GFS January Term 2016 Course Catalog

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JAN UARY TERM COUR S E CATALOG

G E R M A N TOWN F R I E N D S S C H O O 1L

January Term C O U R S E C ATA L O G 2016

ta b l e o f c o n t e n t s S TAT E M E N T O F P H I L O S O P H Y � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 1 JANUARY TERM SCHEDULE ��������������������������� 2 M A J O R C L A S S E S ( 6 H O U R S ) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 3 M A J O R C L A S S E S ( 3 H O U R S ) � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 6 M I N O R C L A S S E S � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � 2 1

S TAT E M E N T O F P H I L O S O P H Y

January Ter m enables our community to live the mission and values of our school a n d e x p l o r e n e w p a s s i o n s, i n t e r e s t s a n d interdisciplinary ways of lear ning about t h e w o r l d a n d o u r s e l v e s. T h r o u g h a modified schedule and course of ferings o u t s i d e o f t h e r e g u l a r c u r r i c u l u m, J a n u a r y Ter m pr ovides teachers and students a s p a c e f o r e x p e r i m e n t a t i o n, i n v e s t i g a t i o n a n d r e f l e c t i o n.

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JANUARY TERM SCHEDULE

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

8:10 am-8:20am

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom

Period 1

Major or Free

Major or Free

Major or Free

Minor

Period 2

Major or Free

Major or Free

Major or Free

Major or Free

Minor

Major or Free

Assembly

MFW

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Lunch

Period 5

Major or Free

Major or Free

Minor

Major or Free

Period 6

Major or Free

Major or Free

Minor

Major or Free

Period 7

Major or Free

Minor

Major or Free

Major or Free

Period 8

Major or Free

Minor

Major or Free

Major or Free

8:20 am-9:05am

9:05 am-10:05am

Period 3

10:05am-10:50am

Period 4

10:50am-11:35am

11:35am-12:20pm

12:20 pm-1:05pm

1:05 pm-1:50pm

1:50 pm-2:35pm

FRIDAY

Homeroom

Extended Experience/ Field Trip

Each student’s schedule will include 16 major class periods, six minor class periods, four free periods and one extended experience or field trip per week. Wednesday assembly and Meeting for Worship will continue as usual.

Students will complete a self-reflection for each of their courses. Teachers will assess students in each course and designate credit on student reports as follows: “CREDIT/HIGHLY ENGAGED,” “CREDIT,” or “NO CREDIT.” 2

MAJOR CLASSES THE FOLLOWING MAJOR CLASSES WILL MEET FOR 6 HOURS PER WEEK Americanah: Exploring Identities in America Mirangela Buggs

Documentary Film History & Production Sarah Detwiler & Kackie St. Clair

H ow do es the story of an Afric a n-bor n bl ac k w om an i n Am eric a in sp ir e us to think abou t what America is and what it means to so many dif fer ent people? In this course, students will work with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s critically -accl ai med b ook, Americ a na h, an d expl or e, as a community, a range of related themes su rr o u ndi n g i ssues of identity, belong ing, immigration/migration, cultur e/ethnicity, race, gender and class—and how these shape various experiences in America. In an inter disciplinary, multifaceted, multimedia classr oom experience, students will engage in analytical and r eflective r eading of, and r esponses to. the book and other texts (including film, poetry, etc.) and open discussion/dialogue, as well as author one major r eflective and one major analytical writing pr oject. Assessment will b e ba sed on t h e qu al i ty of s t u dent s’ c la ss pa rtic ip ation an d c ontr ibu ti on to a l ear nin g c ommun ity ba sed on sh ar ed expl or a ti on, t h in ki n g , speaking a nd writing.

Students in this course will focus on the making of short documentary films and r eview the history of the for mat. They will view example documentaries in or der to understand the genr e, how it has changed over time and how to best use this style to describe and r eveal a subject. Students will participate in the planning, filming and editing of a 3-5 minute film. Topics will be local to Ger mantown: possibly a radio station, a r estaurant, an art gallery or a local her o. Students will serve in a variety of r oles in this collaborative pr ocess, as camera operators, dir ectors, writers, sound/light specialists and editors. Note: This course has a required field trip.

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Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 90-minute classes per week

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The Current Supreme Court Term Jeremy Ross

Students in this course will examine cases pending befor e the US Supr eme Court in the curr ent 20152016 ter m. The course will open with a look at the US Supr eme Court’s jurisdiction and or ganization, and students will then select two of the cases on the Court’s docket for an up-close look. This will i nv ol v e r ea d i n g the b riefs a nd the c h ief pr i or relevant opinions (much but not all of which can be done in the classroom), and will culminate in a pair of mock arguments by student counsel for both parties before a mock court of student judges, who must then decide the case and justify their opinions.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 10, 12 Four 90-minute classes per week

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Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week and one 180-minute class per week

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Elevator Pitch Aaron Preetam

All successful businesses began with a compelling idea. However, many brilliant ideas ar e never tur ned into r eality due to lack of funding or an inability to convey the potential of its good/service. In this course, students will work in teams to dev el op a r ev ol u ti onar y pr odu c t or se r vic e , a n d will attempt to bring their idea to fruition by crafting a business plan. Business plans will include an executive summary (brief overview of the entire plan), market analysis (demographics of tar get market, market size, tar geted market size, etc.) and pr ojected financial highlights (financial pr ojec ti ons , r ev enu e, c os t pr oject ion s, fun d in g and br eak-even point). In addition to the business plan, each team will develop an “elevator pitch” that clearly and concisely details why investors should back their idea. Students will be assessed based on their ability to work as a cohesive team, th e feas i bi l i ty and ac c u r ac y of their b usin e ss pl an, m ar keti ng of th ei r pr odu c t/servic e a n d

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MAJOR CLASSES

success of their elevator pitch. Students ar e not r e qu i r ed b ut a r e str on gly en c oura ged to submit their pitch to one of the national contests for high school entr epr eneurs.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 90-minute classes per week

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Introduction to Meteorology Mark Croxford

As B o b Dyla n ob served , “ You d on ’ t need a weather man to know which way the wind blows,“ and after taking this class, you’ll know much more than just how to deter mine wind direction!

Stu dent s wi ll use ba sic sc ientific p r inc ipl es to construct an understanding of the atmospher e, a crucial component of earth science that many do not understand despite its obvious importance and utility. They will lear n basic atmospheric structure and cloud types, as well as how to read weather maps and local conditions to make basic forecasts.

Students will survey the types of severe we a th e r w i th an em p hasis on thun derstor ms , s now s tor m s and h u r ri c a n es. F ina lly, they will be intr odu c ed to i m po r ta n t p layers in c lima te such as the curr ent, str ong El Niño event. During the month, students may visit the local National Weather Service For ecasting Of fice in Mt. Holly, NJ, and a local news station. Lear ning will be assessed thr ough lab activities (two to three per week) and two tests. Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 90-minute classes per week

Poetry As Courage, Poetry As Service Sara Primo 6

B u i l d y our own c ra ft of p oetry a nd l ear n to s h ar e poetry with others. In this cou r s e, y ou w i l l parti c i p a te in an in ten sive poetr y -wr i ti ng w orks h op , a n d you will a lso lear n to LE AD writing workshops of your own! Expect to write four poems a week; expect to memorize, r ehearse and perfor m a poem of your choice; and expect to go out into the community to lead a poetry session i n a l o ca l a ssi sted-living fac ility. In th is c ou r s e, y o u wi l l exp a n d your c omfort zon e and em er ge f e el i ng cr ea ti ve a nd embold en ed. You r fi nal assessment will consist of your poetry portfolio:

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6 HOURS PER WEEK

significant r evision of thr ee poems, your memorized poem per for mance, your lesson plan and live poetry session and your participation in a final poetry r eading of your best work. Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 90-minute classes per week

Professional Set Construction 7 Michael Kerns

Partnering with Philadelphia’s AZUKA Theatr e Company, this class will lead students thr ough the pr ocess of constructing a pr ofessional set for the company’s first pr oduction on the newly renovated stage in The Drake Ballroom.

