Course Offerings

This lecture-, discussion-, and project-based course will serve as both a survey of the history of science in the Western world and an analysis of contemporary portrayals of these moments of scientific history. This wide-ranging course will take students from Ancient Greece, through the fall of Rome and the rise of the Islamic world as the center of scientific thought, through Copernicus and the Scientific Revolution. Each week we will examine a piece of popular media and how it portrays the topic of the day. We'll discuss what the media got right, wrong, and missed altogether. Then, students will go over actual primary source documents of the time to create their own historical arguments, which will be presented in the last class. Students will receive an overview of Western scientific thought and history, as well as an exploration of the differences between popular history and scholarly historical research. Instructor: Townsend Rowland

Why did the Megalodon go extinct? Are birds dinosaurs? What is a phylogenetic tree? How many species of salmon and whale live in Puget Sound? This course will answer these and many more questions! Approximately 550 million years ago, during arguably the most spectacular period of evolutionary change in the history of life, diverse animals started to appear on planet Earth. Puget Sound is home to hundreds of these very diverse species that adapted to live along its shores and in deeper waters. Through lectures, discussion-based teaching, and experiments, students will learn about important marine lineages, key innovations introduced by each taxon, phylogenetic relationships among marine groups, and some contemporary issues shaping marine biodiversity, such as climate change and ocean acidification. Instructor: Amina Cesario

Chess Club is a community for new and experienced students to learn and play together in a safe online environment. We will learn many types of chess, including Standard, 4-player, Doubles (Bughouse), Fog of War, Automate, Atomic, Giveaway, Horde, and Torpedo! In addition, students learn how to create their own chess puzzles and chess games! We use three chess programs in this class: Lichess.org, Chess.com, and ChessKid.com. I will show parents how to create free Lichess.org and Chess.com accounts for their children. The Robinson Center provides ChessKid.com to students. ChessKid.com is an award-winning chess instructional program designed for kids, with access to chess puzzles, lessons, and games, so that children can learn and play chess anytime outside the classroom. Instructor: Ray Easterday

Chess Club is a community for new and experienced students to learn and play together in a safe online environment. We will learn and play nine types of chess: Standard, Crazyhouse, Chess960, Antichess, Atomic, King of the Hill, Racing Kings, Horde, and Three-check! In addition, students learn how to create their own chess puzzles to challenge each other, parents, and teacher. We use two chess programs in this class: Lichess.org and ChessKid.com. I will demonstrate to parents how to create a free Lichess.org account for their children. ChessKid.com, provided by the Robinson Center, is an award-winning chess instructional program designed specifically for kids, with access to chess puzzles, lessons, and games, so that children can learn and play chess anytime! Instructor: Ray Easterday

Asian Pacific American immigrants, refugees, and citizens are greatly ignored in the discourse on which peoples have helped--and continue to help--to build the US; whether for railroads, in mining, salmon and other fisheries, agriculture, aviation, civil rights, and the continued fight for socio-environmental justice. Architectural students in the Pacific Northwest are uniquely positioned to consider this premise, to reflect back upon our region's history and confront its current urban challenges. This studio will include content from the 2021 National Endowment for the Humanities teacher workshop, "From Immigrants to Citizens: Asian Pacific Americans in the Northwest," which the instructor completed earlier this year. Instructor: Matt Fujimoto

Nineteenth-century Britain is a fascinating time and place in the history of science, as we can begin to see the foundations of the modern science world as we know it today. Don't be fooled into thinking this was an easy or peaceful transitionary time, however! The scientific community in 19th-century Britain was filled with con men trying to make a buck, controversy to make reality TV look tame, and chaos enough to make black Friday shopping seem serene. Each week in this discussion- and project-based course,  we will focus on one issue or area of debate, including a deep dive into the Royal Society, Darwin and evolution, and spiritualism. Students will not only learn about the history of science but will also explore what good historiographical practice looks like. Students will accomplish this through guided discussion among themselves, as well as examining primary source documents from the 19th century that will be provided. This will culminate in the students presenting their own historical arguments about 19th-century science during the last session.  Instructor: Townsend Rowland

