Fun class for beginning or experienced tap dancers. Will start with a warm up and then we will go into a combination!


Prerequisites
The class will be conducted in socks. Note: prerequisites changed from previous.

In this class we’ll explore the very most fundamental building blocks of what makes up matter – what are atoms? What are they made of? What makes them distinct from one another? And how do these distinct identities allow some atoms to form bonds with other atoms and turn into the molecules that make up everything around us?


Prerequisites
Curiosity about science; no previous knowledge of chemistry required.

In the age of Trump, "resistance" is an increasingly important theme in American life. This class looks at rap and hip-hop since the 1980s through the lens of resistance. We will look at some of the roots of hip-hop in black power, in resistance to racism, police brutality, the police state, and state surveillance; the role of hip hop as a form of political resistance in Palestine, Chile, India, and Iran; and finally, the use of rap and hip-hop as a form of resistance for women and queer communities.

DISCLAIMER: Some music presented in class will feature explicit language.

Surpassed only by sanitation and good food in terms of human life-saving, antibiotics have proven themselves to be the single greatest advance in modern medicine, allowing doctors to reduce what once were life-threatening infections to easily-treatable annoyances. This medical miracle is facing a challenge in the form of antibiotic resistant bacteria. In this class, we will learn a little about the history of antibiotics, how bacteria develop antibiotic resistance, why antibiotic resistance is so dangerous, and what some of the major driving factors of the spread of this resistance are, as well as what is being done to combat it.


Prerequisites
Some familiarity with biology will be helpful

Let's learn German!
Grab your Lederhosen and/or Dirndl and get ready to learn all about contemporary German culture and language!
In this class you'll learn how to master small talk, count, and structure sentences, all while completing crafts that you'll be proud to hang on your fridge.

A lot in biology can be learned from analyzing mathematical equations: cancer treatments, zika virus spread, HIV therapy, etc. This class will teach you how to think like a mathematical biologist by showing you how to translate biological problems into mathematical questions. You will learn how to come up with mathematical models for biological phenomena and techniques for how to analyze these models.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of algebra

Arguments for and against the existence of God. We will focus in particular on arguments concerning the Abrahamic God - that is, the God of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Bring your questions, your objections, and your readiness to think!

What makes America the most violent developed country in the world? What role is played by the ease of access to guns? Why have certain gun policy proposals gained the support of over 90% of Americans, but failed to pass in Congress?

This is a crash course in gun policy that will touch on topics in public health, history, sociology, media studies, and political science -- and the opportunities and challenges that come with getting involved in a single-issue political campaign.

If you want to know how a car works, you read the instruction manual – but cells don’t come with one. This class will teach you the basic strategies that all biologists use to figure out how cells work. You will also learn some of the most important tools in a cell biologist’s arsenal, including fluorescence microscopy, chromatography, and genome editing. In the last class, you will design an experiment with these tools to tackle an unanswered question in cell biology.

Loosely inspired by the first few lectures of Prof. Thomas Pollard's cell biology course at Yale.


Prerequisites
None! If you don't have any biology experience, you'll be fine. If you do, the first bit might be review, but many of the techniques and strategies you will learn are not taught in middle or high school biology.

Exploring how conspiracy theories and subterfuge have shaped discourse from the 1960s onward. Especially given the advent of targeted fake news and mainstream conspiracies, this class seeks to discuss how those new developments will affect us in the future.


Prerequisites
None

This course examines the history of the antifascist movement from its formation in the 1920s until the present day, in its various iterations across the globe. We will discuss antifascist groups' motives, what defines a group as "fascist", and what the rise of nationalism and populism means for the antifascist movement.


Prerequisites
None

Want to learn the language of the largest country in the world? Then this is the class for you! After learning the alphabet, we will spend time engaging in dialogue with each other, learning basic sentence structure, and counting items in the room.

What do class scheduling, data routing, sorting algorithms, and choosing 12 donuts from 5 types have in common? All of those problems can be solved using the math learned in this class. We will go over the math that you DIDN'T learn in middle school, such as graph theory (the graph coloring problem, stable marriage problem), sums and recurrences, counting (sounds simple but is the coolest thing you'll learn), and probability (hint, it's not what you'd expect). If you're interested in the design and analysis of algorithms, this class is for you!


Prerequisites
No courses required, but a strong understanding of numbers and algebra is preferred.

Emily Dickinson once said, "If I feel physically as if the top of my head were taken off, I know that is poetry." This course will try to give you that sensation, and also begin to teach you how to do that with your own words as well. We will explore as a class how to read, write, and perform poetry. We'll look at writers from Lewis Carroll to Beyonce, study forms from odes to spoken word, and throw in a game or two. Come experience the power (and fun) of poetry!

