Multi-Week High School Courses

New! Stress Basics & Stress Busters: American teens are facing a stress crisis. Public health officials report a surge in the number of young people seeking help for anxiety. The course addresses this crisis by guiding students to an understanding of the latest scientific research about how chronic stress affects the body. The course also introduces students to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) to help them develop strategies for managing stress and restoring health and balance.

New! Art Outside the Box: Going Beyond Gallery Walls and Creating Your Own Art Book: The self-published art book, colloquially known as the "zine," typically combines writing and imagery. It offers an excellent way for artists to tell stories, share information, or communicate ideas outside of the traditional gallery format. Students will begin the course by practicing drawing techniques and learning about artists who make their own books as a means of expression. Students will also complete writing exercises and learn how text and images can work together to communicate a message. Then student will develop and present their book ideas to classmates as a means of practicing key professional skills. Finally, each students will create a book communicating about a scientific topic or event.

New! Introduction to Computer Programming (Python): This course offers an introduction to computer programming via the Python programming language. Students will listen to explanations and watch demonstrations as they gain practical experience with basic coding concepts such as calculations, string formatting/manipulation, conditional statements, iteration, simple graphical user interfaces, and abstraction of functions, as well as programming style. For their final project, students will creatively deploy the class materials to develop a simple graphical arcade game.

New! Invisible Life of the Oceans: Introduction to Marine Microbiology: This course explores an unfamiliar aspect of ocean life: the millions of microbes that can be found within a single drop of seawater. We will learn about the diversity and ecology of marine microbes, and the physical properties that allow them to survive in many different environments. Students will learn laboratory techniques that marine scientists and microbiologists use, including an introduction to proper sterile technique when dealing with microbes and marine microbe cultivation. We will collect field samples and use DNA sequencing and bioinformatics to identify microbial species. This course will immerse students in the scientific process as they formulate questions, collect data, and write up their findings. We will also explore career paths in marine microbiology and cultivate skills necessary for becoming a great scientist, including science communication.

New! Neuroscience: From Brain to Behavior: This course offers an exciting introduction to neuroscience. Through a combination of lecture, laboratory experiments, and group projects, students will explore how the brain works and how neuroscientists design experiments to discover new brain functions. The class will begin with an introduction to the anatomy of the brain, the neurons that compose it, and the methods of communication between these neurons. Then, students will explore how changes in the environment (sensory cues) are represented by the brain and processed to produce appropriate behaviors (motor outputs). Finally, students will investigate disorders of the nervous system to better understand the devastating consequences of disruption of the complex functioning of the brain.

High School Level Workshops

New! Astrobiology: In this class, we will explore some of the most amazing places on Earth – places where conditions approach the limits of life. Students will learn about the adaptations that allow organisms to persist in these extreme environments. We will examine how life has evolved in places such as Antarctica’s ancient red waterfall, the deadly crystal caves in Mexico, and the Challenger Deep. And we will consider the potential for past and present life beyond our planet.

New! Coding with DIY Drones: Students will learn how to fly pocket-sized drones and how to program them to complete a series of missions. Working in groups, students will build a remote controller from chipboard, wires, and joysticks. After pairing a drone and a remote, students will learn to program the drone to perform aerial acrobatics. Good-natured competitions will provide students with a learning platform to improve their understanding of how to fly a drone. These DIY Drones are for indoor use only and are the property of the program; students will not be taking any equipment home. This course is designed for students who have little or no experience with circuits and computer programming.

New! Cyanotype: Have you ever wondered how scientists, artists, and architects created images before digital cameras existed? This class will offer a rare hands-on experience with the chemistry of the very first photographic images! Students will use historic photo processes to create their own photo paper and negatives, and even to turn a T-shirt into a photographic surface. The course will show students how to use the cyanotype process to produce amazing blue pictures, blueprints, and scientific images. We will introduce a brief history of camera; the world of botanist Anna Atkins, the first published photographer; and the inspiring plans of architect Buckminster Fuller. Students will also learn about living artists using the cyanotype process today. If you love taking photos, this is definitely a class for you!

