Classical Civilization is a year-long, discussion-based course on the Greek and Roman worlds and their continuing influence. Topics and readings may be drawn from classical history, mythology, and philosophy, with frequent digressions into art, astronomy, arithmetic, biography, cosmology, geology, geography, geometry, historiography, grammar, logic, rhetoric, music, philology, prehistory, the Middle Ages, and the modern world. Open to fourth, fifth, and sixth form.

This course for beginners introduces the language and culture of the Greek world from the time of Homer to the present day. Students will learn to read and write the Greek alphabet and become conversant with the themes of Greek literature and history through stories and dialogues. In addition to reading simple narratives from classical mythology and the Greek Bible, we will study vocabulary and concepts pertaining to mathematics, science, and philosophy and their origins in Greek thought. Students will also be introduced to basic modern Greek vocabulary and conversational phrases.

This course provides a comprehensive foundation and review in Attic Greek, the dialect of 5th-century Athens. The primary narrative follows an Athenian farmer and his family, supplemented by selections from lyric poetry and the New Testament. This course may serve as an accelerated introduction to Greek for students who have demonstrated proficiency in Latin or another foreign language. Prerequisite: Greek 1 or departmental permission.

The term-contained courses of Greek 3 introduce students to advanced readings from original Greek literature while continuing the study of grammar, vocabulary, dialect, literary devices, and meter. Readings most commonly include selections from Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey or the Cyclops of Euripides. Prerequisite: Greek 2 or departmental approval.

The term-contained courses of Greek 4 continue the study of original literature. Readings may be chosen from the dialogues of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus, the Elements of Euclid, Greek comedy or tragedy, or the Greek Bible. Prerequisite: Greek 3 or departmental approval.

This introductory Latin course introduces the student to the language and culture of the Roman world. In preparation for reading the classical authors, Latin is approached as a practical means of communication through reading, writing, and basic conversation. Special attention is also given to vocabulary acquisition through an engaging narrative that follows a Roman family and their daily life. Students are also introduced to the fundamentals of Latin grammar and the etymology of English words derived from Latin, as well as the relationship of Latin to the Romance languages.

This course serves as a continuation of Latin 1 or an entry point for students with sufficient previous Latin experience. With reading comprehension as the primary goal, students continue to expand their study of formal grammar and syntax. Stories and fables within the narrative provide opportunities for discussion of cultural and historical context. Prerequisite: Latin 1 or departmental approval.

Latin 3 begins with a thorough review of grammar and vocabulary. By the end of the fall term, the course focuses on the reading of advanced Latin prose. The Winter Term features the reading of heroic legends in Latin and a thorough study of Greek and Roman myths by way of Edith Hamilton’s Mythology. The goal of this course is to prepare students for selected readings from a Roman author during the spring term. At the honors level, students complete an accelerated review of grammar and vocabulary in the fall term and read selections from Cicero and Vergil in the winter and spring terms, with a focus on the Roman Republic and an introduction to Latin poetry and mythology. Prerequisite: Latin 2 or departmental approval.

This course examines Roman life during the reign of the emperor Nero through a comprehensive study of Petronian satire. Students read selections from the Cena Trimalchionis and gain a view of the 1st-century Roman world along with insights into conversational Latin, social changes, and how the prosperity of the empire led to displays of very conspicuous consumption—all contained within a Roman “novel” written during the Silver Age of Latin literature. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

Medieval and Ecclesiastical Latin examines sacred and secular Latin texts from the Middle Ages when Latin was a living language of scholarship and communication. Texts studied may include selections from the Latin Vulgate, the Colloquy of Aelfric in Latin and Old English, legends of saints and travelers, and the Roman Missal. Attention is given to the art and technique of medieval illuminated manuscripts and musical settings of the Mass by Palestrina, Bach, Mozart, and other composers. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

Following an overview of Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, students explore Virgil’s Aeneid and Book VIII, in particular, to gain an understanding of how Virgil’s literary epic fits into the patterns established by Homer. Students translate selections from Book VIII and become familiar with scansion, rhetorical devices, and imagery, paying close attention to the author’s unique style and thematic content that influenced writers and other artists in the years to come. Prerequisite: Latin 3.

This course continues the study of original literature. Readings may be chosen from the dialogues of Plato, the Histories of Herodotus, the Elements of Euclid, Greek comedy or tragedy, or the Greek Bible. These courses are term-contained. Prerequisite: Greek 3 and/or departmental approval.

The Advanced Studies in Latin course offers students the opportunity to read, analyze and gain an appreciation for Golden Age Latin poetry and prose through the works of Vergil’s Aeneid and Caesar’s Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Latin readings include (but are not limited to) selections from Books 1, 2, 4, and 6 of the Aeneid and Books 1, 4, 5, and 6 of Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Additional readings in English of both works are required, with a view toward recognition of themes, central characters, and key ideas. Period tests will require students to translate familiar and unfamiliar passages as literally as possible, identify passages in context and analyze and comment upon content with respect to style, rhetorical aspects, and theme. Prerequisite: Honors Latin 3 or departmental approval.

Students explore the fundamentals of flight in air and space as they bring the concepts to life by designing and testing components related to flight such as a glider, airfoil, propulsion system, and a rocket. They also learn about orbital mechanics concepts and apply these by creating simulation models. Prerequisite: Physics

In Digital Electronics I, students will learn to distinguish between analog and digital components, and will explore basic circuits and the measurement tools used to characterize and validate calculations that predict a circuit’s behavior. They will explore AOI Combinational Logic Circuit Design, use Boolean algebra to simplify the logic expressions, and explore Karnaugh maps. Prerequisite: Physics

In Digital Electronics II, the students begin the study of sequential logic by examining the basic operation of the two most common flip-flop types, the D and J/K flip-flops. As part of this analysis, they will review the design of four typical flip-flop applications: event detector, data synchronizer, frequency divider, and shift register. Prerequisite: Digital Electronics I

Students will be introduced to the engineering field and the engineering design process. They will learn technical sketching and practice sketching isometric views and orthographic projections. Based on a project based learning approach, students are introduced to CAD — Computer Aided Design by using Autodesk Inventor in its four environments: part — drawing — assembly — presentation, and emphasizes the use of 3D printing, and the five principles of design. Prerequisite: Honors Geometry

Students will study engineering graphics standards and enhance their CAD skills by learning a variety of features in Autodesk Inventor, including 3D sketch and more advanced technical drawings, and assemblies. The course also emphasizes reverse engineering, and 3D printing skills. Students will be required to present a solution for a design problem, fully documented. Prerequisite: Engineering Design I

Students will learn mechanical engineering concepts such as simple machines, energy, work, power, mechanisms, and internal combustion engine types. They will explore internal forces in materials and the relationship between stress and strain, and start their learning in static structures through the use of free body diagrams, moment calculations, and method of joints. Prerequisite: Physics

Students will continue their learning of static structures by constructing moment and shear diagrams, and be introduced to Autodesk Revit to design a structure of a commercial building, including design of beams, columns, spread footings, and elements of heat transfer.They will perform a land survey, and conduct a soil analysis. Prerequisite: Engineering Principles I

English 1 students engage in an exploration of the self. Inspired by our Kent School motto — Self-Reliance, Directness of Purpose, and Simplicity of Life — we will probe essential questions such as Who am I? What are the components of my identity? What is my purpose? What does it mean to be self-reliant? Students will hone their reading and writing skills in a collaborative classroom environment, exploring poetry, plays, novels, short stories, and essays. Through both critical and creative written responses, as well as instruction in grammar and mechanics, students learn to share their ideas in writing that is effective, persuasive, and engaging.

English 2 builds on the work of English 1 and expands our exploration of the self to consider the relationship between the individual and society. Students will deepen their exploration of the Kent motto — Self-Reliance, Directness of Purpose, and Simplicity of Life — by considering essential questions such as How does society affect an individual’s sense of self? How does one engage with and contribute to society? How do storytelling and memory preserve personal and collective histories? By carefully analyzing a wide variety of literature from a diversity of voices, English II students discover what literature reveals about our humanity and the contemporary age. Through critical and creative written responses, as well as continued instruction in grammar and mechanics, students learn to share their ideas in writing that is effective, persuasive, and engaging. Prerequisite: departmental approval for enrollment in Honors level.

English 3 students read a variety of American literature (including The Underground Railroad, The Things They Carried, The Great Gatsby, and a selection of narratives, short fiction, plays, essays, and poems) to develop a broad understanding of American voices and perspectives. Through both critical and creative responses, English 3 students will build upon the skills developed in earlier classes to express their ideas in writing that is effective, persuasive, and engaging. Prerequisite: departmental approval for enrollment in Honors level.

Across their Fifth and Sixth Form years, students will need to take a total of six (6) term courses, including at least one writing-focused course and at least one literature-focused course. Students must take English every term. All new Fifth and Sixth Form students will take Writing Seminar in the fall term of their first year.  We invite students who are interested in advanced coursework in English to consider Advanced Studies electives.

Personal Narratives 

In this course, students will refine their skills as personal storytellers outside of the context of the college essay. Students will explore exemplary autobiographical pieces of writing that weave personal experiences into compelling narratives. Particular emphasis will be placed on students reflecting on their own experiences, developing a written voice, and crafting thematically compelling stories. Students will also analyze different works, experiment with storytelling techniques, and engage in peer writing workshops. At the end of the term, students will put together a portfolio of their written work.

Poetry Writing: Doggerel and Beyond 

Students in this course will be introduced to forms and genres (e.g., sonnet, villanelle, free verse, and elegy), will dive deep into the work of a poet they come to admire, and will try their hand at the writing of several forms of poetry. Most of the composition–drafting, workshopping, and revising–will happen during class time; the homework will often be a close reading of a model poem. 

Poetry Workshop 

Students will read a mix of contemporary and historical poets: Christian Wiman and John Donne, Ocean Vuong and Sappho, Mary Oliver and John Clare, among many, many others. Each week students will share a poem of their own with the class for feedback and discussion. By the end of the term, students will have a small portfolio of poems. 

Playwriting 

Experience the excitement of seeing your written work come to life! Students in this class will write short original plays after spending the first portion of the term studying selected great plays and following a development process created by one of America’s most produced writers. Students will build their work in class through weekly presentations of their newest scenes and will revise their plays based on both peer and instructor criticism. All students will seek to finish the semester with polished, dramatically sound works. We will end the term with in-class readings of the completed plays. This course will fulfill the English Department elective requirement or the Performing Arts Department elective requirement (but not both.)

Public Speaking 

Speaking in public can be a daunting and nerve-wracking experience. In fact, most people go their whole lives trying to avoid situations in which they have to speak in front of a crowd. In this course, you will learn about the public speaking through both written and recorded speeches as well as a collection of resources on best practices. Then, you will be tasked with writing and giving your own speeches, honing your ability to express yourself in front of others and, ideally, coming to a realization that public speaking can be a powerful and rewarding exercise.