What is a virus? Sure they make you sick, but what makes them different than other germs? This class will give a brief overview of what viruses are, how scientists learn about viruses, and how viruses impact society as a whole.

Topics covered:

Course 1: What is a virus?
-Definition of a Virus in opposition to other life
-Viral life cycle during infection

Course 2: How are viruses researched?
-Methods of studying viruses
-Viral interactions with the immune system
-Immunity to viruses

Course 3: How do viruses impact society?
-Viruses in the news: Ebola, Zika, and Flu
-Viruses as cures: Phage and Gene Therapy

The first class in this workshop will cover some important questions: what is stress? what is mindfulness? how can mindfulness be used as a tool to overcome stress?

In the two follow-up classes, we will explore specifically how smartphones and social media are changing the way we think and making it more important than ever that we carve out space in our days to reflect, relax, and pay attention to the world around us. Through group discussion, fun exercises, and meditation, we will provide some helpful tools and tricks that you can all use to become more mindful digital citizens. Please join us if you are interested in learning more about the mind and media; this class if perfect for anyone looking to reduce stress, improve emotional well-being, and practice living in the present!

All Aboard! Come join Kas and Chen on this musical rollercoaster as we explore the development of music from bone flutes to Mr. Swaggy himself. This class will be a listening and student reaction-focused romp through the history of music. We’ll be hitting a myriad of things very quickly, so stop by, buckle your seatbelts, and prepare to get exposed to a lot of sound!

What is capitalism? Why do some people really like it? Why do some people really not? This course aims to discuss historical arguments for and against capitalism. For arguments will include Adam Smith and Milton Friedman. Against arguments will include Karl Marx and Thomas Piketty. Students will leave the class with some understanding how political policy interacts with the economic system of capitalism. Students need not have any background to enroll. An interest in economics or a passion of watching the news is highly encouraged.


Prerequisites
No prerequisites.

This course introduces the practice of using mindfulness to work through stress. Mindfulness is paying attention in a particular way, and students will be shown how utilize this process in the reduction of their stress as well as throughout their lives.


Prerequisites
none

Students will be given a basic introduction into the art of Capoeira. This includes its history, music, and movements. Stories will be told, instruments will be played, songs will be sung, kicks will fly through the air, and most importantly..fun will be had!

Please be sure to bring loose fitted clothing and an open mind and attitude :)

Have you ever wondered what’s going on inside your brain that allows you to develop different emotions and thoughts while listening to music or playing an instrument? Are you also potentially interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field? In this class, we will discuss the impact of music on the human brain, and more specifically, how it affects the brain during illness and injury- on both a psychological and biological level. You will also learn how important it is to treat a patient as a whole, or in other words, how to establish an emotional connection with people, something that is not taught directly in school. Through videos, group discussions, and interactive activities, you will learn how music positively impacts the brain, and how it exemplifies a critical method in not only being able to connect with others on a deep emotional level, but also, aid in the rate of recovery from illness or injury. In addition, you will be taught how to apply this information to your own everyday life, so that you can improve your future interactions with all people, whether or not you go into health care.

Enter the world of Vikings! Follow Grettir the Strong, Iceland's most legendary Viking outlaw, as he battles monsters, wrestles a bear, and cleaves enemies in two with his famous sword. Will our hero manage to outwit and outfight his numerous foes? Or will he finally meet his end in glorious combat? Find out as we cover Grettir's Saga!

Ever wonder what the Vikings did when they weren't busy raiding and pillaging? In Iceland they created a society of independent people that was unlike any other. To find out why, join us as we explore what it was like to live in Viking Age Iceland!

Fascinating aspects of psychology ranging from evolution, reasons for sexual attraction, flaws in memory, and exploration of the unconscious mind.

Past student feedback on this class:
"really engaging, loved it"
"Funny and enjoyable"
"mind blowing"
"Cool class. Teacher very passionate."
"amazing, best class"
"it is really interactive and fun, amazing, 10/10 class"

Have you ever wondered about what genes are? Or how information from your parents is passed on to you? Or how the environment influences your genes? Or maybe even just why genetics matters?

This class covers some of the basics of genetics including what DNA is, how transcription and translation work, and how heredity (how information is passed on) works. We will also discuss epigenetics, genetic engineering, and what happens when something goes wrong in the form of genetic disease.


Prerequisites
Understanding of basic biology.

