This course delves into the fantastic "magical realism," a defining aesthetic of Latin American literature, and that literature's commitment to the exploration of personal and national identities. Coursework includes a selective reading of some of the major Latin American authors of the 19th through 20th centuries, in addition to the narratives of indigenous cultures. Students read a selection of short fiction by writers such as Borges, Marquez, and Alvarez, poetry by Neruda and others, and Isabel Allende's modern classic, The House of the Spirits.

This course provides an in-depth introduction to the exciting world of the earliest written texts-their arrogant but generous leaders, half-human best friends, hair-raising battles, and timeless love stories. These ancient epics remain some of the most influential epic poems in human history. Students read "the first poem," Gilgamesh, and Homer's The Odyssey, in addition to a selection of shorter Middle Eastern and Western lyric poetry, and Aristotle's and Plato's writings on the role of poetry and art in society.

This course provides students with an introduction to some of the earliest literature in the Anglo Saxon canon, including Beowulf, the wonderful Arthurian adventure epic poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and Chaucer’s witty and fascinating portraits of ordinary English citizens on pilgrimage in Canterbury Tales. Students explore archetypes and motifs that carry throughout Western literature: the hero’s epic journey of self-discovery; the rise and consequences of hubris; the conflicts of the individual (male and female) in society; the relationships between the mystical, supernatural, and the everyday world.

This course introduces students to English literature between the French Revolutionary period and the Victorian era at the end of the 19th century. Alongside the French Revolution, English writers sought radical new modes of expressing individual identity in a world of increasing fragmentation and institutionalized power. Early 19th century Romantic and Victorian writers explored their own natures in response to a rapidly modernizing world. Authors include Blake, Dickens, and Charlotte Bronte.

This course introduces students to Shakespeare's oeuvre, covering both plays and sonnets. Shakespeare's work examines and dramatizes issues explosive in any era: the relationship between individuals and the state; love and desire; gender roles, betrayal, loss. Additionally, students explore the qualities of Shakespeare's poetic language. When possible, students attend a Shakespeare performance and/or work with performing arts faculty on the dramatic aspects of the texts.

As the 19th century comes to a close and the 20th century begins, the Victorian desire for definition turns into a need for independence and the ability to set the course of one's own life. This sets in motion a monumental battle between the rules of the old world and the desires of the new, intensified by the general sense of cultural dissolution following the First World War. Via Forester, Joyce, Camus, and others, this course explores the consequent aesthetic movement known as modernism.

Modern literature in most African countries explores the continent's richness of culture, landscape, and struggles for self-determination. This is a contemporary course founded on themes of traditional vs. modern and city vs. pastoral. Students read a novel by the contemporary Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie, the classic South African novel, Cry, The Beloved Country, and a selection of essays from Ryszard Kapuscinski's Shadow of the Sun.

Through 20th and 21st century literature about China, Japan, and Vietnam students explore themes such as China’s Cultural Revolution and the wizardry of martial arts. Humor and hope temper fatalistic sensibilities; the supernatural and natural worlds merge to create a multi-faceted realism in literature and in anime film. Students read Samurai’s Garden, Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Paradise of the Blind, and watch two modern Asian film classics- To Live and Spirited Away.

Responding to the new prominence of Middle Eastern geography, history, politics, and culture in the United States, this class incorporates works by Middle Eastern and Middle Eastern American writers: a selection of Israeli and Lebanese poets, Marjane Satrapi (Persepolis), Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Naomi Shihab Nye, and the Iranian-American writer Firoozeh Dumas. This course examines the political role of literature, particularly in relation to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, gender roles in Islamic culture, and the immigrant experience of Middle Easterners in the United States.

Suzanne Langer wrote in Feeling and Form: A Theory of Art: “Art is a symbolic presentation of feeling.” This course examines one particular theme per year within selections of world literature such as: revenge, ecstasy, madness, love, guilt, jealousy, ambition. Course readings show how writers (in various genres and across time periods) explore and develop the connection between psychologies of emotion and intention. Major authors include a selection from the following: Hemingway, Eliot, Woolf, Shakespeare, and Faulkner.