Screenwriting 

When we write a story, it's our responsibility to think about the reader. They will use their imagination to build the world we have created, and our words will serve as the instructions for them to follow. Things work very differently, though, when the final product will already have a visual component. Screenwriting — the writing process for film and television — requires a unique approach and a slightly different set of skills. In this class, we will begin with the basics of story structure, character development, and writing dialogue while analyzing short films. Students will work in a collaborative "writing room" environment as they work towards writing their own short film screenplay. Later, we will turn our attention to writing for television, specifically focusing on sitcoms. Students will watch several episodes of the same sitcom before writing their own episode. Students are highly encouraged to download a screenwriting software (like KIT Scenarist) as proper script formatting will be expected. 

Sports Writing 

The best sports writing is more than a box score and trying to make something out of the cryptic and evasive comments of a paranoid coach. The best sports writing includes all the elements of the human condition: ego, ambition, disappointment, personal sacrifice, virtue, and vice. It also employs some of the devices of great literary fiction and non-fiction — strong characters, conflict, and suspense. In this course, we will read classic and contemporary sports writing to be entertained and to learn about the craft of effective writing. Students will argue and debate. They will also read, write, explain, analyze, and describe. Students will be asked to write in a variety of sports-related modes from the game recap to the sports profile to the opinion piece.

Write On! 

Writing fiction is fun, especially when you have the freedom to write about things that interest you. Writing fiction is exhilarating when you write not only for yourself but for an audience who appreciates your work. This course is a short story writing workshop designed to help students produce three short stories in the term; students will then choose one of their stories to submit to The Cauldron for consideration. For inspiration, we will read stories from various authors with diverse backgrounds and styles. For guidance, we will use Browne and King’s Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print. Drafting and sharing our work is fundamental to the course’s design. 

Writing Seminar 

In this course, students will develop strong analytical writing skills, focusing on crafting clear, well-structured, and persuasive arguments. Through workshops, peer reviews, and personalized feedback, students will strengthen their writing process from brainstorming to final revisions. They will learn to organize ideas effectively, develop thoughtful thesis statements, and integrate textual evidence with precision. Students will also explore rhetorical strategies to adapt their writing for different audiences and purposes. This seminar is required for all new juniors and seniors and may also be recommended for returning students who would benefit from additional support in writing.

Zines & Protest Literature 

This course is for anyone who is interested in learning more about zines — self-published, small-distribution works made of text and images. Drawing on cultural, social, and political perspectives, we will consider such topics as personal identity, fashion, music, youth culture, and any topic that moves you! In addition to reading and creating zines each week, we will explore protest literature by examining excerpts from Civil Disobedience, the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, and the writings of American suffragists.

21st Century Drama: Zacarías and Morisseau 

Dominique Morisseau and Karen Zacarías are two of the most-produced playwrights in America today. Both have presented indelible images on stages around the country, but their approaches are vastly different from each other. Morisseau’s incisive dramas present the Black experience in a manner that leaves audiences breathless and tearful, while Zacarías commonly employs outrageous humor to illustrate her point of view as a Latina living in America. Both achieve results that have garnered countless accolades. We’ll read at least two plays from each author: Morriseau’s Detroit ’67 and Skeleton Crew and Zacarías’ Native Gardens and The Book Club Play will definitely be on the agenda, and we’ll have the option to add another play by each author from the collections we’ll have in class. Students will both write about each work and read aloud from the plays, sometimes dramatically on the small stage in the Acting Studio!

21st Century Short Stories

Short works dating from 2001 through today will be on the table for our class! Through discussion and close-readings, our class will discover the key distinctive literary features of short story writing in the 21st Century through close textual analysis of writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Haruki Murakami, Claire Keegan, and Jennifer Egan. We will analyze the authors’ exploration of themes such as identity, place and trauma in the personal and social context. We will spend time discussing and reflecting and writing about what you learn with other students, and even write a story of your own.

The Art of Living Well 

In this course, students will read a variety of texts that engage with the question of what it means to lead a good life. Where do we find happiness? How can we explain the coexistence of joy and sorrow? What does true happiness look like for you? Authors may include: Marcus Aurelius, Thoreau & Emerson, Annie Dillard, Muriel Barbery, Ted Chiang, and Matt Haig. In addition to close reading and analytical writing, students will practice journaling, meditative walking, art and music appreciation, and time spent in nature. 

The Art of Simplicity: Exploring the Works of Ernest Hemingway 

What do bullfights, shark attacks, plane crashes, and WWII espionage have in common? They are all experiences that shaped Ernest Hemingway into an iconic American writer. In this class, students will read a selection of Hemingway's most renowned works: The Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises, and a collection of his short stories. Through close reading and critical analysis of these texts, we will begin to explore the literary techniques and minimalist prose that defined Hemingway’s life and his work. By the end of the term, students will have gained a better understanding both of the thematic underpinnings of these texts and of Hemingway's artistry more broadly.

Black American Horror 

What scares you the most? Is it something physical like bats? Spiders? Needles? Darkness? Maybe it’s something supernatural like ghosts, vampires, aliens, or Lovecraft’s Great Old Ones. Or perhaps, it’s something a bit more abstract. Heights. Isolation. Death. Writers within the horror genre play with all of these themes and countless more to make our skin crawl, our heart rate surge, and our minds conjure evil all around us. African American authors have used the genre not only to scare, but to comment on what it means to be Black in America. This class will examine how Black authors have partnered essentials of horror writing with the real life horror of racial persecution.

Dystopian Literature 

From The Hunger Games to the Divergent series, artists and audiences alike are finding grim delight in imagining nightmarish worlds that are not far off in the future. These fictional worlds underline the very real fears of current society by extending current issues—like authoritarian governments, over- reliance on technology, lack of privacy—to a foreseeable doom. Although these stories rarely have happy endings, the vivid details of these dystopian worlds present a nuanced perspective on what makes us human. This course will begin with selections from Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, and then we will turn our attention to more contemporary texts, George Orwell’s 1984 and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.

Hamilton, the Elective

The musical Hamilton took the world by storm when it opened back in 2015. Why? How did a young writer take a fat historical biography and turn it into the most successful theatrical production the world has seen in a generation? How could hip-hop, R&B, jazz, and a dash of musical theatre standard flavor be mixed to create a concoction that has not only topped bestseller charts, but also told the story of a dead white guy from two centuries ago? Our study of the poetry Lin-Manuel Miranda creates for this musical will be compared to the source material, and the many dramatic, literary, and musical techniques employed by the creative team will be explored, revealing the many reasons why Miranda has been recognized as a new Shakespeare for our time.

Hamlet

A Kent School tradition for seniors: exploring the elusive and allusive world of Hamlet. In this course, students will refine their understanding of Shakespearean language, learn about the political, religious, and social influences on the play, and pay attention to the ebbs and flows of Hamlet’s “words, words, words”. Reading and examining the play will, of course, be accompanied by viewing various film and filmed stage adaptations. The final project will be a research project on some element of the play or Shakespearean England, accompanied by a presentation. 

Horror and Madness 

Emily Dickinson writes, ”Much Madness is divinest Sense - To a discerning Eye -” This course tests the validity of her poetic statement by examining gothic horror stories whose narrators relate spine-chilling accounts of supernatural events. Before examining these stories, we will ground our understanding of madness by reading Ernest Becker’s chapter in The Denial of Death, “A General View of Mental Illness.” Course texts include selected Poe short stories, Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Henry James’ The Turn of the Screw, and Mark Danielewski’s House of Leaves. We will seek answers to the following questions: What is truth and how can we tell if something is true? What truths do these stories offer regarding what it means to be human? What does our attraction to this genre suggest about us? Would Becker agree with Dickinson’s assertion, and after reading these stories, do we? 

Magical Realism 

Magical realism with its interest in the fantastic, the surreal, and even the supernatural is a genre that pushes boundaries while entrancing readers. Fantastic premises and stories are told “straight” or as Gabriel Garcia Marquez says: “with a brick face.” In this course, we’ll consider questions like: Why magical realism? How is the genre especially well-suited for exploring truths that realistic fiction is less capable of describing? How does the genre allow marginalized peoples a creative way to speak to their experiences? How might magical realism be especially relevant to the modern moment? Students will write creatively and analytically and will be expected to contribute regularly to class discussions. Representative authors may include: Kafka, Garcia Marquez, Ionesco, Gogol, and Link.

The Modernists

In this elective, we will explore the ideas of 20th-century modernism through the study of writers such as Virginia Woolf, James Joyce, T.S. Eliot, and others. Fragmented narratives, stream-of-consciousness, existentialism, and the search for meaning in an increasingly hopeless world — this course will examine how these authors grappled with the rapid changes of the modern era. We will analyze how modern texts challenge traditional narrative forms, question established values, and reflect the anxieties of modern life. 

Page to Screen 

Some people say that Hollywood has run out of ideas, focusing instead on remakes and sequels. However, the film industry has long relied on pre-existing works to inspire its productions, with plays, novels, and short stories being a frequent well from which screenwriters draw. There’s even an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay just for this purpose! However, lovers of the written word frequently say that no film adaptation can ever live up to the original novel. Why is that? In this course, students will read and analyze first, then watch the movie adaptations. They will compare the two, exploring similarities and differences, editorial choices, and how faithful the adaptations were to both the source material and their own mental representations of the story. The class will show how the film industry benefits from great works of literature but still must remain true to itself. 

Pride and Prejudice 

Together we will travel back in time to Regency England (c.1810-1820) and delve into Jane Austen’s classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. Over the course of three months, we will engage deeply with the novel’s themes, characters, and social commentary. One of the most iconic texts of the British literature canon, this novel has been scrutinized and adapted in countless forms after its publication in 1813. We will not only examine Austen's witty narrative style and keen insight into human relationships, but we’ll also explore the enduring relevance of Pride and Prejudice in today’s world through several different adaptations, mostly of the screen variety.

Shakespeare’s Comedic Heroines 

William Shakespeare created some of the most joyful, assertive, and intelligent female roles in theater history. We will explore two pairs of them: Viola and Olivia in Twelfth Night, and Rosalind and Celia in As You Like It. Both plays famously center on the lead female character donning a male disguise in the first act of the play. Shakespeare’s world was a highly visual and coded one: social standing, as well as gender, was communicated through clothing. In taking a closer look at both the plays, we will explore gender roles and non-heterosexual relationships, and the ways in which appearance can be adapted, misconstrued, and resolved. Students will gain familiarity with Shakespearean language, engage in active performing, and write close analysis of the plays. 

Weird Stories 

This course focuses on mind-bending short stories and novellas that explore modern angst and philosophical dilemmas. Course texts include Kafka’s The Castle, Camus’ The Stranger, and a variety of short stories from authors including Nabokov, Chiang, Borges, and Saunders. We will examine how these authors’ fantastical storytelling compels us to explore what Kant describes as philosophy’s central questions — What can I know? What should I do? What may I hope? The course will conclude with a culminating essay in which students will articulate their philosophy of life, answering Kant’s questions while referring to course texts for inspiration and comparison.

