Splash Fall 2025
Course Catalog

Have you dreamed of making a movie but lacked the budget or resources to pull it off? With stop-motion animation, you can create entire worlds on any scale. This technique has been used in iconic films like Shaun the Sheep, Wallace and Gromit, and even early Star Wars and Godzilla movies. This class provides an introduction to the fundamentals of stop-motion animation. Students will learn about some essential techniques including storytelling, framing, animation principles, lighting, and editing.


Prerequisites
A smartphone with a camera, and the 'Stop Motion Studio' app downloaded

There is an ongoing race to build the world's first usable quantum computer. (Yale is leading the charge in one of five major technologies!) But why haven't we done it yet, and what will it take to get it done? In this course, we will use a first-principles approach to quantum computer engineering. We will discuss what exactly quantum computing is (and why people are excited about it), and then cover how to build every major type of quantum computer, the benefits and drawbacks of each type, and how you can get involved with quantum computing research. No previous experience in physics, electrical engineering, or computer science is assumed!

What goes into being an engineer? We discuss the raison d'être of an engineer, the values that certifications and professional groups stand for, and how our field has an outsize impact on the world.

Each student's presence and contribution to the class is appreciated, and we ask that you come to class with your own thoughts and questions about how one could or should exist in society as an engineer.


Prerequisites
Even the slightest bit of interest in engineering!

Dragons, cyborgs, and mermaids, oh my!

Speculative fiction is the umbrella term for stories that take place in settings different from reality. Speculative fiction subgenres include: fantasy, science fiction, horror, superhero fiction, dystopia, apocalyptic, and more!

We will learn about the history of speculative fiction, different branches of the genre, and tips on how to craft your own speculative fiction stories and worlds! Whether you’re an aspiring fantasy author, avid science fiction reader, or a curious adventurer, all who are interested in exploring the wild, weird, and wonderful world of speculative fiction are welcome!

Students should bring a writing utensil & something to write on!

Should parents be able to choose their baby’s genetics? Should vaccines be mandatory? Should doctors be allowed to end life support if families object? Should people be allowed to sell their organs for money?

In this bioethics crash course, we’ll explore questions like these and examine how issues of life, death, fairness, and the future of medicine play out in hospitals and courtrooms. Together, we’ll break down real-life cases, debate controversial scenarios, and step into the shoes of doctors, patients, lawyers, and families facing impossible choices. Along the way, you’ll learn how bioethicists use principles like autonomy, justice, and non-maleficence to guide their reasoning, and how legal rules about consent, privacy, and equity shape what choices are possible. By the end of the class, you’ll have a deeper understanding of how medicine, law, and ethics intertwine, and why these debates matter not just for doctors and lawyers, but for all of us.

This class introduces students to classism, the unfair treatment of people based on money, income, or social status. We’ll learn how to recognize classism in everyday life, such as differences in schools, healthcare, housing, and even how people are judged by the clothes they wear or the jobs their parents have. We’ll also look at how classism often connects with racism, creating even bigger barriers for some communities. Through real stories, activities, and group discussions, students will practice spotting examples of classism around them and think about ways to build more fairness in their own schools and neighborhoods.

Saul Goodman. Harvey Specter. Perry Mason. Atticus Finch. The legal world, as nuanced and as fascinating as it can be, has long captivated popular culture. But what does it look like in practice? This course intends to answer that question through the avenue of constitutional law. We will begin by examining the structure and role of the Constitution. We will then move to understanding the authority of the Supreme Court, describing how a case gets to the Supreme Court, and reading and understanding Supreme Court opinions. We will end class by writing a basic case brief together and identifying several landmark Supreme Court decisions.

We will focus on a close reading of satirical short essays, such as A Modest Proposal. Students will develop close reading and literary analysis skills, and learn how an author can convey humor through their texts while also making an argument. Students will also leave having a stronger ability to write their own short essays in the future.

In this class, we will be delving into a beginner-level understanding of what is metaphysics, how it is useful, and examples of some real-world applications of metaphysics. Definitions will be given for what metaphysics is in ancient understanding, to scholastic interpretation, to enlightenment and modern-day thinking. No class prerequisites. Anyone is welcome.

The most influential band in history. The most successful musical act of all time. What else is to be said about the Beatles? In this course, we will journey on a Magical Mystery Tour of the Beatles’ history and impact, tracking the band’s musical evolution by listening to their music and analyzing their lyrics. We will also position the Beatles in their historical context as a band that broke the American mainstream at the right time and became the figureheads of a socio-cultural rebellion against the Western status quo. Class discussions about the broader impact of their music to the major socio-cultural and political shift of the 1960s hope to shed a critical understanding of this era of Western world history. We will zoom out and look at the Beatles in the modern era. Could there be another Beatles, a musical act revered critically by the masses with monumental commercial success? What does it mean to be the most commercially successful band AND considered “the greatest” band in history? This course hopes to introduce students to mid-20th century England and the United States, and instill further exploration into the Beatles’ extensive discography.


