Education in Gapla
Education in Gapla is an integral part of the country. Due to the high value of education placed by its citizens, Gapla has a thorough and unique curriculum that has been put in use at the National Academy and other Gaplan Public Schools. It is largely managed by the Ministry of Education's subdivision of the FSG Public School District.
While education is entirely optional at any stage, many citizens utilize the services of the Ministry of Education or private education services. Gapla currently has one registered open-enrollment public school (the National Academy), one charter school by audition (National School for the Arts), and three magnet specialized schools (Paris-Euler School, Elemental Academy, and the Lafayette School of Folia Tail). Students may obtain entry into the specialized schools by testing at the 96th percentile (Paris-Euler School) or 80th percentile (Elemental Academy and the Lafayette School of Folia Tail) on the CollegeBoard's SAT, given in 8th grade. Private schools exist but are not major parts of the education market.
At public schools and some private schools, most students are required to take an IQ test to determine placement for gifted or special education, which is highly clustered, specialized, and segregated. A score of 124 or higher qualifies the student for gifted services, similarly, a score of 76 or below qualifies the student for special education for intellectual disability. Regardless of their gifted placement, all students may accelerate.
Mathematics
The Federated States of Gapla has an advanced mathematics education system that is designed to reduce the time wasted in elementary school mathematics, which is often very unproductive in macronational schools, especially in the American education system. It is one of the prides of the Gaplan education system.
Upon the program's completion and as early as eighth grade, Gaplan students are 2-4 years ahead of the American curriculum, depending on which math pathways they take. All students who take math for thirteen years complete Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra in high school, and Calculus is the minimum graduation requirement.
Many criticize the curriculum for being very fast, however, the Ministry of Education's view is that it is conserving wasted time in elementary mathematics. The Ministry cites schools such as TVT Community Day School, accelerated students in Des Moines Public Schools, and many other test cases in which a similar curriculum (to Prealgebra in five years, not including kindergarten) has succeeded, and many important members of Gapla, including Wyatt Baek and Chelsea Chen, were educated through a similar system.
Primary school curriculum
Instruction in mathematics begins in Kindergarten, where students take Kindergarten Mathematics. This course is designed to increase fluency in reading, writing, counting, and manipulating numbers, including basic addition and subtraction. Students learn how to write numbers, practice numbers, understand the basic concept behind them, as well as adding and subtracting 1, 2, and 3 from the numbers. An elementary number sense is encouraged in the students as the course is mainly focused on elementary mathematics through playful experimentation (hence the former name of the course "Play Math") as opposed to covering strict national standards. There is no national exam.
In first grade, students take Arithmetic 1, which is the first formal mathematics course with a national exam. Students extend the concept of numbers and the scales of number and quantity to move into multi-digit addition and subtraction as well as a basic understanding of multiplication. Elementary geometry such as identification of basic shapes is taught as well. A mastering of basic number sense is required and is covered on the national exam.
In second grade, students either take Arithmetic 2 or Enhanced Arithmetic 2/3, depending on their performance in Arithmetic 1. Enhanced Arithmetic 2/3 covers 1.5 years of math content in one year (Arithmetic 2 and half of Arithmetic 3). In Arithmetic 2, students review topics from Arithmetic 1 while applying them to word problems. Students also master multiplication and division as well as their laws, and critical thinking is reinforced through novel problems and patterns. In addition, students are introduced to the base-ten number system and its properties, which are integral to further developing number sense.
In third grade, students either take Arithmetic 3 or Enhanced Arithmetic 3/4, depending on their performance on their previous math course or, if applicable, summer bridge course. Enhanced Arithmetic 3/4 covers 1.5 years of math content in one year (half of Arithmetic 3 and Arithmetic 4). In Arithmetic 3, students master long division and multiplication and understand the idea behind a remainder. In addition, students learn about ratios, decimals, integers, and percents, but are not expected to master these topics. Students also develop fluency in basic variables, equations, inequalities, and fractions.
In fourth grade, students either take Arithmetic 4 or Arithmetic 5, depending on their performance on their previous math course. In Arithmetic 4, students master ratios, decimals, percents, integers, and basic equations. They are introduced to more complex problems that require basic algebraic thinking. In addition, students learn about the cartesian plane, the distributive law, area and perimeter, learn how to tackle more linear equations, and work with basic input/output "rules" which serve as a foundation for functions.
