Center for Summer Studies Course Descriptions

Thoughts From a Former TIP Participant

Sara Wrenn

View Video(1518 KB)

Note: Macromedia Flash Player 7 required to view video.

Course descriptions are listed alphabetically following the description of the five Center sites; the location and term of each course are indicated at the end of each course listing as well as the content area (Mathematics, Science, Social Science, and/or Humanities). Courses are described to the best of our ability; however, they are subject to interpretation by individual Instructors.

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A or B) This course will provide students with an introduction to psychological disorders and related theoretical concepts. The information reviewed will include diagnostic criteria, theories of etiology, treatment paradigms, sociological relevance, and current controversies associated with the area of psychopathology. In this course, students will apply information learned in class to case studies by entertaining hypotheses for diagnosis, developing an integrative formulation of cases based on relevant historical and contemporary information, and presenting basic treatment options. This course is open to current ninth and tenth graders only.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • History of mental illness
  • Schools of thought
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Gender identity disorders
  • Mood disorders
  • Personality disorders
  • Dissociative identity disorder
  • Schizophrenia
  • Eating disorders
  • Substance abuse
  • Childhood disorders

ALGEBRA I

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II
Wake Forest (one term only)

(Score Table A) Before enrolling in a Math Sequence course, please see additional information under Academics—Math Sequence Courses. This course introduces students to the fundamentals of algebraic concepts. Students will examine linear and quadratic expressions, equations, and functions in detail. This course also features an introduction to radical and exponential functions. This course will challenge students to sharpen their skills in data analysis and in problem solving. Graphing calculators will be used as mathematical tools throughout instruction and assessment. Instructors employ a variety of instructional methods including, but not limited to: large and small group problem solving sessions, lecture, and individual practice. Extra material will be studied on the Center level. A graphing calculator is required for this course. Please see requirements under Academics—Required Graphing Calculators.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Operations on numeric and algebraic expressions
  • Introduction to functions
  • Linear equations and absolute value functions
  • Systems of linear equations and inequalities
  • Operations on and factoring of polynomials
  • Quadratic equations and functions
  • Operations on and graphing of radical expressions
  • Exponential functions
  • Real world applications

ALGEBRA II

Offered: Davidson Term II
Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table A) Before enrolling in a Math Sequence course, please see additional information under Academics—Math Sequence Courses.In this course, students will study a variety of advanced algebraic concepts. Students will work towards a deeper understanding of functions, polynomials, rational expressions, exponential and logarithmic expressions, the real and complex number systems, and systems of equations and inequalities. This course also introduces students to analytic geometry through conic sections and linear algebra through matrices. Graphing calculators will be used as mathematical tools throughout instruction and assessment. Instructors employ a variety of instructional methods including, but not limited to, large and small group problem solving sessions, lecture, and individual practice. Extra material will be studied on the Center level. A graphing calculator is required for this course. Please see requirements under Academics—Required Graphing Calculators.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Function operations and inverses
  • Linear equations and absolute value functions
  • Matrix operations and solving linear systems
  • Operations on and factoring of polynomials
  • Quadratic equations and functions
  • Operations on and graphing of radical expressions
  • Exponential and logarithmic expressions
  • Conic sections
  • Sequences and series
  • Probability

ANATOMY, PHYSIOLOGY, AND MEDICAL ETHICS

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) Anatomy (the science of body structure) and physiology (the science of body function) cannot be understood without practical laboratory experience. In this course, students will utilize class exercises and laboratory time to observe and interpret chemical reactions, record data, make gross examinations of organ systems, dissect animals, conduct physiological laboratory work, and interpret and apply the results of this work. In addition, students will engage in inquiry-based learning by studying real patient case studies and performing investigations to reach a prognosis and diagnosis on the patient’s condition.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to laboratory procedure and safety
  • Skeletal systems
  • Skeletal muscles
  • Heart and blood vessels
  • Spinal cord, brain, and cranial nerves
  • Medical ethics
  • Genetic and neurological disorders
  • Respiratory system
  • Digestive system
  • Reproductive system

APOCALYPSE SOON: The End of the World in Myth, Literature, and Film

Offered: Duke East Term I

(Score Table B) In this interdisciplinary course, students will study mythological, historical, and religious conceptions of the end of the world, beginning with the Mayan prophesy and ending with such contemporary apocalyptic fears as global warming, oil dependency, and terrorism. Students will seek to understand why human societies seem so preoccupied with imagining their own annihilation at the hands of a catastrophic occurrence and the implications of this obsession. Student work in this course will be focused on analytical and creative writing, research, in-class presentation, and class discussion.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Mythological apocalypse theories
  • Historical apocalypse prophesies
  • Religious apocalypse predictions
  • Techno-futurism
  • Cold War and threat of nuclear holocaust
  • Millennialism
  • Contemporary apocalyptic fears

APPEARANCE vs. REALITY

Offered: Davidson Term I

(Score Table B) In this course, students will read various works of fiction to explore the differences between what seems to be real and what is real in the context of dreams and reality, memory and history, and instances of mistaken identity. Students will also discuss the idea of the masquerade, use of dramatic irony, and how illusions can confuse a person’s sense of what is real and what is imaginary. Literary analysis will be supplemented with philosophical readings, guest lectures, and in-class skits. Coursework will include creative and analytical writing, debate, class discussion, research, and class presentation. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Waking and sleeping worlds
  • Memories
  • Masquerade and mistaken identity
  • Dramatic irony
  • Illusions
  • Cultural outsiders
  • Cyber culture

ARCHAEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY: Stones and Bones

Offered: Duke West Term II

(Score Table A or B) This course is a college-level introduction to anthropology, the holistic study of humans and human societies. In this course, students will explore anthropology’s traditional four fields: archaeology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and biological anthropology. While some time will be devoted to the study of the major discoveries and theoretical precepts of these disciplines, the emphasis of this course is on the application of anthropological methods. As such, students will learn how to identify, plot, and excavate an archaeological site, how to classify and analyze the fossilized remains of human ancestors, and how to conduct ethnographic research.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Fields of anthropology
  • Evolutionary theory
  • Finds in biological anthropology
  • Relative and absolute dating
  • Controversies in biological anthropology
  • Neolithic revolution
  • Social structure
  • Archaeology site surveys
  • Archaeology and fraud
  • Trial excavation
  • Cultural anthropology
  • Ethics of anthropology
  • Linguistic theory

ARCHITECTURE

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table A or B) In this course, students will study architectural history, while sketching, drafting, building models, and completing design projects. Lectures will cover distinct architectural moments in history illustrated by a few key projects and architects active during the period. Discussions will be coupled with drawing exercises and design projects. Work conducted individually and in groups should encourage further exploration of design ideas, conceptual experimentation, and development of visual and oral expression.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Classical, gothic, and renaissance architecture
  • Palimpsest and line drawings, mapping
  • Watercolor exercises
  • Modern LAR and drafting exercises
  • Design and modeling exercises
  • Role of the architect in today’s society
  • Archigram discussion and pavilion exercise
  • Post-Modernism
  • Sustainable Architecture

THE ART OF DEBATE

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will study the history and tactics of argument and investigate the components of powerful written and verbal arguments to develop effective writing and speaking strategies. This course aims to increase students’ ability to develop ideas, to express their thoughts cogently, and to engage in different literacies. Class time will be spent discussing, observing, practicing, performing, and critiquing numerous, divisive topics. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to argument
  • Fallacies
  • Appealing to an audience
  • Categorical arguments
  • Definitional arguments
  • Resemblance arguments
  • Evaluation arguments
  • Proposal arguments
  • Mini-speeches, mock trial, and debate

ARTISTS ON THE EDGE: A Study of Contemporary Art and Artists

Offered: Duke East Term II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will explore a set of cutting-edge contemporary artists using the visual, verbal, and literary texts they created. With a close reading of the artists’ books, poems, essays, and manifestos; published and unpublished interviews with the artists; and their artwork—from paintings and sculptures to body art actions and new media technologies—students will study these post-1945 artists and investigate the myth of the “inarticulate artist.” Students will map the history of contemporary art through the lens of these artists’ texts, examining the roles of artists’ biographies, their own theories about their work, and the context of their interactions with audiences, other artists, and the art world.

Sample of Topics Covered:

AVATAR: The Psychology of Identity

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table A or B) Students will explore how identity is shaped by society, culture, and history. They will investigate current theories of identity and identity development, including the debate over multiple "selves" versus a single unified self; authentic versus false self; the expression of self in different context and other theories. This topic is particularly current in light of the interest in social networking Web sites like MySpace and Facebook.

Sample of Topics Covered:

THE BIOLOGY OF CANCER

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In 2005, more than three decades after President Nixon declared war on cancer, cancer overtook heart disease as the number one killer of Americans under the age of 85. Despite this unfortunate statistic, each year since the war began, cancer researchers have uncovered more about the increasingly fascinating and complex world of oncology. In this course, students will gain a historical perspective into cancer research, learn the multi-step process through which cancer develops, grasp why its cure has been so elusive, and understand how cutting-edge research is fighting this disease. Through literature, laboratories, guest speakers, and field trips, students will become more aware of the current anti-cancer battle.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Genetics and cell biology
  • History of cancer research
  • Angiogenesis and metastasis
  • Oncogenes
  • Cancer genes
  • Cytogenetic techniques and expression profiling
  • Types of cancer
  • Epidemiology
  • Carcinogens
  • Cancer therapies
  • Current cancer research

CELLULOID VISIONS: A Critical Study of Film

Offered: Duke East Term I

(Score Table B) In this course, students will study motion pictures as an art and as an industry with a focus on film aesthetics, history, criticism, and filmmaking techniques. Understanding these concepts will help students develop the skills that are necessary to effectively interpret, analyze, and discuss film as well as to produce their first amateur films. This course will focus on the basic formal components and techniques of filmmaking, discussion of different film genres, and trends in international cinema.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Early Film History
  • Design aspects of production
  • Cinematography
  • Editing
  • Audio
  • Film genres
  • Documentary films
  • Global cinema

COASTAL ECOLOGY: Aquatic Ecosystems

Offered: Marine Lab (one term only)

(Score Table C) This course is designed to provide students with a firm understanding of the basics of coastal ecology. Students will study the physical environment of the coast, including the mainland, estuary, barrier islands and littoral zone of the ocean, and how the plants and animals that live in the coastal environment have adapted to the conditions there. The majority of class activities will be conducted outdoors with students learning firsthand in, on, and around the water. There will also be lectures, lab work, night-time activities, and evening study sessions in addition to the daily outdoor exercises.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to ecological principles
  • Water testing
  • Ecology of tidal creeks and mud flats
  • Animal adaptations
  • Waves, currents, and tides
  • Coastal sediments
  • Mollusk ecology
  • Cnidarian biology and ecology

