High School M-Term

Each March, High School students embark on a short, intensive two-week semester known as March-Term (M-Term). See what they’re up to and follow along on their course blogs!

Costa Rica Field School

What is sustainability and why is it important? This course connects with local organizations to introduce students to a global experience. Students will be learning from local educators and professionals to learn about ecology, small business, sustainable farming, and holistic wellness. Students will explore a diverse range of natural landscapes, from cloud forests of the mountains to plantations and coastal environments. Students will work collaboratively to study the sustainability of farms, coral reefs, local turtle populations, and mangroves. Students should be able to swim and endure challenging travel conditions.  Included in the trip will be plenty of opportunities to practice and learn Spanish, along with translations in English. Costa Rica Field School

Houston Music Experience

Are You Experienced? Music is one thing that all people have in common. It is the universal language, bringing together all kinds of people to sing, dance, laugh, cry, think, and celebrate life. In this course, we will take the history of American Music and make it local. Students will learn more about the music history of Houston by listening to lectures, listening to the music of influential Houston artists, watching documentaries, visiting historical music sites such as KPFT, the Continental Club, Soundwaves, and attending live performances.  Research and get to know Houston’s history of hip-hop, rap, rock, r&b, country, blues, and jazz.  Get to know the producers, writers, and musicians that made it happen, and learn of the places where artists such as the Geto Boys, Archie Bell and The Drells, Joe Sample, The Kashmere Stage Band, and Beyonce worked. Students’ culminating activity will be a creative presentation worthy of the funky vibe and rich history that is the Houston Music Experience 

Paleontology Field School 

Do you love the outdoors?  Do you want to discover “dinosaurs” and other fossils?  Would you like to work with renowned scientists in the field?  Then this is the course for you!  In this A-Term short course, we will learn about the geology of and the life that inhabited north Texas during the Permian Period.  We will work at a field site on the shores of an ancient oxbow lake for five days. We will stay in a converted barn/hotel at a private residence with exploring to do by the river in the back of the property.  We will go see a movie in old downtown Seymour, play games at night, and look at the stars.  Afterward we will travel to see dinosaur footprints and hike at Glen Rose State Park, go to an animal safari the next day, and then head back home for post-trip work.  You may be the one to discover the jaw of some ancient creature, a large rib, or even teeth.  Come dig with us! 

UK Higher Education Analysis Trip

Explore the UK by visiting ten different Universities and cultural and historical landmarks! A few of the universities we will be touring are the following: the University of Sussex, King's College London, Oxford, Cambridge, and the University of Birmingham. As for museums, we will be going to many interesting places, such as: The Coffin Works Museum, The Reading Abbey Ruins, the City of Caves, and more! Through these tours, we will learn about the rich history of UK Universities, and the difference between student life there and in the US. To share what we have learned, each student will pick a location and create a short video of photography and videography they take themself. By the end of this course, we hope to better understand the UK’s past and present history and culture and how to navigate a new country. 

Singapore Cultural and Historical Exploration Trip

This trip will allow students to explore the unique culture and experiences offered by the “Garden City” known as Singapore. A major goal of this trip is to learn about the history of Singapore as well as the impact WWII had on Asian countries. Of course, students will visit world-famous sites like Gardens By The Bay, Marina Bay Sands, and the Singapore Botanic Gardens to figure out how Singapore is able to rely primarily on tourism in its economy. Students will engage in a scavenger hunt competition throughout the duration of the trip to explore the more obscure facts and interesting landmarks in Singapore. 

Texas Civics 101

Do you want to better understand how your local and state governments work? Do you want to become more active in your government or learn how to organize people around important issues? If so, then Civics 101 is for you! You will learn about how the governments of Houston, Harris County, and Texas really work and we’ll take a day trip to Austin to see the Texas Legislature in action. If possible, we may even get to speak with local and state representatives and officials to learn more about their jobs, how they were elected or appointed, and the issues important to them. You will also contact your representatives to petition them about issues important to you.  

3D Modeling and Printing 

This course will help students learn the basics of 3D modeling using Autodesk's Fusion 360 software, along with various 3D printing techniques and methods. Students will build rapid prototypes to test print in order to inform potential edits to their projects. The first week will mainly focus on skill acquisition, and students will spend most of the second week working on individual projects of their own design. This course is designed for students interested in 3D modeling in an environment that demands precision and attention to detail. 

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)

Learn both wilderness medicine and urban medical care practices in this intensive, month-long program. After four weeks of classroom education, practical skills, scenarios, and full-scale mock rescues, you'll be ready to handle medical emergencies, in the wilderness or in town. On a wilderness medicine course, you will learn how to care for patients in remote environments and prepare to act in an emergency. You’ll spend your time learning the prevention, assessment, and treatment of injury and illness in remote and austere settings. You’ll be able to assess a patient, perform medical and rescue skills, treat a variety of illnesses and injuries, and develop guiding principles for making decisions during emergencies. You'll earn both your EMT and your Wilderness EMT certifications, preparing you to work on an ambulance, for an outdoor organization, or a land management agency. 

Paleontology Independent Study

This study will allow for a more in-depth view of the workings of multiple exhibits in the Houston Museum of Natural Sciences. Working alongside experts in the field simply touring the exhibits as well as getting a chance to teach and interact with the visitors, this experience has the aim to further the inquiry of the recorded biological workings the museum has to offer.  

Pediatric Shadowing

This independent M-term course could be a glimpse of the future. During these two weeks, I will be at a doctor's office, shadowing the primary doctor there, as well as the two nurse practitioners. Through this, I will see the daily life of a pediatrician, consisting of well-checks, sick visits, and newborn checkups, as well as behind-the-scenes tasks such as analyzing lab work and charting patients' visits.  At the office, there are many other things to learn as well including the medical assistants, receptionists, and technicians. They all have something to add, and in this course, I will see it all.