Executing a pr oject of this scale r equir es pr ecise planning to m eet h ar d deadl i nes . T his c l a ss w il l sh ow students how to bring a design to fruition, starting with the cr eation of a plan that includes drawing, measuring, scheduling, budgeting and identifying and or dering materials. The primary focus of class time will be dedicated to the actual implementation of this plan thr ough the building process. In addition, students will attend a fu l l pr odu c ti on m eeti ng at T h e Dra ke w it h t he pr ofes s i onal des i gn and pr odu c tion t ea m . If they choose, students will also have the opportunity to participate in loading the set into th e D r ake T h eatr e as w el l as w atc h the show c o me togeth er w i th l i gh ti ng, s ou nd and a c t ors during tech weekend in February. This will be an intense, hands-on experience for a limited number of students who ar e serious about lear ning how to manage and execute a small yet pr ofessional c ons tr u c ti on pr ojec t . Not e: Th is cour se ha s a r equ ir ed field t rip.

Prerequisite: Teacher approval Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 180-minute classes per week

MAJOR CLASSES

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Realism in Mid-Century Cinema Sam Sullivan

“The cinema is an idealistic phenomenon. The concept men had of it existed so to speak fully ar med in their minds, as if in some platonic heaven ...” –Andr e Bazin A l l of u s —p oets, pa r en ts, fasc ists, s tu dents , Tr otskyites, Marxists, feminists, r evolutionaries and Catholic Br others—have at one time in our collective histories as consumers of language been moved to varying states of rapture in response to the merits or faults we ‘see’ in film. As in, “OMG: did you see Cars?? I cried a hundr ed times!”

This course will consider films and writing about films of the mid-20th century, at a time when ‘language and r epr esentation have invaded the universal pr oblematic.’ Who speaks and who is silenced by the avant-gar de? How does the state r e s tri ct exc ha n g e between its peopl e th r ou gh f i l m? Wh a t m a kes somethin g “ r eal is tic ” v s .

R e al i s t? Wha t i s the a genc y of the fil mmaker ?

Th r o u gh sc r een ing s, d isc ussion s and r eadi ngs , th e ma in a im o f th e course is to develop a working critical vocabulary ar ound film on which we can build our r eadings of art in dif fer ent social and ideological contexts. The coursework will include r eadings (not too many) and paragraphlong r esponses. The secondary aim of this course is to re-recognize the vastness of these questions and to evaluate our personal inclinations towar d lear ning mor e about them. Readings include Kristin Ross, Andr e Bazin, Roland Barthes, bell hooks, Roberto Fer nández Retamar, Laura Mulvey and mor e. Featur e films TBD. Short films by Chris Marker, Samuel Beckett, Joan Jonas and mor e.

6 HOURS PER WEEK

Topics & Issues in Medieval Philosophy Jim Barron 9

The Middle Ages can be understood as the process wher eby the cultur e of Late Antiquity transitioned into the Renaissance. The principal engine of this pr ogr essively complex evolution was Medieval ph i l os oph y . Begi nni ng w i th Boeth ius’ La t in tr ans l ati ons of, and c om m entar i e s on , C l a ssic a l G r eek di al ec ti c al texts ( l ogi c text s) , Med ie va l ph i l os oph y s pr ead ac r os s Wes ter n E ur op e , pr opelled initially by the intellectual pr ogram or i gi nati ng at th e c ou r t of Ch ar l e ma g n e . A s dialectics evolved, new philosophic issues ar ose to which logic was likewise applied. In addition to th i s , th e expos u r e to di al ec ti c s a mon g t he edu c ated el i te l ed to r ati onal dev el op me n t s in law, gover nance, individual and corporate rights, and theology. In this course, students will lear n the ter ms and categories of Medieval logic. They will r ead selected texts fr om Boethius, Anselm, Abelar d, Averr oes, Aquinas and others, r elated to the topics of universals, knowledge theory, the body/soul r elationship and the metaphysics of being and essence. Students will be r equir ed to do about 45 minutes of nightly reading, participate in class discussions and write in-class essays.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 90-minute classes per week

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week and one 180-minute class per week

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MAJOR CLASSES THE FOLLOWING MAJOR CLASSES WILL MEET FOR 3 HOURS PER WEEK 10

3-D Printing & Design Matt Zipin

In this class, students will lear n to use at least two dif fer ent 3-D design pr ograms (T inkerCad and SketchUp) to print pr ojects on a 3-D printer. Not familiar with 3-D printing? We are seeing examples nearly every day, in some for m or another, both simple and mundane, such as a chess piece or a r eplacement for a br oken air conditioner knob, and complex or even life-saving, such as human ears or heart valves. A 3-D printer lays down tiny, thin layers of molten plastic, one atop another, t o f or m ob jec ts, literally, out of noth ing. Students will see the latest in 3-D printing fr om select videos, lear n about the application of 3-D printing in industry fr om guest speakers and, hopefully, visit design studios to see industrial 3-D printers in action. The culminating activity will be an art show, wher e students will p ut their fin al pr ojec ts on d isp la y for th e GF S community to see and admir e.

Her e ar e some of the projects students completed last year: key ring, class ring, holiday or nament, snowman, piggy bank, dr eidel, something for Valentine’s Day, towel hook, customized cap for USB drive (start a little business on the side, maybe?).

Wh en students ar e finished with their pr ojects, they can take them home. Note: This class has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

“A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again”: Essays & Short Fiction by David Foster Wallace Joe McGeary 11

In this course, we will r ead and study essays and short stories by David Foster Wallace drawn fr om the collections “A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again: Essays and Ar guments” and “Girl with Curious Hair.” Wallace is known for h is innov ati v e a n d e x p e rim e n ta l fiction, his considerable intelligence, his compassion, his sense of humor and his keen and sometimes satiric al insigh ts into c onte m p o ra ry Am e ric a n cultur e. Students who wish to write experimental cr eative fiction and nonfic-

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tion can benefit fr om this course, as can students who wish to r ead one of the most intelligent, daring, innovative and quite often hilarious American writers of r ecent years. Students will use Wallace’s writing as a model for short cr eative pieces (ungraded) they will write during the course.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

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Advanced Darkroom Photography Michael Koehler

Adv anc ed D ar kr oom Ph otogr aph y w il l c o n sist o f dev el opi ng and pr i nti ng i n th e da rkr oom and w eekl y c r i ti qu es w i th th e goa l of b uil d in g a c oh es i v e body of w or k for a fi nal p ort fo l io .

S tu dents w i l l need to h av e pr ev i ous w ork in g knowledge of the darkr oom and have a pr oject in mind, either one alr eady in pr ogr ess or one they can cr eate during class time, in or der to sign up for this course. The class is designed to give students that alr eady have begun the exploration of photography a chance to extend their vision and bring their process to a higher level. My hope is that the focused time in a darkroom and further exposure to using gelatin silver photography will create a power ful connection between the students and the process of creating an image, and the importance of the final state of said image—that a photograph lives on far after the picture is made.

Prerequisite: Previous darkroom experience Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

MAJOR CLASSES

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Advanced Physical Education Shawn Werdt

Adv anc ed Physic al E d uc a tion is d es igned for s t u dent s i n ter ested in a c hievin g th eir h igh es t l e v el o f hea lth-r elated fitn ess. Cla s s ac tiv i ti es will emphasize impr oving fitness thr ough weight trai ni ng, p lyometric exer c ises a nd c r os s -fi t training. The focus of the class is to addr ess the f i v e com p on en ts of fitn ess: c a r d ior es pir ator y endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility and body composition. Students will participate in a wide range of rigorous group and individual fitness r outines/activities as well as h av e the op p ortun ity to develop a per s onal f i tne s s pla n . I f you thrive on intens ity in y ou r w orkou t s a n d wan t to move to the next l ev el , th i s cl as s i s f or you.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Altering Space & Time with Animated Video Projections Megan Culp & Sarah Zwerling 14

Students will lear n to use Adobe Photoshop to animate images and manipulate video footage.

