The following classes will be held June 10-14th or June 17– 21st.
All of the following classes are 3 hour classes. A full day student will pick 2 classes and a half day student will pick 1. Your student will receive the course selection sheet once they have been accepted into the program.
- Digital Painting (Week 2 Closed)
- 187: Solutions for the Congo
- Flight Sim (Full)
- 3D Design (Week 1 Closed)
- Horse Sense: Equine Science
- App for That! (Full)
- Fashionably Mashed
- Beyond Beautiful: Jewelry from 3D + Computer Aided Design
- Green Technology
- This IS Rocket Science! (Week 1 Afternoon FULL Week 2 Afternoon FULL)
- MythBreakers: How Does That Work (Week 2 Afternoon FULL)
- BOOM! The Science of Fire, Combustion, and Explosions (Week 2 Afternoon FULL)
- BOOM! BOOOM!: Thermodynamics (FULL)
- The Human Body-An Exploration of Anatomy
- Exploring Veterinary Science – (Week 1 FULL)
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (FULL)
- GALACTIC STEM Adventures
- MATH! For the Competitive Mathematician
- Pwned! Programming Your Own Video Game (Week 1 FULL)
- ROY G BIV: Mysteries of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
- Intermediate Robotics: Taking the Next Step
- Advanced Robotics: Advanced Design and Programming of the Lego & Tetrix Systems (think First Tech Challenge) (FULL)
- Chemistry Chaos: Thou Shalt….. Wear Your Goggles! (FULL)
- High Efficiency Architecture! Design and Construction of a Green Home
- Stream Ecology, Wading In…..the Poudre River
- Fountain Engineering: Explore Fountains AND Build your own
- Dream Resort Design (Week 1 Afternoon FULL)
- Designing Games: Using a Laser Cutter/Engraver CAD (Week 2 Afternoon FULL)
- RC Airplanes (FULL)
- Gene Tech / DNA
- Dig It! Fossils
- Underwater Exploration: Underwater Robotics and Tools of Exploration (FULL)
- Bring them Back! GIS Restoring Native Species
- Nature’s Fury: Natural Disasters (First Lego Research Background)
Digital Painting
Weeks 1 and 2
Students in this course will learn to utilize the computer as a tool for vibrant creative work. By using time-tested painting fundamentals, combined with the most advanced digital tools available, Students will create one digital painting per day for the duration of the workshop. The class will use ArtRage Studio Pro and Wacom Drawing tablets to explore digital painting through a variety of subjects. Each day students will solve a different visual problem. Ultimately, the aim of the class is to provide greater experience with and access to new media by examining the union of art and technology. Check out teacher Daniel Ibanez’s site here. See his stream on Google Plus at ‘Daniel Ibanez’. He will be giving a TED Talk about Google+ and Art in May, 2013!
Flight Sim – (Week 2 Full)
Weeks 1 and 2
Have you ever dreamed of getting in the left seat of a Boeing 787 with your captain’s epaulettes on your shoulders and taking off on runway 36L? yes Or maybe you have the ‘right stuff’ and want to join NASA as a commander.
It all starts with basic flight training and this course is designed to give an introduction to becoming a pilot using a personal computer-based flight training device. The class will take a field trip to a local airport. This class will be a lot of hard, fun, focused work.
187: Solutions for the Congo
Week 2
The Democratic Republilc of Congo is 187th on a list of 187 countries on the United Nations Index of Human Development. This class will explore the conditions and problems faced by Congolese peoples and their environment and, using GIS system, develop practical and effecient solutions. Make your world better!
Math: For the Competitive Mathematician
Week 2
Do you imagine yourself walking up to recieve a trophy for excellence in mathematical computation and understanding? This is YOUR class. Students will learn and practice ways to increase their performance at competitions such as MathCounts from an expereinced and successful MC coach!
3D Design
Weeks 1 and 2
Have you ever wanted to design an object and then create it from nothing? Get your hands on and mind around software (Solidworks) where you can design 3D objects and then create them using a ‘3D’ printer. See how technology can uncomplicate prototyping while creating your own 3D design!
Horse Sense: Equine Science
Week 1
Love horses? Come join us in learning about this most beautiful, athletic and historically important animal. We will learn about the training, management, and health of the horse and share our own experiences with our beloved equine friends.
App For That! (Week 2 Full)
Week 2
Learn to make web-based apps (Javascript) for the iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad! Students will create interactive and fun apps that can be accessed from the Safari browser. The course will start with a basic web page design, and then students will add style sheets and javascript to create an app that looks just like it came from the App Store. Students can use classroom iPads for testing and sharing.
Fashionably Mashed
Weeks 1 and 2
Science + Fashion + Math = FashionablyMashed! What is the connection between fashion design and STEM? Interested? If so, this is the class for you! Using the tools, templates and step-by-step process that professional designers use, you will design a t-shirt. You will make the decisions and solve the problems that designers confront and will even explore the opportunity of marketing your design. — class location: Preston
Beyond Beautiful: Jewelry from 3D Printing + Computer Aided Design
Weeks 1 and 2
Can a piece of jewelry solve a problem? Can bracelets and necklaces, besides being beautiful accessories, be useful to the people who wear them? “Beyond Beautiful” will take you into the world where creativity and technology are best friends. This experience is for you if you like the idea of design or if you are an aspiring designer or engineer. In “Beyond Beautiful” you will —
- · Explore how to create jewelry that is as useful as it is beautiful and fun.
