GFS May Term 2021 Course Catalog

MAY

JANUARY TERM Course Catalog

2021

STATEMENT OF PHILOSOPHY

Founded on the traditions of January Term, May Term 2021 seeks to enable our community to live the mission and core values of our school during the unique conditions posed by the Covid-19 global pandemic. The program encourages students and teachers to explore new passions, interests, and interdisciplinary ways of learning about the world and ourselves. Through a modified schedule and course offerings outside of the regular curriculum, May Term 2021 provides teachers and students a space for experimentation, investigation, and reflection.

May Term is supported by a dedicated committee of Upper School teachers and administrators. In alignment with the program’s philosophy, it is entirely elective and all courses are evaluated on a credit/no credit basis. Students submit preferences following the publication of the course catalog, and enrollment is facilitated by members of the committee.

Successful completion of three January or May Term sessions is a graduation requirement.

May Term C O U R S E C ATA L O G

2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS INDEX OF COURSES

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COURSES SINGLE-BLOCK CLASSES

5

DOUBLE-BLOCK CLASSES

20

FULL-DAY CLASSES

21

MAY TERM 2021 INDEX OF COURSES All courses are 12 days in length.

COURSE LENGTH

PAGE

The Armchair Logician

Single Block

5

The Art and Politics of Hair

Single Block

5

Art and the Environment

Single Block

5

The Art of the Journal

Single Block

5

The Artist's Craft and the Collaborative Imagination

Single Block

5

Asian American Racial Literacy: An Introduction

Single Block

6

The Atrium

Single Block

6

Beatlemania!

Single Block

6

Bicycle Maintenance 101

Single Block

6

Biology of the Senses

Single Block

6

Calligraphy and Lettering

Single Block

7

Challenge Yourself Knitting

Single Block

7

Chinese Culture

Single Block

7

Cryptography

Single Block

7

Cults: America's Obsession

Single Block

7

The Current Supreme Court Term

Single Block

7

Documenting Pandemic Life in Germantown: Creating a Video Archive

Single Block

8

Eleve Ou Professeur?

Single Block

8

Explorations in Geometry

Single Block

8

Exploring African American Music

Single Block

8

Food Justice in Philadelphia

Single Block

9

For the Love of Men

Single Block

9

From Drab to Fab: Wall Edition

Single Block

9

Games for Everyone! Designing and Building Accessible Games

Single Block

9

The Hero/Ine's Journey & You

Single Block

10

Homemade Sweets and Sours

Single Block

10

How to Face the Climate Crisis with Courage, Compassion, & Conviction

Single Block

10

WWW.GERMA NTOWNFRI ENDS.ORG /MTE RM

COURSE NAME

1

COURSE LENGTH

PAGE

How to Write One Song Using What You've Got

Single Block

10

If You Give a Student Self-Care

Single Block

10

If You Give a Teen a Flashback

Single Block

11

The Independent Language Lab

Single Block

11

Investigations

Single Block

11

Karakuri: Mechanical Paper Art

Single Block

11

Kazuo Ishiguro

Single Block

12

The Kids are Alright

Single Block

12

Knitting for Beginners

Single Block

12

Le Petit Prince en Francais

Single Block

12

Light Verse

Single Block

12

Love on the Rocks

Single Block

13

!Más Español!

Single Block

13

Math for Human Flourishing

Single Block

13

Medieval Manuscripts: Art, History, and the Future

Single Block

13

Mixing & Making with the Noahs: Sodas, Elixirs, Tonics, & More!

Single Block

14

Monuments Reimagined

Single Block

14

Ninth-Grade Musical: Working

Single Block

14

Not Your Grandma's Bored Games

Single Block

14

The Observation Deck: A Toolkit for Writers

Single Block

14

Origami: The Art and the Sciences

Single Block

15

Paper: Let's Not Write on It

Single Block

15

Philippine Culture and Traditional Arts

Single Block

15

Print and Process

Single Block

15

Psychology of Horror

Single Block

15

Psychology of the African American Experience

Single Block

16

Puerto Rico: Close Up

Single Block

16

Reading Nabokov's Pnin

Single Block

16

Remembrance: A Study of the Holocaust

Single Block

16

Silence is Golden: Early Cinema

Single Block

16

WWW.G E RMA NTOWNF RIENDS.ORG/MTERM

COURSE NAME

2

COURSE LENGTH

PAGE

1619 Project: Race, Politics, and History

Single Block

17

Sleeping and Moving

Single Block

17

Spanish Film and Voice Acting

Single Block

17

Spike Lee

Single Block

17

Start Speaking Spanish

Single Block

17

Stories from The New Yorker

Single Block

18

Studies in Education

Single Block

18

A Survey of African History

Single Block

18

The Promised Land: Jews and Italians in the United States

Single Block

18

(This Class is) the Icing on the Cake

Single Block

18

Tiny Theatre, Big Story

Single Block

19

True Crime Podcasts

Single Block

19

Voulez-vous Parler Francais?

Single Block

19

Wilderness Survival Skills

Single Block

19

How to Make a Video

Double Block

20

Protecting Human Rights in Armed Conflict

Double Block

20

Synth Building Workshop

Double Block

20

Pedaling Through History: A Journey Along the Great Allegheny Passage & C&O Canal

Full Day

21

Surveying and Documenting Waterways from GFS to the Atlantic

Full Day

21

WWW.GERMA NTOWNFRI ENDS.ORG /MTE RM

COURSE NAME

3

COURSE TYPES Teachers have categorized each course according to how the majority of class time will be spent. Please reflect on what activities you enjoy doing the most when making your course requests (“I like making,” “I like collaborating,” etc.).

MAKING • Creating objects, stories, music, art, machines, theatrical performances, etc.

SKILL BUILDING • Developing new skills or skills you already have; practicing and training

MOVING • Moving around and doing physical activity

DISCUSSING • Discussing ideas and topics in groups; listening to others and sharing

EXPLORING • Exploring the world outside the classroom, on campus, virtually, or off-campus

COLLABORATING • Working together to investigate ideas or create a project

CHOOSING • Deciding what you will study, do, or make within the framework of the class

WWW.G E RMA NTOWNF RIENDS.ORG/MTERM

DISCOVERING • Discovering new information and studying topics in depth; learning from teachers, outside experts, books, films, etc.

