Knox College for Kids 2013

Course offerings: Rising third through ninth grade students

FINE ARTS
Fine Arts 202: paper Crafting Pizzazz (Rebecca Rappenecker)
In this hands-on class students will learn different techniques for creating beautiful, one of a kind, paper crafts. We will learn basic techniques for creating cards, displays, and decorations. Students can then use their own imaginations to embellish their own unique works of art. We will start by making simple paper decorations including tissue paper pom-poms and lanterns using basic folding techniques while following simple step-by-step instructions. A banner and paper-bag book will be made using a die-cutting machine, punches, ribbon, rubber stamps, and other embellishments. Students will also have the opportunity to create additional paper crafts depending on the rate we progress throughout the class.

Fine Arts 203: Dream Weavers (Kathleen Ridlon)
Dream Weavers is the class for the student interested in learning the basics of weaving! Weaving is a fun way to free the inner fiber artist. Want to know the difference between your warp and your weft? This is the place for you! Students will use a cardboard loom to learn basic weaving techniques including tabby, basket weave and twining. They will learn color combinations, patterning, and dye yarn, too! Students may choose to make a mug rug or wall hanging as a final project. Join Dream Weavers and turn your yarn art dreams into reality!

Fine Arts 204: The Voice (Alison Mueth)
Developing word sense and word meaning is an integral part of literacy development. Vocabulary development is essential for promoting a respect for language. Through the use of stories and Reader's Theater scripts based on student interest, students will build oral and written vocabulary. Literature will be selected for students to interact with through writing and drawing. Students will respond in writing and through the visual arts to build vocabulary skills and comprehension and fluency. A Reader's Theater approach will also be used to increase both reading and writing vocabulary. Students will perform a Readers Theater based on their interest and experiences during Knox College for Kids.!

Fine Arts 205: Creative Theatre for Kids (Jessica Stiller B.M.E.)
Class activities will focus on building performing skills as we explore improvisation games, investigate creative movement for the actor, and work with masks and other acting activities. Children will also get the unique opportunity to learn about designing for the stage as they are introduced to scenery and costume design. All of this and more will be explored as the kids work together to develop their own performance of a particular story that will be presented for visitors at the end of the session.

Fine Arts 206: Make a Movie (Courtney Jude)
An intro to musical theater; students will talk about the history of American musical theater and then learn several songs from multiple musicals. This class will include listening, viewing and discussion as well as learning and performing Broadway showtunes.

Fine Arts 203: Power Point for Beginners (Michelle Sunderland)
Want to WOW your teachers this school year? This class will help you learn how to put information together in a fun, creative way and create a dazzling presentation. You will learn the basics of Microsoft Power Point slide show. You will learn how to change text type, insert pictures, use transitions and animations. We will have a special showing of all the slide shows created on the last day! There is no need to have computer skills to take this class.

Fine Arts 204: Hip Hop meets Modern Dance (Andrea Kang & Angie Rosa - REACH Fellows)
This course is designed for children in sixth through eighth grade. Students will investigate the origins of both Hip Hop and Modern dance and learn how these two forms of dance can collaborate to create a unique movement vocabulary. With an emphasis on breaking the rules of our "everyday movement" we will experience how to change the quality and intention of our movements through the manipulation of time, weight, space, and shape. The culminating project will invite audience members to attend an informal showing of the movement material that is generated during the course.

Fine Arts 205: Theatre Performance (Nancy Jo Dillard, M.S.)
This class will introduce or enhance theater skills. Students will learn on-stage skills such as character building, body movement, and voice and stage usage. They will also explore technical theater topics that include sets, make-up, and costumes. This will culminate in teamwork and creativity in a student created performance. Students can use these skills later in school or community performance areas, as well as gain an appreciation for the stage as an audience member. Come join in this fun and interactive class and become an actor and designer!

Fine Arts 206: Make a Movie (Jennifer Carlson)
Make a movie from the bottom up. Students will start with an idea, develop it into a storyboard, make some props, write a script and then bring the entire project to life on the big screen. Students will develop the characters and cast the roles. Then the filming begins, followed by editing, and finishing touches, and finally the hours of work become a published work of art!

Fine Arts 207: All Art, All the Time! (Colleen Noonan)
Art isn't just something you do. It's part of who you are! Art should be an adventure. Join me as we explore different types of art and different types of art materials. This hands-on course will be packed with several creative art experiences. Students will use their own ideas as a catalyst for 3-D art, painting, drawing, and collage. Students will have the chance to experiment with the art materials and also produce finished artworks. Students will take this journey alongside a knowledgeable and enthusiastic art instructor. Come join me as we discover it's all about art!