Building on historical for ms of installation art, they will collaboratively design a site-specific pr ojection of their moving images to c r ea te a n in sta ll ati on . Stud en ts will explor e how light pr ojection and digital images can be mapped to transfor m spaces, to create meaning and to for m experiences for the viewer.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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Astronomy Tracey Spinka

In Astr onomy, students will use images and data fr om curr ent and past space missions as well as terrestrial observations to explore scientists’ current understanding of our observable universe. Moder n astr onomy demonstrates the scientific pr ocess at w ork, wher e n ew observa tion s ar e shaping the theories of tomorr ow. Students in this course will tak e a f a sc i n a ting tour of c elestial objec ts whose scale, speed, ener gy and age ar e har d to compr ehend, yet ar e gover ned by the same

3 HOURS PER WEEK

ph y s i c al pr i nc i pl es th at appl y h er e on E a r t h.

S tu dents w i l l be expec ted to do s o me r ea d in g and research outside of class and to present their findings. Quizzes may be given. Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

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Baseball in American Society Carl Tannenbaum

This course will pr ovide an overview of the r ole baseball has played in American society and how it has r eflected and influenced br oader society.

We will use Ken Bur ns’ documentary Nine Innings as a starting point. Fiction and nonfiction will be r ead, and outside speakers may be br ought in.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

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Biology of Running Rob Hewitt & Bob Lynam

This course will look at the scientific side of running.

Students will study the anatomy and physiology of muscle action and development, car diovascular function and the chemical underpinnings of the metabolism that supports running and other for ms of exer cise. Theories ar ound evolutionary origins of r u nni ng i n h u m ans w i l l be di s cussed , a l o n g with which anatomical and physiological featur es pr om ote gr eater s peed and endu ra n c e. A g o a l of th e c ou r s e i s to u s e h ands -on l a b a c t ivit ie s t o pr ov i de par ti c i pants w i th a ph y s i ol og ic a l p r o f il e that will enable them to train mor e ef ficiently and ef fec ti v el y w h eth er th ei r s por t i s run n in g , t he ir r u nni ng i s i n s u ppor t of oth er s port s— or w he t he r th ey ju s t w ant to u nder s tand h ow t o use r un n in g as par t of a h eal th y l i fes ty l e. Not e: St ud e nt s a r e ex pect ed t o ru n as part of t h is cla ss .

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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MAJOR CLASSES

Breaking News: An Investigation of Current Events Through (Mostly) Print Media Connie Thompson 18

The goal of this course is to discover and analyze the news in print media, with some attention to television and blogging news sour ces. Students will be required to subscribe for the month to three newspapers: The Philadelphia Inquir er, The New York T imes and The Wall Str eet Jour nal. Each student will be r equir ed to r ead some of each paper every day. During the first week of class, each student will select thr ee issues of inter est— one local (Philadelphia or Pennsylvania-based), one national, one inter national—and pay close attention to that issue in each newspaper. Comparing and contrasting perspectives on hot issues will be central to our work. Comparing and contrasting the ideas and writing styles of the nation’s top jour nalists will be another focus. During class, s t u dent s wi ll sha r e with their c la s s mates th ei r ne wf o u n d kn owled ge of the c urr ent ev ents th at th e y ar e tra c ki n g. Durin g the last week of th e course, we will watch television news and comedy shows, such as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, which use the news as sour ce material, and compar e these sour ces of news to print for ms. In addition, the culminating assignment will be for each student to write an op-ed piece, center ed on one of the thr ee issues they investigated thor oughly.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

19 Comparative Anatomy Gen Nelson Stu dent s wi ll exp lor e vertebrate a natomy by dissecting dif fer ent animals, including crayfish, lamprey, shark, pigeon, fetal pig and possibly frog and cat. Emphasis will be placed on exploring the similarities and dif fer ences between skeletal structur es and or gan systems in these animals and on adaptations that ar e specific to each type of animal. Students will per for m dissections and will be assessed thr ough lab practicals (identifying specific anatomical featur es) and quizzes.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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3 HOURS PER WEEK

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Current Events: Decoding History Adam Hotek & Andrew Lee

Our current events class is a safe space for students to expl or e new s ev ents by c r i ti c al l y r ea d in g , di s c u s s i ng and ev al u ati ng new s pa p er a n d magazine articles. The subject material will depend on world events occurring on a daily basis, and will include for eign policy, the 2016 election and the arts. In or der to contextualize our r eview of daily events, we will briefly explor e the history of newspapers and other periodicals in the United S tates as w el l as take u p th e pol i tic a l ( a n d ultimately philosophical) question of what makes news “the news.” During this course, we will explore s u c h pos s i bl e texts and fi gu r es ( amon g o t he r s) as Noam Ch om s ky ( M anu fac tu r i ng Con se n t ), Marshall McLuhan (“the medium is the message”), Network (a 1976 film), Rashomon (a 1950 film) and Citizen Kane (a 1941 film). Students will develop a deeper and clear er understanding of news events, str engthen r esear ch and pr esentation s ki l l s and l ear n to em path i z e w it h a va r ie t y of di f fer ent v i ew poi nts . T h ey w i l l b e a sse sse d th r ou gh c l as s par ti c i pati on and th e c on st r uc t io n and pr es entati on of an or i gi nal op -ed p ie c e o n a s pec i fi c ar ea of i nter es t .

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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Darwin’s Voyage on the Beagle John Ceccatti

You pr obably know that Charles Darwin traveled ar ou nd th e gl obe on a s h i p c al l ed H MS B e a g l e , fam ou s l y obs er v i ng tor toi s es and fin c hes o n t he G al apagos Is l ands . Bu t w h er e el s e d id he visit ?

W h at el s e di d h e obs er v e? And how d id his exper i enc e s h ape h i m and h i s th eory of n a t ur a l s el ec ti on? In th i s h ands -on c ou r s e, w e w il l r e a d D ar w i n’ s jou r nal and th e l etter s tha t he w r o t e w h i l e on th e v oy age, c r eate a w e b sit e t o t r a c k his travels, build a scale model of the HMS Beagle, exam i ne s om e r ec ent attem pts to r ec r ea t e t he v oy age and anal y z e i ts depi c ti on in va rio us films. Thr oughout the four weeks, students will al s o keep a jou r nal doc u m enti ng t heir ow n “ v oy age of di s c ov er y . ” Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

MAJOR CLASSES

3 HOURS PER WEEK

Developing Growth Mindset & Leadership Through Team Sports Sam McIlvain

Embracing the City Through Fitness Phil Celona & Tom Myran

Using various ball-r elated games, with r estrictions imposed to place specific demands on the players, athletes will encounter challenges and then discover and discuss possible solutions for dif fer ent or mor e successful outcomes. Each class will focus on one key concept or attribute (e.g. communication, adaptability, persistence, confidence, courage, goal-setting) and will follow a whole-part-whole methodology (restricted games to start, with minimal i ns t ruc ti on ; jour n al writing /d is c u s s ion abou t what they experienced; retur n to restricted games; progress to free play). The athletes will be assessed on their participation, ef fort and analytical and cr eative pr oblem solving.

Students will participate in various fitness experiences the city of Philadelphia has to of fer. Our weekly of f-campus trips may include ice skating, rock climbing, yoga, spinning class, biking, bowling, hiking through the Wissahickon trails or lear ning self-defense. This is a physically challenging class.

