This year, we are continuing a wonderful new program for our 8th graders - Advanced Topics Courses. These courses provide an opportunity for in-depth study in an area of particular interest for 8th graders. The courses also prepare students for high school as they opt into a course as an elective to deepen their knowledge. Below, please find course descriptions. Even if you don’t have an 8th grader this year, it’s important to know how our program evolves as students progress on their journey.
Advanced Topics: Art History
Instructor: Kayla Stoler
We can learn a lot about people from the art they create. In this introduction to art history, students will examine and analyze art from societies of the past and present. Remember discussing the Seated Lady of Çatal Hüyük in sixth grade? Or perhaps you recall studying kente cloth in seventh grade? This Advanced Topics course will build on those skills. In addition to discussing and writing about art, students can expect to watch films, create art of their own, and leave campus to view art in person.
Advanced Topics: English
Instructor: Sarah Masanek
The AT English course further develops students’ reading and writing skills, in particular their ability to read critically and write about important issues in their communities. During the first semester, students explore, with a contemporary lens, some of the traditional, well-known novels that were once staples of middle and high school English curriculums. We analyze and discuss the power dynamics presented in the novels through the lens of race, gender, and other social hierarchies. Potential novels include The Lord of the Flies, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Great Gatsby.
During the second semester, students use their critical thinking skills to observe and report on their own communities. First, students learn how to write articles as journalists. After developing their reporting and interviewing skills, students select an issue that matters to them and the community to further investigate. As a final project, students produce a podcast that incorporates narration, interviews, music, and sound effects to inform their audience about their chosen issue.
Advanced Topics: Design-Crafting Change: Design Tools & Project-Based Learning
Instructor: Beth Entrekin
This course teaches students how to use some of our lab tools, such as the laser cutter, microcontrollers, and 3D printers. We will cover how each tool works, the safety precautions to follow, and how to use each tool to create projects. Students may learn how to use additional lab tools that fit the specific needs of their individual projects.They will be introduced to Project-Based Learning (PBL) and basic project management skills. Students will learn to identify real-world problems, set goals, plan projects, and stay organized. Working in teams, they’ll connect to other subject matters and explore a student-directed project. The projects will be based on real-world problems or experiences, and they will design and prototype tangible solutions that demonstrate their learning. By the end of the course, students will have developed practical lab skills, gained experience in teamwork, and completed a project based on real-world problems or experiences, showcasing their learning and creativity.
Advanced Topics: Garden to Table
Instructor: Ori Alon
In this advanced topic, students will be responsible for building out the Middle School Garden, amending raised beds, planting produce and herbs, and learning how to tend your own crops. They will also learn many important techniques in the kitchen such as knife skills, various cuisines from around the world, and even develop their own recipes. This will be a great opportunity to connect to food and build useful skills that they can continue for the rest of their lives.
Advanced Topics: The Wide World of Sculpture
Instructor: Jennifer Figeroa
Does your student like working with their hands to create 3-dimensional artwork? Are they interested in exploring new materials and building techniques? In this class, they will learn about the wide-ranging discipline of sculpture through a global lens. Students will get the opportunity to grow their basic skills while focusing on a diversity of artistic influences and mediums. They will work with clay, plaster, paper, fabric, recycled and found materials, wire, and more. Students will learn the processes of carving, modeling, assembling, slab construction, plaster casting, sewing, and the fundamentals of sound construction. Find new inspiration in global art while making masks, figurative sculptures, alebrijies, plushies, and much more. The course will culminate with the construction of wearable sculptures inspired by the artist Nick Cave.
