“ T o b e p l ay f u l a n d s e ri o u s at t h e s a m e t i m e defines the ideal mental condition.” John Dewey
Winterim Elective Coursebook JANUARY 4-14, 2011
ATLANTA GIRLS’ SCHOOL
Table of Contents Winterim at AGS ..............................................................................................................................................................................................1 Advanced Placement Courses........................................................................................................................................................................2 AP Calculus AP Chemistry AP English Language & Composition AP English Literature & Composition AP Environmental Science
AP French Language AP Latin: Vergil AP Spanish Language AP U.S. History AP World History
Wellness, Health, and Preparing for the Future ........................................................................................................................................4 Confidence and Public Speaking Using Movies, Music, and YouTube for Inspiration! Do-It-Herself Workshop Fight Like a Girl
Knit Wit Life is What You Make It SAT Prep Class Teenage Driver Education
Science in Action: Problem Solving, and Discovery in Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics..................................6 The Adventures of the Number Devil Building Bridges Crime Scene Investigation Entrepreneurship Introduction to Programming Learn About Learning
Math Magic! Neuroscience: The Brain and Thought Origami Polyhedra: Folding in Geometry Our Garden and the Farm-to-Table Movement Taking Geometry to the Next Dimension Under Water Robotics (ROVs)
Exploring Literature & Language ..................................................................................................................................................................9 Reading: Harder, Faster, Better and Stronger Story Corps: Telling the Story Through Interviews and Conversations This I Believe
The Writer’s Studio A Writer’s Workshop: Creative Writing for Middle School A Writing Workshop—Re-Imagining Writing Through Creative Non-Fiction
Perspectives on the World ......................................................................................................................................................................... 10 A Gastronomic Tour of Spain How We Rule: U. S. Government Journey to Asia Latin America in Atlanta
Model United Nations Preparation Muli Bwanji! Experiencing Zambian and Other African Culture A Taste of China
Media, Fine & Creative Arts ....................................................................................................................................................................... 12 The Art of Making Commercials Capturing Memories: Yearbook Figure Drawing iMovie, Your Movie Make Your Mark
Making a 5-Minute Movie Marketing and Branding 101 Shakespeare and the Power of Performance Story Telling Through Photography Visual Journaling
Physical & Outdoor Education ................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Backpacking 101 Badminton Commit to Get Fit Competitive Swimming
Fitness Yoga Indoor Soccer Middle School Basketball
Independent Study Guidelines.................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Junior and Senior Internship Guidelines .................................................................................................................................................. 15 Online Courses.............................................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Registration Guidelines ................................................................................................................................................................................ 15 Schedule of Classes.................................................................................................................................................................................16-18
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Winterim at AGS The Winterim Session at Atlanta Girls’ School provides students with the opportunity to explore exciting topics not traditionally found in a school curriculum. Winterim gives students a chance to risk learning something that is unusual and to devote extended time exploring a specific interest in depth. In addition, students often find the every-day relevance of the academic programs in the Winterim classes. Learning looks different in Winterim. Homework may be to rehearse a dramatic scene or to write a personal reflection on a film. Courses during Winterim are often based on interdisciplinary experiential learning. This change of pace helps keep energy and motivation high as the students enter what is traditionally a low point in the year. These chilly weeks at the beginning of January are the perfect time to warm up to something new and exciting.
Winterim 2011 STANDARDS During Winterim, the school will continue to expect, both on and off campus, the same conduct that is expected of AGS students throughout the school year. Please review the community handbook for details. Special reminders are listed below. DRESS Students are required to come to school in their AGS uniform. Students will be given time to change attire when necessary for a particular class. ATTENDANCE Students participating in the on-campus program will attend all classes and activities. The policy for absences during Winterim is the same as it is during the regular school year, as defined in the community handbook. COURSE SCHEDULING Students will take a total of 4 blocks per day during this 9-day term. Class blocks are an hour and twenty-five
minutes long. Upper School students carrying heavy academic loads through Winterim may request a study period in lieu of one class, but the Associate Head of School must approve this request. Students are expected to choose a variety and balance of courses from the many course categories. For courses that have an enrollment fee, invoices will be sent to families in January through our business office. EVALUATION Student evaluations will be mailed home at the end of Winterim. Each student will receive a mark of excellent, satisfactory, or unsatisfactory in each of her Winterim classes. The dates for Winterim 2011 are from January 4th to January 14h.
Advanced Placement Courses AP Calculus In AP Calculus, students will further explore applications of differentiation including related rates, optimization, and min/max problems. Then, we will take everything we've learned thus far this year and start to do it all backwards with our new tool: The Antiderivative!
AP English Literature & Composition Students will read and analyze the novel Beloved by Toni Morrison in preparation for the AP examine in May. Required for students enrolled in AP English Literature Instructor: Ms. Hasty
Required for students enrolled in AP Calculus Instructor: Mr. Shepherd
AP Chemistry AP Chemistry will enjoy a lab exploration of kinetics and thermodynamics in medicinal chemistry during Winterim.
