January 2 – January 25, 2018

Elements of Education presents Miniterm 2018! All students at SOTA, SAMi & iDEA will be placed into classes and opportunities that will meet all day every day. Classes at all three schools are available to all students, no matter their home school. ALL students are our schools must register for January whether they are taking a miniterm class, doing SST Travel or internships. This registration helps us keep track of all students during January. Read this packet of descriptions and make sure you are aware of the location of the classes you are choosing! You’re going to be in these classes all day, every day, so you should have a good idea of what you’re signing up for!

Register by clicking or going to this link: http://tiny.cc/Miniterm2018 You’ll choose your top 5 favorite classes. Classes are scheduled by seniority – the older you are, the more likely you are to get your top choices. Register between November 17 and December 1. If you miss the deadline, you’ll be placed into a class – registering is your way to say what you want for January. Casting and Molding for Art and Design Doss Bradford & Blake Hansen Location: iDEA This class will explore various ways to design, create and mass produce 3D objects. The use of molding and casting in various forms has become common place in the creation of figurines, props, sculptures and common household items. This class will explore various techniques used to prototype objects and manufacture them for mass production or limited design runs. Materials and techniques used will include silicone molds, vacuum molding, 3D slicing, cement, plaster of paris, clay, composite materials and finishing techniques. How Stuff Works: An Exploration of Natural Materials Brent Todd & Lauren Anderson Location: iDEA Learn how the properties of various natural and recycled materials define their uses. From demin and resin to bamboo and metals, structural abilities will be tested and used to develop your own personal products. Explore your passions, improve your

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engineering abilities, and create items we will sell for cash! Open mindedness and a willingness to get dirty are the only requirements for this course. Let's make some cool stuff! Infiltrating Spaces: Uncovering Hidden Paths in STEM Fields Linnea Bostrom, Kelilah Anders & Teacher X Location: iDEA This class will focus on breaking down cultures in STEM fields to improve representation and cultural awareness. It is being designed as a brave space for underrepresented students where they can express themselves creatively through the use of technology. Students will work with their peers to bring awareness to issues in their communities and design solutions. To begin, students will explore by getting to know their peers, engaging with readings and guest speakers, going on field trips, and having open time to tinker with the different technologies available. With the remaining time students will work on culminating projects, present to their peers, and reflect on how they can identify paths to success in STEM communities. Love Covers a Multitude of Synths Location: iDEA Calling all synth players, noise makers, soundscape artists, and anyone who wants to create crazy sounds! In this miniterm, we will design and build functional analog synths. Every student will learn how to layout and assemble a circuit board using a variety of virtual and physical tools. Student teams will develop a synth and brand concept, build a prototype made of multiple modules, and make a business and manufacturing plan to bring their synth to market. If you want to learn more about synths, electronics manufacturing or the music gear industry, this is the miniterm for you! Powered Up Robotics - SOTAbots 2018 Ken Luthy & Rich Williams Location: iDEA Grab your spare quarters! It’s time to turn back the clock to the 70’s as “Power-Up” – this year’s FIRST Robotics FRC Game - revisits the dawn of Arcade Video Games: PacMan, Space Invaders, Asteroids, and Donkey Kong. How the games will work into this year’s robot competition is still a mystery, but come January 6th, all