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SINGLE-BLOCK CLASSES •THE ARMCHAIR LOGICIAN

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Dan DiPasquale and Elena Quant

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If you’ve ever looked at a newspaper game section and wanted to learn how to play the various numeric logic games, then this is the course for you! We will start with the Magic Square, the ancestor of the Sudoku puzzle, before exploring Sudokus, Killer Sudokus, Kenkens, Futoshikis, Nonograms, Kakuros, and more! Students will learn how to complete each puzzle and will complete daily reflections on the strategies, nuances, and personal victories discovered each day.

Throughout the course, they will explore the concept of constraints. The class will culminate in students creating either a strategy guide or a how-to guide for a puzzle or two of their choice.

•THE ART AND POLITICS OF HAIR Jackie Dawson and Michelle Palmer

This course will focus on the politics of hair, particularly as they relate to the historical and sociocultural implications of multicultural hair textures and design. Through relevant literature, contemporary media, and virtual visits from local salon owners, students will have the opportunity to engage in rich stories behind hair, as well as learn healthy hair-care practices and styling techniques for a variety of textures.

•ART AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Sara Charme-Zane, Sarah Zwerling, and John Ceccatti In this class, we will explore the environment as both the subject, material, and site of our work. Through making and looking at art and functional forms, we will question how humans engage with the environment around them, and how we can create art to address issues of stewarding the land and its inhabitants. Projects will include site-

specific installations and wood carving, both on campus and in the Wissahickon. We will consider environmental issues, such as fiber arts with yarn made of recycled plastic bags, building a fire, and creating charcoal to work with or develop woodblock-printed books.

•THE ART OF THE JOURNAL

Anne Gerbner and Caroline Santa This studio art and writing workshop is a hands-on class for writers who want to explore art and artists who want to experiment with writing. During the course, students will create a journal of their writing and art as they experiment with a variety of written and visual techniques. Each class will include a ‘de-pictive’ or descriptive exercise, a presentation about an artist or a writer, a demonstration of techniques, and plenty of studio time to create, as well as time to share our work and discuss ideas.

•THE ARTIST’S CRAFT AND THE

COLLABORATIVE IMAGINATION Lisa Hemphill Burns and Guest Speakers “Art isn’t easy.” –Stephen Sondheim What are the challenges artists face today that are different from our recent mentors? In this course, we will explore many influential theatre and film artists who have entertained and inspired us, and who we have lost in the last couple of years. We will cover four artists each day (e.g. Terrence McNally, Neil Simon, Zoe Caldwell, Ming Cho Lee)— their backgrounds, articles, and videos of interviews on their craft—as well as introduce the essential artistic voices of playwrights, directors, actors, choreographers, and producers who trained in both the theatre and film. The final class will focus on the relationships of modern visionaries and their mentors.

•ASIAN AMERICAN RACIAL LITERACY: AN INTRODUCTION Andrew Lee

•THE ATRIUM

Kasey Henderson The Atrium, as we fondly call the gathering space between A1, A2, and A4, is a laughterfilled hall where students of all levels cross paths, collaborate, and learn together. In this class, current and new students of Latin and Ancient Greek are invited to further or begin their language study. Do you want to dabble in a new language? Continue the year’s work or get a jump start on next year?

Read a particular ancient author? Learn through teaching and mentoring other students? Conduct a research or creative project? Expand your studies to include Sanskrit or other ancient civilizations? All of this can happen in The Atrium. Participants can design their own plans or let the teacher guide them and may work in small groups or individually. Our time together will be punctuated by whole-group activities,

•BEATLEMANIA!

Matt Shapiro and Eva Porter In this course, we will examine all things Beatles—their history, the creativity and culture they inspired, and, of course, their music. To understand who they were and where they came from, we will watch and discuss interviews and performances from the Beatles Anthology series. We will also analyze their songs both lyrically and musically to better understand how to “take a sad song and make it better.” The course will culminate with students creating a Beatles-inspired project in any way they feel can express their creativity and Beatles love (which is all you need).

•BICYCLE MAINTENANCE 101

Matthew Young and Tracey Spinka Partnering with Neighborhood Bike Works—a West Philadelphia non-profit committed to strengthening Philadelphia communities by providing equitable access to bicycling and bike repair—this course will teach students how to complete routine maintenance on bicycles and support the creation of a pop-up community bicycle repair event in Germantown.

•BIOLOGY OF THE SENSES Bob Lynam

This course will investigate how sensory input is received from the environment and how this information is processed and organized by the brain. It will involve both classroom lectures and lab activities in support of these concepts, as well as some short assignments.

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Being asked, “Where are you from?” Being expected by society to excel academically.

Being expected by society to have parents who apply significant stress on you. These are some of the experiences that are shared by those who are perceived to be descended from East Asia, South Asia, or Southeast Asia.

And yet, being part of the Asian American community is a hugely complex and evolving reality. Asia is comprised of four billion people with the greatest degree of cultural and linguistic diversity on earth. Therefore, Asian Americans should not be pigeonholed as a Model Minority or a Yellow Peril. In this course, we will examine research, articles, videos, and, using intergroup dialogue, start peeling back the layers of the question, “What does it mean to be Asian American?” This course is open to all, with a focus on the experiences of East Asian Americans, South Asian Americans, Southeast Asian Americans, Asian American adoptees, Multiracial Asian Americans, and Asian International students.

including games, viewings, and guest speakers.

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•CALLIGRAPHY AND LETTERING Stephen Holt

In this class, we will practice calligraphy, explore different lettering and design projects, and even try font development! For calligraphy, we will focus on two European techniques: Blackletter (medieval lettering) and Copperplate (cursive writing from the 17th-19th centuries). Other lettering projects will be driven by student interest and can include graffiti, calligraphy in non-Latin alphabets, and other graphic-design projects.

•CHALLENGE YOURSELF KNITTING

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Gen Nelson and Luisa Knowles

This course offers students who have mastered the basic knitting techniques (cast on, knit, and purl stitches) the opportunity to challenge themselves by exploring new skills or facets of knitting. For example, students who are familiar with flatwork may choose to learn how to knit in the round, a skill that can be used to make hats, socks, and sweaters, among other things. Students may also explore more advanced skills, such as working from a pattern, reading charts, pattern design, colorwork, and lacework.

•CHINESE CULTURE Yi Li

In this class, we will explore Chinese culture through language, festivals, and traditions.

Students will have the chance to learn new information from various sources, discuss the similarity and differences between cultures, enjoy Chinese songs and operas, dance, practice Tai Chi, learn to write and draw using the traditional Chinese brushes, make papercuttings and origami, play Mahjong and other popular games, and make Chinese food.