CREATIVE WRITING: Express Yourself

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will develop their writing skills by studying different writing styles and techniques. They will learn the fundamentals of poetry and the short story, while writing original works of fiction. This course will focus on character and setting development, the creation of compelling storylines, and the use of vivid imagery to produce writing that is both creative and polished. Reading the works of published authors and an emphasis on peer revision will supplement writing exercises. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Character development
  • Writing dialogues
  • Plot outlines
  • How to write gripping first pages
  • Setting
  • Writing from the senses
  • Creating a sense of history for characters
  • Designing cover art
  • Peer review

CRIMINAL LAW AND MOCK TRIAL

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II
Wake Forest (one term only)

(Score Table A or B) This is an introductory course designed to survey major topics in criminal law, the criminal justice system, and relevant constitutional amendments. The primary aim of this class will be to learn not only the law itself, which never exists in a vacuum, but to become acquainted with the social, constitutional, and moral ideas that are reflected within the laws. Students will study case law in the most conventional areas of criminal law. Class time will be spent in a variety of activities: lecture, discussion, observation, practice, library research, performance, and critique.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to types of law
  • Preliminary laws
  • Homicide
  • Assault and battery
  • Crimes against property
  • Introduction to criminal justice system
  • Search and seizure
  • Arrest
  • Interrogation
  • Setting bail
  • Pre-trial motions
  • 5th and 6th Amendments
  • Participants in criminal trial
  • Mock trial

CRIMINAL MINDS: Psychology and the Law

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table A or B) In this course, students will use the basics of psychology and criminology to explore the important role that psychology plays in the courtroom. Students will begin by identifying the basic biological, psychological, and sociological explanations for criminal behavior, and then will explore psychological disorders associated with criminality and the use of insanity as a defense strategy in trial. Coursework will include writing reaction papers and creative essays, investigating landmark Supreme Court cases, participating in role-playing exercises, reading fiction and non-fiction writings, and making presentations to the class.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Psychological and criminological theory
  • Social context of crime
  • Legal process
  • Psychology of violence
  • Psychology and the trial
  • Suspect interrogation
  • Jury selection
  • Psychology and punishment
  • Sentencing process

CRIMINAL TRIAL ADVOCACY

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table A or B) This course will provide students with a thorough analysis of the multiple evidentiary, procedural, and constitutional issues surrounding a criminal trial. In this course, students will learn about the arrest, probable cause, search warrants, electronic surveillance, interrogations, indictment, right to counsel, plea bargains, discovery, pretrial procedures, jury selection, direct and cross-examination, witnesses, and double jeopardy. This will be an interactive, workshop-style class that will culminate in a mock trial.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to criminal law
  • The 4th Amendment
  • Search warrants
  • Confessions and interrogation
  • Right to counsel
  • Police misconduct
  • Supreme Court cases
  • Mock trial

ENGINEERING PROBLEM SOLVING

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will be taken on a tour of the following engineering fields: mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, and aeronautical. They will receive a general introduction of each in addition to lectures on the most important theories of the fields and design projects that require students to solve problems similar to ones an engineer would actually encounter. This is a very hands-on course that will challenge students to think both analytically and creatively.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to mechanical engineering
  • Newton ’s laws of motion
  • Introduction to civil engineering
  • Design and construction of bridges
  • Introduction to electrical engineering
  • Electricity and circuit design
  • Introduction to chemical engineering
  • Mathematical optimization and airbag design
  • Discussion of engineering ethics
  • Introduction to aeronautical engineering
  • Harnessing propulsion power and rocketry

FORENSIC SCIENCE

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will discuss the role that forensic science plays in the judicial system and the ethical questions facing forensic scientists on a daily basis. Class time will be divided between classroom lectures and laboratory exercises. In the lab, students will learn and practice different techniques used for analyzing physical and physiological evidence. At the end of the course, students will utilize their newly acquired knowledge to investigate a mock crime scene.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to forensic science
  • Fingerprint analysis and patterns
  • Tool marks and chemical etching
  • Hair analysis
  • Fiber analysis
  • Arson and burn patterns
  • Handwriting analysis
  • Blood stains and ABO testing
  • DNA analysis
  • Drug analysis and poisoning
  • Firearms and gunshot residue
  • Glass fragment analysis
  • Crime scene investigation

FROM BACH TO ROCK: A History of 20th Century Music

Offered: Duke East Term I

(Score Table A or B) In this course, students will study the movements, ideas, and changes in music during the 20th century. They will listen to, discuss, compose, and perform in order to gain an understanding of how technology, cultural ideas, art, and political movements have fundamentally shaped music and how society perceives it. The impact of technology will be scrutinized, leading to an understanding of how the phonograph, microphone, tape machine, electric guitar, synthesizer, and computer have all contributed to the development of musical ideas. Students will learn the basics of music theory in this class; no traditional musical theory or background is required.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to music, acoustics, and the ear
  • Science and technology
  • 1910s
  • 1920s, jazz, and techno
  • 1930s, radio, and the electric guitar
  • 1940s, bebop, and Aaron Copland
  • 1950s, electronic music, and rock 'n roll
  • 1960s, jazz, and Miles Davis
  • 1970s
  • 1980s, digital revolution, and hip-hop
  • 1990s and how the music business works