In fifth grade, students either take Arithmetic 5 or Prealgebra, depending on their performance in their previous math course. In Arithmetic 5, students reinforce Arithmetic 4 topics while learning about number systems (whole, natural, integer, rational, irrational, real) and are introduced to powers and roots. Students see roots as fractional powers and work with radicals at basic level. Practice on solving linear equations with fractions and decimals is drilled, and students learn about geometric construction, volume, angles, types of triangles, and more.
Secondary school curriculum
In sixth grade, students either take Prealgebra, Algebra 1, or Algebra 1/Geometry, depending on their performance in their previous math course. Algebra 1/Geometry covers 1.5 years of math content in one year (Algebra 1 and half of Geometry). In Prealgebra, students review Arithmetic 5 topics while studying basic probability and statistics, linear functions, algebraic expressions, radicals, literal equations, proportions, absolute value, graphing basic lines, and more. Students learn formal definitions for the four basic arithmetic operations and learn about angles and parallel lines. In addition, students work on challenging critical thinking problems, volumes of cones and spheres, and distance-rate-time problems.
In seventh grade, students either take Algebra 1, Algebra 1/Geometry, Geometry, or Geometry/Algebra 2, depending on their performance in their previous math course or, if applicable, summer bridge course. Algebra 1/Geometry and Geometry/Algebra 2 cover 1.5 years of math content in one year (Algebra 1 and half of Geometry, or half of Geometry and Algebra 2). In Algebra 1, students study functions, relations, and their properties, as well as a study of linear functions, absolute value functions, quadratic functions, diophantine equations, and families of functions. They are introduced to monomials, polynomials, radical conjugation, and their operations (except polynomial division) as well as factoring, the quadratic formula, completing the square, systems of linear and quadratic equations, and elementary set theory. The year concludes with units on logic, families of functions, composition and inversion, and function operations.
In eighth grade, students either take Geometry, Geometry/Algebra 2, Algebra 2, or Precalculus, depending on their performance in their previous math course or, if applicable, summer bridge course. Geometry/Algebra 2 covers 1.5 years of math content in one year (half of Geometry and Algebra 2). In Geometry, students review geometric topics from Prealgebra and learn about defined and undefined terms, points, lines, angles, planes, spaces, as well as the properties of isosceles, equilateral, and right triangles. Students study polygons and their properties, special right triangles, circular geometry, triangle congruence, right triangle congruence, geometric inequalities types and properties of quadrilaterals, and more. As the end off the year approaches, students learn about area comparison, dimensional analysis, triangle centers, the power of a point, tangents, secants, and inscribed or central angles, as well as a comprehensive study of similarity, leading into trigonometry up to the Pythagorean Identities and all reciprocal and inverse trigonometric ratios. Upon completion of 8th grade, many students take the SAT for admission into the prestigious magnet high schools. Four have done so, and the average score for the math section is a 770 out of a possible 800.[a]
High school curriculum
In their freshman year of high school, students either take Algebra 2, Precalculus, or SV Calculus, depending on their performance in their previous math course. SV Calculus (single-variable calculus) is the equivalent of the American AP Calculus BC, and covers two semesters of American college-level calculus. In Algebra 2, students review key topics from Algebra 1 and move into
the geometry of a parabola, quadratic optimization, Vieta's formulas, focus and directrix, and are introduced to complex numbers. Students conceptually understand hypercomplex numbers and begin to redefine operations as relations with parameters. Students then practice working with rational expressions, higher-degree polynomial equations and inequalities, complex conjugation, integer and rational roots, the intermediate value theorem, the fundamental theorem of algebra, advanced sequences and series, complex number factoring, real and imaginary parts, and more. In addition, students work with radical, exponential, logarithmic, rational, and polynomial functions, their graphs, and their behaviors, including models of radioactive isotopes, logistic growth, natural logarithmic functions, and oblique asymptotes. At the end of the year, students study permutations and combinations.