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Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10 T wo 90-minute classes per week

East Side, Harlem & New Rochelle Stories Lisa Burns 23

Based on the 1975 novel by E. L. Doctorow, Ragtime tells the story of thr ee gr oups in the United States i n t h e e arly 20th c en tury: Afric a n Amer ic ans , r epr esented by Coalhouse Walker Jr., a Harlem musician; upper-class suburbanites, r epr esented

by Mother, the matriar ch of a white upper-class family in New Rochelle, New York; and Easter n Eur opean immigrants, r epr esented by Tateh, a Jewish immigrant fr om Latvia. Historical figur es, including Harry Houdini, Evelyn Nesbit, Booker T. Was h i ng ton , J. P. Mor ga n, Hen ry F or d, S tanfor d White, Harry Kendall Thaw, Admiral Peary, Matthew Henson and Emma Goldman, ar e r epr esented in the stories. This course will focus on the backgr ound, music and dances involved in the stories based on Doctorow’s book as well as the 1975 musical. Each week, one class will be dedicated to the chor eography for the show a nd th e oth er w i l l c ov e r th e characters and scenarios fr om Doctor ow’s novel and the musical’s libr etto.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

24

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

Enduring War: The Iraq War Through the Voices of Civilians & Soldiers Robin Friedman & Kate Hanssen 25

In Mar ch of 2003, the United States, along with tr oops fr om thr ee other nations, invaded Iraq with th e c entr al goal of toppl i ng S adda m H usse in ’s Baathist r egime and r eplacing it with a r epr esentative gover nment. Over the course of the war, mor e than one million American service members w er e di s patc h ed to oc c u py and fi g ht in I r a q , i m pac ti ng th ei r ow n l i v es and th e l ives a n d ph y s i c al s u r r ou ndi ngs of Ir aqi c i t izen s in p a in f ul and irreparable ways. In this course, we will explore the human impact of the Iraq war and try to gain a full and nuanced understanding of this conflict, which has lasted more than 20 years and has reshaped American relations with the Middle East and the world. Focusing on the experiences of Iraqi civilians and members of the American ar med forces, we will look at how the war has impacted the lives of individuals, both as they attempted to survive in its midst and later as they tried to r eestablish themselves as veterans or refugees. We will explore works of nonfiction, such as interviews with Iraqi civilians, news articles and oral histories, as well as works of poetry and fiction by both American and Iraqi authors. Short films, radio r eportage and digital media pieces about the war will also infor m our conversations. We will meet with Iraqi war veterans, Iraqi refugees and healthcare professionals working with veterans struggling with PTSD to gain a greater understanding of the complexity of this war and its changing and evolving impact.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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MAJOR CLASSES

26

Evolution of Humor in English Carol Rawlings Miller

This class aims to explor e and savor a few choice m om ent s i n the evolution of humor wr iting i n English. We will try to get a handle on a few key types of humor: puns and riddles, comedic drama, estates satir e and social satir e. Our r eading will open in a century r ocked by crises, the 14th century, with a taste of miracle and mystery play humor and a few bawdy riddle poems. We will r ead Chaucer’s Miller’s Tale and The Nun’s Priest’s Tale.

We will consider Shakespeare a n d h u rry o n to lo o k at s u ch la ter f a sc in atin g works a s “ Th e R ape of th e Lock” a n d “ A Modest Pr oposa l .” We w i l l c on s i der t h e uses of humor, not all of which may be light-hearted at their core, as well as the fascinating, unsteady rhythms and o fte n -imp o lite n a tu r e o f wh at m a kes us laugh. Along the way , w e w i l l no t s h ri n k f r om making connections to moder n voices and for ms. Students will be able to shar e favorite humor writing of the pr esent moment in clips and snippets and play with comedic for ms in their own writing.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

Exploring the World Famous 27 Mural Arts Program Michael Koehler & Meg Goldner Rabinowitz In this course, students will explor e Philadelphia’s world-famous murals. Each week we will visit a dif fer ent collection of murals and neighborhoods and discer n how the murals r eflect their surr oundings. We will also visit the Mural Arts headquarters in Fair mount and meet mural artists. Students will lear n about the history of the pr ogram, its r ole in the city, the pr ocess of designing and cr eating a mural and the components of a successful mural.

Students will r esear ch individual murals for a culminating student-led tour.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

10

3 HOURS PER WEEK

From The Renaissance to RuPaul: A Brief Exploration of Drag Sara Gordon 28

“For me, drag isn’t about passing as a woman.

It’s about being big, about exaggeration, about cr eating a character and tur ning heads on the str eet. Mostly, drag is about having a blast.”

–Mikki Diamond “Drag: adj.— marked by or involving the wearing of clothing characteristically associated with the opposite sex; transvestite” (http://dictionary.r eference.com/br owse/drag). We will work on r efining and rewriting this definition as we trace development of the art of Wester n drag fr om Shakespear e’s day to the Stonewall riots to drag’s popularity today.

Vi ew i ngs w i l l i nc l u de epi s odes of RuPa ul ’s D r a g R ac e and c l i ps fr om th e al l -m al e Les Ba l l e t s T r oc kader o de M onte Car l o; th e f il ms Pa r is is Bur ning, Tootsie, She’s the Man and Some Like It Hot; and excerpts from productions of Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Course participants w i l l r ead es s ay s and c r i ti c al th eo ry a b out d r a g and enjoy a v i s i t fr om a per for m e r in t he P hil l y dr ag s c ene . One or tw o ni gh ts of r ea d in g a n d / o r w r i ti ng h om ew or k and a fi nal i nf or ma l r e f l e c t io n paper ar e r equ i r ed .

“Drag T ip 15: To avoid slipping on a stage while wearing spikes, make it tacky by spilling some coke on it.” –Miss Adrien Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Go Ask Alice: Victorian Culture Through the Looking Glass Anne Gerbner 29

Mathematics professor Charles Dodgson (pen name Lew i s Car r ol l ) w r ote “ Al i c e i n Won d erl a n d ” f o r a r eal l i ttl e gi r l nam ed Al i c e . T h e c hil d r en ’s b o o k as ks adu l t qu es ti ons abou t i denti t y, l a n g ua g e , l ogi c and v i ol enc e as i t des c r i bes t a l kin g e g g s, dancing fish, opium-smoking caterpillars and a shrinking pr otagonist. In this course, students will r ead and enjoy the r eal thing and develop skills in research (archival and online). For the first half of th e c ou r s e, w e w i l l r ead and disc uss A l ic e ’s Adv entu r es i n Wonder l and ( 1865) a n d T hr o ug h th e Looki ng G l as s ( 1871) as l ens es in t o Vic t o r ia n and c ontem por ar y c u l tu r e. F or the sec on d half of the course, students will select their own

MAJOR CLASSES

interdisciplinary r esear ch topic: malnutrition and eating in Victorian England, mathematical jokes i n t h e novels, rules of soc ia l etiq u ette, ear l y photography, images of Alice, 19th-century opium u s e, i ns urr ec ti ons in the British empir e in 1865, e v e n m ed i c i n e ( did the Mad Hatter h av e m er cu ry p oi sonin g? ). We will end th e c ou r s e with a symposium to shar e r esear ch—during a tea party, of course. A class trip is planned to th e ar chi ves a t Rosenb ac h L ibrary and th e Alice exhibit in honor of the 150th anniversary of Alice’s fall into Wonderland. Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

30 History of Basketball Through an African-American Lens Mark Anderson In this course, we will examine the history of the gam e of b a sketb all fr om the African-Amer i c an pe rs pe cti ve . We will watc h d oc umentar ies and r ead short articles r elated to conditions, tr eatment, and i nn ova ti on s of a nd b y Afric an -Amer i c ans .

Stu dent s wi ll b e exp ec ted to c omp l ete a s et of questions r elated to each film or r eading, and will also be expected to participate in discussions center ed on each film or r eading. The goal of this course is to give students an appr eciation for the pioneers of what is now one of the world’s most popular sports.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

History of Fashion Through the African-American Lens Natasha Labbe 31

F o r decad es, the fa shion in dustry h as dr aw n i ns pi rati on f r om several Afric a n-Amer ic an or bl ack h istori c an d c ultural movements , often w i th o u t g i vi n g pr op er c r ed it wher e it is du e.