Today the novel is the most pervasive literary form in the English language, but before the 1700s it did not exist. This course provides an in-depth study of the novel form in the 18th through the mid-20th centuries. Students explore the rise of the novel through a thematic approach--not only the various elements that make up the novel (plot, characterization, style, genre, theme, etc.) but also its development in historical, cultural, and thematic contexts. Major authors include a selection from the following: Defoe, Fielding, Conrad, Austen, Salinger, McCullers, and Egan.

This course engages students in the study of literature and other arts in the United States during the high Modern period (World War I through the 1950's). During this period the general sense of cultural dissolution produced a desire to destroy older, established forms of artistic expression, thus giving rise to a modern "renaissance"- the molding of a new artistic consciousness. The course encourages students to examine the connections made through and by the literature, film and music of the period, critically extending their understanding of the ramifications of a brief period of time through to the perception of that time today. Major authors include a selection from the following: Kerouac, Hansberry, Ginsberg, and Chandler.

This course focuses on the tradition of environmental literature in America and contemporary critical and literary texts. Lawrence Buell, a major theorist in "eco-criticism," describes his critical practice as one that relies on the notion of individual and societal accountability to the natural environment as a pressing ethical concern for contemporary society. Major authors include: Emerson, Thoreau, and Whitman (selected essays and poetry); Emily Dickinson (selected poetry); Rachel Carson, Leslie Marmon Silko.

This course is a critical exploration of major cultural and arts ideology of the past thirty years, with an emphasis on science fiction (or, as it's sometimes called, "speculative fiction"). Students explore this cultural-aesthetic movement called Postmodernism, one fraught with fragmentation and ambiguity. Familiarity with postmodernism prepares students to address it in various college-level frameworks. Authors and philosophers studied include: Thomas Pynchon, William Gibson, Neil Stephenson, Jacque Derrida, Jean-Francois Lyotard, and Jean Baudrillard.

(1.5 MYA-900 CE) Humans and their immediate ancestors appeared 100,000 to 200,000 years ago and have gathered themselves into social groups for almost as long. The history of human civilization, however, stretches back only a little more than 5,000 years. This course addresses the vast expanse of time between the emergence of humans and the rise of civilization--Prehistory. Course topics focus on the development of technological, cultural, political, and economic features that characterize "civilized" human societies, and includes explorations of the origins of early Mesoamerican, Mesopotamian, Ancient Chinese, and Aboriginal Australian cultures.

(900-1950 CE) From the early Aztec and Mayan civilizations to contemporary nation-states, the identities of Latin American peoples evolved along multiple paths. Content in this course focuses on cultural elements unique to the peoples of Central and South America, and on the impact of transculturation from the time of first contact with European explorers and settlers to the modern day. Course topics include: the relationship between the indigenous, Spanish, and emergent mestizo culture as connected to the Catholic encomienda system; the roots of Latin American nationalism; Latin American independence movements.

(300-1400 CE) Coined by the intelligentsia of the Renaissance, the term "medieval" suggests a cultural ebb between two great waves of change and development; yet this period saw the emergence of many of the European political, religious and economic institutions that influence the world today. Students examine the fall of Rome, life in the Dark Ages, the rise of the Catholic Church, and European monarchies. The period is examined by employing both the most recent scholarship on the era and primary source documents contemporary to the time.

(1400-1650 CE) To shape and make sense of our past, historians feel compelled to divide it into time periods, each given a name that epitomizes the spirit of the era. First used by the French historian Jules Michelet in 1858, "Renaissance" (or rebirth) describes the period of transition between the medieval epoch, when Europe was "Christendom,"and the beginning of the Modern Age. Exploration in this course considers the specific advances and revolutions in thought that define the Renaissance period, with special focus placed on art history.

(1650-1850 CE) The 18th and 19th centuries were revolutionary periods that saw the rise of social, political, and economic movements that continue to impact the world today. Investigation in this course examines revolutions in thought beginning with the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, and continuing through the French and Industrial Revolutions. Students examine Kuhn's concept of Paradigm Shift and Briton's Anatomy of Revolution.

(1848-1945 CE) From the publication of the Communist Manifesto to the rise of Nationalist movements, European history is marked by the testing of a myriad of competing ideologies championed by individuals, groups, and nation-states. Study in this course traces the roots of modernity by investigating the economic and political philosophies that arose in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in Europe, including capitalism, communism, nationalism and fascism. These topics are studied in the context of World War I, the Russian Revolution, World War II and the emergence of the European Union.

