Core Program Grades 9 & 10

List of 7 items.

• Freshman Seminar

  All freshmen participate in a required seminar class that focuses on topics in human development, adjustment to boarding school community life and important issues in adolescent physical, social, academic, emotional and personal growth. Classes are kept small to facilitate open, earnest discussion. In addition, all students are required to attend scheduled speakers and discussions through the Health & Living program. Health & Living is a four-year health program designed to target students’ specific developmental milestones throughout high school. Topics rotate year-to-year and are designed to build on information discussed within the context of Freshman Seminar. Students who enter Webb after the ninth grade will benefit from participating in a number of introductory Health & Living meetings, assuring that they have a base knowledge similar to that of their peers.

• Course Example | Foundations of Civilization | Grade 9

  This course serves as the foundation for Webb students' exploration of history, English, and the fine arts. By integrating knowledge from these three disciplines, we cultivate a Humanities-based approach to learning—one that examines literature, art, and architecture within the historical and cultural contexts in which they were created. Rather than studying these works in isolation, students develop a holistic understanding of global societies, exploring their politics, economies, religions, social structures, and intellectual and artistic traditions.

   

  The course balances depth and breadth, covering both Western and non-Western cultures and encouraging students to interpret history through its cultural artifacts. Students engage with essential primary documents, iconic architectural designs, literary works, illustrations, and forms of social criticism, analyzing them as windows into pivotal moments in time.

   

  This course is a required component of the ninth-grade curriculum.

• Course Example | Fundamentals of Composition | Grade 9

  This course offers an immersive introduction to essential skills in the Humanities, equipping Webb students with the foundational tools they will use throughout their four years of study. Students develop expertise in collaboration, critical reading and analysis, and effective communication—including writing, speaking, presentation, and debate.

   

  Beyond these core skills, the course fosters essential habits of mind: interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary thinking, creativity, curiosity, and global engagement. Students apply these skills to a range of intellectual tasks that connect them to contemporary issues, encouraging them to think critically about the world around them.

   

  Projects take various forms, from delivering formal speeches to exploring innovative multimedia storytelling. While teachers guide students through shared texts and projects, assignments empower students to pursue their own lines of inquiry, allowing them to research and engage deeply with topics that matter to them.

   

  This course is a required component of the ninth-grade curriculum.

• Course Example | Evolutionary Biology | Grade 9

  This full-year course introduces students to the life sciences through hands-on laboratory work and field studies, developing both foundational scientific knowledge and essential research skills. Students learn to frame and test scientific questions, honing their ability to think like scientists.

   

  The curriculum covers key topics such as evolution, paleontology, cell structure and function, DNA and RNA mechanisms, genetics, classification, biodiversity, and bioethics. The first semester focuses on Earth’s history, the evolution of life over geological time, and modern genetics theories and practices. In the second semester, students gain experience with advanced laboratory techniques used in genetic research, following a curriculum developed in collaboration with the Neil A. Campbell Science Learning Laboratory at the University of California, Riverside. These skills are applied in real-world contexts, bridging classroom learning with professional scientific inquiry.

   

  Fieldwork is a vital component of this course. All students participate in a paleontology field trip in partnership with the Alf Museum, as well as coastal field studies in Southern California. As the first year of a two-year science program, this course provides the foundational skills, knowledge, and preparation for students to progress into upper-level science courses at Webb following successful completion of Integrated Physics & Chemistry in their sophomore year.

• Course Example | The American Idea | Grade 10

  This required course for all tenth-grade students is one half of the interdisciplinary American Studies program, designed to foster a rich, holistic exploration of American culture, society, and ideology through a humanities-based lens. While both courses in the program examine the diverse narratives, identities, values, and cultural forces that shape American experiences, The American Idea focuses specifically on the dynamic relationship between literary and artistic expression and American history.

   

  Through critical analysis of a wide range of texts and primary sources, students engage with thought-provoking questions such as:

  • What defines an American text or work of art?
  • How can we interpret a historical or social moment through an artist’s or writer’s response to it?
  • What fears and tensions shape American identity, and how do artists react to them?
  • In what ways do writers and artists influence social and historical change?

  Emphasizing literary analysis and writing, this course equips students with essential skills in humanities scholarship. Those who demonstrate exceptional achievement may become eligible for Advanced Studies electives in eleventh grade.

• Course Example | American Society, Past & Present | Grade 10

  This required course for all tenth-grade students forms one half of the interdisciplinary American Studies program, which fosters a deep, humanities-based exploration of American culture, society, and ideology. While both courses examine the diverse narratives, identities, values, and cultural forces shaping American experiences, American Society, Past & Present focuses on the nation’s ongoing efforts to create an ideal society and reconcile competing interests within a diverse population. The course explores how American culture has evolved through these social struggles.

   

  Through close analysis of historical and literary sources, students engage with essential questions such as:

  • Who is considered a “real American”?
  • How do Americans balance individual ambition with the needs of their communities?
  • What defines power in America?
  • What do Americans expect from their government?

  Emphasizing research, primary source analysis, and historical interpretation, this course develops key humanities skills. Students who demonstrate exceptional achievement may become eligible for Advanced Studies electives in eleventh grade.

• Course Example | Media Arts

  In this course, students explore a range of digital art tools, including Photoshop, TinkerCAD, AfterEffects, and GameMaker, to create diverse forms of digital media such as illustration, graphic design, animation, game design, and 3D modeling.

   

  Beyond mastering the fundamentals of digital artmaking, students also begin developing their online presence by cultivating a professional social media identity and maintaining a personal website portfolio. Designed to accommodate all skill levels, this course welcomes both beginners and experienced artists—no prior knowledge is required.

   

  By the end of the course, students will be prepared for New Media Culture & Communication.