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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An escape room is a physical adventure game in which players solve a series of puzzles using clues to complete the objectives at hand by a certain time. Each day, students will participate in an escape room at the beginning of class. They will be exposed to a broad range of scenarios, clues and puzzles used in escape rooms. During the course of the week, students will team up and design their own escape room by creating their own scenario, clues and puzzles. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Note: The Virtual Online class will be building electronic escape rooms whereas the In-Person Class will be building “physical” escape rooms.
Note: This class can be taken multiple weeks because the lessons are different each week.
A fable is a short story that teaches a lesson or conveys a moral. Instructors read different fables each day and lead discussions with students regarding the character, plot and moral of the story. This class will broaden their exposure to new places, diverse people, and social situations while enhancing their vocabulary and communication skills. Students are directed to create their fable which they will share with the class at the end of the week. Virtual Camp Only.
Each week, the class will be exposed to a different set of fables.
Does your child have a favorite fashion designer already? Your child may be the next Vera Wang or Ralph Lauren. In this class, students create their own fashion collection using design software. Students start their creative process thinking about their inspiration and style. They will be making design choices around fabrics, color schemes and patterns. At the end of class, these student designers will present their collection to potential “buyers”. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Note: This class can be taken multiple weeks because the lessons are different each week.
Students will celebrate a different letter each day through games, crafts and stories. They will become more familiar with phonics and sight words. Virtual Camp Only.
Each week, the class will focus on different numbers and operations.
Mock Trial – The Criminal Justice System, Ages 11-14
0 Available seats
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.
Students explore the literary genre of mystery fiction. To get the blood flowing, students will participate in two murder mystery games where they will role-play characters and attempt to figure out who murdered the victim and how it was done. Then, students will analyze three short mysteries. Finally, students plan their own mystery incorporating the crime, suspects, motives, clues, alibis, witnesses, evidence and red herrings. The plot of this class will lead students to an ending of better narrative writing. Both In-Person Camp and Virtual Camp.
Phonics Poetry, Ages 5-7 (Mini-class, Virtual Only)
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Note: This class can be taken multiple weeks because the lessons are different each week.
Student learn how to decode words by reading poems that focus on a specific sound. Students are guided to gain fluency, phonics skills and sight word knowledge. They write the letter(s) from the sound in each blank, color the pictures, cut out around the black rectangle border, and glue into a spiral notebook. This class will enable students to gain confidence in their reading skills. Virtual Camp Only.
Each week, the class will focus on a different sound group.
Week 1: Short Vowels (a, e, i, o, u)
Week 2: Long Vowels (a, i, o, u, ai, ay, ea, ee, oa, ow)
Week 3: Variant Vowels (oo –as in “took”, oo – as in “tooth”) and more short vowels (a, e, i, o, u)