New! Digital Design: Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator: This class focuses on designing logos, business cards, and postcards. Students will learn how to edit photos and use special effects (fire effect, lighting, gradient, transparency, blur, cropping, and more) using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. We will investigate logo design concepts and work in teams to identify how color, font, and sketches are used to engage a target audience and make designs memorable. For their final project, students will create a branding package involving logo design, business card layout, and postcard design for an existing or hypothetical company. This course is designed for students with little or no experience with digital design. All equipment will be provided.

New! Filmmaking: The Magic Behind Making a Movie: This course analyzes what makes movies “magical.” What is it that allows the viewer to invest in the struggles of fictional characters? While looking at the mechanics of making a movie, students will use what they have learned about the stages of filmmaking and storytelling to collaborate to produce their own movie, which will address a problem in today’s world.

New! Illustrating Scientific Stories: Ideas that change the world are often complex and difficult to convey. A good infographic can make them accessible, carving the facts out of data and polishing them into art. In this class, students use rigorous research to find the truth behind topics they care about and use art to show the world the beauty of their ideas. We will develop a skill that will serve them well in any career path: the ability to find the truth and distill it for others. By the end of the class, students will be comfortable fact-checking claims that they encounter in their everyday lives using knowledgeable literature searches, visualizing data in the statistical software, "R", and integrating what they find into eye-catching graphics using Adobe Illustrator. Students have the choice to publish their graphic online for public education at www.squidtoons.com. Experience with coding, Adobe Illustrator and art is not necessary.

New! Indonesian Gamelan: Percussion Instruments: An Indonesian gamelan ensemble is made up mostly of percussive bronze instruments played with mallets. In this workshop, students will learn how to play traditional instruments from West Java and perform traditional repertoire as an ensemble. This music is associated with royalty, and it often accompanies traditional dance, puppet shows, and important events surrounding court life. In addition to learning how to play the instruments, we will explore cultural concepts and history surrounding this ancient music. The course will conclude with a performance that friends and family are invited to attend.

New! Introduction to 3D Printing with Solid Works: This course will introduce students to SolidWorks, a 3D solid modeling package that allows users to develop full solid models in a simulated environment for both design and analysis. Students can use SolidWorks to sketch ideas and experiment with different designs to create 3D models, and then analyze the performance of these models. SolidWorks is used worldwide across many disciplines by students, designers, engineers, and other professionals to produce simple and complex parts, assemblies, and drawings. The complicated models generated from SolidWorks can be printed directly using 3D printing. Students will learn that many objects around us, from bottles and pens to cars and buildings, were designed using this type of interactive 3D software. No experience is required.

Introduction to Circuits using Makey Makey: Do electronics and bananas go together? Absolutely! Learn how to create fun circuits using Makey Makey circuit boards that can be expanded and accentuated with everyday items like a banana, tin foil, or a bouncy ball. Science and art will collide as the technology of circuits is used to create art in the form of music, paintings, and photographs.

New! Introduction to Python Programming: Game on! This course will introduce students to Python programming and the basics of computer science. Students will learn how to program in the Python language, and they will become familiar with common computer science practices, such as variables, looping, and condition statements, that can be applied to other programming languages. This class is designed to be more fun than informative, so most of our time will be spent incorporating what we learn to build simple games in Python and diving into how computer games work. Student will have a chance to make their own versions of common games, adding in features they like.

New! Living Structure: Walking Beasts: It walks as if possessed by a mind of its own – no motor, no gas, no battery, just a series of lurching dance steps along the boundaries of imagination and reality. What is it? The contraption we will design in this class is called a Walking Beast. We will study, design, and build our own Walking Beasts, and then let them loose to explore our world (with the help of a leaf blower as needed). Concepts incorporated in this class include engineering, wind power design, gravity, frictional rotation, and structural integrity. Together we will explore how artistic creativity can drive scientific design and vice versa. No experience is required.