FROM WONDERLAND TO HOGWARTS

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will study the genre of young adult imaginative literature. Analyzing texts by considering their historical content and cultural context, we will examine how pre-existing styles and subjects of storytelling have influenced the evolution of the genre. Close readings of classic works such as Alice in Wonderland and The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as the contemporary best-seller, Harry Potter will encourage students to interpret the texts, express their ideas, and debate with colleagues. Students should expect to read full-length novels, critical excerpts, view film adaptations, and share their observations through discussion and analytical writing.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction and history of the fantasy genre
  • Alice 's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
  • The Wonderful World of Oz
  • Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and Peter and Wendy
  • Tolkien
  • The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
  • Geography of fantasy
  • Cultural phenomena
  • Harry Potter

GAME THEORY: Economics

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will learn how to analyze situations in which two or more parties are competing, decide what the best course of action for each is, and hypothesize what the outcome of the conflict will be. The primary goals of this course are to develop general strategic thinking skills, to learn how to recognize situations in which game theory techniques are applicable, and to apply learned techniques to these situations in order to find solutions. The course is heavy on practical examples such as corporate takeovers, voting, auctions, and biological behaviors. Studying real life situations like the Cuban Missile Crisis and the OPEC cartel will help students to understand the underlying theory and the validity of models of game theory.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to game theory
  • Sequential games
  • Simultaneous games
  • Sub game perfect equilibrium
  • Strategic moves
  • Mixed strategy games
  • Repeated games
  • Game theory and politics
  • Incentives and auctions
  • Bargaining
  • Evolutionary game theory

GENETICS

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) This course will introduce students to the basics of classical, modern, and functional genetics. Students will study heredity, DNA structure, cancer and bacterial genetics, DNA sequencing, and genomics. In this course, students will also discuss the more controversial topics of cloning, gene therapy, genetic engineering, and genetic counseling. Lectures, readings, and class discussions will be supplemented with a series of advanced lab experiments including DNA extraction, PCR, and restriction mapping. This course is open to current ninth and tenth graders only.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • DNA structure, function, and extraction
  • DNA replication, transcription, and translation
  • Linkage and crossing over
  • Mitosis and meiosis
  • Mendelian genetics and human traits
  • Epitasis, pleiotrophy, and complementation
  • Bacterial conjugation
  • Molecular genetics and restriction mapping
  • PCR and gel electrophoresis
  • Cloning and bacterial transformation
  • Forensic science
  • Genetics and ethical issues
  • DNA sequencing and genomics
  • Genetic diseases and gene therapy
  • iRNA and gene silencing
  • Genetic engineering and population genetics

GEOMETRY

Offered: Davidson Term I

(Score Table A) Before enrolling in a Math Sequence course, please see additional information under Academics—Math Sequence Courses.In this course, students will study a variety of geometric concepts using both inductive and deductive methods of proof. Students will explore and manipulate geometric figures in two and three dimensions. This course will also provide students with the opportunity to apply algebraic skills and concepts acquired in Algebra I through an investigation of lines and their equations, right triangles with the Pythagorean Theorem, and a variety of other topics. Extra material will be studied on the Center level. A graphing calculator is required for this course. Please see requirements under Academics—Required Graphing Calculators.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to fundamental concepts and definitions
  • Lines and line segments
  • Types of angles and relevant theorems
  • Types of polygons and their measurements
  • Types of triangles and their measurements
  • Tests for congruence and properties of right triangles
  • Types of quadrilaterals and their measurements
  • Circle measurements
  • 3-dimensional solids
  • Conditional statements and proofs
  • Ratios and probability
  • Non-Euclidean geometry

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II
Wake Forest (one term only)

(Score Table B) In this course, students will study international politics and global conflict, globalization and international economics, and terrorism and the emerging American response. Lectures will first provide students with the historical and theoretic background to understand contemporary topic and then introduce students to the opposing views of the current world system. Students will use what they have learned to formulate coherent arguments and debate one another on relevant global issues.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to international relations
  • Power transitions and the World Wars
  • Multilateralism and international institutions
  • Introduction to globalization
  • Global interdependence
  • Opposition to globalization
  • Regional and ethnic conflict
  • Africa
  • Terrorism and US politics
  • The future

INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY SCIENCES

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will actively study biology, chemistry, physics, and environmental science through short lectures and frequent laboratory coursework. Students will gather and process information, focusing on laboratory procedures, graphing, interpreting and analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. Lab exercises include experiments in Newtonian physics, Mendelian genetics, bacteria sampling, pH measurements, and ecological monitoring. Several field trips will be planned in order to study water quality, biodiversity, field ecology, and nuclear energy firsthand.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to laboratory procedure and equipment
  • Introduction to biology and genetics
  • Chemotherapy and Elisa Assay
  • Introduction to chemistry
  • Properties and electron arrangement of matter
  • Chemical bonding and reactions
  • Organic chemistry
  • Introduction to physics
  • Motion and energy
  • Electricity and magnetism

JAVA FOR VIDEO GAMES

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will learn the basic concepts of computer programming with an emphasis on video game development. Lecture and discussion topics will include program control, object oriented programming, data structures, user interfaces, and event-driven programming. Using the popular Java programming language, students will learn to design, implement, and document programs. As a final project for the course, students will work in small groups to design and execute their own video game. This course is open to current ninth and tenth graders only.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to Java syntax and keywords
  • Data manipulation
  • Video game structure
  • Documentation and Javadoc
  • Graphics, iteration, and arrays
  • Algorithms and software design
  • Debugging
  • Timing and event handling
  • Class inheritance and user interfaces
  • Programming sound effects and collisions
  • Sample video game
  • Multi-player games
  • Game theory strategies

