LR offering other kinds of classes

High school can go beyond the rigidity of reading, writing, and arithmetic that we sometimes think of it as, and Lake Roosevelt proves that by offering classes that are a little different. 

LR’s class catalog includes options that readers may not have been offered when they were in school, classes such as Rock Band, Journalism, American Sign Language, Native American Literature, and Natural Fire Science.

Such classes engage students in ways that may be more appealing than more traditional classes, offer skills that can be useful in careers, or simply offer students modes of self expression.

Here’s a little information about some of these classes, which we hope to explore in more detail in coming issues.

Natural Fire Science is taught by Jill Knittel.

Former principal Sara Kennedy had asked Knittel if she’d be interested in teaching Natural Fire Science as an alternative to chemistry, Knittel said.

“She said a lot of those kids would be going on to firefighting careers, and teaching them fire science instead of earth science made more sense,” Knittel said about the class. “Personally, I think it’s a great idea.”

Not a vocational firefighting class, it uses Next Generation Science Standards for high school science. 

“We incorporate experiments and lab write-ups,” Knittel said. 

Students learn the science behind natural (wildland) fires: the fire triangle, heat transfer methods, the chemical reaction that is fire, the impact of terrain on fire travel, how to forecast fire behavior, fire ecology, and more, according to the school class catalog.

Journalism is taught by Justus Caudell, who worked as a journalist at the Tribal Tribune for about nine years. 

Caudell took over the class from Steve Files (who teaches a Native American Literature class, more on that later) after being asked by Kennedy last year.

“I was very excited by the opportunity,” Caudell said about the class. “Working in journalism locally for a number of years, I’ve come to understand there’s a need for local journalists.” 

Students are learning journalism law and ethics, subjectivity versus objectivity, defining what journalism looks like, news writing structure, writing ledes, writing headlines, providing attribution to quotes and information, the reporting process, Associated Press style, features and opinion, and photography.

“We have a good group, and I’m excited about what we might ultimately produce,” he said, with a school paper possibly being rejuvenated in the near future. 

With Caudell taking over journalism, Steve Files is now teaching Native American Literature as a new year-long elective class open to ninth through 12th graders.

“I am super excited to be teaching a brand-new elective class in conjunction with our Indian Education Department called Native American Literature,” Files said. “As far as I know, we might be the only high school in the state offering such a course.”

Students “analyze and experience a wide variety of selections written by and/or featuring Native Americans,” a description of the class reads. “Students will study and respond to both traditional and contemporary aspects of indigenous characters, experiences and themes.

“Native American Literature began over thirty thousand years ago when indigenous people started telling stories of emergence, creation, journey, quest, heroism, and trickery. Works studied in this course will celebrate the diversity of indigenous peoples who, owing to their differing lands, livelihoods, and customs, molded literature to a nation’s specific needs.”

The Star was also told about an American Sign Language class now offered at LR, and hopes to learn more about it in the near future.

Principal Natalie Kontos explained that teachers can propose classes, and that the school also surveys students to see if there are classes they’d like to have offered.

Justin Thompson proposed his Raider Rock Band after-school club to become an accredited class, which he accomplished.

“I pitched it to the principal last year when kids were in need of fine arts credits for graduation,” he said. “My hopes for making it a class were to add a sense of legitimacy to the class to hopefully get more backing from the school and community; allow me to hold students accountable and reward the ones who gave their full effort, in the form of grades; have class time to cover non-performance aspects of rock, such as history, reviewing albums, and researching biographies of musicians; and to get students thinking about music five days a week rather than two. (Consistency is key, especially for developing skills in the arts).”

With teaching rock and roll in school, some might say that education looks a little different in 2022 than it used to, but if it gets students to read, write and do the math, it’s definitely education.