Fine Arts 208: Let's Make Music (Kelly Helmich)
This is a performance based course in which students will have the opportunity to experience music in many different forms. The students will create music with their voices, recorders, Orff instruments, drums, and other percussion instruments. Students will collaborate with one another to experience music and relate it to cultures around world. Students will receive their own recorder, Let's make music!

Fine Arts 209: Photography, The Universal Language (Tom Foley)
Photography, the Universal Language is an introduction to photography. Students will make and develop their own black and white photograms in a darkroom. We will learn about the history of photography, from 1826 to the present, including digital, Exposure, camera handling, available light, lenses, and electronic flash will also be covered. Owning a camera is NOT required to attend this course.

Fine Arts 210: World Drumming (Pier Debes)
Students will learn how to play dozens of percussion from around the world through the rhythm of speech and poetry. By layering different repeating rhythmic patterns we will create a complete drum ensemble piece that will be performed on the last day of class for parents and friends. We will learn how to play the ratchet, vibraslap, castanets, finger cymbals, triangle, calves, hand drum, tambourine, wood slap, guiro, cabasa, shaker, African bells, cow bells, wind chimes, gong, xylophone, maracas, tempo blocks, snare drum, bass drum, suspended cymbal and crash cymbal through experiencing the wonders of music from around the world. No previous music experience required!

Fine Arts 211 : Jazzin' it Up (Pier Debes )
In Jazzin' It Up, students will learn to perform in the Jazz swing style through movement, singing (scat singing) and playing. A cool jazz form, the blues, will be taught through listening and playing the chord changes on jazz instruments such as the piano and vibes. Student will be guided through the steps of how to compose their own blues song and perform it on their own instruments. Students who play an instrument already are encouraged to bring it to class! That jazzy swing feel will be learned on rhythm section instruments and played together in a jazz combo. Kids will learn how to improvise or create their own melodies in the jazz style. PREREQUISITE - ONE YEAR OF EXPERIENCE IN A BAND, ORCHESTRA OR CHOIR.

Fine Arts 213: Crochet, Too (Kathleen Bashem)
Crochet, Too! is a great class for the budding yarn artist. Crocheting, along with knitting, has made a comeback in the U.S. and is now among our most popular and useful art forms. It's definitely not your grandmother's pastime anymore! Sign up to learn the foundational crochet stitches, work on a choice of simple crochet projects and experience yarn dying. You will be able to complete a useful project in class and take it home the very first day! You'll love being able to say, "I made it myself!"

Fine Arts 214: Amigurumi (Kathleen Bashem)
"Amigurumi" is the Japanese art of crocheting small animals and inanimate objects. The word combines the Japanese "ami" (meaning crocheted) and "nuigurumi" (meaning stuffed doll). In this class, students will dye yarn and learn to follow a pattern to construct typical amigarumi. This is not a beginning class --it is for the student who has completed the Crochet, Too! class or for those who know how to crochet well at the single-crochet level. Expand your skills in a fun direction, and make some new friends!

Fine Arts 215: Knox College4Kids Summer Rock Band (Pier Debes)
Come rock out with the new College for Kids Summer Band! We will be rockin' out to tunes such as "We Will Rock You," "Twist and Shout," "Born to be Wild," and more. The C4K Rock Band will have rehearsals everyday for one hour and present their concert on the last day of C4K's. This new class is for all those students who currently play any band instrument: electric guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, clarinet, flute, oboe, sax, trumpet, trombone, French horn, baritone, tuba, and percussion. Students will be expected to bring their instruments to class every day and to practice at home to prepare for the next rehearsal. PREREQUISITE - TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT.

Fine Arts 217: Moving Onward! (Kathleen Ridlon M.F.A.)
This course is designed for children in third through fifth grade
Students will explore how the body works through a series of exercises and games designed to introduce students to a variety of dance techniques. Class time will also be given over to a series of dance improvisation workshops - where students are encouraged to explore spontaneous movement choices. Throughout this course the students will collaborate with the instructor to create a series of short dances. On the final day of class family and friends will be invited to attend an informal showing.