What is Water?: Finding Meaning and the Power of Conscious Choice 

Whether it be mindlessly scrolling on our phones or going through the motions of a school day, we are constantly making choices without even realizing it. In fact, we make thousands of unconscious decisions every day. In this elective course, we will explore what it means to make a conscious choice — to intentionally consider your own ideas in relation to others. To think about your own thinking. In doing so, we will consider whether making conscious decisions and overriding our “default settings” can improve our well-being and, in the long run, help us find meaning in our lives. Course materials include the essays “This is Water” and “Self-Reliance,” the novels Fahrenheit 451 and Siddhartha, and the film Good Will Hunting.

World Food Literature 

Let me ask you a question: You know that bread that Aladdin stole from the market — what did it taste like? Did Lao Tzu eat warm, steamy egg cakes? Did Gilgamesh enjoy a fermented beverage? Hmmm. Let’s find out. Make no mistake, this is a typical World Literature class. You will study ancient literature from its earliest recorded writings including fables, myths, folktales, and parables, as well as sacred texts of ancient cultures. You will dabble in the Epic study of heroes from different cultures learning the elements that make up epic literature. There will be poetry study which will include the poetry of ancient Greece and Rome, poetry from Egypt, Japan, China, the Middle East, and the European sonnet. We will read excerpts from the books of Michael Pollan who wrote The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s Eye View of the World, and Mark Kurlansky who wrote Salt: A World History. And, of course, we will cook. We will eat.

AS-level Writing Electives are available to all Fifth and Sixth Form students dependent upon departmental approval and availability. AS Writing Electives are intellectually demanding, designed to foster a rigorous and sustained writing practice. Students will engage in extensive writing, refining their craft toward mastery of their chosen genre. Each elective culminates in a final product—whether a portfolio, collection, or revised body of work—that reflects their intellectual growth. Active participation in workshop-style discussions is essential, allowing students to present their work, engage in critique, and refine their writing through constructive feedback. Reading will be central to the course, with students analyzing works that exemplify the genre, deepening their understanding of form and technique. By the course’s end, students will have a polished body of work and a deeper command of the genre. Students should anticipate approximately one hour of homework per class. 

AS Literary Journalism 

This course will explore literary journalism, where the boundaries between fact and fiction blur, and storytelling transcends traditional reporting. Through the works of iconic writers such as Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Gay Talese, Tom Wolfe, and Hunter S. Thompson, we will examine how narrative techniques, vivid character portraits, and personal perspectives transform real-life events into compelling stories. The course will focus on developing the skills to write deeply researched, engaging nonfiction that reads like fiction, while maintaining a commitment to truth. Students will learn to craft their own pieces of literary journalism, blending investigative rigor with creative narrative techniques.

AS Memoir Workshop 

In this course, we will read, discuss, and write about memoir (both long-format and short-) with the goal of becoming memoir writers ourselves. Our analysis will focus on the craft choices made by the author in constructing the story (i.e., trying to figure out why the memoir is the way it is) with the ultimate goal of learning to incorporate these craft elements into our own work. Classmates will construct their own memoirs, rely on peers for constructive suggestions for improvement through regular workshop classes; the term will conclude with each student crafting and revising a long-format memoir of their own. 

AS The New Yorker: Contemporary Culture, Arts and Politics 

What will we read in this class? We won’t know until each week’s issue of The New Yorker, “a magazine offering a signature mix of reporting and commentary on politics, international affairs, popular culture and the arts, science and technology, and business, along with fiction, poetry, humor, and cartoons,” comes out! Over the course of the term, you will create pieces in similar genres (from long-format non-fiction to creating cartoons), and the term will culminate with your creation of your very own version of the magazine. The only text is a 12-week subscription to the magazine. If you’d like to check out the kinds of things we’ll be reading and writing, head to www.newyorker.com/magazine. 

AS Short Fiction Workshop 

In this course, we will read, discuss, and write about a series of contemporary short stories with the goal of becoming better short fiction writers ourselves. Our analysis of the stories will focus on the craft choices made by the author in constructing the story (i.e., trying to figure out why the story is the way it is) with the ultimate goal of learning to incorporate these craft elements into our own creative work. One class each week will be devoted to workshopping short stories written by class members, and the course will conclude with students revising their own short fiction in a curated portfolio. This will be a discussion-driven class that will demand your creativity and commitment to improving your craft.

AS-level Literature Electives are available to all Fifth and Sixth Form students dependent upon departmental approval and availability. AS-level Literature courses offer an intensive exploration of advanced literary study, challenging students to cultivate insight and precision as readers and writers. Students will develop confident, critical voices, producing work that reflects originality and clarity. Writing assignments will often require students to generate their own prompts, encouraging intellectual curiosity and a sense of ownership over their ideas. Active participation in discussion is essential. By the end of each term, students will demonstrate a growing capacity for independent thought and sophisticated analysis. Students should anticipate approximately one hour of homework per class.

AS Gothic & Domestic Thrillers: Death by Patriarchy 

Enter the haunting world of Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and the gripping realm of female domestic thrillers. This course explores how women’s writing delves into fear, power, and psychological tension within domestic spaces. Through close reading, literary analysis, and genre study, you’ll uncover the feminist undercurrents of these suspenseful narratives while engaging with their historical, cultural, and critical contexts. Discover how these stories illuminate women’s resilience in navigating oppressive structures—and prepare to be thrilled along the way.

AS Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads in Them 

This will be an advanced study of challenging poems. Students will encounter sophisticated relationships among elements such as subject, form, rhyme, allusion, context, and voice. The poems will range from the Renaissance to the very recent; expect works by Ben Jonson, John Donne, Emily Dickinson, James Merrill, Jorie Graham, Wallace Stevens, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Robert Hayden, Kevin Young, and many others.

AS James Baldwin: His Work, His World, and His Heirs 

The course surveys work by James Baldwin (1924-87), one of the most essential American writers. Black, gay, born in Harlem and for many years an expatriate, Baldwin saw America simultaneously from within and without. The pleasures of his prose, however, lie not simply in his point of view or even his analysis. He must be heard. We’ll also briefly survey his legacy among writers he has influenced. 

AS Literature and the Land 

This course is about appreciating nature and considering varied perspectives toward land – artistic, cultural, economic, historical, poetic, scientific, spiritual. While nature writing is a rich and flourishing genre, students will read a selection of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction that makes encourages connections with Wordsworth and the Romantics’ reaction to the industrial revolution before turning to the American version of romanticism with Emerson, Thoreau, Dillard, Ehrlich, along with essays by modern activists. Students will engage in close reading and advanced literary analysis, as well as draw their attention to the natural environment through narrative and descriptive writing.

AS Magical Realism 

Magical realism with its interest in the fantastic, the surreal, and even the supernatural is a genre that pushes boundaries while entrancing readers. Fantastic premises and stories are told “straight” or as Gabriel Garcia Marquez says: “with a brick face.” In this course, we’ll consider questions like: Why magical realism? How is the genre especially well-suited for exploring truths that realistic fiction is less capable of describing? How does the genre allow marginalized peoples a creative way to speak to their experiences? How might magical realism be especially relevant to the modern moment? Students will write creatively and analytically and will be expected to contribute regularly to class discussions. Representative authors may include: Kafka, Garcia Marquez, Ionesco, Gogol, and Link.

AS Medieval Literature 

Let’s step back in time to the medieval world, where epic battles, chivalric quests, and legendary creatures reign supreme. In this course, we will be diving into stories of heroism, morality, and the supernatural. Through texts such as Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, The Canterbury Tales, and Dante’s Divine Comedy, we will examine the central themes of honor, faith, and the human struggle against both internal and external monsters. From dragons and demons to knights in shining armor and noble ladies, we will explore the fascinating intersection of myth, religion, and medieval society, while also considering how these stories continue to influence modern culture. 

AS Mid-Century American Plays: Hey Daddy-O, Let’s Talk Drama 

This elective invites students to explore the vibrant world of mid-century American theater. We will delve into the works of iconic playwrights such as Miller, Hansberry, Williams, O'Neill, Inge, Childress, and/or Baldwin. Through in-depth reading and analysis, we will examine how these plays reflect the social, political, and cultural landscapes of the 1940s and 1950s. Students will develop their skills in play analysis and read and discuss key pieces of literary criticism. Expect dynamic discussions, opportunities for performance and close reading, and a deeper appreciation for the powerful role of theater in shaping American culture.

AS Poet Laureates — Their Inspiration, Their Poetry 

When the Greeks were living large, the laurel was used to form a wreath or crown of honor for heroes and poets. The custom is derived from the myth of Daphne and Apollo and has been widely adopted since the 14th century. The term “laureate” is a form of recognition for superlative achievement, and distinguished writers may be honored as Nobel laureates. A Poet Laureate’s work has national significance, and notable bards are appointed in North America, Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, and Oceania. This course will focus on selected works of American Poet Laureates — poems by Gwendoyn Brooks, Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Ada Limón, Tracy K. Smith, W.S. Merwin, Robert Penn Warren — and Youth Poet Laureates, poems by Amanda Gorman and Stephanie Pacheco. Students will engage in close reading and advanced literary analysis, and later in the term, each student will lead a Harkness discussion on a poem of their choosing.

AS Shakespearean Comedies: Ye Olde Romantick Comedies (

Dive into the intricate world of Shakespeare’s comedies in this advanced literature elective, which will focus on The Taming of the Shrew and Twelfth Night. Often regarded as the precursors to modern romantic comedies, these plays use humor, disguise, and romance to interrogate themes of gender, power dynamics, identity, and societal norms. Students will engage in close reading and advanced literary analysis, exploring the plays’ complex structures, genre conventions, and rich historical and cultural contexts. Through critical essays, scholarly discourse, and creative interpretations, you’ll unravel the depth behind Shakespeare’s comedic brilliance and its continued influence on literature and film.

AS Shakespeare’s “Henriad” as Early Seventeenth-Century Agit-Prop 

The four plays commonly called the Henriad–Richard II, Henry IV parts 1 and 2, and Henry V–offer distinctly skewed history, high art, low humor, seemingly immortal characters, and possibly subversive political insights. The legitimacy of the royal line will be threatened by spendthrift kings, wayward princes, felonious associates, and France. We will focus on a close reading of the plays (a typical assignment will be 300-400 lines), but excerpts from filmed adaptations will also mark the breadth and depth of what is possible with these plays. 

AS Toni Morrison’s Beloved 

In this class, students will study and discuss the legacy of Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison through the close study of her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Beloved. In its unflinching portrait of the traumas and lasting, far-reaching effects of slavery, Beloved forces readers to confront how the past haunts the present. Students will consider the ways in which Morrison’s style and technique work to illustrate her themes of race, family and motherhood, and personal agency. Students will engage in close reading assignments and a longer analytical essay. In addition to the novel, students should expect to read critical essays on Morrison and some of Morrison’s own non-fiction.

AS Women in Antiquity 

Beginning with an exploration of the lives and myths of women and goddesses from ancient Greece and Rome, students will examine the role of women in society. In addition to studying Lysistrata, the Aristophanes comedy written for performance in 411 BCE, this course will build from interdisciplinary study and will offer students the opportunity to explore drama, literature, and the work of archaeologists and art historians. Students will engage in close reading and advanced literary analysis, as well as personal reflections on the perspectives and philosophies offered in the range of materials studied.

