Course Offerings

Why did the Megalodon go extinct? Are birds dinosaurs? What is a phylogenetic tree? Approximately 550 million years ago, during a spectacular period of evolutionary change in the history of life--the Cambrian explosion--diverse animals started to appear on planet Earth. Today their relatives range in size and complexity from tiny sponges to blue whales; however, they all originated from single celled protists. The Puget Sound is home to hundreds of these very diverse species of marine animals that adapted to live along its shores and in deeper waters. Through lectures, discussion, and virtual experiments, students will learn the fundamentals of important marine lineages, key innovations introduced by each taxon, phylogenetic relationships among major living marine groups, and some contemporary issues, such as climate change and ocean acidification, that are shaping marine biodiversity. Instructor: Amina Cesario

A healthy lifestyle includes physical and mental fitness. Playing chess improves memory, concentration, foresight, math, reading, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Each week the instructor provides puzzles, lessons, videos, opportunities for one-on-one play, monitors student progress, and answers questions. Our club goal is to help students have fun playing and teaching new chess tricks to family and friends. We frequently discuss chess history, World Chess Champions, how to play different types of chess from around the world, how to create new chess games, and look at famous games of the past. No experience necessary. Students will have opportunities to participate in online chess tournaments if they wish. Students have gold member access to ChessKid.com for supplementary instruction and games. Instructor: Cary "Coach Ray" Easterday

A healthy lifestyle includes physical and mental fitness. Playing chess improves memory, concentration, foresight, math, reading, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Each week the instructor provides puzzles, lessons, videos, opportunities for one-on-one play, monitors student progress, and answers questions. Our club goal is to help students have fun playing and teaching new chess tricks to family and friends. We frequently discuss chess history, World Chess Champions, how to play different types of chess from around the world, how to create new chess games, and look at famous games of the past. No experience necessary. Students will have opportunities to participate in online chess tournaments if they wish. Students have gold member access to ChessKid.com for supplementary instruction and games. Instructor: Cary "Coach Ray" Easterday

A healthy lifestyle includes physical and mental fitness. Playing chess improves memory, concentration, foresight, math, reading, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Each week the instructor provides puzzles, lessons, videos, opportunities for one-on-one play, monitors student progress, and answers questions. Our club goal is to help students have fun playing and teaching new chess tricks to family and friends. We frequently discuss chess history, World Chess Champions, how to play different types of chess from around the world, how to create new chess games, and look at famous games of the past. No experience necessary. Students will have opportunities to participate in online chess tournaments if they wish. Students have gold member access to ChessKid.com for supplementary instruction and games. Instructor: Cary "Coach Ray" Easterday

The climate crisis is a threat to our community, but it is also an opportunity. Solutions to the climate crisis, to social injustice, and for a prosperous global community are one and the same. By confronting the challenge of the climate crisis, we can do much more than simply reduce pollution: we can build a healthy, just, and beautiful world. Architecture students are focused, multidisciplinary, investigative thinkers able to transform historic and current issues into positive social outcomes. In this course, we'll explore green architectural design practices and concepts through a sequence of prompts. Students will evaluate their own and others' ways of thinking, while networking with an international audience and working collectively to design green architectural proposals and strategies for the sister cities of Seattle and Kobe. Instructor: Matt Fujimoto

Are we a part of nature, or are we separate somehow? What does it mean to be alive? What is the difference between the concepts of nature, landscape, environment, and ecosystem? What does "natural" even mean, and who decides?

