Fall 2009

The Early Explorers Program - Kindergarten - First Grade

(Students make take one or two courses)

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

(AES05) Paleontology (Sunday Only): Digging for Dinosaurs – How do we know that some dinosaurs had feathers or that Ichthyosaurs gave birth to live young or that remains of the Oviraptor were discovered over a clutch of eggs. Some scientists concluded that the animal was an egg predator. Develop your own alternative explanation. Consider the evidence you will need to test your rival hypothesis. Examine images of fossils and deduce your own theory of extinction. Create an extinct creature of your own from the bones you uncover. Instructor: Jean Cowan

(AEH01) Trial of the Big Bad Wolf: The Law through Fairy Tale Trials: What do Little Red Riding Hood, Hansel and Gretel, and Jack from the Beanstalk have in common? Each character is under 12 years old, gifted, and capable of tackling extraordinary challenges in order to live “happily ever after.” Through the multiple lenses of law, literature, and theater, students in this class explore the legal issues surrounding the story of the Big Bad Wolf. They will defend or prosecute the wolf by considering several perspectives. Did he really blow the house down or did he simply sneeze because of a bad cold? Is Jack the Giant Killer guilty of stealing? Does Rumpelstiltskin deserve a pile of gold for breach of contract? An interdisciplinary mix of speaking and writing activities prepares students to take on the varied roles of lawyer, witness, juror, and storyteller. Order in the Courtroom focuses on developing advanced skills in oral argument, moral reasoning, mediation, conflict resolution, and the classic art of great storytelling. Instructor:Pearl Ball

(AEH02) Work Like the Egyptians (Saturday Only, pd. 1): 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

Closed - Saturday Only - (AES03) Building Bridges: Truss, arch, suspension, and more — young engineers learn about bridge structures and study famous examples from around the world. Students create their own bridge models based on the principles of physics and through the process of scientific inquiry. Instructor: Caitlin Lang

(AES04) Chemist in the Kitchen (Saturday, pd. 2 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: Brenda Pachella

(AES02) Entomology: Science Gone Buggy (Saturday, p.d 2 only): Young entomologists will learn about insect and  bug classifications. Students will be able to identify the body parts of insects, describe and compare their life cycles as complete or incomplete metamorphosis. Students will read about The Very Busy Spider and The Very Hungry Caterpillar and then create glitter glue webs, and a healthy diet for the caterpillar. Students will search for and observe live insects, watching ants create tunnels and bees dance. A butterfly environment will be prepared, providing the ideal habitat for a Monarch Butterfly. Students will make and eat familiar insect snacks such as honey from bees and gummy bugs. Through many hands on activities, games and projects students will gain a greater appreciation for the small, crawling creatures they call bugs. Instructor: Catherine Fontana

(AES01) Grossology - Body Systems (Sunday, Pd. 2 only): Fascinating Systems of the Human Body. Gross, grosser and grossest... The human body conducts fascinating and sometimes seemingly repulsive functions but all serve a valuable purpose! From spit and vomit to sweat and snot, curious students engage in inquiry-based experiments and activities to study the various systems of the human body, the functions they serve, and the outcomes they produce. Discussions, research and collaborative projects further challenge students to think critically and synthesize information. Instructor: Dominique Waldron