In this course, we’ll read works inspired by science and art and use them as models to write and revise personal essays that explore the genre of nonfiction. You’ll reflect on personal experiences, research scientific topics, and study the relationship between science and the arts. This writing-process course will guide you to develop a consistent, recursive writing practice of brainstorming, prewriting, drafting, and revising. We will also hold written forum discussions in which you and your peers present your work and offer constructive feedback on each other’s writing.

This course transports readers to magical worlds where animals speak, toys come to life, and eccentric characters perform seemingly impossible feats. Worlds turn upside down, and the familiar becomes the unknown. Explore classic and contemporary texts to learn the traits that characterize modern fantasy. Venture into extraordinary places like Middle-earth in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and witness the incredible adventures of unlikely heroes, like those in Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Desperaux.

Lawyers, doctors, and mathematicians use logic while building arguments, diagnosing diseases, and proving theorems. This course explores the techniques of logic while developing your analytical reasoning skills and your ability to produce arguments and identify fallacious reasoning. After learning foundational concepts such as validity, soundness, and consistency, you’ll explore the process of evaluating language-based arguments. You and your classmates will identify common fallacies, discern patterns of proper reasoning, and use Venn diagrams to evaluate syllogisms.

Explore the history, culture, traditions, and beliefs of world civilizations across Europe, North America, and South America. This course emphasizes commonalities and differences among civilizations and prepares you for future work in pre-AP social studies classes. Learn to think chronologically and understand the major forces of societal change and order, as well as the cause-and-effect relationships throughout historical experience, through collaborative work and discussion with classmates in synchronous meetings.

IBM founder Thomas J. Watson once said, “Business is a game—the greatest game in the world if you know how to play it.” In today’s global marketplace, understanding game theory—the branch of mathematics that focuses on the application of strategic reasoning to competitive behavior—is key to success in business and economics. This course uses game theory as a framework from which to analyze a variety of real-world economic situations. You’ll analyze simple games to learn how they can be used to model actual situations encountered by entrepreneurs and economists.

This philosophy course explores questions of human nature in light of recent technological breakthroughs in communication, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and modern warfare. You will consider how our ability to transform our environment affects the way we perceive and value human life. From current and historical contexts, you’ll evaluate philosophical questions like: how did the agricultural revolution impact social order? When do cybernetic implants transform a person into a machine? In what sense is your online identity “you”?

An introduction to poetry and poetic concepts, this course covers musical aspects of poetry, the patterns and conventions of sound, and the effects they have on readers. Imagery in poems is also explored. You’ll write your own poems as well as read and comment on the work of renowned poets including Elizabeth Bishop, William Carlos Williams, and Langston Hughes. Along the way, you’ll revise your work based on in-depth critiques from the instructor.

BAM! POW! ZAP! Everyone knows Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, and Captain America, but superheroes can come in many shapes and sizes. Must a superhero fight crime? Is Elsa from Frozen a superhero—and what about BB-8, Gru, or Moana? How do storytellers draft heart-stopping tales of suspense? Explore these questions and more on this heroic writing adventure. Like the professional writers at Disney, you’ll learn to craft creative stories using literary techniques like descriptive writing, symbolism, plot structure, and figurative language.

Why do some plastic containers melt in the microwave while others don’t? What makes Silly Putty stretchy? How are packing peanuts made? Chemicals are key to answering these questions, and in this course, you’ll examine how their structure can determine the properties and behaviors of gems and polymers. Starting with the most basic building blocks, atoms, you’ll learn about ions and compounds, and grow crystals like salt and rock candy in the lab, marveling at how small changes in structures of gems can cause dramatic changes in shapes and colors.

In the 17th century, Galileo looked into the sky with a simple pair of lenses and saw the moons of Jupiter. Modern times have had similarly profound discoveries. This course investigates light, optics, and other areas of physics used in the study of modern astronomy. We’ll tour the universe, learning about planets and their physical, chemical, and geological properties; the mathematics of orbiting bodies; and how to use visual and calculated stellar brightness scales to calculate distances to stars.