Mini-Course Listings | Senior Program

Afternoon Option: Mini-Courses Mini-courses are investigations into a variety of subjects, allowing you to sample from a breadth of academic, athletic, and cultural disciplines. They are created, developed, and taught by Exploration faculty and are new every summer. If you choose the mini-course option, you will take two different mini-courses (one 300 numbered mini-course and one 400 numbered mini-course) over the duration of each session. To sign up for mini-courses, check off the mini-course option on the application and you will receive a mini-course sign-up form after enrollment.

Mini-courses meet for a total of seven hour-long periods. Students who choose not to enroll in mini-courses must enroll in a Princeton Review course during the afternoon academic period.

2010 Senior Program Mini-Course Listings

Read This The following mini-courses were offered in the summer of 2010. While we will offer a similar range of mini-courses in 2011, specific mini-courses may change. New mini-course listings will be announced in the spring of 2011.

Athletics + Recreation
M301	M401	Crew Our crew sports clinic will introduce you to rowing in Yale’s championship-quality training tanks. Join us and learn how to simultaneously keep your oar in the oarlock, move up and down your slides, and pull together as a team to keep your boat moving through the water. You will spend the last two days of this clinic at Yale’s boathouse, putting your practice to work on a rowing barge in the Housatonic River. Please Note: The crew sports clinic is a special alternative mini-course. It costs $175 and takes the place of a regular afternoon mini-course. The "Sports + Athletics" page provides complete information on the crew sports clinic. To enroll in the crew clinic, please contact our Admissions Office at 781.762.7400.
M302	M402	Soccer Whether you call it soccer or football, come bend it like Beckham as you develop your game. We'll focus on fundamental passing, dribbling, and shooting techniques, as well as basic strategy, with plenty of time for practicing these skills in both drills and games. Please bring your own shin guards and mouthguard.
M303		Touch Football To run or to pass, that will be the question. Or at least one of the many questions we consider as we strategize offensive attacks and coordinate defensive schemes in games of touch football.
M304		Basketball Perfect your jumper. Practice ball-handling. Oh, and don't forget to work on that no-look pass. This summer, hit the court for some skills, drills, and pick-up scrimmages that will help sharpen your game.
M305		Yoga Learn the half moon, sun warrior, and downward facing dog positions. Strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and center your mind during this introduction to the physical and spiritual workout of yoga.
M306		Girls Field Hockey Field hockey is one of the oldest sports known to man, with roots before the first Greek Olympic games. In this class, you'll discuss, diagram, and practice the strategies, drills, and game-winning moves that you'll need to master the game's fundamentals.
M307		Uechi-Ryu Karate Karate isn't all swift kicks and punches -- you need to know proper stance and breathing techniques, too. This mini will introduce you to the basics of the Uechi-Ryu form of karate, as you work individually and with others on your skills.
	M403	Baseball It's America's favorite pastime for a reason! Take this opportunity to work on your fundamentals and explore aspects of baseball strategy and technique.
	M404	Fencing Come learn the eight target areas of foil fencing through call and response drills designed to work on attack and defense techniques. En Garde!
	M405	Ultimate Frisbee Sure, there are lots of ways to throw a frisbee, but you'll need time-proven skills and smarts if you want to win a good game of Ultimate. In this course, we'll start small, learning rules of the game and basic disc control, before moving on to the formations, techniques, and strategies you'll need to win in this college campus favorite.
	M406	Beginning Girls Lacrosse The oldest team sport in North America, lacrosse used to include teams of up to 1,000 on a field that stretched over a mile. In this mini-course, you'll learn the fundamentals of the modern (and much smaller) game, including stickwork, footwork, and both offensive and defensive strategy.
	M407	Chess A classic game of strategy on a simple 8x8 board, chess is a puzzle of tactics, misdirection, and the occasional full-on frontal attack. We'll introduce you to the logic and maneuvers of the game -- showing you how to pin, fork, and skewer your opponent -- so you'll have what it takes to win.