Learn the basics of the fun simple program Scratch! Scratch is a drag and drop programing language which is easy to learn, and fun to make animations and games in. Students will learn the basic functions, and by the end of class have a project of their own.

We will examine various studies related to the principle of linguistic relativity—that is, the notion that a language's structure and vocabulary affect how its speakers perceive the world. Ultimately, we will discuss how linguistic relativity is relevant to modern society. For further details, please see: http://ryansandler.com/linguistic-relativity-sprout-at-yale-2018


Prerequisites
Please review the content on this page prior to class and be prepared for discussion: http://ryansandler.com/linguistic-relativity-sprout-at-yale-2018

Many of us take our everyday modern knowledge for granted. We make claims about the world: that the Earth is a sphere of a certain mass, that a star is so-and-so distance from us, and that the Universe did not exist eternally before us, but how do we exactly know these facts?

This elective aims to show the beauty in the reconstruction of human knowledge of the physical world. The course explores two distinct worlds: first, our home, the Earth; and second, outer space, the Heavens. We begin first by looking microscopically at the secrets that we can find of the Earth, before peering out to the sky to look for the secrets of the Heavens.

The chemistry of coffee! We will cover caffeine content, antioxidants, how source and roasting method change the chemical profile, and the difference between hot and cold brew coffee. There will be samples :)

The ecosystems around us are thousands of years old, and they are constantly changing. What makes our forest here in New England unique? What does it mean to be an "invasive" plant? What will our forest look like in fifty years?

In this class, we will speed through the past 20,000 years of New England history since the last Ice Age and explore how glaciers, Native American land use, and European colonization affected the plant communities that are able to survive here. We'll also discuss how our forests are currently changing because of climate change, and what can be done about this.

If the weather is nice, we may go outside and look at some trees, so dress warmly!

This course will teach students about some concepts of physics through the context of Star Wars.


Prerequisites
Basic understanding of algebra and geometry.

What do you think of when you hear the word “tragedy”? While most people immediately think of sadness, there is much more to the genre. Explore with us the nuances of tragedy through short films, discussions, and interactive activities!

Have you ever wondered about what part of the brain your memory is in? Have you ever wondered where your emotions come from? The brain controls every move you make, every breath you take, and everything you see, hear and touch. It is the most complex and important organ in the body, but one of the least understood. This class will cover many of the different areas of the brain and their functions. We will talk about how you come to see, hear, feel and remember things. Hopefully through this class, students will begin to understand how the entire world that they perceive around them is represented in their own heads.

Math isn't all about numbers! Sometimes it's about pictures. Sometimes mathematicians just doodle all day and call it work!

In this class, we will discuss a question about drawing triangles inside of triangles and then use it to guide a pictorial exploration.

Conway's soldiers is a simple game for one player, with rules somewhat like checkers. We will learn to play it and consider an interesting puzzle arising in its play.

Learn the cultural significance of ballet folklórico and all the elements associated with it - costuming, music, etc.! Students will spend a majority of class time learning basic steps and choreography, so make sure to come in workout clothes.

Learn all about climate change (and how it impacts everywhere from the oceans to the Arctic), your carbon footprint, and how you can help in small ways each day to preserve our planet. Become an Earth expert!

Parrots, herons, swallows, and more! Students will learn bird anatomy and how to draw different species of birds.

Have you ever wondered about the relationship between birds and dinosaurs? Why do male deers have antlers? Why do dogs look different?

Evolutionary biology is the study of the mechanisms that produce the diversity of life on Earth. In this class, we will explore the idea of natural selection as proposed by Darwin and examine the role of evolutionary biology in unifying the other biological sciences.

Knitting is a process that turns yarn into fabric. By learning a single stitch, you can transform yarn into your very own scarf. By learning two stitches (knitting and purling), you can begin creating cool patterns like seed stitch and ribbing. In this class, you'll learn to cast on (start), and begin knitting a scarf!


Prerequisites
Nothing

Do you love to dance? Look no further than this course! Let's Get It: Contemporary African Dance will provide students with the unique experience to learn choreography from DZANA, Yale's only contemporary African dance group. Bring a lot of energy, and get ready to show off your moves and learn some of our favorite ones!

In this course, we explore the history of discrimination against one of Europe's largest, and most in need of support, minority groups. Roma people, often known derogatorily as "gypsies", have occupied a unique role in many European (especially Central European) societies -- as they have refused to assimilate to modern norms while still utilizing local services like free healthcare and public schools. Who are the Roma, and how can their situation today be improved? We will learn about stereotypes against the Roma and how many of these are unfounded, and explore the many (often failed) initiatives to integrate them into
European societies.