AP Environmental Science During Winterim, AP Environmental Science students will perform a nitrogen cycle experiment and microevolutionary agents lab simulation, and they will visit a water treatment plant, landfill, recycling center, and quarry.
Required for students enrolled in AP Chemistry Instructor: Dr. Bobeck
Required for students enrolled in AP Chemistry Instructor: Ms. Dedini
AP English Language & Composition In keeping with the College Board’s AP English Language Course Description, our focus will be on rhetoric: the art of constructing and presenting arguments in speech or writing. During the Winterim session, our readings, in particular Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, will be guided by the following questions: What is the relationship between the individual and the community? How does our work shape or influence our lives? In reading and analyzing the selected texts, our focus will be on identifying both the what and the how: what arguments the authors are making in the texts and how they use rhetorical strategies effectively to construct these arguments for their intended purposes and audiences. As we explore the idea of how individuals fit into their communities, students will begin to examine their own role in their community. Using their internships as inspiration, they will begin a research paper that not only explains or documents their work experience, but also presents an argument that students will support by synthesizing information from both primary and secondary sources. This research paper will ultimately tie into the Senior Capstone Project. Students will also continue to write timed, in-class essays in preparation for the AP exam.
AP French Language During Winterim, the Advanced Placement French class will focus on strategies to attack different sections of the AP exam, particularly the timed writing and the recorded speaking. Over the course of the class, students will become more familiar with the format of the exam, and we will work to target specific weaknesses of individual students. Advanced Placement students will take a fulllength AP at the start of Winterim as a diagnostic for where their French skills are. Additionally, the class will include a French-culture enrichment component, particularly emphasizing aspects of French culture that will appear on the AP exam. Part of the French enrichment will include a field trip to a local French restaurant where students will have the opportunity to sample traditional French dishes as part of a prix fixe menu. Additionally, students will prepare for cultural enrichment at the beginning of second semester, when they will take field trips to the French-language theater, Théâtre du Rêve, and also to the High Museum, to see French and francophone artwork as part of the “Toulouse-Lautrec and Friends” exhibit. Required for students in enrolled AP French Language Instructor: Ms. Bulger
Required for students enrolled in AP English Language & Composition Instructor: Ms. Saunders
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AP Latin: Vergil During Winterim, we will continue our studies of Vergil. The extended time format will allow us to practice exams, have in-depth conversations of articles, and conduct peer evaluations of essays in addition to scheduled reading of the Aeneid.
AP U. S. History A continuation of the AP curriculum established during the Fall quarter, this course evaluates the Gilded Age, The Progressive Era, European and Asian immigration during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, World War 1, the Great Depression, World War 2, the Cold War Era, the Civil Right’s and Women’s Right’s Movements, the Vietnam War, and the cultural landscape of the eighties and nineties. Daily lectures will emphasize the broad themes connecting trends in American history over time. Homework, tests, and writing assignments will be modeled on the format of AP tests.
Required for students enrolled in AP Latin Instructor: Ms. Burke-Budhram AP Spanish Language The Winterim AP course is conducted in Spanish and is tailored to enhance student development in the four skills areas tested in the Spanish Language Exam. The main objective is to review and reinforce students’ knowledge by increasing their vocabulary, sharpening their grammatical skills, expanding their written abilities, and improving their oral proficiency. The entire course will be devoted to completing practice tests with special emphasis in function words and verbs. The students will use the workbook, AP Spanish: Preparing for the Language Examination, along with tapes and old AP exams for practice.
Required of students enrolled in AP U.S. History Instructor: Ms. Smith AP World History The AP World History Winterim course will bridge the two semesters of the yearlong course in world history. Our primary focus will be on improving skills for the document-based question, change-over-time, and comparison essay sections of the AP exam. There will be one essay writing assignment per day.
Required of students enrolled in AP Spanish, open to juniors who want to take AP Spanish in their senior year Instructor: Ms. Bravaldo
Required of students enrolled in AP World History Instructor: Dr. Simpson
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Wellness, Health, and Preparing for the Future Confidence and Public Speaking Using Movies, Music, and YouTube for Inspiration! Ever get tongue tied when meeting new people? Feel uncomfortable speaking up in class, making a presentation? Dread your senior speech? Feel like the quiet one in most groups? This class is for YOU! Become more comfortable talking to others or speaking in public by learning techniques used by those who are great speakers and socially confidant. Loosen up with video and music clips that inspire confidence (and laughter!).
