Courses

Middle School

Philosophy & Requirements

Middle School

Philosophy & Requirements

English (4 years)
Environmental Practices (2 trimesters)
History (4 years)
Technology (3 Trimesters)
Spanish (4 years)
Math (4 years)
Physical Education (9 trimesters)
Science (4 years)

English (4 years) Environmental Practices (2 trimesters) History (4 years) Technology (3 Trimesters) Spanish (4 years) Math (4 years) Physical Education (9 trimesters) Science (4 years)

Students entering EPS for 5th and 6th grade will take a minimum of two Visual Arts, two Theatre, and two Music courses over their MS career. Students entering as 7th graders must take one course from each Fine & Performing Arts area. Students entering as 8th graders must take one course from two different areas (e.g. one course from Visual Arts and one course from Theatre).

Environmental Practices is taken for one trimester in 7th grade and 8th grade

Middle School courses are designed to give students opportunities to practice the habits of mind employed in each academic discipline. Critical thinking skills are emphasized. Integration plays an important role in tying ideas together, and teachers collaborate on specific units when it makes sense to do so. Faculty infuse each day in (and out of!) the classroom with enthusiasm and hands-on learning.

Students arrive in the Middle School as children and leave as young adults, having progressed through profound biological, social, and cognitive changes. Our program is effective because it fosters and supports student growth in language use, problem solving, memory development, ethical maturity, and social presence.

Our courses coordinate not only with interdisciplinary content, but also to teach important skills consistently throughout the Middle School experience. Upon completion students are able to:

Use the academic disciplines as a framework for critical thinking,
Solve complex problems within a variety of disciplines and topics,
Communicate written ideas thoughtfully and creatively
Confidently present ideas to large and small audiences,
Effectively employ technology to enhance learning,
Lead compassionately as a respectful member of our global community.

The ultimate goal of the Middle School Program is to equip students with the necessary academic and social skills for a more robust disciplinary study in the EPS Upper School.

Where appropriate, coursework is guided by grade-specific Big Questions.

Grade 5: Who Am I?
Grade 6: What Is The World Made Of?
Grade 7: How Did We Get Here?
Grade 8: What Does It Mean To Be Human?

Upper School

Philosophy & Requirements

Upper School

Philosophy & Requirements

Arts (5 trimesters)
English (4 years)
History (3 years)
Spanish (3 years or completion through Spanish 4)
Math (3 years)
Physical Education (5 trimesters including PE Wellness)
Science (3 years)

As the "preparatory" part of our name indicates, a central intent of the Upper School experience at EPS is to prepare students for college.

This process entails gaining mastery and command in the traditional academic disciplines, developing skills to excel in today's competitive institutions of higher education. To this end, Eastside Prep students:

Become technologically literate, honing their ability to use tools effectively in research and presentation of knowledge
Engage sophisticated, complex coursework as a preparation for the future, wrestling with questions of high complexity
Integrate thinking from each of their classes, learning to apply knowledge mastered in one field to enhance learning in another
Practice academic collaboration with teachers, with the expectation that this will be a continued and important part of their college experience
Navigate a robust collection of course offerings, learning to discern their personal academic interests and choose a relevant path

Physical Education courses must include Wellness taken during the 9th grade year. Up to 4 of the 5-trimester PE distribution requirement may be satisfied by substantive participation on a sports team or in a non-sport activity.

English

Philosophy & Requirements

This interdisciplinary course, with both a literature and social science section, investigates how societies create, develop, maintain, and disrupt authority.

Course Segment 1 | What is authority and how does it manifest itself in a society?

Inquiry considers a number of short texts by early modern and modern women writers on themes of leadership, power and empowerment, authorship, and voice. In tandem, a case study explores the techniques used by the Qin Dynasty to establish authority over vast and diverse populations. Concepts considered include leadership and authoritarianism, dominant and subservient culture, and regulation and codification.

Course Segment 2 | What are the sources of legitimate authority?