In their sophomore year of high school, students either take Precalculus, SV Calculus, or MV Calculus/Linear Algebra, depending on their performance in their previous math course. MV Calculus/Linear Algebra (multivariable calculus and linear algebra) is a course covering a third-semester calculus course and a first-semester linear algebra course. In Precalculus, students proceed to advanced manipulations with complex numbers and the complex plane, including magnitude, graphing, distances, and midpoints in the complex plane, as well as the exponential form of complex numbers. Students then proceed to conic sections, and learn about the definitions and graphs of conic sections such as hyperbolas and ellipses, including degenerate cases. In addition, students study the polar coordinate system, modulus and arguments of complex numbers, graphs of polar functions, De Moivre's theorem, complex roots of unity, the unit circle, the Laws of Sines and Cosines, and trigonometric identities such as sums, products, halves, and doubles, as well as sinusoidal, periodic, and trigonometric functions. Students study more sequences and series, including nested and telescoping sums and products, as well as identities, proofs of identities and inequality, induction, and advanced inequalities such as the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality. Students learn about single and multidimensional matrices and vectors as well as their
transformations and plane rotations, including dot and cross products as well as augmented matrices, Cramer's rule, and determinants. At the end of the year, students will be introduced to basic calculus, including limits, derivatives, integrals, and more.
In their junior year of high school, students either take Calculus, MV Calculus/Linear Algebra, or Differential Equations/Abstract Math, depending on their performance in their previous math course. Differential Equations/Abstract Math (differential equations and abstract math) is a course covering a first-semester course on differential equations and a semester course on abstract mathematics and proofs. In Calculus, students review Precalculus concepts and study continuity and discontinuity, tangent lines, properties of differentiation, differentiation of composite and inverse functions, definite and indefinite integrals, contextual and analytical applications of differentiation, integration, accumulation of change, instantaneous change, the power rule, taylor series, the fundamental theorem of calculus, the chain rule, L'Hôpital's rule, and more. In addition, students are introduced to elementary differential equations, explore applications of calculus, parametric equations, plane curves, infinite sequences and series, and study Precalculus topics (such as polar coordinates) in more depth.
In their senior year of high school, students take either MV Calculus/Linear Algebra, Differential Equations/Abstract Math, or Analysis (covering real and complex analysis for a semester each), depending on their performance in their previous math course. The basic curriculum outline for Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra has not been published by the Ministry of Education at this time, however, the course is scheduled to be offered by instructor Virat Varada in the 2023-2024 school year.
History
Gapla's history curriculum includes world history, economics, social studies, as well as Gaplan history. It is designed to prepare students to think critically and use historical thinking skills with less emphasis on memorizing facts and more emphasis on viewing history as a story of the world and Gapla.
The minimum graduation requirement is World History 3: The Modern World, but all students who take thirteen years of history will reach Economics.
Primary school curriculum
Instruction in social studies begins with Kindergarten Civics, a course about citizenship, manners, and people and rules of a society. The course covers little material and is instead focused on organizing children to adapt to the structure of school, such as waiting in lines, taking turns, and talking to one another. The course is the only non-elective History course without a final national exam, instead, grades are assigned under a pass/no pass system.
In first grade, students take Social Studies 1: Learning and Working. In this course, students learn about what it means to be a good citizen of a country, and the basics of a democratic society. It includes units on being good citizens, having a global perspective, learning about the ideals that govern Gapla, comparing and contrasting life in the past and in the present, understanding time, and understanding learning, work, and why they are in school. Global perspectives of others in the world as well as in the past are emphasized throughout the course.
In second grade, students take Social Studies 2: A Child's Place. In this course, students learn about citizenship and the responsibilities of citizenship as well as the Gaplan monarchy. In addition, they learn about communities, families, and structures of cities, states, and the Federated States of Gapla. They learn about Gapla's national symbols, famous Gaplan citizens (such as Wyatt Baek, Chelsea Chen, Emma Bunnell, and Renaldo Chang), learn about the symbolism of Gaplan money, and learn the basics of the capitalist economic system. Students also learn about global currencies, places, and the differences between Gapla and the rest of the world.
In third grade, students take Social Studies 3: People Who Make Change. In this course, students learn about many individuals who have made change to the world for the better, and some people who have changed the world for the worse, as well as their consequences. They learn in brief about the Gaplan Revolution and connections to the present day of Gapla, and the appropriate, democratic ways to advocate for change in a society. Students explore different ideas about what justice is and how change should be made, and are taught that the world and Gapla is a place that can be changed through new, innovative ideas.
In fourth grade, students take Social Studies 4: Continuity and Change. In this course, students learn more about the nation they are in and how it was formed, as well as how Gapla and the world, in brief, has changed over time. In addition, students discuss basic economics, communities, land, currency, trade, and more, and how they shape a nation. They also grasp the idea of a timeline of events that influence other events, and why it is important to learn history.