In this course, we will examine how black people and their cultural traditions have influenced the f as h i o n i n d ustry of the 21st c en tury ( i.e. h ow M i ch ae l J a c kson an d the d esign of Bal mai n jackets are related), in addition to deconstructing th e mea n i n g of c ultural a pp r opriation and investigating the r ole it has played in our society

3 HOURS PER WEEK

th r ou gh fas h i on and s ty l e . S tu dent s w il l b e as ked to c r i ti c al l y anal y z e m edi a, in c l ud in g adv er ti s em ents and ar ti c l es , both in sid e a n d outside of the classr oom, as well as complete a final pr oject by the end of the course.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

In Good Taste: Reading & Blogging About Food Meg Cohen Ragas 32

T h i s c ou r s e w i l l expl or e h ow to w rit e c r ea t ive l y and el oqu entl y abou t ou r fav or i te fa r e. We w il l r ead s om e of th e pr em i er food w r it ers, in c l ud in g M ar c Bi ttm an ( T h e New Yor k T i m es) , Jef f r e y Steingarten (Vogue), Calvin Trillin (The New Yorker) and R u th R ei c h el ( au th or, Tender a t t he B o n e ), as well as watch a couple of food film classics. We will also cr eate and collaborate on a class Food Blog, where we will post reviews, trend stories, favorite recipes, odes and other celebrations of the culinary arts. A gr eat choice for food lovers and aspiring w r i ter s al i ke! A fi el d tr i p t o Chin a t o w n fo r a traditional Chinese banquet and to explor e the Asian markets will complete the experience.

Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

33

In the Zone Phil Celona & Matt Zipin

Have you ever watched a superior athlete have one of those streaks where everything seems to be going right, ef fortlessly, and the outcome seems inevitable? Have you ever watched your favorite basketball player make shot after shot, seemingly with his or her eyes closed? Did you watch Ser ena Williams, Carli Lloyd or Clayton Kershaw mesmerize opponents w i th w i z ar dr y th at bor d er ed o n t he miraculous? In athletic parlance, this sort of state has been called being “in the zone.” If you have ever been ther e, you know what it’s like. Many people have been ther e and written about it or spoken about it, and this course will explor e what it’s like, not just for world-class athletes but for us nor mal people as well. We will r ead some c o n te mpor ar y ac c ou nts of bei ng i n th e zon e, watch spectacular examples, talk about our own experiences

11

MAJOR CLASSES

and attempt to connect our physical experience to a broader, deeper, more mystical one. We will also write a few papers to flesh out our thoughts and shar e our own experiences. Possible r eading: Zen and the Art of Ar c hery (Herrig al ) , A S ens e of Where You Are (Bradley), Flow (Csikszentmihalyi), The Inner Game of Tennis (Gallwey) and Way of the Peaceful Warrior (Millman).

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

34

Inside Out: The Mind in Art Adam Hotek

What would it be like to directly explore the inner contours of your psyche? In this course, we will investigate this pr oposition thr ough the eyes of renowned psychologists, writers and filmmakers.

Th e course wi ll look a t models of th e ps y c h e for mulated by clinicians like Fr eud, Jung, Klein, and Fanon, and by writers such as Mar cel Pr oust, Bessie Head, Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner.

The course will also focus on Charlie Kaufman’s beguiling meditation on the natur e of memory in the film The Eter nal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; Alain Berliner’s r evealing r eflections on gender and consciousness in Ma Vie En Rose; and Pixar’s r ecent allegory of the mind entitled Inside Out. This course will engage individuals who want to examine how psychologists and artists r eflect on the natur e of the mind. Students will lear n to understand psychoanalytical language and de code som e of the ways in whic h ar tis ts symbolically r epr esent the depths of the mind.

During this course, students will write r esponse pieces and r eviews of assigned texts.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

3 HOURS PER WEEK

Interpreting the Great American Songbook Alex Levin 35

“The Gr eat American Songbook” r efers to a canon of popular songs written between 1920 and 1960 (loosely). Like any so-called canon, this is a list worth challenging and expanding. In this course, we will study some of the classic tunes fr om the era, as well as music that, to date, stands outside of the canon but is worth including. For example, Irving Berlin, The Gershwin Brothers and Cole Porter ar e ac know l edged as c om pos er s w hose w o r k bel ongs to th e s ongbook, bu t w e w il l a d d D uk e E l l i ngton, Ni na S i m one, Bi l l i e H ol id a y a n d B il l y Strayhor n to the list of gr eat composers of the era.

Students will study and write short papers on the history of r ecor dings of two songs. The course will c u l m i nate i n pr es entati ons and gr oup l ist e n in g s es s i ons . T h os e w h o w i s h to per for m t heir o w n interpretations vocally or instrumentally may do so.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Introduction to Microcontrollers Using Arduino David Williamson 36

M i c r oc ontr ol l er s ar e h i dden i ns i d e d evic e s a l l ar ound us. All new cars have as many as seven micr ocontr ollers to contr ol the engine, the brakes, cruise contr ol, etc. The keypad and LCD scr een on your micr owave oven ar e run by micr ocontr ollers.

Your fancy digital camera, cell phone, even your r efrigerator all pr obably use micr ocontr ollers. In this intr oductory course, students will build a variety of small pr ojects using sensors, actuators and an Ar duino micr ocontr oller boar d. Sensors take in infor mation fr om the world (buttons, heat sensor, light sensor) and actuators per for m actions (light up, buzz, spin). The micr ocontr oller uses a student-written pr ogram to listen to the sensors and talk to the actuators. We will write pr ograms using the C++ pr ogramming language, but no pr ogramming experience is needed.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

12

MAJOR CLASSES

Introduction to Number Theory Elena Quant

3 HOURS PER WEEK

1 , 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ... Do you r ec ogn iz e th es e numbers? Well. that’s number theory! What about the numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 ...? Or maybe you know why the numbers 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 ... ar e special. Do you want to know mor e about why these numbers and sequences have captivated mathematicians for millennia? Then this is the course f o r y o u. We wi ll d ive in to the b asic s of nu m ber th e o ry , lea r n i n g some of the n ota tion and key theor ems along the way. Ther e is no pr er equisite for this course, but you do need to come willing to participate. You can expect light homework for every class. Assessment will be a combination of classr oom participation and ef fort on assignments.

by living organisms, but has been br oadened to include human-made substances such as plastics.

This course will begin b y e x a m in in g th e imp a c t th at th e i nv enti on of l andm ar k or g a n ic c he mic al s , s u c h as peni c i l l i n, ny l on and p r og e st in , h a v e h a d o n s o c ie ty. With that context to frame the study of the subject, w e will b eg in with o r g a ni c nom enc l atu r e and fu nc ti onal g r oup s, st ud y i s om er i s m , i nc l u di ng opti c al i s omers, a n d mo ve on to a s tu dy of or gani c r eac ti ons, in c l ud in g k in e tic s a n d mechanisms of reaction. Lab activities will include the synthesis and analysis of aspirin, the synthesis of various for ms of nylon and various esterification s y nth es i s r eac ti ons ( s u c h a s ma k in g o il of w i nter gr een and s c ents of pear, a p p l e , g r a p e , or ange, pi neappl e, s tr aw ber r y and b a n a n a ) .

Not e: Th is cou rse h as a r equ ir ed f ield t r i p .

