University Courses
Modules & Select Individual Lessons
Continuing education Courses
University Courses
Melia designed and is teaching this course as a Graduate Instructor of Record at Rice University in Houston, TX.
Genetic Engineering & the Future of Human Evolution – Fall 2019
The course examines the science and history of genetic editing, conflicting and converging perspectives surrounding this field, and implications for the future of human evolution. Emphasis is placed on critical reading of scholarly literature, analysis of popular media, cross-disciplinary discussion, and research-based writing. More info.
Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) Modules
Melia created and carried out these lessons at the Istituto di Istruzione “Racchetti – da Vinci” and the Istituto di Istruzione Superiore Galileo Galilei in Italy.
Physics
The Crisis in Classical Physics – Fall 2013, Fall 2014
This module of three lessons examined the historical limits of classical physics and the hypotheses and experiments by Planck, Einstein, Compton, and Bohr that paved the way for quantum mechanics. It included an interactive spectroscopy demonstration to visualize discreet versus continuous light emission.
Sports Biomechanics and Projectile Motion – Fall 2013, Fall 2014
This module of two lessons qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed the movements of humans participating in various sports. It included a long jump and high jump challenge during which students studied the influence that initial velocity and takeoff angle have on these types of projectile motion.
Electric and Magnetic Fields – Fall 2013, Spring 2015
Gravity – Spring 2014
Fluid Dynamics – Fall 2013
Mathematics
Introduction to Calculus – Fall 2013
This module of two lessons introduced an intuitive understanding of derivatives and integrals by integrating mathematical derivations with running activities. Derivatives were utilized to distinguish instantaneous from average velocity, and integrals were utilized to determine total displacement based on an infinite number of velocity measurements.
Applications of Definite Integrals – Spring 2015
This module of two lessons reviewed the concept of definite integrals and derived the equations and geometry for finding the area between two functions and the volume of solids of revolution. It included advanced problems to practice determining the volume of various solids created from rotating two-dimensional shapes about various axes.
Trigonometry – Spring 2014
Probability – Spring 2014
Matrices –Fall 2013
Coordinate Geometry and Geometric Transformations – Fall 2013
Chemistry
Genetically Modified Food – Fall 2013, Spring 2014
This lesson examined the portrayal of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in popular media versus peer-reviewed scientific sources. It included a discussion of YouTube videos for and against GMOs, and how aspects such as language, tone, and emotion can be wielded to elicit certain opinions about contested topics.
Molecular Chirality – Fall 2014, Spring 2015
This lesson covered how to identify chiral molecules in Fischer projections, in chiral/achiral environments, and in interactions with polarized light. It integrated a discussion of everyday applications, such as how the chirality of our smell receptors allows us to distinguish between the spearmint and caraway chiral pair.
Fats and Fatty Acids – Spring 2015
Classification of Organic Compounds – Spring 2015
Art History
American Futurism: Francis Simpson Stevens – Fall 2014
This lesson explored the life of Francis Simpson Stevens as the sole American-born artist to participate in the Italian Futurism movement (1909-1920s). It included a discussion on the connection between her art, which celebrated dynamism, simultaneity, and machinery, and the contemporary advances in engineering and industry.
Art Nouveau, Pop Art, and American-Japanese Relations – Fall 2014
This lesson tied together the Japanese influences on Art Nouveau (1890-1905, 1960s revival) and Pop Art (1950s-1970s) by tracing the relationship between Japan and the United States from the establishment of trading rights in the 1850’s through World War II.
20th Century Art in the United States – Fall 2014
Art and Architecture of New York City – Fall 2013
Art and Architecture of Chicago – Fall 2013
History and Literature
The American Dream – Fall 2013
This lesson traced the definition and feasibility of attaining the “American dream” from the end of the 1800s, to the roaring 1920s, to post World War II, through modern day. It included a discussion of socioeconomic mobility and the current wealth distribution in the United States.
Spirit of the Frontier – Fall 2013, Fall 2014
This lesson examined westward expansion in the United States and the significance of the frontier to the American identity between 1807 and 1912. It included a discussion of the various reasons people moved west and how these reasons shaped their treatment of Native Americans.
The Space Race – Fall 2013, Fall 2014
The Wall Street Crash of 1929 – Fall 2013, Fall 2014
Walt Whitman – Fall 2013, Fall 2014
Continuing Education Courses
Melia designed this course and taught it at the main hospital in Crema, Italy, Azienda Ospedaliera Ospedale Maggiore di Crema.
Medical English – Spring 2014
This was an intensive five-week course aimed to equip medical personnel with the vocabulary, speaking, and listening skills needed to interact with English-speaking patients and their families. Topics covered included basic conversation, talking about medical procedures, discussing symptoms and diagnoses, giving instructions, and disparities in global healthcare costs.
Mini Resources
Melia created and presented these estimation and derivation problems and research guides while advising in the Laser Teaching Center at Stony Brook University.
- Back-of-the-Envelope Estimations – “Fermi Problems” (2013)
- Estimating a camera’s focal length by looking at its photograph (2014)
- Deriving the Golden Ratio (2014)
- Resolving two point sources of light with the Rayleigh Criterion (2014)
- Calculating large values – Earth’s velocity and the Sun’s energy (2014)
- Keeping a Lab Notebook (2013)
- Cleaning optics such as lenses and mirrors (2013)