Academic Philosophy


 At the Institute for Health Professions at Cambria Heights, we believe that students learn best when they are engaged in their learning. We think students must feel safe to experiment and make mistakes because true learning comes from the effort we exert to learn from mistakes. We will challenge our students and ensure that they learn from the mistakes that they make by reviewing assignments and providing support before providing students with a chance to re-do an assignment. In our classes, students will work with their peers to explore and experiment with topics using the same tools and skills that professionals use. In Social Studies classes, students will read historical documents and the writings of historians to better understand the past and the connection of the past to the present. In mathematics, students will do, understand, and apply mathematics in their everyday lives, whether it is choosing the best investment strategy or calculating the correct dosage of medicine. In science, students will make observations about the world, create hypotheses to explain what they see, test their hypotheses, and communicate their findings. English classes will require students to read texts closely to analyze the way an author portrays the human condition. In short, we believe that, "One learns best by doing a thing; for though you think you know it, you have no certainty until you try."



Offerings


Click on the course to see a detailed description.

Lower House

English: Survival of the Fittest

Survival of the Fittest


This 9th grade English course focuses on Gender Studies and the theme “Survival of the Fittest.” Charles Darwin said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change." Students learn about who they are, how people change and how to adapt to change from the characters read about and ultimately, from themselves and their peers.
Survival of the Fittest ELLS

Survival of the Fittest ELLS


Immigrant students coming to the United States face unprecedented challenges. From headlines of unlawful detention of refugees, harassment from ICE, and labor trafficking, to racist, sexist, and economic disparity, unlawful imprisonment, and deportation, today's America poses a number of challenges for new immigrants. Now, more than ever, it is important for immigrant teens to build a real consciousness around their conditions, know and stand up for their rights, and speak their truth to the world. Through the use of a variety of media and several lengthy writing assignments, students learn English by becoming advocates for themselves.
English: The Joy of Helping

English: The Joy of Helping


When we use our “mirror” to look at ourselves and the world around us, we see individuals mainly focused only on their own lives and situations... even though people around us are suffering everyday with no one to help them. This course focuses on the benefits of helping others, by analyzing a series of texts that discuss situations we all deal with. In addition, students will be provided the time and resources needed to extend a helping hand to those in need.
English: The Art of Protest

English: The Art of Protest


"Through the looking glass" is a metaphorical expression. It means: on the strange side, in the twilight zone, in a strange parallel world. It comes from the idea of Lewis Carol's novel: "Through the Looking-Glass", and the strange and mysterious world Alice finds when she steps through a mirror. Students will focus on the world of protest and injustice that society finds itself in today. Students look through our own mirrors and those of others to determine effective ways to stand up against and resolve injustice in our world.
IHPCH Voices

IHPCH Voices


This course will allow students to evaluate and analyze the events that are taking place around them each day locally, nationally and globally, and share this information with their peers and staff members through the use of social media and the IHPCH Voices website. Students will be required to update the school website with updated news stories once a month. In order to make sure they are able to keep the website fresh with news stories, students will conduct their own research through interviews, phone calls, surveys, etc. They will then complete the writing process for their stories in order to maintain the organization’s professionalism. In addition, the students will also be required to keep our Facebook and Vimeo sites updated with news from our school community.
Biology: The Balanced Life

Biology: The Balanced Life


This course is designed to explore the importance of nutrition. Within our study of nutrition, we will explore a variety of diets, macro and micronutrients and other components in food in relation to maintenance, growth, reproduction, health, and disease in humans. Our investigations will be based in scientific inquiry and students will use their work to propose and explain patterns in food intake, absorption, synthesis, and excretion.
Chemistry

Chemistry


This course is designed to explore the chemistry of everyday products and processes. Within our study of chemistry we will investigate the chemistry of a range of products from cosmetics to foods. Our investigations will be based in scientific inquiry and students will engage in the engineering design process to develop a consumer good and explain how matter is organized and combined for specific functions.
Algebra I

Algebra I


The purpose of this course is to guide students in building a connection between mathematics and the real world. Throughout the course students are encouraged to study patterns and rely on their observations to better understand the uniqueness of different functions and the benefits of modeling with mathematics. This course aims to create a group culture where students question each other, critique one another’s thinking, and learn the importance and benefits of mathematic discussion. Through these discussions they will learn to communicate their ideas, make conjectures and analyze their results.
Geometry