In fifth grade, students take Gaplan Civics for one semester and Gaplan History for another semester. Gaplan Civics is largely a fast-paced review of the previous courses while learning more in depth about Gaplan culture, economy, and famous individuals in Gapla. Students learn about major events in Gaplan history, and dive deep into the national symbols of Gapla and learn the National Anthem of Gapla. In addition, students develop a sense of national patriotism and belonging in the course.
In Gaplan History, students cover Gaplan history up to June 2022 and learn in depth about the history of their country. Students learn about Gapla-Phoenix, the national restoration, the role-playing era, the Credits Shop, Gapla's beginnings, the Emeralkian conflicts, the states of Chickenopolis and Syopolis, the first rise of Emeralkia, the Emeralkian Civil War, and a prelude to the Gaplan revolution. As they move on into the Gaplan Revolution, students craft a play about the revolution and learn about the forces that tried to stop the country. Students read many texts about the Gaplan revolution, analyze figures, and write works. After the Revolution, students learn about post-revolution Gapla, including the princess protests, Ozzah and Xadia, the Gaplan renaissance, the rise of Elemental, the COVID-19 era, the Kingdoms of H and J, the rise of Folia Tail, the advance of the session and colonial ages, and finally the second modern era, which includes the second rise of Emeralkia, the red wave, the Emersyos, Excelsior, and more. Students also analyze several works by Gaplan writers including Jackie's Fairy Tale, A Petition Against Michael Hubbard, The Story of the Gaplan Revolution, and most notably Muscissus and Echo.
Secondary school curriculum
In sixth grade, students take World History 1: Ancient Civilizations. In this course, students learn about history and historical thinking, hunter-gatherer societies and their tools, ancient human
geography, the agricultural revolution, the very first civilizations, the ancient Hebrews and Greeks, the Jewish diaspora, the ideals of Ancient Greece, the early civilizations of India and China, the intellectual and aesthetic traditions of India, the religions of ancient China, and the Roman Republic and Empire. In addition, the course covers the political, religious, social, geographic, and economic structures of each civilization that is studied, especially Judaism as it relates to the Ancient Hebrews. The course is a comprehensive, fast-paced, and rigorous course covering history from hunter-gatherer societies to the fall of the Roman Empire, although the Roman Empire's fall is reviewed in more depth in World History 2: Medieval and Early Modern Times.
In seventh grade, students take World History 2: Medieval and Early Modern Times. In this course, students learn the understanding of history and historical thinking (but to a lesser depth than World History 1, can be seen as only a review), an in-depth study and analysis of the fall of the Roman Empire, Islamic civilizations and their innovations, medieval China, African civilizations (especially Egypt and Mali), medieval Japan and samurais, medieval Korea and the three Kingdoms, civilizations of medieval Europe, the Meso-American civilizations and their heritage, renaissance, reformation, and Scientific Revolution (and their causes and effects). In addition, the course covers the political, religious, social, geographic, and economic structures of each civilization that is studied. The course is a comprehensive, fast-paced, and rigorous course covering medieval to early modern history in many parts of the world.
In eighth grade, as of now, students do not take a history course. A course in Gaplan Government or a further course in Gaplan history is scheduled, but there is not nearly enough material for the course for it to fill an entire year, so it is not included.
High school curriculum
In their freshman year of high school, students take World History 3: The Modern World. In this course, students learn the understanding of history and historical thinking (but to a lesser depth than World History 1, can be seen as only a review), an in-depth study on the principles of modern religion, the late modern period and its innovations, revolutions of the world (including the
French and American revolutions and their motivations), the industrial revolution and its effects (both positive and negative), the era of new imperialism (as well as the idea of imperialism and empires as a whole), the first and second world wars, the cold war, and contemporary and twenty-first century periods as well as their politics and changes. The course is adapted to the Gaplan environment with a focus on world history as it affects Gapla as a country. The course includes a special unit on genocides, which covers the holocaust, holomodor, and other genocides that have impacted human history, and covers from the 1700s to the present day.
In their sophomore year of high school, students take Economics, which is an in-depth and fast-paced course covering a semester of microeconomics and a semester of macroeconomics. In the first semester, on microeconomics, the course covers material on the Gaplan economy, basic economic concepts, supply and demand, production costs, the perfect competition model, competition, imperfect competition, dark markets, factor markets, market failure, and government intervention in the economy as well as its causes. In the second semester, on macroeconomics, the course covers material on world currencies, a review of basic economic concepts and their applications in macroeconomics, economic indicators, the business cycle, national income, gross domestic product and other indicators, price determination, interest rates, the financial sector, inflation, stabilization policies and their consequences, open and closed economies, and economic systems. This course is fast-paced, rigorous, and encourages students to think critically.