MACROECONOMICS

Offered: Duke East Term II

(Score Table A) Why is the Chair of the Federal Reserve Board referred to as the second most powerful person in the U.S.? Should the Fed pursue a zero inflation rate target? Does deficit spending help or harm the economy? Does a rising trade deficit mean that U.S. citizens are worse off? Does a strong dollar benefit or harm U.S. consumers? In this course, students will examine how macroeconomic analysis can be used to address these and other policy questions and to explain the fluctuations in GDP, unemployment, and inflation that occur over the course of the business cycle. Students will have the opportunity to learn from long-time Duke TIP Instructor Professor John Kane as part of this introductory college course in macroeconomics.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to economics and economic concepts
  • Prices and markets
  • The public sector
  • National income accounting
  • The foreign sector
  • Unemployment and inflation
  • Aggregate supply and demand
  • Simple Keynesian model
  • Fiscal policy
  • Money and banking
  • Monetary policy
  • Macroeconomic policy
  • Alternative macroeconomic models
  • International economy

MADNESS AND THE MIND: Investigations in Literature and Art

Offered: Duke East Term II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will explore the history of madness and mental states as told through literature and art. Students will study scientific, social, and artistic approaches to perception and consciousness and consider how they have informed popular understandings of what is ‘real’ versus what is illusory. Students will then discuss the role subjectivity plays in individual experience and examine how scholars have used various critical approaches to analyze and interpret literature. Paying special attention to social and political power dynamics, students will examine a range of literature, art, and music that addresses institutionalization from different points of view. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Perception and consciousness
  • Psychodynamic theory and dreams
  • Psychological disorders
  • Subjectivity and perspective
  • Confinement
  • Dystopia and science fiction
  • Psychiatric treatment

MAPPING ENGINEERING ONTO BIOLOGY

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) This course is an introductory course to new and exciting ways in which students can begin to bring biology and engineering together through the process of mapping engineering onto biology. Students will use traditional design methodology to examine Nature's products such as organs, tissues, cells, and molecules.

Sample of Topics Covered:

MARINE BIOLOGY

Offered: Marine Lab (one term only)

(Score Table C) In this course, students will perform an in-depth examination of the many aspects of marine plant and animal life. Through classroom presentations, frequent field trips, and laboratory explorations, students will master the principles of marine life, study the structure and function of several marine ecosystems, and observe the effects of human interaction on marine organisms. During the term, students will design and implement a research project on a topic of interest and will present their findings during a symposium at the end of the program.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to marine biology concepts
  • Marine ecology and evolution
  • Coastal and marine habitats
  • Phylogenetics
  • Marine microbes and algae
  • Plant and animal diversity
  • Feeding and locomotion adaptations
  • Reproduction
  • Defense mechanisms

MARINE ZOOLOGY

Offered: Marine Lab (one term only)

(Score Table C) In this course, students will explore the structure, function, and development of marine life found in estuarine and marine habitats. Students will also examine body structure and physiology of organisms and different types of marine habitats to investigate how physical characteristics determine ecological relationships and how vertebrates and invertebrates interact with their environments. Guided lectures and discussions will be balanced by fieldwork and laboratory exercises each day. Students will be introduced to the techniques and instruments used in the lab and in the field while they dredge, trawl, and tow using Duke University’s research vessels. Students also will perform dissections and be instructed in scientific drawing.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Lab safety and procedures
  • Taxonomic classification
  • Marine food web
  • Sponges, cnidarians, and mollusks
  • Crustaceans and echinoderms
  • Bony fish, sharks, and rays
  • Marine reptiles, birds, and mammals
  • Bioluminescence
  • Symbiosis and competition
  • Defense mechanisms and escape responses
  • Species interactions

MATHEMATICAL PROBLEM SOLVING

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II
Wake Forest (one term only)

(Score Table A) In this course, students will use mathematical knowledge and methods to solve interesting and complicated problems and proofs. This course will introduce topics from algebra, geometry, and trigonometry with a minimum of lecture and then move quickly to challenging applications, which students will often complete in collaborative teams. Problems posed in this course are often open-ended and puzzling, and do not always have a single solution, but will help students develop their critical, mathematical thinking skills.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Algebra basics
  • Mathematical proofs
  • Quadratics, complex numbers, linear equations
  • Proportions, radicals
  • Geometry basics
  • Parallel lines, triangles, circles
  • Trigonometry basics
  • Laws of sines and cosines, unit circle
  • Probability basics

MICROECONOMICS: The Individual and the Economy

Offered: Duke East Term I

(Score Table A) This course is an introduction to the concepts and principles of microeconomics. In this course, students will take an analytical approach to the study of how individuals and societies deal with the fundamental problem of scarce resources. Students will study supply and demand, consumer theory, monopolies, international trade, and market failure. Students will apply the economic tools acquired in the classroom to the analysis of such controversial issues as minimum wage laws, farm subsidies, rent controls, protectionism, pollution, and welfare programs. Classroom activities will include the use of computer tutorials, library research, analysis of films, and work on problem sets.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to economics and economic topics
  • Prices and markets
  • Market success and failure
  • Elasticity
  • Theory of demand
  • Business structure and production costs
  • Perfect competition
  • Monopoly and monopolistic competition
  • Oligopoly
  • Industrial organization
  • Factor markets
  • Labor market
  • Interest, rent, and profit
  • Income distribution and poverty
  • Government and the economy

