Course Listings | Senior Program

Which is easier to change: your personality or your behavior? Through discussion and brainstorming exercises, we’ll learn how difficult it is to make objective descriptions of personality due to its complex relationship with behavior. Looking at our family structure, birth order, interfamily relationships, and the influence of culture and our peers, we’ll discover the factors that contribute to our own character development. While dissecting individual elements of personality, we’ll discover what influences generally cause personalities to change. By gaining a better understanding of personality, you’ll begin to realize why you (and those around you) behave the way you do.

How much does the environment you live in determine who you are? Through various oral exercises and by studying historical group behavior experiments, we’ll determine the effects of socialization on identity and discover who determines our social norms and, therefore, influences our entire society. By utilizing the Myers-Briggs test, we’ll begin to understand the different personality types that exist in the world and our relationship to them. Discussions will investigate why we are attracted to certain people as friends or mates and will give new insight into the behavior of individuals and societal groups.

“You've got to fight / for your right / to party!” The notion isn't just a clever musical lyric, it's a rallying cry for social revolution. In the 1950s, teenagers claimed rock 'n' roll and, with it, independence and sexuality; in the 60s, Woodstock and the Summer of Love helped bring an end to the Vietnam War; in the 70s, punk music sprung from a current of blue-collar, working class resentment; and in the 80s, the inner cities used growing anger, outrage, and despair to create hip-hop culture. From slave dirges and anti-war protests to anthems of freedom and dissatisfaction, we’ll explore how music has historically mobilized social change and given identity and voice to marginalized groups.

The 90’s in America. It was a prosperous era, one noted for its achievements in pop artistry (Nirvana's Nevermind, Spelling's 90210, Seinfeld's Seinfeld) and for its leaps in technology (cellular phones, dial-up internet, the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park). The decade saw relative peace, but alas, it was not without violence (the Gulf War, gang wars, Columbine) or its tabloid scandals (the OJ trial, the Lewinsky affair). How did the 90’s shape the world we live in today? Certainly without The Real World, primetime television would look different. Likewise, the seeds of our current political discourse—the health care debate, issues of global warming, and US involvement in the Middle East—were sewn in the previous decade. In this course, we'll learn how to look back so that we can look forward.

What makes someone commit a crime? Genetics? Psychological problems? Social and environmental influences? Criminologists have attempted to understand crime in the context of these potential factors, yet why crime exists is still as difficult to answer as ever. In this course, we’ll delve into various theories on criminal psychology, profiling serial killers, adolescent thieves, and white collar criminals to discover how different types of crimes correlate to various personality traits and socio-economic backgrounds. After testing the popular “Broken Windows Theory” and examining the effects of Rudy Guiliani’s zero tolerance policy on crime, we’ll create our own crime-prevention policy and program—with the goal of not just slowing but breaking the cycle of crime.

How do cities affect your brain? Big buildings, zooming transit, odorous city smells—not to mention a lack of green space—can impact our happiness and make us unable to focus. Yet, metropolitan areas are also the creative centers of the world—with the competition, intellectualism, and diversity of urban environments paving the way for innovation in design, technology, science, and the arts. This summer, we’ll take a close look at urban landscapes—exploring how industry, urban design, and economics collide to produce unique living environments. In particular, we'll investigate New Haven and the Yale campus—performing a field study that analyzes the effects of zoning practices, public works, and various architecture styles. As we delve into the urban experience, we'll examine why people are drawn to cities and the psychological ramifications of being a city dweller.

They say you are what you eat. But what does what you eat say about where you're from? Or what your society values? We'll sort through religious customs, fast food chains, cultural conventions, and technological advances as we answer the tough questions about food consumption in the 21st century. Why is one-fifth of the world overweight while another one-fifth goes starving? Why, in America, are hamburgers and hot dogs symbols of patriotism? What effect does food production have on the environment? And why has India, a historically vegetarian society, developed a taste for red meat as it has become more and more Westernized? As you’ll see, why and what we eat is more than a simple matter of taste.

Whether it was Galileo's observation of the solar system in the 16th century or Darwin's publication of Origin of the Species in the 19th, scientific advancements have a history of running up against theological doctrine. But do these discoveries disprove the existence of a God, or merely upset religious narratives? We'll wrestle with the questions of existence—both God's and ours—looking to religious tradition, philosophical argument, and scientific research for insight into ethics, morality, and the meaning of life. Does God exist? Can secular philosophies like humanism and existentialism replace the role of religion? Do commonalities in Jesus’ and the Buddha’s teachings confirm a single, true morality? Are there phenomena that can only be explained by the existence of a supreme being? Or is the notion of God, as evolutionary scientist Richard Dawkins contends, simply a man-made, centuries-old delusion?

