Language & Culture   

Discover the surprising German roots of three beloved icons: blue jeans, teddy bears, and fine porcelain. In German historian Anette Isaacs’ lively course, you will meet Levi Strauss, Margarete Steiff, and the alchemists behind Meissen’s “white gold”—visionaries whose inventions shaped fashion, childhood, and luxury. A playful and enriching dive into history, creativity, and pure German ingenuity!

By MatthiasKabel - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

Italian for Travelers is an introduction to the basics with an emphasis on functional language, fun, and enrichment. Through an imaginary journey to six Italian cities, students-- beginner or intermediate-- will learn practical strategies for getting around in Italy through the lens of culture. Students can pace and tailor the course to suit their interests and experience, whether they travel by airplane or armchair.

Suggested Reading: 

• Practice Makes Perfect: Italian (various topics)
• Any current phrase book (e.g. Berlitz, Lonely Planet)

By (taken from en:wiki) - Own work, Public Domain, Link

The great chess champion and teacher Dr. Tarrasch observed that "chess, like music, like love, has the capacity to make us happy." This is borne out by the game's enduring popularity. In one version or another, it has been played for nearly 1500 years. It is played in every country on the globe and by hundreds of millions of people from every walk of life from famous (Napoleon and Ben Franklin) to humble. Each player finds beauty and magic in chess on her own terms. Some pursue harmony; others clash. Some value precision, others creative chaos. The course will help enthusiasts to find or enrich their own path to the emotional and intellectual joys of chess. It will do so through interactive analysis of famous games, live demonstrations, and evolution of the game across the centuries.

By Alan Light - Own work by the original uploader, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link

In this course, we will examine the last 100 years of Russian history through a closer look at the personalities of its rulers: Joseph Stalin, Nikita Khruschev, Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Vladimir Putin. Each week, we will consider one of these major Soviet or post-Soviet leaders. We will explore their personal backgrounds, how each of them came to power and held on to power, and how their personalities and peculiarities affected the course of Russian history.

By Unknown author - [1] [2], Public Domain, Link