Course Descriptions & Schedules
Courses for Students Who Have Completed Second Grade in June 2009
| Course # | Course Name | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2921 | Applying Mathematics (AM) | 8:30 - 12:00 |
| 2922 | Applying Mathematics (PM) | 1:00 - 4:30 |
| 2923 | Exploring Light and Vision (AM) | 8:30 - 12:00 |
| 2924 | Exploring Light and Vision (PM) | 1:00 - 4:30 |
| 2926 | Writing and Drawing the World | 1:00 - 4:30 |
| 2927 | Rainforests (AM) | 8:30 - 12:00 |
| 2928 | Rainforests (PM) | 1:00 - 4:30 |
| 2929 | Jazz up Your Writing | 8:30 - 12:00 |
All courses are scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Applying Mathematics
| 2921 | Julie McNamara | $505 | 8:30 - 12:00 |
| 2922 | Julie McNamara | $505 | 1:00 - 4:30 |
In this course we will approach mathematics as a sense-making endeavor as we apply our math skills to games, logic puzzles, and story problems related to real-life experiences. We will record our thinking in math journals, and learn to communicate about mathematics in ways that require us to be creative thinkers, approach problems in a systematic or logical way, observe patterns, and generalize our findings. Throughout the course, students will work individually and in groups, with an emphasis placed on the importance of communication, mathematical risk-taking, and the value of diverse approaches for solving problems.
Exploring Light and Vision
| 2923 | Jennifer Pfotenhauer | $505 | 8:30 - 12:00 |
| 2924 | Jennifer Pfotenhauer | $505 | 1:00 - 4:30 |
When you look in a mirror, why does it seem like you're inside the mirror? How do visual illusions play tricks on us? What exactly is light anyway? In this course, we will investigate the basic properties of light and how our minds perceive visual information. Through hands-on activities we will study depth perception, the persistence of vision, the importance of edges and movement to vision, light waves, and many other topics. We will also build kaleidoscopes, periscopes, and very simple cameras, projectors, and telescopes. Throughout the course our focus will be on exploring the relationship between light, vision, and how we perceive the world.
Writing and Drawing the World
| 2926 | Elizabeth Carter | $505 | 1:00 - 4:30 |
Through art, we will learn about observation and description to develop our writing. We will use poetry and pictures to sharpen our skills of perception, as well as our writing and drawing skills. We will translate what we see into words and transform shapes into curved and straight lines on the page. Next, we will create illustrations from poetry and descriptive prose, and write about pictures in haiku and verse. Finally, we will explore the concept of perspective by writing and drawing from different points of view.
Rainforests
| 2927 | Carol Ponzio | $505 | 8:30 - 12:00 |
| 2928 | Carol Ponzio | $505 | 1:00 - 4:30 |
Explore the wonders of the tropical rainforest in this course created for young scientists. Together, we will investigate different aspects of rainforests: their plants and animals, their people, and their products. We will grow rainforest habitats in small groups and keep science journals detailing our observations through drawing and writing. We will research animals and write and create art projects about them. Also, we will discover just how many rainforest products we use in our daily lives and use many of them in recipes to make tasty treats. Throughout this course, the emphasis will be on the essential nature of the world's rainforests: why we need the rainforests on our earth and what we can do to preserve them.
Jazz up Your Writing
| 2929 | Olivia Sanders & Patrick Hamilton | $505 | 8:30 - 12:00 |
In this course, we will explore the intersection of language, poetry, and music.Our musical journey begins with a focus on the rhythm of language. We will learn about using rhetorical devices such as personification, onomatopoeia, and metaphors, to improve our descriptive writing and to analyze themes. Moving on to the interlude, we will work independently and in whole group to develop original songs, which will be set to acoustic guitar accompaniment. The crescendo of our composition will include working together to create a class songbook, which will showcase our songs, creative writing, and use of literary devices. Our finale will include publication and performance of our original compositions, both musical and written. Come join the band!