What role do our senses play in our perception of the world? Can we be certain that there is a world at all? Which came first, the chicken or the egg? Should we be afraid of death? In this course, we will develop a foundation of the philosophical style of inquiry and explore the philosophical insights of various ancient and modern philosophers.

We'll use logic and philosophy to probe at a challenging question: does God exist?

Ever wondered what the life of a scare actor looks like? Interested in developing your own persona for a haunt? How do you get into scare acting, anyway?

Led by paid scare actors, this fun acting class will cover all of this and more, and you'll get to have a hands-on experience with scare acting!

Ever wonder what the vikings did when they weren't busy raiding and pillaging? In Iceland they created a free society of independent people where law, culture, and creativity flourished. Who were these first Icelanders? What was their daily life like? And how did they resolve conflicts in a land with no king or government? We'll answer these questions and many more as we explore the fascinating history of Viking Age Iceland.

This class will provide an overview of polyphony or counterpoint, which is the art of combining two or more melodies together in a way that is interesting and harmonious. I will go over the fundamentals of counterpoint, cover the various forms (rounds, canons, fugues), and analyze some famous examples from classical music. Polyphony is the most emotionally overwhelming musical texture, and the more the listener understands the inner workings of counterpoint, the more powerful contrapuntal works will sound to them. This introduction will give students the tools to learn more about polyphony and music theory in general on their own, and will hopefully make them deeper and more perceptive listeners.


Prerequisites
ability to read music (knowing the names of the notes, the meaning of sharps and flats, ability to read at least treble and bass clef), an interest in music theory and/or composition

Have you ever wondered how a carpenter from Nazareth from 2,000 years ago managed to change the entire world as we know it?

Did you know that every story of the Bible, from Adam and Eve, to Noah, Moses, David, and everything in between points to one person? One message?

Have you ever thought about how the Old and New Testaments perfectly come together to form one clear story arc, connecting all of human history?

This class explores Christian Typology, or the "Where's Waldo?" of the Bible. We will explore how the Bible tells the story of humanity, from beginning to end, centered around one person, Jesus Christ. We will explore the images, symbols, metaphors, and connections the Old Testament paints that point to the coming Messiah.

This class is for you if A) you're interested in Christianity and want to get a big picture view of what it's about, what is the Gospel, and how the Bible comes together to present this claim.

or B) You're a Christian looking to learn more about your faith, explore some amazing connections you probably never thought about, and fall in love with the Bible once again.

I'm excited to see you there!


Prerequisites
None!

Liberal? Progressive? Centrist? Libertarian? Everyone is invited for this special course on the fundamentals of conservatism as a set of ideals and worldview. This class is for you if you want to break away from whatever political bubble you're apart of and learn what, why, and how conservatives think and believe. We'll talk about how faith, reason, work, and morality all shape conservative thought, play games that explore conservative principles and American elections, and explore modern day issues from traditional perspectives. Hope to see you soon!


Prerequisites
A basic understanding of government/civics.

This course covers the history of the Syrian Refugee Crisis from the Arab Spring to the COVID-19 pandemic today. Key themes of the course include civil war, statehood/statelessness, human rights, refugees, and public health.

In this course, students will be introduced to the basics of oral argument at the Supreme Court. They will learn about the role of oral argument in the Court's decision-making and basic argument-writing techniques. Finally, the lesson will conclude with students writing and delivering short arguments of their own on fun, not necessarily law-related topics of their choice.

Have you ever felt lost in history class hearing about all of those influential thinkers? If so, this class is for you! In this class we will cover political philosophers such as: Aristotle, Plato, Machiavelli, Locke, Hobbes, and Rousseau and explore how they approached human nature and society. No prior knowledge of these philosophers is expected, come willing to learn and discuss!

Any time you spend money on new clothes, video games, an ice cream.... are you doing something morally wrong? You don't need that ice cream, those video games, those new clothes. But there are many other people in the world who do need things: mosquito nets, medication, vitamin supplements. Does that make it wrong for us to spend our money on luxury items instead?

