For Students Entering Grades 9-12
Core Courses
AP Head Start
Get a leg up on AP exams and make your school-year course load more manageable by previewing the curriculum and mastering the fundamentals you will need to succeed in some of the most challenging AP courses. AP Head Start courses are offered in Calculus (AB & BC), English (Language & Literature), Physics, and Chemistry; additional AP Head Start courses may be added as group or 1:1 classes, depending on demand. Students are only eligible for AP Head Start if they are enrolled or planning to enroll in the corresponding AP course this fall, unless special exception is granted by the Department Head or Head of School.
Writing Challenge
In BSA’s Writing Challenge, students are placed by ability into small-group classes to develop advanced composition skills under the guidance of the Beacon faculty. Sophisticated writing is an essential skill for students entering competitive high schools and colleges, but students often do not receive the individualized attention they need in large classes. At the BSA, our teachers will conference with students daily and push them to take their writing to a higher level. A placement exam is required for this course to determine sections and curriculum.
Math Challenge
In the BSA’s math challenge, students are placed by ability into small-group classes to develop advanced math skills under the guidance of the Beacon faculty. Math Challenge can help bright students feel more confident entering challengingl math courses or jumping from a standard to an honors track. A placement exam is required to determine sections and curriculum.
Foreign Language Acceleration
In these courses, students are placed by ability into small-group classes to develop advanced conversational, written, and grammatical skills under the guidance of the Beacon faculty in Latin, French, Spanish, and Mandarin. A placement exam is required to determine sections and curriculum.
Elective Courses
Apocalypse Now
Taught by Erin Johannesen and Meredith Hafer
Prerequisites: None
From the science of biochemical warfare to the strategy of how to survive a zombie apocalypse, this interdisciplinary course examines the human species’ fascination with its own demise. By exploring fields as diverse as astrophysics, art, epidemiology, philosophy, literature, psychology, popular culture, and millennial religious studies, students will gain an appreciation of the complexity of the human mind and hone their critical thinking abilities. They will also be challenged to improve their reading comprehension, verbal expression, analytical skills, and written composition in preparation for college seminar courses.
Breaking News: Current Events
Taught by Janet Andrews
Prerequisites: None
The study of current events is both interesting and essential, especially in this era of 24-hour news cycles, social media, and globalization. Using all types of media (including Internet, newspaper, magazine, television, film), we will analyze ideas and opinions that shape our personal choices, our community, our nation, and the world. Sometimes, in the process of discovering and developing our ideas and opinions we find that there are no “clear” or “right” answers. In this course, students will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to interpret events, make informed decisions, communicate those decisions clearly, identify bias, and understand all sides of an issue. This class will use presentations, debates, discussions, and writing to help achieve the goal of becoming informed citizens. In addition to staying on top of the news, we will explore the history of some issues and learn to distinguish fact from opinion. Class discussion and blogging are important components of this course.
The Science of Space: Astrophysics & Astronomy
Taught by John Henderson
Prerequisites: Algebra & Geometry; Conceptual Physics Recommended
Go beyond your standard high school curriculum and explore the science of space, from the Big Bang to the end of the universe, under the guidance of an expert teacher. In this course, you will focus on three main units: the history of space exploration, the role of astrophysics in solving the mysteries of the universe, and stellar astrophysics–the classification, structure, and evolution of stars. Topics will include Newton’s law of universal gravitation, Kepler’s laws of planetary motion, the Doppler effect, Rutherford-Bohr’s model of the atom, Kirchoff’s rules of spectral analysis, Maxwell’s theory of electromagnetic waves, Planck’s formula of a photon energy, blackbody radiation theory, nuclear fission and fusion, Einstein’s theory of relativity, and inverse-square law for light luminosity. Students will also have the opportunity to do first-hand research at local observatories for an extra lab credit.
Mastering the Mind
Taught by Shannon Morgenstern & Janet Andrews
Prerequisites: None
For students, summer is a time for relaxing, exploring, and avoiding the stress of the “race to nowhere”. But before we know it, fall is here again. This class is designed to help students develop tools to maintain a relaxed and creatively productive state of mind while gaining an in-depth understanding of the psychology and philosophy of stress management. In this course, students will learn and practice mindfulness, yoga, and good nutrition in order to better sustain themselves as young adults in a challenging world.
