Huntsville, Alabama · Grades 9–12 · 2026–27

Course Catalog

20 course options across 5 strands. Students choose 5 per year.

All 20 Courses

Click any card to see skills, technology tools, and thinking skills developed. Students choose 5 courses per year.

English & Writing

Grammar Foundry

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants stronger writing foundations and the confidence that comes from knowing the rules.

Thinking Skills Precision, logic, clarity of expression

Technology Tools

AI-assisted editing Pattern recognition tools

AI Writers Guild

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys creative or analytical writing and wants to use AI as a real collaborator, not a shortcut.

Thinking Skills Voice, storytelling, argumentation

Technology Tools

Ethical AI use Drafting workflows Revision tools

TED-Ed Presentations

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants to feel confident sharing ideas in front of a real audience.

Thinking Skills Research, persuasion, public speaking

Technology Tools

Presentation tools Media creation

Math & Data

Stock Market Game

▼

Good fit if your student...

Is curious about money, investing, or how the economy actually works.

Thinking Skills Risk analysis, decision-making, ethics

Technology Tools

Market simulators Data tracking

Algebra ChartKeepers

▼

Good fit if your student...

Prefers visual, structured approaches to math and learns best by seeing the logic laid out clearly.

Thinking Skills Logical reasoning, abstraction

Technology Tools

Pattern modeling Structured problem systems

Unlock Math

▼

Good fit if your student...

Needs to rebuild confidence and flexibility in math, working at their own pace.

Thinking Skills Conceptual understanding, persistence

Technology Tools

Digital math platforms Adaptive tools

Data Analytics

▼

Good fit if your student...

Likes finding patterns and meaning in information, and wants a skill that applies to almost any career.

Thinking Skills Interpretation, trend analysis, decision-making

Technology Tools

Data analysis tools Visualization software

Science

Chemistry in VR

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants hands-on science without rote memorization — real experiments, real scientific thinking.

Thinking Skills Hypothesis testing, evidence evaluation

Technology Tools

Virtual labs Simulations Scientific modeling

Drones & Aerial Systems

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys hands-on technology with real-world stakes and likes understanding how things work in the physical world.

Thinking Skills Systems thinking, spatial reasoning, responsibility

Technology Tools

Flight systems Data capture Safety protocols

History & Civics

Podcasting Through History

▼

Good fit if your student...

Likes storytelling and wants to create something a real audience will actually hear.

Thinking Skills Narrative, source analysis, communication

Technology Tools

Audio production Publishing tools

Nomadic Professor: History & Media Literacy

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Good fit if your student...

Wants to understand current events and how to read modern media with a genuinely critical eye.

Thinking Skills Critical media reading, perspective, citizenship

Technology Tools

Research tools AI media analysis

Technology

Python Programming

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys building things and loves logic — and wants to see a computer actually do what they tell it to.

Thinking Skills Systems thinking, precision

Technology Tools

Coding logic Automation Scripting

Game Design in Minecraft

▼

Good fit if your student...

Loves building worlds and learns best when they actually care about what they're making.

Thinking Skills Planning, iteration, collaboration

Technology Tools

Logic systems Redstone mechanics World design

Unity & Game Design

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants to design and build a complete digital game using the same tools the real industry uses.

Thinking Skills Design thinking, iteration, storytelling

Technology Tools

Game engines 3D environments Coding logic

Arts & Creative

Digital Art

▼

Good fit if your student...

Is a visual thinker who wants real technical skills alongside their creativity — and a portfolio to show for it.

Thinking Skills Aesthetics, visual communication

Technology Tools

Design software 3D tools

Ukulele

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys hands-on creative expression and wants to build a real skill from the ground up.

Thinking Skills Creativity, discipline, confidence

Technology Tools

Pattern recognition Digital practice tools

English & Writing

From grammar foundations to published presentations, writing is the skill that unlocks everything else at MARS.

3Courses

Grammar Foundry

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants stronger writing foundations and the confidence that comes from knowing the rules.

Thinking SkillsPrecision, logic, clarity of expression

Technology Tools

AI-assisted editingPattern recognition tools

AI Writers Guild

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys creative or analytical writing and wants to use AI as a real collaborator, not a shortcut.