There is no history instruction in the junior and senior years of high school. Most Gaplan schools mandate that an additional elective be taken in its place, while some let students have a free period or to be dismissed from school early.
Science
Gapla's science curriculum is unique as it accelerates the United States curriculum but remains very true to it. Students take grade-level science courses from Kindergarten to eighth grade, then proceed to take Biology, Chemistry, and Physics before taking college-level science classes. However, the science curriculum is planned to be redesigned, and the Ministry of Education is working on an innovative science curriculum.
The minimum graduation requirement is Physics, but all students who take thirteen years of science will reach Advanced Chemistry.
Primary school curriculum
In Kindergarten, students take Kindergarten Science, where they learn shapes, colors, materials, texture, the basics of forces, and the idea of classification. Students also learn about various properties of objects, such as length, weight, transparency, light, the basics of weather and astronomy (the night and day skies), and temperature (as well as the understanding of heating and cooling). In addition, students are introduced to the idea of survival, what plants and animals need to survive, the basics of inherited traits, and the difference between living and nonliving organisms. Elementary states of matter, while they are not introduced in this term, are learned, such as knowing the difference between a solid and a liquid. At the end of the year, a unit on weather as well as severe weather is covered. The course experiments with shadows, temperature, weather, and much more.
In first grade, students take Science 1, where they expand on their knowledge of states of matter from Kindergarten Science and learn the term, as well as review forces and motion in more detail. They are introduced to gasses, their properties, and the identification of the three basic states of matter. Students also learn how changes in states of matters occur, including freezing, evaporation, vaporizing, and condensing, as well as heat flow. In addition, students are introduced to the concepts of physical and chemical changes as well as mixtures. As the school year moves along, students are introduced to magnetism, identification of animals, life cycle diagrams, pollinators, seeds, traits, basic adaptations, the roles of body parts, and thermometers. In the plant unit, students learn about the properties of plants, parts of plants, and the flowering plant life cycle, and in the rock unit, students identify various properties of rocks. Finally, students learn about Earth's features, natural resources, water on Earth, changes to Earth's surface, and metric units (as well as their abbreviations). The imperial system is not taught.
In second grade, students take Science 2, where they review material from previous courses and learn about heat, thermal energy, balanced and unbalanced forces, and the speeds of moving objects. Students study magnetism in more depth, and classify various types of animals as mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Students learn more about life cycles and group behavior, as well as several examples of such behavior, and the basics of plant and flower reproduction. In the heredity unit, students learn about traits, adaptations, and examples of adaptation, as well as learning about acquired and inherited traits and pedigree charts. In the earth unit, students learn about fossils, comparing ancient organisms to modern ones, more on properties of rocks, more on Earth features, as well as the difference between weather and climate and using data to describe such climate. The course ends with a study of basic engineering practices.
In third grade, students take Science 3, where they are introduced to matter, mass, thermal flow, static electricity, transformations of energy, scientific names, and body systems. Students review traits and heredity to head into parts of cells, ecosystems, natural energy, and diagrams of cells. In addition, students are introduced to erosion, types of rocks, identifying and classifying fossils, rock layers, and more. Students identify more advanced earth features and are introduced to satellite imagery. In the astronomy unit, students learn about earth's rotation and orbit, the sun as a star, and the brightness of stars. The course stresses understanding of the metric system and a feel of scale through choosing appropriate units, and the course wraps up with a study of earth events and their consequences.
In fourth grade, students take Science 4, where they review material from previous courses and learn about atoms and molecules, diagrams of atoms, compounds and elementary substances, vertebrates and invertebrates, more on life cycles, ecosystems and roles in food chains, natural energy, laboratory tools and safety, and more. Students learn how to design experiments, experimental questions, independent and dependent variables, and learn more on engineering practices. They learn about atoms, molecules, identification of substances, and more in a thorough investigation of atoms and molecules. In addition, students are introduced to chemical reactions, chemical structure, and changes in energy. They also learn about the differences between speed, distances, and velocity, kinetic and potential energy, transformations between kinetic and potential energy, solutions, as well as magnitudes of forces. Students review material covering genes and traits and move into conservation of ecosystems, human impacts, topographic maps, the basics of climate change, hazard maps, and punnet squares.