(1868 CE-Present) The histories of China, Japan and other Asian nations evidence some of the most ancient and rigidly structured cultural systems in human history. Many argue that departures from these same cultural structures are the driving force behind recent economic and political development. Subject matter in this course explores the history of Asia, and perhaps more importantly, considers questions regarding these countries' future trajectories. Focusing on the post-WWI time period, analyses in this course consider the complex interplay between economic development and cultural preservation.

(1800 CE-Present) At the Conference of Berlin in 1885, European powers staked claim to virtually the entire continent of Africa. European leaders used maps to divide the continent describing vast areas as terra incognita, and drew arbitrary boundaries with little regard for the myriad of traditional monarchies, ethnicities, and social structures that existed within those borders. Work within this course explores the motivations of the European powers in the context of the colonization of Africa, and the subsequent effects of imperialism on modern African states. Case studies include the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa.

(1917 CE-Present) The history of the modern Middle East is a reflection of complex relationships between distinct peoples, cultures and religions. Investigation in this course begins with an examination of the origins of Islam, analysis of the modern Zionist movement, and a study of European involvement in the region after WWI. Coursework continues with a discussion of the reorganization of national boundaries by the United Nations following the British withdrawal from the region in the 1940's, and the resulting legacy of contemporary conflict. Finally, heavy focus is put on both the domestic and international significance of the region and its peoples today. Case studies include: the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the growth of the modern Iraqi state, the Iranian Revolution, and the recent social and political transformations in Egypt.

Since the beginning of human history, with the development of communal living, humans have constructed, maintained and dismantled countless forms and functions of government. Study in this course analyzes various forms of international governmental and economic organization, including totalitarianism, communism, constitutional monarchy, democracy (republicanism), democratic Socialism, and fascism. More abstract constructs of political theory are also investigated including individualism, egalitarianism, and utopianism. Course work asks students to focus on the question: What is the role of the individual in a corporate society? This course is designed to educate and empower the next voting constituency of our country.

Perspectives of economically developing countries are explored, using concrete, empirical data and case studies to illustrate economic concepts, patterns of human development, including growth and resource use. Course topics include: inequality and poverty, population, education, investment, productivity, growth, foreign aid, fiscal policy, production trade and sustainable vs. non-sustainable industrial development, foreign debt and financial crises. Coursework focuses on the questions: How does modern technology fuel global economic development? and What role should foreign aid and foreign investment play in nascent national economies? Student-driven seminars are a core component of this course.

(1938-Present) While the 20th century is often dubbed the American Century, the first decade of the 21st century has seen an increase in globalism and a "flattening" of the world. In this course students: explore the role the United States has played in modern global history and contemporary global policy, and attempt to predict its future role in international relations. Through seminar and simulation students gain insight into the processes of foreign policy and diplomacy. Topics include: the Cold War, and the functions of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the United Nations. Students culminate their experience by playing the role of a United Nations delegate in a model UN Security Council simulation.

The origins of democracy trace back to the city-states of ancient Greece. At that time, democracy meant simply "rule of the citizens" (the demos), and was designed to allow citizens to have a voice in decisions that would affect all. Since its inception, democratic theory and its practical applications have evolved significantly. Coursework establishes the foundations of democratic theory, investigating its origins from the 5th century BCE to its resurgence in the early-modern political theory of thinkers like John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Alexis deTocqueville. From this foundation analysis shifts to contemporary challenges to democratic values in the United States. Course topics include theories of direct, deliberative, and distributive democracy. A democratic philosophy and systemic model for later civic action is a culminating project for each student. In national election years specific attention is given to the American electoral process and party politics.

Jurisprudence is the philosophy and science of the law. Exploration in this course focuses on source and justification of the law, its scope and function in the human history, and contemporary legal frameworks in the United States. Classic U.S. Supreme Court cases include: Plessy vs. Ferguson, Gideon vs. Wainwright, and Brown vs. Board of Education. The purpose of this course is the creation and empowerment of informed citizens who are fully aware of both the rights and responsibilities granted them by the Constitution of the United States.

