Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from Laurinburg Institute, a student must earn 22 (College Prep) academic credits in a series of required courses and electives, based on individual interests and needs.
The 22 total academic credits for a College Preparatory Diploma must include the following:
English Language & Literature (4.0 credits)
Every student must be enrolled in an English course during every semester.
Mathematics (3.0 credits, 4.0 recommended)
Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in a fourth year of mathematics, and many colleges may require a fourth credit in mathematics (students are encouraged to consult with college guidance if they have concerns about specific schools).
Sciences (3.0 credits)
All students must complete Biology. 2.0 additional credits in science are required.
History & Social Studies (3.0 credits)
Required courses in History/Social Studies include World History, American History I, American History II, and Economics is recommended.
Modern & Classical Languages (2.0 credits)
Students must complete at least two years of consecutive study in the same language. Most students complete three or more years of study.
Physical Education (1.0 credit)
Students must complete one year of physical education.
Electives (6.0)
(3 of which must be academic in Literature, Math, Foreign Language, Science or Social Studies)
Promotion Requirements
Promotion is based on the following criteria:
Entering Grade 10:
To have sophomore standing, a student must have earned at least four units of credit, including one unit each of English and math.
Entering Grade 11:
To have junior standing, a student must have earned at least ten units of credit, including two units each of English and math, two laboratory science units, and two units of history.
Entering Grade 12:
To have senior standing, a student must have earned at least sixteen units of credit, including three units each of English and math, two laboratory science units, two units of history, and one unit of Foreign Language.
Grading System
Laurinburg’s grading system is numerical. Letter grade equivalents and grade points are below:
| Laurinburg Grading Scale | |
| A | 93-100 |
| B | 85-92 |
| C | 77-84 |
| D | 70- 76 |
F 69-0
Class Rank
Students are ranked officially at the end of their senior year. Class rank is determined by average of numerical grades equivalent to letter grades in all academic courses on a 4.0 grading scale. Rank is cumulative by semester for the ninth through the senior years.
Honor Rolls
Laurinburg has a two-division Honor Roll, based upon the student’s letter grades.
| Laurinburg Honor Rolls | |
| Headmaster’s List | 93.00 or higher average, with all A’s |
| Honor Roll | 85.00 or higher average, with no grade below 80 |
The determination of valedictorian and salutatorian is based upon cumulative academic averages at Laurinburg and is made at the end of the senior year.
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
English
The object of English instruction at Laurinburg is to help students learn to communicate effectively, to speak and write with force and fluency, and to read and listen with enjoyment and understanding. English at all levels includes vocabulary study, attention to grammar and syntax, and frequent writing. All English courses are designed to encourage students to develop to the fullest extent possible their communication skills. We expect students will learn to speak correctly and effectively, to write accurately and cogently, and to read with intelligence and appreciation. Along the way students are taught to analyze, to criticize, and to evaluate literature.
English courses at Laurinburg are designed to provide students with the knowledge of and the respect for reading, writing, speaking, viewing, and listening. The purpose of each course is to encourage critical and analytical thinking, to improve and increase vocabulary, to teach discrimination in literary tastes, to instill self-discipline and self-confidence, to provide incentive to language skills, to encourage the respect for the opinions of others, and to provide a strong foundation for future learning. English teachers hope to instill in all students the personal appreciation of the aesthetic pleasures and the practical benefits, which can be derived from the knowledge, and appreciation of one’s language and literature. We also hope that students, through their own experiences and discoveries in literature, will learn much of worth about the world and themselves, and that this knowledge and understanding will assist them in living more meaningful lives.
English I 9th Grade – 1 Credit
English 1 is the first high school English class that students will take. This class is meant to introduce them to more difficult reading and writing and prepare them for their subsequent high school English classes. This class consists of instruction in literature, composition, grammar, and vocabulary. Students will read shorter fiction and non-fiction works out of a literature textbook as well as a few novels. They will be expected to complete weekly/bi-weekly grammar and vocabulary lessons and write compositions such as a literary analysis, an informative research paper, and others. All students will also be expected to complete an outside reading project.
English II 10th Grade – 1 Credit
Tenth-grade English provides intensive focus on writing skills, through essays that scrutinize literature from a variety of rhetorical approaches. Great poetry and prose from the British and American literature canon—including such works as Their Eyes Were Watching God and The Crucible—provide the thematic and stylistic matter out of which students will develop analytical arguments (including writing from research), personal responses, and imitative narratives. Because assignments begin to require attention to varying audience expectations, English II students have more freedom with regard to paragraph and essay organization than ever before. Working often in small groups, students help each other internalize the notion of audience.