Have it your way. Obey your thirst. Make a run for the border. Do the Dew. I’m lovin’ it. Are you? Join the Exploration marketing team as we investigate the history of advertising and brand-management and create our own Exploration marketing campaign. Along the way, you’ll have the chance to become a project manager, art director, and graphic designer. We’ll develop catchphrases, ads, flyers, and billboards and conduct demographic field tests to give you a hands-on look at the effectiveness of various marketing techniques. Advertising: you can do it; we can help.

The only way to understand the workings of a courtroom—and seek out the truth—is to stand in the shoes of each participant in the court. After familiarizing yourself with the facts in an actual criminal case, you’ll experience the drama by taking the side of prosecution or defense. You’ll develop and present your case, grill witnesses in direct examinations, bark out “Objection!” at improper courtroom protocol, and enrich your character as a witness on the stand. From opening statements to closing arguments, you’ll improve your public speaking skills, get a better sense of the judicial system, and be served a full dose of Explo justice as we take your trial to mock court.

It's often said that America was founded on the principle of separation of church and state. But what do documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Gettysburg Address, and the Pledge of Allegiance reveal about America’s beliefs about God's role in government? Is there a place for prayer in school? Or for the Ten Commandments in a courthouse? Do Judeo-Christian traditions hold greater authority (too much authority?) in American governance compared to other religions? Are there some political issues that religion should have a say in (abortion) and others (worker pay) that it should not? To answer that question is to begin to probe the central issue of the debate itself: that is, can church and state every really, truly be separate . . . or is there an inevitable intermingling?

How do dictators come into power and why do societies allow them to rule? These are some of the questions we’ll consider as we analyze the rise and fall of current and past dictators. You’ll become familiar with the historical context that aided the rise of Caesar, Hitler, and Mao Tse Tung and understand how they used repetition of phrases and allusion to myths to gain power. We’ll role-play situations involving infamous dictators to gain awareness of the allure and detriments of their powerful positions, and we’ll watch clips of speeches to discuss how language and media are manipulated by leaders in order to coerce people into submission. As we gain a critical perspective on the persuasive power of world leaders, we’ll analyze current trends in global affairs for some interesting parallels.

“You’re fired!” While you won’t hear those words during your Explo apprenticeship, that doesn’t mean it won’t be challenging. Working in teams, you’ll be assigned a series of tasks designed to develop (and test) your business sense and networking skills. You might be asked to administrate and coordinate an Explo dance, influence Explo students to wear the color orange on Tuesday, or gross the highest profit at an Explo lemonade stand. Although the classroom will be a competitive environment, everyone will be a winner as you learn to prepare a budget, identify a market, and improve your business management skills.

Big Macs in every country in the world . . . pizza delivery orders in the US being taken by operators in India . . . instant messaging between Beijing and Barcelona. Globalization makes all this possible, but at what cost? We’ll look at the historical context of globalization and explore the role technology has played in its development. Through a series of debates and role-plays, we’ll investigate the complexities and issues surrounding outsourcing and the effects that information and cultural exchange have on industrial and third-world nations. We’ll conclude with a mock summit, where you’ll address the local and global issues of a fictional nation. Will your country become a homogenous cog in the global wheel? A marginalized player? A world leader? The fate of globalization is in your hands.

Some politicians have said that the Iraqi detainees at Guantanamo Bay were not entitled to the rights afforded prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention. Can you find evidence in the Geneva Convention or the Constitution to support or refute this statement? From lawmakers to lawsuits, join us as we investigate, debate, and argue before a mock Supreme Court, the Constitutional foundation behind controversial issues like this one—as well as issues like same-sex marriage, protection of privacy, and the death penalty. As we look to understand the scope of Constitutional law, we’ll find out if there really can be liberty and justice for all.

Put a little menthol gel on your upper lip. It will help when you first encounter the smell of a week-old corpse. Join us as we learn about the history of forensics (from Sherlock Holmes to modern day CSI) by reconstructing the science of actual case studies. We’ll use real shells and slugs to practice ballistic fingerprinting, debate the ethical question of maintaining DNA databases of suspected criminals, and learn how to establish time of death based on different stages of insect development in a corpse. And you had better pay attention, because in the final week, your class will be assigned to a mock forensics case that will demand all of the laboratory and sleuthing skills you can muster.

