Interim Term Trip
Vietnam: A Cultural and Ecological Study Tour
Instructors: Mr. and Mrs. Kantz
This group of students will visit many of the great natural sites of Vietnam as well as some of the most spectacular historical sites including those associated with the Vietnam War. Vietnam is fast becoming a modern country with much more free enterprise and an increasing array of comfortable and interesting destinations for travelers. Students will visit the “Land of the Ascending Dragon” and be dazzled by the estimated 12,000 species of plants that occur there. Hanoi, the capital city, offers a unique blend of eastern and western influences. There are five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Vietnam; the tour will visit two of these: the beautiful Halong Bay and Cat Ba Island. Visits to Hue, an imperial city with many cultural sites and to Doi Village, a small enclave populated by members of the Katu ethnic group, will round out the journey. Opportunities to talk with Vietnam War veterans and local people will be provided. Hiking, rowing, and cycling will keep everyone moving and ready to discover the remarkable nature of this intriguing nation.

PERIOD 1
1A. & 1B. The Years of Living Dangerously: Vietnam and the U.S. in the Movies
Instructors: Mr. Bergan, Mr. Suitor
The war in Vietnam represented a social, political, and cultural turning point in U.S. History. Though motivated by the desire to stop the spread of communism, it became a referendum on the relationship between the U.S. and the rest of the world. What effects did this war have on American society? How did it impact the American and the Vietnamese political processes? Why was it an American cultural battlefield? Students will seek answers to these questions by studying films such as Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and Good Morning Vietnam.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks.
There will be two alternating sections of this class.
Section 1A: Days 1,3,5,7; Section 1B: Days 2,4,6,8)

1C. & 1D. Let the Games Begin! Popular Sports of Southeast Asia
Instructors: Ms. Erba, Ms. Herbert
What sports are played in Southeast Asia? This class will explore the obvious like soccer and the exotic like sepak takraw, a soccer adaptation which uses a net like volleyball. We will spend most of our time learning and playing two sports that are very popular in this region: badminton and cricket. Expand your horizons and get active learning some new internationally popular games.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks.
There will be two alternating sections of this class.
Section 1C: Days 1,3,5,7; Section 1D: Days 2,4,6,8)

1E. Vietnamese Language and Culture
Instructor: Ms. Brown, My ’06
Daily conversation and learning new Vietnamese words will be followed by an exploration of modern-day Vietnamese customs, cooking, and other lifestyle aspects. We will put our language skills to the test at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant or nail salon.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 1,3,5,7.)

1F. A Tour of Southeast Asia through Cinema
Instructors: Ms. Brown, Ms. Van Acker
If you like watching movies and learning about other cultures, then this class is for you! Dive into a new world of cinema which features modern-day life in Southeast Asia. Be prepared for a fun-filled term of action movies and dramas to include 15, Bang Rajan, and Vertical Ray of the Sun which were filmed in Thailand, Vietnam, and Singapore. Get ready for exciting films and great discussion.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 2,4,6,8.)

1G. We Got the Beat: Let’s Make Gamelan Music!
Instructors: Mr. Adams, Mr. Northrup
Do you like to bang a gong? Beat on a drum? Then take this class! Students will make their own instruments, write their music, and give a Gamelan performance at the Interim finale. Gamelan is the percussion orchestra of Bali and Java, and combines simple rhythms to create complex, beautiful music. No musical experience required!
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 1,3,5,7.)

1H. Buddhist Art and Architecture
Instructor: Mr. Northrup
Calling all artists and scholars! In this class, students will learn about Buddhist art as it developed in Southeast Asia, and then create their own interpretations. We will learn the meaning behind different representations of Buddha and make our own pictures and sculptures. We will also study the Buddhist architecture of Southeast Asia, including the sublime Temple of Borobodur in Java. Along the way, we may learn something about Buddhism too!
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 2,4,6,8.)

1I. Wax Before You Dye: Batiking!
Instructor: Ms. Berdine, Mr. Cox
This course will focus on the Indonesian art of batik, a method of fabric design. You will have an opportunity to work on two projects: a t-shirt of your own design and a collaborative quilt that will depict various aspects of Southeast Asian culture and tradition.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 1,3,5,7.)