In fifth grade, students take Science 5, where they learn about experimental protocols and more on engineering practices. Students are introduced to density, learn more about chemical reactions, particle motion and energy, waves, amplitudes and frequencies, structure and functions of life on earth, more on human body systems, and scientific literacy. They learn about heredity, genetics, the basics of sexual reproduction, environments and traits, and photosynthesis. Earth's systems are also introduced, as well as earth layers, tectonic plates, and earthquakes. In addition, students learn about the water cycle, scientific context, the Earth-Sun-Moon system, constellations, and more. This course is very heavily focused on reinforcing material from the first five years of science (excluding Kindergarten Science) to prepare students for Secondary Science 1.
Secondary school curriculum
In sixth grade, students take Secondary Science 1: Bridge to Advanced Science, where they review material from previous courses in depth to create an understanding for the rest of the course. After that, the course reviews chemical structure and dives deeply into the topic, before moving onto simulations about a variety of topics found in previous years to reinforce understanding, such as kinetic and potential energy. A large chunk of the course is spent on simulations and experiments solidifying students' science knowledge. In addition, students learn more about the
scientific method, plasma, ambiguous states of matter, waves, including energy of waves and the electromagnetic spectrum, cellular respiration, elementary anatomy and physiology, the theory of evolution, genotypes and phenotypes, dominant and recessive traits, and an in-depth analysis of genetic codes and DNA. Time is also spent on adaptations, the idea of natural selection, applying natural selection, as well as the big bang theory. Students learn more about relationships and ecosystems, phases of the moon, the causes of seasons on Earth, the tilt of the Earth, and constellations. The course thoroughly reviews material to ensure that students are ready for high-school science.
In seventh grade, students take two science courses, each a semester long. The first course is Secondary Science 2A: Engineering, Experiments, and Simulations, which is an engineering and experimental course. Rather than learning new material, students thoroughly review and investigate old material, design simulations and experiments, and complete interactive investigations, projects, and inquiries to present their ideas. A lot of the course covers engineering principles and depth and how to apply them in real-world scenarios, and several competitive engineering projects are held. The course is one semester long and no national standards are covered, as a result, students do not have a national exam. The second course is Secondary Science 2B: Health and Sexual Education, which is a course covering topics in health and sexual education. Although "health" may appear to be a euphemism for sexual education, other health topics such as nutrition, relationships, consent, stress, social structures, and more are covered for the first half of the course, while the second half of the course covers sexual education.
The second half of Secondary Science 2B, Sexual Education, has garnered controversy in Gapla. Due to the course's teachings that there are only two genders, the warning against contraceptives for possible moral reasons, the warning against gender surgery, its coverage of and recommended inclusion of LGBT people in society and marriage, its brief coverage of abortion (albeit only covered in the context of saving a woman's life in self-defense, as that is the only permissible form of abortion in Gapla), and many other controversies, left-wing parties in Gapla generally lean on reforming the sexual education system. However, right-wing parties support either a reform or a complete exclusion of sexual education out of the curriculum, stating that the fact that the covering of contraceptives, acceptance and representation for the LGBT community, and acknowledgement of transgender people are either harmful or unnecessary.
In eighth grade, students take Biology, which is a much more intense course as compared to Secondary Science and especially elementary school science. Students review key biology topics from previous courses and proceed to learn about specialized cells, water and life, theories for abiogenesis, vitamins and acids, proteins, multicellular organisms and their structure, the division of cells, eukaryotic structures, cells in plants, living systems, and more. As they move through the course, students learn about enzymes, metabolism, osmosis and tonicity, types of energy, biomolecules, populations in ecosystems, the carbon cycle, resilience in ecosystems, and the cycling of matter. Students go through an in-depth investigation of genetics, DNA, sexual reproduction (outside of humans), and the theory of evolution far more complex than in Secondary Science 1, learning about evidence for evolution, adaption, and extinction. Students are introduced to RNA and have a short unit on viruses, bacteria, and biotechnology. In the last unit, students review biodiversity and course material to prepare for the National Biology Exam.
