Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, by Robert Sapolsky.
Third Revised Edition is recommended
| Age Range | 14-18 |
| Class Type | Live |
| Start / End Dates | September 10 - December 17 |
| Day / Time | Fridays, 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 1pm MT / 12pm PT |
| Class Size | 2-10 learners |
Pricing Information
| Class Enrollment | $350 Per Student |
| Class + Project add-on | $400 Per Student |
Stress is a common part of our lives, and we experience it in many ways. By understanding the science of stress – how it affects us physically, mentally, and socially – we can empower ourselves to deal with it in helpful ways.
This is a rigorous reading course for Dr. Robert Sapolsky’s book on stress, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: the Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping. This book connects to many college-preparatory topics, such as the biochemistry and neuroscience of stress, how we cope and manage stress, and reflects on how evolutionary adaptive biological systems can be pushed into unhealthy statuses in today’s world.
Discussions will begin with the material in the book, and will expand into our daily lives and current discussions about stress and neuroscience.
This class has an optional add-on to do a final project related to a course topic that will receive guidance and feedback from me.
Time Commitment
Live meeting: 1 hour per week
Reading load: Approx. 50 pages per week of nonfiction conversational science. Time varies based on reading speed.Â
All students should obtain a copy of this book and read the sections listed BEFORE the live meeting. Â
Timeline
Class meets for 1 hour on Fridays at 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 1pm MT / 12pm PT
Date | Topic |
9/10 | Introduction, Overview |
9/17 | Ch. 1 |
9/24 | Ch. 2+3 |
10/1 | Ch. 4+5 |
10/8 | Ch. 6+7 |
10/15 | Ch. 8 |
10/22 | Ch. 9+10 |
10/29 | Catchup day |
11/5 | Ch. 11+12 |
11/12 | Ch. 13+14 |
11/19 | Ch. 15+16 |
11/26 | NO CLASS |
12/3 | Ch. 17 |
12/10 | Ch. 18 |
12/17 | Conclusion / Review |
Course Details
This will be a highly interactive, discussion-oriented class taught in a style similar to a college seminar. We will cover 1-2 chapters per week, so it is important to keep up on the reading. Students should read the assigned sections before class and come ready to discuss and reflect.
This class has an optional add-on to do a final project related to a course topic that will receive guidance and feedback from me. If you sign up for this add-on option, we will schedule a separate meeting for individual work and feedback.
Skills Needed
- Reading skills to regularly read and finish a nonfiction coversational science book of 540 pages
- Ability to interact constructively and respectfully in a 1 hour live discussion-oriented class
- Ability to express ideas coherently through voice or text
- Ability to engage constructively and respectfully with ideas that are controversial or challenging
- Recommended: basic engagement with online space (Discord) in flexible setting
Skills Gained
- Reading skills: comprehension, reflection, evaluation
- Discussion skills: turn taking, respectfully sharing opinions, thinking creatively
- Planning skills: doing reading segments in time for class meetings, making it to class on time
- Science: introduction to big-picture neuroscience and physiology, connection/integration with lived experiences
- Social Studies: connection of social factors to medical, physiological, and mental health topics
- Project skills (optional): planning, brainstorming, executing project. Specific skills vary depending on project topic and medium.Â
Evaluation and assignments:
There will be no evaluation or assignments for this class (unless you sign up for the optional feedback add-on). The goal for this class is to provide a supportive and engaging environment for reading and discussing the book in a semi-structured social environment.
Completion certificates may be issued if requested at the start of the course.
Individual Support
Families and learners are invited to share with the instructor about any special needs or accommodations that are necessary or helpful for the class. Families and learners will be able to contact the instructor with any concerns. Instructor will work with learners to choose a project format that works with learners abilities and needs. Cameras and microphones are optional for this class.
Content Information
This book was originally written in 1994 (revised twice since then) and includes discussions of older scientific practices that did not acknowledge distinctions between sex and gender, included gender essentialist ideas, reinforced structural racism, sexism, and oppression, and includes general description of animal experimentation. Author has updated some parts to acknowledge problematic past of scientific research and presents material in a respectful and thoughtful way to promote more discussion. Topics discussed in the book include poverty, neglect and abuse as related to physical and mental development, and systemic oppression.Â
Materials List:Â
A usable copy of Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers
ISBN / ASIN for this book:
- ISBN 9780805073690
- ISBN 0805073698
- ISBN 13 ‎ 978-0805073690
- ISBN 9781429935654 (e-book)
- ASIN (audiobook): B00AU91D7K
Class Interaction:Â
Classes will be held using Zoom. Microphone and camera are always optional for my classes.
Discord is recommended for out-of-class discussion and engagement.
Students doing the project add-on will have the option to communicate with me through Zoom, Discord, or email.
Dr. Sabrina Weiss
Dr. Sabrina Weiss specializes in developing theoretical models that represent the ethical and social dimensions of issues at the intersection of science, technology, and society.
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