3D printing is the technology that will change the way we live! Students will learn how to use Tinkercad, a design software used for creating 3D models. Students will learn to design, sculpt, texture, arrange and render their 3D models. Students in the past have created jewelry, phone cases and ornaments. At the completion of the course, each student will select two items he/she designed to be printed. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
This class is for students who wonder about being a physician or surgeon. In this class, students will investigate how the body works by participating in hands-on activities, such as dissections and construction of physiological system maps (skeletal, nervous, circulatory, immune). Students will conduct simulated surgeries, perform biopsies, and learn how to suture. Students will also learn about important medical/surgical breakthroughs and famous medical marvels throughout history. This class was developed by the New York Hall of Science. In-Person Camp Only.
What secrets lie buried in our past? In this course, students will learn about the processes that real-life historians, archaeologists, and linguists use to uncover the past and explore ancient sites from all over the world. In addition to learning about ancient cultures such as the Greeks, Egyptians, and Mayans, students will use their new-found knowledge to build their own fictional world. From Middle Earth to Minecraft, from Hogwarts to a galaxy far, far away, every story needs a fictional world. Students will learn how to build a fictional world using digital tools like map-making software, name generators, and programs to keep track of even the wildest of ideas. Along the way, students will be led through discussions and activities about making believable maps and cultures, establishing tone and genre, and weaving story elements into the world through figurative language and characterization. By the end of the week, the class will have collaboratively created an entire fictional world (complete with maps, characters, and a history) that they can use to tell their own stories! Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Whether by the light of the campfire or the glow of the computer screen, humans have always loved to tell stories. Through games, activities, and short writing prompts, students in this course will get a chance to practice the timeless art of storytelling using digital and analog means. In addition to concepts like story structure, characterization, and world-building, students will also be exposed to a range of stories across time and media that can serve as inspiration for their own narrative projects. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Students will obtain step-by-step instructions to create and customize one painting each day. Students will learn about color theory, brush stroke and paint application. Students will study both old and modern artists, along with different styles and movements throughout the ages. In-Person Camp Only.
In this course, students will delve into their favorite picture books and analyze the components that make the story unforgettable. They will take the journey of creating their own picture book by finding the big idea, creating a memorable main character, figuring out the problem, and planning the illustrations with the story line. Students will play with using rhyme, repetition, a suspenseful hook or action and realistic dialogue. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Civil Engineering – Bridges and Buildings, Ages 8-11
0 Available seats
When civil engineers design bridges and buildings, they must take into account factors like balance and motion. This unit introduces the principles behind “push” and “pull” as they explore how forces act on different structures. They’ll use what they know about balance and force as they experiment with beam, arch, and suspension bridges. Students plan, build, and test their own bridges. Students will also learn how to support and protect buildings during earthquakes. Students will engineer model buildings that are earthquake resistant while exploring how earthquakes impact buildings of different heights and shapes. Developed by Engineering is Elementary, Museum of Science Boston. In-Person Camp Only.
Does your child have a great idea for a comic book or love anime? Students will learn to tell a short story through sequential art by creating a story line, brainstorming to create characters, and write a plot with dialogue. They will learn the basics of manual drawing and digital cartooning using Pixton. Students collaborate on a comic anthology that they self-publish during the workshop. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Shake up a flask of fun in the lab and become a junior chemist! Learn to recognize chemical reactions and mix up a few reactive ingredients for some sensational results. Check out the colors of chemistry with the power of pH paper and create a stopper-popping reaction. Probe the properties of light and discover some unusual applications of glow-in-the-dark technology. Students have a blast as they make some crazy concoctions. Take home projects include a reaction tube kit, atomic coins, slippery slime, Professor Beakerdude and more! In-Person Camp Only.
Student-writers dive into fun writing activities which explore who they are and the themes that move or inspire them. They will explore their own six-word memoir, simile chains and how Shakespeare can be related to hip-hop. Students will enhance their “fiction tool-box” by looking at what all great stories share and using writing techniques to “show, not tell”. Student-writers will develop, publish and present their own work during the class. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Students will look a wide range of issues from the mundane to the worldly and argue “for” or “against” a variety of everyday items, events, and ideas. Along the way, they will research, structure, craft and execute their speeches to inform and persuade. Students will be practicing their public speaking skills, working on speaking from the diaphragm, projection, breath control, structure and conquering the quivers. The goal is to make students more aware of their self-presentation as well as give them a level of comfort with speaking in public. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
This is a class for anyone who has been enchanted by a video game’s story or world and wanted to make their own! Over the course of the week, students will learn about the fundamentals designing story-driven games including writing dialogue, making decision trees, devising character-driven conflicts, and setting up worlds that players will want to explore. Then, students will be able to put these techniques to use by designing their own narrative-driven game using RPG Maker, an engine used by real indie game developers. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Step into the shoes of a detective — uncover the science involved in evidence gathering and analysis. Student will use the powers of observations and investigative gear to find, collect and analyze evidence. Students also become a super-spy. They build binoculars; discover what it takes to keep things safe and how technology works in the spy game! They will take turns on short surveillance shifts to test their observation abilities and create their very own Secret Safe while challenging others to crack the code! This course is offered in partnership with Mad Science. In-Person Camp Only.
Develop and refine basic drawing skills and gain self-confidence as you develop powers of observation, learning at your own pace in this structured class. Explore a broad range of drawing materials while defining your individual style. Explore different concepts and media. Study form, proportion and perspective working from still lifes. Demonstrations occur in each class. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Students will learn how to build, program, and fly industry-grade drones using a professional kit and an open-source coding environment. Students will learn the mechanics of UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) flight through hands-on demos; learn the process of designing and programming drone software, from engineering basic flight controls to building autonomous navigators and voice-control applications; interact with infrared, gyroscopic, and other sensors; and learn about regulations, ethics, and other key industry questions. By the end of the week, students will be able to use their skills to build, fly, and program drones. In-Person Camp Only.
Supplemental Fee: There is an additional $130 fee for the purchase of the drone, which the student will build and use during class and will take home after the class is completed. The retail value of the drone is $180.
Prerequisites: Java Level 1 or Python Level 1 or equivalent programming experience.
This course is for designed for students who love books like Hunger Games, The Giver, or Maze Runner. Dystopia is an imaginary world where society lives under the oppression of a government, belief or technology. Students will read a couple of dystopian short stories to spur discussions about common themes and story elements in dystopian fiction. Students work together to create their own perfect society, learning by discovery how difficult perfection is and why fictional utopias almost always become dystopias. Students work together to create their own dystopia and discuss lessons that could be learned from their imagined dystopia. Finally, students write their own dystopian short story. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