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

37

Introduction to Organic Chemistry Brian Riggs 38

Or ganic chemistry is a highly cr eative science in which chemists cr eate new molecules and explor e the properties of existing compounds. More chemists work in fields associated with or ganic chemistry than any other ar ea by far. Or ganic compounds ar e all ar ound us. They ar e central to the rubber, plastics, fuel and petr ochemical, phar maceutical, cosmetics, detergent, explosives, coatings, dyestuf f and agr o-chemical industries, to name some examples. The very foundations of biochemistry, biotechnology and medicine are built on organic compounds and their role in life processes. Many moder n, high-tech materials are at least partially composed of organic compounds. Or ganic chemistry is the study of the structur e, pr operties, composition, r eactions and p r ep aration of c ar bon-c on ta in in g c o mp o u n d s, which include hydr ocarbons especially but also c omp ound s made with any n u mb e r of o th er elements. This branch of chemistry was originally limited to compounds produced

39

Introduction to Public Speaking Rita Goldman

Butter flies in your stomach when called upon to speak? Debates and presentations make you cringe?

Communicating well and speaking with poise ar e v al u abl e as s ets . G ai n c onfi denc e a n d imp r o ve y ou r s ki l l s i n w r i ti ng and or gani z in g ef fe c t ive pr es entati ons . You w i l l w or k i n pa irs, g r o up s and al one to pr ac ti c e v ar i ou s delivery fo r ma t s and l ear n h ow to u s e l angu age e f fec t ive l y. Overcome your fears and become a better orator.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

13

MAJOR CLASSES

Introduction to Russian Language & Culture Andrew Westerhaus

le Québec: Discover French Canadians Through Their Cinema Amy Celentano

Have you ever wondered what the words MOCKBA o r C CC P si g n i f y? Or, maybe, how to pr oper l y pr onounce the names of all those Russian hockey and tennis players on television? This course is designed to intr oduce students to the language and cultur e of Russia. Students will lear n how to say basic conversational wor ds and phrases and how to read and write in Russian using the Cyrillic alphabet. They will lear n how to intr oduce themselves and others, greet people, identify basic objects, count, etc., in Russian. We will also touch upon issues unique to Russian cultur e: its history, literatur e, politics and music. Class members will be expected to participate actively in class exer cises and to complete short assignments in pr eparation for class sessions. If possible, we will try to schedule a field trip to a Russian/Uzbek r estaurant for lunch (Samarkand in Feasterville).

At the end of the course, students will have a better understanding of and appr eciation for the Russian language and cultur e. No knowledge of Russian is r equir ed.

Discover our North American francophone neighbors through the lens of their highly-acclaimed cinematic tradition! This course will introduce the history and cultur e of Fr ench-speaking Canadians and their unique position in North America as non-English speakers. We will watch and discuss aspects of their history and cultur e as r eflected in moder n film: Mon Oncle Antoine, The Rocket, C.R.A.Z.Y., Jesus de Montr eal, Bon Cop, Bad Cop and La Grande Seduction. Students will be provided with basic film vocabulary; discussions will be thematically-based.

Some personal research will be required. Films are in French with English subtitles.

40

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

41

Language of Film Greta Ham

In Language of Film, students will explore how film communicates in ways other than dialogue, e.g. editing, scene composition, lighting, etc. Students will lear n how to critically analyze the messages sent in a nonverbal manner, and indeed how they (the viewers) may be manipulated thr ough such means. They will gain facility in looking at and analyzing film, and familiarity with dif fer ent for ms and techniques of filmmaking. Students will consider the impact of film on culture and society and how issues of identity (especially the big eight social identifiers) ar e explor ed thr ou gh c inem a .

As sessm en ts will include the cr eation of a still image story “scene,” critiques of individual scenes and reviews of films.

Prerequisite: Films with mature content will be viewed. Parental per mission is required.

Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

14

3 HOURS PER WEEK

42

Prerequisite: Films with mature content will be viewed. Parental per mission is required.

Grade Level: 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

43

Life Drawing Susan Lowry

Students will lear n the fundamentals of figur e drawing thr ough intensive work with the model.

Is s u es of for m , s tr u c tu r e, v ol u m e, moveme n t , c om pos i ti on, pr opor ti on and expr ession w il l b e i nv es ti gated th r ou gh w or k on s h ort p oses a n d continue into extended poses. Students will have the opportunity to experience a range of approaches and techniques with dry and wet media. Assessments w i l l be bas ed on s tu dent’ s level of e n g a g e m e n t; their willingness to take risks; and investment in the overall integrity of the studio experience. There will be one to three short, practical homework assignments. Pr evious experience is not r equir ed.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

MAJOR CLASSES

3 HOURS PER WEEK

Masculinity: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly Bob Rhoades

Math Tutoring at a Local Public Elementary School Mark Anderson & David Mraz

This course will examine the strange world that is inhabited by many of the 23 million males in the United States between the ages of 16 and 26. This sort of prolonged adolescence is a world in which, to quote fr om our text, Guyland, “guys gather to be guys with each other.” It includes such male bo ndi ng a c ti vi ties a s ha ng ing out , par ty i ng, watching sports, video gaming, playing with tech toys, watching por n, online gambling and hooking u p no w a n d then with “ girls.” It is a wor l d i n which “young men shirk the r esponsibilities (and r elationships) of adulthood and r emain fixated on the trappings of boyhood, while the boys that th e y s t i ll a r e strug gle her oic a lly to pr ov e th at th e y ar e r ea l men d espite a ll evid enc e to th e contrary.” At its worst, this world schools young men in homophobia, subtle or overt racism, seething sexism and a general lack of r esponsibility. Our r eading, discussion and activities should enable any thoughtful young man to better navigate the s e du cti ve, yet d eeply pr oblema tic , water s of “Guyland”... at a lesser cost to himself and those who car e about him. We will attempt to r edefine what it means to be a man today. We will also critically examine some popular films and television shows, and be visited by Professor John Landreau (Gender Studies at the College of New Jersey) and perhaps Pr ofessor Michael Kimmel (SUNY Stony Point), the author of our text.

We will travel to a local public elementary school to pr ovide math instruction to individual students or s m al l gr ou ps of s tu dents . In ou r t w o w e e k l y sessions, we will work with a classr oom teacher to pr ovide students with mor e individualized help with math s ki l l s and c onc epts . Part ic ip a n t s w il l r e c e iv e guidance with the math ideas and working with childr en. Ther e is no experience necessary; any level of math expertise is most welcome.

44

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

45

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Movement Anatomy: An Introduction to Muscles, Bones & Joints Maryanne Rawlings 46

What is going on under neath our skin that allows us to walk upright, run, jump, squat, lunge and dance? In this course, students will be intr oduced to the anatomy of the muscular and skeletal systems and s ee h ow th ey fu nc ti o n t og et he r t o p r o d u c e movement. This is an intr oductory course for anyone i nter es ted i n gai ni ng a foun d a t io n f o r futur e studies r elated to anatomy and physiology.

We will study and memorize anatomical ter ms thr ough lab work and homework. Ther e will be in-class quizzes to assess lear ning.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

15

MAJOR CLASSES

47

Neuroscience Alyson Solomon

This neuroscience class will focus on the structure and function of the human brain. Through reading, lecture, video and experimentation, students will explor e various topics in neur oscience. They will l e ar n about b ra in ar c hitec tur e an d c h em i s tr y as wel l a s la n g ua ge, memory, emotions and consciousness. In addition, they will be introduced to clinical neuroscience, a field that applies basic ne u r os ci en c e r esear c h to the p r ev ention and tr eat m en t of n eur olog ic al d isor d er s. S tu dents w i l l be exp ec ted to c r ea te a portfol io of w or k th at wi ll b e used to a ssess their lear ning .

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

Nutrition: An Introduction to Metabolism Dana Weeks 48

It’s 10:50 in the mor ning; are you hungry? Even if 10:50 is a questionable lunchtime, it is likely that you find yourself r eady for a little nosh just about then on most school days. This study of nutrition will include a brief exploration of our psychological r esponse to food and will focus primarily on the biochemical role and pathway involved in nutrient extraction fr om the macr o- and micr o-nutrients, deficiency and toxicity symptoms, food and diet e v al u ati on a n d r ea din gs on c urr ent c u l inar y t r e nds . Pa rti c i pa tion in this c ourse wil l inv ol v e, i n addi t i on to a sc ien tific ap pr oa c h to th e s u bje ct, c ooki n g a nd eatin g.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

16

3 HOURS PER WEEK

49

Pathology: The Study of Disease Alyson Solomon

In Pathology, students will lear n nor mal human anatom y ( s tr u c tu r e) and ph y s i ol og y ( fun c t io n ) .