What makes a story good? How can we best tell our own stories? In this workshop, we’ll focus on putting together the building blocks of a story: setting, character, and plot. We’ll read some excerpts from popular literature and incorporate what we observe into our own creative writing, which will be in response to different prompts that will give you ideas to get started. Hopefully by the end of our time together, you will have a newfound appreciation for some of your favorite stories and the foundation for masterpieces of your own!


Prerequisites
An open mind and willingness to participate!

What makes a story good? How can we best tell our own stories? In this workshop, we’ll focus on putting together the building blocks of a story: setting, character, and plot. We’ll read some excerpts from popular literature and incorporate what we observe into our own creative writing, which will be in response to different prompts that will give you ideas to get started. Hopefully by the end of our time together, you will have a newfound appreciation for some of your favorite stories and the foundation for masterpieces of your own!


Prerequisites
An open mind and willingness to participate!

Did you know that about 80% of English words are borrowed from Latin? If you've ever wondered why someone would want to learn a "dead" language then this class is for you! We will learn basic Latin phrases and sayings and also discuss the enduring importance of classical languages in the modern world. No prior knowledge of Latin is needed. Carpe diem!


Prerequisites
None - just some enthusiasm! No prior knowledge of Latin is needed!

This workshop introduces students to the concept of gender as an identity and to several genderqueer identities. It introduces students to how cisgender people are oftentimes incorrectly viewed as "the only 'normal' way to be" and the reasons why this assumption is harmful. It also teaches cisgender students ways to be good allies to their trans/genderqueer peers.

Why is a playwright who died hundreds of years ago still so celebrated today? Why should we make the journey through his difficult language? In short, what makes Shakespeare so meaningful? This course aims to answer these questions. It introduces students to the enduring impact Shakespeare has on the modern world and can have on each of us. We will go through a quick presentation on who Shakespeare was, go over a sonnet or two, and perform a scene together!

Have you ever wondered what crazy stories were hiding in history books? The way history is usually taught in high school, most kids find themselves falling asleep. Who wants to memorize dates? That's not where the magic of history is - the magic is in the stories! This class will take a look at some interesting historical figures (and maybe some animals!) that students are not likely to have heard of, and the stories that make them so interesting.


Prerequisites
Just an interest in history!

Interested in nonverbal communication? Eager to learn about how deaf and hard of hearing people communicate through American Sign Language (ASL)? Sign up to take this class! No prior knowledge of American Sign Language needed, although familiarization with fingerspelling the alphabet will help a lot! This class requires students to turn on their cameras for active participation.

Interested in painting digitally, but can’t draw the second eye? Just installed Procreate and are now lost in the brushes? Come take this workshop!

A beginner’s course on using the iPad Procreate app and painting reference photos.


Prerequisites
An iPad with the Procreate app installed and a portrait photo you'd like to paint. I recommend using a portrait with strong shadows to provide more depth in your painting.

A brief overview of theories and manifestations of "soft power" as a way one country influences another beyond mainstream politics. A brief history of Korean Pop music (K-pop), the Hallyu wave, and its role as a source of soft power in East-Southeast Asian affairs.


Prerequisites
An interest in either K-Pop or International Relations

Are you interested in K-pop, K-Drama, or Webtoons (or all)? Do you like learning new languages? Come join this class to learn how to read and write Korean alphabets, Hangul!
By the end of the day (of course, with some time to memorize the alphabets and sounds), you could read any Korean phrases you see on the streets or in the background of a show, or write any Korean words you can think of--certainly "Hi," "Thank you," and your name.

In particular, we'll introduce daily expressions in Korean, learn how to write your names, and get started with Korean alphabets and putting the 'consonants' and 'vowels' together.


Prerequisites
Anyone who hasn't taken Korean before and is interested in learning the language is welcome!

We will delve into some of the extremely basic concepts of fluid mechanics.