Students are placed in this course following a review of relevant testing (including TOEFL). ELL Literature provides an introduction to works of British and American literature. In this course, students become familiar with the basic elements of critical analysis through readings of, and written responses to novels, short stories, poetry, essays, and plays.

An integrated skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) course for non-native English-speaking students at the advanced level of English proficiency. Students develop active and passive vocabulary through learning word roots. Students do both informal (journals) and formal (paragraphs and essays) writing. We focus on editing strategies to make writing more clear, concrete, and concise. Class discussions and student presentations increase students' confidence using spoken English and listening skills in an academic environment, while students work together on projects, learning to collaborate. In this class, students have the opportunity to help determine course content and activities.

This course, or its counterpart Thematic US History, is a required course to be taken in the fourth or fifth form year.

This course will review the main events and issues of U.S History, while also learning the fundamental skills of research and working to develop mature, intellectual and critical consideration of the relationship between past and present. Class discussion, projects, collaborative learning, and persuasive writing will be expected and valued avenues with which to approach these priorities. We will start the course by examining formative elements of the American Colonial experience. From there we will follow chronological events in US History starting with the Revolutionary Era and birth of the young Republic. Quickly, we will analyze the transformative elements of Antebellum America up to the Civil War, and how in its aftermath the Union was fundamentally revolutionized anew, with an emphasis on social, economic and foreign policy — and the evolving relationship between the people and government. In the spring term we will discuss the dynamics of the Depression years, World War II, and post-war America, and more recent historical influences on the US of today. Through our year together, we will study the unique melting pot of cultures, ethnicities, faiths, and identities that have and do characterize the ‘experiment’ that is the US of America.

Required of all third form students

This course will investigate the period from 1250 CE to the Cold War in a global context. Through the study of this period students will be joining historical arguments about systems of thought and belief, networks of exchange, revolution, empire, industrialization, and conflicts. Students will learn foundational historical skills in evaluating sources, researching, and constructing arguments. Important to the study of this period will be reading the voices from all sides of events and investigating them in context. Students will be able to add context to what they see in the world they live in.

This course, or its counterpart Chronological US History, is a required course to be taken in the fourth or fifth year.

In this course students will study US History by examining one theme at a time. Such themes include: identity, society, politics, economics, and culture. To access these themes, students will try to answer approximately one overarching question per unit: Who is an American? What are American values? Does the US have a culture? What are the meanings of liberty and equality? What is the role of the government in the lives of US citizens? Is the US an empire? Is the business of America business? Emphasizing depth and not breadth, each question presents students with a new journey through America’s past so they may see how a single issue develops over time. This narrower focus allows students to develop intellectual curiosity, pursue different methods of historical analysis, and engage deeply with the historical record. Throughout the year the themes will “layer” on top of one another so students will move through US History several times in several different ways. In the process, students will be encouraged to ask questions, take intellectual risks, and be empowered to develop their own ideas and interpretations of US History so they may join the national conversation about our shared past.

In this class, we will survey the broad sweep of African American history from 1619 to the age of Obama. Throughout this period, we will focus on how African Americans interpreted and responded to the problem of white supremacy. We will look first at how enslaved African Americans, as they forged communities in the rural south, both retained parts of West African culture and also helped to create American culture itself. We will examine how African Americans, enslaved and free, fought against the institution of slavery before and during the Civil War. We will learn how, when that war ended with the defeat of the slaveholders, African Americans seized new political and social opportunities. We will explore the range of African American responses to the closing of those opportunities in the Jim Crow era; one such response being the migration of millions from the rural south to northern cities. We will study how African Americans — northern and southern, urban and rural — led the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Finally, we will ask whether the system of white supremacy was destroyed in the 1960s, or whether that system survived into the twenty-first century. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of United States History.

This is a three-part course, students may enroll in any or all of the terms. During the Fall Term the class will examine the origins of the World Wars beginning with German unification in 1870 (almost coinciding with Churchill’s birth in 1874), a quick survey of the First World War and the interwar period, the rise of the revisionist states (Japan, Italy, and Germany), the outbreak of war in Asia and Europe, the early German offensives, the Battle of Britain, the Battle of the Atlantic, the German invasion of the USSR, and lastly the Japanese strikes at Pearl Harbor and throughout the Pacific. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fourth Form and above who have completed Modern World History.

This is a three-part course, students may enroll in any or all of the terms. During the Winter Term, we will examine the crucible of 1942 when the Allies stemmed the Axis tide and, subsequently, the beginning of Allied counter-offensives in 1943. The connection of the Pacific/Asian war and the European/Mediterranean war through the involvement of the English-speaking world will be explored. The widening of the scope of the war, the economics of the war, the casualties of the war, and the increasing contrasts in how societies chose to fight this struggle will occupy the term. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fourth Form and above who have completed Modern World History.

The Cold War set the tone for how the world would operate post World War II: the US was transformed into a global superpower and launched into an ideological competition with the Soviet Union that impacted global and regional dynamics that persist into the present. By engaging in major themes of decolonization, post-colonialism, the non-aligned movement, and globalization, this course will interrogate the legacy left by the Cold War on the world at large. Prerequisite: open to students in the fifth and sixth forms with completion or concurrent study of US History.

This is a three-part course, students may enroll in any of all of the terms. During Spring Term, students will consider the final Allied attempts to close the ring during 1944, the last horrors of 1945, and attempts to fashion a stable post-war world. The increasing fanaticism of obviously defeated societies will be contrasted with the need to begin shaping the world after the end of the war. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fourth Form and above who have completed World History.

The Cold War set the tone for how the world would operate post World War II: the US was transformed into a global superpower and launched into an ideological competition with the Soviet Union that impacted global and regional dynamics that persist into the present. By engaging in major themes of decolonization, post-colonialism, the non-aligned movement, and globalization, this course will interrogate the legacy left by the Cold War on the world at large. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of US History.

This course employs economics concepts taught in Advanced Studies Economics, Introduction to Macroeconomics and Introduction to Microeconomics, so students must take at least one of these electives or be concurrently enrolled at the time of study. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth form and above with departmental approval.

Check your news feed lately? Since 2020, Americans have spent between 6-9 hours per day engaged in media of one form or another. In this media-saturated world, we are continuously bombarded with hundreds of news items from numerous platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google, Twitter (X), text messages, podcasts, radio, television, and print press. Not only does the media exert significant influence over us, with the ability to curate content, Americans have become increasingly siloed in ideological echo chambers, contributing to ongoing political polarization. This course will explore the role of the media in the US, specifically as it relates to politics, and learn the powerful skill of deconstructing media messages in order to gain more control over them. Students will learn how to determine the trustworthiness of sources, verify news stories, determine reputability, detect bias and agendas, distinguish between facts and opinions, and learn the importance of multiple points of view. Skills notwithstanding, the course encourages students, as citizens in a free society, to become responsible and discerning consumers of information. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth form and above who have completed World History.

Over a billion people today call the Indian Subcontinent home, yet to many people in the West, the historical developments that gave rise to the modern nations of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India are unknown. This survey-style course will examine the stories of the Indian Subcontinent, following the major trends and events of the region’s history. Beginning with the Mughal conquest, this class will trace the general course of South Asian history, following the rise of the East India Company, the dominance of the British Raj, and the struggles of independence and partition. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth form and above who have completed Modern World History.

This course explores a dynamic period of philosophical debate and discovery. Beginning with Pre-Socratics, this course surveys pivotal thinkers, including Socrates, Plate, Aristotle, and Epicurus. Intertwined with our learning of influential theories of ethics, politics, language and religion will be experiential learning experiences that put philosophy into practice. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth form and above who have completed Modern World History.

This course covers economic topics like scarcity, choice, supply, demand, national income accounting, fiscal policy, global trade and foriegn exchange markets with real-world applications and current event discussions.

This term-contained course covers topics in microeconomics including consumer choice and utility maximization, theory of the firm, market structures, and the role of government within the broader economy. A considerable amount of class time is dedicated to real-world applications and current-events-based discussions. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth form and above with departmental approval.

Africa is frequently misunderstood, with various African countries conflated, and stereotypes abound about an impoverished and war-torn continent. How much of this is actually true, and how can we deepen our understanding of the complexities of African history? This course will provide a survey of major historical events and milestones on the African continent and diaspora since the 19th and 20th centuries. In an effort to bring greater clarity to the role Africa plays in the modern world in terms of politics, socio-economics, and culture, we will dive into historical and media analysis of Africa from the beginnings of post-colonialism to the present day. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth form and above who have completed Modern World History.

Native American history is timely and timeless. As we consider US History, and before it, English colonial history in North America, we often talk and think about the 'forgotten people.' This consideration takes on many forms, layers, and textures. There are many renderings of the so-called 'American' story. Yet, in the telling of this history, are not the most 'forgotten' the original Americans — Native American/Indigenous peoples themselves? This course will attempt to engage and examine this fundamental question, from pre-Jamestown 1607 to contemporary issues in Native American/US relations and policies. Prerequisite: Open to students in the fifth and sixth form. Must have taken US History or be taking it concurrently.

Sport is ubiquitous in the US. From Teddy Roosevelt's ponderings to Serena Williams' being, it is not an understatement to say that the US is a sporting society. When considering the arc of US History over the past century, sports can offer a window into fundamental change over time across so much of the spectrum of this unique, pluralistic society. This course will endeavor to examine the role that sports have played in the transcendence of the US's modern social history, from myths created, to legends deified, to barriers broken — a unique history unto itself. Prerequisite: Open to students in the fifth and sixth form. Must have taken US History or be taking it concurrently.

How does gender shape how people wield power? How does gender influence our understanding of those in power? This course seeks to answer these questions, examining the role of gender in the ways in which women leaders have used power throughout history. Operating as a series of case studies, the course will cover the biographies of numerous influential women from around the world, exploring both their times in power and how societies viewed, and currently view, these figures and their gender. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of United States History.

The goal of the Modern Middle East is to introduce students to the major intellectual, political, social, and cultural issues and practices of the Middle East from the beginning of the 19th through the 20th century. Many contemporary conflicts in the Middle East have deep historic roots that continue to shape this dynamic region’s place in our global understanding. Created from the remains of the Ottoman Empire, states and societies in the region still struggle to create an identity separate from the Western Imperialism that dominated following World War I. Looking at the history and historiography of this period, we will focus on important events, movements, and ideas that have shaped the Middle East through three loosely defined periods of development: The Ottoman Empire and its decline, World Wars I & II, and PostColonial Independence. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fourth Form and above who have completed World History.

This course analyzes the development of distinct ethnic foodways in the United States. America’s historic abundance allowed developing ethnic groups to use food as a tangible marker and as a means of intensifying group identity. Many ethnic groups, many from immigrant generations fleeing scarcity, embraced the ability to eat well within the context of the United States. Thus, they relegated hunger to the past, making deprivation a part of their folk memory, partially mimicking the food cultures that developed among the elite in the old country and the rise of nation-states, migrants and their descendants shaped cuisines unique to their setting, feasting on foods that were once the preserve of the rich, as they forged new identities in the United States. Culture, class, and gender will play significant roles in the examination of this integral aspect of American ethnic group formation. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of United States History.

