Specialty Upper School Course Spotlight

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We're proud to offer specialty courses for students that speak to the niche passions and interests of our faculty. Continue reading to learn more about this semester’s specialty course offerings.

Creative Arts & Design: Journey into the Renaissance: Exploring Techniques from the Masters  

Mr. Alessandro Antonicelli, Whittle Shenzhen (Asynchronous course)

In this asynchronous art course, students are exploring major artists from the Renaissance era. Through tutorial videos and weekly assignments in Buzz, students are practicing theories of line, shape, color, value, and texture perfected by these master artists. By the end of the course, students will have several pieces that can be submitted into their portfolio.

STEM: Human Interaction, Neuroscience, and Food

Dr. Bala Selvakumar, Whittle DC

In this course, students are using research literature in neurobiology to explore the influence of food and why humans interact. Content is organized as a series of weekly topics that include:

  • the brain, nervous system, and behavior

  • environmental influence on brain and behavior

  • endocrinology and sensitization of behavioral responses

  • learning and memory in behavior

  • developmental stages in behavior and psychology

  • evolution, genetics, and behavior.

Through individual and collaborative activities, students are exploring these concepts in preparation for a capstone project

STEM: Research and Writing

Dr. Bala Selvakumar, Whittle DC

In this course, students are using the scientific method to research and write about topics of contemporary relevance such as COVID-19 and social justice. Students are encouraged to interpret a course topic from their own perspective and follow a four-step process to research and write about it:

  1. Identification of topic of interest: formulating a question and hypothesis

  2. Search for relevant primary literature: use of research databases

  3. Data interpretation and analysis

  4. Data-driven writing within the context of relevant literature.

By the end of the course, students will submit their work for publication. 

Margot AllenUpper School