HUMANITIES/SOCIAL SCIENCES
Humanities/Social Sciences 201: Science Fiction (Paul J. Marasa, M.A.)
Science fiction seems to be more popular now than ever. This course will examine what science fiction is and why we're so attracted to it. We'll look back on the history of science fiction in books, movies and TV, and try to define science fiction and explain our fascination with the tomorrows it offers. (NOTE: This class uses only G and PG rated movies, as well as the Star Wars series.)

Humanities/Social Sciences 202: Heroes and Villains (Paul J. Marasa, M.A.)
What makes someone a hero? A villain? We read about them, watch them at the movies and on TV, and see them in real life; but sometimes we're not even sure which one is the hero, which one the villain. We will explore various kinds of heroes and villains in order to discover what we think of them, and how they have changed over the years. We'll be reading stories and watching movies and TV programs to help us understand the kinds of heroes and villains that are all around us. (NOTE: This class uses only G and PG rated movies.)

Humanities/Social Sciences 203: The Story of Cinema (Paul J. Marasa, M.A.)
From magic lanterns and the "camera obscura" to cgi and motion-capture technologies, the movies have had an exciting 100-plus years. This course will look at the history of cinema as a story that started even before there were movies and that all of us who enjoy movies have continued to be a part of to this day. We'll see how film has changed, and how it has stayed the same--and how it has always reflected our hopes and fears, and most of all our dreams.

Humanities/Social Sciences 205: Escaping the Rock (Rebecca Rappenecker)
Have you heard of The Rock? No, not the wrestler. The island...Alcatraz Island. Located in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz Island has been home to some of the most notorious criminals in United States history including Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. Come learn the history of the island, what it was like to live there, and why it is considered inescapable.

Humanities/Social Sciences 206: Beyond the Books-Harry Potter O.W.L Level (Elizabeth Buck)
Explore "Muggle" versions of the classes students in Harry's world take--herbology, charms, astronomy and more! We will also take look at a movie version of a story and see how it compares to the book. This activity-based class is meant for students who are fans of the Harry Potter books, but who may not yet have completed the series. Could you survive a Hogwarts potions class? Come give it a try!

Humanities/Social Sciences 207: Beyond the Books - Harry Potter N.E.W.T Level (Elizabeth Buck)
This course is a discussion-based class for students who have read the books and are ready for the challenge of delving deeper into the series. We will examine some of the themes J.K. Rowling presented in the series and think about what we can learn from them. We will look at how she uses language and what clues she plants with it. We will create and run our own book-inspired businesses and celebrate with an "end-of-term" banquet. Come be an ultimate fan!

Humanities/Social Sciences 210: Words Alive (Alicia Condreay)
Make your words come alive by extending and refining your writing skills. Students will learn by lively practice the elements of the writing craft. By using group and individual exercises, students will create unforgettable characters, write sentences that jump off the paper, and stories that will make friends and family laugh and weep. A book will be the end product. Come and join me and become an author of a book that will be all your own.

Humanities/Social Sciences 212: Myth and Mythmaking
What is a myth? What is mythology? What can be a great story to one person might be a whole religion to another. Come explore the ideas of mythology as we look at some of the most famous myths of the ancient world and what they can teach us today. Have you ever wondered what a "Titan" was? What about the Olympian gods and goddesses? We'll study supernatural beings of the ancient world and find out how and why we still see so much of them today. The course will culminate in students' creating their own myths.

Humanities/Social Sciences 215 Beyond the Books-Percy Jackson: Camp Half-Blood (Beth Buck)
Do you sometimes have trouble concentrating in class? Do you think your teachers might secretly be monsters? Could you possibly have secret powers? Perhaps this outpost of Camp Half-Blood is for you... You might be claimed for a "cabin," explore your Greek roots, and play "Capture the Flag." By the end of the class, we'll all be a little bit blue.

Humanities/Social Science 218: Words! Words! And more Words! (Huong Hua)
What would you learn from playing Apples to Apples? How about Up-word? Boggle? Ooh, wait until you get to Scrabble! Put aside our modern gadgets and let's play some amazing educational games. You will learn to have fun with words, be creative, use problem solving and leadership skills in these fun games.

LANGUAGES
Languages 202: Elementary Spanish (Fernando Gomez)
This course is designed to introduce elementary students to basic conversational and grammatical structures in Spanish. The course will be taught entirely in Spanish so that students will have a brief daily immersion experience which will allow them to learn and produce the following structures in Spanish: greetings & introductions, the alphabet, numbers 1-100, personal data, parts of the body, clothing, academic subjects and favorite activities. The subject matter will be contextualized to better enable students to understand and express themselves through written and oral communication. In addition, they will learn about the cultures of various Spanish-Speaking countries through songs in Spanish, photos, video clips, children's books, and food.

