Student Experiences from J-Term 2020

Student Experiences from J-Term 2020
Communications Office

Every spring, our High School students embark on two mini-intensive courses (J-Term and A-Term) designed to dive deep into distinct subjects from paleontology to the world's cultures to personal finance. As part of their most recent J-Term (January 7–17, 2020), students documented their experiences on course blogs. Read excerpts below to learn more about their work and adventures or check out the list of blogs to discover more!

 

In Art of Cooking, students develop or expand their culinary skills by working hands-on with professional chefs on new (and delicious!) dishes.

"Personally, I found today's lessons on food preparation extremely useful, because of how I often I make eggs and pancakes for myself. I am excited to make these dishes at home now that I know the best way to make them. The energy and teamwork in the kitchen is really good to see, and I think it has a big impact on the outcome of the food."

a group of students learn about chinese culture in houston

Students in this course focus on various topics in the history, politics, and culture of China through field trips, interviews, literature, seminars, documentaries, and feature films.

"We began the J-Term by sharing stories about winter holidays, and reviewing our busy, yet exiting schedule. After this, we read about the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and outcomes associated with intercultural competence, and discussed how this relates to our upcoming outings. For example, it is important for people to be aware about their identities because family backgrounds, upbringings, challenges, and relationships strongly influence people's views of the world, and their resulting ideologies. Also, I found it interesting that a person's ability to perceive cultural relativism does not develop after a single experience, instead it takes a lifetime." —Callista ’20

In this ongoing course, students travel to Jamaica and complete a diverse group of projects, from anthropological digs to social/cultural studies in film. (This is our fifth year visiting Jamaica as part of our mini-intensive courses!)

"Digging up these artifacts helps to paint a picture of the past, allowing us to uncover pieces of Taino lifestyle in this specific settlement that may be crucial to understanding the Taino lifestyle. Without discovering all of the shells we have found, we may not have realized the value of jewelry and decoration to them and the culture they share. Knowing how much history lies beneath my feet at any given time during the day, has given me a new perspective, as well as a yearning for going back tomorrow morning." —Tyler ’22

With visits to local art institutions and spaces, students investigate the role of the artist as political messenger. From artists to audience and political entities to companies, diverse forces create meaning through art in social and political climates.

"Yesterday, we focused on certain pieces that we had picked out at the MFAH the day before, and did an in depth study of the painting that we had chose to focus on. This was an interesting experience because we learned to analyze a painting using the steps that we had been learning, giving us an opportunity to slow down and really examine the piece. We viewed all of our pieces through the lens of industrialization and focused on what it meant for the time period in which the art piece was created."

Students learn about all aspects of personal finance that affect young adults as they head to college and beyond in this course.

"The knowledge I gained from the Personal Finance J-Term course is knowledge I will carry with me, truly, for the rest of my life. Taking part in this class made me realize how clueless I would be starting my adult life no financial foundation or plan for becoming a FIr. I wouldn’t even know that was something to become! From readings to speakers, presentations, and activities, this two week period has changed how I view my future." —Sutton ’22

high school students in a group with an economics professor from spain

A Post Oak first! Students traveled to Spain to immerse themselves in the culture and history of the country with a lens toward its economic environment.

"The economics lecture was a complete success! We met with an economics professor Mario Barceló from a university here in Madrid who also works as a finance advisor for businesses. We were provided a delicious merienda before the lecture by Maria’s family which got us all energy fueled. During the lecture we discussed things like the different sectors of the economy of Spain, the economic crisis of 1973 and Spains merge into the European Union in 1986, the economic crisis of 2007 caused by the housing bubble and its effects on Spain, unemployment in Spain, and the economic aspect behind Cataluña’s independence conflict with Spain." —Maria ’20

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