Spring 2014 Home School Classes (Sneak Peek)

Home School Sneak Peek for Programs Spring 2014

This post is an early preview of the home school classes we’ll be offering for the 5-12 year old students (and one workshop for 10-13’s) this Spring at SERC. We are transitioning to a new registration system (yeah!) so registration will not begin until February 7th at 9 am, and it will be entirely online. You may download the paper form of this preview here:Spring 2014 Elementary-Middle grades

Please let me know if you have any questions (McDonaldK@si.edu)

Times

Wednesdays: 5-7 year olds 9:00 – 10:00 am, 8-12 year olds 10:30 am – Noon and 1:30-3 pm.   Thursdays: 5-7 year olds 9:00 – 10:00 am, 8-12 year olds 10:30 am – Noon

Hydraulics Workshops (1/2 Day): 10-13 yr. olds 9 am-Noon

Course Descriptions and Dates

You must sign up for an entire block of classes. If you cannot make a class you will be asked to make up the material with the instructor, either in person or through e-mail at McDonaldK@si.edu . Class content builds upon each lesson and it’s important for students to keep up with the course.

 Lab Science Block  (March 5th-April 3rd) 

• Introduction to a Science Lab: Tools and Safety (March 5^th or 6^th) We will introduce students to commonly used items in a laboratory such as Erlenmeyer flasks, graduated cylinders, tongs, beakers, scales, and more. We’ll also discuss lab safety and how to use these tools.
• Microscopes: Use, Scale, and Drawing (March 19^th or 20^th) Students will learn the difference between compound and dissecting scopes and how to use a dissecting scope properly. They will learn how to draw to scale (8-12’s) using a microscope and practice their skills.
• Chemistry Lab (April 2^nd or 3^rd) We will hands-on lab with equipment learned in the previous classes, including testing soil and water pH, finding properties of unknown substances, and making mixtures.

 

Ornithology Block (April 16th-May 8th)

• Feathers and External Anatomy of Birds (April 16^th or 17^th) Students will learn the major groups of feathers on the external anatomy of a bird and we’ll look at feathers under microscopes as well as discuss feather function.
• Internal Anatomy and Eggs (April 30^th or May 1^st) We’ll explore the internal anatomy of birds that makes them adapted for flight. We will also examine their eggs, the layers of an egg, and conduct some experiments.
• Flight and Design (May 7^th or 8^th) In this class we’ll discover how birds fly, the mechanisms of flight, and try our hand at designing gliders for flying.

Hydraulics Workshop (May 28^th and 29^th) When you sign up you must attend both 1/2 day workshops. 

• Part 1: In part one of this workshop students will be introduced to the physics of hydraulics and pneumatics, liquid viscosity, and Pascal’s principles. We’ll begin asking some questions about application of hydraulics and designing our own simple machine. This will be different from the previous “blue crab class” in that we will be designing lifts, claws, and complex arms. Parents are encouraged to attend and help out.
• Part 2: Students will create their own simple machine using hydraulics. This project can be taken home at the end of the class. Parents are encouraged to attend and help out in this class too.