Gifted Learning Links :: Honors Electives Course Listings

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Humanities & Social Sciences Courses - GLL: 2009 Fall Honors Elective

Course Title	Grades	Description
Introduction to American Studies: Honors: Identity, Ethnicity & Community	6 - 12	Who counts as “American?” To what ends have citizens and noncitizens assumed, claimed, or refused “American” identity? Students examine a range of multicultural literature—novels, short stories, essays, and poetry—by American authors in order to examine the meaning of the American Dream, identity, community, conformity, individualism, and family. Prepare to be inspired!
Social & Political Philosophy Honors: Justice and Politics	6 - 12	What distinguishes just states from unjust states? Are there basic rights to which all humans are entitled? Are some states so unjust that we are not obliged to comply with their laws? Under what conditions is humanitarian intervention justified? Is there such a thing as “just war?” Students examine answers to these and related questions proposed by liberal, socialist, libertarian, communitarian, and post-modern theories of political and social justice. The following are some of the authors discussed: Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Kant, Marx, Berlin, Rawls, Charles Taylor, Seyla Benhabib, Robin West and Sohail Hashmi. This course lays the foundations for solid critical thinking about contemporary social and political issues around the globe, as well as future coursework in political science and philosophy.

Humanities & Social Sciences Courses - GLL: 2010 Winter, Honors Elective

Course Title	Grades	Description
Interdisciplinary Studies in the Humanities & Social Sciences: The Confluence of Art, Philosophy & History	6 - 12	Does life imitate art, or does art reflect history and the development of ideas? This rich, multi-disciplinary course examines painting, sculpture and architecture juxtaposed with the foundation of philosophies and pivot points in history—all captured in artistic expression. The many materials drawn from include written works by William Fleming, Peter Watson, Nigel Spivey and others along with virtual visits to museums around the world. Enjoy the challenge of leaping across disciplines to discover connections among art, history and philosophy.
Law & Society Honors: The Innocence Project	6 - 12	Inspired by the Medill Innocence Project at Northwestern University, which gives undergraduate students firsthand experience in investigating wrongful convictions, this course introduces students to the criminal justice system from the perspective of a wrongfully convicted individual. Students learn about errors in the system by dissecting and investigating closed cases where errors may have been made resulting in the wrongful conviction of an innocent person. Students interested in an introduction to the American legal system will appreciate the unique, project-oriented perspective of this course.

Science Courses - GLL: 2009 Fall Honors Elective

Course Title	Grades	Description
Special Topics in Science Honors: Scientific Revolutions	6 - 12	What, precisely, is involved in becoming the next Einstein? How do revolutionary theories in science eventually come to be accepted by the scientific community? This course examines the structure and development of key revolutions in science ranging from the Copernican Revolution and the Lavoisier and the Chemical Revolution, to Revolutions in General Relativity and Quantum Mechanics and the Information Technology Revolution. Students discuss how the various developments altered our perspective on our worldview and consider the role of social context, creativity, aesthetics and tradition in scientific discovery. Calling all outside-of-the-box scientific thinkers!

Science Courses - GLL: 2010 Winter, Honors Elective

Course Title	Grades	Description
Mysteries of the Brain: A Journey into Neurological Disorders	6 - 12	While Winston Churchill once described the former Soviet Union as “a puzzle, wrapped in an enigma, surrounded by a mystery,” one could apply a similar view to perceptual, intellectual and behavioral aberrations of the brain. This course examines the inner workings of the mind in an effort to unravel the seeming mysteries of bizarre symptoms and unusual disorders involving, for example, the senses, memory, recognition, and soaring abilities. Readings are drawn from a variety of scholarly sources, including Oliver Sacks and Harold Klawans. Come discover the enigmas of the brain!

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