Performance + Visual Arts
M311		Swing Dance Jump, jive, and wail! Grab a partner and jitterbug . . . then turn around and Lindy hop. Get ready to learn dance moves that developed in the 20s and 30s and are still popular today.
M312		Scene Design In this mini, you will learn the art of scene design by looking at musicals and plays, creating mini-sets, and understanding that the backstage work of building is just as important as learning the lines.
M313		Jewelry Making Friendship bracelets in first grade were just the beginning. In this class, you won't be limited to box braids -- you'll work with wire and beads, experiment with different materials, and create unique pieces of jewelry to show off even after Explo ends.
M314		Cartoon Drawing Whether you call them "the funnies," "comics," or just plain old "cartoons," you can certainly agree that the affect of comic strips on newspapers has always been huge. But have you ever thought that you could do better? Well, in this course, we'll put pencil to paper, to write the storylines, draw each scene, and print our very own "funny papers."
	M411	Step Dancing Learn the moves of this unique art form while exploring its African origins and its spread throughout the United States. Choreograph your own step routines, integrating spoken word, hip hop dance, and formation changes into your performances, while developing your strength, stamina, precision, creativity, and flair.
	M412	Movement Improvisation Maybe the thought of dancing has you a little . . . embarrassed. How do people look so comfortable dancing the night away? In this mini, you'll get comfortable moving to your own beat and dancing with others. You'll improvise movement, experiment with different techniques, and find your own personal groove.
	M413	Audition Skills Picture yourself on-stage, alone, heart pounding, with the chance to prove yourself to a big-time Broadway director. Sound stressful? Yes, the audition can feel like the most anxiety-inducing part of an actor's career, but a bit of preparation is all it takes. In this course, we'll discuss and practice monologues, setting you up for celebrity success.
	M414	Basics of Sound Recording Once upon a time, people recorded albums in studios. Now, anyone can grab a mic and make some mp3s. By using open source software and a microphone, you'll learn some of the basics of sound manipulation and recording and be on your way to YouTube music stardom.
	M415	Museum Studies: Yale Art Gallery Deepen your knowledge of artistic practices. Develop and hone your observational skills. And explore new modes of self-expression. Using the Yale Art Gallery as our classroom, we will examine its collections, concluding by curating our own special exhibition.
	M416	Eco Smart Arts In this course, we'll take arts and crafts to a new level, creating books, stationery, and public art out of stuff that would otherwise end up in the dumpster. With just a few good ideas, we'll turn our rubbish into beauty and our carbon footprint into a piece of art.

Government, Politics, + the Law
M321		A Generation Lost in the Trenches World War I: Armies stretched from the Marne to the Dardanelles. 60 million European soldiers mobilized. An entire generation decimated. We'll analyze the strategy and tactics of the "Great War" and explore what caused countries from four continents to become embroiled in combat.
M322		Myths + Realities of the CIA Being in the CIA isn't all hidden shoe phones and 007 action sequences. We've heard and seen things about spies, but what do they really do? Are there really secret agents like Jason Bourne out there? You'll learn some of the myths and realities of intelligence organizations, exploring what it's really like to be a spy.
M323		Citizens of Nowhere Darfur to Lebanon. Mexico to America. Thousands of people are displaced from their homes every day. In this course, we will track modern refugee migration and explore the political causes of exodus by examing the music, film, and personal accounts of refugees, both past and present.
M324		International Poverty + Development Why are some countries poor and others rich? What can you do to help balance inequality? Gain a multifaceted view of international poverty as you examine its economic, political, environmental, and social impacts, and raise awareness about global inequality and development.
M325		Online Privacy From Facebook and MySpace, to internet banking and purchasing, to chat rooms and online dating, the web has reshaped our notion of privacy. We will take a look at a variety of security risks, how online sites are responding, and how you can protect yourself while still being an active citizen of the online world.
	M421	Child Advocacy All around the globe, children are being born into difficult situations. Whether the tough circumstances are due to social order, economic class, or physical disability, many children need help to succeed in the new world. We'll explore the benefits and ramifications of children's advocacy groups, as well as what we can do to help children in need to prosper in modern society.
	M422	So You Believe in Democracy? The Ancient Greeks had a democracy -- but so did Ancient India and the Iroquois tribe. Today, there are representative democracies, parliamentary democracies, direct democracies . . . and each is different. In this course, we'll study the definition of a Democratic society, drawing comparisons between our modern world and democracies of the past, and creating a re-imagined government of our own design.
	M423	Beats + Hippies It's hard to believe that the black turtlenecks of the Beat era led to the tie-dye of Woodstock. The push against "the establishment" gave birth to a genre of art, music, and writing -- making way for one of America's biggest cultural revolutions. In this course, you'll examine these two eras and how they meant big change for American culture.
	M424	Peaceful Negotiation: Mediation Negotiations can be tricky, no matter where they take place -- the United Nations, a courtroom, or even with your friends. A peaceful resolution of conflict is no simple trick, and in this mini, you will learn the skills and language you'll need to get through some of the toughest situations.