•CRYPTOGRAPHY

Elena Quant and Amy Fligor Ru blf xzm wvxlwv gsrh nvhhztv, gsrh xlfihv

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ru uli blf! In this course, we will explore basic forms of cryptography. We’ll start with simple ciphers and decoders and post secret messages to each other in public that only we can understand! In learning about the history of encryption methods, we will read portions of books and watch clips of a few films related to code breaking. The second half will be dedicated to a short introduction to number theory and digging into RSA encryption. (That’s the encryption your computer uses.) Eventually, we’ll be able to send more complicated messages that are close to impossible to break. Throughout the course we’ll uncover clues to a master puzzle that hopefully we’ll be able to solve by the end of M-Term!

•CULTS: AMERICA’S OBSESSION Jamie Tomczuk

This course seeks to define cults, consider how cults are different from mainstream organizations, and analyze how/why cults have grown or risen in prominence at different points in US history. We will take a deep dive into two or three specific cults in the United States using documentaries and text as our primary sources. We will analyze how/why they grew in membership, including considering contextual factors, socialpsychological factors, and individual factors.

Students will craft their own definition of a cult and continue to add to, edit, and refine that definition as the course progresses.

Students will also research one organization of their choosing to analyze whether or not it fits the criteria, and present their findings in small groups to their peers.

•THE CURRENT SUPREME

COURT TERM Conrad Haber and Ted Oxholm This challenging course examines cases currently pending before the U.S. Supreme Court. Students will gain an understanding of the court’s jurisdiction and procedures, then will select several of the currently

pending cases for in-depth examinations.

This process will involve reading the legal briefs, the oral argument transcripts, and the critical precedential cases. Students will be expected to master the complex law involved in their case largely through their own investigation; the law will not be taught to them. The culmination will be mock Supreme Court arguments, in which all students will serve both as counsel (in their own case) and justices (in the other cases). All who are prepared to read complex and lengthy texts, enjoy precise logical thinking, and are academic self-starters are welcome.

•DOCUMENTING PANDEMIC LIFE IN

How have people from the Germantown community been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last year? In this course, we will create a video archive consisting of interviews with members of the community, such as local shop owners, Germantown residents, and members of the GFS community. Interviews will be roughly 15 minutes in length, and each student will plan, conduct, and edit two to three interviews. We will confer as a group to make sure that there is no overlap and that we cover a wide swath of our community. Each student will also submit 10 photographs (either new or taken over the last year) that are representative of the pandemic in Germantown. We will partner with the Germantown Historical Society so that our work can be cataloged in their archives for future generations to access. Your work will be part of these collections for the public to view 10, 20, or 50 years from now!

•EXPLORATIONS IN GEOMETRY David Mraz

We will explore geometry through a hands-on, interdisciplinary, and multimedia approach.

The emphasis is on experiencing geometry concepts by making devices, performing experiments, and recording observations. The ideal participant is curious, imaginative, and willing to investigate. We will make bubbles, rainbows, crystals, rudimentary musical instruments, and pop-up fractals. Explorations may include analyzing TikToks, video games, weather, and astronomical phenomena. This course is designed to allow participants to pursue areas of interest in geometry while also participating in group activities.

•EXPLORING AFRICAN

Amy Celentano

AMERICAN MUSIC Chris Coyle and Sam Thacker

“If you want to learn something, read about it. If you want to understand something, write about it. If you want to master something, teach it.” –Yogi Bhajan

In this course, students will begin by discussing and reading about the historical roots of African American music. Using various online resources, we’ll seek to

•ELÈVE OU PROFESSEUR?

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GERMANTOWN: CREATING A VIDEO ARCHIVE Sarah Kappel and Hugh Rigdon ’23

Do you think you might want to be a French teacher? Or are you experiencing frustration with French grammar? Is your accent too American? Or do you want to expand your vocabulary and reading on a specific topic? In this class, students may choose to independently review concepts—linguistic or literary—from their French class that they found challenging or fascinating. Or they may select to engage in conducting review sessions on topics of grammar or vocabulary.

Whatever role they select, students will have the opportunity to practice these skills in both written and oral contexts. Specific guidance will be provided for the completion of the summer work packets or college placement exams. Students will work both independently and in small groups with the opportunity to design lessons, including identifying Internet sites, designing games and videos, and creating review materials for the other students!

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understand how and why this music came to exist in America. Next, each student will choose one genre/style to focus on and embark on their research and project planning. With teacher support, they will create one of three products that will demonstrate their learning: an article, a “podcast,” or an annotated playlist. Lastly, students will share their products and place their learning in a greater context. We will piece together a musical and cultural timeline, make valuable connections between styles/artists/events, and emphasize public learning goals. Students can expect fun and eye-opening discussions, joyful group listening, and (if in person) performance demonstrations.

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•FOOD JUSTICE IN PHILADELPHIA

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Claire Partridge

The first half of this class will function as a food justice crash course. We will explore one to two topics each class period using readings, videos, discussions, and other activities to help us engage with the concepts.

Some possible topics may include factory farming, government policies, equitable access to high-quality food, food waste, and other related issues students are interested in. During the second half of the course, we will focus on Philadelphia specifically.

Students will perform independent research and interview representatives from nonprofits to discover where inequities lie in our own city and how people are working to address them. For the final project, students will work in groups to design solutions to make the Philadelphia food system more equitable and sustainable.

•FOR THE LOVE OF MEN

Randy Mower and Eric Aurelien In this class, we will use the text For the Love of Men by Liz Plank as a guide to help students examine masculinity in today’s world. In addition to passages from the book, we will examine other forms of media, such as

videos, podcasts, and social media, to dissect contemporary masculinity. During class, students will work introspectively through journaling as well as in small groups that will lead to full-class discussions. The goal of the class is for students to consider more deeply and broadly what masculinity means in the modern world and how they can be better equipped to navigate positive masculinity.

The class is open to all gender identities.

•FROM DRAB TO FAB: WALL EDITION Amy Fligor and Kayla Ashcroft

Have you noticed your bedroom walls look bare and could use some sprucing up? Have you ever seen a macramé wall hanging or embroidered design on Etsy and thought, “I wish I could do that!”? Do you feel at peace when working on intricate hands-on crafts?

