In this section:

Graduation
Requirements

College Counseling

Electives Week

2008 College
Acceptances

Principles to Guide Curriculum Design

Letter from
Peter Stevens,
Dean of Academics

Electives Week

The Oliverian School holds two Electives Weeks per year, once during the Fall Semester and once during the Spring Semester. Electives Weeks allow students to explore new interests while gaining academic credit. Electives Weeks are placed strategically within the semesters to break up long blocks of time and revitalize student interest in academics.

Electives Week, Fall 2008

Electives Week, October, 2008 takes place from Monday, October 20th, through Friday, October 24th.


FULL DAY COURSES

Reclaiming the Mountains: Understanding and Redefining the Stereotypes, an Exploration of Appalachian Culture through Adventure, Literature and Discovery
This course will examine Appalachian culture through a week-long trip to West Virginia. We will explore the landscape by rock climbing, whitewater rafting, and caving. We will delve into the economic and social development of West Virginia by touring a coal mine. We will discover the culture by reading and watching films.

Instructors: Matthew Brown & Jon Wall
Credit: 0.25 Adventure & 0.25 Social Science


Roger’s Rangers
This course will study the French and Indian War, with a focus on the exploits of Roger’s Rangers’ raid on the Abenaki village of Odanak and the Ranger’s disastrous retreat. Their flight resulted in the deaths of approximately thirty rangers due to starvation and exposure. Our culminating experience will be to retrace the Rangers’ steps from a gravesite in Granby, VT to the point where they emerged from the wilderness. Students will chart a course through rugged terrain using map and compass, bushwacking to the river. This will be a two day hike with an overnight in the woods.
Not for the faint of heart.

Instructors: Tom Barth & Mike Sallade
Credit: 0.25 Adventure & 0.25 Social Science


Kings & Queens of the Mountain: Crowning Iron Ore with a Cabin
Over the course of a single week we will relocate a cabin to the summit of the mountain. In this course you will learn carpentry skills while you soak up the beauty of fall from one of the campus’ most scenic areas. We will work hard and have a lot of fun while we create a resource that will be valued by generations of Oliverian students.

Instructor: Ben Churchill
Credit: 0.25 Stewardship



MORNING COURSES

Yearbook Primer
This class will focus on developing the skills needed to use the yearbook website. Copy writing and interviewing skills will be covered within the content of this class. The use of composition as it pertains to taking dynamic photographs will also be explored.

Instructors: Bessa Axelrod & Matt Beckwith-Laube
Credit: 0.25 Art or 0.25 Stewardship


The History, Art and Culture of Tattooing
This course will explore the vast history of the art of tattooing throughout cultures and time. We will also gain a greater perspective of all the different artistic styles that appear in Tattooing as well as have a chance to design our own. We will also investigate who gets tattoos, why did they get a tattoo and does the tattoo have any significance.

Instructors: Rick Gaukel with guest appearance by Kimberly Moran
Credit: 0.25 Art


Gender in Popular Culture
In this course we will examine how aspects of popular culture (films, music, you-tube, video games, media, and commercials) influence our daily activities and perception of gender. We will be watching several films, which we will discuss and analyze to understand the portrayal of gender in them. Students will also bring in songs that we will go over, and we will read some articles on popular culture and gender.

Instructor: Carrie Curtis
Credit: 0.25 Social Science



AFTERNOON COURSES

Intro to Computer Programming
If you take this course, you will learn about basic data types, input/output concepts, and logical structures used in programming. In addition, you will create a simple programming using structured programming techniques. Using Scratch, a free programming language, we will explore some of the basic structures used in computer programming.

Instructor: Carl Stagg
Credit: 0.25 Science


Chasing the Trickster: The Biology and Natural History of Coyotes
The course will cover coyote biology from life history to habitat requirements and ecological niche. We will examine how biologists study wildlife, learning by doing as we practice some of the methods used by scientists in the field. Each day will culminate in the opportunity to observe wild coyotes in the field, right on the Oliverian campus.

Instructor: Abby Hood
Credit: 0.25 Science


Mountain Biking
Each day will consist of one aspect of either bicycle handling or bicycle mechanics accompanied by a ride. Each ride will be different, ranging from a long, flat ride on a railroad bed to hilly single track trails. You will also keep a food diary to record what you eat and drink in addition to a reflection on your physical state during and after the ride.

Instructor: Brett Wanner
Credit: 0.25 Adventure