Geometry


This course revisits concepts and procedures students experienced in middle school, but with an expectation that students will complete the course with a deeper understanding of these concepts. Essential to this work is an inquiry approach to teaching mathematics where students are given multiple opportunities to reason, discover and create. Problem solving is the catalyst to the inquiry process, so students are constantly placed into problem solving situations where they are asked to think for themselves and with their classmates.
Get Up Stand Up

Get Up Stand Up


A performance based assessment class focused on the evolution of media through the invention of technology, propaganda, and its impact on human rights throughout modern history. Students begin by studying the invention of the printing press and its impact on society through the fast and vast spread of ideas. Students learn about the Holocaust and how propaganda influenced the actions of society during the time period. Students then focus on other human rights violations that have occurred since 1945. Students learn about the Caribbean and the impact of Imperialism. Lastly, students choose a modern human rights violation to create a research paper and presentation to fulfill their Pre-PBAT assignment.
Career and Financial Management

Career and Financial Management


Career and Financial Management explores career development, options beyond high school, workplace regulations, career readiness skills, leadership and ethics and business communications. Additionally, students are exposed to budgeting and money management.
Anatomy and Physiology

Anatomy and Physiology


How are you changing the world? What will your impact be on society? Anatomy and Physiology is a course that will enable students to develop an understanding of the relationships between the structures and functions of the human body. Students will also learn the mechanisms for maintaining homeostasis within the human body. This course will involve laboratory activities, projects, dissections, and clinical studies. At the end of the course, students will design and construct a 3-D engineered prosthetics device of their choice. Students will explore the process that biomedical engineers take every day to drive the creations of medical technologies.
Health Core I

Health Core 1


The transformation of New York State’s healthcare system to care coordination and care management delivery models requires new core skills and competencies across many frontline healthcare workers, including care coordinators, care managers, patient navigators, community health workers, health educators, medical assistants, patient care technicians/associates, nurses, and home care workers. While many of the specific job responsibilities and titles of these roles vary across institution, setting, and patient population, there is a large consensus in the field and a growing body of literature to support that healthcare workers practicing in these models have overlapping functions and should have a core set of skills and competencies. This course develops a strong foundation of the core competencies for today’s healthcare workforce.
Pathways to Success

Pathways to Success


This guidance course focuses on the steps that students need to take during the turning point of their high school careers. Students visit colleges, attend college fairs, and network with college and post-secondary admission representatives. This course focuses on the following NYC Department of Education college and career readiness benchmarks: academic and personal behaviors and college and career access.
Transition to High School

Transition to High School


This course is designed to introduce incoming freshman into the IHPCH school community. Within this course students will become familiar with the school’s mission, students expectations and norms established for student success. Students will understand the academic and character standards in which they will be assessed on in all of their courses. This course will also provide a safe and welcoming environment where students can engage in discussions tailored around teen topics and issues. As part of the school's mission students will develop and participate in numerous community service opportunities.
Raising Social Awareness Through Art

Raising Social Awareness Through Art


Do you remember the "Ice Bucket Challenge" on Facebook to help raise money for ALS? What about TheTruth.com's "Left Swipe Dat" ad campaign to try to convince people not to smoke cigarettes? In the course, students examine both health and social issues from current events and create art to bring these issues to the public. Incorporating videos, comics, brochures, board games, street art, along with classical art skills such as drawing from observation students work together to develop artworks both alone and with peers.
Art In Action

Art In Action


In continuation from Raising Social Awareness Through Art, students examine current issues in the world that have meaning to society. Art In Action is a research oriented art class that combine themes that students are passionate in, self developed and self driven research questions and different artistic styles. Ranging from board game development to graffiti and urban street art, students develop ways to protest issues and have their voices heard.
Music

Music


Music I focuses on learning the very basics of music and its structure, in order to give students the foundation they need in order to learn, practice, and achieve on almost any instrument covered (and not covered) in class. The course also helps students understand their own voice as a musical instrument, not to mention gives them a start with learning how to play on electronic keyboards. Further, Music I also goes into music history, covering not only current events and happenings in-the-moment, but also what has come before and what has shaped the numerous genres the students listen to daily.
Physical Education

Physical Education


Physical education (PE) is a required academic subject that teaches students how to be physically active. In PE, students learn to work as a team, develop healthy personal fitness habits, and set fitness goals now and throughout their lives.