Knit Wit Come join Ms. Smith for knitting and crocheting fun during Winterim, learn about the important roles that knitting circles and quilting bees have played in history, and de-stress. We’re going to turn the phrase “nitwit” (without knowledge) into purls of wisdom by collectively gathering our wits. Did you know that creating with needles or hooks and yarn can reduce stress, anxiety and blood pressure? According to Harvard Medical School Mind-Body Institute, it is the repetitive motion that causes about an 11 beats-per-minute reduction of your heart rate. Students enrolled in Knit-Wit will combine mathematical and logical thinking skills with creative ideas to knit or crochet a chemocap for a child with cancer as part of a service-learning component, also good for your heart!
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Conlee Do-It-Herself Workshop Are you addicted to HGTV? Have you always wanted to make a shelf for your collectables and stain it? Do you want to know the difference between a philips and frearson screwdriver? Wonder what all those power tools do? If the answer to any of those questions was “yes”, this workshop is for you. During Winterim, we will learn about the various household tools and their uses, make a shelf for your bedroom, and much more.
This course is open to students of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced. Required materials: personal yarn, knitting needles, a crochet needle, creativity, patience, and the willingness to help friends when they reach their wits-end! Open to all students Instructor: Ms. Smith
Open to all students Instructor: Mr. Compton
Life is What You Make It Son of famous businessman, Warren Buffett, Peter Buffett's life could have been one based solely on the family wealth. But instead, Peter became a professional musician, author, and philanthropist. Buffett's book is an invitation to take charge of your life, to find your passions, to occasionally do the unexpected, and to make a difference. In this class, we will read and discuss the book and talk about how we can lead purposeful lives, how to find passions, and how to make a difference. Course participants will be expected to attend Mr. Buffet’s concert on January 30th and will serve as ushers for the event. Later, they will serve as discussion leaders in small groups around the school. (Peter Buffet’s January 30th concert is free to all AGS students, and we are hoping for 100% attendance by our student body.)
Fight Like a Girl This program is about self-defense, NOT fighting! Girls need to know the importance of avoiding potentially problematic situations. Fighting your way out of a tough situation is always the last resort, so the focus is on awareness and safety. We use scenario-based instruction to cover every day, potentially risky events in a teen's life, including dating realities, parties, jogging safety, cyber predators, ATM dangers, abduction awareness, places to avoid and home safety. Divas In Defense strategies are effective because predators do not expect their victims to fight back. We teach girls to remain aware of their survival instinct, to attack a vulnerable area of an attacker's body, and to use the several seconds of surprise and pain inflicted on an attacker to get away. A young girl weighing less than 100 pounds can demobilize a 200-pound attacker because the techniques are quick, easy, and automatic, even for a panicking teen.
Enrollment Fee: $15 for the book. AGS will purchase the book and send a bill home. Open to students in the 11th and 12th grades Instructor: Ms. Allen. SAT Prep Class SAT Prep Class is a great opportunity to prepare for the SAT Reasoning Test at a comfortable pace and with
Open to all students Instructor: Divas in Defense
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minimal interruption to your regular academic, athletic, and other extracurricular pursuits. Classes will be taught at AGS by the pros from Cradle to College. Tuition includes: 10 sessions of small group tutoring integrated into your daily Winterim schedule, two textbooks (Up Your Score and the Official Guide to the SAT), and a proctored mock test at AGS.
behind-the-wheel training, with home pick-up, must be completed within 60 days after the classroom portion ends. All in-car instruction will be completed in training vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and the exclusive Taggart’s two steering wheels, two brakes and two-gas pedal system. The tuition fee is $425.00 for AGS students (the standard tuition at Taggart’s classroom location is $495.00). Included, at no additional charge, is the state mandated four-hour alcohol and drug program (ADAP). This program meets the state requirements for Driver Education.
Students wishing to take the mock test should plan to come to school on Saturday, January 15. Open to upper school students Instructor: Mr. Shepherd Enrollment Fee: $350
Open to upper school students. This is a double-block class during A and B Blocks. Therefore, you need only sign up for two additional courses, one during C and one during D Blocks. (A minimum of 10 students must enroll in order for the class to be offered.) Enrollment Fee: $425.00
Teenage Driver Education Taggart’s Driving School will teach a Teenage Driver Education course at Atlanta Girls’ School. The course consists of 30 hours of classroom instruction during Winterim, including three hours on Tuesday evening Jan. 4 (6-9 p.m.). Additionally, each student enrolled in the class will need to schedule six hours of private, individual, behind-the-wheel instruction. The six hours of
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Science in Action: Problem Solving, and Discovery in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Where is the spirit stick, and who could have taken it? Become a crime scene investigator and find out. Investigation through forensic chemistry will lead us to an answer. Learn how to document a crime scene and collect evidence. Examine fingerprints and handwriting samples. Learn about chromatography, pH, and many other crime lab chemistry skills. In addition, we will use organized and detailed note taking to find that spirit stick!
The Adventures of the Number Devil This class will combine your love for reading with your love for solving riddles and puzzles. We will be reading the book “The Number Devil,” by Hans Magnus Enzensberger. In the book, young Robert meets, argues, and has fun with the sassy and salty Number Devil. The Number Devil refers to prime numbers as “prima donnas” and irrational numbers as “unreasonable”. The adventures of Robert and the Number Devil are sure to tickle both your brain and your funny bone!