Inquiry analyzes both the problems of authoritarian rule and society as dystopia through the classic novel, 1984. In tandem, the historical context surrounding the slave revolts in the Roman Republic, and their contribution to the civil conflicts that gave way to authoritarian rule and the beginning of the Roman Empire, is investigated.

The production of a propaganda and empowerment portfolio examines the methods of social control and human rights abuses to maintain power, and how resistance and revolution have been used to try to effect societal change.

English

Trimester | 9^th

Origins: Literature

English

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9^th

Origins: Literature

Paired and Integrated with Origins: Social Science

This interdisciplinary course, with both a literature and social science section, considers origins and development of early civilizations and the elements of culture in Egypt and Greece, and how the use of artifacts, early communication, and the development of written language led to the development of increasingly complex stories and mythologies that continue to influence the stories the world tells today.

Course Segment 1 | What are the origins of human civilization and what stories were created in the process?

Inquiry explores origin stories and creation myths from various cultures, including selections from Gilgamesh and The Odyssey, while investigating the Agricultural Revolution and seven elements of culture that contributed to the formation of ancient Egypt.

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.

English

Trimester | 9-12^th

Creative Writing

English

Trimester | 9-12^th

Advanced Creative Writing

English

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Advanced Creative Writing

Pre-requisite: Creative Writing (Does Not Satisfy Graduation Requirement for English)

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.

Social Science

Philosophy & Requirements

Social Science

Philosophy & Requirements

MS Course Requirement (4 years)
US Course Requirement (3 Years in Grades 9-11)

At Eastside Preparatory School a foundation of historical, cultural, ideological, and geographical literacy and the ability to think like a social scientist is fostered through a diverse curriculum and progressive pedagogical methods.

This interdisciplinary course, with both a literature and social science section, investigates how societies create, develop, maintain, and disrupt authority.

Course Segment 1 | What is authority and how does it manifest itself in a society?

Inquiry considers a number of short texts by early modern and modern women writers on themes of leadership, power and empowerment, authorship, and voice. In tandem, a case study explores the techniques used by the Qin Dynasty to establish authority over vast and diverse populations. Concepts considered include leadership and authoritarianism, dominant and subservient culture, and regulation and codification.

Course Segment 2 | What are the sources of legitimate authority?

Inquiry analyzes both the problems of authoritarian rule and society as dystopia through the classic novel, 1984. In tandem, the historical context surrounding the slave revolts in the Roman Republic, and their contribution to the civil conflicts that gave way to authoritarian rule and the beginning of the Roman Empire, is investigated.

The production of a propaganda and empowerment portfolio examines the methods of social control and human rights abuses to maintain power, and how resistance and revolution have been used to try to effect societal change.

Social Science

Trimester | 9^th

Origins: Social Science

Social Science

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9^th

Origins: Social Science

Paired and Integrated with Origins: Literature

This interdisciplinary course, with both a literature and social science section, considers origins and development of early civilizations and the elements of culture in Egypt and Greece, and how the use of artifacts, early communication, and the development of written language led to the development of increasingly complex stories and mythologies that continue to influence the stories the world tells today.

Course Segment 1 | What are the origins of human civilization and what stories were created in the process?

Inquiry explores origin stories and creation myths from various cultures, including selections from Gilgamesh and The Odyssey, while investigating the Agricultural Revolution and seven elements of culture that contributed to the formation of ancient Egypt.

Does Not Satisfy Graduation Requirement for History/Social Science

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.”

Mathematics

Philosophy & Requirements

Mathematics

Philosophy & Requirements

MS Course Requirement (4 years)
US Graduation Requirement (3 Years in Grades 9-11)

The purpose of the Math Discipline at Eastside Prep is to equip students with the number sense and problem-solving skills required to succeed in advanced work in math and other disciplines, to be discerning consumers of quantitative information, and put these to practical use in their lives.