The time frame this course will look into will be from the beginnings of urbanism to the end of the Bronze Age in different geographic settings. While the major river valley sites in the Fertile Crescent, Indus River valley, and China's river valleys will be focused on, other examples will be investigated as a comparison. Beginning with an introduction to archaeology the course will continue with a look at the impact that urban life had on complex societies. Important to this will be the influence of non-settled peoples on these earlier settled societies. To be able to discover the history of these places the course will focus on what material culture can tell us about the formations of these societies. Students in the course will read chapters from important archaeological studies, "pop history," and look at the physical materials from the sites. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Forms who have completed Modern World History.

Explore the principles of both micro and macroeconomics in Advanced Studies in Economics. By building an understanding of the issues of inequity and access, you will develop a working knowledge of the problems and issues in the economy of the US. Through a study of how land, labor, and capital (the factors of production) contribute to the growth and operation of a market economy, how supply and demand affect price and output levels of goods, how government policies alter the working of the market, and how international factors influence a nation’s domestic economic conditions, you will develop a deeper appreciation for the nuances of the US. Prerequisite: fifth form and above with departmental approval.

Advanced Studies in European History is designed to stimulate and challenge fifth and sixth form students to improve analytical skills by demonstrating that history is a series of interpretations as well as the study of the ongoing relationship between cause and effect. The course considers political, economic, military, intellectual, and cultural developments in Europe beginning with the Renaissance. Students learn to think about history, what it is, what it means, and why events happen. Prerequisite: fifth form and above with departmental approval.

Embark upon a detailed examination of the political landscape of the US in Advanced Studies in US Government and Politics. By studying constitutional history, political beliefs, political parties, interest groups, governmental institutions, public policy, civil rights, and civil liberties, you will be challenged to ask questions about how equity and access continue to challenge our Founding Fathers’ goals. This course is designed to prepare you for undergraduate political studies coursework. Prerequisite: Open to students in the fifth and sixth form who have met their US History requirement with departmental approval.

Despite the belief of many modern Americans in the separation of church and state, religion played a central role in the development of the United States. This course introduces students to the integral place of religion in that history. Through the examination of primary and secondary sources, students will engage with religious history and its impact on the social, political, and intellectual life of America from the Colonial Era to the present. In the process, students will examine the role of Protestant Christianity in the formation of the concepts of liberty and equality, and will analyze the rise of evangelicalism and its influence on democracy as well as various reform movements, such as abolition, temperance, and civil rights. Students will also explore why nearly every war the United States engaged in was characterized in deeply religious terms. Religious diversity, and the relationship between myriad denominations, will be dealt with at length, as will religion’s often complex relationship with politics, race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic class. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of United States History and departmental approval.

This course examines United States History through the lens of music. Students will use music, mostly written songs, as a primary source through which they can construct America’s past. From the Colonial Era through the twenty-first century, students will examine how music both reflected and shaped the social, cultural, and political landscape of the historical context in which it was created. To do this, songs from a range of genres, styles, and perspectives will be analyzed: folk, popular, blues, bluegrass, rock, country, hip-hop, etc. Though numerous topics will be covered, such as race, ethnicity, nationalism, and class, special attention will be paid to protest songs and those addressing the plight of marginalized groups. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of United States History and departmental approval.

This course focuses on the role of Free Black Americans in the abolitionist struggle against slavery. We begin in the era of the American Revolution, when northern African Americans cooperated with antislavery whites who had founded moderate organizations such as the New York Manumission Society. From this starting point, we trace the transformation over time of the American antislavery movement, under the pressures exerted by black abolitionists who sought greater control over the struggle being waged in their name. These black abolitionists radicalized the broader antislavery movement, and introduced political ideas that would influence American political life for 200 years. We will study the major institutions of this abolitionist movement — for example newspapers, conventions, and “vigilance committees” — as well as the writings of leading individuals, such as James McCune Smith, James Theodore Holly, Alexander Crummell, David Ruggles, and Samuel Ringgold Ward.

As we explore this history, we will pose a number of questions. What did Free Blacks believe about how the struggle against slavery should be fought? What were the roles in the black abolitionist movement of churches, newspapers, conventions, and masonic lodges? How did Free Black Americans understand and cultivate their relationship with the much larger number of enslaved African Americans in the south; and also with the wider African diaspora, in Africa itself, in the Caribbean, in Canada, and elsewhere? Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of United States History and departmental approval.

This course seeks to examine significant trends and changes in the history of the Christian Church from its earliest manifestations to the present day. Special consideration will be given to the ways in which Christian communities have defined themselves while simultaneously creating groups of “others” whose influence is still felt to this day. The purpose of this class is not to be catechetical, but rather to give students a sense of the profound influence the Christian Church has exerted in world affairs, and consequently how it has been shaped by world events. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of US History and departmental approval.

This course focuses on the evolving importance of the United States Constitution and the Supreme Court in delineating the civil rights of minority groups and protected classes in America and in developing a more egalitarian, integrated society. Students will research, prepare legal briefs and consider current Supreme Court cases. Readings will be drawn from case law and related materials. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of United States History and departmental approval.

This pair of seminars is an introduction to the craft of historical research and writing. It is designed for students in their sixth form year wishing to take a deep dive into an area of history about which they are passionate which will culminate in the production of an article-length essay. During the fall term, the course focuses on building basic skills for conducting original research including the location, utilization, and evaluation of primary and secondary sources. The winter term will deal primarily with the methods of translating research into historical writing by identifying historiographical debates, learning how to use sources creatively, practicing the construction and presentation of logical arguments, as well as attribution and the ethical issues associated with producing a piece of historical writing. Throughout the course, the various aspects of the research and writing process will be broken down into smaller, manageable steps. This will not only provide students with close guidance and frequent feedback during a challenging endeavor, but will also teach habits of scholarship. Lastly, the course seeks to challenge the notion that historical inquiry is an individual endeavor and will instead cultivate a collaborative community of critical support through extensive peer review. Required for those seeking to earn an Advanced Studies Diploma in History. Prerequisite: completion of US History, completion of three upper-level electives, and departmental approval. Open to sixth formers.

Looking into the history of Kent, CT, and the surrounding towns this course will help students discover more about the place they live the majority of a calendar year. Starting with the Indigenous communities that inhabit(ed) this land, the early settlers and foundations of area towns, and moving towards viewing current events. A primary focus of the course will be looking at the history of our school on its own and in relation to the place it is located. An important portion of this course students will be actively researching through school archives, conducting interviews, and meeting with local historical societies. Each class will be asked to construct their own historical narrative of Kent with a specific emphasis as a final project that students will present to the greater community. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of United States History and departmental approval.

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the US is a study in contradictions who has left a legacy of enduring oratory. This course will center around reading and analyzing Lincoln’s speeches and letters. Using primary sources to better understand Lincoln, the Antebellum Era, the Civil War and Reconstruction through his own words, and those at times falsely attributed to him. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of US History and departmental approval.

Throughout history, people have turned to music as a powerful tool of self-expression. Leaders have often used music to reinforce their own authority, and just as often, those without power have seen music as a way to give themselves a voice. This course will examine the role that music has played throughout history in constructing and destabilizing power systems through a series of case studies that span both the course of human history and the globe, ranging from Ancient Greek music philosophy to African decolonization efforts. For each topic, we will listen to pieces of music emblematic of some historical trend before using primary and secondary sources to explore how that style of music was employed in the time period. The course will culminate in a research project in which students examine the influence of music in a historical context of their choosing. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of US History and departmental approval.

This course will view the history of a region whose peoples have been seen as the “other” by many settled societies in the pre-modern world. Whether the Scythians, Mongols, Xiongnu, Huns, Bactrians, or Sogdians, the role that nomadic peoples from the Eurasian Steppe played was significant in shaping the world. Many of these people have been seen as destructive forces in written sources and have been blamed for the collapse of different states. Through using primary sources in conjunction with archaeology a less biased narrative will be discussed while acknowledging the limitations of the source material. While many of these peoples continued to remain nomadic, some settled and created large empires covering vast territories. On the whole, this course will attempt to argue that this area should be seen as part of the center rather than the periphery. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion of United States History and departmental approval.

In this course, we will examine communist ideas in theory and in practice, from the turn of the twentieth century until the death of Stalin. What did Russian and Soviet communists believe? How did they succeed in overthrowing the old regime? What kind of society did they create when, after winning their revolution, they tried to manifest their ideas in a new society? How did they attempt to spread their revolution around the world? We will approach this history from multiple perspectives: our readings will come from communist and anticommunist leaders, ideologues, and administrators; and from Russian and Soviet civilians who found their lives roiled by momentous historical events. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with departmental approval.

This course will explore the history of Tibet from its origins in the Himalayan plateaus to its position in modern-day China. Major themes will include Tibet’s existence as an independent kingdom, the close relationship between religion and politics, Tibet’s interaction (or lack thereof) with other political entities, and special attention will be given to its tension-filled co-existence within China since 1950. Such a course should build skills of considering multiple points of view, textual analysis, and understanding continuity. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms with completion or concurrent study of US History and departmental approval.

The untold story in US History is the story of women. From Anne Hutchinson to Progressive Era Reformers to the feminists of the 1960s, American resiliency and heroism have been embodied by women — and too often without proper recollection. Through the study of key women and social-political movements throughout American history, this course strives to introduce students to the pivotal roles that women have played in American history and better shaped their context for the state of women’s affairs today. Prerequisite: Completion or concurrent study of US History.

This course presupposes a working knowledge of the skills necessary to begin algebra, along with a willingness to strengthen those skills while learning the fundamentals of algebra. Course content includes operations with algebraic expressions, linear equations and inequalities, polynomials, quadratic equations, and an introduction to the notion of functions.

Geometry aims to advance the ability to think logically and analytically. Properties of plane and solid geometric objects are discovered and verified or deduced. Students learn to supply formal proof of valid propositions and recognize invalid ones. Algebra skill development continues and coordinate geometry is introduced. Computer software aids discovery and visualization. Honors Geometry provides an intensive pace, greater depth, and greater breadth. Prerequisite: Algebra I.

Like Algebra I, this course stresses basic skills. Essential facts and techniques from Algebra I are reviewed, and the student’s command of skills is strengthened. Manipulation of algebraic expressions, equation solving, functions and their graphs, complex numbers, exponents, logarithms, trigonometry, radian measure, sequences and series, and probability are studied. Honors Algebra 2 & Trigonometry provides an intensive pace, greater depth, and greater breadth. Prerequisite: Algebra I and Geometry.

Combining topics from Honors Algebra 2 & Trigonometry and Honors Precalculus, this course prepares students for Accelerated Introduction to Calculus. It is a fast-paced, rigorous course that emphasizes intuitive understanding in addition to skill development. Non-routine problems are an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: strong performance in Honors Geometry & Trigonometry.

