Interterm 2019

Civil Rights

Leaders: Brent Reinhardt, Josh Weaver, Elizabeth Franks-North
Travel: Sunday through late Friday night

Students will simulate the early 1960s freedom riders on a trip from Goshen to major civil rights locations across the South. We will make stops in Nashville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Selma, Montgomery, Philadelphia (MS), Macon (MS) and Memphis.  Along with visiting historical sites and museums, students will engage in lively conversations about race and American history.

Guitar Hero

Leader: Benji Hurst

In the words of Lou Gramm:

"He heard one guitar, just blew him away
He saw stars in his eyes, and the very next day
Bought a beat up six string, in a secondhand store
Didn't know how to play it, but he knew for sure
That one guitar, felt good in his hands, didn't take long, to understand
Just one guitar, slung way down low
Was a one way ticket, only one way to go."

Learn to play a six string guitar, or learn just enough to make people think you know what you’re doing. Guitars are supplied and students will get to keep the guitar after the class is over!

Film, Food, Philosophy, Faith

Leader: Dale Shenk

We will watch movies, discuss the ideas, cook food that some of the movies talk about, and experiment with movie special effects. You will improve your abilities in movie analysis, cooking and filming. We will be watching movies from a wide variety of styles and types, including, action, romance, non-fiction, children’s, musical, etc. This interterm will meet at Dale's house (414 River Vista in Goshen). Students will be responsible for their own transportation. Parents will need to sign the extra permission form about the types of the movies we will be watching, as well as transportation permission.

Habitat for Humanity

Leader: Calvin Swartzendruber
Outside of class time: possibly one evening

Build a house! Help provide housing for a family in Elkhart. No tools or construction experience needed. Habitat for Humanity has built more than 800,000 homes all around the world using volunteers since it began in 1976. You'll learn valuable construction skills while helping a family build an affordable home that empowers them to be self-reliant and financially stable. Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, Eric Paslay, and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter helped at build sites near Elkhart last year. You never know who might show up when we are there!

Students must be 16 prior to interterm AND have a waiver signed by a parent to participate.

Fearless Frosh Experiences

Leader: Troy Barber and Michael Yeakey

History of Rock and Roll

Leader: Aaron Johnson

Students will explore the beginnings and development of rock and roll music through listening to, reading about, and creating rock tunes. This interterm will inform students on the societal and cultural elements and situations that helped to drive rock and roll to become the dominant musical style of the late 20th century, and one that continues to influence popular music today.

Eating Our Culture

Leader: Tara Swartzendruber

¡Caminante, a Paraguay!

Leader: Nina Longenecker Fox
Additional Student Costs - See ALL details below

Travel: will not meet during the scheduled March interterm, instead will travel the first two weeks of June (approximation, dates not finalized). also 2-3 Saturdays for Paraguay orientation.

**There is a substantial extra cost for this trip

¡Abre paso a Paraguay! Bethany has a rich relationship with Colegio Alberto Schweitzer, and has the unique opportunity to grow these relationships through shared experiences in EACH of the places we call home. Let us journey together as caminantes--travelers, wanderers--in Paraguay this summer, exploring our global neighbor many degrees south of us and growing what have already proven to be inspiring friendships.

Groovy Crafts

Leader: Mrs. Grieser (morning and afternoon)

What do string art owls, peace symbols, and life cereal have in common? They were all popular during the 70s. This interterm will be filled with craft options ranging from wood burning a sign to bleach-dying a t-shirt. We will be creating string art designs, eggshell mosaics, quilled owls, and yarn baskets. We will watch popular advertisements and find out what Watergate was. While we are being creative, we will watch movies popular during the 70s such as Herbie Rides again and Freaky Friday!

Dinner and Dance

Leader: Mrs. Mast (morning and afternoon)

Have you ever wanted to go dancing but realize you have two left feet? Have you ever wanted to make a fancy meal, but realize you don’t know the difference between flambé and fricassee? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then this class is for you. Get your groove on by learning to salsa dance and make a fancy Mexican desserts, learn the art of ballroom dancing like waltz and foxtrot and make fresh pasta and panna cotta. This class will give you the skills to learn the art of cooking fancy dinners and formal dancing. Cooking, dancing and eating required.

Sports Poetry

Leader: Mr. Miller (morning and afternoon)

We will discover two things that may seem unrelated at first: sports and poetry. Sport is a wonderful thing that lends to beautiful writing, because of its inherent movement, action, and drama. These elements also make excellent poetry. Throughout the week we will study the bones of poetry while engaging in sporting events (either watching or playing). Then we will write a collection of poems and finally publish a book of the best from each of us.

Model Building

Leader: Mr. Mast (morning and afternoon)

This course will include two different model building opportunities. The first will use balsa wood to construct a unique bridge/airplane utilizing various architectural techniques and styles. For the second model, students will choose their own item to construct a scale model from a purchased kit (cars, trucks, planes, ships, etc.).

Lights, Camera, Music

Leader: Mr. Thomas (morning and afternoon)

Music is all around us, but sometimes not in ways we realize! In this course, students will discover the use of music in popular media (focused on film and digital entertainment) and how that influences our perception of that media. Experiential learning will be a key factor in daily activity. Students will create their own films and accompanying soundtracks, learn techniques of famous composers, and have guest clinicians come in to share about their field. How can music enhance entertainment? This course will answer that and more.

Break Out!

:Leader: Mrs. Hershberger (morning and afternoon)

Can you beat the clock? Hurry and solve the clues and secret codes to “escape” from your room. You’ll work in groups and be challenged to think in new ways in order to find clues and solution to your predicament. You’ll also get to try your hand at creating your own set of puzzles, riddles and secret codes for others to solve. We will go to a local Escape Room to apply what we have learned in the class.

Green Thumb

Leader: Mrs. Farran (morning only)

Explore the amazing world of plants! In this class, we will learn about the important roles of plants in our ecosystem and how they contribute to our daily lives. We will learn about plants that are native to our area as well as some exotic plants from around the world. We’ll build our own terrariums and take field trips to Merry Lea and other local gardens or greenhouses.

Meat: Farm to Table

Leader: Mr. Shetler (morning only)

Meat, from farm to table! If you like to eat meat, you should know a thing or two about where it comes from, what it does to/for us, and everything in between. We will look at the “meat industry” from factory farms, small farms, hobby farms, and backyard production. We will talk about what “responsible meat production” looks like and about the environmental and health consequences of raising animals and eating meat. We will butcher chicken, sheep, and pigs to see how it is done, the tools used, where different cuts come from and how to use the whole animal. We will process meat by brining, smoking, grilling and roasting, and will make sausage. Of course we will have to also eat the meat we process!

Axis and Allies: WWII History

Leader: Mr. Willems (afternoon only)

This course will give students the opportunity to take an in-depth look at World War II history from the unique perspective of being in charge of the vast armies that covered the earth. Learn to play and change history through the game Axis & Allies while learning the causes of this conflict and how it may have been avoided. If you like strategy games like Risk, you will love this interterm.

Local Service

Leader: Mrs. Thut (afternoon only)

We will spend most of our time outside of Bethany doing service for the broader community. Possible service activities include (but are not limited to) working on bikes at Chain Reaction Bicycle Project, working in the horse barns at Loveway, visiting and playing games with elderly people at Waterford Crossing, and volunteering at a local park. We will reflect on how we can follow Jesus as servants both now and throughout our lives.

Lower School

All 4th-5th graders will take all three courses below, rotating with their group to each class each day.

The Stuff Inside You

Recycle and Repurpose

Outdoor Survival