If so, then this is the course for you! We will use a variety of materials, including string, fabric, thread, beads, and more, to design and create detailed wall décor. You can expect to complete a minimum of two to three projects by the end of the course. When deciding if this class is the right fit for you, please keep in mind that these crafts take patience, attention to detail, and up-close work with small objects.

•GAMES FOR EVERYONE! DESIGNING AND BUILDING ACCESSIBLE GAMES John Henderson and Claire Partridge

In the time of pandemics, humans have dedicated a lot of time to the pursuit of home-based leisure activities. When thinking about favorite games, one often conjures up an image of a deck of cards or a board game with elaborate instructions and pieces. The goal of this class is to design and construct a prototype game that will be portable, fun, and playable by as many members of our community as possible. When defining our community, we will aim to include those with visual, hearing, and reading challenges, as well as those who don’t speak the same language. The entire class will work as a

team on design, construction, marketing (if we get that far), and test-play. The first few days will focus on the aims of the project and some introduction to the theory behind good game design, including looking at some examples taught in a Game Design class at MIT. We will use various machines and materials, including 3D printers, a Laser Cutter, hand tools, and paint, as well as the software Adobe Illustrator and Fusion 360. No previous experience required; we will develop necessary skills as we go.

•THE HERO/INE’S JOURNEY & YOU Greta Ham and JT Waldman

•HOMEMADE SWEETS AND SOURS Stephen Holt

In this course, we will explore candying and pickling. We will generate lists of specific recipes we want to try; some ideas might include jams, candied violets, taffy, homefermented ginger beer, pickles, kimchi, and more!

•HOW TO FACE THE CLIMATE CRISIS WITH COURAGE, COMPASSION, AND CONVICTION Geo O’Donnell and Robin Friedman In this course, students will participate in The Work That Reconnects workshop, a form of group work designed to foster the

•HOW TO WRITE ONE SONG USING WHAT YOU’VE GOT Sam Thacker, Sam McIlvain, Shawn Hennessey, and Sam Sullivan

This workshop will take students through the process of writing and recording a song on a theme chosen by the group at the outset of the course. Using only the sounds available to us—pencil tappings, whatever instruments we might have, digital samples, etc.—we will record our songs using Soundtrap, an online digital audio workstation. The final product will be a collaborative “concept album” of songs on the group’s chosen theme, which we will share with the community. To get there, we will look at lyric and melody-writing exercises and techniques, share and analyze the structure of songs that we enjoy, and engage in discussions with songwriters. The emphasis will be on collaboration, play, and expressive risk-taking.

•IF YOU GIVE A STUDENT SELF-CARE Trish Le ’21, Chiara Zuccoli ’21, and Alyson Solomon

This course frames mental health not from a biomedical perspective, but rather from an all-encompassing biopsychosocial perspective that takes students’ identities into account. This serves students who are not

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The hero/ine’s journey is a universal mythic story. It has been retold again and again across the globe in many cultures and times. This class will examine some of its appearances and explore their relevance to our own lives. Each student will extend this story and relate it to their personal journey through creative exploration in a medium of their choice. During the course, we will read a lot of different myths from around the world; discuss and explore how they reveal cultural values; and create our own responses through words, visuals, and other media.

desire and ability to take part in the healing of our world and recognize it as our larger living body. It was created by Joanna Macy, a scholar of Buddhism, systems theory, and deep ecology. This experiential work follows a spiral sequence flowing through four stages: gratitude, honoring our pain for the world, seeing with fresh eyes, and, finally, going forth. In the face of overwhelming social and ecological crises, this work helps people transform despair and apathy into constructive, collaborative action. Activities will include journaling, reading, sharing, and, hopefully, growing together. We will also research various forms of climate activism around the globe.

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often the focus of a curriculum that is tailored to the needs of white and straight/cisgender students. We seek to explore topics such as LGBT+ mental health, intergenerational trauma, body image, and internalized capitalism. We will present historical context and applicable practices. Students will engage in open dialogue and learn from guest speakers. This course may include sensitive content (trigger warnings provided during each class).

•IF YOU GIVE A TEEN A FLASHBACK

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Devra Ramsey and Behnaz Varamini

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In this exploration of young children’s literature (picture books), students will reacquaint themselves with beloved books from their childhood as well as explore titles that are new to them. Looking at picture books through a teenage lens provides an opportunity for joy and for deeper analysis and understanding. The goal is to develop a greater appreciation and love for the genre.

A piece of this course will involve a personal signature project of the students’ choosing.

We may also explore children’s literature represented in other media formats.

•THE INDEPENDENT LANGUAGE LAB Elias Bartholomew and Caroline Brock

Language-learning can be a lifelong pursuit, and The Independent Language Lab will provide space for students to discover a new language in a supportive and collaborative environment. Students will engage in a self-directed study of the language of their choosing. They will take advantage of the countless free or low-cost resources available online to pursue a language beyond what is offered at GFS, utilizing the space as an opportunity to investigate varying methods of foreign language acquisition and to better understand how their brains learn new things.

Activities may include language dabbling, watching videos, memory games, and selfreflection. Students will gain language and metacognition (understanding how you think

and learn) skills, acquire the fundamentals of a new language, and, we hope, discover moments of joy in learning.

•INVESTIGATIONS Various Faculty

Looking for time to work on your novella, hone your musical skills, immerse yourself in an author or genre, or work on that longterm project simmering on your back burner?

Whether you’re hoping to feed your passion, follow your curiosity, or discover something brand now, this course will provide you the space and support you need. You will receive encouragement, structure, and feedback from a faculty guide and fellow students while improving your skills in goal-setting and self-direction. You will be responsible for communicating your goals, evaluating your progress, supporting peers in their pursuits, and assessing your results at the conclusion of the course. Upon sign-up, interested students will be asked to submit a statement of intent.

•KARAKURI:

MECHANICAL PAPER ART Tracey Spinka, Bob Wein, and Matt Shapiro This course will focus on making paper models that incorporate elements of simple machines, such as gears, cams, cranks, levers, etc. Each student will get their own Karakuri book, which contains instructions for making the various mechanical components as well as four complete kits and instructions to make full projects. Students will begin by building from these kits to learn some of the techniques and how the various mechanical components might work together. They will then work through making some of the simple machine components and incorporating them into an original project of their own design.

In the process, we will learn about how these simple mechanical components are utilized in devices we use in our daily lives.

•KAZUO ISHIGURO Alex Levin

In this course, we will read the latest novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro.

