Minor Courses

These minor courses are for College Prep Program students and for English as a Second Language students who are entering grades 10-12. Some minor courses have an additional fee, as noted in the course description.

Minor courses meet for 1.5 hours, four afternoons a week—Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. All work is conducted in class, and there is no assigned homework.

NOTE: Certain major courses—those with an asterisk (*) after the course title (see College Prep Program Major Courses)—have additional class sessions during the first half of the afternoon, and students in those courses do not take a minor course unless they wish to take Guitar or SAT Preparation (there will be sessions of these two minor courses during both the first and second halves of the afternoon). If not choosing the Guitar or SAT Prep minor courses, these students are required to take a sport during the second half of the afternoon.

All other students in the College Prep Program or English as a Second Language are required to take a minor course and a sport. Certain minor courses may fill quickly, so please list three choices on your Application for Admission.

Community Service
This course is designed to raise awareness of local and global needs, to offer support and work to various organizations, and to instill the values in offering one's time, energy, and other resources to those in need. Discussion and action revolve around themes such as homelessness and housing, health care, education, and children. In a typical summer, students visit a homeless shelter and a nursing home, help produce agricultural products at the NMH farm, volunteer in a children's reading program at a local library, and raise money for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts or other charities.

Current Events
The course stresses the importance of keeping informed about local and worldwide current events and forming educated opinions about political, cultural, social, and economic issues. Students read articles each day, from the school library or the Internet, and then discuss the current issues that are important to them.

Digital Media
Emphasizing digital media work, this course develops students' skills in digital photography and video. Students use programs such as Photoshop, iMovie, and iPhoto to edit photos, create slideshows, and produce short videos.

Drama
Students explore improvisation and mime, practice presenting monologues, and prepare a production to be presented to the community at the end of the session.

Drawing and Painting
This course is tailored to the individual interests and abilities of the students and provides an opportunity for students of all levels to develop their artistic talents in drawing and painting. Materials fee: $50.

English as a Second Language
For students taking beginning-level ESL as their morning major class, this course is designed to provide additional instruction and practice in English, using activities, games, student presentations, and discussions.

Environmental Studies
Students research and discuss a variety of environmental issues and challenges related to the relationship between people and the natural world. Topics may include pollution, energy consumption, resource availability and use, population issues, and biodiversity, among others.

ESL - American Culture
This course is a general survey of the broad diversity of American cultures through the study of American personalities, music, film, sports, art, geography, families, lifestyles, and customs. Students explore the diversity of American values, beliefs, feelings, and cultural assumptions. The course also develops their written and oral skills. Students use a variety of media to compose a digital portfolio of the diverse cultures of Western Massachusetts. Weekly excursions to area communities provide them with opportunities to collect authentic cultural data for their portfolio.

Guitar
This course is designed for both beginning and experienced guitarists. Emphasis is placed on chord progressions, plectrum and finger-style techniques, and reading skills. Students who wish to work on interests of their own have the opportunity to do so. Students provide their own acoustic or electric guitar (guitars may be rented from a local music store). Individual guitar lessons also are available.

Journalism
Students are introduced to journalism as the class produces an NMH Summer Session newspaper. They conduct interviews, take photographs, and write editorials, feature articles, and sports pieces, as well as proofread, edit, and design pages.

Public Speaking
Students learn the principles of effective public speaking and have a chance to practice what they are learning. Participants try various forms of public address, from brief improvisational talks to formal speeches.

SAT Preparation
This course, taught by Summit Educational Group's verbal and math instructors, focuses on the academic skills and test-taking strategies required to succeed on the SAT. Summit provides students with a program of instruction customized to meet their individual needs and maximize their scoring potential. Convenient options fit into any student's schedule:

1. SAT Math and Verbal: meets 1:30—3:00 PM, four days per week (student has sport 3:30—5:00 PM, four days per week)


2. SAT Math and Verbal: meets 3:30—5:00 PM, four days per week (student choosing this option does not take an afternoon sport)


3. SAT Math only: meets 3:30—5:00 PM, two days a week (student has sport the other two days)


4. SAT Verbal only: meets 3:30—5:00 PM, two days a week (student has sport the other two days)

Summit course fees: full class (a) or (b) $595, single subject (c) or (d) $325. (Summit will reduce this fee for students who receive financial aid from NMH Summer Session.)

Sports History
This course takes a look back at significant moments in sports history, particularly as they relate to a broader historical perspective. Using resources such as films, books, and the Internet, students examine topics of interest. Possible areas of study may include tracing the development of a particular sport or organization and examining the connection of a particular sport or athlete to an important aspect of history, such as the link between baseball and the Civil Rights movement.

Summer Session Singers
Students in this course form a singing group that practices together, learns songs, and performs for the Summer Session community. Music selections (both style and specific pieces to perform) are based on the interests of the participants. No experience is necessary, and the ability to read music is not required.