Bryce Canyon
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This content-rich 12-week online class for 5th-9th graders engages students in a variety of games, projects, and activities designed to expand students' understanding of U.S. and world geography. Prior geographic knowledge is welcome but not assumed. Strong reading skills are a must. Most weeks involve some sort of research project to be completed at home to be shared with the class the following week. Honors option: for students who would like to extend their learning, there is the option of doing a special geography webquest at the conclusion of the class.
"Geography: Live Online!" (A) and (B) have entirely different activities. Although most students will begin with "Geography: Live Online!" (A), students can take (A) and (B) in either order.
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Rome
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"Mission Possible: Global Issues, Leadership Choices"This highly interactive 10-week class for 9th-12th graders engages students in running the world they will inherit. As officials of imaginary countries, they will employ critical thinking skills, negotiation techniques, and problem solving methods to lead their people towards peace and prosperity. (Or will they?) Working individually and in teams, they will decide when to cooperate and when to compete, when to bargain and when to take a stand, how systems are interrelated and how to adjust to life’s surprises. Readings in political science, international affairs, people management, current events, moral philosophy, literature, and economics provide discussion points and context for the simulation. Excellent reading skills (high school+ level) and the ability to work cooperatively are a must. Honors option: for students who would like to extend their learning, there is the option of preparing a dossier addressing the issues and challenges facing a specific country.
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"Stock Market Challenge: An Intro to Finance & Investment"
Stocks? Bonds? Shorts? Margins? Cryptocurrencies? Mutual funds? This online class for high school students and advanced 8th graders, built around the Stock Market Game, gives students the information and experience they need to invest in their futures. Student teams compete to generate the highest returns on their (imaginary) money while learning about the ins and outs (and ups and downs!) of various investment strategies and the global economy. In addition to engaging in the Stock Market Game, students will discuss relevant readings ranging from Adam Smith through blockchain technology and have access to a private class discussion forum. Honors option: for students who would like to extend their learning, there is the option of engaging in additional finance study and developing an individual investment plan.
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Paris
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"Philosophically Speaking: An Introduction to Philosophy"Philosophy is not about finding life’s answers. It’s about considering life’s questions. This 14-week discussion-based class, for 8th-12th graders, introduces the vocabulary of philosophy and explores some of philosophy’s “greatest hits,” weaving together the work of specific philosophers (ancient and modern) with classic thought experiments and real-life examples. This practical philosophy class provides a context for students to think more deeply about the choices and experiences of their everyday lives. Because of the nature of the assignments, excellent reading skills (high school+ level) and the maturity to participate in thoughtful discussion are a must. Honors option: for students who would like to extend their learning, there is the option of writing a paper addressing a specific philosophical topic.
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Barcelona
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"Who We Are & What We Dream: Comparative Science Fiction"Science fiction provides commentary on who we are and on our hopes -- and fears -- about the future. This honors-level comparative literature class for 10th-12th delves into classic and contemporary science fiction novels and short stories to examine how science fiction has evolved and how our attitudes towards science and our thinking about the future have changed over time. Students will be expected to read as much as a novel per week and to engage in timely, thoughtful online discussion. This class does not require any papers, but because discussion will be via a private Google Group, students will have ample opportunity to put their thoughts into writing. Students interested in additional experience with literary analysis are welcome to further refine their thinking and writing by writing an optional literary essay at the conclusion of the class.
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Muscat
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"'The Play's the Thing': A Study of Modern Drama"
In this honors-level high school literature class, our focus will be on modern theater, beginning with Oscar Wilde’s An Ideal Husband (staged in 1895) and concluding with Ayad Akhtar’s The Invisible Hand (staged in 2014). Students will be reading 13 plays -- a play a week! -- and will be expected to engage in timely, thoughtful online discussion via our private Google Group "classroom." Although this class does not require any papers, students will have ample opportunity to put their thoughts into writing. Students interested in additional experience with literary analysis are welcome to further refine their thinking and writing by writing an optional literary essay at the conclusion of the class.
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Crater Lake
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"Bite-Size Literature: Short Stories"
Literature does not have to be long to be great. This two-semester online literature class introduces classic and contemporary short stories to 9th/10th graders and advanced middle school students. Over the course of the year, students will read approximately 40 language-rich short stories from around the world. We will be exploring key elements of a short story, learning about literary analysis, enriching our vocabularies, and discussing questions posed by the story. Although this class does not involve any papers, students will have ample opportunity to put their thoughts into writing via our Google Group "classroom." Honors option: for students who would like to extend their learning, there is now the option of writing two papers, one each semester, addressing specific themes and topics developed in our short stories. |
Mount Rainier
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"Hands-On Geography"
This content-rich 10-week IN-PERSON class, for 4th-8th graders, involves students directly in a variety of hands-on projects, games, and activities designed to expand students' understanding of U.S. and world geography. Prior geographic knowledge is welcome but not assumed. Strong reading skills and the ability to work cooperatively are a must. Most weeks involve some sort of project to be completed at home to be shared with the group the following week.
All three "Hands-On Geography" classes have entirely different activities. Although most students begin with "Hands-On Geography" (A), students can and do take (A) and (B) happily and successfully in either order. In order to register for "Hands-On Geography" (C), a student must have taken (A) or (B) or both previously. For my most current policy on in-person instruction, please see my COVID precautions page.
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Istanbul
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"10 Weeks in Asia"
This 11-week class, for 6th-10th graders, explores our biggest, most populous continent. After the introductory week, we'll be studying a different Asian country each week. The content is at an upper middle school/high school level, with a fair amount of (fun) homework weekly to support the games and activities during our meeting time. Prior geographic knowledge is welcome but not assumed. Excellent reading skills and the ability to work cooperatively are a must.
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Cairo/Giza
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"Your Future World: Human Geography 2050"
This 14-week class, for 8th-12th graders, focuses on the physical and human geography of the countries that the U.N. has forecast to be the world's most populous in the year 2050. After all, that is the world in which our kids will live. The content is at a high level with a fair amount of (fun) homework weekly to support the discussion, games, and activities during our meeting time. Prior geographic knowledge is helpful but not assumed. Excellent reading skills (high school+ level) and the ability to work cooperatively are a must.
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Dublin
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"Academic Writing"
Every college-bound high school student needs to know how to use a research library and plan, organize, and write an 8- to 12-page academic paper with proper citations. This class takes students through each of these steps. The class will involve trips to two university or other research libraries, the specifics of which will depend on students' research interests; instruction in academic writing, including a refresher on the fundamentals of good writing; guidance on finding online sources appropriate for academic writing; step-by-step assistance with planning, organizing, and writing an 8- to 12-page academic paper; instruction in use of Turabian/Chicago and MLA citations; and feedback on the final project and throughout the process. This class is most appropriate for high school juniors and seniors and/or students interested in pursuing dual-enrollment coursework. It is offered by special arrangement for four students per semester. Students must be able to commit to spending two or more hours per week researching and/or writing outside of class. Admission is contingent on a writing sample.
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Washington, DC
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"From the Headlines: Global Issues, Leadership Choices"
This online class for 9th-12th graders engages students in thinking about the issues shaping the world they will inherit. Students will read and discuss a variety of articles each week, drawn from newspapers, magazines, and online publications in the U.S. and around the world and supplemented with readings in international affairs, political science, moral philosophy, and economics as appropriate. This asynchronous discussion-based class is entirely online and should not be confused with my in-person simulation-based class "Mission Possible: Global Issues, Leadership Choices."
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