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Academic Classes
Pick three first choice classes and three alternates. You can choose any combination of classes across subjects or choose to focus on your specific area of interest.
Science & Engineering
Astronomy: Navigating the Universe
Totally astronomical, dude!
Do you know how far it is to the nearest star beyond our solar system? How far to the nearest galaxy? In this class, learn the language of astronomy, navigate the sky, and begin to understand our place in the universe. Discover why star names are in Arabic and constellation names in Greek. “Follow the arc to Arcturus and speed to Spica” to find the handle of the great dipper.
See what the night sky looks like today, what it will look like in a million years or what it looked like a million years ago. Explore basic star movement, star charts, constellation patterns and the art of seeing with your home-made star chart viewer. Apply what you’ve learned by creating a classroom model of the night sky.
Biomes & Mapping: Charting Small Worlds
Explore biomes by creating a 3-D relief map and then populating it with organisms.
Investigate the different categories of biomes and learn how and why living organisms arrange themselves in these communities. What factors determine biomes and how are they are related to contour of the environment. Survey different eco-systems and explore how changes in conditions and human activity have affected biomes during the history of life.
As you identify adaptations that influence biomes you will also learn about basic types of maps and develop your mapping skills. Investigate topographic maps and how to make and understand a 3-D relief map. Construct a relief map from a topographic map and write the story of the life found there, using what you have learned about adaptation and biomes to decide on the vegetation and animal inhabitants.
Ecological Explorations
Planet earth is home to millions of living organisms, all living in specific eco-systems.
Trek with an ecology patrol to discover the ways plants, animals (including human beings), and the non-living elements of our environment are all linked together and how they affect each other. We will conduct experiments and make observations as we explore photosynthesis, animal behavior and bioaccumulation. We will learn about food webs, and water, nitrogen and carbon cycles, and energy flow and the environmental impact of pollution and other human activities. Hands-on experiments and activities will help us learn and understand the network of interactions that make up an ecosystem.
Engineering: Alternative Energy
Energy is one of the most fundamental parts of our universe.
Energy lights our cities and powers our vehicles, trains, planes and rockets. Energy warms our homes, cooks our food, plays our music, gives us pictures on television. What is energy? In this class we’ll explore traditional forms of energy and then learn about alternative energy forms being developed today. We'll build a vehicle and try propelling it with different forms of energy. We’ll also build a wind turbine to generate renewable energy.
Evolution and the History of Life
Ancient horses were only 12 inches tall and had a relatively short head and neck. Why are living things on Earth today different from the living things of the past? How and why does change happen? Hitch a ride on the TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Science) and find out! We will investigate the history of life on Earth and scientists' best explanation of the changes to life-- the theory of evolution. Examine actual pre-historic horse fossils, and analyze the geologic time line. Then explore the mechanisms of evolution: natural selection and mutation by looking at examples and learning about modern DNA evidence. We will use our findings to understand how species change and how new species arise.
Extinction
Each day, 50 species leave this earth never to return again.
Although extinction is a natural part of life on Earth, this exceptionally high rate is primarily the result of human actions. Investigate the five main causes of extinction: habitat loss, introduced species, population growth, pollution, and overconsumption. Through a variety of demonstrations, experiments, group exercises, and individual projects, you will develop an understanding of the causes of extinction and will be given the opportunity to develop potential solutions. You will discuss your role in the global community and the steps necessary to protect our home, the Earth.
LEGO Robotics: Mission Mars
One of the best ways to explore a planet is to send a robot. Rapid
prototyping...remote sensing...here’s your chance to design solutions to
practical problems the way professional engineers do—with talent and
teamwork.
Your team will work together to construct a robot that
will explore a simulated Mars’ surface. Red Rover Mars explorer robots
are constructed from Lego sensors, electronic brains and motors. Your
robot will use its sensors to determine where it is; its brain to decide
what it will do next; and its motors to move and explore the Mars’
terrain.
Microbiology: Life in the extremes
Living things are everywhere—in deserts and hot springs, under ice caps, and even in the Dead Sea! How do they do it? Where does their food come from? How can they escape the sun, live without water, keep from freezing, or keep from burning up?