Make Your Own Inflatables: In this class, students will explore the fascinating world of bubbles. They will discover the intersection of engineering, architecture, art, and nature through amazing experiments with bubbles and inflatables. As inventors and designers, they will be building their own unique constructions through the iterative design-to-build process and creating giant inflatables from ordinary plastic bags! No experience is required.

New! Make a Chatbox with Python: In this class, students will explore the intricacies of the World Wide Web and how it functions by creating a chatbox using Python programming. In building our chatbox, we will look at how a message traverses the web from a person at one point on Earth to another. We will also discover ways we can make this communication secure and faster. Experience in Python is welcome but not necessary.

Math and Murals: Students will design a mural while simultaneously discovering how to use math to perfect the execution of their final project. They will explore how different types of paints adhere to different surfaces, and they will become efficient at calculating the needed materials and costs to complete large-scale murals. Together we will investigate obtaining permission and permits for final mural placement. Topics will also include a discussion of funding and grants, and how to use technology to enhance designs. All students will participate in creating a sample mural, either individually or in groups.

New! Mysteries of the Human Genome: Why are your eyes brown and mine green? Why is your hair so curly? What does your blood type mean? Will your brother go bald? In this class, we learn about the basics of DNA, the instruction manual for all cells, and how DNA impacts the way traits are passed from one generation to the next. We will create mixed-media art pieces to showcase important cell cycles, and we will use fun interactive models to learn about inheritance and variance. Students will play Sherlock Holmes to decode a series of genetic mysteries and will come up with their own gripping short stories showing how murders can be solved using biological techniques. No prior experience is necessary.

New! Ocean Science & Marine Biodiversity: The ocean is home to many vital ecosystems – from the tide pools to the depths of the middle Pacific. What is life like for the many unusual animals that survive here, and how can we use research to help maintain these areas? Through scientific processes and “lab” experiments, we will dive below the surface. We will look at the human-caused effects on ocean ecosystems, including a peek into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to explore how plastics move around our oceans. Students will learn how the slightest temperature increase above water can impact everything below it, and they will dissect animals to put into perspective how specialized ocean life is. Students will also create hand-crafted marine creatures using recycled plastics and trash.

New! Passport to the Pacific: Exploring Culture, Art, and Marine Ecology – Kokua Kai Hawaii: We’re off on a journey where students will virtually visit five destinations around the Pacific Rim: Micronesia, Canada, California, Mexico, and Hawaii. We will look at how these systems are interconnected by the great Pacific Ocean, and we will explore the differences in art, culture, clothing, wildlife, and marine ecosystems at each location. We will delve into challenges faced by these places, including climate change, overfishing, increased tourism, and population growth. Students will tap their creativity by making a wooden keepsake box that reflects the places we explore. By combining marine biology, oceanography, and cultural studies with adventure travel, the course ignites curiosity and inspires budding artists, scientists, and world travelers.

New! Photovoice: Community Advocacy Through Photography: Photography can be a powerful tool for giving voice to the voiceless and shedding light on local concerns from local perspectives. Photovoice combines photography, dialogue, photo exhibits, and social action to address issues people care about. In this course, students will learn how to identify community issues and how to use photography to tell a story about those issues. We will discuss case studies of Photovoice projects from around the world to begin thinking about our communities and possible actions for social change. Students will complete a Photovoice project and critique and discuss each other's projects to fine-tune each photographic story. The class will culminate with a group exhibition of projects.

Pirate Science: Ahoy! Life as a pirate is rough and rugged, and it requires scientific ingenuity. Join us to learn the fundamental suite of traditional nautical arts. Students will learn the elements of celestial navigation, sword fighting, weather prediction, knot tying, ship construction, and sailing. Students will gain an understanding of both the bravery and the ingenuity of traditional sailors as well as the beauty and elegance of modern physical theory.

New! Rewriting the Scientific World: In this course, students will choose their own particular scientific interest, such as a certain animal, habitat, science concept, or conservation effort. Then they will use that subject as a focus to create new forms and styles of writing. Based on each student’s particular interests, we will work together to break apart traditional forms of creative writing and sentence structure to develop our own unique type of writing.