- · Work with 3D printing and computer aided design (also known as CAD).
- · Learn the creative process!
With a mix of technology and creativity you will design and make jewelry that addresses a problem you and your teammates think needs a true solution in the world today. The result will be beyond beautiful.
Green Technology
Weeks 1 and 2
Each day will focus on a different green form of technology. Students will be creating bio-fuels from sunflower seeds, building model solar farms, designing vertical farms, and modeling turbine blades. A field trip to view technology in action will expose students to the green technology that exists in northern Colorado.
Exploring Vet Science – (Week 1 Full)
Weeks 1 and 2
This course will explore veterinary science and some aspects of a career in this field. During the class, students will learn the basics of animal classification, animal rehabilitation, careers in the field of veterinary science, visit an animal hospital, and learn some of the latest advancements in the field. Note: involves live animals (allergies). There will also be a dissection.
This IS Rocket Science!
Weeks 1 & 2
This hands-on course will introduce students to the principles of aeronautical engineering. During the course, students will design and build a Model Rocket, calibrate it on a test firing apparatus, and use those data to relate position, velocity, and acceleration. Students will then predict the trajectory of their rocket and fire them to test their predictions. This course is open to model rocket beginners and enthusiasts alike.
MythBreakers: How Does That Work!?
Week 2
Want to try out some popular myths about how things work (or don’t!) MythBreakers is an opportunity to learn and explore things you’ve always wondered about!
BOOM! The Science of Fire, Combustion, and Explosions and
BOOM! BOOM! (Week 1 Only)
BOOM! (Weeks 1 and 2)
Today, everything in our lives is possible because of the burning of fossil fuels. Students will learn about the science behind the burning of fossil fuels and the environmental impact of burning these organic molecules. Students will also learn how combustion and compression engines work. Students will explore the differences in burning these different fossil fuels (kerosene, methane, propane) with modern, small-scale chemistry techniques. After learning about fossil fuels, students will see how other explosives are used in the world today and see the chemistry behind each of them. Students will learn hands on the inner working of fireworks. Finally students will be able to see how pressure is used in explosives. No previous chemistry knowledge is needed for this course. The two classes cover different explosions.
The Human Body – An Exploration of Anatomy
Weeks 1 and 2
This class will be exploring the inner workings of the human body. It is a mix of anatomy, biochemistry, and nutritional sciences. Students will see how eating a hamburger to drinking a couple cups of coffee affects every system in their body. The labs will be using modern small-scale science techniques and labs. Students will also explore how drugs and alcohol affect each of the body systems. This class shows how whatever we put into our body has a cause and effect relationship on how all of the body systems are orchestrated together. No previous anatomy or biology knowledge is needed for this course.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Weeks 1 and 2
A crime has been committed!! Come and investigate the crime and find out who the culprit is! Fingerprints, hair samples, cheek swabs, interviews and more! Come help solve this crime!
Galactic STEM Adventures (Girls Adventures in Learning…A Chance To Investigate Careers)
Weeks 1 and 2
This class is an “out of this world” opportunity for young women to learn about women in STEM careers. As a field trip-based course, participants will visit and even work with local female professionals from medicine, technology, veterinary science, environmental science, and much more. Students will summarize their adventures at the STEM Show on Friday.
Pwned! Programming Your Own Video Game (Week 1 Afternoon FULL)
Weeks 1 and 2
“Pwned” is what you say in the moment of glory! Students will advance their understanding of math and logic by learning to program video games. Starting from the theory and history of computer game design, students will leave the week with their very own 2-dimensional game. Previous programming experience is not needed.
Intermediate Robotics: Design, Build, and Program Robots
Week 1
Learn about designing, building, programming and controlling robots using the Lego NXT system. Class members will work in small groups to solve problems using their skills and teamwork. You are READY for the next step!
Advanced Robotics: Advanced Design and Programming (First Tech Challenge)
Week 1 and 2
Students will explore the firmware programming language and robotic construction techniques. The robots will be equipped with touch, sonar, light, and optical sensors that will be used in maneuvering the robot about. Student programmed robots will then be capable of navigating a predetermined obstacle course and completing various designated tasks. We will use the Tetrix building system for this class.
ROY G BIV: Mysteries of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Week 2
Camera Obscura!? Spectrophotometer!? Noble Gas Discharge Tubes!? Yep, it is all here and you will build it! Students will investigate different kinds of electromagnetic waves while gaining a new perspective on everyday items as you view them through different lenses and filters. Students will construct a spectroscope to take home, and investigate how EM waves move while making a simple spectrophotometer for analyzing visible light. Plasma physics? That too!