The lenses of Race, Class, Gender and the Environment are employed to investigate the underlying values and impacts of public policy on particular segments of American society. Policy topics may include: education, immigration, transportation, healthcare or environmental justice. Where possible, this course focuses on local, public policy in the Seattle-area. The culminating project requires students to advocate for a policy position of their choice on the local or national level. The roles of citizen and political leader are examined by employing the concept of competing goods within the public policy realm.

Coursework explores two themes of Hispanic culture through film as well as providing conversational tools to discuss film in Spanish. Students are equipped with vocabulary and cultural context to engage with film. Each cultural theme is examined through two films for approximately five weeks each. Themes include but are not limited to family relationships, identity, and/or social conflict. Expressive skills connected to giving instructions and writing synopses are developed. The emphasis during class time is on spoken Spanish and the course is conducted in the target language.

Coursework explores Hispanic music through both evolutionary and historical lenses. Students learn to identify Latin instruments, genres, and the origins of both. Students develop language skills while exploring Spanish cultural influences on music including slavery, empires, and migrations. The second half of the trimester focuses on contemporary artists, songs, and genres, while practicing language concepts and expanding vocabulary. The emphasis during class time is on spoken Spanish and the course is conducted in the target language.

Coursework explores the current Hispanic political and social climate through authentic sources in print and media, as accompanied by targeted language practice. Students use Spanish to review contemporary events developing the ability to talk about the economy, business, and education among other topics. During the second half of the trimester students explore topics of interest in more detail as they complete independent projects. The emphasis during class time is on spoken Spanish and the course is conducted in the target language.

This course examines how actors develop a character using the basic actor’s tools: vocal work, body awareness, observation, and textual analysis with input from the director. Students analyze the meaning of the play, and how their character contributes to conveying the play’s message to the audience. Students present monologues and scene work in a public performance

What makes a piece of writing dramatic? What does it take to make engaging original work for the stage? This course focuses on the theatre-maker as “creator.” Students examine how contemporary theatre-makers have created new work for the stage and apply what they learned to build their own original work. Class projects include composing and performing original monologues, using existing source material to build new work, and creating an original 10-minute play or performance piece.

This advanced theatre course provides 11th and 12th grade students an opportunity to assume a creative position of leadership in theatre. A course in Directing is a “capstone” course for any theatre program, as it culminates in a student-directed production of a short theatre piece.

This fundamental technical theatre course teaches basic set design and construction, as well as lighting design concepts. Topics include how to use a theatre scene shop, simple construction techniques, fundamentals of theatre design, fundamentals of lighting design, and identifying sound, prop, costume and make-up needs for productions.

This course examines the musical world of choral singing and explores the human voice and its collective sound. In this course students discover the fun of singing by developing healthy vocal technique, learning to sight-sing, and considering the influence of music in their lives. Musical selections encompass a wide range of languages and traditions, including classical, contemporary, folk, Broadway and multicultural music. The course culminates in one or more public performances. No experience is necessary and students of any skill level are welcome.

The practices of artists and scientists are often seen as polar opposites, but in reality are closely connected. This course explores the technical and conceptual space in which art and science overlap. Students use a variety of materials and tools to explore the common artistic/scientific practices of looking, thinking, testing, and telling as a vehicle for making art.

In this course, students make a variety of sculptural forms using materials such as wire, plaster cloth, clay, recycled, and found objects. Students learn art techniques and build visual art skills by using a wide range of tools and materials. Coursework emphasizes creative thinking and problem-solving skills to initiate the creative process.

This course explores different historical and contemporary styles and techniques of drawing and painting. These styles and techniques are important in learning the aspects of 2-dimensional art creation. Using a variety of materials and surfaces, students apply art elements of design and composition (line, space, texture, form, and color) to create personal expressions in visual communication.

Lessons in this course are geared to each student's individual drawing experience. Different historical and contemporary styles and techniques of drawing and painting are explored. Using a variety of materials and surfaces, students develop stronger technical skills and apply the art elements of design and composition (line, space, texture, form, and color) to create unique works of visual art.

This course introduces students to digital photography with in-depth studies of both the technical aspects needed to effectively use a digital SLR camera, and the role of photography in modern society. Students learn about the history of photography from its invention and early use in the 19th century to its contemporary applications. Projects are guided by big-picture themes and inspired by numerous artists. Integral to the course is documentation of the creative process and development of visual literacy through individual and group critiques. A small class set of digital SLR camera’s will be available for all students to use, but access to a digital SLR camera throughout the course is highly recommended.

