The courses allow children with exceptional
intellectual ability to extend their existing
Why did the Ancient Egyptians collect
bees thousands of years ago? Why is our relationship with these complex
creatures so important today? Honey bees, bumble bees, carpenter bees,
killer bees, and sweat bees are just some of the species that make up the
Apoidea family. In what regions of the world are these interesting insects
found? Learn about the life cycle of bees as well as the different roles
within the caste. Are bees the only insects involved in the production of
over 150 crops we eat? How many flowers must worker bees visit to make one
tablespoon of honey? How do bees communicate? Do the honeybee waggle dance
and find out how bees use their senses. Investigate the role of an
apiculturist. Make your own beeswax candles. Simulate sipping through your
own proboscis. You will be as busy as bees learning all about this unique
Investigate the world of these mighty
beasts that have walked this earth for 55 million years! Learn
about different types of elephants and their unique attributes.
Did you know a single tusk can weigh over 200 pounds? In what
ways do they use their tremendous trunks? How do elephants
communicate? Learn about their connections to prehistoric
animals and how they evolved into the animals we see today.
Build a model of a habitat for the largest land mammal. What
impact do hunters and people have on the population of this
endangered species? What can be done to protect them? Explore
their survival tactics. Join us to learn more about the exciting
and interesting world of powerful and playful Pachyderms!
What are Cave Popcorn, Cave Bacon
and Soda Straws? These might sound like the newest food craze, but they are
all types of formations that can be found in caves! Let's go "spelunking"
and discover what lies underground. Are you ready to create your own cave,
take a tour of a virtual cave, create sinkholes, and grow our own crystals?
Learn about different animals that live in caves, like the cave shrimp. How
are sea, fissure, slate, sea and sandstone caves similar? How were they
formed? Where can you find them? Grab your explorer light helmet and join us
on a fascinating adventure underground.
is all around us, but what is sound? Does sound travel faster and further in
water or air? What is the speed of sound? Do all living things hear the same
things at the same frequencies? Did you know a whale’s “song” can travel a
distance of 500 miles? What is a sonic boom? Make your own microphone and
sound effects. Create sound waves and determine if they create actual sound.
Experiment with pitch and volume by assembling different instruments to
produce sound. How do we measure vibrations? Which materials are the best
conductors for sound? We will explore sound by making a hydrophone. Conduct
a series of scientific investigations and participate in a "mock science
fair." Delve into the wonderful world of the physics of acoustics.
Whose heart beats 95 times a
minute? Who breathes an average of 18 breathes a minute?
Who needs 1,300 mg of calcium every day? Who is still
digesting food from last night's dinner? Give up?
It's YOU! The human body is full of mysteries!
Become a biologist and take a look into the human body as we
learn how cells form tissues, which form organs, which make
systems, which make you. Be a part of building a digestive
system and observe how food travels through the intestines.
Observe how blood flows through the circulatory system when we
simulate heartbeats. Experiment with your own respiratory system
to discover your unique lung capacity. Construct a
skeleton model to see just how unique the skeletal system is.
It won't be until you come face to face with the digestive,
circulatory, respiratory, skeletal and nervous systems that
you'll truly see how amazing YOU really are!
How can you tell whether a stream is a healthy one? If the water looks dirty does that mean it's of poor quality an unsafe to drink? What kinds of organisms are present in freshwater streams? Can the presence of some organisms indicate how healthy the water quality is? What are the different types of habitats in a stream and what organisms prefer each one? We will answer these questions by rolling up our pant legs and wading through a campus stream! In this course we will learn how to test the quality of the water and will identify the fish, amphibians, crayfish, mussels, snails, and macroinvertebrates present and the role each group of organisms plays in stream ecology.