In this class, students will explore the ways humans understand the natural environment through storytelling. The course will be built around exploring the storytelling traditions from indigenous communities around the world, student-driven philosophical discussion, and creative response to both. Students will be encouraged to explore outdoor spaces where possible as they think through these questions and record their observations through writing and drawing. Instructor: Hollie J. Wagner

Each week students will design and construct projects with challenging goals and constraints. Through building projects, students will consider a variety of human-centered design and engineering concepts such as accessibility, modularity, and ergonomics, as well as obtaining user feedback and co-designing for people. The projects will be tabletop size and designed for easy storage. We will use basic building materials (such as paper, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, and electrical tape) and tools (such as scissors and special rulers). Students will be encouraged to use household items, especially materials that can be reused or "upcycled." Students will have opportunities to share and develop their portfolio of projects. Instructor: A. J. Balatico

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

This course is an introduction to the territorial outlines, capitals, and fact files (e.g., date of statehood, square miles, and state flag) of all fifty states. Students will become familiar with the overall cartographical outlines and state borders of the U.S. and we will learn how the country's unique geography has contributed to its isolation from conflict, development of land and other natural resources, vibrant trade, and westward expansion. Learning in this class will assume the form of a question-and-answer format whereby students consult their own set of CardDia™ flashcards in preparation for a series of trivia-style games and activities. Instructor: Corey Olds

This course is an introduction to the life and civil rights activities of former Georgia Representative John Lewis (1940-2020). Lewis and his co-authors wrote a best-selling, autobiographical trilogy of graphic novels entitled March, recounting his lifelong struggle for civil and human rights. Students will learn about the early years of Lewis' life and commitment to nonviolent protest, as well as the highs and lows of the broader Civil Rights Movement in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. Students will learn using a question-and-answer format, consulting their own copy of March: Book One in preparation for a series of trivia-style games and activities. Instructor: Corey Olds

How do artists and writers make graphic novels come to life? What makes comics so appealing and so different from any other art form? In each session, we'll learn new techniques in writing and drawing and put them into practice. Using materials as basic as pencils, erasers, and paper, we'll design characters, give them facial expressions, place them in action poses, and begin to create stories, tell jokes, and write poems in graphic novel form. Students will gain a better understanding of visual communications, both as readers and writers. Prior drawing experience is not as important as a desire to communicate one's ideas. Instructor: David Lasky

In this course, students will grapple with some of the many thorny ethical and philosophical questions related to social media today. Some of these questions have been with us forever: What are the limits of free speech? How do we forgive and earn forgiveness? However, social media adds new complications in the form of changing privacy standards, speed of communication, transience, and more. Students will explore these ideas by drawing from their own experiences with social media and digging into issues impacting them, such as identity, friendship, censorship, self-esteem, and cyber bullying. We will read and analyze media, interrogate subtext, discuss and debate what is and is not "ethical" usage of social media, and create an infographic on our findings. Instructor: Hollie J. Wagner

What did you have for lunch yesterday? Where did you meet your best friend? When was the last time you laughed uncontrollably? What is your earliest memory? Our answers to those questions depend on how memorable those moments were and how hard we try to remember. Our brains store and process our experiences in many different ways. Recalling some memories might be automatic, but sometimes we forget. In this class we'll investigate how all of what we remember is somewhere in our brains. We will explore how neuroscientists study learning, memory, forgetting, and the structures and functions of various parts of the brain. Using online human brain atlases, we will map out traces of our most cherished memories. Instructor: A. J. Balatico

This class is designed for students who want to learn the basics of 3-dimensional design and printing. We will cover the ins and outs of designing in 3D, using TinkerCAD (a free online program) as the main source. This class is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about designing with 3D printing in mind. Our topics will include not only the design process, but how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers in mind, the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a Slicer, and advanced 3D printing techniques. It will all be capped off with each student submitting a final project that the instructor will print and send to the student! This class 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 3-dimensional design and printing. We will cover the ins and outs of designing in 3D, using TinkerCAD (a free online program) as the main source. This class is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about designing with 3D printing in mind. Our topics will include not only the design process, but how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers in mind, the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a Slicer, and advanced 3D printing techniques. It will all be capped off with each student submitting a final project that the instructor will print and send to the student! This class 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 3-dimensional design and printing. We will cover the ins and outs of designing in 3D, using TinkerCAD (a free online program) as the main source. This class is about more than just 3D design, however; it's about designing with 3D printing in mind. Our topics will include not only the design process, but how to design things with the capabilities (and limitations) of 3D printers in mind, the step-by-step process to transfer files to a printer via a Slicer, and advanced 3D printing techniques. It will all be capped off with each student submitting a final project that the instructor will print and send to the student! This class 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