Prerequisites
Basic interest in music history. All are welcome, from first time listeners to lifelong Beatlemaniacs!

Have you ever wanted to speak with confidence, persuade others, or master the art of debate? In this interactive class, students will learn the fundamentals of public speaking—voice projection, clarity, and body language—while also exploring argument structure and debate techniques. Through fun activities, practice speeches, and mini-debates, you’ll gain the tools to express your ideas clearly and persuasively. No prior experience is needed—just bring your voice and an open mind!

Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) is one of the easiest languages to learn as an English speaker — there are no tenses, the grammar is extremely simple, and it's written in the Latin alphabet. Come learn some simple words and phrases from one of the world's 200 million Indonesian speakers! Students will leave being able to carry very basic conversation in Bahasa Indonesia and knowing a bit more about Indonesian culture.

"What is a good life?" is a daunting question. While each of us needs to answer it, it is almost impossible to do so all at once. This course divides the question of the good life into smaller, but still very significant questions, like: Who do we answer to for the shape of our lives? What should we hope for? What is the role of suffering in a good life? This discussion-heavy lecture engages a number of ancient and contemporary voices from a variety of religious, philosophical, ideological, and cultural perspectives. During such a pivotal time in your life (high school), it is incredibly important to consider what it is that we're working towards, and why we're working towards it. By the end of this course, you'll be able to begin to approach each of life's big questions for yourself, synthesized into one important answer to The Question: What is worthy of being the center of your life?

Why do musicians quote Shakespeare, channel Albert Camus, or borrow from the Bible? This class explores the ways modern music is full of historical, philosophical, and literary allusions, many of which slip past the casual listener. From The Beatles’ surreal references to King Lear and Lewis Carroll in I Am the Walrus, to Coldplay’s first-person account of the French Revolution in Viva La Vida, musical artists use allusions to add depth and meaning to their songs. Together, we’ll listen to excerpts from rock, rap, and pop, identify the references, and then connect them to their original sources. How do they enrich the song, and why are they effective? You will gain a new level of appreciation for artists and how they craft their lyrics. No background knowledge required, just curiosity and a love of music!

What does it mean to know someone? This class uses literature and writing as a lens to explore human behavior, motivation, and emotion. From ancient myths to contemporary fiction, stories allow us to enter other minds—not just observe people, but feel what it’s like to be them. Through short readings, discussions, and creative exercises, we’ll study what makes a character believable: their contradictions, silences, impulses, and decisions. We’ll also experiment with low-stakes acting and improv to get inside a character’s body and voice before writing. By the end, students will craft scenes and characters that feel psychologically rich and layered.


Prerequisites
none

Every character begins with a question. Who are they? What do they want? What are they afraid to admit, even to themselves? This creative writing class is all about learning to write with wonder. We’ll explore how curiosity sparks imagination, and how asking the right questions can turn vague ideas into characters that feel real. Through fast-paced prompts, strange scenarios, and collaborative discussion, you’ll practice inventing characters who surprise you. People who feel like someone you’ve known forever, or someone you’re just beginning to figure out. Whether you’re a writer, a thinker, or just someone who loves a good story, this class invites you to write from a place of play, intuition, and discovery!


Prerequisites
none

Many pop culture tropes and plot lines were made popular by the Bard himself, who is often considered the greatest writer in English history. He’s made an enormous impact on literary canon and theater, as well as modern television shows and movies. In this class, we’ll discuss Shakespeare plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, King Lear, Taming of the Shrew, and examine modern adaptations that were inspired by or loosely based on them–the Lion King, Star Wars, 10 Things I Hate About You, Succession, and more. We’ll listen to Ophelia by The Lumineers and Love Story by Taylor Swift and discover the analogies. Shakespeare isn't boring: betrayal, ambition, love triangles, and murder aren’t just in Game of Thrones—Shakespeare did it first.


This course hopes to capture the brilliance, creativity, and wit of Shakespeare in a manner easily accessible (and fun) to middle schoolers.


Prerequisites
An English class

Artificial Intelligence: Theory and Applications is a Splash Fall 2025 course that provides its students with a general overview of Artificial Intelligence as it exists in 2025. The topics of the course include the history of the field, portrayal of AI in fiction, as well as concrete skill-building in interacting with Generative AI models such as Gemini. While it is impossible to provide anyone with expertise on the matter in a mere two hours, the course attempts to give students lessons in all aspects of this ever-developing technology. It is the teacher's best wishes to ensure that students are left with a passion for the technology, and a desire to ensure safe development of a phenomenon that is guaranteed to be the biggest change to our world and society by the end of the century.