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will be revealed. Join us and develop your toolbox of skills whether it be CAD, Programming or Build as the SOTAbots enter their 11th FIRST competitive robot season. Or help us build More than Robots as you create and present community outreach presentations and work with local elementary schools to promote STEAM education. Or develop team projects for use in our Summer Xplore program. Document our story through a variety of artistic mediums including film, video and graphic design. Work with others who enjoy games and robotics. Join us as we Power –up and be a fundamental gear in the working mechanism of the SOTAbots! This miniterm gives preference to current SOTAbots members. 2018 Summer Xplore Program Matt Sherls Location: SAMi The Summer Xplore Program is an opportunity for elementary school students entering the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, and middle school students entering the 7th and 8th grades, to continue actively learning during the summer months. Students from the Science and Math Institute and the School of the Arts teach content specific courses that engage these young learners in new and creative ways in Downtown Tacoma and at Point Defiance Park during four-day units for six weeks. This course will begin our preparation for our summer visitors as we focus on lesson planning, culturally responsive teaching, backwards design, project based learning, and the importance of play. We will also visit local elementary and middle schools to try out our lessons! If you are a senior who has been in communication with Mr. Sherls about being an Xplore Teacher, or a junior who has been invited by one of these prospective Xplore Teachers to help out this summer, YOU MUST SIGN UP FOR THIS MINITERM! Behind the Numbers: Exploring the Saga of our Mathematical Reality Tim Chalberg, Duncan White & Troy Hashagen Location: SAMi It’s easy to think that people have always counted, measured, and added the way we do today, but that is not the case. In this class we will explore the mathematics of several ancient civilizations, such as how the Babylonians used their base 60 (?!) number system and how the Mayans built a calendar more accurate than our own. We will observe how controversial numbers like zero and the square root of two developed - literally numbers that people died for. We will run across globetrotters like Fibonacci and cult

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leaders like Pythagoras. We will see how society, number systems, and technology have always been intertwined on the quest to solve problems and further our common understanding of the world. This journey continues today with modern computing and will carry on into the future. Join this miniterm for a glimpse into the wild, dynamic story of mathematics. Early Learning Center Tanja Ownbey Location: SAMi This class includes two main components. One where we will be learning about child development and what is required to work in a child care setting. Second we will be working directly with preschool classes from Tacoma Public schools. Four different classes will come to Sami for experiences in the zoo and possibly the woods. You will be expected to be outside in all weather, lead and interact with small groups of preschool children, and prepare materials for the preschool class experiences. All students participating in this course will be required to fill out and pass a state En-Thai-Rely Awesome Bethany Schmidt, Ben Warner & Melinda Shutler Location: SAMi Join us for a Staycation to Thailand! We will be discovering the vibrant people, food, music, and land of Thailand as we prepare to embark upon an SST there next year. This miniterm is open to everyone, and will not guarantee you a spot on the SST, but certainly will look good on your application. In addition to studying the fascinating culture of Thailand we will work on travel skills, application and interview skills, and take an in-depth look at human and animal trafficking. We will be working closely with Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium and other community partners to develop a realistic view of both the beauty of Thailand and the struggles its people and ecosystems face. Come prepared to read, write, and be pushed outside of your comfort zone. Having Fun: A Serious Look at Recreation Through a Cultural Lens Kayo Charbonnel-Mackley, Guadalupe Bojorquez Trigueros & Carla Parker Location: SAMi Join us to experience how people of other cultures have fun through games, sports, story-telling, dance, music and other traditional activities. What do different cultures value? What does this teach us about our own? Using statistical methods, we will draw comparisons between cultures. Finally, students will delve more deeply into a cultural activity and share their unique angle on cultural “fun” with the SAMI community.

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Project Mindful - Break out of your comfort zone to create a healthier you Janet Jensen, Kristina Lewin & Maria Jost Location: SAMi Do you feel stressed out? Do you experience anxiety or depression in your daily life? Have you faced traumas that affect your ability to experience life and live fully? Our current fast-paced world is tough on our bodies and minds. Students will walk away from the course with a better sense of who they are, a set of tools and exercises to use when they feel stressed, anxious or sad, and an overall sense of well-being. This course will explore what is happening to your brain as a result of stress, anxiety, and trauma and how to manage it. We will create healthy habits of mind and body, such as mindfulness, daily exercise, journaling, mediation and self-care. We will begin the course with a week of self-discovery, followed by a week of learning tools to combat anxiety, depression and trauma. Finally, we will end with a week of looking outside of ourselves through gratitude and service. Bring your open-mind and willingness to break out of your comfort zone to participate in all above mentioned healthy habits! SAMi Podcast Season One: Judgement Day Carol Brouillette & Laurie Fisher Woodward Location: SAMi Should a city be able to ban annoying speech? Should a person be allowed to burn a United States flag? Can a dance rock band give itself a derogatory name, even if it is offensive to others? Learn the history behind and answers to these questions as we study United States Supreme Court cases that have more of an impact on you than you know. Share your knew knowledge with others in the podcasts you create about these cases and about judges and the justice system. Learn the ins and outs of podcasting from a real live podcaster and SAMi Teacher, Carol Brouillette! Science Hoaxes: Debunking Internet Videos Johnny Devine & Dave Mylet Location: SAMi Ever see a science video on the web so incredible that you can hardly believe it? Chances are you were right to doubt. In this class we will examine several popular "science" videos to see if the experiments check out. Perpetual motion machines, walking on water, and other rare phenomena will be put to the test. By the end of the mini-term, students will have the chance to make their own deceptive devices and create a video explaining why these "scientific wonders" are nothing more than tricks.