Media Studies
M331		Dance in Film Explore dance in popular modern movies, classical performance films, and viral YouTube clips from the internet. In addition to learning the moves, we'll look at how these popular portrayals have affected the dance world.
M332		Zombies in Popular Culture What is the connection between Night of the Living Dead and the Vietnam War? By examining a variety of zombie fiction, we will seek to gain a deeper understanding of the parallels between zombies in fiction and the state of the world, recognizing how zombie narratives can be seen as commentaries on the world at large.
M333		Sesame Street Psychology "Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street?" Delve more deeply into this mainstay of children's entertainment, exploring how kids interact with and react to the images and stories they see on television. You'll see not just fun and learning, but also what the lessons in shows like Sesame Street say about our broader culture and society.
M334		Physics in Film In this course, we will explore the concepts of physics as they appear in popular films -- from Back to the Future to October Sky. By examining what's borrowed from real science, we'll discover what is and isn't true.
	M431	Comic Books in Movies IronMan, the X-Men, Spider-Man. These superheroes aren't confined to comic books and Saturday morning cartoons anymore. They have evolved into a complex and popular form of cinema. In this course students will explore a variety of directors and films, and will come to see superhero cinema not just as a genre but as a unique medium for telling stories.
	M432	Happily Ever After . . . Right? Boy meets girl. They hate each other. Time passes and they think, you know, maybe we don't hate each other. They fall in love. They get married. The end. Movies make romance look easy but it rarely is that simple in real life. In this course, we'll compare cinematic love with the real version, and try to figure out the truth in happily ever after.
	M433	Shakespeare Goes to the Movies They say that Shakespeare wrote his plays to be seen by the common man of Elizabethan England. So what happens when these blue collar plays become high budget movies? Does a classic play like Romeo and Juliet need to be modernized? By looking at some recent interpretations and classic tellings of Shakespeare, you'll begin to appreciate how the Bard can stand the test of time.
	M434	How TV Has Shaped Our Personalities What does Indiana Jones have to do with your personality? Can an animated character like Bart Simpson really affect your life? We'll analyze a variety of films and TV shows to discover the impact that characters from both the big and small screen have on mannerisms, character traits, and trends within popular culture.
	M435	What Is An American? "The Average American" is everywhere, making appearances in political rhetoric and the media, among other places. This summer, cast a critical eye on these representations and explore how this much-invoked image continues to evolve.
	M436	OMG 411: How Virtual Communication is Changing Language When was the last time you spelled out "Y-O-U" in a text message? The rise in online and texting communication has created a new generational language that is changing how we communicate. Analyzing you and your friends' chatting and texting habits, we'll look at how this new language evolved, where it's going, and what it says about our relationships.