Thinking SkillsVoice, storytelling, argumentation

Technology Tools

Ethical AI useDrafting workflowsRevision tools

TED-Ed Presentations

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants to feel confident sharing ideas in front of a real audience.

Thinking SkillsResearch, persuasion, public speaking

Technology Tools

Presentation toolsMedia creation

Math & Data

Math at MARS is applied. Students use numbers to understand real situations and make real decisions.

4Courses

Stock Market Game

▼

Good fit if your student...

Is curious about money, investing, or how the economy actually works.

Thinking SkillsRisk analysis, decision-making, ethics

Technology Tools

Market simulatorsData tracking

Algebra ChartKeepers

▼

Good fit if your student...

Prefers visual, structured approaches and learns best by seeing the logic laid out clearly.

Thinking SkillsLogical reasoning, abstraction

Technology Tools

Pattern modelingStructured problem systems

Unlock Math

▼

Good fit if your student...

Needs to rebuild confidence and flexibility in math at their own pace.

Thinking SkillsConceptual understanding, persistence

Technology Tools

Digital math platformsAdaptive tools

Data Analytics

▼

Good fit if your student...

Likes finding patterns and meaning in information — a skill that applies to nearly every career.

Thinking SkillsInterpretation, trend analysis, decision-making

Technology Tools

Data analysis toolsVisualization software

Science

Hands-on and hypothesis-driven. Students form theories, test them, and analyze what they actually find.

2Courses

Chemistry in VR

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants hands-on science without rote memorization — real experiments, real scientific thinking.

Thinking SkillsHypothesis testing, evidence evaluation

Technology Tools

Virtual labsSimulationsScientific modeling

Drones & Aerial Systems

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys hands-on technology with real-world stakes — in person, with actual flight systems.

Thinking SkillsSystems thinking, spatial reasoning, responsibility

Technology Tools

Flight systemsData captureSafety protocols

History & Civics

Understanding where we've been, what's happening now, and how to think clearly about the stories we're told.

2Courses

Podcasting Through History

▼

Good fit if your student...

Likes storytelling and wants to create something a real audience will actually hear.

Thinking SkillsNarrative, source analysis, communication

Technology Tools

Audio productionPublishing tools

Nomadic Professor: History & Media Literacy

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants to understand current events and how to read modern media with a genuinely critical eye.

Thinking SkillsCritical media reading, perspective, citizenship

Technology Tools

Research toolsAI media analysis

Technology

Building, coding, and designing. Students go from using tools to understanding and creating with them.

3Courses

Python Programming

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys building things and loves logic — and wants to see a computer actually do what they tell it to.

Thinking SkillsSystems thinking, precision

Technology Tools

Coding logicAutomationScripting

Game Design in Minecraft

▼

Good fit if your student...

Loves building worlds and learns best when they actually care about what they're making.

Thinking SkillsPlanning, iteration, collaboration

Technology Tools

Logic systemsRedstone mechanicsWorld design

Unity & Game Design

▼

Good fit if your student...

Wants to design and build a complete digital game using the same tools the real industry uses.

Thinking SkillsDesign thinking, iteration, storytelling

Technology Tools

Game engines3D environmentsCoding logic

Arts & Creative

Creative expression with real technical depth. Rigorous work that happens to feel good to make.

2Courses

Digital Art

▼

Good fit if your student...

Is a visual thinker who wants real technical skills alongside their creativity — and a portfolio to show for it.

Thinking SkillsAesthetics, visual communication

Technology Tools

Design software3D tools

Ukulele

▼

Good fit if your student...

Enjoys hands-on creative expression and wants to build a real skill from the ground up.

Thinking SkillsCreativity, discipline, confidence

Technology Tools

Pattern recognitionDigital practice tools

No matter which courses students choose, every option builds communication skills, technical fluency, and critical thinking. Creative courses are still rigorous. Technical courses still emphasize ethics and communication.

MARS Microschool

INNOVATE · CREATE · PIONEER

A technology-forward microschool for secondary students. We're not just preparing students for the future—we're building it with them through AI, robotics, and project-based learning.