This course focuses on the basics of film-editing using the software Adobe Premiere Elements. Students also learn basic lighting techniques, interview styles and how to use a camcorder. Combining both moving and still-images, a short film is created including audio/music, titles, and voice-overs.

This course focuses on intermediate to advanced film-editing techniques using the software Adobe Premiere Elements. Students pursue in-depth techniques of using a camcorder, lighting and setting up specific scenes, and combining both moving and still images to create a unique short film. They also work with audio/music, titles, and voice-overs to enhance their film, and to save it in different formats.

This course introduces students to a variety of printmaking and book arts techniques including relief, monotype, & intaglio printing as well as accordion, one sheet & flip books. Students learn about the rich history of printmaking and book arts from the woodcuts and engravings of William Hogarth to the artist books of Esther K. Smith. Projects are guided by big picture themes, inspired by numerous artists and explore both direct observational skills and imaginative perspectives. As an integral part of the course, students document their creative process throughout the trimester in a sketchbook and develop visual literacy through individual and group critiques.

Coursework introduces students to the world of paper engineering through an in-depth study of paper as a creative medium. Students learn about the rich history of paper engineering from Japanese origami to pop-up cards. Projects are guided by big picture themes and inspired by numerous artists. As an integral part of the course, students document their creative process in a sketchbook throughout the trimester, and develop visual literacy through individual and group critiques.

Graphic design permeates our lives, surrounding us with products and publications that combine text and images to convey ideas. In this course, visual art is created using traditional art techniques and the digital tools of Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Publisher. Examples from publications, artwork, and videos, help students expand their understanding of graphic design, and how its use has evolved over time. Each project in this course enables students to create forms of visual communication by using their original art and digitizing it for use in poster, brochure, flyer, and CD cover formats.

This Upper School physical education course focuses on sports and fitness with an emphasis on promoting life-long training and overall health. Classes cover two aspects of physical awareness: 1) strength and agility; and 2) cardiovascular fitness through cooperative team sports, personal fitness design, and advanced age-appropriate fitness activities.

Coursework examines important issues facing Upper School students, and includes units on nutrition, drugs and alcohol, and sexuality. This course is largely discussion-based, and each unit uses materials and activities focused on making positive choices as a teenager and later as an adult.

This course introduces students to dance and movement, and can serve to keep experienced dancers in touch with the art through extra practice. Students learn dance class etiquette, warm ups, and conditioning while gaining the self-knowledge that comes with understanding movement--in time, space, and in relation to others. Students parallel the study of specific dance techniques with the creative play of movement through games, group exercises, mindfulness practice, and individual improvisation in select genres. A series of genres are sampled throughout the trimester including: ballet, modern, hip hop, and flamenco.

This movement class provides training for dance of all kinds, and specifically, for Flamenco--a traditional and very alive Spanish art form. Students improve overall strength, elegance and balance, without using equipment. Specific posture, technique, and choreography for flamenco dance are explored. This is a great introduction to dance for both males and females (no experience necessary), while also offering a challenge to seasoned dancers. Trimester culminates with an ensemble performance.

This course focuses on yoga practice through experience of physical postures. Themes of lifelong health and wellness, along with connections to Eastern philosophies/religions, accompany physical instruction. This is an all-levels class where students learn the basics of yoga and expand their practice in a safe and supportive environment. Course program guides students to: 1) increase flexibility, 2) strengthen muscles, 3) coordinate movement with breath; and 4) deepen awareness of the mind-body connection.

The internet and the world wide web in particular are fulfilling a greater role in society. Through writing web pages, students are introduced to the underlying structure of the internet. The course provides instruction and practice on web page construction, employment of HTML, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript. This course is designed for both novice and experienced web designers and consists primarily of short lectures and labs culminating in each student building a personal web site.

Building off of the concepts learned in Web Design, students continue their pursuit of higher level topics including techniques to reduce content duplication across pages, javascript (primarily using the jQuery library) and an introduction to web scripting (typically using PHP or Ruby). This course is primarily focused on mid-term and final projects which students work on individually or in groups. The projects are aimed at building web sites with consistent design elements and a quality user experience.