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Coleman
In addition to reading the book in class, we will be doing various projects and activities to either prove or disprove the crazy claims of the Number Devil. Come to class prepared to laugh and stretch your mind!
Entrepreneurship As our nation struggles to pull the economy out of the ditch, many economists predict that small businesses, not huge corporations, are the key to job growth. In this course, students will use games, films, and field trips and hear from guest speakers to learn about the world of small business. Students will use simulations and two case studies to practice inventing and experimenting with their own product and service innovations. Students will encounter student and adult entrepreneurs in action, describing their business ideas and the research and analysis that support them.
Enrollment Fee: $15 for the book. AGS will purchase the book and send a bill home. Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Clayton Building Bridges Whether it was a log that fell across a stream or the most elegant expanse of steel, bridges have been a means of connection throughout history. Through exploration of bridge types, each student will learn about famous bridges around the world while becoming both architect and engineer. Using K’nex building pieces, design and building of bridges that can be evaluated for strength and sturdiness, force, load, compression and tension will examined through fun hands-on individual and team building projects.
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. King Introduction to Programming Students will learn how to create their own computer programs using SCRATCH. As the basics of programming are quickly mastered with this learning tool, students will work together as development teams where they will design, build, and launch their own interactive computer game. The class culminates with a presentation of the game in the form of a product demonstration or "pitch" to a group of mock investors.
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Coleman Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) Who took the spirit stick?!
Open to students in 7th-10th grades Instructor: Ms. Gibson
Chelsea and Blaise, the AGS goddesses are in a panic! “I had it after Tuesday’s assembly!” says Chelsea. “The Sky team is so jealous of our ongoing sweet victories that I wonder whether a Sky Team Member took it,” she says accusingly.
Learn About Learning Learn. This is something we do every day in school, but what does it really mean to “learn?” How do humans learn? Do animals learn in a similar way? How do our brains change as we learn? Are there different things that might help or hurt our ability to learn? This course will
“Come back to Earth,” muttered Blaise.
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address these and other questions as we explore more about the human brain and how learning takes place. Using hands-on, student-centered activities, we will investigate the nervous system, animal behavior, product testing, health and safety issues, and the ethics of experimentation. We will follow the Great Explorations in Science (GEMS) curriculum designed by a team of professors from the University of California at Berkeley. Students will be challenged to learn more about the scientific world through activities that take into account many different learning styles—guaranteeing that this class will have something for those with a curious, adventurous spirit!
do we know the difference between “right” and “wrong”? The mysteries of the human brain are countless, but in our course, we will explore the answers to these questions and more. We will explore parts of the brain including hands-on experience with sheep brains and neurons. We will learn about sensory perception and how we see, hear, smell, taste, and feel. We will explore neurological disorders like autism and schizophrenia and traumatic brain injuriesa. We will discuss the theory of mind and talk about how humans diverge from our primate cousins when we share much of the same genetic code. The class will include a field trip to the Yerkes Primate Center to tour and to learn more about cognition research with primates such as macaques, chimpanzees, and capuchins. This class will be a collaborative discovery to explore the most complex and the most fascinating organ in the human body. Join in the adventure!
Open to middle school students Instructor: Dr. Shubert Math Magic! Math contains incredible patterns. When performing a certain sequence of steps with a number, you can produce the same outcome every time. When folding or cutting a piece of paper a certain way you may get surprising results. It may seem like magic, but it’s actually just mathematics. This class is divided into three sections: amazing shapes and designs, number patterns and tricks, and mathemagic card tricks. In order to get the most out of this class, it’s important for each student to not only know HOW to reproduce the trick or puzzle to share with others, but also to know WHY it works every single time. Figuring out why something works requires thinking, experimentation, and consulting and collaboration with classmates. Along the way, we also discuss ways in which we can organize the information we receive each day so that it’s easy for us to remember, easy for us to find, and easy for us to share with friends. Students practice note-taking skills by creating flipbooks to record tricks as well as keep a journal to reflect upon key words and daily topics. The activities that are completed each day have students engaged in creating, conducting experiments, and thinking critically.
Open to upper school students Instructors: Ms. Bulger and Dr. Shubert Origami Polyhedra: Folding in Geometry Do you love color? Do you love geometrically shaped objects like boxes, cubes, and dodecahedra? (“What’s that?!” you say…come find out!) By folding colorful paper squares into three-dimensional shapes, we can create beautiful objects that can be studied artistically and mathematically. Come build beautiful creations while you learn about polyhedra and stretch your mathematical mind! Whether you are a folding fanatic or a folding klutz, you can find a place for yourself in this workshop. You will learn interesting geometry, practice your spatialvisualization skills, and have colorful creations to take home. Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Giddings
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Frost
Our Garden and the Farm-to-Table Movement We will plan and execute spring flower, vegetable, and fruit tree plantings as well as events to bring the AGS community into the outdoor space in the spring. We will also explore Georgia Organics, a member supported nonprofit organization working to integrate healthy, sustainable and locally grown food into the lives of all Georgians. In addition, we will research and discuss the
Neuroscience: The Brain and Thought What is the hippocampus? What happens if you lose your ability to recognize faces or your ability to see movement? How is it possible for humans to learn their native languages in the exact same way around in the world, with little or no formal instruction? Why and how
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Atlanta farm-to-table movement and the connection that farmer’s now are establishing with restaurants and what this means to both communities.