Business + Logic
M341		Public Relations Try your hand at public relations as you plan, publicize, and promote your very own Explo event. You'll utilize social media, networking, and the public as you learn how to maneuver the world of public relations.
M342		Brain Benders Can game shows and card games be figured out through logic? Using brain teasers, logic games, and reasoning principles, you will tackle and solve logic problems that go beyond simple math.
M343		Sustainable Solutions Sure, you recycle and ride your bike, but what would happen if your entire school went green? In this course, we'll take a look at how Yale University has implemented a "green solution" on their campus -- through recycling, construction, and even with the food their cafeteria serves. Best yet, you'll see how you can make these steps in your life.
M344		Investing On A Budget Ask Donald Trump how he became one of the wealthiest people in the world and he'll tell you -- it's all about investments. And what better way to find financial success than starting small (really small) and making it big? We'll show you how to turn pennies into dollars, and dollars into thousands, while discussing the function of investments in a free-market economy. Look out, Wall Street!
M345		Event Planning How do you plan a fundraiser? Or a friend's birthday party? What are the keys to making sure everything comes off without a hitch? In this mini-course, you'll be working to create the perfect get together for Explo students. You'll plan and create an activity for your friends and see who's ready to hire you for their next big bash.
	M441	Hotel Management How do you keep guests happy and always coming back when they're in town? This summer, you'll develop a business plan for a five-star hotel -- combining comfort, ammenities, and style with seamless, top-of-the-line service.
	M442	Elements of the First Impression You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Whether you're meeting with a college representative or interviewing for a big job, everything comes down to those first important moments. We'll discover how to make the most of it, discussing the tact, skills, and social expectations necessary to start strong, in any situation.
	M443	Sports Marketing Drink Gatorade and play like pros? Don some Nike gear and make it to the big leagues? Is it really that easy? In this mini, we'll look at how sports marketing works. From quarterback to consumer, marathon runner to weekend warrior, how do businesses get people to buy their brand?
	M444	The Cash Crop With all the laws and bills about farming, the regulations regarding pesticides, and the floods, tornados, and diseases that may come at any time, how do farmers make it through a season? This mini will look at what it means to be a farmer in America today -- in business, in regulation, and why more people are digging in despite the risks.
	M445	Environmental Ethics Do resources on Earth exist for man alone? This course explores ethical and philosophical issues that arise when we consider the relationship between humans and the natural world. You'll explore different ideas about environmental ethics and come to your own moral conclusions on many of today's hot topics.
	M446	I'm On a Bike Ever been on a cross-country road trip? Better yet, have you ever done it on a bicycle? In this course, we'll show you how, discussing the most important points of seeing the world from a two-wheeled perspective. Also, we'll learn to perform basic maintenance and plot our own self-powered adventures.

Language + Writing
M351		Philosophy of Shel Silverstein Is there a light in your attic? Where does your sidewalk end? Shell Silverstein's work offers timeless wisdom and humor for both children and adults. What are the messages beneath his works that make them so well loved? Why does his work often seem both comical and sad? We'll take a look at Silverstein's work and maybe even try our own hand at penning poems in the Silverstein style.
M352		Developing Your Fictional Voice Fiction doesn't seem so hard, but once you start writing . . . well, that's when things can begin to get a little tricky. How much truth can be in fiction? How do you help your peers become better writers? And how will their comments help you? This mini will have you reading and writing fiction -- developing a unique style and honing the tools of critique and feedback.
M353		Create a Character Hamlet. Citizen Kane. Forrest Gump. George Costanza. How do you create enduring characters, on the stage or on the screen? We'll look at a variety of famous characters, and analyze how their writers reveal them to us. As we go, you'll create distinct characters of your own, drawing their personalities and telling unique story.
M354		Travel Writing Sometimes the best way to travel is through a book. What makes someone's roadtrip to Wisconsin just as thrilling as backpacking through Europe? How can spending a summer in New Haven be as enthralling for the reader as it was for the traveler? This mini will get you writing about your own adventures -- no matter how far you are from home.
M355		Language Myths Is it true that certain languages are harder to learn than others? Does "standard English" even exist? Is there such a thing as having no accent? We'll re-evaluate our assumptions about language, looking to understand its subtle, slippery nature and the difficulty that comes with finding the "right" word.
M356		Poetry of Hip Hop Poetry is not just the archaic language of our ancestors -- it surrounds our lives and our ears. We'll draw connections between the work of classic poets and the lyrics of modern day hip hop artists as we examine the writing, substance, and emotion behind the rap.
M357		Vampires in Literature Whether you're a card-carrying member of Team Edward or an amateur Van Helsing, you know that vampire literature is all the rage. But what's the key to writing a vampire tale? Starting with 18th century poetry and moving through the original Dracula, we'll explore these answers and more, dissecting the creepy qualities that make the modern monster.
	M451	Cultural Journalism Hone your skills at a basic but daunting task of journalism: the critical review. Practice backing up your ideas with research and temporing your audience's reactions with some critical perspective. These are skills that will serve you both in pitching ideas for reviews to your school newspaper and for crafting top-notch blog reading.
	M452	Visualizing Language What are the boundaries between visual and verbal expression? We'll use words and build them into shapes to create pieces with multiple meanings and interpretations. You'll write concrete poems, calligrammes, and other shape poetry, exploring the possibilities for how we can re-make meaning.
	M453	A Moveable Feast: Writing About Food Have you ever heard a description of food that just makes your mouth water? What about one that makes you feel sick to your stomach? This is the subtle work of food writers, whose job it is to put the indescribable goodness or grossness of each bite into your hungry imagination. Studying their craft, we'll survey the work of some of the best food writers and critics, deciphering the types of words that it takes to get stomachs rumbling.
	M454	Blogging + Online Writing From Politico, to the Huffington Post, to your local newspaper online, up-to-the-minute blog reporting has changed the face of journalism and how we stay "in touch." We will explore the styles, venues, and skills of online writing, and try our hand at creating our own blog-worthy material.