They will study the circulatory, digestive, endocrine, excretory, immune, nervous, musculoskeletal and r espiratory or gan systems. Once they understand nor m al s tr u c tu r e and fu nc ti on, s t ud en t s w il l b e i ntr odu c ed to bas i c di s eas e pr oc esses, suc h a s infection, inflammation and neoplasm. Students will lear n thr ough conducting experiments and building models, listening to lectures, reading text, r es ear c h i ng topi c s and c r eati ng pr esen t a t io n s.

In addition, they may have an opportunity to v i s i t h eal th c ar e s etti ngs and meet hea l t h c a r e pr ofes s i onal s . S tu dents w i l l be ex p ec t ed t o c r e ate a por tfol i o of w or k th at w i l l b e used t o a sse ss th ei r l ear ni ng .

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

50 Philadelphia Architectural History Elena Quant & Michael Williamson We live in a city that has an extremely rich history, but what do we know about the buildings ar ound u s and w h o bu i l t th em ? In th i s c ourse, w e w il l explor e historical ar chitectur e right her e in o u r bac ky ar d! Ver y l i ttl e of th i s c l as s w il l b e in a c l as s r oom as w e w i l l be expl or in g t he c it y b y foot— s now or s h i ne! By th e end, s t ud en t s w il l h a v e explor ed Ph ila d e lp h ia ’ s major ar chitectural time periods and s ty l es , and w i l l hop eful l y recognize works by a few influential architects a n d b e abl e to poi nt ou t c h ar ac ter i s ti c s f r om dif fer ent eras. Ther e will be minimal homework. Student assessments will be based on participation.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

MAJOR CLASSES

51

Quakerism Past & Present John Ceccatti

How did the Religious Society of Friends originate— and what have it been doing since? In this class, students will read the Autobiography of George Fox and explore the significance of the religious movement he created in the social and political context of 17th-century England. We will create an interactive w ebs i te d oc um en ting F ox’ s tra vel s in E ngl and and America. We will also study the first Quakers i n G er m a n town an d their r ole in t h e Abol i ti on movement. And we will examine the activities of Stephen Cary and his Nobel Prize-winning work with the American Friends Service Committee during and af t er th e World War II. Students wil l keep a jou r nal of their own person al jou r ney th r ou gh Quakerism as students at GFS, and how this relates to the history of the Religious Society of Friends.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Reading Tutoring at John B. Kelly Elementary School Elizabeth Croce, Page Fahrig-Pendse & Kathy Paulmier 52

The John B. Kelly School is a public elementary school in Ger mantown just a few blocks from GFS, and this course is part of a developing partnership between GFS and Kelly. In this class, students will participate in a one-on-one “r eading buddies” pr ogram with first and second graders at Kelly. Each GFS student will work with the same Kelly childr en each visit, allowing them to build r elationships and track the Kelly students’ progress over the course of the month. In this course, students will lear n about and experience some of the dif ficulties facing Phi la delp hia p ub lic sc hool s today .

Th e y will also lear n about the r eading pr ocess and techniques for teaching reading and supporting students. A few short r eadings and videos on r eading tutoring and on the School District of Philadelphia will be assigned. Students may be asked to keep brief notes on how their r eading buddies ar e doing to be passed on to the Kelly teachers at the end of the pr ogram.

3 HOURS PER WEEK

53

Relief & Intaglio Printmaking Michael Williamson

We will explor e basic techniques in r elief and intaglio printmaking in color and in black-andwhite. Beginning with mono prints, we will lear n how to apply ink, print and r ework images. We will do line etching on Plexiglas plates and use collagraph (car dboar d plates) to cr eate both r epr esentational and non-objective images.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

Rock & Roll Riot: Debate on Popular Music Taia Harlos & Jeremy Ross 54

This course is a full-on debate session in the context of popu l ar m u s i c . We w i l l l i s ten to g r ea t a n d classic r ock & r oll/alter native/folk/blues/r eggae songs, lear n about the history of the bands and the meaning of the text and compar e dif fer ent covers of the same song. Who did “Higher Gr ound” better—Red Hot Chili Peppers or Stevie Wonder?

Who did “Hurt” better—Nine Inch Nails or Johnny Cash? We will debate these questions and mor e.

Students will pr esent their own comparisons and historical context as well thr oughout the month.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

55

Scratch That–Cooking Devra Ramsey

A box of mac & cheese or br ownie mix sur e is easy to prepare, but how does it compare to the homemade version fr om fr esh ingr edients and recipes? In this course, students will work together to pr epar e food, and will r esear ch and assess r ecipes in or der to decide which they would like to follow. The work of this class is full participation in r esear ch, pr eparation, clean-up—and eating.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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MAJOR CLASSES

56

Sing, Sing, Sing!!!

Teri Gemberling-Johnson

The students in this class will lear n to sing songs from the Renaissance period (1450-1600)—madrigals, ballets, motets, chansons ... . In this small gr oup setting, they will lear n to be mor e independent singers, and their sight-reading skills and musical ear will improve. Students will also discover why the Renaissance is called the “Golden Age of A Cappella Singing.” We hope to have Joan Kimball, founder of Pif far o, the Rena issan c e Band, joi n u s fo r a d a y to guide our listening and exploration of early Medieval and Renaissance instruments.

And, of c ourse, we will sing ! Assess ments ar e deter mined naturally in the process of lear ning and rehearsing the music. BOTH males and females are welcome! Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Sit & Stitch: 57 Mindfulness Meditation Mirangela Buggs & Meg Goldner Rabinowitz In this course, students will study and practice mindfulness meditation and mindful knitting, crochet and ne e dl e poi n t p r ojec ts. Beg inn er a nd exper i enc ed knitters and needlepointers and self-taught or experienced crochet artists are welcome. The course i s an i ntr od uc tion to c on temp orary inter fai th m i ndf u l n ess p ra c tic es a nd their c onnec tion to Wester n and Easter n Buddhism. Students will read and discuss books on mindfulness author ed by world-renowned teachers and practice meditation together. Alongside our explorations of mindfulness, students will engage in the creative arts of knitting, crochet or needlepoint in silence and/or while listening to dhar ma talks. Overlaps between mindfulness and Friends’ faith and practice will be explor ed, along with the intersections of mindfulness with the students’ own faith traditions. This is a contemplative c o u rs e whose rigor la ys in sustain ed dedi c ati on to th e f ib er a rts a nd min dfulness p r ac tic es , as well as r eading, r eflection and gr oup discussion.

Homework will include establishing a 5-10 minute daily mindfulness practice, jour naling/reflection abo u t the p ra c tic e a nd c ompletion of as s i gned readings. Note: This course has a required field trip.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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3 HOURS PER WEEK

Spain Before & After the Dictatorship of Franco Rosario Manion 58

Spain befor e and after Franco is a history course that focuses on politics and Spain’s Civil War from 1936 to 1939. T h e D em oc r ats l os t t he w a r a n d S pai n h ad a fas c i s t gov er nm ent, l ed b y F r a n c o , for 38 y ear s . After F r anc o di ed, S pa in w a s a b l e to h av e a v er y peac efu l tr ans i ti on fr om f a sc ism to dem oc r ac y . We w i l l w atc h fi l ms a n d r e a d articles, and I will talk about my family and my own experiences (I was bor n in 1956 in Spain and was 19 when Franco died).

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

59

Spanish Immersion Through Film Margie Spaeth

This class will be taught in Spanish. A full-length major film will be shown during each class, and we will have an intr oduction to each film prior to the fi l m and ti m e for di s c u s s i on a ft erw a r d s.

