Classes
Below are course descriptions for some choices to be offered in Summer Challenge 2010. Complete course descriptions for 2010 will be here in January. Students take ONE class for the entire three weeks. Classes run Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 2:20 pm.
Energy Energy is in the news! How do we use it? Conserve it? Will there be enough for future generations? This course is an exploration into the complex world of Energy in Science. The course design connects three science disciplines: physics, chemistry, and biology through the subject of energy. During Summer Challenge students will gain an understanding of what energy really is, the importance of energy in society today, and the opportunity to contribute to solutions for our future energy needs. Class days are jam-packed with guest presenters, labs, demonstrations, lectures, readings, and of course, field trips. Each activity moves students closer to connecting the scientific “BIG IDEAS” involved in energy. ENERGY will culminate with students using their understanding of the very real problems we face about energy today by creating an original, energy efficient building product as part of an Energy Home Show. Technology /Activity fee
Feel Those G’s: The Physics of Roller Coasters
Almost everyone loves riding roller coasters. Amusement parks are building them higher, faster, longer and much more thrilling. The physics underlying the design and building of a roller coaster is amazingly simple. In this course we will be learning when potential and kinetic energy trade places, how forces work to move us around and keep us in our seats, what happens when we accelerate, why we feel weightlessness during the drops, plus a whole lot more. Each student will design, build and test his or her own model roller coaster using engineering techniques pioneered by the coaster experts. The class will include a field trip to a nearby amusement park. Technology /Activity fee
Math Topics: Problems, Puzzles, and Polyhedrons This course offers the student interested and passionate about all things mathematical an opportunity to explore and stretch beyond the boundaries of the standard math school curriculum. A wide variety of math ideas will be introduced and investigated, ranging from areas such as numbers, infinity, geometry, trigonometry, topology, graphs and networks, even possibly mathematical magic tricks! From ”mental math” to “college bowl” competitions, this course will allow students to deepen and widen their mathematical skills in a creative and fun way. If you love to think about math and want to spend time with others who want to do the same, this is the class for you! This course requires a qualifying score in math and a teacher recommendation. Download the teacher recommendation form.
Mathematical Modeling One of the most important things mathematicians and scientists do is to build models that capture the key aspects of messy situations in the real world. Models help us understand complex situations better, to make predictions about them, and to solve problems so that we can make the world a better place. Mathematical models may involve diagrams, algebraic or statistical equations, graphs, tables, or computer models. We will use all of these in our class, working in teams to build models and to evaluate them to determine which serves its purpose best.
Modeling starts with a real situation or problem, like the need to predict how a certain environmental project might affect the growth of animal populations. Modeling often involves building theories of what makes a situation “tick” or collecting and analyzing data. Mathematical modeling is interdisciplinary, meaning you will often need to learn more than math to build a good one! We will fill in some mathematical and statistical techniques you might not have learned in school and try our hands at interesting applications. This course requires a qualifying score in math and a teacher recommendation form. Download the teacher recommendation form.
The Meaning of Life
In this class, students will have the opportunity to ask the BIG questions: What is Truth? What is Beauty? How come grown-ups get to make all the rules? Working together in a community of inquiry, students will explore many of the essential questions that philosophers have wondered about for centuries. At the same time, they will have ample opportunity to learn how they can apply their answers in ways that make a positive difference in their own lives and the lives of their communities.
Puget Sound 2050: The Future Is In Your Hands! This is a cool twist on the popular class formerly called Salmon Nation. In this fast-paced, fun-filled course we integrate chemistry, ecology and drama to understand the past and analyze the future of the Puget Sound region where salmon and people have lived together for thousands of years. Scientists say that Puget Sound is dying! The Governor has set up a new agency called the Puget Sound Partnership with a very tall order to bring the ecological health of Puget Sound back into balance within the next couple of decades. How can we get there? What will life be like in this region in the year 2050? Fifth graders will be 52 years old! 6th graders will be 53! That’s the same age as your teacher is now! In this course we dissect, analyze and synthesize EVERYTHING! We dissect salmon to understand their body chemistry, the features and functions that make them an indicator species of our bioregion. We dissect chemistry to learn the basic ecological building blocks of Puget Sound. We dissect a Northwest Coast Indian legend to produce a professional play with lights and sound on a real stage! Finally, we analyze patterns from the past and build scenarios for the future to create a blue print for our lives in Puget Sound in the year 2050. The future is in your hands! Technology/Activity fee
Villains!! A Journey Through the Eyes of Theatre’s Most Sinister Characters
In this class we will follow the scripted footsteps of Western Civilization’s most sinister bad guys (and girls) as we learn to understand what makes them tick and trick their way into our hearts as the characters we love to hate. What drives Medea mad enough to commit her evil deeds? Why does Iago work so hard to take Othello down? What motivates mooching scoundrel Tartuffe to attempt to destroy Orgon’s family? And why does Sharpay dislike Gabriella so much? Over the course of three weeks, we will study their motives, learn to pursue objectives and put ourselves in their shoes in fun theatre games and activities culminating in an evil creation of our own in a brand new theatre piece we will create collaboratively (yes, villains may work solo, but we will work together). We will learn how theatre can be a useful tool for exploring the darker side of human nature while opening and maintaining a discussion about using empathy to understand ourselves and each other better. So get ready to practice your favorite evil laugh and take a long look at the bad guys (and girls) of the theatre.
Word: A Call to Creative Thinkers, Writers, Artists, & Those Who Wanna Be“If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison The only way to become a writer is, quite simply, to write. What does it mean to write? What does it mean to be a writer? And most importantly, how do we do it? How do we go about this need we have to sit down and fill up a blank page with our own stories and then (gasp), dare to hope that someone will read them? If you find yourself asking these questions, then I say to you: Congratulations! This makes you a writer!
In this course we will devote ourselves to the study and practice of creative writing in a supportive community of writers. Each week we’ll focus on a different genre of writing, including fiction, poetry, and finally, graphic novels (also known as comic books). During class we’ll read and discuss other writers, engage in creative writing exercises to help us find and create the stories we want to tell, and give each other thoughtful and constructive feedback on our writing during workshop sessions. The course will culminate in a self-published literary ‘zine which we will produce and design, and a final literary reading in which we will present our short stories, poems, and graphic novels in front of a live audience of family and friends.