I Robot: Philosophy & Artificial Intelligence
Taught by Stephen Muffatti and Meredith Hafer
Prerequisites: None
This course introduces students to fundamental concepts in the field of philosophy and explores how emerging technology impacts on traditional theories of mind. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of key philosophical concepts such as dualism, materialism, functionalism, identity theory, and ethics, as well as psychological concepts such as empathy, emotion, consciousness, and the “uncanny valley” phenomenon. Readings will range from Aristotle, Descartes, and Hume to Isaac Asimov, Philip K. Dick, and Stephen Hawking. This unique philosophy course is designed to help students develop logical analysis, ethical reasoning, and creative abstraction at the intersection of tradition and technology.
Creative Writing
Taught by Shannon Morgenstern
Prerequisites: None
The art of creative writing takes both inspiration and hard work. This class will will teach students to harness their innate creativity through textual study, writing exercises, and original composition in poetry and short fiction. In class, students will engage in free-writing, read representative works, and then use those works as a jumping-off point for their own personal writing.
A Brief History of Music
Taught by Samantha Steele
Prerequisites: None
Have you ever wondered where music comes from and how the music of today evolved from the music of yesterday? In this course, students will explore the history of music, from fossilized flutes to iTunes, with a focus on music history from the 19th century to the present day. Throughout the course, students will learn key themes and figures in music history, become familiar with fundamental concepts of music theory, and gain an understanding of how the history of music is integral to art, literature, politics, and society. This course is ideally suited for musicians and music lovers who want to hear history and contextualize the music of today.
Forensic Science and Psychology
Taught by Stacy Welch
Prerequisites: None; Previous Psychology and Biology Study Recommended
This course provides an introduction to forensic science and forensic psychology, covering topics from blood-spatter analysis and forensic serology to eyewitness testimony and the psychology of mass murderers and serial killers. We will discuss the basic principles and uses of forensic science and forensic psychology in the American system of justice. In addition, case studies illustrating the topic of each class will be discussed.
The French Renaissance
Taught by Jan Mitchell
Prerequisites: Previous French Study Recommended but not Required
In this course, students will explore the innovations in art, language, philosophy, and religion that arose from the French Renaissance. Join us as we explore castles and myths, meet knights and ladies, and engage with the ideas and events that shaped modern France, from the Black Plague to the voyages of discovery, from the Greco-Roman Revival to the new optics of cultural relativism. Students will also learn the answers to fascinating Renaissance trivia: Why is the Mona Lisa at the Louvre? What is the origin of Sleeping Beauty? And where can one go to find working models of da Vinci’s fantastic inventions? This course is ideally suited for intellectually curious students who want to take a deeper look at history, art, poetry, culture, and the evolution of ideas.
Street Theater
Taught by Stefanie DeLeo and Katherine Hafer
Prerequisites: None
Street Theater is an exploration of radical art, a chance for students to embody a new identity or discover themselves in a public venue, express the values that they cherish or caricaturize the realities they reject. The course will have a strong analytical component, with an examination of the theater as a pillar of community, the history of public theater, and an investigation into current local, national and international theater. Students will read texts by seminal theorists and practitioners of revolutionary theater and street theater, including Augusto Boal and Jan Cohen-Cruz. They will also write creatively to develop ideas for grassroots change. In the workshop portion of the course, students will develop individual or small group performances to be preformed at meaningful local sites. At the end of the course, students will reflect on their performance experiences and reconnect to the texts they have read.
Geopolitics
Taught by Stephen Muffatti
Prerequisites: None
Geopolitics is the study of geographical or spatial dimensions of international relations. Students will seek to understand the spatial consequences of contemporary political dynamics, in particular the globalization of politics in the post-Cold War world. Some theorists argue that we are all currently living in an era of a global civil society: that governance by intergovernmental, non-governmental organizations and corporations has superseded the operations of the nation states, that international co-operation trumps national self-interest, and that humanitarianism has changed the relationship between developed and less developed states. Yet on the other hand, the United States continues to be the dominant world power. What is the function of a nation state in a globalized world? What is the role of the citizen in global politics? Are we all global citizens or are we members of individual nation states? Students will explore these questions and more in this advanced, innovative course.
Self Defense
Taught by Stacy Welch
Prerequisites: None
This class will teach students the basics of self defense so that they can enjoy their emerging independence with confidence. In addition to teaching English and Forensic Science at Beacon, Stacy Welch is also an expert in Krav Maga, a noncompetitive self-defense system that anyone can learn. Join us for a fun time and learn real self-defense skills to keep you safe before you head off to college. Note: this class follows a special schedule: classes will meet only three times/week for 75-minutes each in the 11:00 or 2:00 block in order to optimize conditioning.
