eagle rock classes
Black Side of the Moon
Expectation: Expanding Knowledge Base
Traditional credit: English
Trimester offered: Winter 2023 - ER89
Have you ever heard the saying "American music is Black music"? Through the use of analysis and literacy skills, we hope to better understand this idea. In this course, we plan to explore how Black music and culture have provided a primary means for society to engage with the lived experiences of Black people across multiple genres, cultural artifacts, time and regions. We will discuss how music and cultural expression created by Black Americans has acted as a primary conduit to express and understand the dynamics of gender, racism, economics, politics, and art - on a global stage! This course is about critical analysis of the everyday and sharing with others, so be prepared to listen, read, write, and engage in discussions every class period and with the ERS community! It is worth an EKB credit and a traditional English credit.
Birds, Bats, and Bees
Expectation: Engaged Global Citizen
Traditional credit: Science
Trimester offered: Spring 2023 - ER90
Calling all Naturalists! We live on 600+ acres of beautiful land that is full of plants, animals, birds, insects, trees, and grasses. As stewards of this land, it is our job to keep it as native and natural as possible. In order to do this we need to learn about the flora and fauna on the Eagle Rock campus. In this class we will focus on birds, bats, and bees, three classes of wildlife whose roles in the environment are often overlooked and misunderstood. We will work to understand the need to do our part to support these creatures and how providing habitat allows them to fulfill critical roles in the environment and keep it beautiful. We will also spend time in the Wood Shop designing and building houses and other structures for these amazing creatures that we can place around campus for the benefit and enjoyment of wildlife and human residents alike.
Borders & Identities
Expectation: Engaged Global Citizen
Traditional credit: Social Studies
Trimester offered: Winter 2023 - ER89
In this course, you will explore your own identity frames through the lens of the current immigration in the United States, primarily looking closely at the U.S.-Mexican border, detention centers, and impact of natural disasters, violence, and war on asylum seekers and refugees. Our focus will be on the ‘lines between us’, and the humanizing stories of the push and pull factors in the lives of people searching for the promise and potential of something better and somewhere we can all thrive. Learn and reflect on the visible and invisible borders we each confront every day, and build bridges between people and community by discovering and talking about your own story. You will compare and contrast opposing points of view, write from multiple points of view, and explore the possibility of a future where we all belong. During the first 5-weeks you will dive into the world of immigration and identity, formulating your own informed perspectives through videos, classroom discussions, and engaging with the broader community. During the second 5-weeks, you will continue to explore borders and identity and develop a culminating Global Action-Project that exposes problems, proposes solutions, and takes meaningful and connected action to the immigration and border debate.
Champions of Change
Expectation: Leadership for Justice
Traditional credit: Social Studies-Civics
Trimester offered: Spring 2023 - ER90
Are you passionate about social justice and equity? Are you ready to step into your leadership at Eagle Rock? Do you want to gain tools to make changes in any community (including ER) that you are a part of? Do you want to understand why some changes succeed and some don’t? Do you want to uncover your personal leadership style and see how you show up as a leader? In this highly engaging & interactive course we will: 1. learn a step-by-step change process by actually making a small yet effective change at Eagle Rock; 2. learn from historical change movements; and 3. learn facilitation skills that we’ll apply in a week long session, June 19-23, 2023. We will focus on self-awareness and development, as well as understanding and empathizing with others and lifting up the strengths in individuals and our community.
Meow Wolf: The Art of Immersion
Expectation: Effective Communication
Traditional credit: Visual Art
Trimester offerred: Winter 2023 - ER89
How have you experienced art? On a wall? In a gallery? Online? What if you could walk into an artwork, be completely surrounded by it, and interact with it? What if the wall and gallery ARE the artwork and not just a vehicle to present them? In Meow Wolf: The Art of Immersion we will be transforming a space on campus into an immersive, interactive art installation piece. This 10 week Effective Communication power standard class will involve planning, creating, and executing a multimedia installation that will require superior problem solving skills, TEAMWORK, creativity, and dedication. We will work on a singular vision and use Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station in Denver as inspiration for our space.
Math for Life
Expectation: Expanding Knowledge Base
Traditional credit: Math
Trimester offered: Spring 2023 - ER90
So you've always wondered when you will use the Pythagorean Theorem, exponents, percentages, fractions, and ratios in real life. In this class, we will be working on learning and practicing the math you will need "for real life" including, but not limited to, balancing a budget, calculating tips, understanding simple and compound interest in terms of credit cards and loans, using basic geometry to build simple things you might build for yourself, and using fractions to scale recipes up or down.
Songwriting Workshop
Expectation: Effective Communication
Traditional credit: Music
Trimester offered: Winter 2023 - ER89
Make the music in your head a performance ready piece! In this workshop you’ll create an original piece based on a topic of importance to you. You’ll workshop both the lyrics and music, participating in rounds of feedback and revision, until the piece is ready for an audience. The workshop will culminate in a musical showcase where your piece is performed live in front of the ERS community.