Upper House

Nacirema Dreaming

Nacirema Dreaming


The American Dream. Is it the same for everyone? Are there systems and institutions set up to allow some individuals to succeed, but not all? What effect does society have on a person achieving this great dream? Nacirema Dreaming uses American Classics such as Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Fences by August Wilson, as well as music, poetry and famous speeches to create a dynamic definition of the American Dream. This course requires participants to analyze these texts through a Sociological Criticism Theory and Focus Questioning. Throughout the course, students have the opportunity to conduct independent research that connects to themes covered in class. This research is used to make connections to the texts. At the completion of this course, students synthesize what they learned over the course of the year in a debate about the American Dream.
Mind of an Outsider

Mind of an Outsider


What it means to be an outsider in a peer group, family, and society? Students uncover the different types of outsiders (including misfits and black sheep) that appear in literature. Students read a range of texts including The Chocolate War, The Catcher in the Rye, Death of a Salesman, A Raisin in the Sun, and Hamlet. Additionally, students read a variety of poems, short stories, and non-fiction articles to supplement their understanding of major themes. Not only do students read texts about these outsiders, they also explore some Psychological lenses to deepen their understanding of these characters. Students analyze their actions using the Psychological Lenses to figure out why they do what they do. By the end of the year, students learn how to formulate and articulate a coherent and debatable argument that uses both literature and psychological lenses.
English 12

English 12


Throughout the 12th grade year, students explore the question, “How do we, as independent researchers explain, why do people do what they do?” Students explore what motivates a person’s choices and actions. Are their choices motivated by guilt, love, race, success, past failures, culture? One of the biggest aspects of this course is your Graduation Level- PBAT. During the second half of the year, students conduct independent research and connect it to Paule Marshall’s Brown Girl, Brownstones.
Exploring Human Nature in Literature

Exploring Human Nature in Literature


Do characters exhibit authentic human behavior? This course explores how authors create and develop characters in texts. In order to evaluate the authenticity of these characters, students study Psychological lenses including Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Erikson’s Stages of Development, and Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development. The first semester revolves around the English PBAT, which is a comparison of two characters and their development in texts previously studied. The second half of the year focuses on abnormal psychology and mental illness.
IHPCH Voices

IHPCH Voices


This course will allow students to evaluate and analyze the events that are taking place around them each day locally, nationally and globally, and share this information with their peers and staff members through the use of social media and the IHPCH Voices website. Students will be required to update the school website with updated news stories once a month. In order to make sure they are able to keep the website fresh with news stories, students will conduct their own research through interviews, phone calls, surveys, etc. They will then complete the writing process for their stories in order to maintain the organization’s professionalism. In addition, the students will also be required to keep our Facebook and Vimeo sites updated with news from our school community.
Health Core 2

Health Core 2


The transformation of New York State’s healthcare system to care coordination and care management delivery models requires new core skills and competencies across many frontline healthcare workers, including care coordinators, care managers, patient navigators, community health workers, health educators, medical assistants, patient care technicians/associates, nurses, and home care workers. While many of the specific job responsibilities and titles of these roles vary across institution, setting, and patient population, there is a large consensus in the field and a growing body of literature to support that healthcare workers practicing in these models have overlapping functions and should have a core set of skills and competencies. This course develops a strong foundation of the core competencies for today’s healthcare workforce.
Pre-Nursing

Pre-Nursing


Nursing is a challenging occupation in an ever changing healthcare environment. Communication, and Patient and Family relations are strong components of this occupation. Students learn the importance of Infection Control and Safety, Anatomy and Physiology (including Circulatory, Musculoskeletal, and Nervous Systems), and much more. Students complete hands-on practical skills in the laboratory, which include taking vital signs, CPR, bed making, bathing and grooming, caring for surgical patients, and various health care procedures.
EMT

Emergency Medical Technician


Do you want to become an EMT? Do you want to treat sick and injured people knowing that your help could make a big difference in their lives? The Emergency Medical Technician - Basic course will prepare the motivated student to become a New York State certified EMT.
Course content covers all of the National Educational Standards curriculum required to participate in the May, 2019 New York State Practical Skills Exam and the New York State EMT Written Exam. Students will experience learning in the classroom, in hands-on skills labs, and by doing ride-alongs on Northwell Health System ambulances. Candidates who successfully complete all requirements of this course will be certified as New York State Emergency Medical Technicians.
*Students must be 18 by May 31 of their senior year to participate in the EMT program.
Intro to EMT

Intro to EMT


Course content covers some of the National Educational Standards curriculum required for the New York State Practical Skills Exam and the New York State EMT Written Exam.
Physics through the Ages

Physics through the Ages


In this course, students explore the nature and properties of matter, energy, and their interactions. In this course students will design, build and test their own physical models. Through this process they will be documenting their work and using this to produce papers for assessment.
Physics II

