The aim of anthropology is to use a broad approach to gain an understanding of our past, present, future and address the problems humans face in biological, social and cultural life. This course will explore the evolution, similarity and diversity of humankind through time. It will look at how we have evolved from a biologically and culturally weak species to one that has the ability to cause catastrophic change. Exciting online video journeys to different areas of the anthropological world are also presented in the course.
Anthropology has helped us better understand cultures around the world and through different time period. This course continues the study of global cultures and the ways that humans have made sense of their world. We will examine some of the ways that cultures have understood and gave meaning to different stages of life and death. The course will also examine the creation of art within cultures and examine how cultures evolve and change over time. Finally, we will apply the concepts and insights learned from the study of anthropology to several cultures found in the world today.
In today’s society, crime and deviant behavior are often one of the top concerns of society members. From the nightly news to personal experiences with victimization, crime seems to be all around us. In this course, we will explore the field of criminology or the study of crime. In doing so, we will look at possible explanations for crime from psychological, biological, and sociological standpoints, explore the various types of crime and their consequences for society, and investigate how crime and criminals are handled by the criminal justice system. Why do some individuals commit crimes but others don’t? What aspects in our culture and society promote crime and deviance? Why do individuals receive different punishments for the same crime? What factors shape the criminal case process, from arrest to punishments?
In the digital photography course, students will learn creative photographic skills and processes. Students will build a portfolio of work and explore the fields of photography and graphic arts.
In today’s world, photographs are all around us, including in advertisements, on websites, and hung on our walls as art. Many of the images that we see have been created by professional photographers. In this course, we will examine various aspects of professional photography, including the ethics of the profession, and examine some of the areas that professional photographers may choose to specialize in, such as wedding photography and product photography. We will also learn more about some of the most respected professional photographers in history and we will learn how to critique photographs in order to better understand what creates an eye catching photograph.
Fingerprints. Blood spatter. DNA analysis. The world of law enforcement is increasingly making use of the techniques and knowledge from the sciences to better understand the crimes that are committed and to catch those individuals responsible for the crimes. Forensic science applies scientific knowledge to the criminal justice system. This course focuses on some of the techniques and practices used by forensic scientists during a crime scene investigation (CSI). Starting with how clues and data are recorded and preserved, the student will follow evidence trails until the CSI goes to trial, examining how various elements of the crime scene are analyzed and processed.
From vampires to ghosts, these frightening stories have influenced fiction writers since the 18th century. This course will focus on the major themes found in Gothic literature and demonstrate how the core writing drivers produce, for the reader, a thrilling psychological environment. Terror versus horror, the influence of the supernatural, and descriptions of the difference between good and evil are just a few of the themes presented. By the time students have completed this course, they will have gained an understanding of and an appreciation for the complex nature of dark fiction.
Is there life on other planets? What extremes can the human body endure? Can we solve the problem of global warming? Today, scientists, explorers, and writers are working to answer all of these questions. Like Edison, Einstein, Curie, and Newton, the scientists of today are asking questions and working on problems that may revolutionize our lives and world. This course focuses on 10 of today’s greatest scientific minds. Each unit takes an in-depth look at one of these individuals, and shows how their ideas may help to shape tomorrow’s world.
Every society has laws that its citizens must follow. From traffic laws to regulations on how the government operates, laws help provide society with order and structure. Our lives are regulated and guided by the laws of our society. Consumer laws help to protect us from faulty goods; criminal laws help to protect society from individuals who harm others; and family law handles the arrangements and issues that arise in areas like divorce and child custody. This course focuses on the creation and application of laws in various areas of society. Understanding the ways in which our court systems work and how the laws are carried out helps make us better citizens of the government that we live under.
Self-knowledge is the key to self-improvement! More than 800,000 high school students take psychology classes each year. Among the different reasons, there is usually the common theme of self discovery! Sample topics include the study of infancy, childhood, adolescence, perception and states of consciousness. This course offers exciting online psychology experiments about our own behavior.
Enrich the quality of your life by learning to understand the actions of others! Topics include the study of memory, intelligence, emotion, health, stress and personality. This course offers exciting online psychology experiments about the world around us.
This course will take you on an exciting adventure that covers more than 2500 years. Along the way, you’ll run into some very strange characters. For example, you’ll read about a man who hung out on street corners, barefoot and dirty, pestering everyone he met with questions. You’ll read about another man who climbed inside a stove to think about whether he existed. Despite their odd behavior, these and other philosophers of the Western world are among the most brilliant and influential thinkers of all time. As you read about them, you’ll see where many of the most fundamental ideas of Western civilization came from. You’ll also get a chance to ask yourself some of the same questions these great thinkers pondered. At the end, you’ll have a better understanding of yourself and the world around you, from atoms to outer space and everything in between.
The process of parenting is more than just having a child and making sure they eat, sleep and get to school on time. Learn what to prepare for, what to expect, and what vital steps a parent can take to create the best environment and life for their child. Parenting roles and responsibilities; nurturing and protective environments for children; positive parenting strategies and effective communication in parent/child relationships are some of the topics covered in this course.
The Social Problems I course will examine a number of social problems that affect the world and individuals today. Students will learn more about the challenges facing societies and the relationships between societies, governments, and individuals in these areas. Each unit will focus on a particular area of social concern, often with a global view, and examine possible solutions at both a structural and individual level. Students, thus, will learn more about how social problems affect their lives as well as the ways that they can make a difference in the social problems that exist in their lives, communities, and world.
The Social Problems II course continues to examine the social problems that affect individuals and societies in the world today. Students learn about the overall structure of the social problem as well as how it impacts their lives. Each unit focuses on a particular social problem, including racial discrimination, drug abuse, the loss of community, and urban sprawl, and discusses possible solutions at both individual and structural levels. Students examine the connections in each issue between societies, individuals, governments, and the global arena.
The world is becoming more complex. How do your beliefs, values and behavior affect the people around you and the world we live in? In this increasingly connected world, students will examine problems in our society and learn how human relationships can influence the life of the student. Exciting online video journeys to different areas of the sociological world are also presented in the course.
Sociology is the study of people, social life and society. The development of a sociological imagination will enable students to examine how society shapes human actions and beliefs, and how such actions and beliefs in turn shape society. Exciting online video journeys to different areas of the sociological world are also presented in the course.
As animals play an increasingly important role in our lives, scientists have sought to learn more about their health and well-being. Taking a look at the pets that live in our homes, on our farms, and in zoos and wildlife sanctuaries, this course will examine some of the common diseases and treatments for domestic animals. Toxins, parasites, and infectious diseases impact not only the animals around us, but at times…we humans as well! Through veterinary medicine and science, the prevention and treatment of diseases and health issues is studied and applied.
War. Economic depression. Genocide. Ethnic cleansing. Human history is filled with devastating tragedies. What caused these horrors? How did they begin? Can we find common threads which will not only help us understand how and why these tragedies took place…and continue to happen…but which might also enable us to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past? An instructing, uplifting and empowering way for students to look at the past…and perhaps help shape the future!
Why would a man devote years to studying the letters of a long-dead king? Why would a woman spend thousands of hours digging in the mud and ruins of an ancient city? History tells the stories of those who have gone before us…where they traveled, how they lived, their belief systems, and their hopes and dreams. By studying the past, we find out that as one historian has said, “We (truly) are who we have been.”