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This would be a good mini-term for you if you work well in a small team, enjoy designing and building gadgets and hate being lied to! Sherlocking- Deduce This! Dustin Matthews & Mary Dewine Location: SAMi Are you a forensics junkie? Do you like solving mysteries? Do you like the science behind mysteries? Spoiler Alert: For the faint of blood, this term is not for you. Come read, then watch Sherlock Holmes short stories and study the forensics behind Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s mysteries. Each week, students will study a new mystery and complete forensic labs associated with the mystery of the week. Then teams will have their go at Sherlocking: Write a mystery and create its forensic crime scene. Scientists and mystery writers will use their deductive logic to solve each other’s crimes. Bring your observation, math, science and creative thinking skills to make and solve mysteries all month long. Soylent Green is more than just people Matt Lonsdale & Brian “Reggie” Regimbal Location: SAMi “The Greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” –Robert Swan. Come spend a month studying the science, history, and philosophy behind the modern environmentalist movement. This class will be exploring what activism is and how we see it; both on a global scale, and right here in Tacoma. We will use science and policy study to see the best, and worst ways to convince our collective society how to take care of the one planet that we have. We will be surveying a variety of different ways that our society has chosen to better be stewards of earth; from consumer consumption, animal and biosphere conservation, energy choices and more. We will also be evaluating the effectiveness of different movements to create societal change. effect change within our community. We will use all our community connections and resources to create actual activism not just academic inquiry. If you like making a difference this class is for you. Strictly for the Birds Sara Siemens-Luthy & Kristen Orlando Location: SAMi A little bird told me that birds of a feather flock together. Spend January happy as a lark in collaboration with Metro Parks and Point Defiance Zoo. Discover your inner habits

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of birds. From the predators to the songbirds, learn their behaviors. Get outside and find the murders, riots, and gulps that surround us. This feather-filled mini term is all about the birds, no bees. You will figure out ways to support sustainable bird populations locally and around the world. You will get a bird’s eye view when we travel to several local bird hotspots to learn about bird habitat, behavior, and survival. Share your newly collected knowledge through creative projects of your design in the discipline of your choice, whether that is art, math, or science. Remember to dress for the weather and anticipate numerous bird watching excursions. Be proud as a peacock presenting your projects. If you miss this one you will be madder than a wet hen. Put a feather in your cap and join our flock… it’s not such a bird-brained idea! The Game of Life #Adulting Jacob Hansen & Sandy Farewell Location: SAMi Are you done with being a kid and ready to be an adult? Are you sure??? This mini term will help you navigate the great unknown. From that first credit card to buying a house, you will meet experts in the field of finance who will teach you the tips and tricks to stay out of massive debt. We will be on the move as we visit locations from colleges to car lots. You will explore traditional and non-traditional career paths to determine what is right for you. Come experience leisure activities that will create balance and fun in your life. Avoid the commonly made mistakes that most adults make. With all of your new found knowledge, you will create fun and engaging lessons to teach your peers who were not as fortunate as you to get into this mini term. This class is ideal for upperclassmen rapidly approaching life beyond high school. The Pain in Spain Mary Mann & Joshua Nunez Location: SAMi What’s going on in Barcelona? Why are the Spanish people rioting in the streets? Why does Catalonia want to be independent from Spain? In this class we are going to take a look at the history and culture of Spain and gain an understanding of what has been leading to this incredible time of upheaval and change. We plan on connecting with real Spanish people via skype and hearing their personal struggles with Catalan independence. Barcelona is one of the liveliest, most unusual and artistically vibrant cities of the world. The art form which dominates the architecture of Barcelona is ceramic tile. We will be experimenting with the art of tile mosaic and learn how this ancient art form has flourished in Spain. Students will produce their own ceramic tile piece and have an opportunity to collaborate on a group tile mural!