New! Rube-Goldberg: From gadgets, to gravity, to spinning wheels, this is the class for engineering imagination. Working in teams we build interactive structures where a simple push starts a chain reaction of pulleys, dominoes, and so much more. These crazy types of systems, initially the idea of Mr. Rube Goldberg, began as a parody of the modern world. Now they’re fun. Here we engineer this art into life with a few machines of our own: wasting time and energy in the pursuit of “simple.”

Science of Science Fiction: Join us in blending knowledge with creativity to construct rich, innovative science fiction stories. We will explore how works of classic science fiction – from literature to film – found their beginnings in scientific thought. Using craft elements of fiction writing, students will write their own science fiction stories and, just maybe, influence the science world! No prior experience necessary.

New! Video Production: In this digital age, videos are everywhere! From viral videos to short films, they tell stories about the world. In this course, students will learn to tell their own stories through video making. They will be introduced to film theory and learn the basics of video production, including composition, editing, and audio. In small groups, students will storyboard, script, film, and edit their own short films. In addition to producing their own videos, students will also watch, examine, and discuss a variety of short films.

Middle School Level Workshops

A Treasure Chest of Experiences – Deep-Sea Exploration: Students will gets to know some of the bizarre creatures that dwell in the abyss and beyond, from the Dumbo octopus to the newly discovered ninja lanternshark. Explorers will learn firsthand about deep-sea expeditions as they pilot an underwater vehicle using the Scripps Institution of Oceanography DEEP XBOX game. From dive suits to landers and submarines, pressure/density relationships will be illuminated to show what makes research in these realms so challenging. Learning will come to life as each student creates a treasure chest multimedia box to bring home handcrafted creatures inspired from the deep.

New! Android App Design: Students will learn how to design and build their own apps. Each student will use the MIT App Inventor web application to craft, design, and code an app. Students can choose their background screens, add selected pictures and drawing canvases, and, if they like, include higher-level features such as option buttons and fill-out-the-form elements. There is an option to include interactive features as well. Student-designed apps can be simple games or utility apps. Join us to create and play today!

New! Animal and Plant Adaptations: Plants and animals have evolved complex adaptations to fit the particular environments in which they live. In this class, students will study survival techniques, marveling at courtship dances and learning how to skillfully use camouflage. The class will include wildlife videos, hands-on activities, creative role play, and an exploration of the fascinating characteristics plants and animals have evolved to survive. Adapt and evolve your world!

New! Architecture of the most exciting cities in the world: In this hands-on class, students will study the architecture behind the most glamorous and famous cities of the world, from New York City to Los Angeles and from London to Florence, Italy. Students will learn about the architecture of Hollywood and what goes into making a film set. They will explore the unique boroughs of New York City and study the architecture of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. Students will build a floating city modeled after Florence. They will also explore the unique restaurants and markets of Tokyo and create their own miniature Japanese restaurant. No prior experience is necessary.

New! Architecture: Famous Architects and their Amazing Buildings, from funky to fantastic! In this hands-on class, students will study famous architects and their amazing buildings. Frank Lloyd Wright liked to mix his building designs with nature and the environment. Antoni Gaudi favored curves rather than straight lines and also utilized textures and vibrant colors. Le Courbusier placed his buildings on stilts and incorporated flat roofs that could accommodate gardens. Frank Gehry designed the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, built to resemble both a ship and a living creature. I.M. Pei is known for creating the architectural style called Brutalism. Students will learn about these creative architects and recreate their most famous buildings. No prior experience is necessary.

New! Astrobiology: In this class, we will explore some of the most amazing places on Earth – places where conditions approach the limits of life. Students will learn about the adaptations that allow organisms to persist in these extreme environments. We will examine how life has evolved in places such as Antarctica’s ancient red waterfall, the deadly crystal caves in Mexico, and the Challenger Deep. And we will consider the potential for past and present life beyond our planet.