Under Water Robotics (ROVs) Students will create an ROV (underwater robot) from scratch and learn about basic design concepts along the way. This course is centered around design and construction of the robot, but will incorporate movies and class discussion in explaining the applications of robotics in our everyday life.
Open to all students Instructors: Ms. DaSilva Taking Geometry to the Next Dimension Tired of learning about 2D Geometry in a 3D world? Ever wanted to create a 3D object so large that you can climb into it? In this Winterim class, we are going to explore 3D prisms and their properties by creating over five foot tall inflatable prisms. Through this project, we will explore surface area and volume while using our creative and problem solving skills. We will also explore what happens to Geometric properties when we draw them on a sphere. Prepare for your mind to be blown as we explore some fascinating Geometry topics not often seen in a high school course.
Open to all students Instructor: Mr. Taylor
Open to students enrolled in or who have completed Geometry Instructor: Ms. Conner
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Exploring English Literature & Language Reading: Harder, Faster, Better and Stronger This course is for students who would benefit from more practice and instruction in critical reading. On one hand, the class will be a fun book club that will share a wonderful short novel together. On the other, students will receive individualized support in reading harder pieces faster, better, and stronger. Students will be invited to join this class based on a recommendation from their Science, World Studies, or English teacher.
The Writer’s Studio Hone your creative writing skills at this workshop. It will provide encouragement to the student writer struggling to find her own voice in creating fiction. Each student will experiment with writing different genres, share original pieces, and give and receive critiques. Students are invited to bring samples of their own writing: poetry, short stories, or chapters from novels to class. We will spend part of each class sharing and critiquing one another’s writing. We will also read and analyze critically acclaimed pieces from anthologies and magazines, including examples of different genres.
Enrollment Fee: $15 for the book. (AGS will purchase the book and send a bill home.) Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. King
In addition, we will host two published authors who will address the class, discussing their experiences with their own writing and the challenges of getting published. Following a question and answer session, students will share their original works with the authors.
Story Corps: Telling the Story Through Interviews and Conversations Modeled after National Public Radio’s program, this course will involve listening skills, reflection, interviews, journaling, research, and more, empowering the members of the AGS communities to tell their story for school history preservation and other stories of a personal nature.
Open to middle school students Instructors: Britt Duncan and Iman Naim (AGS Students) A Writer’s Workshop: Creative Writing for Middle School This writer’s workshop is designed for students to practice expository writing skills to improve their overall skill as a writer. Skills learned and practiced during this course will be applicable to students’ academic writing in the content areas. Students who are looking to improve their confidence in writing as well as learn some practical strategies to enhance their writing will benefit from this class.
Writing and reflection activities will challenge the students’ creativity and thinking in the creation of interview topics and questions. Your story or interview may be used on AGS’s website. Open to upper school students Instructor: Ms. Cockrill and Mr. Perez This I Believe (TIB) What beliefs do you hold dear and are so important to you that you want to share them with everyone? Based on the 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow, this class has a similar goal “to point to the common meeting grounds of beliefs which are the essence of sisterhood and the floor of our civilization”. Come discover who you are and what you believe. Outline important moments in your life and create your own story and memory chart. Upon completion of this class, you may choose to submit your story to be considered as part of the national essay-writing project, This I Believe and potentially read on National Public Radio.
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Stimpson A Writing Workshop—Re-Imagining Writing Through Creative Non-Fiction This course is designed to help students produce clear and concise writing. Students will experience the entire writing process from conception to publishing with emphasis on revision. Students will pay special attention to exact and precise diction and to easy and direct syntax. The class will publish selected pieces from each student at the end of Winterim.
Open to students in the 8th-12th grades Instructors: Ms. Saunders
Open to upper school students Instructor: Ms. Hasty
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Perspectives on the World A Gastronomic Tour of Spain Allow your sense of smell to draw you in as we take a journey through Spain and its world famous cuisine. Known for its diverse, Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil and fresh foods, the Spanish are passionate about their food, and in this course, we will take a hands-on look at the most traditional dishes through a step-by-step preparation. This workshop will provide students with a large portion of kitchen vocabulary as well as diverse foods and other restaurant etiquette. Students will get a general introduction to the Spanish Autonomous Communities and their cuisine in addition to the culinary terminology related to the dishes and to dining out in Spain. Students will also have the option to present on a chosen culinary topic or dish along with its ingredients and history surrounding the region. As a final touch, a nearby field trip to sample tapas and talk about the ingredients and regional dishes will complete our tour. This course will help you to unearth the hidden secrets of the flavors contained within the traditional dishes of Spain. Your palette will surely thank you afterwards with a Spanish “olé”.