This is achieved through a combination of direct instruction and hands-on investigation, stressing process and context as much as solution. Understanding is assessed through the application of knowledge and skills to a new context, and whenever possible, stress is put on application to the real world.

*Prior to enrollment, students are tested and placed at a math level commensurate with their past course experience and current skill level. Placement decisions are based on the placement exam and/or the discretion of the Math Discipline Faculty and the Upper School Head.

Mathematics

Yearlong | 5^th

Mathematical Foundations 5

Mathematics

Yearlong | 3.0 Credits | 5^th

Mathematical Foundations 5

The instructional approach in this course is differentiated to meet the mathematical needs of each student. Prior to each unit of study, students take a pre-assessment to identify which topics they have mastered and which topics they need to work on. Coursework is designed to offer extensive exposure to operations on real numbers and a solid grounding in practical problem-solving processes. Through hands-on, problem-solving methods, students build both conceptual understandings and operational fluency connected to the following topics: fractions/decimals/percentages, positive and negative numbers, and order of operations.

Mathematics

Yearlong | 6^th

Mathematical Foundations 6

Mathematics

Yearlong | 3.0 Credits | 6^th

Mathematical Foundations 6

Prerequisite: Mathematical Foundations 5

The instructional approach in this course is differentiated to meet the mathematical needs of each student. Prior to each unit of study, students take a pre-assessment to identify which topics they have mastered and which topics they need to work on. By the conclusion of the course students have fluency in operations with real numbers (integers, decimals and fractions), finding common factors and multiples, units of measure, and some 2D and 3D geometry. Inquiry-based activities focus on applying mathematics to explorations of and solutions to real-life problems, such as tax, tip, and best purchases, as well as economic concepts, like interest.

Mathematics

Yearlong | 5-7^th

Pre-Algebra

Mathematics

Yearlong | 3.0 Credits | 5-7^th

Pre-Algebra

Prerequisite: Mathematical Foundations 6

In this course an investigative approach is used to extend understanding of mathematical concepts, and broader, more abstract, mathematical thinking. Variables, equations, and expressions are introduced, while practice substituting, evaluating, and solving equations is explored in the context of algebraic problem-solving. Course topics include but are not limited to: operations on exponents and radicals, scientific notation, distributive property, and factoring. The intentional and collaborative approach to problem-solving in this course prepares students well for success in Algebra I.

Mathematics

Yearlong | 7-9^th

Algebra 1

Trimester | 10-12^th

Marine Biology

Spanish

Philosophy & Requirements

Spanish

Philosophy & Requirements

MS Course Requirement (4 years)
US Graduation Requirement (3 Years in Grades 9-11 or through Spanish 4)

All students at Eastside Prep study the Spanish language. Spanish is spoken in more than twenty three countries, is one of the official languages of the United Nations, and is the second most spoken language in the United States.

The goals of the Spanish Program at EPS are: (1) to introduce students to a foreign language and help them develop their communicative ability through consistent application of the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; (2) to prepare students to eventually live, work, or study in a Spanish-speaking environment; (3) to prepare students for placement into university-level Spanish classes; and (4) to develop intercultural awareness by exploring the diversity of the Spanish-speaking world.

Prerequisite: Spanish 1

Building upon the skills acquired in previous classes, students explore contexts such as travel, sporting events, shopping, past events and activities, food, movies, plans and school-related issues. Main grammar points include basic present and past tenses, and a review of commands. Students use Spanish to give and request opinions, tell stories and narrate action formally and informally, to get information from people, to follow recipes, and share a biography. Proficiency is enhanced by encouraging natural expression in Spanish in small groups and with partners each day. The class includes a weekly song, at least one film, a major research project, and frequent use of video clips, news, and other print and online resources. Emphasis during class time is on spoken Spanish and the course is conducted in Spanish.