Precalculus is a year-long course that extends algebra knowledge and problem-solving skills while introducing key topics from precalculus. Included are such subjects as measures of central tendency and dispersion, best-fit lines, the behavior of polynomials, exponential and logarithmic functions, complex numbers, and the binomial theorem. Honors Precalculus provides an intensive pace, greater depth, and greater breadth. Prerequisite: Algebra 2 & Trigonometry.

Aimed at providing solid preparation for a general calculus course, Introduction to Calculus stresses the behavioral characteristics of elementary functions and those derived from them by addition, multiplication, composition, and inverse. Much attention is paid to inferring, from the equations that define them, the attributes of graphs, such as symmetry, asymptotes, periodicity, continuity, and end behavior. Calculus language and logic are introduced and the course is highlighted by an introduction to calculus topics. Prerequisite: Precalculus.

This is a fast-paced, rigorous course that emphasizes intuitive understanding in addition to skill development. It includes all topics from Honors PreCalculus, as well as mathematical induction, De Moivre’s theorem, polar coordinates, partial fractions, and an introduction to calculus topics. Non-routine problems are an integral part of the course. Prerequisite: strong performance in Accelerated Algebra 2 & Trigonometry.

Calculus includes topics such as limits, continuity, derivatives, and mean value theorem. Students learn graphical, numerical, verbal, and modeling approaches to elementary functions. The emphasis is on the interplay between geometric and analytic information and the use of calculus both to predict and to explain the observed local and global behavior of a function. The course covers the derivatives of all elementary functions as well as the rules for differentiating, products, quotients, and composite functions, and the concept of a differential equation. Prerequisite: Introduction to Calculus.

Honors Calculus includes topics such as differential and integral calculus which are studied both intuitively and formally. Topics include the chain rule, the mean value theorem, Riemann sums, numerical methods for approximating derivatives and definite integrals, and areas of curves and real-world applications. Prerequisite: Honors Introduction to Calculus.

Advanced Studies in Calculus topics include sequences and their limits, differential and integral calculus, infinite series and their convergence, and basic differential equations. All topics are represented in rectangular, polar, and parametric representations. Prerequisite: Accelerated Introduction to Calculus.

These independent, term courses survey substantive topics at a level commensurate with collegiate mathematics. Topics are selected with the backgrounds of the students in mind. Recent studies include multivariate calculus, statistics, linear algebra, number theory, and the mathematics of chaos. Investigations using specialized computer software are a common feature of the course. A student may take these courses more than once as topics vary from year to year. Prerequisite: completion of or concurrent enrollment in Honors Calculus or Advanced Studies in Calculus.

Statistics topics discussed include displaying and describing data, the normal curve, regression, probability, statistical inference, confidence intervals, and hypothesis tests with applications in the real world. Students also have the opportunity to analyze data sets using technology. Prerequisite: Precalculus or Introduction to Calculus.

Features of this course are selection and analysis of data, developing probability models, and using statistical inference. Topics include regression and correlation, sample and experimental design, discrete and continuous random variables, normal, geometric, and binomial distributions, significance testing, and the chi-square test. Prerequisite: strong performance in Honors Precalculus or Honors Introduction to Calculus.

Chinese 1 is a beginning course for students who have no previous knowledge of the language. The goal is to help students master the pronunciation system and tones, gain an understanding of the essential components of Chinese characters and develop basic speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Mandarin Chinese is the spoken language, while the written language is based on simplified form. In addition to linguistic knowledge, related Chinese culture and history are introduced.

Chinese 2 continues and builds on the fundamentals learned in Chinese 1. This course is designed to develop students’ grammar, sentence structure, and practical use of the Chinese language while enlarging students’ vocabulary and related knowledge of the language. In addition to linguistic knowledge, the development of the student’s awareness of Chinese culture and history continues. Prerequisite: Chinese 1.

Chinese 3 continues and builds on the fundamentals learned in Chinese 2. This course further develops fluency and natural expression in spoken Chinese. Students distinguish formal written styles from conventional or spoken styles while enriching vocabulary and related linguistic knowledge. In addition to the textbook, students at this level have gained enough knowledge of the language for selected readings in Chinese as well as furthering knowledge of Chinese culture and history. Prerequisite: Chinese 2.

Chinese 4 is an advanced course where students continue to develop reading and written skills while enhancing their spoken skills. Chinese culture, history, and social issues are part of this class. The textbook is supplemented with additional selected readings. Prerequisite: Chinese 3.

This course is designed for students with no previous study of French, as well as for those whose exposure to French is not sufficient to move directly to French 2. The course focuses on a basic introduction to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in French. Both text and videos are employed as instructional materials in the course. “The French in Action” immersive and textbook methods are the primary course materials for both French 1 and French 2.

This course follows French 1, aiming to complete basic grammar and place greater emphasis on reading, writing, and vocabulary building. Prerequisite: French 1 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level

French 3 is a review of all foundational grammar and an expansion of vocabulary and cultural knowledge through short texts, films, and projects. Honors French 3 is conducted at a faster pace and is designed to prepare well-qualified students to continue to Advanced Studies in French Language in the following year. Prerequisite: French 2 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level.

Hollywood may be the center of American cinema, but how can movies from France, Québec, Africa and the Caribbean help us understand Francophone history and culture? In watching several films together and setting them in their historical and cultural context through class discussions and projects, we will broaden our appreciation of the Francophone world. Films will be watched in French with English subtitles.

Visitors to Paris often fall in love with the City of Light, but few possess more than a superficial knowledge of what they have seen or where they have stood. In this course we will study the fascinating stories behind many of the best known, and some of the lesser known, monuments and landmarks of Paris. While primarily oriented toward the history and evolution of the city, we will also discuss the modern-day importance of the sites we will study, and develop in students a more profound understanding of the French capital. Information will be presented in readings, videos, lectures, and presentations of student research.

This course will examine why Coco Chanel was one of the most influential female fashion designers. We will discuss her influence on women’s rights, discover what made her and her brand stand out, and decide why the House of Chanel has kept its significance even until now. We will venture into the world of fragrances and determine why Chanel Number 5 remains one of the most iconic and popular fragrances in the world. The second part of the course will explore the post-Chanel fashion world, including Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy, Courrège, and Karl Lagerfeld. We will also talk about the new generation of global independent designers like Kenneth Ize (Nigeria), Charles de Vilmorin (France), Thebe Magugu (South Africa), Supriya Lele (India) and Peter Do (Vietnam).

This year-long major course offers an introduction to the Italian language and culture. Using a college-level textbook as well as games, projects, films, and other authentic materials, students will build skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Prerequisite: for fifth and sixth form students who have fulfilled their language requirement in another language or by departmental approval. Italian Language and Culture will be offered in alternating years with Russian Language and Culture.

This year-long major course offers an introduction to basic Russian grammar, vocabulary, and idioms. Screenings of films, oral presentations, and independent projects will help students gain an understanding of the development of modern Russian culture. Prerequisite: for fifth and sixth form students who have fulfilled their language requirement in another language, or by departmental approval. Russian Language and Culture will be offered in alternating years with Italian Language and Culture.

In this term-contained course, students will deepen their understanding and appreciation of Francophone literature and culture through the study of a variety of genres, including poetry, theater, and novels. Students will demonstrate this understanding through class discussions, presentations, and analytical essays. Each of the three terms will focus on different texts and themes. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

This course is designed for students with no previous study of Spanish, as well as for those whose exposure to Spanish is not sufficient to move directly to Spanish 2. The course focuses on a basic introduction to listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish. Texts, videos, and online resources are employed as instructional resources in this course. Prerequisite: departmental approval for enrollment in honors level

Spanish 2 increases the emphasis on reading, vocabulary, and grammar. The conversational methods of the first year are broadened through extemporaneous speaking. The speed and scope of the reading are increased as students develop facility with the language. Prerequisite: Spanish 1 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level.

Spanish 3 continues to develop speaking and listening skills and increases emphasis on written composition. Selected readings from the texts are discussed in Spanish and vocabulary expansion is stressed. It is expected that students will speak only Spanish in the classroom. In addition to textbooks, a variety of texts are employed to practice listening and reading comprehension. Honors Spanish 3 provides a faster pace and further enrichment to prepare students to continue with the Advanced Spanish course in the following year. Prerequisite: Spanish 2 and departmental approval for enrollment in honors level.

These term-contained courses stress oral communication in Spanish. Their primary objective is to prepare students to adequately communicate orally within several practical areas of interest. Throughout each course, colloquial usage of Spanish and grammar review are stressed to enrich students’ basic command of the Spanish language. These courses are recommended for students who wish to continue the study of Spanish beyond the third year, but not at the Advanced level. Enthusiastic class participation is essential, as the class focuses on student interaction. Prerequisite: Spanish 3.

In this course, students will explore culture through the Pixar movies Coco and Encanto. Students will learn about Mexican musical genres, history and, of course, Día de los Muertos! Students will make their own ofrendas and participate in celebration of the Day of the Dead. Students will learn about Colombian history and explore culture related to identity, family, food, and magic realism, through the movie Encanto. This course is entirely in Spanish including lecture, student work, and additional materials. Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3. AS level available with departmental approval.

This course explores the cultural, historical, and culinary importance of Latino/Hispanic music and its influential origins. We explore the origins of traditional Peninsular and Latin American music, from Boleros to Salsa. This will include listening to lots of different types of music, some interviews with Latino musicians, and absorbing the videos and readings on the topic. We will reach beyond the comfortable acquaintance we may have with different Latin music and culture. The course will cover traditions from the Spanish and Indigenous origins of Latino instruments, to modern day fusions. This course is entirely in Spanish including lecture, student work, and additional materials. Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3. AS level available with departmental approval.

This course explores the cultural, historical, and culinary importance of Hispanic food and its preparation. We will learn about the origins of traditional Peninsular and Latin American foods, from Paella to Pabellón. Students will discover regional ingredients, cooking techniques, and cultural significance. They may have the opportunity to prepare and sample a variety of Spanish, Latin American, and Chicano foods. This will include speakers that will discuss the academic view of cultural foods, along with local Latin American chefs. We will reach beyond the comfortable acquaintance we may have with TexMex food and culture. This course is entirely in Spanish including lecture, student work, and additional materials. Prerequisite: Completion of Spanish 3. AS level available with departmental approval.

This course is designed for qualified students who are interested in completing Chinese studies beyond the Chinese 4 class that is offered at Kent. The goal of this course is to enhance students’ understanding of Chinese culture through discussions of topics reflecting multiple areas of Chinese society and culture and to further develop their proficiencies in the target language across the three communicative modes: interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Designed for qualified students who continue to build skills in reading, writing, and speaking through the use of a variety of authentic print, audio and video sources. Students demonstrate their understanding and analysis of various topics in Francophone culture through class discussions, presentations, and written and oral assignments. This serves to deepen and broaden their knowledge of the Francophone world, while offering their own experiences as points of comparison to enhance cultural awareness and understanding. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

Designed for qualified students who continue to build skills in reading, writing, and speaking through the use of a variety of authentic print, audio, and video sources. Students demonstrate their understanding and analysis of various topics in Hispanic culture through class discussions, presentations, and written and oral assignments. This serves to deepen and broaden their knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world, while offering their own experiences as points of comparison to enhance cultural awareness and understanding. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

In this term-contained course, students will deepen their appreciation of the literary values, forms, and techniques of Hispanic literature through reading, discussing, and writing about a variety of texts including poetry, theater, and short narrative texts. Aspects of Hispanic culture and civilization are also explored, and each of the three terms will focus on different themes, genres, and authors. Prerequisite: Departmental approval.