Why do so many modern movies feel disappointing? In this seminar, we’ll dive into four big issues plaguing today’s movie industry:
- The modern movie trailer and how it often reveals too much, ruining suspense.
- The endless cycle of remakes and reboots that replace originality with cheap nostalgia.
- The over-reliance on cinematic universes and formula-driven blockbusters that put profit over creativity.
- The rise of straight-to-streaming movies — how the shift from theaters to streaming affects quality, budgets, and audience
experience.
Students will explore case studies, debate what makes a good trailer or remake, and brainstorm ways the film industry could change for the better.

Before the rise of K-Pop in the 1990s, the music that captivated generations of Korean youth was rock. From 1970s college music festivals to 21st century K-Drama soundtracks, Korean rock’s impact on Korean music history is vast and varied.

We will trace Korean rock from its roots in U.S. military bases during the 1950s. How did Korean rock music develop alongside youth subculture in 1960s-1970s South Korea? Why was rock music so threatening to the South Korean government in the 1970s? How did musicians and listeners navigate and resist government censorship? How did Korean rock evolve to new contexts and into new genres? This course hopes to inspire students to further explore the rich world of Korean music!

No previous knowledge of Korean language, history, or music is required–just an excitement for learning about music!

If you're reading this, you're probably familiar with the Latin alphabet, where each letter roughly corresponds to one sound. But what if we did things differently? What if each letter represented a syllable? A morpheme? An entire word? Can we take things even further?

In this class, we'll explore the world of orthography: how languages are written down. We'll cover the many types of writing systems, the many tools people used to write, and the history of writing as a whole. We'll even take a crack at making writing systems of our own, exploring the benefits and tradeoffs of different methods.

Ready your pencils (or wedges?), and get ready to write!

Ever wondered what history has to do with the Present? This class is it! It deals with the changes in political systems and extrapolates them out to the modern day! Ever wondered why government is the way it is? Here's your chance to find out, and from a different perspective than your history or US Gov class. Topics to Include: Fall of the Roman Republic; Revolution and Reaction in the 19th Century; and Tie-ins on American Government. Seminar Type course, so will involve class discussions!
(1) Roman Legalism & Collapse
(2) French Revolution & English Great Reform Act
(3) Shay's Rebellion, Civil War, and Where We Are Today

This course will survey some cool philosophers' thoughts on technology, and discuss Italian Brainrot (also phonk, 6/7, and lebron) as an analogy for the descriptive philosophies of Jean Baudrillard and others.

VERY beginner friendly, absolutely no prior knowledge expected.


Prerequisites
Intro to Instagram Reels

An English speaker who grew up in urban Connecticut is not very likely to speak exactly the same way as someone who grew up in rural Arkansas. Beyond differences in accent and vocabulary, we can find differences even in the structure of sentences that English speakers might utter, depending on where they were raised. In this class, we will uncover the rich tapestry of “Englishes” spoken in the United States and around the world, exploring the many ways in which the grammar and vocabulary of a language can vary within and across communities.

In this seminar, we will explore a short literary passage, a film clip, and a song, and build skills for interpreting art. We will use our responses to culture to uncover who we are and discuss the day-to-day applications of interpretation and self-discovery.

In this hands-on workshop, you’ll learn how to research an issue you care about and practical ways to start making change today. We’ll briefly look at the history of changemakers and case studies of successful impact. The focus, however, is you—leaving with actionable skills to advance social justice.

Here we will move fast—from the early beginnings to the present—in Latin America, so you can go home having learned a lot of new things and understanding the big picture much better! We will hit the turning points of the region, focusing on what unites these countries and what differentiates them. Absolutely no prior knowledge needed—you’ll leave with a clear timeline, key terms, and an introduction to this wonderful region of the world.

We will look at why democracies collapse and how coups work in practice. You’ll go home having learned a lot, after comparing case studies from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. We will approach history like detectives, looking for answers to why democracies collapse. And can we prevent this from happening? Let’s find out together!

In this course I used the novel Call Me By Your Name by Andre Aciman to explain the human tendency to betray our own identity in romantic relationships. This class will be a partial analysis of the novel and what I refer to as the "Elio Complex," and a partial philosophical discussion about what causes human attraction. I will end the course with an anonymous advice session where students can write out concerns about identity, romance, or anything else, and receive answers from me!

How do we grapple with systemic corruption? How much individual responsibility do we have to dismantle oppressive institutions? These are some of the questions I address and attempt to answer in my course. I use the novel Babel by R.F Kuang as a starting point of the discussion by presenting the different viewpoints her characters represent. I also refer to previous leaders of systemic change, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.

What do Islam and the West have to do with each other? More than you might think. Islam is a global faith followed by nearly two billion people, yet its role in Western history is often misunderstood or overlooked.

