Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 6

Did you know that our Sun is a yellow dwarf star residing in a spiral galaxy, the Milky Way? Our nearest neighbor, Proxima Centauri, a red dwarf star, is a mere 25 trillion miles away...but in our same galaxy! Kids who love astronomy and other sciences are invited to learn about stars, galaxies, and the cosmos in this beginning astronomy class. Join us as we examine the lifecycle of stars and discuss what stars are made of. The class will learn how we observe the universe (telescopes, particle detectors, etc) and make these "astronomical" measurements of time and distance. And finally, the class will examine the phenomenon of black holes. This class will use some NASA projects for educators in their investigation. Future themes in this series include: Inner Solar System (Quarter 1); Outer Solar System (Quarter 2); Stars, Galaxies, and the Cosmos (Quarter 3); and Exoplanets and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life (Quarter 4).

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 2

Learn history and geography through hands-on, interactive play rather than by studying flat, dull maps! Many great games feature play on map-based boards that can be used as teaching tools. Visual and kinesthetic learners will remember where Mongolia and Madagascar are when they have amassed miniature armies there! The instructor will use board games from his personal collection as teaching tools. In addition, he creates custom boards to use with modified game rules and playing pieces.   Third quarter, students will learn about the Imperial Asia with a focus on Feudal Japan using a custom table-top map of Japan and the rules and playing pieces adapted from the game Ikusa (aka Shogun) and Axis and Allies. Students play using actual Japanese clan names as they learn about feudal Japanese shoguns, samurai, and feudal warfare. The game continues week-to-week with students reviewing the geography as they set the game back up. For this conflict, students learn which regions were engaged and where they were located, capitals and key cities, shared borders and boundaries, and prominent geographic features and waterways. They gain an understanding of why feudal clans were at war and how those events influenced history and the modern map. There is a $15.00 supply fee due to the instructor on the first day of class for custom-printed maps and shared class materials. Topics in this series include: The 18th Century World (Quarter 1); The American Civil War (Quarter 2), Imperial Asia (Quarter 3), and The World at War- WWI (Quarter 4).

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 5

Kids are naturally curious about chemistry! Chemistry explains the properties, behaviors, and interactions of materials around us: things we eat, drink, clean with, wear, drive, and even play with. Kids can use chemistry to understand how things taste, smell, mix, melt, combust, feel, and whether they are recyclable or rubbish, helpful or harmful, nutritious or not. Chemistry is key to understanding the world around us, including other areas of science. In this class, kids begin to use scientific words to describe their observations and will become familiar with some science apparatuses. Third quarter, kids will discover chemistry at home in products they use every day from glue sticks to glow sticks and soaps to shampoos. Find out what is in toothpaste and how it cleans your teeth. Test detergents to see what stains are removed and uncover the chemistry of how they work. Play with the properties of plastics, adhesives, and lubricants and try making your own. Students will examine the properties of paints, dyes and inks through chromatography. A lab fee of $20.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class. Topics in this series include: Chemistry in the Kitchen (Quarter 1), Chemistry in Action (Quarter 2), Chemistry at Home (Quarter 3), and Chemistry of Toys (Quarter 4).

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 5

"S" is for science, and "A" is for art in the study of STEAM, but have you thought about the science in art? Artists must understand the science of the materials that the use: how they tint and texturize, mix and melt, dye and dry, blend or bend. There is a complex community of scientists and engineers with specialties in polymers, glass, chemicals, paper, and textiles who design the materials that artists use to create their art. This class will learn about the science and properties of some unique artistic processes and materials and how and why they work. Third quarter, the class will examine optical illusions and color, with activities involving fractals and the visual phenomena such as the transformative art of Escher and mystifying mobius strips. Students will learn about the neuroscience and psychology of color and the properties of light including refraction through water and prisms to understand the component colors. The class will use some computer applications and some designs on paper to observe and recreate the Munker-White Illusion (color stripes distorting color perception), the Muller-Lyer Illusion (size distortion), and fractal phenomena. In-class projects will also incorporate depth reversion, such as ambiguous 3-D cube, shading to represent form, design-your-own Escher like patterns, and experiments with line density and distribution on a spinning disk! Topics in this series: Resins & Polymers (Quarter 1), Paints & Dyes (Quarter 2), Optical Illusions & Color (Quarter 3), and Paper Engineers (Quarter 4). Lab/Supply Fee: A lab fee of $20.00 is due payable to the instructor on the first day of class.

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 4

Every parent knows that kids are curious, captivated, and quick to learn technology-based products. Programming Projects builds on that curiosity to introduce computer science basics, problem-solving, and computational thinking through play-based learning. Third quarter, students will work with Sphero Mini Robot Balls which are spherical, bluetooth enabled robots encased in a clear jacket. Think of BB-8 in Star Wars! Students can code these robots using "drawing" (literally dragging their finger on a computer screen) or block coding with Scratch. Students will work in teams to direct Sphero Mini Robots through mazes and obstacle courses, make them talk, and race them. Inside the Robot ball, there is a gyroscope, accelerometer, and colorful LED lights that are manipulated through simple coding. Once students have mastered programming through drawing on screen, they will learn to control the Robot ball through simple programming in the Sphero Play app or the Sphero Edu app on a phone or tablet. All equipment and devices will be provided by the instructor. Learn more about the Sphero Mini Robot Ball here. https://youtu.be/YxlLeiVo3gM There is a $20.00 technology use fee due payable to the instructor on/before the first day. Topics in this series include: Sphero indi Robotic Cars (Quarter 1), Scratch Coding (Quarter 2), Sphero Robotic Ball Quarter 3) and Tinkercad Design (Quarter 4)