How do illustrators apply realistic drawing skills to create imaginary characters and worlds? Students will learn techniques such as contour drawing, one-point perspective, and shading, as a means of creating fun and fantastical images. When we can sketch the things we imagine, it increases our visual thinking skills, improves our hand-eye coordination, and gives us the satisfaction of having completed a drawing in a short amount of time. In each session, we'll warm up with a little doodling, learn some drawing tips, and get to work on a specific assignment with pencil and paper. Students will gain greater confidence in putting pencil to paper at a moment's notice, and will gain a sharper eye for detail. Instructor: David Lasky

This class draws upon work from the Learning in Places project. Children will learn the histories of the places they live, then go on weekly "wondering walks" through local outdoor spaces with a trusted caregiver. Children will use their observations to pose and deliberate on "Should We" questions. For example, children may notice worms on the ground after it rains, wonder how they got there, and deliberate on "should we move worms off the sidewalk?". Children will consider multiple perspectives (e.g. worm, human, bird, water) and engage scientific processes of collecting and modeling data to consider the social and environmental implications of their possible decisions. This course aims to center student interests to cultivate scientific skill and ethical deliberation and decision making in ways that are accessible and relevant to young students. Instructor: Jordan Sherry-Wagner

Speaking comfortably and confidently in front of an audience is a skill relevant to many aspects of life. This course will cover the fundamentals of public speaking, including voice projection and intonation, speech writing, effective gesturing, and audience engagement. Our course is designed to be a fun and lively online forum where all are welcome to engage and comfortably learn how to speak eloquently and with greater ease. Instructor: Jennifer Stephens

How is the time-honored tradition of haiku poetry similar to the comic strips we love? Though they would seem to come from different cultures and sensibilities, comics and haiku both use spare language, rhythm, and careful observation of the world to deliver a meaningful message in just a few beats. In each session, students will write their own three-line poem, then adapt it into a short comic strip using pencil and paper. In the process they will learn about traditional and non-traditional haiku poetry, as well as some of the basics of making short comic strips. The end result will be a greater understanding of Japanese poetry and the roots of manga, as well as an increased confidence in writing and drawing. Instructor: David Lasky

This class is designed for students who want to learn the basics of 3D design and 3D printing. We will cover the ins and outs of designing in 3D, using TinkerCAD (a free online program) as the main source. This is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers in mind. We will go through the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a slicer and learn how to operate a 3D printer using Creality Ender 3 Pro printers. Each student will have a final project that we will print in class. This is a great way to jump into the fastest-growing and most fascinating technology in the world, 3D printing! Instructor: Brian Jaffe

This class is designed for students who want to learn the basics of 3D design and 3D printing. We will cover the ins and outs of designing in 3D, using TinkerCAD (a free online program) as the main source. This is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers in mind. We will go through the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a slicer and learn how to operate a 3D printer using Creality Ender 3 Pro printers. Each student will have a final project that we will print in class. This is a great way to jump into the fastest-growing and most fascinating technology in the world, 3D printing! Instructor: Brian Jaffe

Should we have school dress codes? Should students be assigned homework? This course offers an exploration into oration with students learning how to support their ideas and argue effectively. Debate is a fun, engaging way for students to practice public speaking, develop sound logic and reasoning skills, and build confidence and self-esteem. Students also learn to express their opinions assertively in a respectful manner on many relevant issues and topics.  Zoom breakout rooms allow students to work in teams as well as engage one-on-one with the instructor. Instructor: Jennifer Stephens

The interlocking brick known as Lego has been around for 60 years, and it continues to be a material that connects generations of engineers and engineers-at-heart. In this class, we will use Lego to focus on designing moving mechanisms with gears and motors. We'll learn about how the characteristics of the studs and tubes on a Lego brick contribute to its "clutch power," which enables bricks to both stick together and be pulled apart. Students will apply geometrical, algebraic, and spatial reasoning as they connect distinct parts together for a sturdy, functioning robot. No previous Lego or robot building experience is necessary. Instructor: A.J. Balatico

