At ATDP’s Elementary Division, our goal is to offer classes that allow students to gain deep knowledge in a specific subject. We also aim to give students something different from what they already study during the school year. And, very importantly, we strive to have classes that are taught in an engaging way that will give students a passion for the subject studied. To achieve these goals, this year we’re offering three new Elementary Division courses in 2012––Fun with Math, Earth Sciences: Gee!-ology, and Greek Mythology.
Because ATDP students in the early grades have shown a strong interest in learning more about math, we’re adding a new Fun With Math class for students who have just completed Kindergarten. Many of our young students instinctively love math, and our goal is to provide engaging hands-on activities that will let them explore math in an enjoyable, interesting way. In Fun With Math, students will not be doing familiar pencil-and-paper problems, but will instead deepen their understanding of more traditional math through projects with patterns, geometric constructions, and manipulatives.
Of course, ATDP students in the upper grades also love math, and we offer classes for them, such as The Art and Science of Math for students who have completed 3rd or 4th grade and Extra-Terrestrial Trigonometry for students who have completed 5th or 6th grade. All Elementary Division math classes are taught using explorations and projects.
While we offer a wide range of classes in our Elementary Division, we find that our science classes are frequently the most requested ones. With the emphasis on math and reading during the school year, science often gets pushed to the side. At ATDP, we offer science classes that delve deeply into a particular topic and students learn through hands-on activities, whether it’s building a concrete boat in Fluid Physics for students completing 4th grade or growing crystals in Lab Chemistry for students completing 5th grade.
Our new science class, Earth Sciences: Gee!-ology, will be open to students who have completed first grade. Students will learn about many geological topics, including plate tectonics, rock classification, and erosion. They will also simulate volcanoes and earthquakes, which will be both educational and fun. Students will leave the class as budding geologists, having spent three weeks examining the structure of the planet and the processes that shape it. All that before second grade!
At ATDP, we always strive to spark our students’ imagination. One of the best ways to do this is through stories and learning about another culture. We will give students this opportunity in our new class Greek Mythology for students who are completing 1st grade. Students in Greek Mythology will learn about the enduring heroes, monsters, tricksters, and gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece. In a busy workshop atmosphere, they will engage in activities in art, history, science and language arts. Our Greek Mythology class is coming back after having not been taught for a few years. From our past experience, we’re confident that this is a class that will truly fascinate young minds.
Along a similar vein, we offer an intriguing class in Egyptology for students completing 4th grade. In this class students will learn about Egyptian myths, explore pyramids, and transform their classroom with their many projects.
Whether students have studied math, science, writing, or social studies at ATDP, we aim to have them leave our classes richer in knowledge and excited about learning. When students return to school in the fall, we hope that they will name ATDP as the highlight of their summer!