Interest: Literature
Interest: Literature
Crime Literature
Starting with the birth of detective fiction, one of the most popular literary genres, and moving to creative nonfiction, we will consider the appeal of stories about grisly murders and trace an arc from a more comfortable belief in the nature of justice to suspicion about police powers. Coinciding with this increased suspicion is a movement away from white detectives and white victims, to crimes targeting people of color, who were legally barred from giving testimony (and thus seeking legal redress) for much of the country’s history. Do stories give us cathartic release when a bad guy is punished? Is there some sort of poetic justice in exposing the inequities of the past even if the murderers have gone free? And what does crime fiction’s popularity suggest about our relationship to our criminal justice system, about our perception of its workings, and about the larger American tenet of equality before the law?Road Trip
Interests:
Literature
As Ursula Le Guin said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” Why is that? What makes a journey an adventure, and why do journeys seem to yield so much challenge and disaster and surprise and beauty? Whose road trips are allowed and whose aren’t? Together, through novels, film, history, politics, and art, we’ll explore everything from the archetypes to the dangers to the history of ‘hitting the road’ to the road itself. These are indelible stories, and we hope you join us for the ride.
Literature of Food
For millennia, humans have had a unique and ever-shifting relationship with their food. From growing vegetables in the soiled ground to buying a Big Mac at the drive-through, we all relate to and connect with food and tastes in varied ways. Additionally, from Fatima Ali to Rebecca May Johnson to Will Guidara, chefs and authors have explored what we eat, how we eat, and how our relationship with food matters. In this class, we will read, write, cook, and eat. Using a range of narratives, we’ll examine the politics of food, food insecurity, and how our relationship to what we eat and how we eat informs, nourishes, and shapes our lives.Student Directed Project – SDP
Interests:
Architecture, Business, Design, Engineering, Film, Hands On, Health, Law, Literature, Politics, Psychology, Research, Social Justice, Social Sciences, Sports
A Student-Directed Project empowers students to do an in-depth exploration of a topic of interest throughout the term.
The student designs, plans, and leads their research project in collaboration and with the guidance and support of a coach (faculty advisor). It allows students to delve deeper into their passion and to be the designer of their own learning. There is a wide range of Student-Directed Projects; they are multi-disciplinary, non-linear, and most importantly, student-created and led.
That’s what makes them so interesting.
Here are some examples of past projects:
- Creating an architectural model using 3D architectural software
- Through their eyes: Photo and interview series of veterans
- Robosub electromagnetic linear accelerator
- Acoustic pinger for Robosub
- Virtual Reality game for visually-impaired persons
- Creating a concept album
- Dispute: Landlord-tenant board game
- Multimedia journalism: Producing a podcast series
- Perplex: English and Theater Study
- Sensors and fiber optics: Building a fiber optic dress
- Haptic technologies: Force-Feedback Virtual Reality
- Applications of integrals to analytical continuation of functions
Screenwriting (BVR-X)
How do the stories that we write change when we know that they will be interpreted visually and audibly? In this course, students will craft compelling narratives written in the form of scripts. This class will also collaborate with Video Production. Together, we will view and critique film and brainstorm and workshop ideas, and students in Video Production will work with students in Screenwriting to adapt their screenplays to film. With an emphasis on dialogue and indirect characterization, students will learn how to use screenwriting programs to develop short films or television episodes. Over the course of the term, students will storyboard, pitch, workshop, iterate, and see their ideas be reinterpreted through the production and acting of fellow collaborators. Think you have the next great idea for a (short) screenplay? Now is your chance to give it life.Arabic Introduction to Conversation and Storytelling
In Arabic 1, students learn the alphabet as well as the following vocabulary: family, school, furniture, numbers, adjectives, prepositions, country and city vocab and colors. Students meet twice a week to learn how to speak and write Arabic. They work on collaborative projects which include videos, songs and skits. By the end of the year, students can describe themselves, their families, friends and home using written and spoken Arabic. Unlike our other languages, we do not have a full 3-year program in Arabic. This means that Foundations Arabic is open to any student, but only students who have fulfilled their language requirement may take Arabic as their only language class.The Drama Workshop