In this session, we’ll look at how Islamic civilization and Europe have influenced each other over the centuries—from early exchanges to modern cultural encounters. We’ll also explore the presence of Islam in American history, from enslaved African Muslims to today’s diverse communities. Along the way, we’ll question the idea that Europe and the Middle East are completely separate worlds, and highlight what Islam shares with Christianity and Judaism as part of the Abrahamic faiths.

Through this class, students will look to understand how film can move us and remind us of our shared humanity.

Have you ever wondered what it really means to be a U.S. citizen? In this interactive class, we’ll explore the history of Chinese Americans and how their fight for citizenship has shaped what “being American” means today. From working on the railroads during the Gold Rush to facing the Chinese Exclusion Act, to landmark cases like U.S. vs. Wong Kim Ark that secured birthright citizenship, Chinese Americans have played a key role in redefining rights in the U.S.

But this isn’t just history—we’ll challenge you to think for yourself. What do you believe makes someone a citizen? Is it paying taxes? Serving in the military? Being born here? Together, we’ll unpack tough questions, debate real-world scenarios, and connect the past to current issues like green cards, immigration policy, and even recent debates about birthright citizenship.

Along the way, we’ll dive into stories of Chinatowns, Chinese restaurants, and the surprising ways communities built a path toward belonging. With videos, discussions, and activities, this class will get you thinking about citizenship—not just as a legal status, but as a living, evolving idea that still affects people today.

Step inside the world of Rome and unlock its secret code - Latin. Through games, conversations, and hands-on activities, students will talk, laugh, and create in Latin, while exploring how this “code” has shaped English and so many other languages. No prior Latin required – just a love of puzzles and new words. Students with prior experience will also thrive as we focus on speaking, pronunciation, and active use of Latin. Decoding an ancient language is like hacking the past, and speaking Latin out loud will bring history to life!

The course will focus on the various overlaps between theatre, the arts, and politics. In an age where movie and reality stars like Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump have become stars on the political stage and many ask why, we turn to the arts! Since the days of Shakespeare, theatre and, by association, acting, has been a medium of expression for more than just entertainment. See the ways politics has expressed itself in theatre and the ways the political world has become something of a theater itself (also learn the difference between theatre and theater). From Marc Antony's funeral oration for Julius Caesar to Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, the course will examine how all the world's a stage and we men and women, in the spotlight and in the ballot box, are indeed its players. Activities will feature campaigning, acting, debates, speeches, and more!

Have you heard of golems? Dybbuks?? Mysterious spirits haunting your kitchen and cupboards and random nooks in your house???

Jewish folklore from the shtetls (villages) of Eastern Europe is FULL of intriguing and spooky characters and stories - come and learn about it!! Just like with Greek, Egyptian, or Norse mythology, anyone can enjoy Jewish folklore!

We'll have fun reading stories and writing our own takes... and think about how we imagine these characters could live in today's world...

This course will briefly examine China's history and its international relations today, particularly with the U.S. With the U.S. and China grappling for power in East Asia, many claim that a new cold war has begun --- especially considering China's mounting pressure on Taiwan and other southeast Asian nations. This course will examine: How do America's actions toward China and vice versa inflame tensions? Has it always been this way? How can the two countries reconcile, and is war inevitable?

Ever thought about where myths come from? How do we preserve knowledge and culture? What is a story and how can they be different across time and place? This course provides a basic introduction to storytelling, while diving a bit deeper into the two primary ways cultures have historically preserved their stories. We'll briefly discuss the oral and written tradition of the Ancient Greeks, and how those have kept Ancient Greek mythology alive into the modern day. We will then explore the under-explored histories of West Africa and the Native Americans, uncovering how oral storytelling shaped these cultures. We will also spend some time thinking about pop culture, and the way we now use visual media to preserve (and share) stories, and how these histories combine to give us an explanation for why the most important thing humans do is storytelling.

This class is about using statistics to analyze sports. It will cover 2 main themes: the influence of skill and luck in sports, and home field advantage. Through using statistics, we will accomplish two main goals: rank sports on a skill luck continuum using an understanding of standard deviation, reversion to the mean, and the true score theorem, and answer whether playing at your home field actually gives you an advantage. A lot of the class will be group-work based where I will pose a question, and invite students to talk to one another and then share their thoughts as I push them in the direction of the conclusions I hope they will make. I want this class to inspire students to do their own statistical research, and to see that math has many fun applications in real life.

This course will use an alternative teaching style towards teaching the fundamentals of computer science, instead going by historical narrative to gradually build the whole stack of computing technology from number systems to the World Wide Web.

From counting rocks and Eastern philosophy in ancient history, to Leibniz's thinking machine, eventually working our way to the modern day with figures such as Tim Berners-Lee, we will give a comprehensive overview of how today's most important technologies came to light, and the human genius behind them.