Prerequisites
None, but background (or interest) in international relations, social justice/minority rights, and European history are all useful.

Ever wonder how your brain remembers the lyrics to Taylor Swift's newest songs? How about recognizing your best friend's face and where they live? Have you ever remembered something incorrectly you thought you knew? This course will talk about how good (or not!) your brain is at remembering details when you are a witness to an important event! We will talk about how the brain actually makes false memories and sometimes, what we think we actually "remember" turns out to not be so accurate after all! Fun experiments in class to test your memory! Come join this class and we will put your memory to the test!

Have you ever seen a real brain in person before? Would you like to hold one in your very hands? Do you know the different anatomical parts of the brain and what their function is? In this class, I will dissect a sheep brain right in front of your very eyes and answer any and all questions you have about each part of this fascinating organ! Together, we will locate and identify both important internal and external parts of the sheep brain and talk about why they are necessary!

**Any student who does not want to see an actual sheep brain should not sign up for this class.**

We will explore the relationships between prejudice, ignorance, intolerance and fear as well as connect them to instances of bullying in and outside of school. Students will be encouraged to brainstorm ways people are both similar and different through interactive activities like BINGO and whole-class discussions.

Who is a peacemaker? We will define "peacemaker" and identify the people in our schools, churches, sports teams, and other communities who are peacemakers. Do you identify as a peacemaker? We will explore how we can be peacemakers, especially as youth. We will identify a problem in our community and propose tangible solutions.

What does peace mean? What does a peaceful society look like? We will brainstorm more general definitions of peace together as a class. Next, we will share our own definitions of peace based on our personal background and values with one another and learn about the diversity of perspectives on a peaceful world.

What's the difference between conflict, bullying, and honesty? This course will explore the definitions and relationships between these concepts. We will analyze the connection between honesty and bullying, emphasizing the moments that require both honesty and kindness. We will learn different conflict resolution strategies, like empathy and discussion.

There are some problems in mathematics that sound simple, but have never been solved by anyone. In this elective, we'll explore what some of these problems are. (Maybe you can solve one!)

Bacteria inside our bodies help us digest our food every day, while other types of bacteria can cause dangerous or even life-threatening infections. In this class, learn more about what bacteria are, the complex ways in which they impact human health, and challenges that scientists and doctors face in studying bacteria and controlling bacterial infections.

Dungeons and Dragons is a world famous RPG style game in which the players have total agency over the course of their adventures. With paper, pencils, dice, and a rule book players can go on journeys to hunt goblins, defeat greedy dragons, or save a town from a military uprising. This game also allows exercise in problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork, and overall creativity. The only prerequisite is an open imagination!

In this class, we will discuss famous hypothetical scenarios that challenge the typical mind processes we go through to solve problems. Come and join for a class full of discussions, and debate over the nature of choice, free will, and responsibility.

This course will explore some of the most puzzling and interesting examples of plant evolution and adaptation. Why would a flower smell like rotting meat? How does a plant survive in the middle of the desert for thousands of years, earning it the title of "World's Most Resistant Plant"? Come and find out!

Fun class where you learn the basics of public speaking through games and activities.

Under the hood, your computer represents all forms of information, including text files, movies, and music, as a long string of just 0s and 1s. How is this possible?

Learn to find a piece of candy from 4 billion cups in just 32 tries, represent any number with just 1s and 0s, and spot bit errors with one glance.


Prerequisites
No prior computer science/programming knowledge needed.

Seems like everyone is talking about Bitcoin these days. What is this Bitcoin thing, how does it work, and oh yeah- how can you get some? We'll build up the idea behind Bitcoin from some history of what money is, how Bitcoin and the blockchain works, and what you can do with it. If we have time we'll also cover some of the cool things happening right now and how you can be a part of the whole deal.


Prerequisites
None, some economics (supply and demand) and some computer science (what the internet is) would be good.

This is a philosophy class on aesthetics, or the study of art and beauty. Many of us love the "arts"--painting, poetry, dancing, singing, and so on. A lot of people seem to think that some art is better than others. Are they right? Is Mozart better than Taylor Swift, Shakespeare better than J.K. Rowling? If so, what makes some art better than others? We'll debate this question and see what it tells us about why the arts matter.

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

Learn the anatomy of the face and understand the proportions that make up your own. Using these techniques we will draw self-portraits using only a mirror.

Come read and uncover the mysteries of Edgar Allan Poe's works. Focusing on his short story "The Cask of Amontillado" we will analyze and discuss uses of mood, tone, irony, and figurative language in order to understand his purpose and prose.