Pursuit of Knowledge - Practical Humanities Edition
Middle School
Summary
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Participative, discussion-based learning model.
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Weekly deliverable: Preparation for participation in-class activities.
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End of Session Display of Learning: Round table discussion on an issue of interest.
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Class size: 20 student max.
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Student assessment provided with special request.
Session Dates
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Session 1: September 15- October 22, 2020
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Session 2: October 27- December 10, 2020
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Session 3: January 5- February 11, 2021
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Session 4: February 23- April 8, 2021
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Session 5: April 20- May 27, 2021
tuition
We acknowledge that we are in a pandemic, in which many students need both high-quality education and financial assistance.
We are offering a sliding scale model, from $100- 300.
Course Description
This course is designed for middle school students who want a substantial, fun learning experience in humanities in addition to their pandemic era school instruction, without extensive homework requirements.
Each 6-week session will be themed on a cross-disciplinary issue within the field of humanities, which will focus the educational experience towards deep understanding and a final deliverable. The themes for this year include:
(i) Elections & Voting Issues;
(ii) Nuclear Proliferation;
(iii) Art, History and Cultural Artifacts;
(iv) Human Rights: Police & the State, and
(v) US-China Relations.
Students will meet twice per week for participative, collaborative or competitive academic or social challenges, as well as any necessary briefings to execute them. Limited, guided research and preparation will be performed in between classes.
This is an interdisciplinary course within the field of humanities and social sciences, which could include politics, economics, history, law, art, and other related fields. This course is designed to develop an interest in these fields of study, as well as a passion for discussion, debate, and learning.
For our final event, parents and guests will be invited to an online event in which students will display the learning done over the previous 6 weeks.
This year, we are also collaborating with the Argonaut School, led by the legendary educator Chris Balme. We highly recommend including a social-emotional learning component for students undergoing pandemic era online school. Check out their course below!
Learning IntentionS
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To raise awareness and interest of important political, social, historical or economic issues;
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To instruct on media literacy, critical thinking, and basic analysis methods;
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To develop skills related to informed discussion, including research, argumentation, and social tact.
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To develop academic confidence and love of learning.
Dates & Duration
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Middle School Level (6th-8th)
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Live Class time: Two classes per week, 50 minutes each, on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-2:50 pm
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Asynchronous time estimate: 2 hours per week.
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Session Dates
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Session 1: September 15- October 22, 2020
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Session 2: October 27- December 10, 2020
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Session 3: January 5- February 11, 2021
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Session 4: February 23- April 8, 2021
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Session 5: April 20- May 27, 2021
Financial assistance policy
Our intention is to provide high-quality education for all motivated students. With that in mind, we will not reject any motivated student solely for financial reasons. We offer full and partial scholarships, and are committed to working with parents to work out solutions. If you wish you to request financial assistance, please check the appropriate box in our booking form.
Social emotional learning
This pandemic has brought significant isolation to our students, but a meaningful connection with others is still possible. The opportunity to share the experience of adolescence with similarly aged peers creates significant emotional well- being, which a fundamental precursor to good learning. We highly recommend that parents consider a social emotional learning component during social distancing.
In particular, we highly recommend the work led by Chris Balme. I met Chris at the Millennium School, which he co-founded and led as Head of School during its first three years. Chris is a genuinely kind individual, with a deep understanding of adolescent development and on how to create settings for great learning. See more below.
Pair with Social Emotional Learning: the Argonaut School
Argonaut is a live, online program that brings together small groups of middle schoolers to discover their strengths, explore their identity, and find ways to contribute to the world.
It's built on the success of Millennium School, which has pioneered innovative social-emotional learning tools based on adolescent neuroscience. Millennium's founding Head of School, Chris Balme, designed Argonaut alongside a team of education innovators. Their aim is to offer something every middle schooler needs to thrive: a high-trust group of peers to adventure with, even in this distanced era.
Argonaut works by creating safe spaces where students can speak authentically, listen deeply, and discuss what is most important to them. Within that tight-knit group, students complete a series of individual challenges, facilitated online but done away from the screen, which help them concretely build social-emotional intelligence. The challenges range from keeping a personal journal for self-reflection, to deconstructing ads, to learning conflict resolution tools, and dozens more. Each is a step toward building confidence, kindness, and the skills to navigate a complex world.