This course aims to explore the ethical challenges and implications of artificial intelligence, including privacy, copyright, algorithmic bias, and environmental concerns. The class will focus on current case studies and explore what future consequences may look like.

Look up an image of the Mandelbrot set! Have you seen this famous, infinitely-complicated shape before? In this course, we are going to dive into three (often related) mathematical phenomena: fractals, dynamical systems, and chaos. We will start by exploring some famous fractals, and then we will look at iterative functions and their behaviors. This will include a beginner-friendly introduction to complex numbers. Our ultimate goal is to understand how the Mandelbrot set is formed and what it represents.


Prerequisites
Algebra 2 and/or precalculus experience is recommended--a good understanding of functions and their properties is all you need to get the most out of this class. Every other concept is built from the ground up.

What comes after calculus? Math, as it turns out, largely branches off into two general approaches: Analysis, studying the smooth and continuous (like calculus), and Algebra, studying structure and symmetry. The broader field of Algebra is quite different from the Algebra I & II you might have taken in school-- Algebraists unfortunately don't spend their lives studying y=mx+b.

Group theory studies symmetry, and is one of the first areas of Abstract Algebra students encounter, and it's like starting math from the beginning again. This course will focus on the visual intuitions of group theory and build toward using rigorous mathematical argument to prove theorems about groups.


Prerequisites
No hard prerequisites, but basic familiarity with sets, set builder notation, basic number theory, and proof will be very useful. Please take if you are interest in abstract or competition mathematics! You may not understand everything but it will be good exposure to advanced math.

Diamonds, gold, emeralds, and rubies are among the most well known examples of minerals, which form the building block of our society. From glittery makeup to the copper wiring used in electronics, minerals can be found everywhere in our daily lives. That being said, what exactly are minerals? What are their properties? Where do they come from? What can we do with them? In this interactive course, we will survey a variety of minerals and their unique properties, as well as how these minerals are formed, and how they are used in everyday life.

Discussion on the prospects of alien life, introduction to planetary science and astrobiology, detection methods in astronomy.

Ibuprofen, also known as Advil, is a common anti-inflammatory drug with pain and fever reducing properties. That being said, however, what even is ibuprofen? What is its structure? How is it made?

In this course, we will introduce the field of organic chemistry through a case study on this popular pharmaceutical. We first begin with an analysis of its chemical structure and reactivity, followed by its synthesis, purification, and characterization. Along the way, we will introduce key organic chemistry concepts, including catalysis, mechanism, electronics, selectivity, amongst other select topics.

In addition to the lecture, numerous demonstrations and miniature lab experiments will be performed to illustrate the chemical techniques and molecular interactions.


Prerequisites
General chemistry would be nice, but not required (we will review the basics)

Build-a-Protein is a hands-on mini-course where students become bioengineers to explore how therapeutic enzymes are designed and improved. Using the real-world case of L-asparaginase (a chemotherapy that treats the most common childhood cancer) students learn why cancer cells depend on asparagine and how an enzyme can help. We frame everything as a simple Design–Build–Test–Learn (DBTL) cycle with kid-safe materials: students “build” proteins from colored candies (amino acids), swap in special pieces to represent nonstandard amino acids, and attach ring candies to model fatty-acid modifications that can extend a protein’s half-life. A fast Jenga challenge makes protein stability tangible: remove the wrong “block,” and the structure falls—just like destabilizing mutations. To connect engineering to lab practice without live biology, students do a streak-a-plate drawing exercise to visualize how scientists isolate single colonies before protein production. Throughout, students keep a mini “lab notebook,” make predictions, note observations, and reflect on trade-offs between stability and performance. By the end, they can explain how structure drives function, how chemical “hooks” enable programmable therapeutics, and how iteration improves designs. We hope to build confidence in scientific thinking and communication!

How does a single cell become a threat to an entire body? This class aims to understand the biological principles that underlie cancer - not as a foreign invader, but as a mishap of our own cellular machinery and immune systems.

Whether you're considering a career in life sciences or just want to be better informed individual, this course will teach you the basics to engage in informed conversations about cancer research and healthcare.


Prerequisites
All are welcome!

Have you ever looked at Einstein's work and thought, "big deal!" This course explores what, really, the big deal is with relativity. From correcting Newton's mistakes to predicting the progression of the universe, Einstein's theories of relativity redirected the course of physics into exciting new directions. There will be some math, but not at a more advanced level than algebra, and it will all be explained in detail. Building on a few key principles, we will develop an intuitive understanding of relativity, and hopefully change the way you look at the universe.


Prerequisites
Algebra is helpful, but not required; the math involved will be explained in detail.

This course explores how your mind can operate out of your control. From subtle social influences on your beliefs to the fear of authority, we will reveal how gullible you really are. We'll also look at famous psychology experiments, hypnosis, and your own questions along the way.