Spanish

Yearlong | 9-12^th

Spanish 3

Spanish

Yearlong | 3.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Spanish 3

Prerequisite: Spanish 2

Building upon the content and skills learned in classes through Spanish 2, students’ gain a greater depth of proficiency. Earlier concepts are reviewed while adding new functions, vocabulary and cultural information to accommodate the understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. Although students practice work toward proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking, oral communication is stressed during class time. Students are encouraged to speak only Spanish and engage in a variety of activities in class to practice. Main themes include: camping activities, volunteer work, environmental issues, professions, travel and technology. New grammar topics include: future tense, present subjunctive, and conditional tense. The course is conducted in Spanish.

Spanish

Yearlong | 9-12^th

Spanish 4

Spanish

Yearlong | 3.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Prerequisite: Spanish 4

Coursework develops each student’s ability to communicate thoughtfully and with a deepened awareness of current political and social climates in the Hispanic world. Topics may include economic, human rights, and educational issues relevant at the time the course is offered. Students also spend time exploring topics of personal interest. Throughout the course, students are equipped with vocabulary and cultural/historical context to engage with authentic Hispanic sources in print and media, examining them through in-class conversation, independent investigation, and project work. Grammar and vocabulary lessons are integrated into the study of each theme.

ALL ADVANCED SPANISH COURSES at Eastside Prep are designed and taught to maximize verbal and written proficiency. While the curricular core of each option is unique, all courses focus on communication and conversation to support the development of the four language skills: speaking, listening, reading and writing.

Fine & Performing Arts

Philosophy & Requirements

Fine & Performing Arts

Philosophy & Requirements

MS Course Requirement (10 Trimester Courses)
US Graduation Requirements (5 Trimester Courses)

Students are introduced to the disciplines within the arts, such as visual arts, music, theatre, and dance, and taught the tools and concepts underlying each discipline. Above all, the goal of the program is an appreciation of the fine and performing arts that ultimately leads to an awareness of the role art plays in one's life and an understanding of its cultural importance.

In all cases, the way to truly know an art is to do the art.

There are many things that happen behind the scenes to bring a play to life. Production designers, carpenters, technicians and artisans spend many hours designing, building, and creating all aspects of what is seen and heard in any given production. This course introduces the basic concepts and skills needed to build for the stage. Students learn simple construction and design techniques, as well as how to identify the technical needs of a production. Since the best theatre-making is always collaborative in nature, students work together in “Production Teams” to create and design work. When possible, this course supports and builds for EPS Theatre Productions.

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Acting 1

Fine & Performing Arts

Yearlong | 9-12^th

Acting 2

Fine & Performing Arts

Yearlong | Credits | 9-12^th

Acting 2

Pre-requisite: Acting 1

Building on the experience and skills gained in Acting 1, students explore and apply advanced acting technique to plays with elevated texts. Students deepen their understanding of the actor's tool box by examining and building complex characters in dynamic situations. Continued attention is paid to vocal work, body awareness, textual analysis, and working as an ensemble. Students in the Acting 2 class present monologues and scene work in a public performance. Pre-requisite: Acting 1

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 11-12^th

Directing

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Understanding Music

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Understanding Music

What is music and how does it work? In this class students develop listening and vocabulary skills through the exploration and analysis of the tenets of music. By actively listening to pop, rock, classical and folk examples, students learn about the organization of sound and how patterns and functions are used to structure music. Coursework includes listening, journaling, analyzing chord charts, and applying this knowledge to the piano keyboard. Experienced musicians increase their understanding of the theory behind classical notation, and newer music students gain appreciation and knowledge for what they hear on the radio. No previous music education is required.

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 5-6^th

The Magic of Art: Drawing, Painting, P...

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 5-6^th

Art Meets Tech

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 7-8^th

Drawing & Painting (MS)

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 7-8^th

Drawing & Painting (MS)

Students draw many different subjects in this class and explore techniques and methods of drawing and painting that depict three-dimensional forms in spaces such as landscape. They expand their knowledge of basic art and design elements (line, space, texture, form, and color) using a variety of media and surfaces to create artistic forms for visual communication. The course also involves digitizing student artwork, learning basic graphic design concepts and basic Photoshop techniques for image editing and manipulation.