High school curriculum
Freshman and sophomore years
In their freshman year of high school, students take Chemistry, which is once again like Biology a more intense course than previous courses. Students are led through a brief review of elementary biology before stepping into atoms, electrons, protons, neutrons, ions, and compounds, chemical bonds, reactants and products, the SI base units, bond energy, radioactive decay in
chemistry, ionic formulas, the periodic table and its subdivisions (including atomic and mass number conventions), molar mass, basics of quantum mechanics, noble gasses, isotopes (not to be confused with mathematical models of isotopes, which are covered in Algebra 2), molecular composition, chemical equations, a detailed study of chemical reactions, stoichiometry, a study of reactions, and more. Through the end of the school year, students revisit the periodic table and how it has changed over the years. This is an in-depth and advanced high school course that does not include many of the things listed here, and is deep on experiments, depth of knowledge, and covers many, many rules and examples.
In their sophomore year of high school, students take Physics, which like its counterparts Biology and Chemistry is an intense course unlike previous courses. The course covers velocity, speed, motion, friction average acceleration, instantaneous acceleration, forces, and Newton's three laws. In addition, the course includes content covering projectiles and angles as well as many concepts of two-dimensional motion modeled through vectors and trigonometry, which is concurrently taught in Precalculus for students in the math track with no acceleration. Students also learn about centripetal acceleration and forces, energy and power, momentum and impulse, collisions, centers of mass, and gravitational potential energy (GPE) and its formula. Students take a deep-dive into the concepts of work, energy, motion, and more. Finally, the course includes brief units on advanced properties of waves, sounds, static electricity, and electrical currents. Students also learn about harmonic motion and pendulums in the final unit, although this is not covered on the exam.
Junior and senior years
During their junior and senior years of high school, science is not a graduation requirement but is highly recommended.
Students can choose one of two science tracks for their junior and senior years:
- Students can choose to go on the standard track, which covers Advanced Biology (one semester of American college Biology) in their junior year and Advanced Chemistry (one semester of American college Chemistry) in their senior year. This track is mandated for students who wish to take science in their junior and senior years but had average to poor performance in previous science courses.
- Students can choose to go on the accelerated track (also known as the Physics track), which covers two intense courses: Advanced Biology/Chemistry Accelerated (although to slightly less depth) and Advanced Physics (covering two semesters of American college physics, although to slightly less depth). This track is recommended for students who have had good performance in their previous science courses.
In Advanced Biology, the course covers hydrogen bonding, macromolecules, nucleic acids, advanced cellular structure (including compartmentalization), membranes, tonicity, osmoregulation, catalysis, and a deep-dive into cells, their energy sources, and their methods of communication or feedback (such as signal transduction). Students study sexual reproduction at a very high level, covering Mendelian and non-Mendelian genetics, inheritance, and meiosis. In addition, students learn about genes in significantly more detail than in secondary school, learning about replication of DNA and RNA, RNA processing and transcription, gene expressions, mutations, and a brief chapter on biotechnology and human impacts. Finally, students learn about speciation and natural selection, learning about the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, continuation of evolution, phylogeny, speciation, endangerment, and extinction, as well as a study of abiogenesis.
In Advanced Chemistry, students begin by reviewing chemistry learned in previous years, especially High School Chemistry. Students begin learning about moles, molar mass, spectroscopy, atomic structure, valence electrons, ionic compounds, intramolecular force, structures of various chemicals, solids, metals, and alloys, resonance, and bond hybridization. Students continue to learn about properties of various chemical substances, net ionic equations, titration, acid-base reactions, redox reactions, a study of kinetics and chemical reactions, the ideal gas law, kinetic molecular theory, solubility, the photoelectric effect, and the Beer-Lambert law. and study stoichiometry in greater depth. A large sector of the course is focused on thermodynamics, where students learn about endothermic and exothermic processes, thermal equilibrium, a detailed process of phase changes, enthalpies, entropy, thermodynamic favorability, free energy, cell potential, an advanced study of acids and bases, buffers, and many other concepts.
In Advanced Physics, students begin by reviewing physics content learned in previous years, especially High School Physics. Students begin learning about kinematics and motion in one and two dimensions, circular motion, the work-energy theorem, force, potential energy, and power, centers of mass, impulses and momentum, conservation of momentum, and more. As the students progress through the course, they learn about torque, rotational statics, rotational kinematics, rotational dynamics, and angular momentum. Students also learn about simple harmonic motions, using pendulums and strings as examples of oscillations, as well as gravitation on a planet-based scale. In addition, students learn about electrostatics, Coulomb's law, Gauss's law, conductors, capacitors, dialectics, the physics of electric circuits, magnetic fields and wires, the Biot-Savart law, Ampere's law, and many more advanced topics on electromagnetism. The course is intense, highly in-depth, and rigorous.