New! Cyanotype: Have you ever wondered how scientists, artists, and architects created images before digital cameras existed? This class will offer a rare hands-on experience with the chemistry of the very first photographic images! Students will use historic photo processes to create their own photo paper and negatives, and even to turn a T-shirt into a photographic surface. The course will show students how to use the cyanotype process to produce amazing blue pictures, blueprints, and scientific images. We will introduce a brief history of camera; the world of botanist Anna Atkins, the first published photographer; and the inspiring plans of architect Buckminster Fuller. Students will also learn about living artists using the cyanotype process today. If you love taking photos, this is definitely a class for you!

New! Design Challenge: Transportation: Dive (or drive) into the challenge of designing the transportation of the future! In this action-packed class, we will create exciting futuristic vehicles. Students will design a car powered solely by solar energy and create a hot rod that moves by mousetrap. They also will make a hovercraft vehicle that soars above the road and build a speedster race car powered by a rubber band. No prior experience is necessary.

New! Gliders: Engineering Challenge: In this project-based class, students will develop a glider using everyday materials (cardboard, rubber bands, hair ties, etc.). Students will learn the basics of flight and aerodynamics as they explore aircraft and wing designs. Concepts taught include the forces of flight, Newton’s Laws of Motion, and Bernoulli’s Principle. Students will follow the engineering design process, from defining the problem to testing a design.

New! Indonesian Gamelan: Percussion Instruments: An Indonesian gamelan ensemble includes mostly percussive bronze instruments played with mallets. In this workshop, students will learn how to play traditional instruments from West Java and perform traditional repertoire as an ensemble. This music is associated with royalty, and it often accompanies traditional dance, puppet shows, and important events surrounding court life. In addition to learning how to play the instruments, we will explore cultural concepts and history surrounding this ancient music. The course will conclude with a performance that friends and family are invited to attend.

New! Introduction to 3D Printing with Solid Works: This course will introduce students to SolidWorks, a 3D solid modeling package that allows users to develop full solid models in a simulated environment for both design and analysis. Students can use SolidWorks to sketch ideas and experiment with different designs to create 3D models, and then analyze the performance of these models. SolidWorks is used worldwide across many disciplines by students, designers, engineers, and other professionals to produce simple and complex parts, assemblies, and drawings. The complicated models generated from SolidWorks can be printed directly using 3D printing. Students will learn that many objects around us, from bottles and pens to cars and buildings, were designed using this type of interactive 3D software. No experience is required.

Introduction to Circuits using Makey Makey: Do electronics and bananas go together? Absolutely! Students will learn how to create fun circuits using Makey Makey circuit boards that can be expanded and accentuated with everyday items like a banana, tin foil, or a bouncy ball. Science and art will collide as the technology of circuits is used to create art in the form of music, paintings, and photographs.

New! Introduction to Culinary Chemistry & Design: Fun with Flavors: In this science of cooking class, students will learn that cooking is not just about knowing how to follow a recipe, but ultimately about creative expression. We will experiment to figure out if the old "taste bud map" is real or a myth, and we will learn about food from different cultures. Using a recipe journal, students will jot down notes, established recipes, and their own recipe ideas. On the last day, we will create a giant masterpiece (using vegetables, fruit, and cupcakes) decorated and creatively assembled by our culinary crew. For safety reasons, no open flame will be used in this class. No prior experience is necessary.

New! Introduction to Python Programming: Game On! This course will introduce students to Python programming and the basics of computer science. Students will learn how to program in the Python language, and they will become familiar with common computer science practices, such as variables, looping, and condition statements, that can be applied to other programming languages. This class is designed to be more fun than informative, so most of our time will be spent incorporating what we learn to build simple games in Python and diving into how computer games work. Student will have a chance to make their own versions of common games, adding in features they like.

Introduction to Robotics with LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3: Students will learn basic concepts of robotics and then build robots using the LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3 kit. They will use basic flowchart programming to make their robots autonomous. Working in groups, students will compete to deploy science instruments using multiple sensors on the robots. No prior experience with robotics or programming is required.