Digital Filmmaking 1

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Digital Filmmaking 2: Filming and Editing

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Digital Filmmaking 2: Story and Produc...

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Digital Filmmaking 2: Story and Production

Prerequisite: Digital Filmmaking 1

In this course students learn to tell stories through motion pictures. They learn to read screenplays critically, identifying the big ideas in films and how these ideas are translated into visual and auditory metaphor. Projects explore blocking and coverage, cinematography, working with actors, sound-design, montage and elliptical editing. Students engage the managing of production by creating production calendars, shooting schedules, securing locations, and overseeing post-production through final delivery.

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Printmaking

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Printmaking

This course introduces students to printmaking and book arts techniques ranging from relief & intaglio printing to 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.

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Paper Engineering

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Digital Illustration

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Digital Illustration

Coursework explores illustration in the digital realm with an emphasis on traditional illustration skills: visual problem-solving, rendering, and drawing, while exploring the digital possibilities to execute the artwork. Studio work-time is dedicated to conceptual prompts as well as technical execution, with students learning to render their work using the tablet pen. The primary software utilized for production is Adobe Photoshop, and mixing media is encouraged. Coursework also includes a historical analysis of traditional and contemporary illustration.

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Graphic Design 1

Fine & Performing Arts

Trimester | 9-12^th

Graphic Design 2

Physical Education

Philosophy & Requirements

Physical Education

Philosophy & Requirements

MS Course Requirement (9 trimesters)
US Graduation Requirement (5 trimesters)*

The mission of the Eastside Prep Physical Education Program is to inspire, prepare, and encourage students to develop a positive attitude toward participation in physical activity and healthy living.

Team-building and development of athletic skills and knowledge encourage participation in lifetime sports and activities.

*The US graduation requirement for Physical Education is met through a combination of the following:

Credits
• PE Wellness (Grade 9) (required)
• PE trimester courses (up to 4 credits earned)

Physical Education

Trimester | 9-12^th

PE: Customized Training to Maximize Pe...

Physical Education

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

PE: Customized Training to Maximize Performance (US)

This course may be taken multiple trimesters for credit

Technology

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Physical Meets Digital

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 a basic introduction to electronics and circuitry, 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.

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Web Design 1: From the Ground Up

Technology

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Web Design 1: From the Ground Up

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.

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Web Design 2

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Programming 1: Intro to Programming (J...

Technology

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Programming 1: Intro to Programming (Javascript)

This course is designed to provide a smooth and fun introduction to programming and computer science. Coursework introduces the basic elements that exist in all programming languages. The course begins with easy-to-get-into graphical programming, then quickly moves into text programming in JavaScript with a focus on manipulating visual elements in web pages. Through a mix of fundamentals and project work – students create a virtual pet and a more advanced final project of their choice. No prior experience is required.

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Programming 1: Intro to Programming (P...

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Programming 2: Object-Oriented Program...

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Advanced Programming: Topics in Comput...

Technology

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Advanced Programming: Topics in Computer Science

Pre-requisite: Programming 2

This course covers a variety of topics that are both appropriate for students who have taken Programming 2 and beyond. Focusing on applications of computer science, exact topics will be tailored to the enrolling class. Topics may include using programs for scientific inquiry, controlling machines and robots, visualizing data and a survey of frameworks and libraries that can be applied to real problems. The culminating project will ask students, working in groups, to apply the tools of computer science to visualize or solve a problem in another domain.

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Advanced Programming: Web Applications

Technology

Trimester | 9-12^th

Advanced Programming: Algorithms and D...

