2014 Course Descriptions
SEEQ – Summer Enrichment Experience at Queen’s
Week 1: August 10-15, 2014
Week 2: August 17-22, 2014
Creative Writing: Secrets of the Pen
(Grades 8-11)
Are you an aspiring fiction writer? Here's your chance to master the techniques used by authors
of such successful and popular stories as The Hunger Games, Star Wars, Twilight, Harry Potter,
and other genre fiction classics. Regardless what medium you want to write for (novels,
screenplays, graphic novels, etc.) these story-writing techniques will help you stir a reader's
emotions while conveying meaning, values, and wisdom. The course covers the complete
creative process, including finding story ideas, creating believable characters, structuring an
emotionally compelling plot, and developing an effective writing style. In a few short days, you
will write an original story treatment and be on your way to creating a full-length manuscript.
Engineers: The Key to the Future
(Grades 8-11)
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be an engineer? Over the past century our world has
seen incredible developments in technology, medicine, infrastructure and transportation,
and innovations, all of which are at the hands of engineers. In this course, students will attend
workshops to learn the basic concepts behind engineering principles while applying
engineering design methods to develop creative solutions to common problems faced by our
world today. Students will be challenged and encouraged to think critically as they explore the
various potentials of an engineering career.
From Proteins to People: Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology
(Grades 8-11)
What are you made of? This course takes students through an understanding of what makes up
a complex multicellular organism. We begin with the basic molecular components of a cell,
followed by the mechanisms of cellular biology, eventually moving on to the processes
necessary for development of limbs, tissues and organs. In addition to lectures, there will be inclass experiments, fun skill-testing games, trips to research buildings and laboratories on
campus, and the opportunity to interact with faculty and staff from the Department of
Biomedical and Molecular Sciences at Queen's.
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LEGO Robotics and Programming
(*Grades 8-9)
The course will introduce students to basic concepts and skills of programming through LEGO
Mindstorms® and Python. First, the students will learn, design, build, and program LEGO robots
to perform tasks such as following a line with the aid of NXT software. By the end of this
section, students will know how to instruct the robots to interact with its environment using
sound, touch, color, and distance sensors. Next, the students will learn a new language Python
to experience real life programming scenarios. Simple statements and structures such as "if"
and "loop" will be introduced. By the end of class, students will be able to write simple Python
programs such as a basic calculator.
Pathology and Molecular Medicine
*Offered week 2 only
(*Grades 10-11)
You will gain a thorough introduction to the field of Pathology including human anatomy,
genetics, cancer, pharmacology and toxicology, as well as tour the Queen's University Anatomy
Museum. Working with your peers, you will get to channel your inner "Gregory House, MD" to
solve your own diagnostic cases. The course will include a number of hands-on activities
including blood typing and DNA extraction and we will also cover career options in Pathology.
The Social Self: An Introduction to Social Psychology
(Grades 8-11)
In this course, students will learn how those around us affect how we behave and think about
ourselves. Specifically, students will learn about the self-concept, culture, self-esteem, the
perception of others, and how we can get others to comply with our requests. Students will
participate in psychology learning labs, debate the usefulness of “common sense,” learn how
advertisers use social psychology to influence their behaviour and in turn, test their own tactics
on influencing others.
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