Grades K – 1
Two Course Choices:
Inspiration! Read, Write, and Act!
The Body Express
NOTE: Students must be at least five years old by February 1, 2011 and enrolled in
kindergarten
Inspiration! Read, Write and Act!
Would you like to have fun reading, writing, and acting in folk, fairy tales, and
performing reader’s theater? Our class will enjoy listening to the rich storytelling of
classic, enchanting tales that are as intriguing today as they were long ago. We will then
help design simple scenery to help us present a creative performance. Finally, we will
explore a variety of ways a story can be presented; through telling, various written
formats and through acting.
The Body Express
Start your engines for a ride on the human body highway! Want to keep your system
working well? During the course you will act as a scientist learning about the body you
carry around and how the choices you make determine how well it works. Participation
in science investigations and real life experiences will help us focus on learning about
our body as a system. Finally, create a nutrition plan and workout regimen for a friend
or family member!
Grades 2 – 3
Six Course Choices:
Quilting: Exploration in History & Culture
Habitats Galore
It’s all Greek to Me!
My Own Book
Body Quest
Digging Into the Past: Explorations in Archeology
Quilting: Explorations in History & Culture
Do you love colors? Do you love designs? Do you love cuddling up with something
warm and cozy? Quilts are fun to look at and even more fun to make. In our class we
will examine and learn about many different kinds of quilts and read some wonderful
stories about quilters of long ago. We’ll explore the origin of some famous quilt patterns
and answer such questions as: Is it true that runaway slaves on the Underground
Railroad used quilt patterns to mark the road to freedom? What role did quilts play in
settling the Old West? Why do quilt blocks have names like “log cabin”, “broken
dishes”, or “Indian hatchet”? We will make a small actual quilt as we practice hand
sewing, and even have our own quilting bee just like the settlers did. Come on a quilting
adventure!
Habitats Galore
Zoologists, get ready! In this class, we will embark on a creative adventure through
differing animal habitats, looking specifically at connections between animal
adaptations, environment, and survival skills. What does it take to survive in the wild?
How have animals adapted to changing environments? Students will construct habitats,
create perspective stories, and research unique animals on this wild adventure.
It’s all Greek to Me!
What could be more fun than fighting the many-headed Hydra, stealing the Golden
Fleece from a fire-breathing dragon, escaping from a labyrinth or flying with wings of
wax and feathers? Come learn the secrets of ancient Greece, Atlantis, and other
mysteries of the past. Gods, goddesses, Hercules, and many other famous heroes await
you on this exciting adventure!
My Own Book
Do you enjoy writing and/or expressing your ideas in many ways? In this fun and
creative class, we will learn various writing techniques from story-telling to poetry to
editorials. Using a variety of materials, we will then collect our writing, along with
creative illustrations, into a book for you to keep.
Body Quest
Are you interested in studying living systems? Join me in exploring the workings of the
most incredible machine ever made- YOU! We will investigate five basic body systems
(skeletal, muscular, nervous, respiratory, and circulatory) and work towards an
understanding of how they all operate together to make up the ultimate driving
machine!
Digging Into the Past: Explorations in Archeology
Calling all archeologists! Get ready to unearth the past as we travel to five different
countries. We will become archeologist and “dig” up artifacts from ancient civilizations.
Learn how ancient civilizations lived and what contributions they made to present day
life. Discover and recreate a piece of each civilization as we travel back in time.
Grades 4 – 5
Five Course Choices:
Join the Geospatial Revolution
The Art of Comics
Origami Geometry
Architecture and the City Block
Art Expressions: Are You a Michelangelo or a Pablo?
Join the Geospatial Revolution
Love of maps + love of technology = a geospatial revolution! During this course you will
learn about the many ways that advanced technology is helping us “see” the earth better.
You will get a chance to play with some of that technology. You will do a scavenger hunt
using hand-held Global Positioning Systems (GPS) units that use satellite technology to
tell you where on earth you are. You will use online GIS software to show information
on maps and add to online maps of your own community using open-source Geographic
Information Systems (GIS). Join us for this geospatial adventure!
The Art of Comics
Superman, Batman, Snoopy, Garfield, and Jane Austin – what do these have in
common? They are part of the world of comics! Comics are not just fun animated
pictures to read, but also a literature and art form. Through this course we will learn
about the different types of comics, art forms, and other interesting facts. As we learn,
we’ll also be creating and trying our hand at this cool craft. Come and join this amazing
world!
Origami Geometry
Welcome to Origami Geometry! This class will be an all math, all the time class that will
feature Japanese paper folding, Origami, to illustrate basic principles of Geometry such
as angles, shapes, flips and folds. The protractor will be your friend in this class as will
the Japanese soroban, or abacus. You will learn how to count in Japanese and how to
figure out how much yen you will need, depending on the exchange rate, to buy a plane
ticket to Japan. You’ll use math formulas to figure out how long it will take your plane
to get to Tokyo from Virginia. And when you get to Tokyo, how will math and science
help you climb Mt. Fuji? Do you want to learn Sumo? There’s physics involved here!
What is the probability that your Origami Frisbee will win in a paper Frisbee-throwing
contest? Why are there so many earthquakes in Japan and why do earthquakes cause
tsunamis? How do earthquakes affect the nuclear power plants in Japan? If you’re
ready for an adventure, join this mathematical/scientific journey to Japan.
Architecture and the City Block
Have you ever wanted to design a skyscraper? Or an art museum or a public park? In
Architecture and the City Block, we will collectively learn about architectural form and
design and use that knowledge to design a small city, one block at a time. We will start
the design process through investigations of famous cities while learning the principles
of architectural form and function. We will also discuss the importance of
transportation and what constitutes healthy city living. Using sketch drawing and
model forms, we will then contribute to our individual city blocks, adding either a
building or a public green space. For the finale, all of our creative work will be brought
together for a group presentation, showcasing our wondrous new city. Let the city
designing begin!
Art Expressions: Are You a Michelangelo or a Pablo?
Come find out as you explore artistic styles from the Renaissance Period to Modern Art.
Learn about a variety of artists from several historic periods, including Michelangelo, Da
Vinci, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Picasso, Matisse, and O’Keeffe. Then create your own
original art using new mediums each week. Explore pastel chalk, clay, tempra, pencil,
and even finger paint. Join me in learning how art can be used to communicate a style
or message!