By studying microbes found in the harshest conditions on Earth, you will learn how organisms adapt to live in extreme environments. We'll also look beyond Earth and apply this knowledge to possible life on other planets.
Oceanography
Save our oceans! The future of our oceans depends on knowledge.
Explore the marine eco-system and gain an understanding of its complexity and the issues that are putting it at risk. We will see the importance of estuaries and reefs and how maintaining healthy oceans is vital to the sustainability of life on earth. Through experiments, activities, and dissections we will learn about sea water composition and pH and their relationship to marine life. Investigate the effect human activities such as overfishing, pollution and acidification have on the integrity of the oceans and the complexities of marine resources management.
Transportation: What’s Next?
From the invention of the wheel in 3500 BC to the first locomotive in 1814, from the first hot air balloon in 1783 to the space shuttle in 1981, transportation has changed the way we view the world and the universe and brought us closer to our friends and family far and near. Will we meet our neighbors from other planets at some point? To find out, we will examine the engineering and physics behind advances in transportation. We’ll build planes, balloons and rockets and then peer into the future to see what options modern physics gives us for future travel into space.
MathematicsMath: The View from Space
Change your perspective! What might a visitor from outer space see?
What would they consider the surface of the Earth? Would they see humans as the dominant species? We view Earth through the human perspective of maps and globes - while honing our math skills, we will now look at and describe our planet from the perspective of travelers in the universe. Taking this alternate view means examining our math assumptions. We will investigate what it means to measure, how you use coordinates to map a celestial body that has no poles, how our choice of scales affects our perception, how the ratios in our frame of reference change what we see and how orders of magnitude affect our understanding.
Puzzles,Games and Codes: All New!
All new codes, puzzles and games! Solve fiendishly clever puzzles, learn new codes and play classic games.
Discover the secret strategies behind puzzles as your solve KenKen, Hanjie and Tangrams. Learn the tools and tactics for playing classic games such as Pente, Mancala and Shut The Box. Write, decode and discover the secrets behind famous and not-so-famous codes such as Lattice, Book Code, Garbo and the secret ciphers of Lewis and Clark.
Real Math in Science Fiction
Is the portrayal of mathematics in science fiction accurate or confused, legitimate speculation or mere technobabble?
From secret codes to the alternative number systems found on fictional worlds, mathematics is an important aspect of Science Fiction and fantasy stories. We will explore math concepts found in science fiction novels, short stories, and movie clips by authors including Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, Tom Godwin, Robert Heinlein, Ursula LeGuin, Carl Sagan, and Mark Twain. . Using multiplication and division, powers and scientific notation, decimals, fractions, and ratios, formulas with constants and variables, pi, and more, we will write and act out our own versions.
Creative and Language Arts Acting: Solar Scenes
Polish your acting and presentation skills while exploring the characteristics of planets in our solar system.
We will take an improvisational tour of our solar system stopping to meet our planetary neighbors. This class will teach you critical thinking and problem solving skills as you
physicalize the facts you learn about our solar system into a planetary Super hero or shero. Perhaps we will meet Mighty Mars, known for his red hair and mountain climbing skills or “Lovely Venus” who moves very slowly and has a rather peculiar odor. These characters will come to gather in unusual settings to create entertaining theatre sketches to present to family on the last day of camp.
Architecture on Mars
Learn what it takes to design meaningful architectural space where people live and work, even if it is on Mars.
What would buildings look like on another planet?
In this architecture workshop, you will look at alien environments through the eyes of an architect. We will need to take into consideration the production and storage of the things necessary for life, food, water and oxygen as well as protection from radiation and the climate. Architecture must successfully meld form and function, so we will explore architectural principles and develop design and drafting skills to create site plans, floor plans, elevations and models of an alternate home in the Universe.
Critical Thinking: Harry’s Discovery
Put on your thinking cap!