Do you want to learn to identify birds by both sight and sound? Birds are the only living dinosaurs and there are some 10,000 species on Earth. We'll discuss the basics of bird identification, the importance of birds in the environment, and the steps we can take to protect them. You'll learn to use binoculars and a field guide as well as make your birdfeeder! Fly on in—no prior experience needed!

This case dives into the dramatic story of a 54-year-old man who suddenly collapses from cardiac arrest. Students will uncover what happens inside the body when the heart stops beating and why every second counts in an emergency. The case highlights the lifesaving power of CPR and defibrillators, while also revealing the hidden risk factors that can cause such a shocking event. Along the way, students will explore how doctors race to diagnose the problem and protect against future episodes. This exciting case study connects biology to real-world action, showing how science and quick thinking can save lives.


Prerequisites
None

This class will serve as a broad introduction into the field of biotechnology. We will cover some of the coolest, latest biotech innovations, such as gene editing, 3D bioprinting, etc., in an understandable, engaging way. Our goal is to get students excited about science! This class will be taught by a team of members of Simplex Sciences, a student-run biotechnology company here at Yale.


Prerequisites
Although not required, experience in a basic biology course may be useful.

This course will train students in the fundamentals of writing a competitive research grant proposal. Drawing on my experience in SCIE 001 and mentorship under Dr. Sandy Chang (the previous Yale University Dean of Sciences), students will learn how to transform a scientific idea into a structured, persuasive proposal. We will cover the essential components of grant writing, including defining a research question, reviewing background literature, outlining experimental design, addressing broader impacts, and communicating significance to both scientific and general audiences. By the end of the course, students will have developed a complete proposal draft, gaining practical skills in scientific communication, critical thinking, and project planning that are essential for success in research and beyond. Additionally, students will have access to a research opportunity database!

Ever wondered why everyone seems “sus” in Among Us? In this class, we’ll dive into the thrilling world of social deduction games by actually playing a few rounds—and then dissecting them like case studies. We’ll explore the hidden mechanics behind what makes these games so tense: the way human biases shape our choices, how logic and reasoning can clash with emotional and social cues, and the strategies players use to seize (or lose) control during meetings. Together, we’ll uncover how people blend in, stand out, or manipulate the flow of conversation when speaking time is limited. By the end, you’ll see Among Us not just as a game, but as a window into the psychology of trust, deception, and decision-making. Don't act sus, join the crew (or blend in as a sussy imposter)... Join the course and takeoff!!


Prerequisites
- Some familiarity with Among Us (having played or watched before is best). - Experience with other social deduction games like Mafia or Werewolf also works. - If you’re brand new but curious, please play a few rounds or watch a short gameplay video beforehand—this will help us spend more time on the fun case studies and strategies rather than explaining the rules. - Most importantly, bring your curiosity and willingness to think about "being sus" in a new way! - A device with Among Us installed is ***highly recommended***. Without it, you won’t be able to play firsthand and will need to pair up with another student.

Is the cat alive, dead… or both? Welcome to the strange and fascinating world of quantum mechanics, where the rules of everyday life no longer apply. In this course, we’ll explore the big ideas behind the tiniest particles: uncertainty, superposition, and entanglement. No math or physics background is needed — we’ll use experiments, stories, and simple examples to understand how quantum mechanics changes the way scientists think about reality. By the end, you’ll see why Einstein called it “spooky” and how this “weird” science might power the future!

An introduction to the principles of green chemistry, discussion of everyday applications, and ideas for the future.

10,000 years ago, humans looked at the stars and wondered about their place in the cosmos. Were we at the center of the universe? Why do the Sun, the Moon, and those wandering "stars" move across the sky? What is humanity’s role in this vast expanse?
This course traces the evolution of our understanding of the solar system, beginning with the insights of the ancient world and moving through the revolutionary contributions of Copernicus, Brahe, Kepler, Newton, and Le Verrier. We will also consider how modern theories have reshaped our cosmic perspective.
Along the way, we will derive Kepler’s laws from Newtonian mechanics and explore the scientific observations and reasoning that gave rise to these landmark discoveries.


Prerequisites
There are no formal prerequisites. However, familiarity with high school algebra or Calculus, as well as some exposure to classical mechanics, will be helpful.

Ever wonder how doctors crack seemingly impossible medical cases?

Join us for a "Genome Rounds" experience, where you'll become genetic consultants solving a real mystery: two identical twin sisters with the same genetic mutations but completely different symptoms—one has severe liver disease, the other has neurological problems.

Based on the same interdisciplinary approach employed at Yale's medical school, you'll analyze actual patient data, interpret genetic sequencing results, and work through population genetics to understand why identical DNA can cause different diseases. We'll walk through everything together slowly, so no need to feel pressure! Through team-based problem solving, you'll learn how modern doctors combine clinical observation with genetic analysis to diagnose rare diseases and guide treatment decisions. Perfect for students interested in medicine, biology, genetics, or detective work. By the end, you'll understand how genetic counselors and medical geneticists actually work!


