Communication Arts Courses

This course provides authentic experience to students who want to apply for a staff position on the yearbook or newspaper staff. Semesters are divided into halves where students will gain experience in writing, reporting and ethics and then the Adobe Creative Cloud Software. This course is best for those who enjoyed English and Language Arts courses in middle school.

Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9, 10
Course Length: One year
Credit: One credit

The goal of this course is to present an overview of the broadcast industry with plenty of hands-on projects. Students should gain confidence and understanding in a variety of communication situations behind the scenes or in front of the camera. Students will learn pre-production, production, and post-production techniques and protocol through a variety of technology tools. Storytelling, creative writing, stage and graphic design, lighting, public speaking, music production and much more are infused into this class to promote and produce the live Teresa Broadcasting Company daily morning show!

Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12
Course Length: One semester
Credit: One-half credit

This course is designed to improve verbal and non-verbal communication skills while overcoming the anxiety that is often evident when speaking in public. Through presentations, projects and class discussions, students will learn the soft skills needed to be successful in school and the workplace in a relaxed and non-threatening environment. Students will learn the importance of developing their own voice (both figuratively and literally) and will become more confident speakers, stronger writers and understand the role technology and media play in modern communication.

Prerequisites: None
Grade: 9, 10, 11, 12
Course Length: One semester
Credit: One-half credit

Broadcasting & Production II provides students with opportunities to participate in real-world laboratory experiences which include outside filming of special events and providing content for the local public access Spectrum channel 5. Students also perform specialized roles in the regularly scheduled daily broadcast. Students who successfully complete this course are prepared for Advanced Production, further study in the broadcast, film and the communications industry.

Prerequisites: Broadcasting & Production I
Course Length: One semester
Credit: One-half credit

Students enrolled in this course produce the school’s newspaper, Dart and DartNewsOnline. Building on knowledge acquired during their prerequisite course, students learn more about the craft by writing stories, editing copy, making photographs, and creating layouts. Experienced students have the opportunity for leadership positions as newspaper editors. After-school meetings and coverage assignments outside of class time are required.

Prerequisites: Journalism, Digital Photography or Graphic Design; completed application.
Grade: 10, 11, 12
Course Length: One year
Credit: One credit

Students enrolled in this course create the school’s yearbook, The Teresian. Using knowledge acquired during their prerequisite course, students refine their skills by designing pages, creating photographs, researching topics and writing stories. Experienced students are eligible to become editors who lead the production of the book. After-school meetings and coverage assignments outside of class time are required.

Prerequisites: Journalism or Digital Photography; completed application.
Grade: 10, 11, 12
Course Length: One year
Credit: One credit

This course will examine the role that gender, race, and sexual orientation play in modern media. We will look at how the media has shaped societal views on these topics as well as how gender, race and sexual orientation have influenced media. Through analysis of film, television, advertising and social media we will gain an understanding of how media forms our world-view and impacts our sense of self.

Prerequisites: None
Grade: 11, 12
Course Length: One semester
Credit: One-half credit