ELECTIVES

This class is an elective course for all incoming ninth-grade students. Through the course content, students will engage in collaborative reading of articles, journals, and text excerpts, along with viewing historic film clips and documentaries; analysis and discussion of this historic textual evidence will follow in support of the celebration of the school’s existence. Students will receive the opportunity to understand Ellington’s founding, and in turn, they will engage in assignments and project-based learning. We are delighted to extend the chance for students to immerse themselves in the accessible and archived records about how Duke Ellington School of the Arts began in the nation because Mike Malone and Peggy Cooper-Cafritz saw the need for social justice. They will also learn about the partnerships with George Washington University, the Kennedy Center, and DCPS and how those relationships continue to thrive in support of this professional arts public high school. Additionally, students will explore the intersectionality that
Home Rule afforded the city, which meant that DC’s GoGo music and indigenous beats, plus emerging Black artists became part of the fabric of Washington, D.C. Lastly, students will benefit from several visiting teaching artists who will present their artistry through Master Class Mondays to provide experiential learning and boost student commitment to their individual artistry! The overall intent and purpose of this course are to motivate students to know their school’s story and activate their own ‘Arts as Activism.’ Through the lens of the arts and competitive academics, students will see how they can keep equality moving and bring systemic change to the nation’s capital and the world. They can Be the Change!