Psychology, Sociology, + Culture
M361		Healing Music and Sound What is the sound of one hand clapping? How much noise does silence make? In this course, we'll study the psychological impact of music and our personal relationship to the dynamics of sound, to discover the meaningful impact that rhythm and melody can have on the human mind.
M362		Francophonics Parlez-vous francais? In this class, you will! This introductory course is designed to bring you through a study of French culture in cinema, literature, current events, and more. Along the way, you'll learn the basics of communicating in the language, teaching you the necessary phrases to talk the talk en francais.
M363		Contentious Traditions Some Western countries have strict rules about what Muslims can wear. In many third world nations, governments have sanctioned (or turned a blind eye) to rituals considered brutal by many. In this course, we'll look at the history, elements, and meaning of many controversial traditions around the world, exploring just what it takes for something to constitute a social taboo.
M364		Carnival and Caribbean Culture Come explore the history and cultural significance of Carnival through its music, imagery, and food. Examine the similarities and differences of Mardi Gras in New Orleans to the Carnival celebrations of South America as we experience Caribbean culture by taking part in one of its most unique traditions.
M365		Arabic Culture and Society In this course, we'll develop an ear for Arabic language, examine the five pillars of Islam, investigate the political interplay between Middle Eastern states, and explore the contrast between cultural stereotypes and realities. We'll ask not only how the Arab world is being Westernized, but how our world is being "Arabicized."
	M461	Gender Communication How do we see gender in our everyday communication? In this course, we will pose age-old questions about manhood, womanhood, and society's influence over how the sexes communicate. In discussing prominent critical theories and examining the role of the media, this course will introduce students to the complexities of a world with constantly shifting gender norms.
	M462	Dealing With Stress Some days, you just want to drop everything and go on vacation. Other days, even the vacation sounds like a lot of work. In this course, we'll examine ways of coping, from Eastern practices like meditation and yoga to traditional ideas like getting a good night's sleep. After this course (and a deep breath or two), you'll be ready for anything the world can throw at you.
	M463	Sociology of Tea + Coffee We all have our favorite Starbucks drink, but do you know where its ingredients are produced? Or what the working conditions are at the production plants? We'll explore the historical and cultural impact of tea and coffee, as well as how the drinks have become an integral part of many cultures . . . not to mention the global economy.
	M464	Spanish for Travelers Quick, what currency do they use in Spain? How do you find the bathroom if you can't speak a word of espanol? Fear not! In this course, you'll get a crash course in the basics of one of the world's most common languages so that you can find your way to La Rambla or Machu Picchu without having to break out the translation dictionary.
	M465	Physics + the Spiritual World Sometimes it seems like science and religion are at odds with each other. But what happens when you apply concepts of physics like quantum mechanics to prayer? By looking at the basic concepts of physics and applying them to the ideas of a spiritual world, this class looks to see if science and spirituality can work together.
	M466	Comparative Religious Practices What can possibly explain the huge variety of practices, rites, rituals, and beliefs among the world's religions? Examine what faith and spirituality mean across cultures as we discuss why people believe what they do and what that says about how they live.