Fall 2009

The Gateways Program - Second - Third Grades

(Students may take one or two courses)

All courses are offered on Saturday or Sunday unless otherwise noted.

CLOSED SATURDAY ONLY(AGH01) Medieval Times: Have fun as you explore one of the most fascinating times in our history. Learn about the life of a serf, and the difficult struggle of a squire to become a knight. Build your own cataplut, and siege a castle. Activities will include life in a monastery, a medieval banquet, and designing an original coat of arms. Instructor: Marcia Napolitano

(AGS01) Gee! Gee! Geometry: Captain Geo and his crew are stuck in Lineland and they need your help to return to Space. When the journey begins the crew has been transformed into points or dots, no bigger then the head of a pin. Your task, should you decide to accept it, is to help the crew return to their spaceship and back to the World of Dimensions. Help Captain Geo and his crew find their way back home using tiles, cubes, puzzles, mirrors, and even marshmallows! Students will sharpen their spatial reasoning skills while making insightful observations through an inquiry-based journey of geometric experiences. This study of shapes and designs enables you to see the world’s patterns in new and creative ways.  You will use geo-boards to learn geometry through manipulation, improving visual thinking, spatial reasoning and problem strategies.  Design 3-D figures and create shapes and patterns from any imaginable materials.  Spaghetti curves, pretzel rectangles, prisms, gum drop pyramids and more will have you gobbling up math.Instructor: Brenda Pachella

CLOSED SUNDAY ONLY: (AGH02) Pop-Up Book Engineering: Participants in this workshop will use the mechanism of paper engineering (pop-up mechanism) to produce 3-D models which illustrate geometric concepts. The process of the construction of these models allows for building imagery, testing predictions, arousing and satisfying curiosity. This approach transports the students beyond the static two-dimensional aspects of geometry to a more dynamic, life like geometric world where shapes 'move' and may be seen as part of a three dimensional scene. Instructor: Caitlin Lang

(AGS02) Chemist in the Kitchen (Saturday, pd. 1 only): Chemistry is all around us and one of the best places to explore chemistry is in your kitchen! In this class, students will use many household products to explore the wonders of chemical reactions. Find out what you can do with lemon juice, cabbage, vinegar, and milk. Discover how to clean up old pennies, discover acids and bases, and measure how much fat is in potato chips! Instructor: Laurie Smith

(AGS03) Magic of Chemistry (Sunday, Pd. 1 only): No elaborate equipment necessary.  No expensive chemicals required.  Your kitchen becomes your laboratory.  All materials are easily found in the home. Combine common household materials and observe their chemical reactions as you discover basic principles of chemistry. Instructor: Dominique Waldron

(AGH03) Interpreting Text (Sunday, pd. 1 only): Develop your critical reading skills using theatre improvisation, music and dance. Take a journey into the world of an old Japanese folktale and let Japanese music inform and inspire us to interpret the text of The Crane Wife.  Students will also make their own props and simple costume pieces to enhance the experience. Instructor: Margo Hammond

CLOSED(AGH04) Ethnomusicology 101 - World Music (Sunday, pd. 1 only): What does a digeridoo do? How does a gamelon? Why cowbells? This course will survey the musics of the world- approaching musical culture through universal themes. We will explore instruments, sounds, contexts and practices with recordings, live performances, workshops and sharing. Expect special uests, hands-on experiments, and lots of music! Instructor: Scott Spencer

CLOSED - Saturday Only - (AGH05) Detective Mystery Club: How do detectives solve a mystery? What kind of clues do they search for? Take this course to solve the case of the stolen chocolate recipe and more. Use your deductive reasoning and problem-solving skills to solve a variety of "Whodunit" mysteries and crimes. Instructor: Marcia Napolitano

(AGH06) Publish Me (Saturday, pd. 2 only): In this couse you will become an author as you write, illustrate and publish your own book. Putting together all elements of creative writing in this effort will result in a life-long treasure, your first published book. Instructor:

(AGS04) Bubbleology Math & Science (Saturday, pd. 2 only): Get carried away with the magic of bubbles. Make and test bubble solutions to create the largest bubble or the longest lasting bubble.  Create giant tube bubbles.  Put math and science to work as you experiment with bubble making equipment. Measure bubbles, build geodesic domes, learn matrix logic and strengthen every math problem-solving strategy you know, while having fun at the same time. Instructor: Lew Ayres

(AGS05) Superhero Science: Have you dreamed of swinging on a web like Spiderman, having the strength of Hulk & Superman, controlling the weather like the X men's storm or creating gadgets like iron Man or Batman? There are villains everywhere and now more than ever we need a hero! What would your superpower be? Would you tell anyone your secret identity? Dust off your cape and put on your utility belt, someone needs to save the world and it might be you! Instructor: Wanda Rodriguez

(AGH07) Work Like the Egyptians (Sunday, pd. 2 only): We’ll get to have an intimate experience of life in the time of the pharaohs as we use the creative process to make Egyptian jewelry, build pyramids to play in, make a magnificent pharaoh’s mask to dress up with, make up our faces, paint on papyrus and create lots more artwork that relates to the lives of the children, artisan, farmer, scribe, builder, priestess, pharaoh and mummies.Feel that desert heat as we begin an exciting adventure exploring the daily life of our ancient Egyptian ancestors.  Life in those times meant hard  but rewarding work for most people, and thanks to their creativity and their genius at engineering and building we have many examples of the work they did that still survive to this day.  Imagine yourself as an archaeologist, patiently sifting through the sands of time and coming upon an amazing pyramid whose walls are covered with the life story of the king and his family who are buried there, and whose rooms are filled with all the beautiful crafted jewelry, artwork and furniture that were entombed there with the king for his use in the afterlife.  Picture his sarcophagus, a very fancy coffin, that holds his mummy that was so carefully prepared and wrapped after his death.  Imagine the food they ate, the clothes they wore and the way they made up their faces every day. Instructor: Eyleen Faust

(AGS06) Bank on It! (Saturday, pd. 1 or Sunday, pd. 2 only): Savings & Checking Budding bankers explore the concept of a bank and its alternatives. After delving into topics including savings, interest and checking, students practice real-world skills as they establish their own bank and set up different types of bank accounts, make deposits and withdraw money. Instructor (Saturday): Catherine Fontana Instructor (Sunday): Karen Helmstetter

(AGS07) Things that Move (Sunday, pd. 2 only): Students will enjoy being "artistic scientists” when they construct their own toys, mobiles and wind chimes.  We will paint, glue, and string creative masterpieces using various materials.  When the projects are done, there will be lots of fun… playing with their creations that roll, spin or twirl in the breeze.  Smocks are required and come prepared to work with your hands. Instructor:Marcy Madden

(AGH08) daVinci Mode (Saturday, pd. 2 only): Leonardo da Vinci had ideas and inspiration that made him much more than an artist – he was also an engineer, inventor, scientist, and, some people thought, a magician!  He left us some wonderful notebooks that show us what a brilliant man he was.  He invented many kinds of machines, including war tanks, gliders, a kind of camera, a copying machine and even a kind of ancient computer that have been built into working models by today’s scientists and engineers.  So let’s take a walk through the life of Leonardo and learn about stretching our imaginations to envision a picture of the future by using Leo’s methods and ideas.  We’ll make our own paint, create a “Secret Notebook” like Leo did, learn how to make portraits like the Mona Lisa and even paint a great big “Last Supper” of our own, showing our favorite foods and self portraits.   We’ll also design our own futuristic machines and in the process make some amazing discoveries of our own! Instructor: Eyleen Faust

(AGH09) Abracadabra (Sunday, pd. 1 only): Amaze your family and friends with magic! Learn how to be a magician and put on a magic show. Have fun with this hands-on course, gaining self-confidence as you learn the skills of a magician. Create magic with ordinary objects to be a star anytime, anywhere. Make paper clips link, hair ties flip, coins disappear and balls change places, plus many more surprises. People will love to watch you perform, if you do exciting magic! Instructor: Beverly Suzan