Academics

Academics

Explore the Navigator Institute Prospectus for more detailed course descriptions.

The Interdisciplinary Approach and Central Studies

While all Poughkeepsie Day School courses have an interdisciplinary approach, the Central Study courses completely embody it. Central Studies provide an intensive experience for students, dedicating a several-hour-long block of time to a particular area outside of the core curriculum one day a week. These courses are a means for students to explore areas of interest or, especially as they get older, specialize and build a profile that reflects a specific area of fascination. Many offerings will include community engagement and service learning, building bonds with the local community organizations and people. Potential topics include:

  • Redline Maps: How Mapping Inequality Impacts Poughkeepsie Today
  • Visual Art: Creator, Critic, Curator
  • The Brain: A Study of Human Behavior
  • The Art of Architecture 
  • Adventures in Food / Food Explorations 
  • Creative Arts Collective: Building a Literary Magazine
  • Philosophical Explorations: The Self, Happiness, & the Good Life

 

The Humanities: English and History

History and English courses at the Navigator Institute give students the material, skills, and support to creatively explore themselves and the world around them, and to critically examine the structures that frame our lives. Classes will be built around the close reading of texts in their historical-cultural contexts, and take them as jumping-off points for exploration, leading to a better understanding of ourselves, our cultures, other cultures, and other people—across the span of history and the breadth of the globe. Participation in seminar-style discussions, with comments reflecting a careful reading of the texts and respect for the opinions of others, creates an authentic processing of information. We believe in teaching students to talk about what they learn. Potential humanities topics include:

  • Latin American History and Culture 
  • History Through Art: Renaissance to Baroque
  • Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • Gender, Race, and Class
  • Nature, the Unnatural, and the Supernatural
  • Dis/informing ourselves: Stories We Tell and
    Why  We Tell Them

 

Research and Writing

The Navigator Institute provides a specific course in Applied Research and Writing. While a humanities course may focus on a historical era or specific study of narrative and expository literature, Research and Writing is the vehicle that will provide students with a place to powerfully adapt their thinking to writing. Assignments will range from critical essays and creative writing exercises to collaborative and independent research, resulting in presentations, creative responses, or contributions to the community. The course will begin by introducing the principles and methods of effective, reliable research and clear, substantive writing.

 

Mathematics: Analyzing, Understanding, and Representing Patterns in Numbers and Forms

Throughout the math program, students will be asked to seek connections, abstract and generalize, translate verbal expressions to mathematical ones, check work against common sense, read math texts, review past work, keep math portfolios, use technology in appropriate and meaningful ways, ask questions, reason deductively and inductively, and argue sensibly in oral and written form. Classwork will emphasize cooperative group work and problem-solving, while daily written assignments will allow each student to explore new problem-solving techniques independently. In all problems, students will be asked not only to arrive at reasonable answers, but also to describe the processes they use or the rationales for their answers. The mathematics program for the Navigator Institute has been planned within a traditional sequence of courses, ranging from pre-algebra to calculus, as well as a choice of additional coursework at various levels. Courses in the timeline include:

  • Geometry 
  • Algebra 2 
  • Pre-Calculus: Function Analysis 
  • Pre-Calculus: Trigonometric and Circular Functions
  • Pre-Calculus: Analytic Geometry
  • Statistics
  • Calculus
  • Advanced Calculus

 

Science: A Fine Balance of Research, Data Collection, and Field Work

The science program is designed to foster curiosity about the natural world, and give students the experiential and analytical tools they need to develop a deep understanding of processes in nature. Courses in biology, chemistry, physics, geology, and astronomy will provide opportunities for students to collect their own data in both the field and laboratory, as well as learn to appropriately analyze the scientific literature and foundational theory to build persuasive arguments. The curriculum we implement is attentive to the interdisciplinary nature of science. Applied topics in medicine, biotechnology, environmental studies, and natural history are consistent areas of exploration across the curriculum. Laboratory skills and analytical thinking will be stressed throughout the program, and students will be expected to generate precise hypotheses and experimentally testable questions, design and implement scientifically sound experimental protocols, and analyze data thoughtfully. Science topics include:

  • The Changing World: Environmental Science
  • Cellular Biology
  • General Chemistry I & 2
  • Geology 
  • Astronomy
  • Physics of Motion
  • Animal Behavior
  • Anatomy and Physiology 

 

World Language: Communication Skills and Cultural Literacy

Learning an additional language teaches students how to understand and navigate a new language system, provides opportunities to study and connect with other cultures, and promotes global citizenship. The Navigator Institute’s world language teaching resembles the process of learning a first language through guided instruction in a new one. Focusing on Spanish for most of our incoming 9th graders, our world language program will develop students’ ability to understand and use structure, create meaning, and build fluency (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) in context, while also paying special attention to the cultural aspects of the Spanish-speaking world. Historically, Poughkeepsie Day School’s language programs have involved plenty of opportunity to engage in conversation and practicing language skills, while the instructor gears curriculum toward each student’s level of proficiency. In the curriculum for the new crop of Navigators, students will be taking their skills on the town as they connect with local organizations in their community-engaged learning experiences, purchase groceries at local stores, and engage with local residents from Spanish-speaking countries. Spanish classes offered include:

  • Beginning Spanish  
  • Intermediate Spanish
  • Advanced Spanish 
  • Spanish Seminar
  • Spanish Literature (native level)

Additional language options may be available through independent study. For IS courses, students will be assigned a dedicated faculty advisor.