New! Junior Paleontologist: Want to look for dinosaur bones, fossils, and links to our ancient past? Then this is the class for you! We will dig for fossils in the rich sedimentary sand and soils around Mission Bay High School. Students will make fossil impressions of leaves, bones, their hands, and more! We will open up geodes, learn about the asteroids that may have come to earth during the time of the dinosaurs, and discover which dinosaurs lived in San Diego during the Cretaceous period. No experience is required.

New! K'Nex Design Challenge: Amusement Park: Students are in for a wild ride in this hands-on K’Nex building class. We will use K’Nex equipment to create the ultimate amusement park. Teams will build massive moving and motorized roller coasters, Ferris wheels, slide rides, boom rides, and more. Experience the thrill of heart-pounding fun at your very own amusement park! No prior experience is necessary.

New! Living Structure: Walking Beasts: It walks as if possessed by a mind of its own – no motor, no gas, no battery, just a series of lurching dance steps along the boundaries of imagination and reality. What is it? The contraption we will design in this class is called a Walking Beast. We will study, design, and build our own Walking Beasts, and then let them loose to explore our world (with the help of a leaf blower as needed). Concepts incorporated in this class include engineering, wind power design, gravity, frictional rotation, and structural integrity. Together we will explore how artistic creativity can drive scientific design and vice versa. No experience is required.

Make Your Own Inflatables: In this class, students will explore the fascinating world of bubbles. They will discover the intersection of engineering, architecture, art, and nature through amazing experiments with bubbles and inflatables. As inventors and designers, they will be building their own unique constructions through the iterative design-to-build process and creating giant inflatables from ordinary plastic bags! No experience is required.

New! Make a Chatbox with Python: In this class, we will explore the intricacies of the World Wide Web and how it functions by creating a chatbox using Python programming. In building our chatbox, we will look at how a message traverses the web from a person at one point on Earth to another. We will also also discover ways we can make this communication secure and faster. Experience in Python is welcome but not necessary.

Messy Science: Exploring Our Planet on a Tabletop: Boom, crash, zip, slide! Students will participate in hands-on learning activities that let them design things, throw things, test things, and stomp on things. They will learn about the scientific processes behind volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, permafrost, glaciers, and sea-level rise while adding their own artistic flair to each design.

New! Mission to Mars: Scratch Programming: Planning a mission to Mars begins now! Students will learn about current space research and goals for future space exploration. We will discuss mission limitations (weight, durability, and landing issues) and design a video game to explore Mars. Each student will create a Mars rover game using the Scratch programming language from MIT. Each video game is required to incorporate a satellite image of Mars – to depict, for example, the Valles Marineris Trench, which covers an area equivalent to the continental U.S., or Olympus Mons, a shield volcano with a footprint approximately the size of Arizona.

New! Mysteries of the Human Genome: Why are your eyes brown and mine green? Why is your hair so curly? What does your blood type mean? Will your brother go bald? In this class, we learn about the basics of DNA, the instruction manual for all cells, and how DNA impacts the way traits are passed from one generation to the next. We will create mixed-media art pieces to showcase important cell cycles, and we will use fun interactive models to learn about inheritance and variance. Students will play Sherlock Holmes to decode a series of genetic mysteries and will come up with their own gripping short stories showing how murders can be solved using biological techniques. No prior experience is necessary.

New! Passport to the Pacific: Exploring Culture, Art, and Marine Ecology – Kokua Kai Hawaii: We’re off on a journey where students will virtually visit five destinations around the Pacific Rim: Micronesia, Canada, California, Mexico, and Hawaii. We will look at how these systems are interconnected by the great Pacific Ocean, and we will explore the differences in art, culture, clothing, wildlife, and marine ecosystems at each location. We will delve into challenges faced by these places, including climate change, overfishing, increased tourism, and population growth. Students will tap their creativity by making a wooden keepsake box that reflects the places we explore. By combining marine biology, oceanography, and cultural studies with adventure travel, the course ignites curiosity and inspires budding artists, scientists, and world travelers.

