UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA SUMMER ENRICHMENT PROGRAM Grades 9-11 Seminar Course Choices 2013 Six Afternoon Course Choices

Zine and Not Heard? An introduction to the art, history, politics, and function of underground print culture The Greatest Show on Earth: Literature of Circuses, Fairs and Carnivals Speaking in Light: The Language of Film Hungry for Science Music and Creativity Science, Philosophy and Magic Zine and Not Heard? An introduction to the art, history, politics, and function of underground print culture
Two hundred years ago, children were expected to be 'seen and not heard'. Many years later, modern zines emerged as part of an underground self-publication movement for people who didn't have the finances, social standing or desire to duplicate and sell their printed work via conventional means. 'Zine', a shortened version of 'magazines', came to mean a self-made publication for voices that couldn't, or didn't want to, be heard in traditional ways. In conversation with Walter Benjamin's essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" as well as essays published afterward on print and the digital age, we'll explore the zine's historical evolution as well as its connection to identity, storytelling, writing, art, and politics. Students will individually conceptualize important ideas, hone and present those ideas, then draft and create their own zine. The course ends with a trip to the UVA special collections library to view pamphlets from the late 1700's, the predecessors of the modern zine movement.

The Greatest Show on Earth: Literature of Circuses, Fairs and Carnivals

This course will be a survey of literature about circuses, fairs and carnivals and their history in the United States. From the images of the traveling snake oil salesman to more contemporary circuses such as Cirque du Soleil, traveling entertainment has been a large part of American culture. Using Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus as the backbone for our discussions, we'll look at the history of traveling entertainment in American culture, and how it has changed over time. We'll discuss issues that exist within contemporary circus culture such as animal rights, and students will be asked to develop their own plan for creating a traveling show.

Speaking in Light: The Language of Film

Why does a director go for the close-up rather than a more distant shot? How does editing make the difference between an exciting car chase and a confusing mess? How do our expectations of how certain types of films, or genres, are supposed to work affect the meaning of an individual film in that genre? In this course we will explore the language of cinema in order to understand how filmmakers create meaning for their viewers. Through in-class analysis we will explore the various components of cinema, from a single shot to a whole film to an entire genre, and in the process come to a better understanding of why some films are so effective at touching us while others leave us cold.

Hungry for Science

Are you hungry for science? Want to create the perfect gummy invertebrate? In this class, we will explore the world around us through the roles of both scientist and chef. We will measure the energy transfer of emulsified colloid of liquid butterfat in H2O as it reaches the solid state and explore the differences in sucrose as it incorporates with other sugars. Get ready to boil, bake, and toast your way to a better understanding of science!

Music and Creativity

Is karaoke imaginative? Is remixing art? Is improvisation innovative? What is creativity and who decides? In this class we will learn about theories of creativity from inside and outside the world of music. We will consider how these ideas relate to the day-to-day practice of music making in different times, places, and cultures. We will ask questions like: How does Kanye Wests creativity relate to Mozarts? How does Deadmau5s creativity differ from Rihannas? We will also learn about the ways in which musicians, and other relevant artists, nurture and develop their creativity.

Science, Philosophy and Magic

Have you ever wondered how scientists can discover so much about the universe? How do they manage to pursue questions about big things like the Earth and the sun, or the weather and climate change if they cannot experiment with those things? In this class we are going to answer these and other scientific questions by following the actual process by which scientists discover the laws of the universe. We are going to explore the relation between scientific activity and laws of nature by performing scientific experiments. In addition, we are going to explore the world of Harry Potter and see whether it is possible to talk about a world governed by different laws and whether such world would be called magical. Would it make sense to talk about something like Hogwarts as a school that, within its own world, is devoted to scientific enterprise? This class is a mixture of scientific experiments, philosophical reflection and literary creativity that will expand your perspective about science and magic!

Music and Creativity

Is karaoke imaginative? Is remixing art? Is improvisation innovative? What is creativity and who decides? In this class we will learn about theories of creativity from inside and outside the world of music. We will consider how these ideas relate to the day-to-day practice of music making in different times, places, and cultures. We will ask questions like: How does Kanye Wests creativity relate to Mozarts? How does Deadmau5s creativity differ from Rihannas? We will also learn about the ways in which musicians, and other relevant artists, nurture and develop their creativity.

Science, Philosophy and Magic

Have you ever wondered how scientists can discover so much about the universe? How do they manage to pursue questions about big things like the Earth and the sun, or the weather and climate change if they cannot experiment with those things? In this class we are going to answer these and other scientific questions by following the actual process by which scientists discover the laws of the universe. We are going to explore the relation between scientific activity and laws of nature by performing scientific experiments. In addition, we are going to explore the world of Harry Potter and see whether it is possible to talk about a world governed by different laws and whether such world would be called magical. Would it make sense to talk about something like Hogwarts as a school that, within its own world, is devoted to scientific enterprise? This class is a mixture of scientific experiments, philosophical reflection and literary creativity that will expand your perspective about science and magic!