This course will survey different cultural, religious, and scientific attitudes toward dreams and dreaming. Reading Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung as well as contemporary authors, we will bring science and religion into dialogue by exploring both side by side regarding a universal human experience: everyone sleeps, everyone dreams. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Form.

This course will explore theories of the psychology of violence. Attempting to understand how violence itself unfolds, we will then look at case histories of persons who affected change in their time through nonviolent means, including Gandi, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Barack Obama. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Form.

This is a term-contained class that examines religious traditions beyond the Introduction to Religion and Culture course. The Abrahamic religions and the eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism serve as a starting point. A major concern is what makes a “religion”? How is it defined? What is unique about the study of religion as opposed to other academic disciplines? The reading topics depend on the interest of the teacher and students. Prerequisite: open to students in the fifth and sixth form.

This course looks at the therapeutic value of art, exploring psychological concepts and working on different forms of art and mixed media including but not limited to drawing, coloring, painting. Prerequisite: open to students in the fourth, fifth, and sixth form.

Psychology and Religion seeks to establish a dialogue between the discourse of science and the questions and concerns of religion. The class acknowledges and makes explicit the very different ways science and religion view “knowledge.” We look at the history of psychology from the ancient Greeks through the 21st century, read selections by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung, and engage contemporary thinkers such as Rene Girard and Ernest Becker on questions regarding the value of religion, the human fear of death, and the problem of violence. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms.

This course will explore various psychologies on personality type, persona and the factors that come into play as we learn to become ourselves. Identity will be explored culturally, ethnically, and personally, in order to explore all the factors at play in our sense of ourselves. Finally, we will explore the history of the internet and social media platforms and how these technologies play a role in our sense of selves, for good or for bad. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Forms.

This is a term class that examines religious traditions beyond the Introduction to Religion and Culture course. The Abrahamic religions and the eastern religions of Hinduism and Buddhism serve as a starting point. A major concern is what makes a “religion”? How is it defined? What is unique about the study of religion as opposed to other academic disciplines? The reading topics depend on the interest of the teacher and students. Prerequisite: open to students in the Fifth and Sixth Forms.

From classic films, to music videos, to Tik Tok, this course will explore the transformation of screendance through the 20th and 21st century. Students will examine technical and choreographic devices used in dance media, and eventually utilize these tools to produce their own mini-dance films.

This course is designed for students with little to no dance experience. Ballet for Athletes will improve your balance, coordination, flexibility, and develop your intrinsic muscles. Ballet is excellent cross training for any sport; even famous athletes such as Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky trained in ballet to help improve their performance! If you’re looking to challenge your body in a new way, this class is for you.

This course is designed for experienced dancers. The class will focus on improving musicality, working memory, artistry, strength, and range of motion. Classes will consist of ballet, modern, and jazz technique. There is no performance associated with this class.

Choreography 1 will establish a choreographic foundation for students to compose original dance work. Through discussion, guided improvisation, and individual studies, students will learn about choreographic devices and strategies for movement invention. Students will present a short work at the end of the term.

Expanding upon methodologies learned in Choreography 1, students will explore various mediums including site specific choreography, staged work, and dance film. Students will learn about choreographic documentation, sound editing, technical design, and administrative tasks as they relate to choreography and performance. Students will present a short work at the end of the term. Prerequisite: Choreography 1.

Students will apply skills learned in Choreography 1 and 2 to formally present an original group piece of choreography in Mattison Auditorium. Throughout the term, students will hold weekly rehearsals, engage in feedback sessions, costume the piece, design technical elements such as sound and lighting, and work collaboratively with their peers to create publicity materials. Prerequisite: Choreography 2.

This course offers students an exciting exploration of the rich history of Broadway musicals, from their origins to modern-day productions. Students will examine key developments in musical theatre, learning about the cultural, social, and artistic significance of this quintessentially American art form. The course will cover both classic and contemporary musicals, featuring works by renowned composers such as Rodgers & Hammerstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Lin-Manuel Miranda. We will explore landmark productions like Show Boat, Oklahoma!, and West Side Story that shaped the foundations of Broadway, as well as groundbreaking contemporary hits like Rent, Hamilton, and Dear Evan Hansen. Through analysis of scripts, music, and historical contexts, students will gain insight into how Broadway has evolved in response to changing times and societal issues. A field trip to a current Broadway production will be offered as part of the course.

Experience the excitement of seeing your written work come to life! Students in this class will write short original plays after spending the first portion of the term studying selected great plays and following a development process created by one of America’s most produced writers. Students will build their work in class through weekly presentations of their newest scenes and will revise their plays based on both peer and instructor criticism. All students will seek to finish the semester with polished, dramatically sound works. We will end the term with in-class readings of the completed plays. This course will fulfill the English Department elective requirement or the Performing Arts Department elective requirement (but not both.)

The objective of this course is to introduce the student to the fundamental elements and principles of technical theatre through hands-on learning that makes use of the production facilities, operations, methods, and technologies used in Mattison Auditorium, and to relate these practices to those used in professional, amateur, and educational theaters. Students will learn the functions of the creative team, production staff, technicians, and stage crew. Basic elements of scenic construction, design concepts, theatrical lighting, sound technologies, stage management, costume design, and theatrical makeup will be introduced and assessed through practical application. Contributions to student productions are required for this course. You do not have to have Stage Crew as your afternoon activity.

Are you intimidated by Shakespeare? Do you love Star Wars? Do you love Tina Fey’s movie Mean Girls? If you answered “Yes!” to any of these questions, this just might be the course for you. Ian Doescher has adapted all of the Star Wars movies into Shakespeare-style plays, and these works are a great way to familiarize yourself with Shakespearean language and plot structure. Doescher also wrote Much Ado About Mean Girls, in which he shows that his classical comedic abilities are just as strong as his Elizabethan dramatic skills. In the course we’ll read William Shakespeare’s Star Wars by Doescher (a.k.a. Verily, a New Hope,) and Doescher’s Much Ado About Mean Girls. Perhaps we’ll even look at some “real” Shakespeare as well, once we have figured out how the language works!

This course is designed to introduce students to the specialized techniques and skills required for acting on camera. Through hands-on practice and critical analysis, students will explore the differences between stage and screen acting, with a focus on naturalistic performance, subtlety, and the technical demands of film and television work. Students will work on-camera in a variety of scenes, including monologues, dialogue, and ensemble work, developing an understanding of shot composition, continuity, and how to adjust performances for different camera angles and framing. By the end of the course, students will have a portfolio of recorded performances, along with a deeper understanding of the acting techniques necessary for successful on-screen work.

The history and evolution of rock music will be examined through analysis, cultural and historical alignment, listening, and its impact on society. The rock era will be divided into various periods and discussions of various influential musical artists and their work will be examined.

"Mastering Music Composition and Songwriting" is a term course designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of music composition principles and techniques. From melody and harmony to form and orchestration, this course covers the essential elements of composition while guiding students through practical exercises to apply their newfound knowledge. Through a combination of lectures, listening sessions, and hands-on composition assignments, students will develop the skills and confidence to create their own original compositions across a variety of musical genres.

Foundational music concepts are studied and applied as students gain a greater understanding of a variety of genres and compositions through active listening. Connections are explored between genres, historical eras, and current music. Engaging, creative activities foster the appreciation of music as an expressive art form.

Music Industry Studies is a term course giving students an overview of the music and entertainment industry. From contract law and copyright to distribution, this course will go over the history and evolution of the music business industry. Through lectures, case studies, and activities, students should finish the course with the ability to navigate the ever-changing music industry to release their own recordings and compositions.

This course is an examination of the equipment and techniques used in live sound and studio recording applications Topics include acoustics, microphones, mixers, effects, sound production and reinforcement, and ethical and legal issues. This course can apply toward the fulfillment of the Pre-Engineering Certificate.

This course serves as an introduction to the equipment and methods used in software-based music composition, arranging, and multi-track recording. Students will create original musical projects. Topics include electronic composition, sound production techniques, digital audio workstations, and MIDI. This course can apply toward the fulfillment of the Pre-Engineering Certificate. No prerequisite is required, however, Music Technology I or a music background is suggested.

This course is a continuation of Music Technology 2 including advanced recording and post-production techniques. In addition, music promotion and marketing methods will be examined. Topics include advanced studio production techniques, film scoring, mastering and post-production, and promotion and marketing. This course can apply toward the fulfillment of the Pre-Engineering Certificate. Prerequisite: Music Technology 2.

Students learn the elemental concepts of music theory, including basic notation, intervals, scale structures, key signatures, triads, basic chord progressions, and the first stage of melodic & harmonic analysis. Music theory skills (sight-singing, dictation & ear training) and composition basics are an integral part of this course.

Melodic & harmonic analysis continues with the introduction of more intermediate concepts such as secondary triads. Students arrange music for small ensembles, gain knowledge about orchestral instruments, and begin full score reading & conducting. Music theory skills continue. Prerequisite: Music Theory 1.

In this continuation of Music Theory 2, students are introduced to chromatic harmony, functional seventh chords, key modulation, and analysis of small forms. Music theory skills are further developed. Student compositions are performed at the conclusion of the term. Prerequisite: Music Theory 2.

The origins and development of jazz as a musical genre will be examined. From its African-influenced roots to its modern-day amalgamation of styles, jazz as a means of musical expression will be researched and analyzed. Students will be exposed to the experience of listening to jazz in its various historical adaptations.

"Sounds of Modernity" is a dynamic term course that delves into the diverse and revolutionary landscape of 20th-century music. From the avant-garde experiments of the early 1900s to the eclectic sounds of contemporary music, this course explores the evolution of musical styles, techniques, and movements that defined the 20th century. Through lectures, listening sessions, and critical analysis, students will gain a deeper understanding of the social, cultural, and technological forces that shaped modern music, while exploring key works and composers across various genres and movements.

The origins, evolution, and influence of the blues as a musical art form through its impact on American culture and society will be explored. The course will be based on lectures, listening examples, lyric readings and analysis, and associated references.

The Concert Band, Concert Choir, and Orchestra are graded credit-earning ensembles through the Kent School Center for Music Studies.. Three terms of dedicated involvement in any of these ensembles satisfy the music requirement for graduation. The Concert Band is comprised of students, faculty, and some community members. The Concert Band studies classic, modern, and “pop” literature and performs throughout the year. The Orchestra studies classical, modern, “pops,” and global literature, and performs throughout the year. The Concert Choir is a large, mixed choral ensemble open to all students. This larger choir gives newer singers a wonderful opportunity to learn about quality choral singing techniques;ore seasoned singers will enjoy singing with a larger group, and the extensive, challenging, and fun repertoire is available for this size ensemble. Additional ensembles include Jazz Band, Developing String Ensemble, Chamber Choir, Kentones & Kentettes Vocal Ensembles, Amaryllis Vocal Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Flute Ensemble, Clarinet Ensemble, and Brass Ensemble.