1J. Disappearace of Krakatoa: The Mystery!
Instructor: Ms. DeLoach
Krakatoa is an island volcano along the Indonesian arc that disappeared in 1883 in one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in the history of the world. The cataclysmic event was heard and felt on the other side of the earth. It destroyed 165 villages, lowered the earth’s global temperature, vaporized an entire island, killed almost 40,000 people and literally changed the maps. Come study the history and science of the event that destroyed an island and changed the world.

PERIOD 2
2J. Animal Prophesies: What Do Animals Know and How Do They Know It?
Instructor: Mrs. Bergan
There are countless reported cases of peculiar animal behavior just prior to significant disasters. We will research all kinds of sites and sources to discover what scientists have to say about animal’s abilities to seemingly forecast these natural cataclysms. We will focus particularly on animal incidents prior to last year’s tsunami in Southeast Asia and other recent devastating events.

2K. Live Free or Die: Whose Country Is It Anyway?
Instructor: Mr. Cascio
There are a vast number of unique tribes of indigenous people in the vast region of the Southeast Asia that have a greater allegiance to their own people and way of life than to the national government of the country in which they reside. Learn about some of these amazing groups, their often threatened cultural heritages, and why tribal independence movements among groups such as the Hmong and Tamils have become common.

PERIOD 3
3A. The Hidden Drama: Indonesian Shadow Puppets
Instructors: Mr. and Mrs. Northrup
Students in this course will make and decorate their own shadow puppets, write a short play, and give a performance at the Interim Finale. Wayang kulit is the ancient tradition of story-telling through the shadows of puppets projected on a screen. Wayang plays are about mythical struggles between good and evil, but we’ll bring our own Foxcroft perspective — perhaps the struggle between Foxes and Hounds? We will need artists, writers, and performers to make our wayang a success.

3B. The Vietnam War and Hollywood: Cinematic Visions of Disaster or Deliverance
Instructor: Mr. Macdonald
This course will examine some of the most famous American films that deal with the Vietnam War and its aftermath, at home and on the ground in Southeast Asia. We will explore the nature of fighting the war, the politics that started it, the situation on the ground when it ended, and the reaction at home — all in living color (or mostly). We will watch and discuss such movies as We Were Soldiers, Coming Home, The Killing Fields, and The Fog of War.

3C. A Summons From Magical Lands: The Poetry of Southeast Asia
Instuctor: Mr. Bergan
Thailand! Vietnam! Cambodia! Burma! Countries that were thriving in the times before history began. What magical sounds! Sounds that beckon! Names that intrigue with mysterious promises! In this course, we will read a variety of poetry with an emphasis on poets of this region. We will try our poetic hands at a number of unique forms, such as the pantun from Malaysia and khlong form from Thailand. Students will read and discuss poems that reflect the ideas and beliefs of the people of Southeast Asia and the ways that all humans are both alike and different.

3D. Conquistadors Get Out! The Philippines and Spain
Instructor: Mr. Cascio
This course will take a look at the 377-year history of Spanish rule in the Philippines, from the arrival of Magellan in 1521 until the Philippines proclamation of independence in 1898. Why did the Spanish retain control? What were the attitudes of the local peoples? In the end, how did this long “relationship” between two very different countries affect the nature of the modern state of the Philippines — a country composed of more than 7000 islands with people who speak more than 70 languages. You may be surprised.