Prerequisites
High school biology background (e.g. knowing what codons, genes, and genetic mutations are)

Global Health 101 focuses on exploring the main perspectives, goals, and challenges of work in global health. The course expands upon the interdisciplinary nature of global health to create a better understanding of the many fields that impact global health. Additionally, this course introduces the mission of Partners in Health Engage, a non-profit grassroots organization that works towards making health a human right.

Ever wondered what it’s like to be a virus? In this class, we’ll follow SARS-CoV-2 along its chain of infection, from entry to replication to spread, and explore the molecular and cellular obstacles it faces along the way.

We’ll consider diffusion, random walks, Brownian motion, and other biophysical forces that shape a virus’s motion, and see how it navigates the microscopic world—like getting on a highway without a GPS. Through this journey, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of viral biology and the physics of tiny particles, all while imagining life from the virus’s perspective.


Prerequisites
Some familiarity with basic biology or physics concepts may help, but it’s not required—curiosity is enough!

Note: At the beginning of class, you will have the option to taste sauerkraut, the product of cabbage, bacteria, and time, at the beginning of class. It helps to "show" bacteria, and it can be very tasty and healthy.

Have you heard about "good bacteria," bacteria beneficial to humans? There are millions of them that live inside of us. Some people say, in fact, that our immune systems evolved to cooperate with microorganisms and not just to fight against them. Also, the majority of plants depend on fungi interacting with their roots to survive. Plants give away sugar to thin fungi and receive vital minerals in return. These two examples of symbiosis usually go unseen, but they drive our world. Learning about them, we will gain an appreciation for microscopic life and a greater understanding that life is interdependent.

Have you been intrigued by the colors of a butterfly? Or curious about the parts of a beetle? In “Art of Insect Pinning”, you get to explore insect anatomy with your hands, learning about the anatomy of a bug and getting to go home with some art of your own.
We will go over the science of what makes an insect an insect, how to find them, and the ethics of bug pinning. Then, we’ll dive right into creation of your own pinned bug art!

Get ready for an exciting journey into the world of cardiac physiology! In this fascinating course, you'll discover how the heart works as an incredible pump, powering your entire body. We'll explore the intricate electrical system that keeps your heart beating rhythmically, utilizing the specialized pacemaker cells to the complex network of conduction pathways. You'll learn about the unique action potentials of cardiac cells and how they create the familiar ECG waveform doctors use to check your heart health. We'll dive into the mechanics of the heart, understanding how it contracts and relaxes to push blood through your body efficiently. Furthermore, you'll see how the heart adapts to different demands, like exercise or stress, through amazing mechanisms like the Frank-Starling law and touch on how the body regulates blood pressure to keep everything running smoothly. By the end of this course, you'll have a newfound appreciation for the incredible organ that keeps you alive every second of every day.

Phase transitions broadly refer to a change in the state of matter. We see a bunch of phase transitions in our daily, modern life that we take them for granted—they happen in your shower, your refrigerator, on you (in the form of sweat)! Since we're talking about water, let's get into some specifics.
At standard pressure, ice melts at 0°C, and water evaporates at 100°C. However, at around 374°C and 218 atmospheres of pressure, water reaches a "critical point"; its liquid and gas forms coexist and are indistinguishable, and it turns into a weird, milky white substance.
Let's look at another example. We normally expect iron to be magnetic; after all, they're stuck to your fridge! But when you heat up an iron magnet above 770°C, it loses all of its magnetism. We call this the "Curie temperature".
The two phenomena described above, as it turns out, are described by the exact same physics. Perhaps even cooler, this physics happens to be quantum field theory—a special one that looks the same when you zoom in or out! This class will touch upon this connection—how it arises, how we find these theories in "theory space", and where it appears. Later on, we'll go even deeper by talking about how it connects to gravity at our tiniest scales.
Please come in with as many questions as you want or can! Everybody is welcome in the classroom, and I'm happy to try to accommodate every student to the best of my ability.


Prerequisites
As always, the biggest prerequisite to any course is interest! That said, a qualitative understanding of phase transitions (e.g. how water melts) is helpful. Some qualitative quantum physics knowledge will be helpful, but this isn't necessary by any means; we'll develop some of the notions as we go along. That said, if you want a primer on relativity and quantum physics, PBS Space Time has a great series of videos on these topics.

An introduction* to life-saving techniques, such as CPR and thrusts (formerly called the Heimlich maneuver), as well as ways that we can stay safe in both medical and social situations. Demonstrations of CPR and thrusts using a dummy will be made.

*Please Note: Students will not be officially CPR certified by taking this course. However, information on where to receive official CPR certification can be shared.