English III 11th Grade – 1 Credit
English III consists of a grammar and composition class and an American Literature class. Both grammar and composition and literature are intermixed within the semester. In this course, students will study American literature from pre-colonial times through the present. They will also read at least three novels that are considered American classics. In addition to this, students will learn how to research, outline, use citations, and compose various styles of writing. They will be expected to complete weekly/bi-weekly grammar and vocabulary lessons as well. All students will also be expected to complete an outside reading project.
English IV 12th Grade – 1 Credit
English IV consists of a grammar and composition class and a British Literature class. Both grammar and composition and literature are intermixed within the semester. In this course, students will study a variety of British Literature ranging from plays by William Shakespeare to short stories, novels, and poetry from other British authors. In addition to this, English IV students will be expected to complete several different writing assignments ranging from personal narratives to cause and effect papers to creative writing pieces. All students will also complete an eight page research paper where they will be expected to use multiple sources, create citations, outline the paper, and compose an organized and grammatically correct paper. Additionally, students will be expected to complete weekly/bi-weekly grammar and vocabulary lessons and an outside reading project.
Creative Writing – 1 Credit
Creative writing focuses on the four-step process writing model and the reading of professional writings to motivate students to create original essays, poems, and short stories. The writing assignments include narration, definition, process analysis, cause and effect and comparison/contrast. Students learn self-editing skills by following the instructor’s detailed suggestions for the revision and refinement of their work.
Mathematics
Mathematics plays a vital role in our ability to solve the complex problems that arise in our increasingly technical world. Because of this, problem solving forms the core of the mathematics program at Laurinburg Institute. A strong emphasis is placed on having the students acquire the needed tools by developing skills in the fundamental operations and strengthening students’ abilities to use reasoning and logic. The development of an appreciation for the structural beauty and power of mathematics is also a goal. Because of its prevalence in modern life and its power in problem solving, appropriate use of technology such as computers and graphing calculators is also emphasized. Approved graphing calculators are: TI-83, TI-83+, TI-84, or TI 84+.
Algebra I 9th Grade – 1 Credit
Emphasizing basic algebraic concepts, mathematical language, and problem solving, this course includes a study of variables, real numbers, polynomials, ratio and proportion, functions, variations, linear and quadratic equations, and inequalities. Factoring and solving equations and inequalities are essential skills taught at this level of algebra.
Geometry 10th Grade – 1 Credit
This systematic approach to the nature of proofs and relationships between figures involves an examination of the properties of triangles, circles, and other plane figures. Real world applications reinforce the geometric concepts. There is a concentration on area, volume, properties of solid figures, and coordinate geometry. Algebra I is a prerequisite.
Prerequisite: Completion of Algebra I and departmental recommendation.
Algebra II 11th Grade – 1 Credit
This course is a further development of equations, factoring, rational expressions, radicals, quadratics, exponents, logarithms, trigonometry, inequalities, mean, median, mode, range, interquartile range, graphs and plots, linear regression, probability, complex numbers, matrices, and arithmetic and geometric sequences.
Prerequisite: Completion of Algebra I and Geometry.
Pre-Calculus 12th Grade – 1 Credit
This course introduces basic properties and operation of functions. Emphasis is placed on polynomial and rational functions and the relationship between exponential and logarithmic functions. Students will explore polar coordinates, complex numbers, and the geometry of the complex plane. They will study sequences and series, and learn to recognize when series are convergent or divergent. In addition, students will learn to use mathematical induction. Lastly, they will be introduced to the concepts of limits, derivatives, and anti-derivates of the polynomial functions.
Calculus 12th Grade – 1 Credit
After a brief review of previous math knowledge, students will study connections among functions, as well as derivatives and integrals. The study of calculus opens up a whole world of interesting problems. The limit, derivative and antiderivative allow students to solve important problems such as finding instantaneous rates of change and the area under the curve. These quantities are useful in a myriad of engineering, physics, biology, chemistry and business applications.
A Texas Instruments graphing calculator is required for this courseTI-84+Silver Edition recommended).
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Pre-Calculus
Trigonometry 12th Grade – 1 Credit
Trigonometry covers lines, angles, and geometric figures like triangles. Students will put knowledge of Algebra and Geometry to use learning to measure angles. Trigonometry has many applications in the fields of science and math and even in business and finance; students will learn that the mathematics involved in Trigonometry can be used in many ways. Texas instruments TI-30 calculator recommended.