Latin America in Atlanta Have you ever wondered how many different Latin cultures are represented in the metro area? Would you like to learn about Latino everyday life in Atlanta? What are some of the most pressing issues that the Hispanic community faces? Join us as we explore the many ways in which Spanish language and culture are alive in our own back yard. Guest speakers, interviews, food samples and a visit to a Hispanic mall will open up your eyes to the similarities and differences between the Hispanic culture and yours. Spanish is not mandatory, though recommended. Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Bravaldo Model United Nations Preparation This course will provide students interested in Model UN with the basics about the conferences and how the United Nations works. The class will focus on the procedures of a UN conference and prepare students for the UGA MUN conference in February. Throughout the two weeks, they will gather information about their assigned country, form country profiles, engage in-group discussions, and hold mock committee sessions.
Open to upper school students Instructor: Mr. Pastore How We Rule: U. S. Government This course will investigate the fundamental principles and ideas that frame the United States Government. Students will engage in a variety of simulations, debates and activities that will support their understanding of the U.S. constitution, three branches of government, notable Supreme Court decisions, political parties, and the Electoral College process. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the rights and responsibilities that come with U.S. citizenship.
Open to uppers school students Instructor: Jessica Johnson (AGS Student) and Dr. Simpson Muli Bwanji! Experiencing Zambian and Other African Culture Imagine for a moment that you were born and raised in Zambia rather than here. What would you eat? How would your language sound? What would school be like? What music would you listen to? How would you dance? What would your clothes look like? What challenges would you face? In this course, you can begin to answer these questions and more as you speak a Zambian dialect, make Zambian food, wear Zambian clothes and jewelry, listen and dance to African music, talk about disparities experienced in Africa, and participate in a live video chat with a 25 year-old Zambian girl. Muyende Bwino (go well)!
Open to students in the 9th and 10th grades Instructor: Ms. Shah Journey to Asia Students will take an imaginary trip around the world to explore the sights and sounds of Asia. They will experience the culture, history, geography, customs and traditions of India, Japan, China and Iran. Students will build research, collaborative, and presentation skills in this cultural workshop.
Open to all students Instructor: Mr. Petrauskis
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Shah
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A Taste of China Want to go to China someday? Heard about Chinese Culture? Love Chinese food? Come and take this fun course during Winterim! “A Taste of China� will explore many cultural aspects about China. We will have five sections: games that Chinese kids play, Chinese food, Chinese New Year, the best places to travel in China, and simple daily Chinese conversation. Many fun activities will be involved, and you will definitely learn a lot about China. We will have so much fun! Open to upper school students Instructor: JunYi Wang (AGS Student)
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Media, Fine & Creative Arts The Art of Making Commercials Each student will learn the jobs behind the camera and in front of the camera. Come out and act, direct, choose shots, dress the set, and make some commercials!
Make Your Mark Learn the basic concepts behind development of a personal mark or logo design. Creative brainstorming, thumbnails and illustrative and graphic design are all pieces of the puzzle. We will work on drawing initial ideas on paper and create the finished logo on the computer, using Adobe Illustrator. No prior experience necessary.
Open to middle school students Instructor: Ms. Morgens
Open to all students Instructor: Ms. Joss
Capturing Memories: Yearbook In this course, students will continue to design, develop and lay out the 2010-2011 yearbook. Students will complete the Student Life, Academics, Clubs & Advisories, Senior Tributes, and Portrait sections of the book. They will brainstorm and compile superlatives and polls to capture the spirit and brains of AGS students. They will also capture, organize and upload pictures of the AGS winter sports and student life.
Making a 5-Minute Movie In this course, students will learn every aspect of making a movie: storyboarding, directing, acting, the art behind choosing shots to be a director of photography, and many other "behind the scenes" jobs. Come join us and let's make a movie!
Open to 8th-12th grade students who have already committed to the 2010-2011 yearbook effort Instructor: Mr. Morrison
Open to upper school students Instructor: Ms. Morgens
Figure Drawing In this course, we will be drawing from a live model using several different media, including charcoal, compressed charcoal, conte crayon and ink. Learn to capture the figure in quick gesture drawings. Longer poses will allow for exploration and creation of finished figurative works of art.
Marketing and Branding 101 Join our new Director of Communications, Lauretta Hannon, and the people from Ideas Define—Alex Kaminsky, Joe Reger, and Michael Gibson—to learn what it takes to make a brand, and then, using AGS as a case study, work on developing the ideas and vehicles for extending the reach of the brand. This course will work in concert with the iMovie, Your Movie and Make Your Mark classes.
