Your responsibilities
as an instructor
PAST COURSES:
Previous Odds & Ends Courses
ADVENTURES IN AFRICA
Grades 2-4 Class maximum: 8
Jambo! If you thought you learned a lot about Africa from The Lion King, think again . . . here's your chance to explore a fascinating country filled with amazing animals, fabulous dancing and music, wonderful stories and legends, and incredibly varied geography. You'll try it all, and construct a jungle to boot! Jessica spent a year in Botswana and Kenya and is an experienced AIL instructor, while Jenise knows a lot about Africa and about kids.
ADVENTURES IN AFRICA
Grades 3-4 Class maximum: 8-10
Instructor: Liz Costley (WES parent)
Venture into East Africa with a former Peace Corps volunteer to learn about this fascinating region. Explore the geography, go on a safari, try native crafts and games, learn the basics of Kiswahili and meet people from our community who grew up in Africa. There will be a new snack to try each week, as well! Mrs. Costley lived in Tanzania for two years.
ADVENTURES IN INDIA
Grades 2-3 Class maximum: 6
Exotic India beckons! Experience the variety and vast scope of this amazing country: Try on a sari or turban! Cook some favorite Indian snacks! Play a traditional tabla! Hear wonderful stories! Mandip has visited India several times and speaks Hindi and Punjabi. He plays Indian musical instruments and volunteers with America Reads.
AROUND THE WORLD IN JUST 5 DAYS
Grades 4-5 Class maximum: 10
Sign up for a smorgasbord of stories, a festival of fun and a twirl of travel! You'll learn about a lot of different places: Asia, India, Africa, Europe and South America; focusing on different crafts, customs and traditions in each. Christine and Amanda are experienced AIL instructors, with an interest in multi-cultural traditions and events.
EXPERIENCE INDIA!
Grades 2-4 Class maximum: 10
India is an amazing country, with an ancient history, many different peoples and languages, and a long tradition of fascinating songs, stories, and dance. In this class you'll learn a whole lot about India from Sarah and Shilpa, who have spent time there. You'll enjoy hands-on experiences like dressing up in traditional clothing, tasting Indian snacks, playing instruments and seeing an Indian film (did you know that India produces more movies than any other country in the world?)
THE GREAT DEBATE: FUN WITH PHILOSOPHY
Grades 5-6 Class maximum: 10
People have been asking themselves the same questions for thousands of years: What is justice? How do we become moral people? How should we behave to one another? What should we expect from our government? And for thousands of years, philosophers have tried to answer these questions. In this course, you'll learn some of the fundamental principles of philosophy (but not through boring lectures!) With skits, art projects and the basic methods of debating, you'll really be a part of the discussion. The last class will consist of a real debate on a topic selected by the class. The instructors have a lot of combined experience as debaters and philosophy students.
IF THE CATS ARE GREEN . . . (LOGICALLY SPEAKING)
Grades 5-6 Class maximum: 10
Instructor: Nean Laidlaw, WES parent
If the cats are green, then will the violin write a poem? Find out in this challenging but rewarding class, which introduces students to the excruciatingly delightful pursuit of logic. Games and puzzles are mixed with formal theory, and the instructor promises "huge globs of oversized fun!" This is a pretty rigorous course, so you should be motivated to really use your brain.
THE MYTHOLOGY OF STAR WARS
Grades 4-6 Class maximum: 8
Centuries of mythic tradition can be explored in the well-known Star Wars trilogy. See how these popular movies (which may seem ancient to you!) encompass a variety of different myths, legends and traditions. Play Star Wars "Jeopardy" and create your own version of a great myth. Both instructors have worked with kids and know a lot about Star Wars and classical mythology.
OLD-FASHIONED EXPERIENCES
Grades 2-3 Class maximum: 10
Do you love reading about how people lived in "olden times?" Are you fascinated by places like Williamsburg or Sturbridge Village? Here's your chance to go back in the past and learn some skills that are still worth knowing today, like knitting and sewing, baking, and candle-making.
OUT OF THIS WORLD
Grades 4-5 Class maximum: 10
UFOs . . . the Bermuda Triangle . . . ESP . . . the Lochness Monster. The world is full of mysteries that intrigue, frustrate and even frighten us. Explore a variety of unsolved mysteries, examine the wonder and the skepticism that surround them and make up your own mind. Jay taught this course two years ago, and he and Patrick look forward to investigating the unknown with you!
PASSPORT TO ADVENTURE - AROUND THE WORLD IN A FEW DAYS
Grades 3-5 Class maximum: 8
It's hard to travel much when you're in school all the time, but here's your chance to explore some places you might want to visit sometime. Possible destinations include China, Ghana, Mexico, Israel and India. You'll create a personal passport/scrapbook full of souvenirs from your travels - pictures, stories, songs and music, calligraphy, new words and phrases. . . the world's the limit! You'll try some new snacks, too, but don't put those in your scrapbooks! Maureen is a returning AIL teacher, and both instructors have traveled extensively and speak several languages.
THAT'S DEBATABLE!
Grades 5-6 Class maximum: 10
Pro or con - here's your chance to take a stand and really have people listen to you. This course will teach you to think fast and speak clearly on any subject. You'll watch college debaters in action and learn to brainstorm and prepare an argument for either side of an issue. The finale will be a full-fledged debate on a topic chosen through brainstorming sessions. Vicki and Annaliis are experienced debaters and have done a lot of tutoring.