The Expanding Learning

Opportunities Consortium


2014-2015 Course Planning Handbook





















"The mission of the Expanding Learning Opportunities
Consortium is to engage students and ensure their
success by providing a meaningful and high-quality
online and blended learning experience in a locally supported environment."








eLo Consortium Course Offerings


Table of Contents
Business ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
English ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Math ............................................................................................................................................................. 4
Modern Languages ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Physical Education ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Social Studies ................................................................................................................................................ 5






























Business

Consumer Education
(One Semester)

This course offers students an alternative to
a traditional classroom setting while
meeting the State of Illinois graduation
requirement. The course will integrate
economic concepts in combination with
development of financial literacy and
consumer responsibility. Instruction
centers on the role of individuals in the
economy as citizens, workers, and
consumers. Students develop skills related
to money management; decision-making,
use of credit, insurance, savings, investing,
taxation, and consumer protection. A
deeper understanding of the free enterprise
system and laws of supply and demand are
developed through real-life consumer
simulations.

Web Design
(One Semester)

Students learn to design and create
websites and optimize digital resources. An
understanding of visual appeal, effective
communication, functionality, and site
organization and maintenance are
gained. Course resources include
Dreamweaver, XHTML, Flash, and various
online services. Students will persist in
troubleshooting and problem solving while
enhancing their ability to communicate
through a virtual classroom setting.




English

English Composition
(One Year)

This course is open to students entering
grade 9 or 10 English and is focused on
building knowledge through content-rich
non-fiction and literature. Students will
build literacy skills through the reading of
complex texts and academic language.
Students will use textual evidence to
analyze texts, determine central idea, and
explore the writers craft and structure.
Through both written and spoken
communication, students will manipulate
text types and purposes, produce and
develop clear, coherent writing, as well as
conduct and gather information from
multiple sources in order to use textual
support to develop well-written arguments.
This course reinforces literary analysis and
21st-century skills with both fiction and
nonfiction foundational pieces of literature
and literary nonfiction, application of e-
resources, and online educational
interactive media. Each unit focuses on
specific literary analysis skills and allows
students to apply them to a range of genres
and text structures.

Advanced Composition
(One Year)

This course is open to students entering
grade 11 or 12 English and is focused on
building advanced knowledge through
content-rich non-fiction and
literature. Students will build advanced
literacy skills through the reading of
complex texts and academic language.
Students will use multiple resources to
provide textual evidence to analyze texts,
determine central idea, and explore the
writers craft and structure. Through both
written and spoken communication,
students will manipulate text types and
purposes, produce and develop clear,
coherent writing, as well as conduct and
gather information from multiple sources in
order to use textual support to develop
well-written arguments. This course
reinforces literary analysis and 21st-century
skills with both fiction and nonfiction
foundational pieces of literature and
literary nonfiction, application of e-
resources, and online educational
interactive media. Each unit focuses on
specific literary analysis skills and allows
students to apply them to a range of genres
and text structures.
Math

Geometry
(One Year)

This course provides students with the
fundamental vocabulary, properties,
language, content and procedures of
geometry. Topics include triangles, circles,
polygons, parallel lines, and inequalities,
with an introduction to coordinate and solid
geometry. Emphasis is placed on
construction of formal proof, the analysis of
the nature and structure of a logical system
and on problem solving skills. This course
includes applications of the students
algebraic skills.



Modern Languages

Mandarin Chinese
(One Year)

Chinese 1 is an elementary course. It is
designed for students who have no formal
background in learning Chinese. It
introduces the Chinese (Mandarin) phonetic
system, basic grammatical structures, and
functional daily language use. It covers
about 200 characters and associated
phrases. It emphasizes the training of all
four language skills (listening, reading,
speaking, and writing) as well as
understanding of the socio-linguistics and
socio-cultural factors that are important to
cross-cultural communications.
Physical Education

Health
(One Year)

This course will provide students the
opportunity to develop an understanding of
health issues and wellness concepts while
enhancing communication skills via online
technology. Students receive knowledge
and skills that empower ownership of
learning and health. Topics covered include
but are not limited to stress management,
body systems, nutrition, prevention of risk
behaviors, wellness and mental health.
Learning opportunities, experiences, and
the environment promote positive
attitudes, favorable health behaviors and a
personal responsibility for life-long
wellness.


Social Studies

U.S. History
(One Year)

This course is a comprehensive study
focusing on major themes and concepts
essential to understanding American
economic, political, and social institutions.
Learning emphasizes analytical writing,
interpreting historical documents,
developing both written and oral
communication skills, understanding cause
and effect relationships, discovering the
significance of people, places, and events
impacting U.S. history, and applying
historical principles in todays world. This
course satisfies the American History
graduation requirement.

American Government
(Single Semester)

How is democracy reflected in the three
branches of the American system of
government? In this course, students will
study the primary concepts of the American
political system, including its foundations,
structures, and political behavior. This
course does not simply look at the
institutions of the federal government but
also examines the parties issues,
candidates, and power-pressure groups and
their roles in American politics at the
national level. Emphasis is also placed on
the role of the citizen in a democratic
society. Successful completion of this
course satisfies the American Government
graduation requirement.