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AP Life - How to Adult Adam Brastad & Stephanie Skaggs Location: SOTA What does it mean to be an adult? In AP Life, we will explore that question through such topics as: personal finance and budgeting, job seeking skills, healthy meals on a budget, taxes, basic car maintenance, investing, how to find housing, knowing your legal rights, and generally navigating the journey from trifling kid to competent young adult. We will be seeking advice from local experts through trips around the community. The idea for AP Life began by asking many adults the question: “What do you wish you’d learned in high school to prepare you for ‘real life?’” and their answers helped us to shape the content for the course. Don’t make the same mistakes that they did and learn these skills early! Cabin Counselors at Camp Seymour Brian Scannell, Darla Roberts & Diane Savage Location: SOTA This mini-term will give students the opportunity to work with 5th graders both at local elementary schools and also at overnight camp. Our students will be cabin counselors for these 5th grade students as they head to outdoor school. Students will spend two weeks at Camp Seymour, working with 6 different elementary schools: Edison, Arlington, Sheridan, Franklin, Mann, and Birney. This mini-term is open to all 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students at SAMI, SOTA and IDEA. In order to register for this course, students will need PRE-APPROVAL FROM THE CO-DIRECTOR OF THEIR SCHOOL. The cost for the two-week stay at camp is $150, which includes three meals per day and sleeping accommodations. Das Auto Cornelius Brudi & Michael Hagmann Location: SOTA Design and advertise your automobile. This course will focus on designing, experimenting and the financial aspect of automobiles. Clay modeling in wind tunnels, field trips to local auto establishments and museums including documentaries of historical significance to completely understand the automotive industry. Learn some basic maintenance of car ownership including, changing spark plugs, or a flat tire and a simple oil change. Throwing out your designs takes collaboration and courage - be ready to stretch your thinking, mechanical and design skills in a collaborative group environment. Sketchbooks required. Grit required. Concept design/sketching on a daily basis required.

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GARBAGE. Terri Placentia & Lucie Kroeschel Location: SOTA Did you know that the average American produces 1600 pounds of trash each year? That’s the size of a cow. If all American trash were compacted each year, it would be as tall as the leaning Tower of Pisa. On a broader scale, plastic pollution in the world’s at sea. How can we be more prepared and realistic about planning for the future health of our planet, and all of its inhabitants? This miniterm explores the intersections between the roles of art, social justice, climate change and pollution. How can art and activism make a difference? How can we stimulate awareness by creating artistic responses to a global phenomenon? Come find out, and be ready to get your hands dirty making art! Get it Together Ralph Harrison Location: SOTA Elements of Education has taken on an exciting project. Students in this mini-term will participate in the yearlong process of rearticulating a Humpback whale to hang in the new ELC building at SAMi. The bones have been processed, cataloged, and are in compost. We as a team will clean and prepare the bones, as-well as start the rearticulation of them. In this mini-term you will get dirty and do what scientist do. Give Me Musicals or Give me Death Mark Kloepper & Jordan Hightower Location: SOTA Singin' in the Rain. Oklahoma. West Side Story. Hamilton. The musical is an iconic and enduring genre of the stage. Ever wonder how the musical came to be? From the minstrel shows of the Jim Crow Era through the innovative hip hop styings of Lin Manuel Miranda, musicals have evolved and adapted to the world around them. In this class you will learn about the history of the musical, hear from speakers and visit organizations that deal with themes from musicals (race, addiction, AIDS, homelessness) and venture to Seattle to tour the great Paramount theare. You will be expected to write about musicals. Talk about musicals. Dissect the minute details of musicals. And, of course, enjoy muscials. Join us...GIVE US MUSICALS or GIVE US DEATH!