In many basic statistics classes, independent probabilities of finite single events are calculated. In reality, many useful concepts in probability come from a changing process that doesn't necessarily have to end. In this class, we will first examine independence and then look at Markov chains which describe a specific type of process where probabilities of different future conditions are determined completely by present conditions.

This course is designed to give a friendly introduction to coding. We'll be learning how to design our own game with the help of Java.


Prerequisites
n/a

Who says math has to be boring? Welcome to Desmos! We will learn the simple ways to graph functions and make them move using sliders. We will explore how to use Desmos from the tasks for your homework to making an awesome project! Class will be taught by an International Desmos Art Finalist.


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of math and algebra required. Knowledge of Calculus is optional but will be briefly introduced in the class.

When your teacher asks you to show work for a problem, they are not-so-subtly asking you to prove to them that something is true. It turns out that this idea is very important to mathematics as a whole: proving that [insert your favorite math fact] is true in general (or given certain conditions) allows us to use it wherever we might need it. We will explore mathematical proof writing/techniques, proof writing as a way of thinking, and enjoy thinking about math in the process!

Calculus is a topic that is surprisingly difficult for a lot of high school students, and it makes sense--the concept of thinking of very small things (i.e. the "d" in dy/dx) or very large things (i.e. infinity) can be evasive. This course is intended for those who want to go into the sciences/engineering and are preparing for a very survey look at what the first forays into calculus look like.


Prerequisites
Algebra

Behold the wonders of the Atomic Age! We'll cover the science and history of nuclear power plants: how they work, how they've evolved, and what the future of nuclear power might look like. From the promise of nearly unlimited clean power to the threat of nuclear disasters like Chernobyl, join us as we explore the amazing world of nuclear power!

This course will explain how vaccines harness the power of the immune system to protect against future infections. It will also discuss different types of vaccines,
emphasizing modern technologies used in the current COVID vaccines. Finally, this course will illustrate how herd immunity and other public health measures work to prevent spread of an infection at a population level.

What is a mushroom? What is mycelium? How do plants communicate with each other? How can mold model cities and move mountains? Could collaboration be just as strong of a force as competition? How do (mostly) invisible fungal relationships shape our planet?

Welcome to the exciting world of fungal ecology. If you've taken a liking to lichen or consider yourself a fungal/fungi, there's mushroom for you in this class. We'll dig into this unexplored kingdom and explore what it means to be a human in a fungus's world.


Prerequisites
None! Though some biology may be helpful.

The story of how humans came to be is one riddled with mystery, dead ends, controversy, and seemingly endless debate. However, it all centers around the primary question: what makes us human? The search to answer this question takes us back millions of years, and spans disciplines such as paleoanthropology, archaeology, geology, biology, and more. This course will teach the very basics of what we know (and don't know) about human evolution, and provide resources for those who wish to learn more.


Prerequisites
A curious mind and interest in how we got to now!

Do negative emotions like disgust and depression have evolutionary roots? Do we suffer from certain conditions like allergy, asthma, or cancer more than our ancestors did? We'll talk about how modern civilization has changed the kinds of health problems we face, as well as our deep past and potential future evolution with respect to disease. This year we'll also discuss Behavioral Immunity, how "social distancing" and quarantining infected individuals are not modern human inventions, but ubiquitous across the animal kingdom.


Prerequisites
high school biology is helpful

What is cancer? How do we prevent, diagnose, and treat it? Did you know radiation can be used to treat tumors? We'll explore the exciting field of oncology and work together through an interactive hands-on activity exploring anatomy on CAT scans!


Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites required although a basic course in biology would be helpful.

We often think of science in terms of conclusions and facts, but that's not science at all. Science is a highly successful method of thinking used by subjective creatures to make sense of an objective world that we cannot clearly see.

We understand that from this method, humanity has uncovered countless discoveries and built advanced technologies, but what is science, why is it successful, and can this method be useful in our everyday lives? How do we think like scientists?

This course is a discussion-based seminar between the teacher and students. Participation is desired!