Biology 1 is an introductory course open to all students. It emphasizes the application of the scientific method in discovering and verifying major concepts in biology. Through reading, experimentation, and observation, students study cellular biology, genetics, evolution, characteristics of life, and human physiology. Honors Biology 1 is a fast-paced course that explores the basic concepts more quickly so that a more thorough treatment of certain topics is possible. Prerequisite: departmental approval for enrollment in Honors level.

This course is designed for students who have already been exposed to the core sciences; biology, chemistry, and physics prior to 9th grade. Accelerated Biology will delve deeper into the concepts of biology emphasizing how the advancements in the fields of genetics and biotechnology will drive future generations politically, economically, and socially. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

Chemistry 1 investigates types of chemical reactions, molar relationships and stoichiometry, kinetic theory and gas laws, atomic structure, periodic law, bonding, states of matter, thermodynamics, solutions, equilibrium, and acids and bases. The calculations require basic algebra. Laboratory work parallels and augments the class material. Formal lab reports are an integral part of the course. Honors Chemistry 1 explores the topics in greater depth, the quantitative material is more rigorous, and the lab work is more significant. Accelerated Chemistry is a first-year course intended for students with some previous chemistry experience and covers the topics of Honors Chemistry 1 at an accelerated pace while maintaining the comprehensive laboratory experience of an Honors Chemistry 1 course. The pace of the course allows students to cover additional topics not covered in the Honors Chemistry 1 course including reaction equilibrium, redox reactions, electrochemistry, organic, and nuclear chemistry. Prerequisite: departmental approval for enrollment in Honors/Accelerated level.

Conceptual Physics is a laboratory science course that follows the classical sequence of physics topics, emphasizing understanding of the ideas and concepts of mechanics, matter, thermodynamics, sound, light, and atomic physics. The course introduces basic mathematical concepts as they apply to situations in the laboratory and beyond but it emphasizes the application of concepts, with various projects as a major component of the class.

This course follows a classical sequence of topics including mechanics, magnetism, and electricity. This course applies the basic concepts of physics to real-world phenomena. Demonstrations and laboratory work are an integral part of this course. Honors Physics 1 follows the classical sequence of topics covered in the Physics 1 course but does so in more depth and with a more mathematical approach. Additional topics draw from waves, relativity, and astronomy. Accelerated Physics is a demanding, first-year physics course designed to challenge students with extensive science backgrounds with theory and in laboratory work. The curriculum is broad and fast-paced, covering mechanics, electromagnetism, optics, thermodynamics, hydraulics, and nuclear physics. Prerequisites: completion of Algebra 2; departmental approval for enrollment at the Honors level; departmental approval as well as Accelerated Algebra 2 or Pre-Calculus required for enrollment at the Accelerated level.

Psychology explores the study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings. The course covers topics that include theories and findings on learning, memory, perception, social development, sleep and personality, as well as abnormal psychology. In-class demonstrations, projects and engaging activities add to students' understanding of the topic.

Astronomy is a survey of historical and modern astronomy. Topics include the solar system, stars and galaxies, cosmology, black holes, and quasars. The student supplements theoretical study with the use of Kent School’s telescopes.

This survey course introduces students to recombinant DNA technology. Students gain hands-on experience in such techniques as bacterial transformation, DNA isolation, cloning and targeted amplification (with PCR), restriction analysis, and gel electrophoresis. The lectures and discussions focus on current topics in DNA forensics, gene therapy, the genetic engineering of crop plants, cloning, genetic screening, and bioremediation. Consideration is also given to the ethical, legal, and philosophical issues associated with biotechnology today. Prerequisite: Biology 1.

This course explores the core concepts of evolution from the roots of this course. Students examine adaptations of local flora and fauna and interactions between organisms with regard to energy demands. Prerequisite: Biology 1.

Ecology 2 explores multiple field studies focusing on the freshwater ecosystems of Kent. Students examine pond, stream, and wetland environments with a focus on relationships between physical factors, organisms, and human activities within watersheds. Prerequisite: Biology 1 and Ecology 1 or demonstrable grasp of ecological concepts.

This course explores the principles and applications of modern genetics. Major topics include DNA structure and chromosome organization, transmission thermodynamics, and genetics, pedigree analysis, genes in populations, cancer, metabolic disorders, and genetic screening. Prerequisite: Biology 1. Open to students in the fifth and sixth form.

This course is a survey of the major landforms on the earth’s surface. Beginning with the study of minerals, rocks, and the rock cycle, students examine weathering, plate tectonics, rivers and streams, groundwater, glaciers, deserts, and shorelines.

Human Anatomy examines the anatomy and physiology of selected systems in the human body. Prerequisite: Biology 1.

In Marine Biology, students explore the physical parameters of oceans, unique adaptations of major taxonomic groups, and ecological interactions of marine life forms. Prerequisite: Biology 1 and Ecology 1 or demonstrable grasp of ecological concepts.

Meteorology explores the basics of weather and climate. Emphasis is placed on the physical conditions that lead to the phenomena we experience every day, the methodology and challenges in predictions, and the implications of changing conditions. This course is taught in alternating years with History of Life on Earth.

Pandemics examines the history, evolution, and future of major diseases that have impacted human populations. The course probes the evolution of Homo sapiens, the nature of infectious disease transmission, and the impact of historical outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, malaria, and others. An exploration of current pandemics, including AIDS, Ebola, and Zika concludes with analyses of as yet unknown future emerging disease causes and sources. Prerequisite: Biology 1.

This college-level biology course challenges eligible students with an intensive study of biochemistry, cell structure and function, evolution, genetics, and human systems. AS Biology builds upon previous coursework, developing a depth of understanding reflecting modern biological thinking. Lab research involving experiments and pertinent literature review allow students to think deeply on fundamental processes and biological forms. Prerequisites: Biology 1, Chemistry 1, and departmental approval.

This college-level general chemistry course builds on the foundation of the first-year chemistry course. Prerequisites: Chemistry 1, Physics 1, strong background in math, and departmental approval.

This college-level course examines the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand interrelationships in the natural world including the atmosphere, ecosystems, geology, and our oceans. The impacts of human society including agriculture, energy production, and the risks associated with their impacts on our water and air are examined in field and laboratory studies. Prerequisites: Biology 1, Chemistry 1, and departmental approval; Physics 1 recommended.

This is a college-level, calculus-based course designed for eligible students with significant physics experience. This course serves to deepen the student's understanding in mechanics, electromagnetism, thermodynamics, nuclear processes, and modern physics. The laboratory experience emphasizes physical situations that require reflective and creative problem-solving, producing the necessary mathematics in the process. The lab reports are intrinsically creative acts. Understanding the unity and beauty of physical law is a major goal of the course. Prerequisite: Physics 1, Advanced Studies in Calculus either completed or taken concurrently, and departmental approval.

This course acquaints students with the systematic and deep study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings. This course encourages intense focus on theories and findings in the following areas: brain biology and metabolism, neurology, learning, memory, perception, social development, personality formation, and abnormal psychology. It also allows students to experience material covered in the texts through in-class demonstrations and out-of-class activities. One major goal of AS Psychology is to develop proficiency and critical application of foundational psychological principles. Prerequisite: For fifth and sixth form students with departmental approval.

This is a course in which students seek experimental solutions representing three-dimensional models and two-dimensional drawings and the properties and qualities of space. Projects include perspective drawing, design, scale plans, elevations, and models. This course also attempts to respond to the dynamic nature of contemporary architecture.

This term art history course that traces human artistic inspiration from ancient Indigenous cultures to contemporary art. We will discuss how and why humans created art and architecture to worship, commune, or express their ideas about the Divine or eternal.

If a student is interested in photography, we recommend starting with film and a manual camera. Students develop film, print black and white images, and work in a wet darkroom. Film is still relevant for fine art photography, and studying film first will improve a student’s digital images. Some students choose to work analog through the advanced level, but others transition into digital images after completing one term.

Ceramics focuses on the use of the potter’s wheel and some hand-building techniques. Students research several ceramists, sketch their vessels, and gain the confidence to work with this ancient medium. Students work with a range of decoration methods, including slip, oxides, and high-fire glazes.

Digital Imaging teaches students how to use a digital camera and manipulate their files using the Adobe Creative Suite. Students explore digital imagery and digital capture while expanding their understanding of computer software. Since the computer has become an essential tool for designing and manipulating images, the process’s instant results help increase the learning rate.

Students work with a variety of techniques and media to create portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. A range of conceptual and aesthetic challenges inherent in contemporary drawing or “work on paper” are considered. Representational skills are honed, but the artist’s voice is encouraged.

In this course, students will be introduced to the world of filmmaking. Through a blend of theoretical study and practical application, students will explore the various techniques and methods that contribute to the art of creating a film. Throughout the course, students will analyze memorable films, gaining insights into storytelling, cinematography, and editing. These critical studies will serve as a foundation for students to apply their knowledge creatively to their own short film that they will write, produce, and edit.

In this Graphic Design course, students will use Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and Basic HTML/CSS to bring their unique brand ideas to life. Throughout the course, they will create essential elements such as a brand kit and logo, while exploring advertising and web design techniques to craft compelling advertisements and a one-page website.

Students learn to sketch their designs and transform basic patterns to construct a garment. Selecting and cutting fabric in tandem with the use of the sewing machine is accomplished in one term. Students explore various historical periods and contemporary fashion to inspire their work and consider the difference between “appropriation and appreciation” in their influences. Students visit The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Students order fabrics through Mood that can be designed for their own bodies, cultures, and identities. Student centered course.

This course is designed to introduce students to the basic tenets of visual art, including two- and three-dimensional studio projects, independent and collaborative work, and art history as an inspiration for studio assignments.

This class probes the techniques and materials of oil painting within the context of still life, portraiture, and landscape. The students also explore color as a means of artistic expression and are encouraged to complete oil sketches to stimulate their creative process. Topics include color theory, design issues with color, developing ideas for painting, abstraction, and contemporary painting approaches.

This course addresses the inclusive nature of contemporary sculpture and 3-D design. Students explore traditional and innovative materials and techniques. Topics vary each term and have included: portraiture, site-based installation, modular constructions, relief, and mobiles. Students research various artists and cultures to inspire their creative process and to sketch and document their ideas.

Students are expected to begin with an overall concept of the work but can expand their initial ideas or media of choice. They are encouraged to delve deeply into their concepts and may draw upon numerous artistic models introduced each term for inspiration and aesthetic refinement. Students may choose the faculty members who facilitate their unique creative odyssey and are supported with frequent critiques and discussions of their work. Portfolios will be reviewed for effort, creativity, innovation, skill, and refinement. Students will also complete frequent self-evaluations of their creative processes. Prerequisites: one art course at Kent School, summer study, and departmental portfolio review.