MIND AND MANIPULATION: The Role of the Media in our Lives

Offered: Duke East Term II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will deconstruct news articles, political statements, documentaries, and advertisements to identify the bias, influences, and hidden agendas that the American public is exposed to on a daily basis. In class discussion of human perception and psychology will be supplemented with hands-on activities using optical illusions, subliminal messaging, and techniques of persuasion and distraction. Students will also discuss the power and influence modern media has within today’s society. Culminating projects will challenge students to use what they have learned in class to create their own influential media messages.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Philosophies of human perception
  • Psychology of influence
  • Indoctrination
  • Persuasion
  • Distraction
  • Journalism
  • Politics
  • Documentaries
  • Advertisements

MIND AND MYTH: Psychology, Myth, and Literature

Offered: Davidson Term II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will examine a variety of cross-cultural myths, reconstruct how these texts create a sense of cultural identity, and explore the psychological theories behind these legends to better understand how they have evolved over time. Classical Greek and Roman mythology, as well as Norse, Artharian, Celtic, Native American, Sumerian, and Pacific Island myths and epics will be studied by students in this class. This course will conclude with an examination of contemporary tall tales and urban legends as the modern equivalent of ancient myths. In order to gain a comprehensive understanding of myths and legends, students will produce creative projects, conduct research, participate in class discussions, and write both creatively and analytically. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to mythology and mythic allusions
  • Greek and Roman mythology
  • Modern adaptations
  • Zodiac constellations
  • Norse mythology
  • Sumerian Myths
  • Heroes and other archetypes
  • Creation and migrations myths
  • Urban legends and ghost stories
  • Beowulf & Gilgamesh

MODERN MEDICINE: Disease Transmission and Immunology

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table A) Disease can change the course of a single life, or the course of human history. This course will cover the basic anatomy of cells, tissues and organ systems so that the student will better understand how their functions are inhibited by disease. More in-depth surveys of biochemistry, genetics, and the Humoral Immune Response will be addressed as the course progresses. Lab work will be extensive, and will include identification and efficacy determination of unknown bacteria, dissecting a cat, blood typing, examining the proliferation of leukocytes in infected tissues, and an ELISA assay. This course is writing intensive, and formal laboratory write-ups will be completed according to the standard research format.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to lab equipment and procedures
  • Biochemistry
  • Proteins
  • Cytology and histology
  • Pathogens and transmission
  • Immune system
  • Humoral Immune Response
  • Disease
  • Genetic disorders

MUTINY AND PIRACY IN MARITIME LITERATURE: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Offered: Marine Lab (one term only)

(Score Table C) In this course, students will read books and short stories and watch films that address the themes of piracy, rebellion, cruelty, and leadership. As a class, students will interpret these texts fully, examining motivation, meaning, and historical significance. Aside from exploring the individual texts, students will also consider the figure of the pirate, investigating what he represents as well as measuring his history against his depiction in fiction.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Stereotypical pirate figure
  • Treasure Island by Robert Lewis Stevenson
  • Characters and motivation
  • Narrators
  • Under the Black Flag, David Cordingly
  • Themes
  • New criticism
  • Short stories
  • Race and gender criticisms
  • Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket, Edgar Allen Poe
  • Biographical and historical criticisms

NANOTECHNOLOGY

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) This course introduces students to the history, basics, and vast applications of nanotechnology. Through lectures, hands-on synthesis, field trips, electron microscope operation, class discussions, and scientific readings, students will study the fundamentals of molecular assembly, the ethical and environmental implications of nanotechnology, and the uses of nanotechnology in the fields of medicine, textiles, and renewable energy. This course is open to current ninth and tenth graders only.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction
  • History and fundamentals
  • Nanotechnology and medicine
  • Nanometals
  • Nanoparticle synthesis
  • Transmission electron microscopy
  • Atomic force microscopy
  • Nanotechnology and renewable energy
  • Nanotechnology and textiles
  • Ethical, societal, and environmental impacts
  • Scanning electron microscopy

NEUROSCIENCE

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will learn the basics of neuroscience and explore the evolving theories and contemporary methodologies of the field. This course will cover the basic structural and organizational aspects of neuroanatomy and physiology, and the most current research regarding sleep, consciousness, behavioral disorders, neuropathology, memory, and artificial intelligence. Lectures, readings, and class discussions will be coupled with field trips and analyses of neuroscience in contemporary film.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Anatomy and physiology
  • Neurons
  • Brain imaging
  • Sensation and perception
  • Learning and memory
  • Language
  • Sleep regulation and disorders
  • Emotions
  • Development
  • Consciousness

OCEANOGRAPHY

Offered: Marine Lab (one term only)

(Score Table C) In this course, students will study the biological, chemical, physical, and geological principles and processes of the world’s oceans. An emphasis will be placed on the interactions between the different components of and the organisms within the ocean environment. One goal of this course is to foster a better comprehension of economic and sociological problems concerning the marine environment. Students will explore the biotic and abiotic components of the world’s oceans through classroom discussions, laboratory experiments, and field research. Data gathered will be analyzed and presented in project presentations.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Ocean survey
  • Trophic levels and limiting factors
  • Bioenergetics
  • Tropical, temperate, and polar regions
  • Phytoplankton
  • GPS and satellite methods of data collection
  • Color absorption and reflection
  • Global ocean movement
  • Sharks
  • Latitude and longitude
  • Contour mapping
  • Diving