3E. Wokking Thru Southeast Asia: A Culinary Tour From the China Border to New Guinea
Instuctor: Mrs. Bergan
This course will focus on exploring the food groups and cooking techniques of selected countries in Southeast Asia. Using a of variety sources, students will research eating habits and cooking techniques as well as find recipes and develop menus. Our emphasis will be on experiencing new tastes and preparing healthy and well-balanced meals using basic ingredients that are commonly found in this vast and varied region.
(Ingredients fee: $20)

3F. Find the Cost of Freedom: The Vietnam War Through the Prism of Popular Music
Instructors: Mr. Mohler, Mr. Adams
The post-WW II conflict between the communist Soviet Union and the democratic United States posed a threat to the West and caught in the middle was the relatively unknown country of Vietnam — thus The Vietnam War. Many aspects of American popular culture and art reflected this conflict, especially the popular music that helped to define the feelings of a generation. In this course, we will examine the Vietnam War through the prism of pop music by finding, listening to and playing the music that was inspired by this troubled period. This course will culminate in a performance at the Interim Finale. Singers and musicians are sought. All are welcome!

PERIOD 4
4A. Diamond in the Rough
Instructors: Ms. Erba, Dr. Farmer
If you are looking to find a dazzling diamond in the rough, come experience the transformation process of turning a rough stone into a beautiful, brilliant finished gem in its own special setting. We will study the gemstones of Southeast Asia. We will develop an understanding of how the stones are formed and mined. We will also examine the exploitation of human and natural resources required in mining gemstones.
(Materials fee: $20)

4B. The Sweat Shops of Asia: Saving Money or Costing Lives?
Instructor: Ms. Colyer
This course will research and examine the current state of sweatshop in countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand. We will look at the true face of the people who labor in these factories and explore the nature of child labor law in these countries. We will also focus on the fashion industry and see the costs and benefits of using factories that depend on cheap labor and lax laws for profitability. Our goal will be to assess the current situation and develop possible actions and solutions to make it better.

4C. Tsunami: Anatomy of a Disaster
Instructor: Ms. DeLoach
The world watched as thousands of people were overwhelmed by a killer tsunami the day after Christmas, 2004. Students will gain a working knowledge of the physical geography of Southeast Asia and the science of this cataclysmic event. Over a hundred years of geologic stress was released in the second biggest earthquake ever recorded unleashing a devastating tsunami that traveled thousands of miles across the Indian Ocean, taking the lives of more than 200,000 people in countries as far apart as Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Somalia. Find out just what happened and how it happened.

4E. Indochina and the Demise of French Colonialism in Southeast Asia
Instructor: Ms. Brown
By the end of the 19th century, only four parts of the French Indochinese Union — Laos, Cambodia, and the two Vietnams — remained. The empire finally met its demise in 1954 at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu. Through the viewing of the award-winning film, Indochine, and the reading of parts of the intriguing novel The Sea Wall by Marguerite Duras, we will discover the painful human legacy of colonialism and its effect on the human spirit. What effect on culture, food, and ideas did the French presence have on these nations?

4F. The Interim Inquirer: The Newspaper of the Foxcroft Southeast Asian Experience
Instructors: Mr. Cox, Ms. Hayes, Ms. Yovanovich
Come join the exciting effort to capture the day-to-day adventure of Interim Term as it enters the exotic climes of Southeast Asia. We need reporters/writers, editors, photographers, cartoonists, artists and all sorts of budding journalists to make this the best Interim Term newspaper yet.

PERIOD 5
5A. & 5B. Destination Southeast Asia: A Virtual Study Abroad Program
Instructor: Ms. Van Acker
Visit amazing parts of the globe without ever leaving the cozy confines of Foxcroft. You will live in ways that you could have only imagined, and learn about aspects of a culture that you would have never imagined. Just think about being in Indonesia: What food would you eat? How would you speak to friends? What would your house look like? And what would you do on weekends? We will get new ideas about fashion, architecture, sports, pets, dialects, family life, and education. Your experience will only be limited by your own imagination, creativity, and enthusiasm. We will attempt to set up regular communication with high school students in other countries to truly understand what our lives would be like if we actually lived there.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks.
There will be two alternating sections of this class.
Section 5A: Days 1,3,5,7; Section 5B: Days 2,4,6,8)