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 5

Every parent knows that kids are curious, captivated, and quick to learn technology-based products. Programming Projects builds on that curiosity to introduce computer science basics, problem-solving, and computational thinking through play-based learning. Third quarter, students will work with Sphero Mini Robot Balls which are spherical, bluetooth enabled robots encased in a clear jacket. Think of BB-8 in Star Wars! Students can code these robots using "drawing" (literally dragging their finger on a computer screen) or block coding with Scratch. Students will work in teams to direct Sphero Mini Robots through mazes and obstacle courses, make them talk, and race them. Inside the Robot ball, there is a gyroscope, accelerometer, and colorful LED lights that are manipulated through simple coding. Once students have mastered programming through drawing on screen, they will learn to control the Robot ball through simple programming in the Sphero Play app or the Sphero Edu app on a phone or tablet. All equipment and devices will be provided by the instructor. Learn more about the Sphero Mini Robot Ball here. https://youtu.be/YxlLeiVo3gM There is a $20.00 technology use fee due payable to the instructor on/before the first day. Topics in this series include: Sphero indi Robotic Cars (Quarter 1), Scratch Coding (Quarter 2), Sphero Robotic Ball Quarter 3) and Tinkercad Design (Quarter 4)

Quarter(s): 3,4

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 4

Middle schoolers embrace technology and easily navigate digital sources like apps, webpages, and online video platforms. In Digital Studio, they will transform from users of these tools to the designer and coders of their own content. In this cutting edge class, students will learn the foundations of virtual reality (VR) design by creating their own virtual worlds, exploring simulated environments, and crafting memorable 3D experiences. VR projects can be viewed on a website or a mobile device. Students do not need a mobile device in class, but will need access to an Android or Apple mobile device to use the VR experience at home. Digital Studio is a computer lab environment in which students work through the Black Rocket curriculum under the direction of computer science coaches. The lab environment allows students to enroll at any quarter, fosters brand new coders, and encourages those with prior coding experience. In the "Intro" level of a course (i.e., Part 1), students will work through the fundamentals of a new digital skill. In the "Continuing" level (i.e., Part 2), students who continue from "Intro" will develop new skills and will design and code an individual project. New students who enroll in Part 2, "Intro/Advanced" will begin with the introductory lessons. In order to differentiate instruction between new and continuing students, coaches work with small pull-out groups, pairs, or individuals to provide additional support as needed. The class tuition includes a student technology fee that covers the use of instructor-provided classroom laptops loaded with the required software, applications, and licenses. At the end of the class, students will receive access to Black Rocket's interactive learning platform to continue their coding journey at home. Topics in this Series: Intro to Python Programming (Semester 1), and Coding Virtual Reality (Semester 2),

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 3

In Digital Workshop, students will be introduced to one of the world's fastest-growing programming languages: Python. It is the programming language used by Google, NASA, YouTube, and the CIA! Students will learn how to code with Python to create apps and games. Digital Workshop is a computer lab environment in which students work through the Black Rocket curriculum under the direction of computer science coaches. The lab environment allows students to enroll at any quarter, fosters brand new coders, and encourages those with prior coding experience. In the "Intro" level of a course (i.e., Part 1), students will work through the fundamentals of a new digital skill. In the "Continuing" level (i.e., Part 2), students who continue from "Intro" will develop new skills and will design and code an individual project. New students who enroll in Part 2, "Intro/Advanced" will begin with the introductory lessons. In order to differentiate instruction between new and continuing students, coaches work with small pull-out groups, pairs, or individuals to provide additional support as needed. The class tuition includes a student technology fee that covers the use of instructor-provided classroom laptops loaded with the required software, applications, and licenses. At the end of the class, students will receive access to Black Rocket's interactive learning platform to continue their coding journey at home. Topics in this Series: Minecraft Designers (Quarters 1, 2) and Python Programmers (Quarters 3,4).

Quarter(s): 3

Day(s): Thu

Open Spots: 4

In Digital Clubhouse, students will begin exploring computer science by bringing a favorite Minecraft character to life in an animated short film. They will learn how Pixar and Disney make movies like Inside Out and Frozen by using the techniques of keyframing, tweening, texturing, and animating rigged 3D models. Digital Clubhouse is a computer lab environment in which students work through the Black Rocket curriculum under the direction of computer science coaches. The lab environment allows students to enroll at any quarter, fosters brand new coders, and encourages those with prior coding experience. In the "Intro" level of a course (i.e., Part 1), students will work through the fundamentals of a new digital skill. In the "Continuing" level (i.e., Part 2), students who continue from "Intro" will develop new skills and will design and code an individual project. New students who enroll in Part 2, "Intro/Advanced" will begin with the introductory lessons. In order to differentiate instruction between new and continuing students, coaches work with small pull-out groups, pairs, or individuals to provide additional support as needed. The class tuition includes a student technology fee that covers the use of instructor-provided classroom laptops loaded with the required software, applications, and licenses. At the end of the class, students will receive access to Black Rocket's interactive learning platform to continue their coding journey at home. Topics in this Series: Pokemon Masters (Quarters 1, 2); Minecraft Animators (Quarters 3, 4)