Prerequisites
Students must be willing to think critically; challenging their own beliefs and those of the teacher. Otherwise, you may never know what wisdom can be found in a carton of milk.

They say your face is bombarded by trillions of particles every second. Which you don’t see.

They say your hair contains many trillion atoms. Which you can’t see.

And they even say your Wi-Fi comes from an invisible spectrum. Which, of course, you will never see!

Finally, they say, all the things you don’t see make up the things you do see! So what do you see?

Particle physics can be surprising, confusing and downright funny at times. In this class, we’ll attempt to explore the tiniest and the fundamental things in nature. Not only do we focus on *what* we know (sorry, what “they” know) about the world, but also think about *how* they know what they know.

At the end of our Tour in Particle Physics, maybe you’ll see the atoms in your hair, the particles slapping your face, and the Wi-Fi that got you through Zoom days.


Prerequisites
A very basic knowledge of an atom is helpful but not assumed

The entire universe exists within sixty-two orders of magnitude difference in size. Splash classes last sixty minutes. I figure I'll have to skip a couple of the less interesting zoom levels to make the universe fit in one class.

In this class we will be looking through all the orders of magnitude of the universe, scrolling from Planck length to the observable bubble, and you will have questions all along the way– questions I will do my best to answer, be they about galaxies, Ganymede, glucose, or gluons. I won't know everything, but that's half the fun! Join me on a scroll-bar driven guided tour of all things large and small.

How can AI be used to identify diseases, classify cancers, and discover new drugs? This class will explore the intersection of AI and medicine through lenses of computation, ethics, and entrepreneurship.

You'll have the opportunity to play with machine learning models and to compete against a computer in a real-world challenge -- classifying tumors as benign or malignant.

In this class, we will dive into the functions of various parts of the brain and discuss some amazing case studies involving brain injuries that result in the transformation of human behavior.

Carbon is central to the composition of our body, and in fact, all living organisms contain some form of carbon. We can find them in carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acid and so many more! In this class, we will give a general introduction to the study of these carbon-containing molecules: Organic Chemistry. We will specifically go over different types of bonds, hydrocarbon chains, molecule representations (stick, wedge and dash structures), and conformations. (More detailed course plan will be updated soon!)


Prerequisites
Students should have a good grip of general chemistry. Those who have taken advanced chemistry courses are strongly preferred.

Discussion of how music and physics are related: how sound propagates as waves, how different musical instruments are tuned, and why certain instruments are higher pitched than others.

Depending on the desired level of difficulty, there could be an additional section on pythagorean/just tuning and the overtone scale.


Prerequisites
Algebra (1 is probably fine)

Identifying bodies within a system, drawing free body diagrams, and using F=ma to solve for the resulting motion - are all dynamics problems just an application of Newton's laws? We will explore a powerful formulation of mechanics called Lagrangian formalism and why we would ever prefer to use it. In doing so, we may find that our understanding of solving basic mechanics problems grows more profound.


Prerequisites
Familiarity with basic Newtonian mechanics and calculus will help you better understand our derivations

Guitar is one of the most versatile and popular instruments around. In this course, we will provide a basic overview of how to play the guitar by learning Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud." Prior guitar experience and having a guitar on hand will be helpful, but not necessary to take this course!

Ever wanted to know how to invest in the stock market? What is a stock? How much can I earn? How do I use Robinhood/trading simulators? This class is designed to give high schoolers a basic, objective view to the world of investing.

Are you interested in how more sleep can both make you live longer and prevent disease? What about learning how to prevent jetlag? Want to learn how to nip the most common chronic and infectious diseases in the bud ? This course provides an overview on the importance of preventative health measures against chronic diseases, such as with diet or screening measures. You will also learn about prevention beyond the individual level, such as prevention in the context of outbreaks or epidemics.

Did you know that Cinderella's Castle is actually smaller than it looks? Did you know that Main Street USA is shorter than it seems? All over the Disney Parks, clever architecture is used to keep visitors immersed in the different lands, rides and stories. Join me in a little adventure to see how they did it!