Syracuse University Project Advance

This course focuses on the genre of creative nonfiction. Students explore varieties of creative nonfiction, such as memoir; biography; the personal essay; travel, science, and food writing; and “new journalism.” As its name suggests, creative nonfiction borrows elements from fiction and poetry (e.g., description, scene construction, dialogue, etc.) yet still aims to tell the truth. For a writer to “tell it slant,” however, is to acknowledge the ways in which one’s subjective viewpoint shapes what counts as “the truth” in telling a story about one’s own or another’s experiences. Students will have the opportunity to experiment with style, genre, and subject in a writing studio environment and to read varied examples of contemporary creative nonfiction. For Fifth and Sixth Formers.

Presentational speaking presents the conceptual and practical dimensions of formal presentations in organizational settings. Analysis, adaptation, strategic arrangement, development of ideas, and verbal and nonverbal presentation skills are examined. This course breaks down the skills needed to present a proper image, and reflects on many other elements of communication also required for good speaking. This course builds a solid understanding of the fundamentals of public presentations and of how to competently and flexibly employ these skills so that a speaker can adjust selected topics to specific audiences. For Fifth and Sixth Formers. This course does not earn credit towards the Studio and Performing Arts graduation requirement.

In this course, we will study history as a process through which our society and our country came to be as it is today. Our current society is the product of a diverse and complex past, and a fuller understanding of that past will give us greater insight and perspective into the historical roots of the problems that challenge us. One historian has written, “A nation’s attitudes towards its own history are like a window into its own soul and the men and women of such a nation cannot be expected to meet the obligations of the present if they refuse to exhibit honesty, charity, open-mindedness, and a free and growing intelligence towards the past that makes them what they are.” Prerequisite: United States History. For Fifth and Sixth Formers. Students enrolled in this course will also need to enroll in SUPA American History Since 1865 in the Spring.

American History since 1865 is a study of US history from the end of the Civil War to the present. While such a course cannot be fully comprehensive, it will focus on many of the important developments and major trends that have shaped modern American life such as the impact of slavery, US expansionism, the Cold War, globalization, and much more. Through analyzing primary and secondary sources, class discussions, and various types of assignments, students will have a chance to do history: allowing them to learn how historians think about, and investigate, the past. By the end of the semester, students will not only know more about the American experience, but they will also have learned how to construct persuasive arguments, use evidence effectively, and to hone a variety of analytical skills that will be of value to them during their undergraduate experience and in their future. Prerequisite: SUPA American History to 1865 and United States History. For Fifth and Sixth Formers.

Principles and Contemporary Issues in Sport Management is an introductory course offered through the Syracuse University David Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. This course introduces the student to sport management concepts and sectors through an examination of problems and issues faced by contemporary sport management. Unique characteristics of sport and resulting social and ethical responsibilities of sport managers will be discussed. In addition to the use of traditional pedagogical teaching methods to deliver basic sport management concepts, students are required to complete a comprehensive, hands-on project that demonstrates their comprehension of the different sectors of the industry covered throughout the semester. For Fifth and Sixth Formers.

This Introduction to Personal Finance focuses on the foundations of financial planning—such as setting short-term and long-term financial goals—and then tackles essential aspects of consumer personal finance, including record keeping, budgeting, banking, saving, borrowing, investing, insurance, taxes, and retirement planning. For Fifth and Sixth Formers.

Earth System Science illustrates the interconnectedness of biologic, hydrologic, atmospheric, and geologic processes in shaping our planet. This new approach to geology reflects a more integrated view of the study of Earth. In today’s world, with an increasing global population, the threat of global warming, and a growing demand for raw materials and energy, a basic understanding of the Earth system is more important than ever. Minimum prerequisite: Pre-Calculus. For Fifth and Sixth Formers.