Science and Math

Science and math connect us to our environment. In order to truly connect, we need to touch and feel it. We believe in the importance of clear blue skies, overcast mountains, raging rivers, calm ponds, snowy slopes, and sandy dunes. Through a one-on-one approach to Mathematics, we prepare students to experience Science that demands the use of math as a tool.

Modules include:
  • Chemistry and the Ecology of Coffee
  • Physics of Frisbee and Climbing
  • Geology of the Arkansas River Valley
  • Archaeology of the Southwest
  • Entomology and Ichthyology of Fly Fishing
  • Astronomy of Chaco Canyon
  • Hydrology and River Sports
  • Forestry
  • River Ecology
  • Energy Alternatives
  • Human Physiology

Citizenship

We believe education is the answer. Community demands a population of people who think for themselves. Community demands people that engage and support the life and needs of that community. We directly teach and assess how to live in a community with maturity and independence. We intentionally design a school culture to mirror the community we want for ourselves. 

Topics include:
  • Diversity meetings
  • Work experience
  • Post-secondary readiness classes
  • FAFSA, scholarship, and application guidance
  • Post-graduation pathway options
  • Service learning projects
  • Community service

English

Reading and writing are the heartbeat of education. These two skills unleash the power of ideas, both ours and those of others. We demand that students master these skills so they can join the adult conversation.

Visit the English Class Website

Modules include:
  • Go Write Outside
  • Senior Research
  • Power Poetry
  • Speak Like You Mean It (Speech and Rhetoric)
  • Bored and Brilliant
  • Who Cares? (Contemporary Issues Research)
  • CCHS Powtoons
  • Politically Correct Bedtime Stories
  • This I Believe
  • Independent Reading and Writing

Social Studies

We use a chronological approach to history so students can gain a sense of perspective on the past and place themselves in the present, understand the concept of cause and effect, and realize the influence of social structure on our lives today and in the past. We enjoy hearing and creating stories. By studying examples in history and telling the story, students understand causality; they are able to make decisions, create arguments, and have discussions that use examples of societal and ideological influences to justify themselves. We don't read the textbook; we write it. 

Modules include:
  • History and Influence of Class Structure
  • Social Research
  • Early Native American Studies (Manitou Springs, Mesa Verde, Chaco Canyon)
  • The Roots of Revolution
  • Westward Expansion: Pike's Route through the Arkansas Valley
  • Local History of Labor, Mining, Ranching, Recreation