The book, Klara and the Sun, was just published in early March. The story is set in a dystopian future and is narrated by an AI with keen observational powers. Like Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, Klara explores the human condition from the perspective of an outsider.

Students should expect to present chapters and discussion questions, journal, share ideas and insights that emerge from their reading, and present a creative response in the medium of their choice. As part of our work in the course, we will consider the ethical and philosophical questions that accompany recent developments in artificial intelligence.

Maryanne Rawlings

Being a parent or child-care provider comes with a seemingly never-ending number of questions on a range of topics. What can we learn from the fascinating process of human growth and development to inform all these decisions? Using the community and campus as one of our tools, students will explore the philosophies and research surrounding human development from birth through adolescence. We will remotely visit with infants and their parents and with students and teachers in Early Childhood and Lower School classrooms, as well as virtually explore local spaces designed for children. Research topics may include brain development, sleep, movement, nutrition, preventative medicine, language development, fostering independence, discipline, musical and artistic development, empathy building, and identity development.

•KNITTING FOR BEGINNERS Gen Nelson

This course will use videos and real-time coaching to teach students the basic skills of knitting: casting on, knit, and purl

•LE PETIT PRINCE EN FRANÇAIS Sam McIlvain

Through the study of Saint-Exupéry’s compelling and important oeuvre, students will develop their reading, speaking, and storytelling skills in French while being exposed to ideas of 20th-century philosophical and psychological thought.

Activities will include acting, journaling, creative writing assignments, language acquisition activities, and watching a “comédie musicale” adaptation of the book.

Apart from occasional reading for homework, all other assignments will be completed during class time. This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to enhance their French and learn how to interpret texts in a second language. The course will be conducted entirely in French.

•LIGHT VERSE

Alex Guevarez and Sam Sullivan Eager to try your hand at parodies, sparkling aphorisms, and wisecracking asides? Light verse of the past century offers a parade of irreverent, playful, and inventive poetic humor—from Edward Lear’s nonsense verse, to Dorothy Parker’s flinty epigrams, to Ogden Nash’s whacky exercises in irregular meter.

In this M-Term course, students will read from the foremost practitioners who, in the words of John Hollander, “took delight not only in what they had to say but in their precise manner of saying it,” and, in doing so, build their knowledge of the history of the poetic line in English up to the present day.

Assignments will include a short paper (or

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•THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT

stitches. Once students have mastered these techniques, they may choose to begin a project for themselves or donate it to the charity of their choice. Interested students will be able to pursue basic pattern stitching, such as ribbing or cables. Learning to knit involves developing patience and persistence, and we will spend time discussing these qualities with intentionality and mindfulness.

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two) and frequent creative exercises.

•MATH FOR HUMAN FLOURISHING

•LOVE ON THE ROCKS

This course is designed to be a radically inclusive learning space, grounded in the questions, “What do humans need to flourish?” and “How do I experience the world?” We will explore the experience of struggle, play, truth, justice, freedom, and love, and see how the intellectual pursuit of solving problems can cultivate these human virtues. We will read excerpts from Francis Su’s Mathematics for Human Flourishing, and classes will include puzzling with problems and ideas, journaling, and discussion.

Students will choose an area of inquiry to pursue in the form of a mini-project. This course is designed for all humans and welcomes those who have felt excluded or disenchanted by past experiences with math.

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Adam Hotek

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We will look at films, including Six Degrees of Separation, The Daytrippers, and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and explore how they portray love or friendship.

In each film, there is an event or situation that radically disrupts the idea of these themes. We will explore how the films pose, unravel, and then reconstitute these types of relationships. We will situate the films in terms of related narratives and examine the cinematic techniques that are deployed to convey love or friendship. Students will be asked to think critically about the topics at hand and explore how cinematic style (film techniques) impacts the storylines. Each student will produce a film review, analytical assessment, short response pieces, and a narrative about love or friendship.

Heather Lisle, Sara Charme-Zane, and David Mraz

•MEDIEVAL MANUSCRIPTS: ART, HISTORY, AND THE FUTURE Pierce Buller

•¡MÁS ESPAÑOL! Lindsay Freed

This course will guide learners looking to buckle down and hone their Spanish speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. In each session, we will review a core element of Spanish grammar, and then students will take their own paths. There will be opportunities for practice, collaboration, peer-teaching, and questions. Advanced students may receive coaching from an instructor while working on a language-learning project of their own design (e.g. writing a screenplay, practicing sports commentating). There will also be daily opportunities for conversations with students of all levels. Direct guidance will be provided to students looking to reinforce this year’s coursework or preview next year’s challenges.

In this class, we will enjoy all aspects of medieval manuscripts, including their history, construction, and how they provide a detailed window into the medieval world.

Using manuscripts as a springboard to further study, students will be able to pursue their own specific medieval interests on topics that might include the following: art history; architecture; scripts and runes; related works, such as the Bayeux Tapestry or the Pyxis of al-Mughira; or the “modern medieval” as expressed in literature, video games, or film. As we enjoy and appreciate medieval manuscripts, we’ll study specific manuscripts from around the world, but we will also think through perpetual questions, such as the interplay of word and image, the impact of technology, and the future of writing and illumination.

•MIXING & MAKING WITH THE

NOAHS: SODAS, ELIXIRS, TONICS, AND MORE! Noah Rudick ’21, Noah Eisenstein ’21, and Paula Busser

•MONUMENTS REIMAGINED Aaron Preetam and Greta Ham

This course examines historical and existent public monuments and visual propaganda, especially with an eye to racist and Confederate monuments, and explores how they express values and identity—and how they can be reimagined. In a time of racial reckoning, the creation of public spaces and messages that are inclusive and address our history honestly are essential.

Students will reimagine chosen monuments, or come up with new monuments that speak to our own times and values, and will work collaboratively on one of them.

•NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S

BORED GAMES Dan DiPasquale and Kayla Ashcroft The goal of this course is to explore four categories of games: games that students may think “only old people play”; regional games (both in terms of geography and ethnic groups); newer, more complex games that involve a balance of cooperation and competition; and more obscure games with complex strategy involved. Possible games range from Cribbage to Catan, from Spades to Stratego, and a whole lot in between. The particular games will be chosen once students have enrolled to try to ensure that they are learning new games. Students will have some choice, but will learn at least one game from each category. They will write daily reflections, and the final assessment will be a reflection in which they consider themselves as strategists. Game on!

•THE OBSERVATION DECK: A TOOLKIT FOR WRITERS June Gondi

•NINTH-GRADE MUSICAL: WORKING

Jake Miller, Frank Van Atta, Miku Shiota, April Tvarok, and Ada Cheung We are delighted to present Working as this year’s ninth-grade musical. Through song and scene, Working captures the words of “regular Americans talking about their jobs”

Do you have a writing project that’s stalled, or do you have a writing project in mind? If so, this is the course for you. We will engage in writing through inspiration provided by Naomi Epel’s book The Observation Deck to help break through any writer’s block or get started on a writing project. Class time will be spent writing and discussing aspects

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Join us as we learn the art of mixing ingredients to make delicious concoctions!

Learn to muddle, shake, and stir fruits and herbs to create tasty sodas and tonics. We will dive into the world of infusions, syrups, sodas, elixirs, and more; we will explore the history, art, and science of how to build a drink, using switchels, shrubs, and other simple ingredients to customize our own beverages.

Presentation and garnishes are so important— the ‘flair’ of the art of mixing. Students will engage in hands-on creating and mixing as well as interactive demonstrations, quizzes, and games to amp up the fun as well as the learning. Students will review each other’s creations, to be assembled into a custom recipe book at the end of the class.

(as first recorded by Studs Terkel in 1974).

Much of the cast and crew have been working all semester to prepare and build digital content; this half-day course will be dedicated to bringing the live performance to the stage!

There will be opportunities to both perform and support the show from backstage (stage crew, costumes, etc.). This course is open to members of the class of 2024 only—but all ninth graders are welcome! Please note: cast and crew who have already indicated their participation in the live performance will automatically be enrolled in this class.

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of writing. At the end of the course, you will be expected to share a three-page polished excerpt from whatever you’ve produced.

•ORIGAMI: THE ART AND

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THE SCIENCES Sean Park ’21, Carolina Viswanath ’21, Alyssa Kang ’21, Max Orenstein ’21, Sophia Ortega ’21, and Devra Ramsey Origami is often perceived as a simple pastime, but if one took the time to venture beyond the surface of papercraft, they would find that there is hardly anything simple about it. As the course name suggests, students will explore a myriad of topics covering the techniques and craftsmanship to create beautiful origami, as well as its applications in modern sciences, such as engineering, biomedical, and architectural, the ancient history and culture of origami, and craftsmanship-techniques.

And of course, we will create cool things with our hands! Those who seek to stimulate human advancement through unconventional approaches to art and science are encouraged to take this course. And those who just want to have a good time are invited to join, too!

•PRINT AND PROCESS

•PAPER: LET’S NOT WRITE ON IT

•PSYCHOLOGY OF HORROR

What’s the tallest tower that you can build with a pack of index cards? How much weight can you hold up with the tissues from one box? This course is intended to explore paper, an amazing material with impressive properties. Why does cutting paper wear out scissors, which are made of a much sterner stuff? Why is our copy paper so white? So many questions and challenges to explore.

Do you like horror movies, psychology, or both? This course will explore these subjects through the lens of modern masterpieces of horror cinema, including The Haunting of Hill House, Midsommar, and Hereditary. We will read excerpts of work by Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Jacques Lacan, and other prominent figures from the field of psychology, and consider the psychological themes of the films in our discussions. Students will present their own insights into the psychology of horror during class as well as in a final project, for which they’ll choose a horror movie to psychoanalyze.

Bob Wein

•PHILIPPINE CULTURE AND TRADITIONAL ARTS Eva Porter

In this course, we will dive into Filipino culture through music and dance, language, 15

crafts, and food. We will sample popular pastries and beverages and learn frequently used phrases in Filipino. We will build bamboo models of traditional Filipino huts, called bahay kubo, and instruments. We will also learn traditional weaving techniques to make baskets, hats, and mats. Finally, we will listen to popular Filipino songs and learn a traditional dance, called Tinikling.

Megan Culp and Caroline Santa Print and Process is a printmaking class in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum. Students will work both in person and virtually with The Fabric Workshop, learning about the museum and how they partner with artists, creating a collaborative print, learning about the process of screen printing, and, finally, printing their collaboration on fabric. The final piece will be a large tablecloth that can be used at GFS, as well as fabric that each student can take home with them. Other activities include exploring methods of printmaking, such as monoprinting and relief printing, linocut, and collograph printing.

Sydney Casey-Willig ’21 and Alex Levin

•PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AFRICAN

•READING NABOKOV’S PNIN

“It is not taboo to go back and fetch that which is forgotten.”

This course will be a close reading of the novel, Pnin, that made Nabokov famous in the United States. We will read and discuss thoroughly, examine outside sources, and follow the spark of our inquiry.

AMERICAN EXPERIENCE Brittany Copeland and Dr. Zarah Adams

•PUERTO RICO: CLOSE UP

Sam Sullivan and Robin Friedman Delve into Puerto Rican history, culture, music, and politics, with a focus on Puerto Ricans in Philadelphia. What is the relationship between economic modernization and cultural nationalism?

What about the Statehood movement? What about the relationship between the Young Lords Party and the Black Panther Party?

How has the Puerto Rican community in Philadelphia helped to shape the city we call home? What is PROMESA? The Jones Act? What about Puerto Ricans in Philly in 2021?

We will explore the complex relationship between the island and the U.S. and engage with some of the political and ideological questions about the present and future. In this class, expect short readings, art, music, film, speakers, visits (if possible), and food (if possible).

•REMEMBRANCE: A STUDY OF

THE HOLOCAUST Alyson Solomon and Aaron Preetam The Holocaust was the systematic persecution and murder of six million Jews and millions of others by the Nazi regime and its collaborators during WWII. The term “genocide” was introduced into international law after the Nuremberg Trials (1945-46) exposed these war crimes. In this class, students will explore the history of Nazioccupied Europe between 1933-45. Through readings and discussions, students will learn about Nazi racial ideology and antisemitism, the Nuremberg Laws, ghettos, deportation and camps, resistance movements, the Wannsee Conference, the Nuremberg Trials, and Holocaust memorials. Students will have class time to read Elie Wiesel’s Night and watch the film, Escape from Sobibor. In addition, students may have an opportunity to meet local Holocaust survivors or their family members. Students enrolled in this class will be expected to participate in all class activities, including readings, writing in journals, and giving presentations.

•SILENCE IS GOLDEN: EARLY CINEMA Adam Hotek

We will begin this course by looking at the inception of film and cinema. Our class will explore the content and implications of some of the first films ever made. We will then turn to the slapstick comedies of such cinema icons as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.

In this context, we will look at how these films construct comedy, how they represent the human body, and how they produce particular social visions of the United States in the early

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In this course, students will learn about African American psychology, African American history, and the influence of African culture in daily life. Students will engage in thoughtful dialogue about historical underpinnings of Western psychology and whether they contrast with their emerging understanding of Afrocentric psychology. They will also have the opportunity to engage with the Germantown community through in-person and/or virtual tours, class activities, and guest speakers. In order to understand our present and prepare for our future, we first must look to the past.

This class will push students to consider their conceptualization and understanding of the interplay between psychology, American history, and African American culture.

Alex Guevarez and Sam Sullivan

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20th century. Towards the end of the course, we will explore the 2011 film The Artist (this is a film that nostalgically looks back at silent films). Students will write a film review, conduct research about filmic topics that interest them, and produce a small screenplay.

overs of our favorite scenes—which is guaranteed to be a hilarious disaster. Some Spanish background is necessary, but the course is open to all levels.

•SPIKE LEE •1619 PROJECT: RACE, POLITICS, We will focus on the writings and podcasts that are part of The New York Times’ 1619 Project that reconceptualizes the standard telling of American history, decentering whiteness and incorporating Black history.

We’ll also look at some of the criticism that the project has received from both historians and politicians, including the 1776 Project that was put forward by the previous administration—and the criticism of that project by professional historians and educators. Students will work in small groups to produce a visual project, such as a poster or a website.

This course will focus on the film repertoire of the famous director, Spike Lee, whose iconic movies have inspired critical conversations about race, gender, and class in American society. By learning about Lee’s rise to success, as well as viewing a number of his most popular films, students will develop an understanding of and appreciation for Lee’s work thematically, socioculturally, historically, and cinematically. Students should expect to watch and discuss films thoughtfully in class, noting both the construction as well as the key issues each film explores. Students will conclude the course by producing a creative reflection of their favorite Spike Lee Joint that more deeply probes a critical social issue within American society.

•SLEEPING AND MOVING

•START SPEAKING SPANISH

In this course, students will learn about the benefits of sleeping and moving. We will also discuss some potential pitfalls that can arise if sleep and activity are neglected. While completing a sleep log throughout the course, students will take a deeper look at their own sleeping habits and routines. The underlying goal of the class is for students to learn about the importance of sleep, but also be introduced to new methods to increase their sleep quality. In return, their lives as they know them will never be the same!

In this course, we will learn practical, usable, “survival Spanish” through conversation, games, skits, stories, and collaborative study.

Open to folks brand-new to the language, students who would like Spanish review from the very beginning, and more experienced speakers looking to learn about language learning and teaching. Class will be held in both English and Spanish, so students will get a firm grasp of basic grammar concepts, and spend plenty of time experimenting, listening, practicing, and having fun. We’ll think carefully about our own learning, examining the impact of strategies like Duolingo, listening to music and podcasts, studying on Quizlet, and building vocabulary with the Netflix Language Learning extension. We’ll share and discuss other teacher-approved Spanish learning resources as well.

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AND HISTORY John Ceccatti and Joe McGeary

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Jackie Dawson and Aaron Preetam

Matt Sheehan

•SPANISH FILM AND VOICE ACTING Stephen Holt

Time to practice Spanish! We will watch awesome Spanish movies and shows, then practice Spanish by doing our own voice-

Lindsay Freed

•STORIES FROM THE NEW YORKER Joe McGeary

Students will read selected short stories from The New Yorker from the 1930s to the present, with an eye to the way these stories reflect cultural changes in the U.S. as well as innovations in the short story. Students will do various creative writing exercises with the goal of producing a completed short story.

Featured authors may include John Cheever, Ann Beattie, Zadie Smith, J.D. Salinger, Yi Yin Li, and many more. This will be a great course for students who love creative writing and love to read stories, especially stories about the city.

•STUDIES IN EDUCATION

This course is for curious historians, philosophers, travelers, and future educators.

In light of the celebration of 175 years of Germantown Friends School, we would like to offer a course on the 50+-year GFS publication of writings that makes up Studies in Education. These compilations are magnificent, fun, and inspiring. During the 12 days, we will research the collection and read, share, and discuss some of the outstanding writing on educational, historical, Quaker, student, faculty, and alumni experiences. We will also continue work on a subject index and to build a subject guide for the collection.

Highly recommended for seniors feeling nostalgic or interested in brushing up on their GFS history before graduation.

•A SURVEY OF AFRICAN HISTORY

Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, David Ouma, and Jamie Tomczuk Spanning over 12,000 years of rich and vibrant history, this survey course will travel from Tunis to Capetown and Dakar to Mogadishu to chronicle 10 major periods in African History. From Pre-History and the Awakening, through the great Sudanic empires, colonization, and the divine

•THE PROMISED LAND: JEWS AND ITALIANS IN THE UNITED STATES Elias Bartholomew

This class will explore the mythology of Italian and Jewish immigration to the United States, tracing the journey from marginalized foreigners (racists thought Italian food was too garlicky and induced a dangerous craving for alcohol, for example), through the societal transformations wrought by the New Deal, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement, to these groups’ putative ascendancy to middleclass suburban stability. We will anchor our analysis of this narrative in two films, The Godfather (1972) and Uncut Gems (2019).

We will also delve into literature (Kafka’s Amerika, Yiddish poetry, Don DeLillo), non-fiction (The Romance of American Communism by Vivian Gornick), visual art (Ben Shahn’s Sacco and Vanzetti paintings), and historical sources. We will discuss plenty and do an interdisciplinary creative project.

•(THIS CLASS IS) THE ICING ON THE CAKE Neeta McCulloch

In this hands-on course, students will learn piping techniques to use on cakes and cupcakes. We’ll start with beginning skills, such as dots, lines, shells, rosettes, and ruffles, then move on to more advanced techniques like flowers and succulents. Depending on students’ interest and progress, we could even tackle spatula painting and embroidery! Each

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Tim Wood (GFS Archivist) and Lisa Hemphill Burns

Yoruba, Congo, Asante, and Zulu kingdoms, to reconstruction and contemporary Pan Africanism, students will develop a rich contextualized chronology and geography of the continent and its people. The course will be framed around daily narrative presentations by GFS Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, and uniquely tailored activities facilitated by David Ouma, Head of African Studies at African Leadership Academy, and GFS History teacher, Jamie Tomczuk.