This course introduces the basic elements that exist in all programming languages. No prior experience is required. We begin with easy-to-get-into graphical programming system, then quickly move into textual programming in JavaScript, with a focus on manipulating visual elements in web pages. This course is designed to provide a smooth and fun introduction to programming and computer science. It consists of programming challenges, short reading assignments, unplugged activities, and a two week independent project period.

Building off of the concepts learned in Programming 1, students continue to learn techniques of procedural and object-based programming. The content of the course is taught in JavaScript, with students free to pursue individual projects in any modern object-oriented language. Concepts include: arrays, functions, modularity and interfaces, creating simple classes, and an introduction to the cycle of requirements/design/coding/testing. Final projects are done individually or in small groups and culminate in fully functional programs that range from statistical analyses to games.

Working in small groups of two to four, students go through all phases of a software development project. Students write specifications and design documents before coding, divide coding work, collaborate through GitHub, and document what they write so others can use and test it. Students test the software, document and fix bugs in a systematic way, and release a product that works. All work is done in NetBeans, with optional components such as JavaScript code or media files done in other editors like Visual Studio Code or Brackets.

Students take everything they know about desktop applications from Programming 1 and 2 – JavaScript, Java, JavaFX UI – and extend it to run as a server-based application with multiple clients – web browsers, desktop Java apps, and mobile Java apps. Students use the Java Spark framework and node.js for our application development, with most work done in NetBeans and in Visual Studio Code or Brackets.

This course takes students beyond elementary flow control and simple logic, and into the tool set required to solve real programming problem efficiently. Major data structures including lists, queues, stacks, trees and graphs are discussed along with major algorithms starting with sorting and searching. Along the way, elementary complexity theory is used to judge the efficiency of the approach at hand. Time permitting, there will be units discussing operating system concepts, parallelism, databases, and transactions. The course culminates in a meaningful, real-world programming or modeling problem.

For the majority of history, people of our culture manipulated only physical objects. In the last fifty years, people have developed the ability to manipulate digital objects as well. The boundary between physical and digital creation has started to blur. This course exists at the interface between physical and virtual. Students design objects on computers and create them using 3D printers and Laser Cutters. In addition, coursework involves taking physical inputs into micro-controllers and processing them with software by building digital sensors or personal USB devices. This course is focused on empowering students to bring ideas to life using all the modern tools at our disposal.

Oral communication skills are as vital as written communication skills. This course enhances a student’s ability to express their creative thought, gives evidence of their ability to act responsibly, better positions them as leaders, and provides a tool to persuade others to consider and accept their wise innovations. Major units covered by the course include: learning a basic communication model, informative speaking, persuasive speaking, impromptu speaking, oration, fundamentals of effective speech structure, effective vocal and physical delivery techniques and the creation and effective use of visual aids.

From the classic and contemporary American Western to the modern-day Disney production, the mythological components of American film are considered in the narratives of our time. In this course activities focus on identification of the formal components of the film-making process and of the critical consumption of contemporary media. A final storyboard project employs modern mythological themes and film-making techniques.

Documentary film performs multiple roles as historical chronicler, cultural commentator and social actor in our world. The historical evolution of the documentary film is investigated in depth in this course, along with the medium's role as a social agent in the contemporary age. Films examined may include but are not limited to: The Fog of War, Man on Wire, Life and Debt, Hoop Dreams, This Is What Democracy Looks Like, King Corn, Hearts and Minds, and The Thin Blue Line. Coursework focuses on discussion of film in literate and substantive ways, often using testimony from actual documentarians as a model. A short documentary film project on a student-chosen issue is required.

Early in the 20th century, the blues was developing in the southern United States, and that raw sound eventually became rock & roll of the 1950's. Many of the original blues conventions are still heavily used today. Study in this course examines the cultural influences that created early American music, and how music and culture continue to interact today. Study is focused on major musical genres and artists who have had a profound impact on the American experience, as well as important local and world events that shaped the course of musical history. Exploration is framed by reading about and listening to important recordings from the 20th and 21st centuries, in addition to a written critique of a live performance, a biographical essay, and a formal research paper and/or a student-produced and delivered radio show.