Writing letters (on paper) is a different, more personal form of communication than email. Sending mail (with a stamp) can be more fun and creative than most people realize. In this class, we'll write letters to our friends and family, and we'll also draw pictures, decorate envelopes, create cards for special occasions (or no occasion in particular), make postcards into art, and even make simple pop-ups. Students will expand their ideas of what art can be, while learning old-fashioned skills like letter writing and addressing an envelope, and will generate actual cards and letters to mail. Instructor: David Lasky

For over a decade, dedicated Minecraft fans have planned and built magnificent structures, environments, and worlds. In this class, we will create a small town of players using Minecraft: Education Edition! Each 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. We will plan in weekly town meetings over Zoom and in-game. For example, to build a structure out of 10,000 wood planks, we'd have to grow and harvest about 500 Minecraft trees! This class will emphasize community building, Minecraft design and builds, circuit logic, and project management skills such as division of labor, scheduling, and organizing large inventories. 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

"With great power comes great responsibility." "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." "The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don't have any."

What does it mean to have power over something, or someone? Who holds power in your world, and how did they get there? What does it mean to say a concept or an object has power? How do we redistribute power and how do we know when we should? In this class, we will discuss power and how it is wielded. Rather than reading philosophical texts, we will be doing philosophy and developing a community of inquiry. No previous study of philosophy is required. Instructor: Drue Miller

Are there sharks in the Puget Sound? How many species of salmon live in it? Why do Orcas visit these waters? What challenges do the marine critters inhabiting the Sound currently face? 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 lectures, discussion-based teaching, online experiments and virtual field trips, students will learn the main groups of marine organisms, the major habitats, and some contemporary issues facing the Puget Sound. Instructor: Amina Cesario

Most people think art and science are at the opposite ends of the spectrum, but scientific illustration is just one of the many points at which they intersect! Learn to draw with clarity and precision to best convey information about a variety of subjects in the natural world - plants, animals, shells, rocks, etc. We will learn how to use shading to show three dimensionality, how to render different textures, and how to arrange your composition so that the viewer can really understand what you are showing them. Instructor: Jessica Stanton

This class is all about the fun of drawing what you see in the world. When we draw the people, places, and things around us, it increases our observational 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. Subjects covered to include still life, self-portrait, drawing hands, landscape and interior scenes. Instructor: David Lasky

Information rains down on us all day … or is it misinformation? Not knowing which is which can be embarrassing, or expensive - or, in this time of "fake news" and fake claims of fake news, dangerous. But we're often forced to make up our minds on the fly - and modern psychology shows that our minds are fogged by "cognitive bias": we accept positive evidence more than negative evidence, and see meaning in meaningless patterns, for example. In this class you'll learn about these standard flaws in our thinking. Through case studies and group discussions you'll learn key tricks for spotting the WOW claims that don't pass the smell test. Instructor: Richard Farr

If you want to travel, don't let COVID stop you! In this class we'll use Google Earth to go on a world tour of my favorite places - and yours. But it's not quite a free ride. To follow along, you'll have to look for clues, ace quizzes, and work in groups to figure out where we are, where we're going next, or what's special about a special place. Lace up those digital boots! You're going to learn about the Big Blue Marble, find new destinations to dream about, and create a Google Earth Travel project that you can share with friends and family. Instructor: Richard Farr

Grounded in a range of philosophical traditions, this course builds from the interests of the 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 a range of books, games, and other activities to guide and focus our discussion 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. Instructor: Jordan Sherry-Wagner

Grounded in a range of philosophical traditions, this course builds from the interests of the 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 a range of books, games, and other activities to guide and focus our discussion 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. Instructor: Jordan Sherry-Wagner