Languages 203: Elementary French
The intent of this course is to introduce students to the French language and culture through various activities such as learning how to greet, how to use day-to-day vocabulary, how to construct simple sentences in the present tense, how to make short and meaningful conversations and how to sing beautifully unforgettable French songs. Students will also learn how to identify objects in their immediate environment, how to ask and answer simple questions in French, and how to count up to 100. The aim of the course is to familiarize them with the peculiarity of French sounds, train them to recognize these sounds, to produce them, and to be able to read any simple French text at the end of the course with relative ease. Emphasis will be placed on pronunciation drills. The course will be taught entirely in French, but no prior knowledge of the French language is required.

Languages 204: A German Experience (Alicia Condreay)
Guten Tag! Come and experience the language and culture of Germany. This fascinating and extraordinary country is full of amazing history like the infamous wall that separated the east from the west. Students will learn basic conversational phrases, counting, and other common expressions in German. Students will also explore and sample wonderful German recipes at the conclusion of our German Exploration.

SCIENCE/MATHEMATICS
Science/Math 201: Web Page Creation (Christian Mahone)
How are those cool pages on the Internet made? This is a beginning course for producing your own web pages. We will do some surfing ourselves to find fun, interesting, and safe web pages. Then we will design web pages which will be available on the Internet.

Science/Math 202: Mental Math (Mark Shroyer)
Convert Fahrenheit to Celsius without a calculator. Calculate a 15% gratuity for your parents after a night of fine dining in your head. Multiply 212 x 188 in seconds using the "Difference of Squares". Amaze your friends and relatives with your displays of mental gymnastics! Through daily drill and an application of concepts from algebra and geometry, we will have some fun with arithmetic.

Science/Math 203: Natural Disasters
Do you know what to do if a natural disaster were to occur today? Can you create a building that would withstand an earthquake? Did you know that lava is not the most deadly threat from a volcano? In this course, students will use higher level thinking skills to explore the natural disasters our world faces each year. Through hands-on experiments and engaging research students will be able to answer all of the above questions and demonstrate a thorough understanding of natural disasters around the world.

Science/Math 204: Astronomy (Mark Shroyer)
How did Galileo prove the earth is not the center of the universe? Why is the surface of Venus hot enough to melt lead? Why was Pluto demoted? We will use the scientific method to discover the answers to these and other questions. Through discussions, demonstrations, and experiments students will discover how scientists explore our universe and explain astronomical phenomena. Weather permitting we will have an evening viewing session for students and families.

Science/Math 205: Crime Scene Investigation for Kids (John Van Nieuwenhuyse)
Do you like trying to solve a good mystery? Do you like science? What about putting the two together in the same class? We are going to be doing just that! We will learn about the different types of fingerprints, learn to collect fingerprints, learn about different teeth impressions, and learn about different lip prints, figuring out shoe print impressions, handwriting characteristics, all leading up to piecing together clues to help solve a mystery. There are several aspects of solving a mystery, and we are going to learn about most of them in this class. So, put on your thinking cap and join us for a crime solving journey!

Science/Math 206: Mythbusters (Mark Shroyer)
Will my stomach really explode if I eat pop rocks and drink Pepsi? Does a penny dropped from a skyscraper have enough force to embed itself into the sidewalk (or someone's head)? Do good luck charms really work? Combining a practical approach to science, hands on experiments and research, students will explore and engage with popular myths and see if they are "Plausible" or completely "Busted". Research will allow students to not only read about why things are true or not, but test it for themselves and gain a comprehensive understanding.

Science/Math 207: Rockin' Out With Numbers (Christian Lewis)
This class focuses on how arithmetic skills are alive in the world. Students will work with fractions, decimals, ratios, and formal and informal measurement in the classroom, around the Knox College campus, and at home in order to see how arithmetic is all round in the world!

Science/Math 209: Decoding the Mysteries of Chemistry in Everyday Life (Naomi Caro Tsuji)
People, young and old, are exposed to many different chemical principles every day. Why does your toothpaste form bubbles? What is biofuel? Why was the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico such a problem to clean up? Why do we use soap? Why do we put salt on our driveway when it's icy? These questions can be answered with simple chemical principles and can be demonstrated with simple, fun chemical experiments. This experimental-based course, focused on late elementary students, will help us answer some of these "mysterious" questions.