Prerequisite: successful completion of Algebra 1, Algebra 2
Social Studies
Civics 9th Grade – 1 Credit
A basic course that describes the organization and operation of government on the local, state, and national levels. In addition, the roles of student in family, school, and the economy are investigated with emphasis on their rights and responsibilities.
World History 9th Grade – 1 Credit
This course has two main approaches. First, students will explore the values held by ancient people in relation to contemporary ones. Students will examine how earlier beliefs about authority, the organization of society, the divine, and the world at large differ from or complement modern views. Second, we will reflect upon historical processes such as migration, trade, warfare, the development of technology, and cultural exchange. Students will investigate how these processes changed individual lives at different periods in pre-modern history. The course will emphasize development of critical skills in reading and analyzing primary source documents.
Student participation in class discussions, regular group work, and homework comprises an important component of student evaluation in this course. It also provides an environment for developing the oral presentation skills and self-confidence that are so vital to later performance. The course also emphasizes continuing development of writing skills through short writing assignments, formal essays, and a research paper. Tests and quizzes also contribute to student evaluation. Comprehensive semester examinations are given.
American History I 10th Grade – 1 Credit
Students will study the establishment of political parties, America’s westward expansion, the growth of sectional conflict, how that sectional conflict led to the Civil War, and the consequences of the Civil War, including Reconstruction.
American History II 11th Grade – 1 Credit
This course will guide students from the late nineteenth century time period through the early 21st century. Students will examine the political, economic, social and cultural development of the United States from the end of the Reconstruction era to present times. The essential standards of American History Course II will trace the change in the ethnic composition of American society; the movement toward equal rights for racial minorities and women; and the role of the United States as a major world power. An emphasis is placed on the expanding role of the federal government and federal courts as well as the continuing tension between the individual and the state. The desired outcome of this course is for students to develop an understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship between past and present events, recognize patterns of interactions, and understand the impact of events on in the United States in an interconnected world.
Economics 12th Grade – 1 Credit
A survey of the basic principles of American government, modern economics, and current issues in society, this course is open to all seniors.
The study of general concepts used to interpret American politics and the analysis of specific case studies compose the core of the course. The five major areas covered are: (1) Constitutional underpinnings of American government, (2) Political beliefs and behaviors, (3) Political parties and interest groups, (4) Institutions and policy processes of national government, and (5) Civil rights and civil liberties.
Economics incorporates both microeconomic and macroeconomic concepts. Microeconomic concepts studied include value and price, factors affecting short and long-run adjustments of the individual firm with respect to prices, costs, and levels of production, value, and price as determined by supply and demand, and market adjustments in competition and monopoly. Macroeconomic areas studied include the determination of national income (Gross Domestic Product) and its fluctuations, and introduction to money, banking, and government finance, inflation, and unemployment. Student progress is assessed regularly through oral and written exercises, quizzes, and tests. A comprehensive examination is given at the end of the semester.
Psychology 12th Grade – 1 Credit
This course covers the basic concepts of psychology including the development of personality, emotions, motivation, and perception. Students learn about the many influences that may affect human behavior.
Current Affairs 11th or 12th Grade – 1 Credit
Students in this elective course focus on contemporary issues that are affecting North Carolina citizens for the most part. It is an open-ended course with the emphasis on acquiring information from a variety of sources, analyzing, and hypothesizing about the direction of North Carolina’s future. Students engage themselves in issues and also become actively engaged through community and state participation. Students read and discuss front page articles from major newspapers such as the New York Times. They analyze political cartoons. Students read primary sources and break down the process of analyzing primary source into five levels of questions: identify, contextualize, explore, analyze, and evaluate the source. Thus students analyze physical artifacts, maps, motion pictures, films, photos and posters.
African American Literature Elective – 1 Credit
African Americans have made significant contributions to the economic, political, social, and cultural development of the United States. Through this course, students discover how African Americans have always been an integral part of the American experience. However, African Americans have also been a viable force unto themselves with their own experience, culture, and aspirations, African American history cannot be understood except in the broader context of the United States history.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
In keeping with the national standards for foreign language learning, the Laurinburg’s foreign language department’s main goal is to help students to acquire the ability to communicate in meaningful and appropriate ways with users of other languages. As students achieve an understanding and knowledge of the culture that surrounds the world language, they will realize that there are multiple ways of viewing the world and will feel more comfortable in a foreign environment. The department strives to enable the student to connect what is learned in the language classroom to other disciplines in an effort to have the student become a lifelong learner.