PHARMACOLOGY

Offered: Duke West Term I

(Score Table A) This course provides students with an overview of the field of pharmacology and its relationship to health, disease, and society. In this course, students will learn how the chemical properties of drugs enable them to interact with biological systems and the basic principles behind how drugs work. Other lecture and class discussion topics include drug toxicity, painkillers, weight loss drugs, stem cell research, and drug abuse. Field trips and guest lectures will supplement in-class work. This course is open to current ninth and tenth graders only.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Drug mechanisms and targets
  • Drug adsorption
  • Drug distribution and elimination
  • Dose-response curves and toxicity
  • Factors that alter drug responses
  • Drug abuse and dependence
  • Cancer therapies
  • Drugs for pain
  • Drugs for Parkinson’s disease
  • Drugs for obesity
  • Stem cells
  • Developmental pharmacology
  • Ethnopharmacology
  • Pharmacogenomics
  • Controversial issues in pharmacology

PHILOSOPHY: Mind and Meaning

Offered: Duke East Term I

(Score Table B) Philosophers have contemplated the relationship between the mind and the world for centuries, and though they agree on very few things, most see the question of how the mind represents the world and creates meaning as the fundamental question of philosophy. In this course, students will question what the mind is and how it receives or creates meaning and knowledge. Students will develop their own working definitions of philosophical concepts, then study the teachings of famous philosophers to refine their personal theories. Philosophers covered will include Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Dennett.

Sample of Topics Covered:

POETRY AND POP CULTURE: Society and Revolution in America

Offered: Duke East Term II

(Score Table B) We will examine the phenomenon of spoken word poetry and popular music, including hip hop, through its literary predecessors like the Beat Generation, the Harlem Renaissance, bop poetry, and jazz to understand what literary movements have not only expanded the American literary canon but also transformed the very political and social fabric of America. We will read works by Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Allen Ginsberg, among many others as well as listen to spoken-word artists such as Gil Scott-Heron, Saul Williams, Ursula Rucker, and Tracie Morris. This course will also focus on analytical and expository persuasive writing as well as a tremendous amount of creative writing (poetry). This course aims to go beyond the analysis and deconstruction of the literary phenomenon of political poetry by allowing students to develop insight into why this genre of poetry and art continues to influence American politics and society.

Sample of Topics Covered:

POLITICS AND PHILOSOPHY IN LITERATURE

Offered: Duke East Term II

(Score Table B) This course is a historical exploration into the philosophical, social, and political issues facing the world since the 1830s and the literary critiques of these phenomena. Topics studied will include industrialization, 19th century capitalism, utilitarian notions of education, existentialism, and socialism and communism in Eastern Europe from the 1960s to the present day. Readings from relevant philosophers will be assigned in addition to the primary texts in order to establish contextual grounding for the literature discussed.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to philosophy
  • Prominent philosophers
  • Industrialization and 19th Century capitalism
  • Utilitarian notions of education
  • Existentialism in literature
  • Socialism and communism

PRACTICAL POLITICS AND AMERICAN GOVERNMENT

Offered: Duke East Term I

(Score Table A or B) In this course, students will study the practical political skills central to the American governmental system. Through this study of political science, students will learn a variety of analytical tools that they can apply to political situations such as committees, elections, and coalitions. Students will also examine how the rules and institutions of the American government work together to shape policy, both domestically and internationally. Throughout this course, a variety of class discussions, debates, simulations, and written responses to current issues and historical decisions will be used to test these theoretical concepts.

Samples of Topics Covered:

  • Philosophical foundations of American democracy
  • The presidency
  • Congress
  • The judiciary
  • The government and genetically modified humans
  • The government and the methamphetamine epidemic

PRIMATE BIOLOGY: Lemurs, Lorises, and Bushbabies

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will have the unique opportunity to study the prosimian primates at the Duke Lemur Center, one of the country’s premiere centers for primate research. Students will observe these primates and conduct research on animal behavior, while learning about primate societies, hierarchies, and culture. Students will also explore conservation and conservation management to address the unfortunate reality facing these threatened or endangered species. Students will develop a working knowledge of primate taxonomy and phylogeny, behavioral ecology, social organization, and physiology through their study of the lemurs of Madagascar, the lorises of Asia, and the galagos (bushbabies) of Africa.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to primate studies
  • Primate taxonomy
  • Primate and hominid evolution
  • Ecology and locomotion
  • Social behavior and organization
  • Dominance hierarchies
  • Strategies of sexual selection
  • Life cycle and development
  • Communication and cognition
  • Research ethics

PSYCHOLOGY

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II
Wake Forest (one term only)

(Score Table A or B) This course serves as an introduction to the field of psychology. In this course, students will study the psychological theories behind human learning, motivation, intelligence, memory, and development. Students are encouraged to make connections between what they learn in this class and what they hear in the media, experience and observe in their lives, and what they have learned in other courses.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to psychology as a science
  • Operant and classical conditioning
  • Consciousness and dreams
  • Nature versus nurture
  • Intelligence and memory
  • Sensation and perception
  • Stages of development
  • Motivation, Emotions, and Personality
  • Abnormal psychology
  • Psychotherapy
  • Social psychology

REVOLUTION AND TERROR: Controversial Politics

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table B) Since the French Revolution of 1789, rulers and rebels have deliberately used violence and fear as instruments for refashioning the very nature of politics. This course explores the historical development of revolution and terror since the eighteenth century, from Jean-Jacques Rosseau to Osama bin Laden. In this course, students will study the French Terror, 19th century anarchism, Marxism, the Russian Revolution, Nazism, Stalinism, Maoism, 20th century national liberation movements, student radicalism in the 1960's and 1970's, and contemporary Islamic extremism. Through reading, writing, film-watching, and discussion, students in this course will learn to ask difficult questions and see through the smokescreens of political rhetoric.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to revolution and terrorism
  • Fear in Chile and the German Peasants’ War
  • American and French revolutions
  • Propaganda
  • Terrorism and anarchism in America
  • Russia under Stalin
  • Germany under Hitler
  • China under Mao
  • Islamic militancy