No one in the world has the same perceptive capabilities that you have. Join us as we learn the inner-workings of our senses of smell, sight, taste, touch, and hearing. You’ll discover how fast-action potentials travel through neurons as we conduct experiments on papillary response and motor commands. To understand how we develop our sense of taste, you’ll count papillae on the tongue to evaluate a subject’s sensitivity to a variety of foods. We’ll conduct a variety of experiments and develop a better understanding of the scientific process as we analyze data and formulate conclusions about how our senses function. Jump into our crash course in neuroscience and get ready to better perceive the way we perceive things.

Your mission: to construct a tower that can stand on its own for at least one minute using only one sheet of paper and 20 inches of tape. Or, perhaps it will be to make a boat out of one piece of aluminum that will float for at least a minute while holding more pennies than any other group’s. Either way, through a variety of hands-on and challenging projects, you will be introduced to dynamic computational engineering tools and will explore the fundamental concepts of engineering and design. This exciting introduction to the work of engineers will give you valuable insight into a wide range of engineering applications and put the power to build squarely in your hands.

What if, in a game of rock-paper-scissors, you knew that the odds were your opponent would throw ‘rock’ the play after he throws ‘paper’? Or what if a company knew that by offering four variations of their candy bar, consumers would be more likely to buy it? From poker games and business cartels, to the grocery store aisles and The Price is Right stage, the statistics and strategy of game theory can be applied across many aspects of life. Together, we’ll play the numbers and, based on what they reveal, learn how to make rational, personally advantageous decisions. We’ll also practice manipulating those numbers—whether it’s to beat a friend in blackjack or ace a multiple choice test—to shift the odds permanently in our favor.

What do you get when you cross the genius of A Beautiful Mind with the ingenuity of James Bond? Cryptography. Learn how to make and break codes using probability, patterns, and mathematical equations. We’ll look at the real world applications of codes. Without them, Caesar may never have had an empire, Hitler might have won WWII, and you might not be making secure credit card purchases on eBay. We’ll look at the implications of cryptography from its incarnation in Egypt to its current effect on commerce, civil liberties, and law enforcement. Step aside, Professor Nash, this is cryptography for anybody’s mind.

Recent advances in genetic engineering present the modern world with two questions: (1) What are the possibilities? and (2) What are the consequences? For instance, gene alteration can increase crop production and shorten growing seasons, but crops with similar genetic make-ups leave us vulnerable to disease and may be unsafe to consume. Join us as we explore the science and ethics of genetic engineering. We will learn how allele pairing affects genetic traits, extract live DNA in the laboratory, and use Legos to simulate transgenic and knockout techniques used to modify genetic sequencing. Throughout the course, we’ll continue to debate the potential risks and rewards of genetic engineering—from its potential impact on biological warfare to issues surrounding human cloning.

A cry goes out for help. Can you handle it? Join us as we teach you to respond to emergencies and tend to everything from simple scrapes to severe injuries. Emergency response requires quick thinking and immediate actions, so we’ll focus our attention on emergency scene assessment—learning how to identify concussions, shock, and choking victims. We’ll also learn how to set broken bones and how to treat for major bleeding. As we practice the proper response to heart attacks, we’ll master using AEDs to stabilize victims and CPR techniques for victim resuscitation. In the end, you’ll have gained the confidence and skill to be a part of any life-sustaining team.

[Please note: students enrolled in this course have the option to become Red Cross First Aid, Infant/Child First Aid, CPR and AED certified if they elect to take the optional certification exam at the conclusion of the course.]

Throw on your detective hat, grab a calculator, and get ready to join a different type of math team. Together, we’ll learn how to use behavioral game theory to predict suspect movement, logic theory to forecast the next location in a crime spree, logistic regression equations to narrow a field of potential suspects, and carbon-14 dating to determine the age of bones. At the end of the course, we’ll put all of our training to the test, and solve an active mock-criminal case using our wits, our sleuthing skills, and the overwhelming power of mathematics.

What are you so afraid of? Actually, the better question is: Why are you so afraid of the things you're so afraid of? In this course, you'll get to explore the psychological basis for fear. We'll identify how cultural fears are perpetuated (think: spiders and boogeymen) and discuss case studies that analyze the origins of psychological fears (claustrophobia or a fear of heights, for example). We'll also look at the other side of things—testing and observing for the evolutionary benefits of fear, worry, and trepidation. Why do our hearts race when we're scared? Why do we freeze out of fear? Why do scary moments etch themselves in our memory? Why are we reluctant to take risks? Together, we'll discover that we may not like being scared-to-death—but that our fearful instincts may be the very things that keep us alive and kicking.