Science/Math 210: The Planet Earth
What is the planet is made of? Why do the oceans circulate? Why do plants grow in certain places and not in others? What are resources and where do they come from? We are going to discuss these issues and many others in the fields of oceanography, geology, agriculture, ecology, and climatology. Consideration will also be given to the impact that humans have had in these areas (both present and future).

Science/Math 211: Monarch Magic (Bailey Cavanah)
Calling all entomologists! This class is a hands on learning experience for those interested in the magic of the monarch butterfly! Participants will learn the care and feeding of young caterpillars and adult butterflies through observing and caring for live bugs. Other topics studied include: the monarch's life cycle, milkweed, the milkweed community, the migratory habits of the monarch, and conservation issues. The course will conclude with the release of the monarch butterflies cared for in class.

Science/Math 212: Flying High with Soda Bottle Rockets (John Van Nieuwenhuyse)
Have you ever seen a soda bottle flying through the air...well if you take this class your will see several! We will start off by figuring out what makes a paper airplane soar across the room. Then, we will figure out what makes the plane stay in the air, come in for a landing, and what makes it fly really fast! We will then take what we learned and have a competition to see who can make a rocket that will stay in the air the longest. Your rockets will go has high as a three story building...maybe higher. Sign up for this class and find out!

Science/Math 213: Quick and Easy Math Tricks (Tina Blust)
Join in exploring the elegance and mystery of math! Investigate Fibonacci's numbers, infinite Pi, tanagrams, and pentominoes and much more! Take some time this summer and experience the wonders of mathematics. Check out all the amazing math that is rarely covered during the school year!

Science/Math 214: A STEM Approach to Bridge Building (Rebecca Rappenecker)
Teams will learn through the STEM approach, which uses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to build the strongest bridge. The students will start by building simple bridges to understand the basic structure and forces of a bridge. We will be using computer programs and games to help design the strongest bridge. After the students learn what makes a bridge strong, they will be able to begin building. We will be using a variety of building materials including paper, tooth picks, coffee stirrers, and popsicle sticks. The engineering process we will be following is to design, build a prototype, test, and repeat. So, bring in your ideas and lets build some bridges!

Science/Math 215 The Game of Financial Life (Kevin Hastings)
This course is a simulation game in which you will be given an identity, and a set of life and financial circumstances in which you will be playing. You will set financial goals for your character, and develop plans for achieving them on the basis of good common sense, and what you will learn in the course about basic financial issues such as compound interest, savings plans, loans, and risky investments. Each day of the class will model a year of your life in which random events will happen to you (loss of a job, a drop in the stock market, a raise in salary, high inflation, new children born to you or children beginning college, etc.). You will decide how to react to those events as the game proceeds, and by the end of the course you will see how well you have met your financial goals to that point of your character's life, and how well you are positioned for the future. In this way you will learn some of the things that you will have to consider when you begin your adult financial life. The course is meant for the 6th through 8th grade age group, and a good math background will help.

Science/Math 216: Animal Planet (Jennifer Templeton)
Animal behavior is all .about asking questions: What is that bird and why is it singing? How do bats catch moths and how do moths avoid capture? Who wins when two fish fight for a territory? How do chicks find grains of food hidden among identical pebbles? Why does Lucy the dog use her right paw to shake paws, but Joe the dog uses his left? Come explore the world of animals by learning to observe and record behavior, formulate hypotheses, and carry out scientific experiments to test your ideas.

Science/Math 217: Jet Toy Challenge (John Van Nieuwenhuyse)
In the JetToy Challenge, a fictitious toy company called EarthToy Designs presents the challenge in the form of a letter. The company wants students to provide a variety of interesting designs for a new line of balloon-powered vehicles made from inexpensive, common materials that will appeal to other children. Working in design teams, students will build and test model JetToys using different nozzles, and collect and analyze data to understand the effect of nozzle size on the performance of the toys. They will create other designs and test them, then give a formal presentation of their final JetToy designs.

Science/Math 218: Machines! Machines! Machines! (Huong Hua)
Hum! How does a clock work? What are the parts that go into a handheld egg beater? How does a Ferris wheel turn? In these two weeks, you will learn about the six simple machines and read articles about modern inventions. Best of all, you will have the opportunity to build simple and complex machines using K'nex. You will learn to problem solve, think critically, work collaboratively, and construct projects. As a culminating project, you will put on a machines museum for your parents. Now, that's an awesome sight! This class is designed for children 4th grade and up.