PSCS Classes

Almost, Maine Soundtrack (Liana)

lianagreen — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 17:26:09 +0000

The school play needs a soundtrack, and if you choose to accept the mission, we’d be writing and recording all the tracks in the course of the week.

This is an excellent opportunity for people who consider themselves to be (or are interested in honing skills towards) any of the following:

Composers
Studio Musicians
Recording Engineers

You’ll need to be comfortable on your instrument, and ready to work hard!

History of the World Through Food (Tanya)

tanya — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:38:34 +0000

How did the world come to be the way it is now? There are many ways to approach this question about history, but few are as fun as food!

In this intensive, we’ll explore the world from ancient Egypt to the modern day, watching movies, visiting spice shops, and sampling food from around the world. Get an insight into the major moments in history by tasting food before and after certain spices were common, see the influence of a conquered country’s cuisine, and bring a new appetite to the table!

Course costs include up to $35 in food, and any additional travel by bus.

Stop Motion Animation (Nic)

pscsnic — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:27:54 +0000

I have virtually no experience creating stop motion animation. I do, however, have a couple of friends who are professional animators, and I have a lot of experience making video in general.

This is the kind of intensive that might sound good when you first think about it, but many people could find themselves burning out on it after only a day or two. If you choose to spend five straight days making animations, expect to be doing a lot of fairly boring, detail-oriented drudge work. Don’t sign up for this unless you’re fairly confident that you can stick with it.

There will be a cost for this intensive, as we’ll likely purchase some software to make the job easier.

Hiking & Microscopes (Tanya)

tanya — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:21:33 +0000

Short-ish nature walks – every day! This class will have two parts, indoors and outdoors. During the first half of every day, we’ll stroll through some of the beautiful parks and natural areas around Seattle, looking at leaves, in logs, and under rocks to find plants, bugs, and slugs! After generally enjoying the outdoors and checking for clues about the habitat we’re visiting, we’ll eat a leisurely sack lunch or head to a local eatery before returning to PSCS.

The second part of the day will be devoted to looking at samples (or photographs) we’ve collected, maybe using a magnifying glass or a microscope, and use books and the internet to learn about the organisms and locations we just visited. We’ll get a chance to discuss what we’ve found, and talk about conservation of land and resources in the areas we visit.

Hairy Monkeys, Wild Cats, and Funky Trees! Tropical Ecology (Tanya)

tanya — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:13:39 +0000

Come explore the tropics, one of the most fascinating parts of the world! There are many different kinds of animals and plants on Earth, but only certain kinds are found in tropical areas. In this class, we’ll spend our time between watching movies about tropical ecosystems, then going to the Woodland Park Zoo or other indoor tropical exhibits to experience them firsthand. Each student will have the opportunity to create a photo journal of the different habitats and animals we visit, and generally enjoy the warmth and light of a tropical rainforest in the middle of winter!

Course costs include the discounted price of admission to each exhibit (up to $35), bus fare, and a photo journal.

Reading and/or Writing Club! (Tanya)

tanya — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 07:11:32 +0000

Like reading? Me, too! Let’s get together to create a cozy room with tea or hot chocolate and comfy pillows, and read our own favorite books. We’ll check in with each other in a reader’s circle twice a day, and talk about what we like (or don’t like) about our books. Once each person has finished their book, we’ll create a small sign near the library so others know about it, too. If you’re a writer, come by for a quiet place to work and a group of readers to bounce ideas around. We’ll plan reading breaks to keep ourselves refreshed, which might include walks or making lunch together. I’m also open to heading out for lunch excursions that are a little farther away, like fried chicken or Vietnamese sandwiches.

Treasure Hunt! (Tanya)

tanya — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:35:23 +0000

What could you find when looking for hidden treasures in the museums of Seattle that have stuff other than art? Gold, a rare shark, electric guitars, laser shows, chocolate trees, and World War II airplanes, for a start!

This class will be all about visiting some of the different museums around Seattle and following clues to find hidden treasures. We’ll play with maps and visit a new museum each day, which might include the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI), the Northwest African-American Museum (NAAM), Pacific Science Center, the Burke Museum, Klondike Gold Rush Park & Museum, and the Museum of Flight… and there could be more! For each new museum we’ll hunt for treasures on the grounds, eat lunch, and explore a little in the area around the museum before heading back to PSCS… and do it again the next day!

Course costs include the discounted price of admission to each museum, and bus fare.

Walks and Movies (Scobie)

scobie — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:28:15 +0000

Taking a walk is great. Watching a movie is great. Walking all day? not so great, at least not every day for five days. Watching movies all day? not so great, at least not every day for five days. But taking a walk every morning and watching a movie every afternoon? It’s almost too perfect to be true!! But it IS true, and we can do it for intensives week. Imagine a nice walk each morning to get some air and exercise, and a great movie in the afternoon. Movies will include a few of my favorites, and I’ll take suggestions but can’t make promises that your must-see will make the list. It’s also possible that we’ll walk TO a movie theater for one or more of our movies.

Geocaching (Nic)

pscsnic — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:16:56 +0000

Treasure hunts! Exploring new places! Gadgets! Geocaching involves all three of these things. We’ll tromp about town and the region, solving puzzles to find hidden troves, with the aid of global positioning system devices. No experience necessary! No GPS necessary!

This intensive will involve a lot of being out and about in the world: walking, taking public transit, and looking around. If it rains, we’ll get wet. Your body will be sore by the end of the week. Don’t sign up for this intensive if you’re a couch potato.

Because of who I am, we might just choose caches to find that are around/near various cheap quality places to eat (taco trucks, bakeries, etc) around the region.

If we really geek out on this, we might even make and hide some caches of our own!

Tabletop Games (Nic)

pscsnic — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 06:10:04 +0000

I know some great “tabletop” (i.e., board and card) games, and would like to know more. What a great way to spend a drizzly week in February — playing the games you love and learning some new ones along the way. With a whole week, we should be able to get multiple chances to play several different games.

I’m particularly interested in playing games that most of us have not played a ton of, or don’t often get to play. I’m *not* interested in games that take a lot of money to get into if you decide you want to play it more. Things we probably won’t play: Magic, Warhammer, things involving a regular deck of cards. Things we might play: Go, Settlers, Ticket to Ride, Race for the Galaxy, Diplomacy, chess, Fluxx, Dominion, etc.