Winter Term 2018
Peru Trip
Exploring Art, Culture, and Service in Peru –
Working side by side with locals, students will gain insight into the challenges they face and build lasting solutions to help empower the community. Students will connect with local communities in the Sacred Valley and learn how they preserve their history, art, and their language.
Winter Ecology
This class will cover a wide range of skills and knowledge. The main goal of the class is to learn as much about the physical science of cold and snow along with the adaptations of plants and animals to living in the highly variable environment of Northwest Michigan. We will also discuss and practice cold weather survival methods and we will be learning and practicing different modes of transportation including snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
½ Science Credit
Instructor: Cal Meyers
Math Support
Math Support will provide the opportunity to redo or reinforce skills in any of our math courses offered during the academic semesters. Students choosing to enroll in Math Support will co-create an individualized plan including goals to be accomplished during Winter Term. Students in the Calculus class who would like to take the AP exams at the end of the school year are also welcome to enroll in this class.
½ math credit
Instructor: Jay Meyers
Needles and Thread
The Needle and Threads course is a chance to exercise your creativity during Winter Term! Expect to improve your sewing and knitting skills while working on your own personal projects for yourself or someone you love. We will be utilizing videos, instructional demonstrations, and field trips to strengthen your hands-on knitting and sewing skills. During this course, you will design and plan textile projects and then reflect on and refine your process. Prior experience with sewing or knitting is recommended.
½ elective credit
Instructor: Barbara Zyren
Lego Mindstorm
During this course, students will create operational technological devices that will involve some entry level writing of computer code as well as the building of some robotics. Students are led through this experience by an instructor but will be allowed to progress at their individual rates of expertise and levels of interest. Initially, students will begin their work in pairs as they learn the basic skills needed to move forward in this area of study.
Students may be charged an additional fee if their progress accelerates to addressing a personal project. Families would be consulted in advance of a purchase if this is needed.
½ Science Credit
Instructors: Cal Meyers and Jay Meyers
Song Writing
This is the class for musicians, poets, and those who always dreamed of writing songs. We will begin by learning the basic skills on the guitar, bass, piano, mandolin, fiddle, drums, etc. We will also be working with our voices and the practice of writing lyrics. Then we will take all of these skills, work together in small groups, and put them into the wonderful art of song writing. Prior experience on an instrument would be wonderful but not required. I am looking for those with a creative spirit, willingness to try new things, openness to playing any style of music, and an interest in working with others.
½ elective credit
Instructor: Laura Hood
Three-Dimensional Art
This class will be an exploration of three-dimensional art forms. We will investigate ideas of construction, manipulation, subtraction and substitution as methods for creating works of art and students will explore a variety of tools, materials, and processes.
½ elective credit
Instructor: Kaz McCue
Snow Sports
Snow Sports is a winter term class that is for the student who needs and wants to be outside every day. We spend every afternoon on the slopes of Crystal Mountain enjoying the beautiful Northern Michigan winter. This is a great class for those that are experienced skiers and riders as well as those beginners who have the desire to learn. We will head to Crystal Mountain every day right after lunch. This will also be your afternoon activity as well. We will be reading and reflecting upon a book called “On the Edge of Nowhere” about surviving life in the wilds of Alaska. We will also be studying about the ski industry, general strength and conditioning, and skiing and snowboarding techniques. Students are required to have their own equipment in good working order and wearing a helmet is required. There will be a cost (to be determined based on this season’s prices) to cover your Crystal Mountain season ski pass, transportation to and from the hill, and supplemental food costs.
½ elective credit
Instructors: Bruce Hood and Laura Hood
Digital Photography and Imaging
Advanced Digital Photography Capture and Imaging is a class designed for students who have an understanding of digital photography (capture and imaging) but wish to become more proficient in the technical aspects of the digital photography process and image output. This will be a hands-on class where the students learn advanced camera techniques in class and go out in the field to apply them. After downloading their images, they will learn advanced techniques to optimize as well as completely manipulate images. They will attain a high level of proficiency in the understanding of all of the specific camera functions and their predicted effects on the final image capture. They will use Adobe Photoshop to explore their creative drives and become more proficient in the subtler ways that Photoshop (CS6) can enhance their images. The class will take frequent off-campus trips to explore photographic opportunities in: Low light photography, action photography, portraiture, nature/wildlife photography, still life photography, Flash/incandescent photography, high speed flash photography, journalism photography, architecture/interior photography and finally macro photography. At the conclusion of the class, each student will produce an image for their portfolio in five of the content areas mastered during the class.
½ elective credit
Instructor: Cris Pina-Gautier
Leelanau Revealed
“Leelanau Revealed” will be an exploration of the history and people of the Leelanau peninsula. Students will have the opportunity to research while exploring evidence of the area’s past through written and photographic materials. This class also will have numerous opportunities for students to practice real field work as local historians would. We will work outside of the classroom weekly, taking advantage of our local resources. Journalism skills like interviewing, researching, and editing will be practiced. We will visit historic sites, speak with local historians, peruse Maritime museums, and spot archives. As the class progresses, students will focus their explorations and craft the research in an organized format to tell the story of Leelanau through their own lens. The final piece will be the creation of a book that documents students’ experiences and showcases the editing process in action.
½ credit English
Instructors: Tanya Firestone and Kaz McCue
Teenage Literature
Never before in the history of publishing has young adult literature been more popular. With record-breaking sales of the Harry Potter series and other novels with teenagers as the central characters, these books are being read and enjoyed not just by teens but by adults as well. This class will look at five novels covering the last 60 years in order to discover the common threads of teenagehood, but also to look at how things have changed over time. Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and a novel chosen by the class as a whole will be required reading; each student will be allowed to choose an additional novel of their choice. In addition to reading, students will be asked to reflect on the novels in writing and discussions, and to complete several literary analysis essays.
½ credit English
Instructor: Elizabeth Blondia
The Many Perspectives of the Vietnam War
Using Ken Burns’ new documentary as our informational foundation, we will explore the history, politics, music, and popular culture of the era of the United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War. By exploring a variety of texts and movies, and by meeting and talking to guest speakers, students will not only gain an understanding of the chronology of events and pertinent issues of that era, but will also be able to relate these issues (protests, patriotism, freedom of speech, and the morality of war) to current events.
½ credit History
Instructors: Elizabeth Blondia and Bruce Hood
Introduction to Psychology
This course will introduce you to the fundamental principles of psychology and to the major subjects of psychological inquiry. It has been designed to not only provide you with the tools necessary for the study of psychology but to present you with a sampling of the major areas of psychology research. The course begins with a short overview of how psychology developed as an academic discipline and an introduction to a number of the principal methodologies most commonly deployed in its study. The course units (8) are arranged around broad areas of research, including emotion, development, memory, and psychopathology. We will focus on well-substantiated research and current trends within each of these categories.
½ credit Social Studies
Instructor: Cris Pina-Gautier
