Splash Spring 2019
Course Catalog

We will be making an origami crane hanging using thread, needle, and a dowel as a decor for whatever room you want to spruce up but in a handmade way!

Does thinking about college stress you out? What are admissions counselors looking for? What activities are the 'right' activities to put on a resume? What should my personal statement be about? What types of colleges should I be looking at?

The college search and application process is daunting, so come and share any questions/concerns, and learn some tips and tricks for cracking college!

This class - led by a BC senior- will examine what to do to prepare for college life and the college application process. This course is restricted to high school students.

One of the most important basics in programming is recursion. What does it mean? It means we build up higher and higher. This course will provide a quick overview of what recursion is and build some examples using python.


Prerequisites
N/A

So you want to build a website? What do you need to know? Web development has a whole bucket of concepts that won't be covered by your typical coding class. Asynchronous programming is one of them. This course will provide a review on conventional programming followed by a crash course on asynchronous programming and a few demonstrations.

We will discuss the importance of public health on a global scale and learn about the many challenges that the field of public health faces. We will also learn about the many ways to get involved in solving these complex and far-reaching health issues!

Philosophy is supposed to be for everyone, especially the youth, who even the greats like Socrates prioritized. Not only will you learn philosophic concepts to wow everyone, but you'll also learn new ideas and concepts to apply to your daily life. This course will introduce you to the ideas of Plato and Socrates through examining them crushing debate opponents and overall being sassy (like teenagers can be).

Did you know that Cantonese was almost chosen to be the official language of China? Cantonese is a dialect of Chinese spoken mainly in Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Macau, and overseas Chinatowns. It has six different tones while Mandarin has only four and there are nearly 100 million native Cantonese speakers worldwide.

Come learn some basic Cantonese phrases you can use if you ever find yourself ordering dim sum in Chinatown or abroad in Hong Kong! We'll learn about Cantonese Chinese culture, practice Cantonese pronunciation, and even learn some Chinese characters so you can impress your friends with your new skills!

This course will explore the effects that social media has on us and our normal day-to-day life from psychological, cognitive, cultural, and social perspectives. Students will have a deeper understanding of social media's impact on our lives and the society, and hopefully form their own informed using habit with social media.

How has the definition of "Asian American" evolved throughout the decades from when it was first conceived during the grassroots movement to now as a demographic and cultural term?

Together, we'll look at how the term "Asian American" came to be in the context and history of the time it was invented. By watching videos, we'll analyze and discuss the evolution of its meaning as it progressed from the civil rights movement, to the model minority myth, all the way to BTS.

This class will seek to explain a wide variety of information about sharks and will address common misconceptions that humans have about them.

Forensic scientists are very popular on many TV crime shows, but what is the science behind what they really do? Join us as we investigate the basics of forensic science - including a brief history, fingerprints, DNA, and more. There will even be a short laboratory component where we practice dusting for fingerprints!

Cancer and embryogenesis research are both hopelessly complex but also pose invaluable benefits. Here I'll give a brief rundown on the amusing similarities between life's beginning and what brings it to an end with regards to biological pathways and see how investigations into both disease and development can lead to pivotal therapeutic targets and methods.


Prerequisites
Basic Biology - I will keep the class relatively layman to ensure the general concepts are understood

Did you know that bats are your main reason for bananas? Did you know that only the vampire bat can walk? Did you know that bats are an amazing critter that you should learn about? Stop on in to learn about the cool contributions that bats make to our world, why they're so important to preserve, and what role we can play in their conservation!

Do you want to try a fun engineering experiment? Spend some time constructing a structure to protect a falling egg! This will be a simple and fun class where you'll use teamwork and creativity to solve a problem. At the end, we'll test our structures and drop the eggs!

Have you ever wondered about the DNA code inside your cells? Would you like to learn more about how we understand the human genome and genomic medicine? This class will be a primer into the human genome and modern genetics.


Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of genetics

This class will look at Mendel's experiments, recombination and genetic mapping.


Prerequisites
Some basic background knowledge of biology preferred.

Do you love playing with slime? Ever wondered the science behind this magical substance? Come make some slime, get your hands messy, and learn all about the chemistry that makes up slime!

Want to be come a babysitter, but don't know where to start? Learn from a Boston College senior who has been regularly babysitting for the past 8 years! I've got all the tips and tricks to set you up for landing that side-job you want and need. This class will serve as a workshop to provide you with materials and advice that are helpful in getting you started with the process. I will provide you with the knowledge that I wish someone had given me when I first set out to become a babysitter!


Prerequisites
none!

Believe it or not, the 2020 campaign for President is already well under way, and there's a record-setting number of candidates to choose from. But with so many options and names floating around, it can be hard to keep track. This course will introduce you to some of the big names on the campaign trail as well as things to look out for as you follow the race.

Is stress getting to you? Would you like to take control of it? Come learn from a trained and certified health coach (and fellow stressed person) about what stress is, and positive coping strategies like mindfulness and cognitive restructuring, to tackle your stress!


Prerequisites
If comfortable, please take this 15 minute survey before the day-of to find your top strengths for certain exercises. https://www.viacharacter.org/survey/account/register

Congress is often talked about alongside the President, but what is it? What's the difference between a Senator and a Representative? Why does Congress matter? Wanna learn about it? This will give you a Crash Course 101 breaking down our government's legislative branch.

Thinking about law school? Surprisingly, there are some thing you can do in high school to prepare you for law school. I will also talk about Boston College's pre-law program, and other programs like it across the country.

The Constitution is brought up a lot as important to American society, but what's actually in it? This class will give you a crash course of what the Constitution says about how American government is structured and how the document's content and interpretation has changed over its 230 year history.

Game Theory is the study of how people think when making decisions. In this class, we will apply this level of thinking to games you have most certainly played. While Game Theory is a tricky concept, this class will be an easy introduction with real-world examples and lots of hands-on examples. After this class, you will be unbeatable!

In this class, we will watch videos on conspiracy theories and discuss why their authors are convincing, even if the idea seems ridiculous. These techniques can even strengthen your essay skills. Come with an open mind!