New! Pirate Science: Ahoy! Life as a pirate is rough and rugged, and it requires scientific ingenuity. Join us to learn the fundamental suite of traditional nautical arts. Students will learn the elements of celestial navigation, sword fighting, weather prediction, knot tying, ship construction, and sailing. Students will gain an understanding of both the bravery and the ingenuity of traditional sailors as well as the beauty and elegance of modern physical theory.

New! Rewriting the Scientific World: In this course, students will choose their own particular scientific interest, such as a certain animal, habitat, science concept, or conservation effort. Then they will us that subject as a focus to create new forms and styles of writing. Based on each student’s particular interests, we will work together to break apart traditional forms of creative writing and sentence structure to develop our own unique type of writing.

New! Rocket Science: We will learn the physics behind rockets and current rocket design in this class, culminating in an testable rocket model design and launch. This class provides an introduction to current space exploration and the engineering process behind a successful rocket design, launch, and mission. Students will test their ideas about the physics of rockets using a bottle rocket water launch as they increase their understanding of Newton’s Laws of Motion, mathematical problem solving, innovative thinking, and the aesthetics of rocket design.

Science of Science Fiction: Join us in blending knowledge with creativity to construct rich, innovative science fiction stories. We will explore how classic works of science fiction – from literature to film – found their beginnings in scientific thought. Using craft elements of fiction writing, students will write their own science fiction stories and, just maybe, influence the science world! No prior experience necessary.

Slimy Sea Creatures: Students will learn about slimy sea creatures like octopuses, sea stars, sand dollars, and moon snails, to name a few. They will observe a squid dissection and write their names in squid ink while learning about anatomical structures of sea creatures. Students will discover the secret of how octopuses change color and what makes pearls. They will assume the role of a marine biologist and investigate what kind of invertebrate they would like to be! Each student will create artwork to take home using seashells and other materials from Mother Earth.

Space Out: Buckle your seat belts and get ready for blastoff as you plan your own mission to space! Students will design and build their own miniature spacecraft, which will be presented and launched on the last day of class at the “rocket launch" celebration. Students will explore our Earth and then expand to other planets, solar systems, and far-away galaxies. We will learn about past and current space missions, different kinds of stars, habitable planets, black holes, and even a little relativity.

The Music of Earthquakes: Shake, Rattle, and Roll: Students will explore the interplay between music and earthquakes. They will work in groups to compose a zany musical representation of a seismogram (a data recording of an earthquake) using musical instruments of their choice – anything from a simple bell to a floor-mat piano. We will use Audacity audio/visual software to explore and understand the frequency content of different types of music (rap, hip-hop, soul, contemporary, classical) and different types of earthquake data. Students will create guitar-pick necklaces and other musical crafts to take home. No prior experience required.

New! Tiny House: In this design class, students will learn about architecture, social responsibility, and community. They will gain experience by envisioning, designing, and building a scale model of their own tiny home. Students will also be introduced to building design and to concepts including sustainability, functionality, and how to incorporate natural light in the house design. The class will teach students about translating programmatic requirements to a three-dimensional project (design), developing scale models (math), creativity (arts), following instructions (life lessons), and working within constraints (workforce skills). Students will also refine their communication skill by presenting their tiny houses to the class.

Virtual Reality with Google Cardboard: Students will join the virtual reality technology movement that simulates experiences like going on a roller coaster using the Google Cardboard virtual reality viewer. Students will work in groups to create their own virtual reality interactive tools and games and to learn basic concepts of stereoscopy. They will gain experience in C++ programming and 3D modeling, and they will learn how to use the popular UNITY game engine. No prior experience with computer programming or 3D modeling is required.

New! Wonderful Waves: In this fun-filled class, students will explore the wonderful world of waves. The class will include science experiments, hands-on activities, and arts and crafts. Students will discover the science of waves, currents, and tsunamis. They will explore how light travels and which color of light travels the farthest. We will investigate how sand is formed by waves, and we will use microscopes to examine sand from beaches around the world. Each student will design and create a miniature surfboard from balsa wood to take home.

Additional contact information: 858-534-0804 and srs@ucsd.edu