Open to students in the 8th and 9th grade with drawing experience and to all students in 10th-12th grades Instructor: Ms. Joss
Open to upper school students Instructors: Ms. Allen, Ms. Hannon, and Ideas Define
iMovie, Your Movie Students will learn movie making and editing techniques using iMovie 09, iPhoto, and GarageBand. Their final project will be a Public Service Announcement designed, shot, and edited by the student. Advanced techniques may be taught based on the skill level of the student.
Shakespeare and the Power of Performance This course, an in-school Residency featuring three skilled Teaching Artists from the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, will provide students with an opportunity to explore Shakespearean text through the lens of active performance. It will also discuss Shakespeare’s work in the context of Elizabethan society and early modern performance methods. This is not a desk-bound course; we use active teaching methods that will have students on their feet and speaking Shakespeare from day one. Each student will be given equal attention and encouraged to perform to the best of her ability. The course will conclude with an entertaining and energetic final group performance of scenes and monologues from
Open to all students Instructor: Ms. Burke-Budhram
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a selected Shakespeare play, open to the school community and families.
Visual Journaling Visual journaling is personal exploration of imagery and word. It is a unique way to express thought and reflect on experiences through a combination of creative writing and mixed media such as collage, watercolor, and pastel. In this course we will explore how both historical and contemporary artists have used visual journaling to develop inner thoughts and ideas. Each student will create a journal that explores personal themes through imagery and word and creative use of artistic media.
Open to middle school students. This is a double-block class meeting during A and B Blocks; therefore, you need only sign up for two additional courses, one during C and one during D Blocks. Instructors: Atlanta Shakespeare Company Story Telling Through Photography In this course, we will be looking at photography through the lens of telling a story. Before creating our own stories through pictures, we will analyze professional photographs, specifically focusing on the different aspects of the picture that help tell a story. Students will apply the basics of photography (picture composition, lighting, depth of field, exposure) to the photographs they take throughout Winterim and work toward improving their photography technique. We will be conducting multiple critiques in class and taking at least one field trip. A digital camera is required for this course (DSLR or point-and-shoot).
Enrollment Fee: $10 for the sketchbook. (AGS will purchase the book and send a bill home.) Open to students in 8th-12th grades Instructor: Ms. DaSilva
Open to upper school students Instructor: Ms. Conner
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Physical & Outdoor Education Open to upper school students Instructors: Chelsea Person (AGS Student) and Coach Randolph
Backpacking 101 In this class, we will learn the basics of backpacking and overnight trip planning. Topics covered will be Leave No Trace principles, planning your trip, map reading, setting up camp, outdoor cooking, packing your backpack, and basic first aid for the wilderness.
Competitive Swimming All experienced swimmers in grades 6-12 who are members of the AGS swim team will use this class as team practice time. Swim class will fulfill the Physical Education requirement for all enrolled students. Practices will be held at the Dynamo Swim Club in Chamblee.
As our finale, students will choose to attend one of two overnight outing club weekend backpacking trips. The dates for the trips are TBA, but will be in late January and late February. The January trip will be a backpacking trip in the southern part of Georgia, and the February trip will be a section of the Appalachian Trail in north Georgia.
Open to AGS Swim Team members Instructor: Coach Simpson, Coach Stansbury, Lindsay Sanders
Open to upper school students Enrollment Fees: There will be a cost for the overnight trip to cover gas, food, and rental equipment. Cost will vary slightly depending on location, but will not be more than $75. Instructor: Ms. Clayton
Fitness Yoga Do you often find yourself in a place where you wish you could be at the beach, in the mountains, on a horse, or riding your bike, but you cannot get away from the business of school and life? This class will teach you how to use your mind, your body, and your breath to be able to sit still in the moment and create the peace and the stillness that you are looking for! We will work on strengthening, balance, and stretching of the body and use the breath to quiet the mind.
Badminton This course is for students who enjoy a mild to moderate level of competition. It will include basic skills and rules of play. We will have singles play, doubles play and a tournament. Students will leave the course with a thorough understanding of the sport of badminton. Bring a positive, fun attitude and your P.E. uniform.
Wear comfortable, loose clothing, and bring a towel and a water bottle.
Open to students in 7th-12th grades Instructor: Coach Stansbury
Open to upper school students Instructor: Laura Currie, certified fitness yoga instructor
Commit to GET FIT If you are interested in exercising with intensity to increase your fitness level and about developing a greater understanding of maintaining a healthier lifestyle, the “Commit to GET FIT” class is right for you. Keep in mind that you should only enroll in this class if you are willing to work hard. If you are uninterested in sweating and pushing your limits, this class is not for you. During this class, there will be Crossfit workouts and basic lessons on healthy eating and how it impacts your fitness. Crossfit is a fitness program that strives to maximize a person’s potential in strength, cardio endurance, respiratory endurance, power, agility, balance, accuracy, and mental toughness. Students will learn how to properly warm up and cool down; this will help each student avoid injury. This course requires a healthy attitude, athletic clothes, running shoes, and a water bottle.
