May Term Minute: May 30

May 30 2019

It's the final day of May Term! May Term (formerly JTerm) is a two-week academic program in which students and teachers explore a diversity of innovative topics in great depth. Every day, we will highlight a few moments from May Term in our May Term Minute. For more updates, follow us on Instagram or Twitter.

May Term Day 8: Thursday, May 30

Art Revolution: Mr. Sigel, Ms. Hutchison, and their students filled the Crawford Campus Center with their creations today. All are welcome to stop by through Commencement on June 6 to see the paintings, sculptures, and more.

Cars and How to Have Fun Keeping Them Running: After a whirlwind visit to area car dealerships on Wednesday, students put the finishing touches on the sedan they transformed into a pickup on Thursday. Over the last two weeks, they have removed the back roof and other sections of a 2000 four-door Volkswagen Jetta- turning it into an impressive "ute." Students in the College Readiness Skills stopped by for some instruction on how to properly and safely jump start a car.

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy: On the final day of May Term, students finished up their snake dissections while also completing their Anatomy Atlas. The Atlas is a student-written booklet explaining internal and external anatomy along with dissection directions and suggestions.

Discovering Nature through Photography and Service: After taking striking photos in the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, Valley Forge Park, and the EA campus, the class compiled their collection onto a custom website. View their work here!

Escape The Western Diet: After a shopping trip to Mom's Organic Market in Bryn Mawr, students returned to the Tierney Dining Hall to prepare a healthy lunch. Included on today's menu: cucumber, guacamole, pumpkin seed with broccoli sprout sandwiches; a whole grain tortilla wrap with tomatoes and red peppers, with a green smoothie (pineapple, kale, parsley, spinach, and coconut water), and chocolate banana pudding for dessert. "This is pretty good!" said one student.

Forensics: Students used DNA sequencing to compare DNA from blood samples at a crime scene to that of blood samples of several suspects. At the end of the course, the students think they have found their criminal in Suspect #3.

The Galapagos: From sea turtles to iguanas to plant life, the Galapagos was an eye-opening biological experience. Check out this video of the group's life-changing trip!

Games for Geeks: Students presented their research on applications of game theory on waging war, wrestling coin toss, off-season NFL trades, Tom Brady's performance with a new helmet, the importance of appearance in Fortnite, and the strategy being employed by current jeopardy winner (and professional sports gambler), James Holzhauer. In the end, the students learned quite a bit about probability and strategy but also learned never to gamble, because in the long run (in theory and in practice) you will always lose!

Leadership Development and Military History: After a full day Wednesday touring Gettysburg, students returned Thursday to work on their final projects. Groups of students created marketing plans for the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Civil Wars. The goal was to get "the people" of the times to support the war campaigns. Students were especially creative with their use of anti-propaganda messaging as they presented their campaigns to the class.

Learning to Lead: Students presented what they learned through the course by utilizing the challenging Pecha Kucha presentation format. With Pecha Kucha, presenters must use only 20 slides - and only 20 seconds per slide - to tell their story. Using Pecha Kucha, students learned to pace themselves, organize their message, and engage their audience as they discussed the qualities of a good leader.

The Power and Purpose of Community Organizations: After selecting a local non-profit organization to research, student groups presented their chosen organization's mission, work, and impact to two potential major donors (or, Mr. Sanders and Mr. Tate.) At the close of the presentations, the "donors" decided which presenters most effectively communicated the power and purpose of their chosen organization.

Sacred Spaces: Students presented their final projects to an expert alumni and parent panel. They constructed 3D models of their structures, which were intended to create a smaller gathering place on campus for small ceremonies and more intimate spiritual contemplation. Students picked building locations on campus, drew inspiration from their off-site visits, used architectural software, and some even incorporated historical EA artifacts into their designs.

Strings and Things: Fourteen students jammed in the Coote Honor Hall Thursday morning, showing off their newly constructed guitars. Many students did not know how to play the guitar before taking this May Term course and are thrilled with their new musical skills.

Walk With Me: Today, the class volunteered with Broad Street Ministry to help serve three-course meals to 353 people. After, they created a collage with photos from the course of the class, a drawing, and two poems.

Writing, Directing, and Performing One-Act Plays: Actors took the stage to perform their original one-act plays. Ranging from slapstick comedies to poignant dramas, the pieces delighted the students and faculty in the audience.