Motivated beginners are welcome, but they should understand that ther e will be others with mor e Spanish in the class, and they’ll need to be r eady to jump in and participate fr equently. (Students with no Spanish who took this class last year r eported that they lear ned some Spanish and enjoyed the films.) Ther e will be backgr ound r eading on each film, pertaining to its historical, social and political context, and prior to each class each student will give an oral presentation or be a group discussion leader at some point during the course.

Assessments will be based on stu d e n ts’ a c tiv e p a rti c i pati on i n s m al l and l ar ge gr ou p d isc ussio n s ( qu es ti ons to enh anc e compr ehension will be as valued as interpretation or other leadership demonstrated), their individual o ra l p r e se n ta tio n a n d o th e r m e a n s devised as the course pr ogr esses.

Prerequisite: Some knowledge of Spanish or teacher approval Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 One 180-minute class per week

MAJOR CLASSES

60

Teens & Tweens Kayla Ashcroft

3 HOURS PER WEEK

62

Watercolor Technique Deb Hoffman

Soci al exp a n si on, risk-ta kin g, exper imentati on, br eaking away and testing limits. Anxiety, peer pressure, competition, parental pressure, work and school, drugs and alcohol. These ar e some of the challenges that make adolescence one of the most intriguing and tr oubling stages of life. Students i n t h i s c la ss wi ll take a c lose look at one of th e most confusing, exciting and critical phases of development: the pr e-teen and teen years. Using literature, TV and film, students will write responses and r ef lec ti on p iec es an d en ga ge in gr ou p discussion around this stage of development as the course explores how children grow into teenagers, how they navigate the challenges of adolescence and how they become pr oductive adults.

D u r i ng th i s ar t c l as s , s tu dents w i ll ex p l or e t he materials and techniques of using watercolor and other water-based mediums. They will use both tr ans par ent and opaqu e pai nti ng met hod s a n d will work from observation and imagination. While investigating and applying principles of color and des i gn, s tu dents w i l l al s o obs er v e a t mosp he r ic per s pec ti v e and c ons i der s pati al c on c ep t s .

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute class per week

In this class, we will explor e the world of blogging, its brief history, its influence on political and c u l tu r al atti tu des and th e br oa d ra n g e o f bl ogs — pol i ti c al , fas h i on, c ooki ng, and, of course, personal. We will read parts of Julie and Julia, based on Julie Powell’s blog about cooking all of Julia Child’s r ecipes in Mastering the Art of Fr ench Cooking, and perhaps look at a couple of other “blog to book” successes. We will look for and shar e blogs we enjoy, discuss th e ele me n ts o f s u c c es s fu l bl oggi ng and s pend ti m e c r ea t in g o ur ow n per s onal bl ogs . We w i l l even examine reasons NOT to write a blog! Students will be expected to do some reading and/or writing for e a c h c la ss, and s h ou l d be u p for ani m ated discussions and thoughtful critiquing.

61

Trig Star Competition Larry Ottman

The National Society of Pr ofessional Surveyors sponsors a high school trigonometry competition every year. This course will r eview the basics of tri go nom etri c ratios an d pr oc ed ur es needed to parti ci pa te i n the c on test, an d then foc u s on pract i ci ng f or, a nd ultima tely pa r tic ipating i n, th e com p eti ti on a t the en d of the c ou r s e. T h er e i s an o pp ortun ity for state a nd n ational l ev el recognition for participants. Any student who has completed Geometry and is interested in problem s o l v i ng i s eli g i ble to pa rtic ip ate. Wh o wil l be th e G FS T ri g Sta r?

Prerequisite: Geometry Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

63

Welcome to the Blogosphere Robin Nourie

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

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MAJOR CLASSES

64

West Side Story Lisa Burns

This course will cover the story behind the creation o f th e gr ea t Ber nstein , Robb ins, L a u r ents and Sondheim musical West Side Story. We will examine the tensions in New York City during the ’50s between various immigrant gr oups, and will look at how Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was tr ans f o r med thr oug h music an d da nc e to make u s feel th e des pera ti on an d futility of the racism and hate destroying our youth. Each week, one class will be dedicated to lear ning the original c h o r e o graph y a n d the other c lass will focu s on th e mu s i c , li b r etto a nd the history of one of th e gr eat es t Am eri c a n music als.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

Who Were the Women of the Roman Empire?

Julie Marren 65

In history and legend, the wives, sisters, mothers and daughters of the Roman emper ors have been m os t l y vi li f i ed a nd p ain ted a s c ruel , imm or al , conniving and treacherous. Little attention has been paid to finding out who they actually wer e and what their true roles were in the unfolding of Roman history. Yet, as Augustus orchestrated a new type of gover nment to follow the Republic, an autocratic dynasty, women were—understandably—crucial to the process. Women were central to the rise of the Roman Empire. This course explores what has been discovered and re-examined about the lives and roles of the women at the heart of Rome’s ruling c l as s . I t a lso exa mines the sour c es of negati v e portrayals of these women in or der to understand what they might reveal about their authors. Students will read and annotate a chapter or article for each c l as s meeti n g . Over the c ourse of th e month , they will work on a historical pr oject that will help them r eview all they have lear ned and help them r ecall it easily to mind.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 T wo 90-minute classes per week

20

3 HOURS PER WEEK

66

Zentangle Devra Ramsey

Zentangl e i s an ar t for m th at encoura g es mindfulness and is based around simple structured patter ns. Students will create their own Zentangles and shar e techniques with one another. They will lear n about the role and benefits of mindfulness in our lives thr ough r esear ch and sharing their own experiences. Students should expect to spend class ti m e foc u s ed on “ tangl i ng” and pa rt ic ip a t in g in di s c u s s i ons. T h ey w i l l be as s es s ed on t he ir abi l i ty to engage w i th th e w or k a n d n ot t he per fec ti on of th ei r ar t.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

67 Zoology Gen Nelson This course will pr ovide a br oad overview of v er tebr ate and i nv er tebr ate z ool og y . A ft e r begi nni ng w i th c l as s i fi c ati on and t a x on o my, s tu dents w i l l w or k i n gr ou ps to de vel op a n d pr es ent r epor ts abou t th e m ajor g r oup s w it hin the Kingdom Animalia, including insects, mollusks, fish, amphibians, r eptiles, bir ds and mammals.

Research and public speaking skills will be taught.

Student lear ning will be assessed by evaluation of pr esentations and quizzes.

Prerequisite: None Grade Level: 9, 10, 12 Four 45-minute classes per week

MINOR CLASSES THIS LIST IS A SAMPLE OF THE MINOR CLASSES THAT WILL BE OFFERED DURING JANUARY TERM. Reg is tr a tion f o r mino r classe s will be se parat e f r om r e g is t rat io n fo r majo r classe s.

• Anno

• MadriGals

• Arabic

• Mandarin

• Basketball

• Math Support

• Bob Dylan on Film

• Mock Trial

• Book Clubs: Fiction & Nonfiction

• Model UN

• Brain Games

• Multimedia Jour nalism

• Choir

• Open Art Studio

• Chorus

• Open Weight Room

• Community Service Projects

• Orchestra

• Costume Design for Ragtime

• Plutarch’s Moralia

• Creative Writing

• Polyphony

• Earthquake

• Pro-Tools & Ableton Live: Digital Recording Basics

• Films of Wes Anderson • French 1 and 2 • French Support • Greek 1 • Japanese • Jazz Ensembles • Knitting & Other Fiber Arts • Latin 1 • Latin 2 Support • Latinos Unidos • Letterboxing • Living Buddhism

• Reading in Spanish • Science Jour nal Club • Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band • Spanish 2 • Storytime: Children’s Books • Strategy Games • Teen Personal Finance • Unit Origami • World Percussion Ensemble • Writing Support • Yoga • Zines

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2015

GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL

GFS GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL www.germantownfriends.org | 215.951.2300 | 31 West Coulter Street Philadelphia, PA 19144