Boost the speed and clarity of your thinking as you join young adventurer and philosopher Harry Stottlemeirer in solving the mysteries he encounters in his head, in outer space, and in a variety of places in between. Join us as we ponder questions on the solar system and the universe. In the process of reading Harry Stottlemeirer's Discovery and solving these mysteries, you will develop reasoning and critical thinking skills and develop a better appreciation of the size and scope of the universe and its contents.
Radio Waves
News Flash! In 1938, millions of Americans turned on their radios to discover that Martians had invaded Earth. Panic ensued.
The radio play “War of the Worlds was so dramatic people thought it was a real news show.
Wanted: a dedicated crew to write and perform a drama even more thrilling than “The War of the Worlds”! After writing and brainstorming ideas, you and your sci-fi mates will produce a podcast to share with family and friends Necessary qualifications: the willingness to learn how to make your own sound effects, especially lasers. An ability to operate Garage Band is a plus.
Writing Science Fiction
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…”
As the opening line from the Star Wars saga illustrates, Science Fiction and Fantasy stories often take us to other corners of the universe. Learn to create a believable alternate world as you let your imagination explore the future and journey to distant planets. You will learn how to generate steller ideas and bring them to life with bold characters, vital plots visionary technologies, and vivid settings. Write stories and create artwork while exploring the possibilities of alien life, sentient computers and time machines.
Activity Classes
Select a first choice plus two alternates.
African Drumming: Communicating through Sound
Enjoy an authentic experience in the music of Ghana, West Africa. You will learn five hand-techniques that enable drummers to find an incredible range of sound within the drum and communicate to dancers. Mix and match those sounds to create a message to beings in outer space.
Cosmic Sculpture
Create a unique planetary hanging or table-top mobile. Design your mobile based on either a realistic version of current scientific models or individual interpretation. Maybe your mobile will be pre-Copernican with the Earth as the center of the universe. You will use wire, paper mache, and/or found objects such as old X-mas ornaments or beach balls to construct your sculpture. Explore concepts of balance and other elements of kinesthetic sculpture as you reinforce your knowledge of the cosmos.
Let’s Do the Cosmic Dance
Let your imaginations fly high into outer space while being exposed to basic dance technique, improvisation, and choreography. Through creative movement and dance, you will review previous knowledge and gain new insight into the magic of our Solar System. You will learn a movement routine taught by the teacher and collaborate with partners/small groups to create your own choreography about the Milky Way, the Sun, Earth, Mars, or Saturn. No previous dance experience required, just the desire to be creative and work as a team.
Painting the Planets and Beyond
Explore the universe through Hubble’s eye. View spectacular color photographs of stars, planets, galaxies, and nebulae then translate those images into unique abstract paintings. By using an air brush, color pencils and oil pastels you will illustrate your rendition of the solar system. Take inspiration from "Blue Mysteries Near the Sun, No.4"and present your view of the mysterious depths of the cosmos.
Sounds From the Universe
Throughout human history, the majesty of the cosmos has inspired us to create great works of art. In this class you will learn about music and songs created in honor of the celestial bodies that cross our sky. By Friday you will have your own electronic music score produced for your enjoyment and to share with family and friends.
Space Junk to Fashion Funk
Have you ever wanted to go to space? Have you thought about what you'd wear? Well let's explore! Come on a solar system adventure as we create outrageous space fashion that will make sure you’re the talk of the planet amongst astronauts, aliens, and cyborgs. Not only will your space suit be hip, trendy and functional, but will be fully and futuristically sustainable by only using recycled materials. Wow, now that's futuristic fashion forward!
Space Puppets
Become the puppet master for fire-breathing dragons, intergalactic robots, or mermaids from Mars. Bring these and other imaginary creatures to life through the art of puppetry. In this class you will create your own full motion puppets out of reused materials. Choose from different styles of puppetry from around the world including Indonesian Shadow Puppet. Showcase your puppets in a final space drama on the last day of class.
The World of Martial Arts
Explore the basic elements of the world’s most popular martial arts. You will be introduced to basic strikes and blocks from Japanese Karate and South Korean Taekwon-do and learn, in a non-competitive setting, about sparring and self-defense moves from both art forms.
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