamic equilibrium, and ecology. Students must fulfill the laboratory requirement to be admitted to the required Regents examination at the end of the course.
This course focuses on the important relationships, processes, mechanisms, and concepts in the field of earth science. Students will be required to exhibit creative problem solving, reasoning, and informed decision making. Students must fulfill the laboratory requirement to be admitted to the required Regents examination at the end of the course.
Physical Setting: Chemistry is the science of matter which includes concepts and the scientists who discovered them. Particular emphasis will be placed on scientific thinking and a scientific method. Topics include atomic theory, the Periodic Table, relationships between molecules, chemical bonding, the interrelationship between matter and energy, practical applications of chemical principles and nuclear chemistry. Prerequisite: Living Environment and /or Physical Setting: Physics. Students must fulfill the laboratory requirement to be admitted to the required Regents examination at the end of this course.
Physics is the science of energy which includes concepts and the scientists who discovered them. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the fact that physics today is based upon the achievements of the past. Particular emphasis will be placed on scientific thinking and a scientific method. Topics will include mechanics, subatomic investigations, cosmic developments, the role of transistors, and the laws of physics. Students must fulfill the laboratory requirement to be admitted to the required Regents examination at the end of this course.
This course is designed to help students understand the complex nature of our environment and make responsible decisions regarding its protection and use. Students will explore sources of pollution, energy problems and alternatives, global warming, ozone depletion, and habitat destruction and reclamation. Field studies and inquiry based investigations are an integral part of this course. This course meets the diploma requirements for a third year of science and ends with a final examination.
Forensic Science is the application of science to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced by police agencies in a criminal justice system. It has become a comprehensive subject incorporating Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Entomology, Earth Science, Anatomy and Physiology as well as other aspects of Science. Major topics include processing a crime scene, collecting and preserving evidence, identifying types of physical evidence, organic and more. The main focus of this course will be to emphasize the evidential value of crime scene and related evidence and the services of what has become known as the crime laboratory. This course combines basic theory and real laboratory experiments,creating an experiment based situation for the better understanding of the students
This course is an introduction to the study of human societies using the sociological perspective. We will explore the main concepts, theories and methods of the discipline to develop a sociological way of thinking. This perspective will help you cut through common sense explanations and allow you to think critically about current events, social issues and the social conditions that affect your everyday life. Topics include: culture, society, socialization and social interaction, social stratification and social class, race and ethnicity, gender and the family.
Thomas Edison High School's Health and Physical Education program provides our students with knowledge, motivation, and training in living healthy, fit, and successful lives. Our program helps our students perform better in all aspects of life. The program helps students develop physical and mental fitness as well as emotional and social skills. Our healthy students have more energy and perform better in academics and athletics. At Edison we strive to develop lifetime health and fitness enthusiasts.
This course knowledge, motivation, and skills in: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Mental Health Emotional Health, Social Health, Nutrition, Fitness, Weight Management, Stress Management, Communication, Relationships, Substance Use and Abuse Prevention, Safety, First Aid, and Family Living,
This is an outdoor class. The fall term will include Fitness, Soccer and Football. The spring term will include: Soccer, Football and (track, softball or lacrosse). Tuesdays and Thursdays will consist of fitness with the indoor class. When indoors, you must wear school shorts and school shirt. Students who pass this class will receive an extra 10 points each marking period.You may wear thermals, compression pants, or tights under your sweats when it is very cold. You may wear layers of shirts or sweatshirts. No Jackets or Coats may be worn.
This class will usually consist of Volleyball, Basketball, Fitness exercises and testing. The polar bear class will join in on Tuesdays and Thursdays for fitness. You may only wear Edison school shorts and school shirt in this class.
This class will help you improve your level of fitness through the use of calisthenics, jump rope and weight lifting. You will take your measurements, weight, and resting heart rate to see your level of improvement. You will learn basic nutrition, sports nutrition and other information that will help you look, feel and perform better in all aspects of life. Only school shorts and shirt will be allowed in fitness class. Only responsible, well behaved students will be admitted to this class. Any students who have behavior problems will be transferred out.
Improve your level of Health and Fitness through jump rope games and tricks as well as physical fitness routines. This class will help improve cardiovascular endurance as well as other aspects of fitness. Students will learn a veriety of aerobic routines. This class also invludes Project Avdenture activities that help you have fun and develop your team work and conflict resolution skills. Emjoy cooperative learning games. Develop leadership, cooperation and communication skills (verbal and non verbal).
Hip hop, jazz, ballet, tap, lyrical, modern, theatre, choreography, and aerobic dance. Special dance outfit required.
Conditioning, skills, drills, games and tournament.
This class will include techniques and exercises from katate, kung fu and other martial arts. Students will improve their level of fitness as they learn warm-up routines, kata, forms, kiso-kumite, and bunkai. Students will be given the opportunity to earn rank based on their test performance. Beginner and advanced students are welcome.
Conditioning, skills, drills, matches, tournaments.
Required music is a one semester course that covers music literacy through the study of the elements of music. Music history and jazz are discussed and links are made with regard to their historical cultural content. Arts resources and career options are also presented.
The Instructional Support Services Department at Thomas A. Edison Career and Technical High School offers students with Individualized Education Plans the following programs: Integrated Co-teaching and Self Contained 15:1 classes. Our Self- Contained special education classes have a student/staff ratio of 15:1 and are available in all of the major academic subject areas. Self- Contained classes follow the same curriculum as the general education classes and are geared to address the individual needs of the student thus ensuring academic success. Diploma bound self-contained students participate in alongside their non- disabled peers in our Career and Technical Education Programs as well as in the arts.