This one-term spring workshop is designed for the actor developing his/her craft. This course is for students who wish to explore theater for the first time and the dedicated drama student. It will focus on exploring each student’s areas of interest and curiosity. Projects may include scene study with an emphasis on improvisation, contemporary theater, monologue preparation, musical theater scenes, stand-up comedy, devised work, directing and other forms of performance art. Past classes have included trips to see professional improv shows in and around Boston and we hope to do this again. One Term Course: Spring Term No Prerequisite Required. Open to Grade Levels: 11, 12Advanced Spanish
Prerequisites: Demonstration of mastery of Intermediate Spanish skills and Departmental Recommendation Required. Course topics are briefly outlined below. Current Events: This course aims at improving your knowledge and understanding of Latin American cultures. The goal is to enhance your awareness and understanding of the cultural diversity of the Spanish-speaking world. The course is organized by themes based on contemporary social, political and cultural issues of Spanish-speaking societies. Class activities will consist of discussions, oral and written reports, and debates, emphasizing problem-solving and respect for the opinions of others. This course uses a large selection of materials. We will use movies, the Internet, newspapers, readings, and radio programs that will be discussed during the semester and upon which class activities are based. Film and Representation: In this course, students will explore major themes in Latin American in Spanish history via the analysis of award-winning Spanish language films. Students will investigate the history and current trends influenced by the historical events presented in the films via the use of news articles, documentaries, and tv clips. Class activities will consist of discussions, oral and written responses, debates, and creative writing. Intercultural Dynamics: In this course, students will investigate the products of intercultural exchanges that have occurred throughout different periods in history and in different locations throughout the Spanish-speaking world. We will examine the interactions between different groups, cultural and intellectual contributions, and societal structures and/or inequities that lead to conflict. In addition, students will make comparisons to their family/personal cultures and current events in the US. This class will use a variety of sources, including images, news and opinion pieces (clips and articles), fiction, and poetry. Class activities will consist of discussions, oral and written responses, debates, and creative writing. This course may include a travel experience. Research Seminar (H): This course will offer students the opportunity to explore a topic of their choosing related to their Spanish studies. This course will represent an automatic Honors credit and a culmination of students’ language studies at Beaver. Students will work with the teacher in the class environment to craft a final research project on their topic, while sharing their discoveries with other students in the classroom setting.Money, Money, Money (BVR-X)
What is money’s place in society? What is the correlation between money and power? What do money and power reveal about inequity in society? Everything from politics to education to professional sports to technology to the economy to media sends, reinforces, and challenges messages about money and power, and in this class students will examine these intersections and consider their own roles in the systems around them. Students will read fiction and non-fiction, write, watch, and listen; and question, research, collaborate, and present.Short Stories
Interests:
Literature
How does something so small pack such a big punch? Such is the nature of a short story. You’ll hone in on story elements by investigating a variety of stories and writers. Everyone has a story to tell. You’ll experiment with turning your own stories into short fiction, and you will continue to develop analytical essay writing skills.
Chinese Introduction to Conversation and Storytelling
Interests:
Literature
These introductory courses for Mandarin Chinese are designed for students who have no previous exposure to the language. It stresses the building blocks of spoken and written communication- pronunciation, tones, stroke order and radical recognition. Students will be able to engage in basic daily interactions in Chinese using speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. Grammar is introduced incrementally through storytelling as functional chunks for meaningful communication. Vocabulary is practiced in a thematic and communicative way, and the topics that are discussed include: introductory greetings, family, dates and time, hobbies, visiting friends, making plans, studying Chinese and school life. Students will also study cultural and historic elements of the Chinese-speaking world. Audio and video materials, computer software, games, projects, and presentations foster student interaction and participation. By the end of the first year, students should know approximately 300 words.