Chemistry Chaos: Thou Shalt….. Wear Your Goggles! (Week 1 Morning FULL)
Week 1
Unfold the mystery of fundamental chemical reactions while creating powerful and colorful chemistry uproar on your bench! Create your own bottle rocket, fire extinguisher and hot or cold packs using common household chemicals, learn to manipulate some amazing polymers, experiment safely with dry ice and liquid nitrogen, and much more… No prior knowledge of chemistry is required.
High Efficiency Architecture! Design and Construction of a Green Home
Week 1
Participants in this class will learn about the principles of high-efficiency building design and will construct a model ‘green’ home.
Stream Ecology, Wading In…..the Poudre River
Weeks 1 and 2
What do organisms living in the Poudre River need to survive? How can we find out if the water is safe for living things? Spend your afternoons at different sites along the Poudre River conducting chemical tests and catching macro-invertebrates to determine the overall water quality of the river. Specialists who work for the city of Fort Collins will join us on the river to help relate our findings to current water quality problems facing the Poudre River.
Fountain Engineering: Explore Fountains AND Build Your Own
Week 1
Ready to get wet?? Students will investigate the properties of projectile motion, especially as related to the path water travels for a fountain. We will visit a local fountain park (Oak Street or Loveland Sports Complex) to take measurements, discover the velocity, angle, and equation necessary to create these water arcs, and finish by designing our own fountain park to meet required specifications. We will learn about and construct a laminar flow nozzle to aid in constructing a physical model of the fountain park (This means you get to build and test your own fountain nozzle! The testing becomes a great big water fight!). The things we will do are exactly what a local landscape engineering and architecture firm has done a few times to design actual fountains for cities across the nation.
Dream Resort Design
Week 1 and 2
Students will design and build their ultimate beach getaway cabin. Using skills, knowledge, and artistic flare we will build a resort community from the ground up. We will be using graphic design software and a laser etcher do design and build unique buildings and other structures. We’ll start with a map of the area then each student will be given a parcel of land. Using civil engineering, structural engineering, and architectural design students will build a scale model of their dream cabin on their ideal lot. Together we will learn more about structures, planned communities, scale modeling, landscaping, interior design and more. Come build your dream!
Designing Games: Using a Laser Cutter/Engraver CAD (Week 2 Afternoon FULL)
Week 1 and 2
Have you always wanted to design your own game? Here is your chance to do it and do it right! In this class, each student will design and build a new game. We will use graphic software and a laser cutting and etching machine to build the pieces for your game. We can design the game boards and write up all the rules. Since we will use the equipment that the professionals use, your game will look just as good, or maybe even better than, anything you can buy at the store. Who knows? You may even come up with the next big game. Watch out Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, here we come!
RC Airplanes
Week 1 and 2
Do things really fly or do they respond to the forces upon them? Discover firsthand how flight really works. You will learn the physics of flight and apply your discoveries to your own flying machine. You will gather your own observations and data for analysis of what makes efficient flight. Your goal will be to create your own foam flyer and have a remote controlled flight. There is a materials fee for the Fancy Foam RC aircraft of $125 (participants will be able take their complete RC airplane and controller home).
Gene Tech / DNA
Week 1 and 2
Gene Tech will survey many topics in genetics and biotechnology. Students will investigate mutant fruit flies, prepare and run gel electrophoresis trials, genetically modify bacteria and dig into the hidden world of the DNA code. Each day will focus on the real-life lab skills used by biologists who study and manipulate DNA. By the end of the week you will know how to pipette, incubate, streak a plate , run a gel, use a centrifuge, and even run a polymerase chain reaction!
Dig It! Fossils
Week 1 and 2
Sift though Miocene aged fossil gravel to identify and keep different kinds of shark teeth. Learn how to identify different kinds of fossil wood. Use a microscope to make a collection of fossils from ancient oceans. Construct scale models of dinosaurs within minutes. Prepare and keep a fossil fish from an Eocene aged lake of Wyoming. Explore the history of life on Earth at the Preston STEM institute.
Underwater Exploration: Underwater Robotics and Tools of Exploration
Week 1
Students will learn about many of the techniques that scientists use to explore our oceans, from scuba diving on coral reefs to sending deep sea submersibles to the bottom of the Marianas Trench. We will explore the challenges of underwater exploration and the technology that exists to investigate the Earth’s final frontier, in part by building our own underwater robot!
Bring them Back! GIS Restoring Native Species
Week 2
Students will be working in technical and hands on settings to help replant native species in an effort to combat invasive species at the Environmental Learning Center. We will bike to the ELC to plot and identify areas where there is a need for replanting native plants following a previous eradication of invasive plants. Students will use GIS technology to identify the types of plants that will best suit the identified areas in need of replanting. Students will bike to the ELC and replant the area while mapping and cataloging plants electronically so that future success and or needs can be identified.
Nature’s Fury: Natural Disasters
Week 1 and 2
What would you do if mother nature struck? What are some of the causes of tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, and forest fires? In Natural Disasters we will explore the vulnerabilities in different parts of the world and how humans can be prepared for the worst. We will look at how humans can shape their local environment to protect themselves against nature’s fury. Note: This is an excellent choice for FLL teams wanting to start on their 2013 FLL Research Project!