If you have been holding your breath in anticipation, it is time to BREATHE! The 2023 Lineup of SPAATY courses is here. This year’s courses ask students to examine their own strengths and weaknesses and encourage them to expand their gifts from the inside out. Each class requires a spirit of inquiry and adventure. Students will test themselves and apply what they learn to produce an outcome they will be excited to share with others.
Debate
This class explores the ins and outs of competitive debate in a variety of forms. Be prepared to think and write quickly as you learn how to listen to your opponent and use appropriate strategies to step into the lead.
Criminal Justice: From Lawmaking to Verdict
This course is designed to familiarize the student with the U.S. legal system, beginning with an analysis of the Constitution and moving through the court system to reach a verdict in a criminal case.
Unleashing Your Creativity
Creativity is a concept that many people see as dichotomous—either you are creative, or you are not. However, everyone can be and is creative. Existing research on creativity has resulted in numerous theories relating the concept to culture, personality, divergent thinking, and mental health. There are even suggestions on how to enhance one’s creativity. These topics have implicit and explicit influences on students’ successes; thus, it is important that students learn how to recognize, appreciate, and inspire creativity within themselves and others.
Motivation in Action
Action is not the impact of motivation; motivation is force behind the action. Motivation theories have been used in many different areas of psychology. This course would refer to and apply motivational theories from Robert Sternberg, Abraham Maslow, Richard Ryan, Edward Deci, and so many more. These theories can be used in future careers of motivating yourself and others around you.
The Game is Afoot: Investigations in Detective Fiction
“The problem with putting two and two together,” writes crime novelist Dashiell Hammett, “is that sometimes you get four, and sometimes you get twenty-two.” That spirit of investigation and critical, often unusual, thinking will drive our inquiries this summer as we rendezvous with several classic detectives and their stories, unmasking the origins of the detective fiction genre and writing our own! We will consider the role of psychology in the detective story, as well as the historical, cultural, and political realities directing the writers and framing the readers of these texts. We will also investigate questions at the heart of the humanities which allow us to read these texts even more imaginatively and ask ourselves how this genre solves the truth of who we are and why justice should be a human concern and right.
Fairy Tales
“But some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
-C.S. Lewis
Did you love fairy tales as a little child? We all did, but somewhere along the path, we were misled into believing that fairy tales are only for children. The truth is that fairy tales, those joyful dreams of our ludic imagination, never cease to be instructive and enchanting. They teach us about life, and they teach us about stories. In this intensive creative writing course, we will return to the form of fairy tales and draw lessons about fiction writing in general. Each day, we will read a story and discuss its techniques that we may apply and improvise in our creative practice. We will also regularly write short-short stories based on various exciting prompts. You will revise and polish one of these pieces and share it with your fellow students on the final day of the course. Our ultimate goal is to help you unleash and celebrate your inner genius and creative potential.
Stagecraft
Students will learn different aspects of technical theatre including stagecraft, lighting, rigging, and design. By learning how the backstage operations of theatres work, students can gain an appreciation of technical theatre. Technical theatre is not just construction but also requires a high amount of problem solving and ingenuity. Skills such as carpentry and welding can be transferred across many fields.
IMPORTANT THINGS TO KNOW
Students will be asked to rank the courses in order of interest on their applications. Course assignments and class schedules will be confirmed prior to the start of the program. Click here to apply!
Karnes Center for Gifted Studies/Karnes Kaleidoscope 