Indoor Soccer In this course, students will develop soccer skills and have fun with the sport. Class work will include footwork drills, small-sided games, shooting, rules and strategy. Students will watch highlight films to get inspired. Open to middle school students Instructors: Mr. Burlington and Mr. Pastore Middle School Basketball In this course, students will develop defensive, offensive, and ball handling skills and have fun with the sport. Class work will include conditioning, drills to develop fundamentals, and scrimmages. Open to middle school students Instructors: Mr. and Dr. Bobeck
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Independent Study Guidelines
Junior and Senior Internship Guidelines
Participation in an independent study project is designed for sophomores, juniors and seniors who want to pursue intense study in an area that they are passionate about. This choice is reserved for students who are selfdisciplined, motivated, and goal-oriented. This is not an opportunity for students to travel or to work with other students; rather, it is a means to allow individual students the chance to focus solely on an area of interest.
Juniors and seniors have the option of taking one or more blocks of Winterim in the form of previously approved internships. It is the student’s responsibility to request specific blocks of Winterim to be designated as Internship Blocks when they know that their internship organization can accommodate their work. It is also the student’s responsibility to arrange for transportation to and from their internship. If you need assistance with scheduling or transportation, please contact Ms. Conlee.
Students wishing to pursue an independent study must have demonstrated leadership and excellence in the academic area of study. Students who wish to pursue an independent study must work under the sponsorship of one AGS faculty member. With the approval of that teacher, the student must submit a proposal, including a one to two page essay outlining the purpose, goals, and an activity plan, to the Associate Head of School. This essay is due on December 10, 2010.
Online Courses Online courses that continue through Winterim can be taken as one of the Winterim blocks if the student desires.
Registration Guidelines
Independent Study Deadlines: 12/03 Students must secure a faculty sponsor for their independent work. 12/10 Students must submit the Independent Study Application Form and a one to two page essay describing the proposed course. 12/13 Independent Study requests will be granted or denied.
Advisors will distribute sign-up sheets on Monday, November 29. Courses will be assigned on a first-comefirst-served basis; therefore, students should submit their sheets to Ms. Liebl upon completion and no later than Monday, December 2, 2010. Students must sign up for two courses in each block. (See schedule on pages 16-18.) Students will receive official schedules through Advisory before Winter Break.
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Winterim, 2011 Schedule of Classes A Block AP Calculus (US) AP French Language (US) AP U.S. History (US) Confidence and Public Speaking Using Movies, and YouTube for Inspiration! (MS) Figure Drawing (US) Introductions to Programming (MS) Learn About Learning (MS) Marketing and Branding 101 (US) Middle School Basketball (MS) Reading: Harder, Faster, Better and Stronger (MS) Shakespeare and the Power of Performance (MS—2 Block Course) Story Telling Through Photography (US) Teenage Driver Education (US—2 Block Course) This I Believe (US) Underwater Robotics (All Students) Writer’s Studio (MS)
B Block AP Environmental Science (Week 1); AP World History (Week 2) (US) Capturing Memories: Yearbook (US—Yearbook Club Members) Crime Scene Investigation (MS) Indoor Soccer (MS) Journey to Asia (MS) Life is What You Make It (11th-12th) Make Your Mark (All Students) Making a 5-Minute Movie (US) SAT Prep (US) Shakespeare and the Power of Performance (MS—2 Block Course) Story Corps: Telling the Story Through Interviews and Conversations (US) Teenage Driver Education (US—2 Block Course) Writer’s Workshop: Creative Writing for Middle School (MS)
Lunch
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C Block AP English Language & Composition (US) AP English Literature & Composition (US) Badminton (7th-12th) Building Bridges (MS) Do-It-Herself Workshop (All Students) Gastronomic Tour of Spain (US) How We Rule: U.S. Government (9th-10th) iMovie, Your Movie (All) Knit Wit (All) Latin America in Atlanta (MS) Math Magic (MS) Model United Nations (US) Neuroscience: The Brain and Thought (US) Origami Polyhedra: Folding in Geometry (MS) Visual Journaling (8-12) The Number Devil (MS)
D Block AP Chemistry (US) AP Latin: Vergil (US) AP Spanish (US) Art of Making Commercials (MS) Backpacking 101 (US) Commit to Get Fit (US) Competitive Swimming (Swim Team Members) Entrepreneurship (MS) Fight Like a Girl (All Students) Fitness Yoga (US) Muli Bwanji! Experiencing Zambian and Other African Culture (All Students) Our Garden and the Farm-to-Table Movement (All Students) Taking Geometry to the Next Dimension (US) Taste of China (US) Writer’s Workshop—Re-Imagining Writing Through Creative Non-Fiction (US)
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