Thomas Edison High School is proud to announce that the ISS Department has started an Urban Farming course of study in which students receive hands on instruction in aquaponics and hydroponic growing systems.
We also offer an ACES (ACADEMIC, CAREER, AND ESSENTIAL SKILLS), which is a non-diploma bound program for students who the criteria for either Intellectual Disability or Multiple Disabilities. Those qualifying students will receive their academic classes in a small structured setting. In addition, these students will spend 2 periods a day in our model apartment where they will develop independent living skills. Additionally, students will learn job skills and culinary skills through running the Edison Café.
Thomas Edison High School also offers students the following related services:
Social Studies & Foreign Language
Mr. Charles J. Cremeans, Assistant Principal (Ext 1311)
The Social Studies department strives to prepare its students with the skills to think critically and thoughtfully. This enables students to better function in a complex, diverse, and technologically changing and advancing world. The department is dedicated to the student body as evidenced by the many hours they spend with their students in tutoring and extra-curricular activities. The department offers Advanced Placement courses in United States History, and Government. The department Regents results are impressive with passing results of 90 and greater.
Main Social Studies & Foreign Language Courses Offered
Global History 1 & 2
This is the first of a two year sequence in Global History and Geography. The course is a comprehensive chronological study of major historical eras and civilizations through 1750. Topics covered include the religious, social, political, economic, and technological developments that occurred during these eras. There is special attention directed at improving students’ writing, reading, and visual skills.
Global History 3 & 4
This course continues the study of historical eras and civilizations from 1750 to the present. Students will also study the interdependence of these civilizations and their effects on the world and on them. Further development and improvement of skills will be emphasized.
The course culminates in a Global History and Geography Regents Examination that covers all of the Global History and Geography courses. Honors courses are available (H3PH, H4PH). Prerequisite: 92% average in Global History 2
U.S. History 1 & 2
This course investigates the first cultures of America, its rediscovery, conquest, colonization, foundations for government of the United States, formation and implementation of the Constitution through the Civil War period and Reconstruction. Students will gain an understanding of the constitutional basis for our government and history during our nation’s early years, as well as an appreciation for the democratic values that we are committed to. In the second term, we investigate the growth of the United States from an isolated agricultural society to a modern industrial world power. We also study the rise of American business, the role that government had on reforms, prosperity, depression wars, and foreign policy. The course also demonstrates America’s role with the world and technology.The course ends with the United States and Government Regents Examination in January.
Participation in Government
This course begins with the basic elements or foundations of the primary principles of democracy. Students will review the Constitution and the principles that it includes. Throughout the course students will study the major Supreme Court decisions that have affected society.
Economics
This course teaches the basic principles of the American economic system. These principles include capitalism and free enterprise and the roles of the consumer, business, and the government. Students learn life skills of money management, including banking, credit, insurance, taxes, investing, and budgeting.
Model UN
We are a government and economics class that focuses on international modern history, which is achieved through assidious research, writing and presentations. We offer humanitarian approach in which opens a new context of world discussions hoping to improve the world we live in one moment at a time.
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Spanish 1 and 2
Students are introduced to the important skills that are necessary to comprehend the Spanish language. These skills include verbal, reading, writing, and comprehension. Students are also exposed to the many diverse cultures of the Spanish speaking world. This course is required of all students.
College Now Courses
Immigration and Ethnic Groups in American History (H1 125) (Fall Only) (QCC)
3 Credits
This course will analyze the American immigration experience and examine various ethnic groups that came to America. We will explore their pre-immigration background and the historical causes of immigration. We will evaluate the impact of the immigrants on American history and of America upon the immigrants. Among the themes to be examined are illegal immigration, patterns of migration, racism, stereotypes and American reception of immigrants.
Women In America (H1 126) (Spring Only) (QCC)
3 Credits
This course is an analysis of women in the history of American civilization. This course will examine the impact of changes in the economy, technology, law, culture, and society on the status of women and explores women's perceptions of themselves. Among topics considered are the work roles of women, the historical experience of women of differing classes and ethnic groups, women and reform in the nineteenth century, the political activity of women before and after the nineteenth amendment to the Constitution, and current feminist movements.
Advanced Placement Classes
Descriptions provided by College Board
AP World History
AP World History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about world history from approximately 8000 BCE to the present and apply historical thinking skills. Five themes of equal importance — focusing on the environment, cultures, state-building, economic systems, and social structures — provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation across different periods and regions. AP World History encompasses the history of the five major geographical regions of the globe: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, with special focus on historical developments and processes that cross multiple regions.
More InformationAP U.S. History
AP United States History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually about U.S. history from approximately 1491 to the present and apply historical thinking skills as they learn about the past. Seven themes of equal importance — identity; peopling; politics and power; work, exchange, and technology; America in the world; environment and geography; and ideas, beliefs, and culture — provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout the course.These require students to reason historically about continuity and change over time and make comparisons among various historical developments in different times and places.
More InformationAP Government
AP United States Government and Politics introduces students to key political ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the political culture of the United States. The course examines politically significant concepts and themes, through which students learn to apply disciplinary reasoning assess causes and consequences of political events, and interpret data to develop evidence-based arguments.
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