ROBOTICS

Offered: Duke West Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will explore the challenging world of amateur robotics, examining locomotion, mechanical design, electronic assembly, microprocessors, and programming. Demonstrations and laboratory exercises will make up the majority of the class time in order to help students develop the skills needed to design and construct working robots. The culmination of the course will be a contest in which teams of students will build and program a robot from identical supplies to see which can best perform specified tasks.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Lab equipment and safety procedures
  • Circuit assembly
  • Resistors and capacitors
  • Schematics and soldering
  • CDS cells and LED lights
  • User programs
  • Serial LCD display and PRI detectors
  • Sensor circuits
  • Power wiring
  • Team robots

SCREENWRITING

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will observe the film industry from the perspective of the original creative force, the writer. Students will explore the idea development, outlining, treatments, story, character, setting, dialogue, theme, subplots, and alternative poetics within the film industry. In order to learn how the style of screenwriting dictates what the director, cinematographer, actors, and editors put onto film, students will read the scripts of famous and well-respected screenwriters and view the corresponding films. With the introduction of each new topic, students will develop their own writing skills by completing creative and critical writing assignments. As a culminating project, each student will write and edit a short film script and will pitch the film idea in a mock agency setting. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to the history of film
  • Brainstorming and outlining a story
  • Characters
  • Dialogue
  • Genres
  • Plot progression
  • Script formatting
  • Location
  • Archetypes
  • Hollywood
  • Production

SHORT FICTION

Offered: Wake Forest (one term only)

(Score Table B) In this course, students will explore various forms and styles of storytelling. This course will discuss the origin of stories, and explore how to effectively develop characters and plot, and study language and poetics. This course is an opportunity for students to improve their writing skills, polish their writings with peer workshops, and take creative risks with their writings.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Triggers and inspiration
  • Character development
  • Plot structure
  • Conflict
  • Revision techniques
  • Style
  • Point-of-view
  • Setting development
  • Language and detail
  • Humor

SPY 101: Cryptology and Number Theory

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table A) The history of cryptology, the art of enciphering and deciphering, is one of the most exciting tales of applied mathematics. This course approaches that tale from a historical point of view, emphasizing the elementary theoretical aspects of number theory, abstract algebra, and cryptology. In this course, students will study the technical aspects of cryptography through the study of its historical development and the fundamental mathematics involved. They will also learn monalphabetic and polyalphabetic substitution ciphers, modular arithmetic, mathematical induction, basic probability theory, and elementary matrix theory.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to logic
  • Mathematical induction and proofs
  • Prime numbers and division algorithm
  • Fundamental theorem of arithmetic
  • Monoalphabetic substitution ciphers
  • Probability
  • Frequency analysis
  • Playfair and Four-Square ciphers
  • Matrix theory
  • Hill’s system
  • Euler’s theorem and Fermat’s little theorem

SYMBOLS AND STRUCTURE: Uncovering the Unconscious in Literature, Film, and Art

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table B) In this course students will investigate the mythological and psychological roots of literature, film, and art. Using psychologist Carl Jung's theory of archetypes, students will explore works ranging from the plays and poems of the Ancient Greeks to modern short stories and films to discover and decode the archetypal elements present in these works. As students learn to recognize archetypes and unravel their significance, they will master a powerful tool for unlocking the deeper meaning in seemingly disparate yet connected works.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Introduction to mythology
  • Archetypes
  • Hero’s journey
  • African folk tales
  • Native American myths
  • Eastern mythology
  • Introduction to fables and fairytales
  • Aesop’s fables
  • Grimm’s fairytales
  • Introduction to American romanticism
  • Symbols of death
  • Color symbolism
  • Poe, Irving, and Hawthorne

WRITING WITH POWER

Offered: Duke East Terms I and II

(Score Table B) In this course, students will develop their voice, style, research, and critical analysis skills. This course will introduce and inculcate these skills while also preparing students to continue improving independently. Students will learn about journalism, nonfiction, literature, and scholarship writings and write a sample of each. This course will introduce students to various writing processes and strategies, the most important of which involves the ability and drive to edit, rewrite, and revise multiple times. Writing intensive.

Sample of Topics Covered:

  • Rhetoric and persuasion
  • Nonfiction and the personal essay
  • Introduction to the short story
  • Introduction to the research paper
  • Evaluating sources
  • Research outlines and bibliographies
  • Structure of a research paper
  • Editing and revision
  • Contemporary satire
  • Journalism
  • History of writing
  • Resumes and professional letters

ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES: Evolution and Extinction on Planet Earth

Offered: Davidson Terms I and II

(Score Table A) In this course, students will study the survivability and adaptability of animals. Theories introduced in lecture, will then be investigated further in a variety of field tests and laboratory experiments. Students will gain practical knowledge of scientific research and hone their presentation techniques through both group and individual projects. Additionally, students will learn the fundamentals of ornithology, explore the distinguishing characteristics of different mammals, and investigate past adaptations of invertebrates. Ultimately, this course will focus on preservation through the relatively new scientific field of conservation biology.

Sample of Topics Covered: