Henry Turberfield, 26
Teacher- Ms. Burns
Course- Secrets of the Forest
What is the course about?
Secrets of the Forest is about unveiling things about the natural world that people usually wouldn’t notice, hence the name “secrets”. “You can’t see what you don’t know is there” (Ms. Burns). There are a lot of different parts to a forest ecosystem, and if you don’t know they’re there, you might miss them. This course aims to rekindle the connection between students and the environment in this new age of technology.
How much of it is going to be discussion-based?
The course is going to have a large portion of it being outside. In terms of formal discussions, there won’t be any, but casual conversations about what you are seeing in the forest will be plentiful. Considering the location of Warner Park and the creek on campus, Ms. Burns aims to spend time outside once a week.
How much of it is going to be projects?
Ms. Burns hopes that the course is going to be project-based to an extent. There will still be formal assessments, but Ms. Burns thinks the material fits projects-based assessments more.
How much time should be expected for homework each night?
“Just within the umbrella policy, I can’t say for sure, and it will flux daily, but I don’t want to assign homework for the sake of assigning homework.”
Why did you decide to run this course?
Ms. Burns studied Environmental Protection in college. She also interned as a park ranger, where she acted as an information guide to tourists who came to see the park. She said she loved the job, because she got to educate people on what was happening in the forest. This course is also in accordance with her background and something that she is passionate about. Environmental Science is an AP option, so she wanted a course that all students could take.
Why should students take your course?
“As time goes on, humans are less and less connected with the world around them and more connected to technology.” Ms. Burns thinks students should take this course, because you don’t know what you're losing if you don’t know what's there. The forest is being corrupted, animals are going extinct, and if you don’t know what's there when you are destroying the forest, you aren’t going to care. “And it's just really cool.”
What type of student should take your course?
The two qualities are open-mindedness and empathy. I think if you are open-minded to the world around you, this course will fulfill you ;if you are empathetic about it, you will care for it. And if you are curious, you should take this course.
Teacher- Ms.Towle
Course- Minds, machines, and morality
What is the course about?
This is a philosophy of technology class. The class will start with the development of atomic weapons and gradually build into modern technologies and their moral implications. What will the future implications of modern technology be?
How much of it is going to be discussion-based?
There will be around one graded discussion per week. Overall the course will be heavily involved by harkness.
How much of it is going to be projects?
There will be 3 big projects throughout the semester, and the final will be one big research-based project.
How much time should be expected for homework each night?
Reading-wise not a lot- 20 minutes a night, tops.
Why did you decide to run this course?
“I read a book about the history of atomic weapons, which really inspired me to do a course that builds on this topic.” Mrs. Towle is also on the AI pilot team, so doing the two of these together is what inspired this class.
Why should students take your course?
Students should take the course, because it's extremely relevant, and it's not your average English class where you are picking apart literature.
What type of student should take your course?
People who like history, people who like to talk, argue, read, and stay up to date with current events, should take this class.
Course- Creative Writing
What is the course about?
This course will cover a variety of different writing units. In this course, you will experiment with different styles of writing, including fiction, non-fiction, news, children's literature, and more.
How much of it is going to be discussion-based?
Discussion in this class will revolve around peer workshops where you give others your work
and then get feedback on it and vice versa.
How much of it is going to be projects?
Each unit will have a written piece. Your course-long project will be the culmination of written pieces at the end of each unit; by the end of the course, you will have a portfolio that you can submit to colleges to showcase your work, regardless of major.
How much time should be expected for homework each night?
It will fit under the umbrella policy, but it will depend on how much a student gets done during class.
Why did you decide to run this course?
Mrs. Towle wanted to run this course because of her background in English and Newspaper, and because the school doesn’t offer many opportunities for creative writing.
Why should students take your course?
To get more feedback on their writing, to play around with different styles of writing, and to get a portfolio to submit to colleges
What type of students should take your course?
People who don’t mind other people reading their work, or people who simply like writing outside literature analysis…people who are creative.
Teacher-Ms.Young
Course- Legal Reasoning
What is the course about?
The course is an introduction to legal reasoning for students. This course covers how to ask questions like a lawyer and how to approach actual cases. In this course, you will read a case for the entire semester and eventually act out the case with students having different roles. You will learn the flaws, loopholes, and the ins-and-outs of the legal system.
How much of it is going to be discussion-based?
First half of the course is going to be discussing and learning the ins-and-outs of law. The second half will be acting out the case. The final exam will be acting out the trial.
How much of it is going to be projects?
“The whole thing”
How much time should be expected for homework each night?
First half probably has about 30 minutes a night, the second half depends on your role. Lawyers will have more reading, whereas witnesses will have more acting. There will be about 20-30 min of homework in general.
Why did you decide to run this course?
Passion project, because Dr. Young has been running mock trials, wants students to know the legal system and understand their rights.
Why should students take your course?
It's going to be a really fun opportunity to test a new skill and learn history in a new way, a history that doesn’t test your writing skills but auditory, acting and arguing.
What type of student should take your course?
Any student that is looking to enhance their skills in persuasion and any student that is interested in the law, creative and looking to fulfill a history, should take this course.
Teacher- Ms.Strong
Sculpting
What is the course about?
Sculpture is a course about three-dimensional art! Students will work with a variety of materials to build artwork that ranges from representational to abstract, conceptual to functional, and personal to public. Students will also explore the influence of sculpture on society and culture.
How much of it is going to be discussion-based?
A smaller percentage of the course will be discussion-based. There will be class discussions with process demonstrations and when we complete projects in order to share them with each other. There will also be less formal teacher/student and small group discussions throughout the creation of each work.
How much of it is going to be projects?
A lot! This is a class based on creative projects. There will be research and planning that goes into each project, but much of the course time will be spent fabricating and constructing sculptures.
How much time should be expected for homework each night?
Homework for this course is not regular, because most of the class work will depend on in-studio creation. However, much research, brainstorming, and development can be done as homework. 30 minutes of homework is expected on average 2x per week. Homework may also include revisiting the studio before or after school to further projects as needed.
Why did you decide to run this course?
It currently feels like a missing piece of our visual arts curriculum, and the skills learned through sculpture are relevant to so many fields. While my own background as an artist is diverse - from ceramics to book art - the throughline is sculpture. The medium’s flexibility knows no bounds!
Why should students take your course?
A lot of sculpture is problem solving because you are attempting to achieve balance and structure through manipulation of material. Students will develop skills in precision, focus, and intentionality by engaging in hands-on processes and attempting to build their own unique designs. Most importantly, the class will be creatively engaging (and really, a lot of fun.)
What type of student should take your course?
Truly believe any student would enjoy this course. Though if I must get specific, a student should take Sculpture if they:
Enjoy thinking spatially (i.e. maybe they like geometry, or basketball, or get a sense of satisfaction from loading the dishwasher perfectly…)
Like building/constructing, or hope to gain knowledge in this area
Are interested in material reuse and recycling, or sustainable creativity and messaging
Enjoy hands-on creative expression, like gardening, baking, and craft/art making.
Have an interest in engineering, industrial design, architecture, animation, or visual art.
Like problem-solving!