Physics II


Physics II will focus on the mathematics and nature of objects in motion. This course will begin with the study of motion in one and then two dimensions. We will also study the causes of motion and energy transfer. Throughout the course we will apply our studies to solving engineering problems.
Behavioral Science Research

Neuroscience


In Behavioral Science Research, students use scientific methods and techniques to study what people do, what drives them to do things, and how they interact with each other as well as in society. Students work with a team to design and implement an original experiment that investigates a specific question that relates to a social problem within the context of behavioral science. They will then prepare to share their scientific work with the public at our Science Research Exhibition.
Algebra II / Trigonometry

Modeling With Mathematics


A mathematical model begins with a real world situation students want to understand. How can students discuss this problem? What predictions can students make? Is what students are being told about this true? What decisions can students make based on this information? This course investigates how to create mathematical models for many situations by choosing relevant information and understanding the behavior of functions. Modeling with mathematics arises in many different disciplines, and industries, including mathematics, science, technology, and engineering. Algebra 2 and Trigonometry topics are explored and conceptual understanding are deepened while make connections to their prior knowledge.
College Algebra

College Algebra


College Algebra takes students into an in-depth exploration of algebraic concepts. This course engages students in the discovery of, and connections to, mathematical concepts. The authentic tasks are designed to deepen understanding and encourage synthesis of ideas by incorporating critical thinking and mathematical writing.
A More Perfect Union

A More Perfect Union


Students begin the year by asking themselves, “What are some of the greatest issues facing America today and in the future?” As a class, students work backwards in American history to trace how these issues developed over time and propose real solutions to these issues. As a result of this approach, students develop a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens. Students also examine the causes and consequences of the unequal participation and representation of groups in U.S. politics.
Money, Power, Respect

Money, Power, Respect


Money, Power, Respect explores how the United States Government influences the lives of citizens through the lenses of money, power and respect. The class focuses on the essential question, Is the American government “of the people, by the people, and for the people of the United States”? Students explore United States government and economic topics including the United States elections at the state and federal level, voting laws and participation, income inequality, taxation, and the cost of college. Each student chooses a topic to research and make a cohesive argument whether or not the United States government has fulfilled the constitutional guarantees to the people.
French

French


This course is an introduction to the study of French language and culture. Students perform the most basic functions of the language and to become familiar with some elements of its culture. The emphasis is placed on the development of the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing within a given context extending outside of the classroom setting when possible. The context focuses on the students’ lives and experiences and includes an exposure to everyday customs and lifestyles. Grammar is integrated throughout the course and is selected according to the language needs. Students acquire some insight into how languages and cultures work by comparing the target language and culture(s) to their own.
Physical Education

Physical Education


Physical education (PE) is a required academic subject that teaches students how to be physically active. In PE, students learn to work as a team, develop healthy personal fitness habits, and set fitness goals now and throughout their lives.
Health

Health


Health education is a required academic subject for students in all grades. In this class, students learn how to take care of their minds, their bodies, and their relationships with others. They learn the concepts and skills they need to be healthy for life, including:social and emotional skills,how to set goals for life and health, how to find and use health services, good communication and relationship skills, how to set boundaries and resist negative social pressure.
Looking for an Argument

Looking for an Argument


Looking for an Argument is a course designed to introduce students to a range of complex issues, as well as to give them practice in several essential skills: public speaking, listening, debating, reading, note-taking, highlighting and research.
Leadership

Leadership


The Leadership Course prepares students to take on more leadership roles within their school community and in their lives. The course assists students in learning to speak up and speak out when they feel something is not just, whether it is something that affects them personally or someone within their communities. The course also assists students in helping those in need by taking on volunteer roles and projects outside of the school. Finally, Leadership assists students in taking a look at college through PSAT preparation, college trips and visits from college representatives.
College and Career Readiness/PBAT Support

College and Career Readiness


This course focuses on preparing students for their transition from high school, The first level of support is with the college application process. The students work closely with their advisor while working on completing their college essays, resumes, even with completing their SUNY, CUNY and Common Applications. The second level of support is with each student’s graduation level PBATs and to ensure every student has a path for post-graduation success.
iLearn

iLearn Online Courses


iLearn courses are online based courses offered through the NYC Department of Education.
Graduation Level PBATs

Graduation Level PBATs


Students will create and present their Performance Based Assessment Tasks to a panel of 2 teachers and 1 outside evaluator in the following subjects:
  1. English Comparative Literary Paper and Presentation
  2. Physics Engineering Project
  3. Application of Higher Level Mathematics
  4. History Research Paper and Presentation