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class will begin with a short instructional video or demonstration before we pick up our piping bags and try out what we’ve seen.

We’ll spend most of our time practicing on parchment paper and cupcakes, but the class will culminate with students learning to fill and frost a six-inch cake, then using their new piping skills to decorate it. Please note that students are expected to bring in undecorated cupcakes for at least two days of the class.

•TINY THEATRE, BIG STORY

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Geo O’Donnell and Kasey Henderson

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What story do you want to tell? What message or cause do you want to amplify through storytelling? In Tiny Theatre, artists create miniature theatres and use cut-paper figures, sculpted or found objects, dolls, action figures—the possibilities are endless— to bring their play to life. Just like in fullsized theater, there can be light cues, sound cues, scene changes, costumes, and any other design elements the creator desires. We will study theatrical design and performative storytelling through puppetry, tableau, sculpture, and object manipulation. Each student will then create their own tiny theatre and tell a story within that little world; they may choose to make video versions to share their story more widely. Class will culminate in the sharing of work.

•TRUE CRIME PODCASTS

Anne Gerbner and June Gondi True crime podcasts keep us hooked on gripping stories of crime and investigation, but the best crime podcasts go beyond entertainment to shed light on the criminal justice system. Starting with Serial, we will listen to crime podcasts that address social and ethical issues, including the new NPR series, Through the Cracks, as well as Finding Cleo, White Lies, Anatomy of Doubt, 74 Seconds, Somebody, Bearbrook, and Detective Trapp. We will listen to a podcast each day, consider evidence, forensics, DNA, police protocol, investigations, victim’s rights,

and potential miscarriages of justice. We will also examine storytelling techniques (characterization, scene-setting, cliff-hangers, and narrative perspective) and delve into the social justice issues presented.

•VOULEZ-VOUS PARLER FRANÇAIS? Luisa Knowles and Amy Celentano

This course is designed to offer the non-French speaker a crash course in French! Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of the language, including greetings and emotions, wishes and leisure activities, the ability to read a menu, and how to get directions to tourist destinations. In addition, students will have the opportunity to spend time with a genuine fountain pen and ink to perfect the penmanship of the French! The creation of a “Livre d’Or” will be an ongoing project, a souvenir of learning and mastering the French language topics through pictures and careful copying!

On y va!

•WILDERNESS SURVIVAL SKILLS Taia Harlos

“One thorn of experience is worth a whole wilderness of warning.”–James Russell Lowell This course will explore outdoor wilderness skills, including 10 ways to start a fire, reading weather patterns, shelter building, making water filtration systems, proper knife and ax skills (including sharpening), and basic first-aid skills. Participants will learn how to approach wilderness situations with an expedition mentality and assessment of resources. Not only will these skills become invaluable in the wilderness or emergency situations, but they will benefit your everyday life and how you approach the unexpected.

Tools will be provided for use during the course. Participants should plan on being outdoors for most of the class.

DOUBLE-BLOCK CLASSES •HOW TO MAKE A VIDEO

Willy Previdi ’21, JT Waldman, and Matt Zipin Have you ever wanted to make a video but didn’t know where to start? Is your creativity being held back by the complexity of modern technology? Are you cool? If you answered yes to any of these questions, How to Make a Video is the class for you! In this hands-on course, students will make their own videos, with only a little bit of time allotted to actual teaching. By the end of the class, you will have a basic understanding of how to use Adobe Premiere. We know you watch way too much YouTube; why not know how to make those videos yourself?

IN ARMED CONFLICT Bill O’Neill and Lisa Hemphill Burns Is there a human right to clean water?

What about access to health care? Is there a genocide being committed against the Uighurs in China? Can the government force people to stay inside during a pandemic?

Can the Philadelphia police lawfully use tear gas against peaceful demonstrators? We will address these and similar questions in this course on international human rights and conflicts. We will interview international experts, review video footage, work in small groups on case studies, and analyze core legal texts to deepen our understanding of our rights and duties.

•SYNTH BUILDING WORKSHOP

Andrew Westerhaus, Sarah Zwerling, and Shawn Hennessey Have you ever wanted to rock out on your own homemade synthesizer? Here is your chance to build one! Students in this class will fabricate their own clone of an analog Moog synth and will make a laser-cut fingerjointed box for the enclosure, designed

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•PROTECTING HUMAN RIGHTS

in Adobe Illustrator according to each student’s own unique style. Along the way, we’ll learn about electronics circuitry and synthesizers in electroacoustic music, how to follow a schematic, and how to hone our soldering skills. The synth includes a 10step keyboard, three oscillators, filters for musical expression, and a built-in speaker. No prerequisites; participants will learn how to solder. Each student will finish the class with their own synth to take home.

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FULL-DAY CLASSES •PEDALING THROUGH HISTORY:

A JOURNEY ALONG THE GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE AND C&O CANAL Matthew Young and David Kern

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This course is designed around a historic seven-day bicycle packing trip from Pittsburgh, PA, to Washington, DC. Following a week of trip planning and equipment preparation, students will travel to Pittsburgh and set off on a 334-mile cycling expedition along The Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail and the adjoining C&O Canal Towpath to arrive in the nation’s capital. In addition to the inherent skills embedded in such a trip, participants will engage with two rich 19thcentury historic themes unfolding under their rolling wheels: East-West Commerce and the Civil War.

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•SURVEYING AND DOCUMENTING WATERWAYS FROM GFS TO THE ATLANTIC Mark Croxford and Michael Koehler

Prepare to wander, explore, sit, watch, and document the amazing array of aquatic ecosystems within a short drive from GFS, which will include many of the following: the Wissahickon Creek; the Delaware River beyond Philadelphia; tidal marshes in Gloucester County, NJ; the lakes and rivers of the Pine Barrens; and the back bays and barrier islands of the Jersey Shore. We will classify flora and fauna in each location and investigate how these waterways have impacted local culture. A particular emphasis of the course will be documentation with photography, drawing, and perhaps other media. Students will complete the class by creating a cumulative photo book and slideshow. The form these materials take will be limited by what we find and what we imagine.

NOTES

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GFS GERMANTOWN FRIENDS SCHOOL 215.951.2300 | 31 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia, PA 19144

W W W. GE RM A N TOW NFR IE NDS.OR G/MT E R M