Spanish I 10th Grade – 1 Credit
This course introduces students to Spanish culture and language through a combination of text and audio CDs. Equal emphasis is placed upon developing skills in areas of grammar, reading and speaking this increasingly important language. Course strategies include warm-up activities, vocabulary study, reading, threaded discussions, multi-media presentations, self-checks, practice activities and games, oral and written assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams. Leaning activities in each unit are focused upon a specific theme.
Spanish 2 11th Grade – 1 Credit
This course focuses on successful communication through speaking, writing, reading, and listening, as well as a thorough grounding in aspects of culture. Unit activities blend different forms of communication and culture to ensure that the student meets all standards for foreign language learning. Course strategies include warm-up activities, vocabulary study, reading threaded discussions, multi-media presentations, self-checks, practice activities and games, oral and written assignments, projects, quizzes, and exams. Learning activities in each unit are focused upon a specific theme
French I 10th Grade – 1 Credit
This course is designed for students who have not previously studied French. The lessons provide a variety of activities and evaluations to help students practice reading writing, listening to and speaking French, and to give them insight into the language and culture of the French speaking world. Topics include greeting, numbers, family, friends, school, time and dates. The second half of the class will cover topics such as travel, clothing, sports and seasons.
French 2 11th Grade – 1 Credit
This course is designed for students who have completed French I. Students will continue the study of French. Students will learn to read, write, listen to and speak French, as will as gain insight into the language, culture and history of the French speaking world. Topics include weather, leisure, health, and driving. The second half of the class will cover topics such as professionals and jobs, city and country, and social events.
SCIENCE
The science department is committed to addressing two basic needs of science education. Science teachers believe that all students need to develop a knowledge and appreciation of the basic theories and methods of science and clearly recognize the importance of these principles to their lives. The science curriculum is structured to ensure that our students are well prepared for college science courses; develop an understanding of concepts in the biological and physical sciences and their application to life situations; develop an appreciation for the attitudes of science and skill in using its methods; develop a scientific vocabulary, skills in laboratory techniques and problem solving; develop critical thinking skills; become proficient in the use of laboratory equipment commensurate with the grade level; and appreciate the relationship between science and other academic disciplines.
General or Physical Science 9th Grade – 1 Credit
Basic principles of physics and chemistry are introduced in this survey course. Introduction to physics includes topics such as forces and motion, Newton’s Laws, mechanics, light, sound, electricity and magnetism, and heat. Introduction to chemistry includes atomic theory, matter, the periodic table of the elements, bonding, and chemical reactions. The course is lab-oriented and lab activities reinforce classroom activities.
Biology 10th Grade – 1 Credit
This course is designed to give students an understanding of the basic relationships and processes of living organisms. Topics include cell biology, tissues, organs, organ systems, and organisms. Dissections and other laboratory exercises are an integral part of instruction.
Prerequisite: Completion of General or Physical Science and Algebra I
Chemistry 11th Grade – 1 Credit
Chemistry is concerned with the study of matter and its changes. Students study the relationships between theoretical concepts and the world around them by the application of theory in the laboratory. Weekly laboratory exercises utilize macro and micro chemistry techniques to enhance classroom discussion.
Prerequisite: Completion of Biology and either Geometry or Algebra I.
Physics 12th Grade – 1 Credit
The goal of physics is to describe the physical world using a small number of basic assumptions, concepts, and equations. In this course, emphasis is placed on relating physics to the everyday world. Students explore the concepts involved with motion in one and two dimensions, forces, work and energy, momentum and collisions, circular motion, and gravitation. Students learn the characteristics of waves and describe the behavior of waves with emphasis on light and sound. They understand the relationship between electricity and magnetism. Finally, the students gain a simple understanding of atomic physics Part 1 focuses on understanding motion. Students learn kinematic equations and apply them to various situations. They explore forces, work and energy and apply these concepts in the special case of circular motion. Heat and the laws of thermodynamics are covered. Part 2 focuses on waves, in particular sound and light. The course then moves to understanding electricity and magnetism and the relationship between the two. It concludes with a basic exploration of atomic physics.
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra 2; Trigonometry recommended.
Physical Education
Physical education is an integral part of the development of a healthy and complete school curriculum. The purpose of the physical education department is to enhance students’ physical, motor, intellectual, social and emotional development through active participation in the classes.