Moving Images: An Introduction to Film Studies
Taught by Katherine Hafer
Prerequisites: None
In this course, students will explore the fundamental question “What is cinema?”. Through readings and viewings from the seminal to the strange, students will engage in discussion and writing about the language of moving images. Students will also explore the technical side of cinema, learning the vocabulary and techniques associated with 20th and 21st century film production. The elements of film will be explored through viewings selected from Georges Méliès to Sergei Eisenstein to Alfred Hitchcock, as well as modern works of cinema and television which engage with these theories. This course is highly analytical, including theoretical works of André Bazin, and focuses on the art of the image and the visual language created by the moving images.
How to Write a Children’s Book
Taught by Samantha Steele
Prerequisites: None
In this course, students will compare several well-known children’s literature authors and illustrators, learn the components that make a good children’s story, and write and illustrate their own original children’s books. This course invites beginning as well as veteran writers to explore the creative process of writing and illustrating for children. No experience is necessary. In fact, we will learn how to create a beautifully illustrated children’s book without an exceptional amount of writing and artistic talent!
Ceramics by Hand
Taught by Melissa Landau
Prerequisites: None
From Jomon pots to modern day planters, ceramics have served as a vehicle for cultural and individual expression throughout the ages. Now, BSA students have the chance to explore the basics of clay handbuilding. Throughout the class, students will be introduced to different methods of constructing clay by hand, such as pinch, coil, and slab. These techniques can be used to make functional pots as well as sculptural forms. Students will also learn about different clay handbuilding tools along with firing and glazing processes.
Game Design
Taught by Stephen Muffatti
Prerequisites: None
This summer, BSA students have the opportunity to unleash their creative genius in the virtual world of video games. Students will work with programs like Visual Basic, C++, and even Flash to create unique video game designs. This course will serve to develop problem-solving skills, strengthen focus, and enhance imagination. The curriculum and software will employ a multi-player environment, promoting collaboration and team-oriented gameplay.
Portraiture: Capturing The Human Form
Taught by TBD
Prerequisites: None
Capturing the human form in 2D media can be one of the greatest challenges that young artists face. This course teaches students to create more realistic portraits and to develop personal styles of portraiture, from realism to abstraction. By studying a wide range of works from master artists and creating original works from live models, students will hone their technical skills, especially line, contrast, color, balance, composition, and texture. Students will complete several finished pieces to build their portfolios and will learn to enjoy the process of making their art come to life.
20th Century Short Fiction
Taught by Shannon Morgenstern
Prerequisites: None
This seminar-style English course will focus on short story writers of the 20th century, including Fitzgerald, Poe, Bradbury, Updike, Oates, and others. Through these readings, we will investigate figurative language, plot structure, stylistic devices, and major themes such as gender, power, the age of technology, and the human nature. Students will be invited to share their own interpretations of the stories that we read and to discover new theoretical lenses through which to view short fiction. This course is designed for the serious English student who wants to discuss literature on a higher level, hone his or her writing and reading skills, and explore the world of ideas through the vehicle of short fiction.
Italian Through Songs
Taught by Ivana Farina
Prerequisites: Italian 1 or Department Approval
”When the moon hits your eye / Like a big-a pizza pie / That’s amore.” What better way to learn a new language than through song? BSA students in this class will sing Italian karaoke together, swing their hips to the music, and learn to speak Italian (including direct and indirect pronouns; the conditional, imperfect, and present indicative tenses; and even idiomatic expressions). This class is aligned with a creative language learning initiative coordinated by La Federazione Nazionale Insegnanti Centro di Iniziativa per l’Europa (FENICE; based in Naples, Italy), which is part of the international Grundtvig Learning Partnership. “Vuoi imparare l’italiano? Vieni a cantare con noi …”
Summer in the City: NYC Immersion
Discover the city next door in this experiential course as you tour the cultural, historical, and commercial landmarks of New York City. With a dynamic teacher as their guide, students will expand their knowledge of American history, art history, music, political science, and pop culture. Days will be spent exploring the city’s many neighborhoods, visiting museums and other NYC fixtures, and sampling diverse cuisines. Each class is limited to ten students.
