This course will pull back the curtain and allow learners to understand - and utilize - the machinations of power. We will draw on University of Iowa Professor Kenneth Brown's course entitled "The Power of Influence"; French philosopher Michel Foucault's "Madness and Civilization"; and one or two current-day inequalities. Finally, learners will identify a wrong […]
This course will use the study of poetry to examine the fundamental aspects of protest throughout history. Utilizing the voices of various poets, the course will examine both current and recent protest movements to understand and untangle the artists’ role in society. The course will study a myriad of poets who used their voices to […]
We often think of film adaptations of literature as needing to condense lengthy novels. However, many blockbuster science fiction movies - including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Minority Report, AI, and Total Recall - were actually based on short stories. These films expanded a relatively brief tale and created a much lengthier cinematic narrative. In this […]
Young people around the world learn about computer programming through Scratch, a block-based coding platform developed by the MIT Media Lab in 2007. It is currently used in 150 countries and available in over 40 languages. The visual blocks are put together like puzzle pieces, making it easy to learn, while introducing basic programming concepts […]
This course is designed for students starting calculus for the first time this fall. We will refresh some topics from precalculus, such as graphing, inequalities, and logarithms, with a particular focus on interpreting word problems. One thing that will be important as students move onto calculus will be understanding how we can make a graph […]
Speculative fiction is fascinating because writers can manipulate race, gender and ability in a myriad of ways while imagining a new future. In this class, we will explore the works of authors such as Octavia Butler, Nnedi Okorafor, and Tomi Adeyemi in order to explore ideas such as how do race gender and ability constructs […]
Designed to support students interested in developing a strong, creative visual portfolio as a component of their admissions process for college or for Scholastic Art Awards, this studio class will provide assignment prompts and technical guidance as well as individual critiques. The course will begin with a review of student work-to-date, from which each artist […]
A summer read through one of the great literary works of all time. Class time would involve discussion of the book and some exposure to Tolstoy as writer and man and to 19C Russian history and culture
Do you actually love reading? Are you looking for a group of like-minded readers? Do you want to branch out into new genres this summer? In this course, we'll dive into four short novels--a book each week--that cover a range of genres, styles, and themes. Students will be expected to read a lot each week […]
Communism was a geopolitical reality and an economic system, but it also drastically altered European societies and influenced the way individuals moved about in the world. Everything - from relationships to one's individual aspirations for the future, to artistic tastes to spirituality - was influenced by the implementation of communist principles in the economy and […]
This course serves as an elective to examine the vital role that the Supreme Court has played over the past 60 years, specifically in regards to civil rights, privacy rights, equality, citizenship, and religious freedom, and where they intersect with our changing politics. In its role as the final arbiter of what is and what […]
Have you ever wondered what it takes to write a play? Well, this course is for you as we will examine plot, language, character/character development, scene creation/movement and theme. The course will also examine several different kinds of plays as a basis for students to then write their own original work.