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Healthy Love: Building Positive Relationships (in partnership with the YWCA) Peter Edwards & Debbie Shapiro Location: SOTA What makes a relationship healthy or unhealthy? What are the signs of abuse or manipulation you should be looking out for? Join Peter & Debbie with two representatives from the YWCA Tacoma and learn about making meaningful, positive and supportive relationships and friendships. You'll learn strategies and life skills through daily activities, readings, lectures and writing experiences. Be ready to work on becoming the HEALTHIEST YOU (physically - we'll work out, and emotionally) so you can attract the healthiest partner. Students will create a culminating project to present to the YWCA staff at the end of the term. North American and Latin American Cross Cultural Perspectives Rachel Pardur & Lauren Stout Location: SOTA Health, immigration, and the environment are all important issues affecting both Latin and North America. We will use math and statistics to better understand complex problems across these cultures. First hand experiences will include working out daily both at the Y and in the downtown community, using statistics to propose solutions to complex immigration problems, and researching the biggest environmental issues faced by both North and South America. We will learn healthy habits through cooking meals from different cultures. Community speakers and films will enhance our understanding of cultural dilemmas faced across the two continents. If you choose to be in this mini-term, we ask that you bring your best attitude and openness to learning about other cultures, and that you bring workout clothes daily. You will leave this miniterm with an understanding of the value of a healthy lifestyle, a healthy environment, and a solutions oriented perspective across cultures. Sects in the City Dave Savage & Michele Savage Location: SOTA Spires and storefronts; temples, churches, centers; megas and minis—you see them everywhere around you in the city. You may know one intimately, but what about all the others? Ever wonder what happens behind those other doors? Spend this miniterm exploring the ways we believe and the places we gather to

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celebrate the divine in Tacoma. Experience the art and architecture of faith in our city. Learn about the variety of religious expression here, how we worship in sacred ritual and daily practices, and how faith informs the social activism of your fellow Tacomans. Find familiar common ground and enjoy discovering fascinating differences among people of faith. Students need to be openminded, interested in diversity, and respectful of others' beliefs to enjoy this course. Reading, listening, and discussion will be our main classroom activities, but we will spend many of our days out of the classroom at religious sites around Tacoma. Be ready for lots of public transportation and walking, rain or shine. Students will take notes daily to capture the perspectives of speakers and write reflective journal responses on our site visits for a final project. The Art of the Contest--Competitions in Math & English Amy Alwert & Garvin Morlan Location: SOTA Ever wondered how your math & English skills stack up against other high school students? This class is for anyone who views mathematics, writing, speaking, photography, and illustration as true art forms. Work with your peers and teachers to hone your skills in math, the spoken word, and writing/art. Students will work towards state and nationwide competitions in mathematics, writing, art, and the spoken word. Students will be able to participate in at least three different competitions: "101 Questions," a web-based competition incorporating math and problem-solving skills from algebra through pre-calculus; "Poetry Out Loud" a nationwide spoken word competition in which students memorize and recite poems that resonate with them and their audience; and "Our Own Expressions," a Teen Writing & Art Contest sponsored by the Pierce County Library in which students submit original poems, short stories, artwork, and photography. These competitions offer prizes, scholarships, and local/state/national recognition. Students can participate in one or all of these competitions throughout the term, and will work both individually and with a group. Students must be willing to compete against other students, practice consistently, and perform for an audience. WALLS IV - Chance and Indeterminacy in Art Making Robin Jaecklein, Paul Eliot & Aaron Shamp Location: SOTA WALLS IV will result in a collaborative performance of movement, sound and image in a warehouse performance venue. Students must be able to participate in the evening performance on Tuesday, January 23, 2017. Throughout this course,