Media images and messages influence much of our thinking and acting in the contemporary world. Study in this course examines the structure of the media industry and a variety of media sources including: news, music, internet, art, entertainment, and advertising content. Exploration is framed by a course-long project where students construct their own media conglomerates based on real world models. Journalistic articles, ad campaigns, podcasts and internet content are created to facilitate the construction and deconstruction of the media messages that surround us. Questions like, What does it mean to grow up online?, introduce a growing branch of internet media studies and help to develop critical thinking habits.

As technology and ideas progress, our society evolves to take advantage of new media and rapidly changing economic and technological landscapes. This course briefly explores history from the Big Bang Theory to the shifting media and economics paradigms of the last 20 years--from a point where the creation and distribution of media was a tightly controlled expensive endeavor, to our current system where anyone can create a blog, YouTube video, podcast or web page for little or no cost. The central pursuit of this course is an investigation of the economies of scale and advances in technology that now make it good business to give away services for free (projects like Wikipedia and TED Talks were laughable 10 years ago). Term long projects focus on our contemporary media, economic, and technological landscapes, and envisioning and creating the direction – or possible directions – that our society will evolve.

This is an introductory business course intended to provide students with a picture of the vital role played by entrepreneurs in the global economy of the 21st century. Integrating a number of different disciplines, from sociology and psychology to economics, finance, marketing, and human resource management. Coursework mixes theory with practice, as students are challenged to apply principles, concepts and frameworks to real world situations. Students learn how to rapidly develop and test ideas by gathering customer and marketplace feedback, and search for the real pain points and unmet needs of customers in pursuit of suitable business models. The final project is a social venture plan competition where teams of students develop an entrepreneurial concept that addresses dual bottom lines: social need and financial sustainability. Teams present their projects to faculty, staff, students, and parents at a live trade-show event on the EPS campus.

Rather than looking at economics as a "dismal science" of static cost-benefit analysis, this course uses economic thinking to investigate a myriad of interesting and unconventional questions, and to uncover economic logic in the everyday world. Economic thinking is modeled by asking and answering questions such as, What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common?, Do first names determine economic success?, and Who pays for your coffee? Additional attention is dedicated to exploring everyday economic questions that many Americans are unable to answer such as, What does it mean when the Fed raises rates?, How do mortgages and student loans work?, What are inflation and deflation?, How does the stock market work?, and Is recycling an economically efficient practice?

Economic pursuits and environmental advocacy often are viewed as mutually exclusive practices. Exploration in this course works to marry these realms by building on core concepts of microeconomics, investigating the economic roots of environmental issues, and hypothesizing as to how capitalistic markets can be used to tackle modern environmental issues such as: climate change, pollution, and endangered species. Economic and environmental understandings are combined with personal interests to invent and design individual green business plans at the conclusion of the course.

As human populations have expanded in modern times so has their need for well-designed communities and urban spaces. Study in this course focuses on conceptual understandings in the areas of sustainable urban design, architecture, and community planning through the examination of national/local issues and projects. Local issues examined include: the King County-Kirkland TOD Project (across the street from EPS), the Seattle viaduct debate, the SR-520 Bridge Project, the Save Our Valley v. Sound Transit lawsuit, green building, the use of LEED Standards in the Seattle area, architectural day-lighting, and urban greening. Activities focus on public meetings and role plays of different stakeholders and/or leaders for the purpose of considering the impacts of planning and design decisions on individuals and communities.

In this place-based course, students explore the area in which they live through historical study, cultural exploration, and field experiences. The first phase of the course includes an intensive study of local literature and historical texts to establish a baseline for understanding the history and composition of the Seattle Metropolitan area. The second phase of the course requires students to conduct an independent research project where they self-select and investigate an aspect of local history as a means to better understanding the region in which they live. Example project pursuits might include proposing solutions to modern challenges of the region (i.e. environmental issues, education, infrastructure), volunteering at MOHAI, or developing an exhibit. A key component of the course is three required Saturdays of place-based study in Downtown Seattle, the Snoqualmie Valley area, and Bainbridge Island.

