PSYCHOLOGYPsychology is all about trying to determine how we know what we know. Remember theonline debates on whether people saw a blue or gold dress or heard Yanny versus Laurel?Everyone had a different interpretation of these situations- Why is that? How do thesedifferences occur? In Psychology, students will learn how people process, analyze, andinterpret their everyday surroundings. The course emphasizes three main areas of the昀椀eld: neuroscience (biology of the brain), learning theory (rewards and punishments),and our cognitive processes (memory). Within each unit, students conduct their ownexperiments to dive deeper into their own interests and passions using learned ideaswithin research methodology. Students also learn how to read and analyze peer-reviewedscienti昀椀c journal articles to both support their own experiments and critically analyze thecore ideas presented in the course. One unique aspect of this course is the anchor topicof abnormality. For example, a deep dive into the diagnosis of a mental health disorderhelps students see how one core idea can be evaluated from multiple perspectives withregards to biological, learning, and cognitive theories of the development of this disorder.Students engage in interdisciplinary project work, such as analysis of the portrayal ofmental illness in contemporary media and the performing arts. The overall aim of thiscourse is for students to foster curiosity for the interaction between human behavior andmental processes while developing critical thinking skills along with clear and concisescienti昀椀c writing style.Note: Prior completion of Biology recommended, but not requiredMOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGYSCIENCEHow do the molecular and cellular systems in our body work together to gain energy,maintain homeostasis, and respond to pathogens? This course helps us tozoom into the more “micro” or molecular-based aspects of biological systemsin areas such as cell biology, metabolism and macromolecules, microbiology,immunology, disease, gene regulation and epigenetics. Student-driven choiceprojects and lab design, as well as the use of peer-reviewed journal articlesfrom scienti昀椀c studies play a signi昀椀cant role in this course. For example, studentshave the opportunity to analyze a health claim of their choice such as analyzingthe impact of a fad diet on the body, or the impact of consuming an arti昀椀cialsweetener such as aspartame versus regular table sugar. Another projectincludes analyzing the molecular mechanisms and causes of conditions such aslong COVID. Students design and conduct their own experiments in the laboratoryto apply new techniques such as advanced microscopy, gram-staining, andantibiotic assays, while sharpening analytical writing skills. Overall, this challengingcourse prepares students for higher-level coursework and careers in biologythrough student-driven research and lab skills. Students interested in any of thehealth or medical sciences are especially encouraged to take this course.Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
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