Technology

Trimester | 1.0 Credits | 9-12^th

Advanced Programming: Algorithms and Data Structures

Prerequisite: Programming 2

This course is aimed at students considering the study of computer science in college. This course takes students beyond elementary flow control and simple logic, and into the tool set required to solve real programming problem efficiently. Fundamental 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.

Seminars

Philosophy & Requirements

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Advanced Filmmaking: A Deep Dive

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Advanced Web Design

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Adventure in the Marvelous Outdoors

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Adventure in the Marvelous Outdoors

Faculty Facilitator: Kelly-Hedrick

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do we set off on great and small outdoor adventures in our lives?
Adventure is challenge in a gnarly fashion. We can go across the globe on adventure, or wander down the street or hallway for adventure. Adventure builds character, hones skills, and develops resilience and attitude to face further challenges in our future. Adventure is fun--plain and simple. But, it can also be scary, threatening, dangerous, and fool-hardy. Many of us would love more great adventure in our lives and need encouragement, support, and inspiration to design and undertake new adventures.

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Athletic Leadership and Coaching

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Behind the Scenes: Technology Internships

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Behind the Scenes: Technology Internships

Faculty Facilitator: Sudo

What is it like to be an intern at a technology company?

Students participate in a simulated experience designed to help them understand what it’s like to intern at a technology company. After a mock interview, each student is assigned to one of four roles: program manager, developer, tester, or designer. Collaborating on a team, and using the agile methodology, they construct and deliver a product to a customer. At the conclusion of the seminar each student receives feedback from the manager (facilitator) on their performance, and how their performance might be considered relative to a potential, full-time position at the simulated company. It is recommended (but not required) that students have previously taken Programming 1.

*Please note that this seminar is designed to build context for students. EPS does not offer an internship placement program.

Faculty Facilitator: Fierce & Stegeman

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What are the ethics of indigenous rights during existential crises like climate change and mass extinction?
Should the Makah tribal nation exercise their treaty rights and hunt grey whales in Washington State? Applying ethical principles, this coursework explores local indigenous rights in a time of climate change and mass extinction. The Makah want to use whaling to: (1) unite indigenous people internationally, (2) preserve their cultural traditions, (3) promote food security, (4) create a moditional (modern and traditional) economy for their tribe, and (5) provide a model of sovereignty for other indigenous people maintaining their identities in the 21st century. Should the Makah be allowed to whale?

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

The Existentialist World Views of Sart...

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Experiencing Nature Through Literature

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Gender Studies

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Gender Studies

Faculty Facilitator: Olsen

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How is gender experienced, perceived, and performed in contemporary American society?
This seminar explores critical questions in the interdisciplinary field of gender studies. Discussion, video/film-viewing, and reading form the foundation of this exploration. Topics include: pop culture, gender roles, sexuality/performance, the social construction of gender, the “f” word (feminism). Students take a glance backward, remain mostly in the present, and look to the future.

Faculty Facilitators: Ferguson

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What happens to ideas and texts when they cross into another language, and how can literary translation challenge our own ideas of how language itself functions in a culture?
For fiction writers, poets, and essayists, even lovers of reading, the act of translation can take your understanding of literature to new levels of inquiry. More inquiry than answers, for sure. This seminar blends theory of language and translation with hands-on examples and student translations of texts. Students will be asked to find translated literature, and literature in other languages; samples will be provided as well. The seminar begins with guided practice and readings, and the final two weeks are dedicated to a student translation project of choice.

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Methods, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Methods, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Faculty Facilitators: Delaney & Stegeman

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What problems are worth solving, and what are the best tools to solve them?
One of the carpenter's most effective tools is a jig--a method for solving similar problems over and over again. Methodologies like The Design Process, the business plan, ethnographic study and interview, deep academic research, and project planning are the tools of effective individual and group initiatives and projects. Throughout this experience, students will expand their capacity for problem-finding and problem-solving. After exploring the above methodologies, and others, each student selects a model or a combination of models to apply to an individual or team project (real or hypothetical). Coursework in this seminar is complementary to any student entertaining the idea of engaging a Senior Thesis (individual) or Design Project for a Better World (Team). At the same time, these methods and models a can be applied by any student, or group of students, to a much wider range of problems worth solving to make worlds, small and large, better places.

