Academic Explorations (Rising Grades 6-8) Enrichment Course Descriptions

Take color, texture and abstract art to the next level.

Students will engage in the world of Studio Ghibli while creating an artistic comic based on their interpretation of the film's themes.

Want to learn about military history but are bored by textbook descriptions and confusing maps?

Bishop’s Rocks is an instrumental ensemble designed to help students express themselves creatively through performance of rock hits of the 1970s-2000s in a fun, friendly setting.

Students embrace their creative sides and gain confidence in public speaking.

In this hands-on course, students explore how artists tell stories and express ideas through collage, color and design.

Students will learn choreography in many different styles and will work on their own choreography each day.

This course emphasizes independent problem solving, project planning, and iterative design, helping students think and work like real engineers while bringing their ideas to life.

In this class, students will learn some fundamental engineering concepts and basic construction methods through the process of design thinking. 

We delve into the magical—and sometimes dark—world of fairy tales, myths and illustrated stories.

In this hands-on class, students will explore the basics of forensic science through observation, experimentation and guided investigation.

This fun and interactive cooking class takes students on a delicious journey through history.

Students travel to notable locations in La Jolla as they explore the history of The Bishop’s School and the surrounding neighborhood.

Students become Iron (Fe) Chefs of the kitchen in this fun and engaging course meshing food and science!

Through improv games and exercises, students learn the elements of comedy improvisation while having fun creating “instant theater” with trust and teamwork.

Explore marine biology through observation, simple experiments and guided investigation inspired by San Diego’s coastal environment.

In this course, we will learn the tenets of journalism.

Students will employ problem-solving techniques to “escape” the classroom each day. 

Students will divide their course time between learning about investments, personal finance and entrepreneurship.

Learn choreography from different musicals and then create your own musical theater choreography!

In a fun and supportive environment, students learn easy tips about drama structure, characters, dialogue and action.

A unique experience where resin art is deeply explored using alginate mixtures, silicone molds, and surface setting on wooden panels.

This class offers students hands-on opportunities to explore a variety of experiments across the physical, chemical and life sciences, as well as engineering.

Students will build public speaking skills, formal writing skills and learn the format of a formal debate.

In this class, we will spray paint, using unique surfaces to draw and design on. 

Working with expert coaches, students can learn a new sport or develop more proficient skills in a familiar one.

Students use their hands and stretch their minds as they learn to bring their ideas into the physical world.

In this class, we will watch shorts and clips from animated films and then analyze the values they support, how they support them and how audiences interpret them.