5C. & 5D. From the Spice Islands to Mandalay: A Cook’s and Eater’s Paradise
Instructors: Ms. Aumann, Ms. Colyer
After a beginning tour to uncover the diverse and distinctive foods and flavors of several Southeast Asian countries, the students will decide on one or two areas from which to prepare an authentic and traditional dish. We will also take a trip to an Asian market to see the various ingredients and to purchase the fruits, vegetables and spices that will be necessary to prepare our chosen dishes. Be ready to be wowed by the scent of fragrant lime leaf, the bite of birds-eye chilis, or the luscious smoothness of fresh coconut milk. Bring your sense of adventure and your appetites. Let the cooking begin!
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks.
There will be two alternating sections of this class.
Section 5C: Days 1,3,5,7; Section 5D: Days 2,4,6,8)

5E. & 5F. Celebrating Southeast Asia!
Instructor: Ms. Berdine
Students will discover a variety of festivals and holidays that are celebrated by Southeast Asians. Some of the possibilities include Indonesia’s Independence Day and Temple Festival, the Philippine Maskara Festival, Vietnamese New Year, and Thailand’s Vegetarian and Kite Festivals. We will have an opportunity to create food and crafts as well as explore the historical background behind these celebrations.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks.
There will be two alternating sections of this class.
Section 5E: Days 1,3,5,7; Section 5F: Days 2,4,6,8)

5G. & 5H. Sawatdee: Thai Culture
Instructors: Ms. Davis, Kayoko ’07, Shannon ’07
Our focus will be on teaching students many of the Thai crafts that we learned while we were in Thailand last summer. In class, students will learn how to do fruit carving, traditional Thai dance and paper crafts. In addition, students will learn some Thai cooking and some basic Thai phrases. (This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks.
There will be two alternating sections of this class.
Section 5G: Days 1,3,5,7; Section 5H: Days 2,4,6,8)

5I. Batik Festival: The Magic of Indonesian Fabric Design
Instructors: Ms. Blue, Ms. Gamboa
Come try your luck at this colorful and creative process. Using wax and a multitude of dye colors and fabrics, we will create wonderful wearable designs and exquisite fabrics to use in a multitude of ways. From Indonesia and the many cultures that converge there, batik allows your imagination to shine as you bring forth your own original invention of magical shapes and rainbow hues.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 1,3,5,7)

5J. Silver, Gold, Ceramic, Glass: The Fascinating World of Beading
Instructors: Ms. Hotchkiss, Ms. Bain
The ancient art of beading is an intricate and breathtakingly beautiful art form. We will look at several examples of beading from around the world, emphasizing the exquisite creations of Indonesia, Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. Students will try their hands at making their own culturally unique creations. Bring your imaginative eye, your willing hands and your calm and happy spirit and help us create a atmosphere for crafting fun.
(This course will be offered for four two-hour blocks on Days 2,4,6,8)

5L. Islam Meets Buddha East of the Ganges: The Religious Face of Southeast Asia
Instructor: Mr. Macdonald
What is the nature of religion in this area of the world? There are followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Confucianism, Taoism, and Animism, but the fastest growing religion is Islam. We will look at this amazing diversity in belief and the growing face of Islam in Southeast Asia particularly in the Philippines and Indonesia, which has the largest Muslim population in the world.

PERIOD 6
6K. “Housing Spirits”: Building Traditional Thai Spirit Houses
Instructors: Mr. Cox, Ms. Thorndike
In Thailand, a Spirit House can be seen at a prominent spot outside of every business and residence. The purpose of the Spirit House is to provide an appealing shelter for the spirits who otherwise reside in the heavens. In exchange for housing, the spirits provide protection for the buildings that they are near and the people who reside in them. In this class, students will design, build, decorate, and set up Spirit Houses of their own.

6L. Broadway Goes to Bangkok: Great American Musicals Set in Southeast Asia
Instructor: Ms. Yovanovich
With the scenic splendor of its tropical islands and the allure of its pulsating cities, Southeast Asia has been an oft used setting for great Broadway musicals. We will watch and listen and maybe even move to the beat of some of the great exotic and romantic musicals set in this hauntingly beautiful region. Such memorable shows as The King and I, South Pacific, and Miss Saigon will be among our subjects. Get ready to fall in love with the magic and learn some songs that you will never forget.