English
Gapla's English curriculum is a unique blend of critical writing, reading, and literacy. Students take grade-level English courses from Kindergarten to eighth grade, with writing projects and literacy assignments built in. The English curriculum is unique as it reinforces specific skills, unlike some curricula in the United States who only have vague standards.
The curriculum, in contrast to the mathematics curriculum, is actually behind the American curriculum initially but catches up to the American curriculum by the end of eighth grade. This is probably due to a focus on STEM fields rather than the humanities.
The minimum graduation requirement is English 2, but all students who take thirteen years of English will reach Advanced English 2.
Primary and secondary school curriculum
The current status of the primary and secondary school curricula for English Language Arts is complicated.
In theory, students would progress through Literacy 1 through Literacy 5 in first through fifth grade, Language Arts 1 to Language Arts 3 in sixth to eighth grade, and would proceed to the high school curriculum after eighth grade. However, no current courses in grades 1-8 are available in Gapla due to a dispute in curriculum.
Currently, two English curricula have been proposed by the Ministry of Education:
- The Nopichester system, which is a curriculum designed primarily by the Ministry of Education and inspired from several countries' English curricula. The writing system is largely inspired from a local private writing tutoring business.
- The Nuevachester system, which still utilizes the writing system but lessens its importance. The English curriculum other than the writing curricula would be a self-developed curriculum more focused on analyzing texts and comprehension as compared to hard literacy skills, and is modeled after a modernized version of the American curricula.
None have been adopted by the Ministry for several months due to controversy, so there remain no courses in English. Right-wing parties are generally in favor of the more traditional nopichester system, while the nuevachester system has been applauded by the Gaplan left.
High school curriculum
In ninth grade, students take English 1. Students study and review grammar and conventions, but it is not studied in-depth nor is it a large part of the course. The course is committed to covering a variety of elementary texts for analysis of themes and deeper meaning, including short stories and poetry, rhetoric, speeches, interpretation of literary works, and featuring themes such as
conflict, responsibility, communication, courage, symbolism and meaning, and sacrifice. Students explore these topics while enhancing their English grammar and conventions to gain an overall grasp of elementary English necessary for real-world success. In addition, students cover an in-depth study of narratives, explanatory texts, and argumentative texts, analyzing the unique features of examples and writing their own. A unit on writing personal essays, resumes, and profiles is also covered, and students are required to write some for the national exam. A critical text covered in this course is Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
In tenth grade, students take English 2. Students take a deep-dive into advanced grammar and English conventions, which is studied in great depth in the course. The course covers reviewing lengthy or scientific information and how to process and interpret it, including high-level reading-comprehension questions. Nonfiction, realistic fiction, and science texts have a great emphasis in the course, and prose is covered in detail. In addition, students learn how to write papers on research, documents and formal letters, and learn the fundamentals of tone, purpose, and audience. The unit on argument includes the structure of an argument as well as how to research and counter arguments. Critical texts covered in this course include Orwell's 1984 as well as a rigorous analysis of Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
In eleventh grade, students take Advanced English 1: A Study of Literature (known as English 3 in the United States, not to be confused with the American Honors English 1). In this course, students review prior material then begin with a brief unit focusing on Gaplan literature, works, and history. Throughout the course, several impactful and meaningful texts are studied very in-depth, analyzed, and their meanings learned about, while leaving some of the material open to student speculation. Many works from several different countries are studied, and focus on global history, meaning, and more. Each year, the course's exact content varies.
In twelfth grade, students take Advanced English 2: Literary Analysis (not to be confused with the American Honors English 2). This is an advanced, American college-level literary analysis course which is very in-depth and rigorous. The basic curriculum outline for Advanced English 2: Literary Analysis has not been published by the Ministry of Education at this time.
Other courses
Gaplan schools offer many other courses, such as vexillology, heraldry, music theory, culinary arts, physical education, and classical dance, which are optional courses. Usually, a student is required to take at least one of these optional courses per year, and these courses may be semester-based or year-long.
These courses are not required but issue grades and transcripts like any other course, however, do not have a national exam.
A list of these courses can be viewed at the National Academy's courses section, or by clicking here.
Notes
- ↑ Students received a 730, two 780s, and an 800 in grade 8.
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