Engaging in a rich, interdisciplinary perspective that is becoming increasingly vital in our world, students participate in a dynamic conversation between the humanities and environmental studies disciplines. Coursework examines the interactions of individuals, cultures, and nature through texts by contemporary and historical thinkers and writers, such as Leopold, Pinchot and Dillard. A one-week trip to the southwestern United States immerses students in these ideas, teaches wilderness and outdoor skills, and provides opportunity for students to consider the environment and their relationship to it. A willingness and excitement to fully engage in this off-campus wilderness week, and intensive reading and writing in the fields of creative non-fiction, philosophy, environmental studies, and literature is expected .

Coursework investigates topics from one (or a combination) of the following three subject topic areas: (1) Number Contemplation and Infinity: exploring numerical patterns in nature, the significance of prime numbers, the mathematics of error correcting codes such as those in bar codes and methods of encryption, an exploration of irrational and real numbers, and an in-depth look at the concept of infinity and determining whether there are different sizes of infinities. (2) Geometric Gems and Contortions of Space: exploring the relationship of geometry to nature including architecture and aesthetics through the golden rectangle, Fibonacci series, and the platonic solids, and a look at the fourth dimension and topics in topology, such as rubber sheets, knots, and mobius strips.(3) Making Sense of Uncertainty and Deciding Wisely: exploring probability and prediction including the relationship between intuition and probability and an investigation of coincidence, and a look at the pros and cons of various statistical representations and the practical applications of probability and statistics, including financial risk management, deciding who should win an election and how to divide scarce resources fair.

This course is a collaboration between psychology, neuroscience, and mindfulness practice to confront some of the questions 11th and 12th graders are asking of themselves and the world. Questions range from understanding why we experience strong feelings such as sadness, anxiety, attraction, and joy, to questions about the fundamental nature of reality. The first portion of the course focuses on learning about the basics of neuroscience as it relates to: (a) interpersonal neurobiology; (b) emotions – what are they, where do they live in the brain, and how to recognize them and what they impact, and (c) empathy and compassion – how evolution has set us up for failure and success in this arena, and what we need to do to increase this interpersonally and on a global level. Theoretical learning through specific activities is designed to allow students to experience directly the content being explored. The major project for the class includes students asking themselves an essential question, and doing independent research and introspection to answer that question.

Students write fiction, creative nonfiction and poetry. Students read and respond to both published writers’ and each other’s work. This course greatly strengthens aspects of student’s writing such as narrative structure, sentence fluency, and clarity of expression.

Building on the skills taught in creative writing, students perform high-level analysis of poems and short stories, explore complex poetic forms, and practice genre-specific techniques in writing their own creative works.

Building on the skills learned in Creative Writing, students in this course will engage in the exploration of a particular genre, such as science fiction/fantasy, graphic novels/cartoons, or playwriting/screenwriting. This class offers an in-depth exploration of topics within the larger field of creative writing via both reading and producing work in a particular genre. The class will run on a workshop model, which requires students’ investment in sharing their work with others, critiquing others’ work, and keeping on track with their writing process. Students will produce one large piece in the genre being studied, or a portfolio of shorter pieces.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to ideas and texts at the root of the development of western intellectual history. Ancient ideas about the nature of the world and how we know it in the writings of Plato and Aristotle are studied. The medieval period and beyond: from Thomas Aquinas (Summa Theologica) to Descartes (The Meditations), Kant (Prolegomena to Any future Metaphysics), Hegel (The Science of Logic), Sartre (Being and Nothingness), Wittgenstein (Philosophical Investigations), and Stephen Pinker (How the Mind Works). Student inquiry is guided by essential questions: What is reality? What is knowledge? How do we know? How do we know that we know? Is it possible for us to communicate what we think we know to others? This course provides an opportunity to consider ancient, modern, and contemporary theories about consciousness and epistemology within a context intended to motivate both understanding and original thinking.

The purpose of this course is to introduce students to ideas and texts at the root of the development of theories of ethics. Students will investigate questions regarding goodness, morality, and freedom and choice. Beginning with the ancient thinkers, who launched a debate that remains unresolved today, students will encounter medieval arguments in support of the existence of God as well as modern assertions that a divinity is unnecessary to the discussion about what constitutes right action. Finally, a review of some contemporary thinkers will challenge students to prove that “ethics” and ideas of goodness have any meaning at all. Students will reflect on their own processes of decision making and consider their assumptions about what constitutes “right” and “wrong, “good” and “evil.”