Speculative biology is worldbuilding tool that combines science and imagination to explore how real-world biological concepts might apply to fictional creatures and worlds, such as dragons or Vulcans. This course will give an overview of how speculative biology can be used to enrich a fictional world and provide explanations for fantastical phenomena while teaching students about ecology & evolution. We will look at a few case studies, and then students will get the chance to collaboratively design their own speculative creatures and environments.


Prerequisites
Middle school biology

Imagine: It's the 19th century (or earlier). You walk into a spotlit room, lined with a circular setup of wooden chairs, and a body lying in the middle of the stage. Is this an odd start to a play? No! It's a surgery with an audience. Welcome to the Operating Theater! What was a more-or-less common way of performing a medically-necessary task, surgery as performance entertainment might seem shocking, but it isn't as foreign as you might think. This class aims to not only explore the history of the operating theater, but also how surgery/medicine as an entertainment source continues to this day.

This course introduces students in grades 7-12 to the art of card magic, focusing on foundational techniques and performance skills. Students will learn essential sleight-of-hand techniques, including the double lift, false shuffles and cuts, and various card forces. Emphasis will be placed on misdirection, presentation, and building confidence in performance. By the end of the course, students will be able to execute a series of professional-level card tricks and develop an understanding of the psychological principles behind effective magic. No prior experience is required—just a deck of cards and a passion for learning.


Prerequisites
Bring your own playing cards if you can!

Have you ever thought about the stock market, wondered how people retire, or just want to figure out how to use, save, and grow your money efficiently? This course, taught by volunteer instructors from Yale’s Dwight Hall Socially Responsible Investment Fund, will teach students how to responsibly manage their personal finances now and in the future. Topics will include saving, borrowing, and creating an investment portfolio (covering topics such as diversification, index fund investing, and the power of compounding interest). No prior finance-related knowledge is required!

Ever sat through a slideshow that dragged on forever - or made one yourself and wished it looked sharper? This class is about transforming your slides from bland to brilliant.

We’ll cover the essentials of slide design: how to structure content so your ideas land, how to make visuals engaging (without going overboard), and how to avoid the dreaded “wall of bullets.” Whether you’re pitching to a Managing Director or presenting in class, you’ll learn principles that make your message clearer, your slides more aesthetic, and your audience more engaged.

Slideshows aren’t going anywhere - so you might as well learn to master them.


Prerequisites
Casual to serious interest

Think lifeguards are just about sunglasses and red rescue cans? From early lifesaving crews in the 1800s to modern ocean rescue with jet skis and drones, lifeguarding has a rich history. This class, taught by two veteran ocean rescuers, dives into the history and evolution of lifeguarding while teaching you the real skills lifeguards use to keep people safe in the surf.

Want to outsmart your family in board games, or skillfully resolve conflicts with friends? In this hands-on one hour course, immerse yourself in the wonderful world of game theory—the mathematical study of strategic decision-making. Understanding game theory is essential for recognizing how individuals and groups make decisions, and how to act accordingly. We’ll start with the history of game theory, explore a sample of its many applications past and present, and end by putting everything you've learned together in the immersive board game "Not Alone!"

In this class, you will learn about the many connections between music and mathematics. We will teach you how to represent musical rhythms, chords, and melodies using mathematical models, and the mathematics behind how instruments are tuned today. Sign up if you want to learn about why (some) music sounds good!


Prerequisites
Ability to read sheet music.

Ever wonder why people in some countries are 50 times richer than others?

In this hands-on economics class, we'll build a simple mathematical model using an imaginary ice cream economy to uncover why there's wealth differences in the world. You'll learn to think like an economist by creating equations, analyzing real-world data, and discovering why factors like education, technology, and institutions matter more than you might expect. Through interactive problem-solving and case studies comparing countries like North and South Korea, you'll gain the tools to understand one of the world's biggest puzzles: global inequality. No prior economics knowledge required, but some math is involved. By the end, you'll see international news and global development through an economist's eyes and understand why simply giving money to poor countries isn't enough to solve poverty.

This class poses the titular question "which fantasy creature would be best to eat?" By grounding ourselves in real-life logic of food, we can analyze what makes up food within a fantasy setting, and how it can create a better environment for both characters and viewers. Hopefully, students will be able to come up with their own personal answer at the end of the class.

What are periods? Why do we have them? What is period poverty? How can we fight period stigma?: Let's learn and discuss together in a safe place!


Prerequisites
None

Curious about that fizzy, tangy drink called kombucha? In this class, students will learn the biology and chemistry of fermentation while making their own kombucha. We’ll cover how yeast and bacteria transform sweet tea into a probiotic-rich beverage, how pH and sugar content affect the final product, and the cultural history of kombucha. Students will help prepare a new batch of kombucha, experiment with flavoring options, and leave with the knowledge (and a SCOBY) to continue brewing at home.


Prerequisites
N/A