Seminar | 10-12^th

Patterns in the Mind: Language and Hum...

Seminars

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Resilience and Well-Being Through a DBT Lens

Faculty Facilitators: Lorne & Sanchez

How can a dialectical worldview change our ability to interpret and manage our lives?

People navigate mental health throughout their lives, with one in five people experiencing a mental health disorder in their lifetime. Coursework helps students develop skills connected to the approach and philosophy of Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT). Through activities and discussions students explore what it means to hold a dialectical worldview, and practice simple strategies that can be applied in any situation to reduce stress. This seminar is not designed for therapy; it is an opportunity to learn life skills that can benefit all people and their mental health.

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Scale & Environmental Issues

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Scale & Environmental Issues

Faculty Facilitator: Delaney

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: How do you clearly define contemporary environmental issues, understand the urgency that surrounds them, and determine whether they are solvable?
Coursework asks students to wrestle with ideas of “global scale,” the difference between media/political rhetoric and science, the relationship between sustainability and perpetual economic growth, and how environment is tied to social capital and condition. Topics include: climate change, the green economy, geoengineering, energy production and consumption, technological solutions to environmental issues and environmental justice.

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Siege Warfare

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Siege Warfare

Faculty Facilitator: Yezbick

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Understanding Gravitational Wave Sourc...

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Understanding Gravitational Wave Sources and Detection

Faculty Facilitator: Scott

Essential Question: What are gravitational waves and how can they be detected in the future?
When humans started looking at the stars, the only information they had was in the form of light. In the last hundred years, the range of light we look at to learn more about the cosmos has expanded, from X-Rays and Radio waves. In 1915, Einstein theorized that we should also be able to detect gravitational waves from the cosmos. In 2016, the LIGO detector confirmed their existence opening up a new realm of observation in astronomy. In this seminar, students hear from college students and professors involved in this exciting new field of study. Coursework looks at what gravitational waves are, how they are created, the ways they are detected now, and the ways humans hope to detect them in the future.

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Well-Being: The Five Essential Elements

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

Worldviews, Truths and Consequences

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

Worldviews, Truths and Consequences

Faculty Facilitators: Briggs, Delaney & Macaluso

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What does a well-articulated worldview look like in the 21st century, and how do I start to build my own?
“If you feel overwhelmed and confused by the global predicament, you are on the right track. Global processes have become too complicated for any single person to understand. How then can you know the truth about the world, and avoid falling victim to propaganda and misinformation?” A contemporary thinker, and lecturer on world history, Yuval Harari, continues to have a significant impact on myriad issues facing the world today. Coursework in this seminar examines a number of his 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, including: WORK; TECHNOLOGY; TRUTH (Ignorance, Justice, Post-Truth, Science Fiction); LIBERTY; EQUALITY; COMMUNITY; RESILIENCE (Education, Meaning and Meditation); ECONOMY; and ENVIRONMENT. Each student in this seminar constructs a draft of their current worldview/stance.

Seminars

Seminar | 10-12^th

You Mad, Bro?: Rethinking Masculinity

Seminars

Sem. | 0.5 Credits | 10-12^th

You Mad, Bro?: Rethinking Masculinity

Faculty Facilitator: McKinney & Winkelmann

ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What defines masculinity today and what should define it in the future?
Coursework and discussion explore: (1) how gender norms for boys and men effect individuals, communities and society at-large, and (2) how, historically and in the present-day, those norms have been, are being, challenged. Course material is taken from a variety of texts, films, journals, and podcasts to provide a wide perspective on masculinity in 2020. Self-reflection is a central part of the work in this seminar, with students producing a final reflection on masculinity and collaborating on a final group project that rethinks masculinity.