In this class, we will create a small town of players using Minecraft: Education Edition! Each student will have their own jobs and goals, such as mining for diamonds, building structures, or setting up a shop. Every week, we will set community goals such as gathering resources, establishing fair gameplay and an in-game economy, and designing a community "mega project," such as a theme park. This class will emphasize community building, Minecraft design and builds, and project management skills such as division of labor, scheduling, and organizing large inventories. Students will play on a safe UW server moderated by the instructor on Robinson Center laptops. Instructor: A.J. Balatico

Ever wonder what it's like to participate in a trial? Introduce evidence? Question witnesses? In this course, students will participate in a mock trial. Each session explores a new set of case facts so students who have participated previously will enjoy a new courtroom experience. This introduction to law will include lessons on rules of evidence, cross examination, and courtroom decorum. We've offered this course online before and it was a resounding success! Students will be a part of every aspect of the trial so come prepared to act as advocate, witness, and jury! Instructor: Jennifer Stephens

Grounded in a range of philosophical traditions, this course builds from the interests of students as we work together to make sense of timeless thought experiments, paradoxical situations, and personally relevant ethics. Children will practice identifying and asking philosophical questions using philosophically provocative books, games, videos, and other materials designed to guide and focus our activities, discussions, and community building. Through peer discussion and experienced facilitation, children are invited to participate in deep communal wondering while developing skills in reasoning, reflection, and respectful social interaction with others whose viewpoints may differ from their own. Appropriate for new and returning philosophers, this will be a space for deep, collaborative, and fun philosophical inquiry. Instructor: Jordan Sherry-Wagner

Are there sharks in the Puget Sound? How many species of salmon live in it? Why do Orcas visit these waters? Why are sea otters' teeth purple? This course will answer these and many more questions! The Puget Sound is one of the largest estuaries in the United States. It is home to hundreds of species of animals that live along its shores and in deeper waters, and each of them has developed a unique niche in which it lives, coexisting with its neighbors. Through interactive lectures, discussion-based teaching, and experiments, students will learn the important groups of marine organisms (and how to easily observe many of them), the major habitats of the Puget Sound, and some contemporary issues shaping marine biodiversity, such as ocean acidification. Instructor: Amina Cesario

Are there sharks in the Puget Sound? How many species of salmon live in it? Why do Orcas visit these waters? Why are sea otters' teeth purple? This course will answer these and many more questions! The Puget Sound is one of the largest estuaries in the United States. It is home to hundreds of species of animals that live along its shores and in deeper waters, and each of them has developed a unique niche in which it lives, coexisting with its neighbors. Through interactive lectures, hands-on activities and experiments, students will learn about the important groups of marine organisms, how to identify them, as well as some of the contemporary issues that are shaping marine biodiversity, such as ocean acidification. Instructor: Amina Cesario

Students will design and build their own custom metal robots using VEX EDR materials and hand tools. We will dive into mechanical engineering topics such as gears, linkages, statics, and dynamics in order to refine our robot designs. In addition to driving robots, designs will focus on connecting rotating mechanisms to swing in different directions, such as a gimbal or gyroscope. This will allow students to make robots capable of novel tasks such as swinging a bat or sword fighting! No previous robot building experience is necessary. In this hands-on experience, students have the option of working on their own robot or as a team with other students. Instructor: A.J. Balatico

How is color used not just to make graphic novels more appealing, but also as a storytelling tool, conveying both information and emotion? Students will learn basic cartooning techniques, color theory, shading, and coloring, using pencils and watercolor paints. In each session, after a lecture and demonstration, we'll pencil a large comics panel and then dive in, painting it with watercolors, using knowledge and techniques covered that day. The instructor's body of work includes working as a colorist on major graphic novels for middle school readers. Students will gain a stronger sense of color and a greater range of storytelling skills. Instructor: David Lasky