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students will be introduced to the indeterminant art making methods of composer John Cage, Choreographer Merce Cunningham and Visual Artists and Filmakers. Students will use chance methods to create original work in collaborative teams. When registering, students will be asked to identify as a musician, dancer or visual artist. Class will take place at the SOTA Campus, Ted Brown Building. Workshop, Workshop: A Musical Workshop Garbriel McPherson, Emily Wickman, Dana Raike & Mark Thomason Location: SOTA Spend your January in a strict workshop of a brand new musical, "Little Men," written by local playwrights Gabriel and Luke McPherson. You and your peers will be challenged each day to use your special skills in performance, design, production, acting, singing, and dancing to bring this musical story to life. We will focus on storytelling, structure, pacing, defining character arcs, and dramaturgy. Whether you want to be in front of the spotlight or behind it, there is a place in this show for you. We will perform a draft version of this work-in-progress musical. This new commissioned work will make its debut in the 2019 season of Chicago Playworks Children's Theatre. Be an integral part of the development of a new musical! YOUth Connect - Museums to the Classroom Doris Conrath & Elize Hellam Location: SOTA YOUth Connect offers an opportunity to learn about different museums in the Tacoma and Seattle area. You will gain knowledge about exhibitions and gallery teaching techniques through field trips to various museums. Using the art and collections housed at the Tacoma Art Museum and the Museum of Glass, you will develop lesson plans for elementary-age students. This course gets you ready for an elementary classroom internship, where you will give the lessons you created and take your class on a field trip to a museum. If your interests lie in classroom teaching, art, museum studies, or careers associated with glass art, get an application by emailing dconrat@tacoma.k12.wa.us. This course is open to 11th & 12th grade students by application, due November 30. Salvidor Dali Stole My Lunch Money Derrick Robinson & Harris Levinson Location: SOTA You all know that Latino culture is much more than Despacito, Selena Gomez, and Nacho Libre, but now is your chance to get the real story. Do you want to stretch yourself as an artist, collaborate with others, and explore a variety of Spanish

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speaking cultures and genres all through the lens of surrealism and magical realism? Come spend January being inspired by great poets, musicians, painters, and filmmakers and then work with local artists to create a powerful artistic response that will be presented publicly.

Service & Study Tours 2018 These trips have already been booked. If you’re interested in a Service and Study Tour

for January 2019, see the list of planned trips below.

Cambodia Service & Study Tour Melissa Moffett Location: Other Through Global Perspectives Humanities classes students have investigated women’s issues such as education, health, and human trafficking – in South Asia. Students will travel to Cambodia to extend their studies as they have an opportunity to serve as educators, mentors, friends, and co-learners in schools of underserved children through the Ponheary Ly Foundation. “The Ponheary Ly Foundation promotes access to public educational opportunities and the health and well-being of children and young people in Cambodia’s Siem Reap and Preah Vihear provinces. We believe that in order for children to learn, they must have food security, a stable place to live, transport toschool, and access to medical care — the same everyday supports that should be afforded to children throughout the world.” (http://theplf.org/wp/) National Parks SST Abbie Brown Location: SOTA Our National Parks SST group will be traveling to Mt. Rainier, Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks to learn about conservation and preservation of diverse Western US ecosystems. Our main goals are to learn the history of the national parks system, human and cultural history of the area and study conservationist versus preservationist ethics. We will be traveling, hiking, snowshoeing, skiing, exploring and playing outside all day, every day!

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Southern Africa SST Betsey Gordon Location: SOTA In 2018 an adventurous group of SOTA and SAMi students will safari through diverse landscape of Southern Africa and assist in education and conservation. Lions and rhinos and baboons, oh my! Pack your bag, we’re taking a three country tour of the most misunderstood continent: Africa! Dynamic, complicated, and immensely diverse, on this trip we will be exploring the effects of Apartheid and Independence through the lens of community organizations, education, and conservation in Southern Africa.

Service & Study Tours 2019 There are a lot of factors that determine if a planned trip will become a reality, so these are only dreams of plans for right now, but stay tuned for more information in March about trips for January 2019. As of this printing, these are the planned trips for January 2019:

Nepal Thailand Italy Miami Hawaii

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