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SCIENCE

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Science & Literature TK/K
Instructor: Abigail Soto
$53/month ($212/semester); 50 minutes/week

Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners will all benefit from this course that will toggle between hands-on science and hands-on literature.

The science portion will use Mystery Science which introduces a concept in a two minute video presented in the form of a mystery.  That leads to discussion questions where they further explore the concept and then a hands-on science experiment which solves the mystery in a way students can understand and remember.  

For literature lessons, the course that will feature an illustrated classic children's storybook and include a variety of hands-on activities centered around the story.  Using the unit study model, topics covered could include history, geography, art or science.

 


Math/Science Lab (Botany) 1st-2nd; 3rd-5th
$53/month ($212/semester); 50 minutes/week

This course will alternate math one week and science the next.  Both are 50 minutes.
 
Instructor: Alison Orozco
The Math lab will focus on improving recall of basic addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts depending on level. Math facts will be practiced with fun games, puzzles, and group activities. Techniques will be introduced to help with speed and recall. In addition, logic and problem solving activities will be done to aid in solving more complex math problems.

Instructor: Nicole Nyborg
The Mammals lab will help students learn about land animals through interactive lab activities. Some of the topics covered will be habitats, tracking, classification, camouflage, animal senses, animal features and many more. There will be some discussion time to help the students with the learning objective of the lab plus a few take home activities that are optional.
 
All labs are non-sectarian and supplemental in nature. Parents who would like to further explore this topic with students at home can get the source textbook with full lessons for all labs done in class.   


STEM: Lego SPIKE 1st-2nd; 3rd-5th
Instructor: Abigail Soto
$63/month; $252/semester

This one semester course will repeat for new students in the second semester.

All lessons will be new for this year so students who have taken the class in the past will have all new content.

Lego Spike lessons include motorized projects with a coding component.


 

STEM Unit Rotation 3rd-5th

$53/month; $212/semester
9 week unit (4 wks fall/5 wks spring)

Forensic Science

Instructor: Alyssa Millen

Unit 1 will be a study in forensic chemistry developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science.  In this study, student detectives use paper chromatography to investigate solubility, pigments and separation of mixtures to solve a mystery.

Unit 2 This investigation unit will teach deductive reasoning skills in addition to some great hands-on forensic science. “Everybody loves a mystery. This unit combines mystery and investigation in a highly exciting, engaging and educational way. Your student-detectives will conduct many hands-on forensic science tests on evidence found at a mock crime scene utilizing and developing problem solving and critical thinking skills. Any one of these tests is interesting and educational in itself - together they add up to a powerful and motivating experience.  Students will each have an opportunity to solve this "Who done it?" based on the evidence and the class will culminate in a big reveal at the end."

Mock crime scenarios are age appropriate for elementary students.  This is a unit designed by Lawrence Hall of Science. This unit will draw upon students' interest in and enthusiasm for solving mysteries to convey important scientific concepts, methods and techniques.

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Speedometry
Instructor: Summer Jessee

Speedometry is a 2-unit standards-based curriculum designed to engage 3rd-5th grade students in learning STEM content using Hot Wheels cars and tracks. The content is aligned to the Common Core Standards in Science and Mathematics, the Next Generation Science Standards, and California State Education Standards in STEM. Speedometry is a fun and engaging way to learn about concepts such as energy, force, and motion. Students also learn scientific and engineering practices such as analyzing and interpreting data. Both units in the Speedometry Curriculum are designed using the 5E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) to support students as they ask questions and conduct experiments to find the answers. The 5Es integrate hands-on activities that help foster conceptual understanding and inspire students to explore further. 

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Matter
Instructor: Nicole Williams

This unit introduces students to science, properties of matter, and structures. It includes many engaging investigations and experiments.  Topics include: STATES OF MATTER

PROPERTIES OF MATTER

DESCRIBING MATTER

CLASSIFYING MATTER

STRUCTURES AND MATERIALS

ASSEMBLING AND DISASSEMBLING STRUCTURES

CHANGING STATES OF MATTER

REVERSIBLE AND IRREVERSIBLE CHANGES

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Cooperative STEAM Creation Station Ages 8-18
Instructor: Ann Baum & Staff Aides
$53/month ($212/semester);
50 minutes per week

This hands-on class will offer simple STEAM-based projects using a variety of media including Lego builds, science projects, and art creations.  Each class hour will be a stand-alone lesson suitable for ages 8 and up.
   
The cooperative nature of the class will seek to pair developmentally delayed students with neurodivergent or neurotypical students capable of being a peer mentor.  One thing I have noticed about some of our neurodivergent students who have struggled socially is that they have deep empathy for others who struggle.  They are often not inhibited in interacting with special needs students who may have significant delays or other more obvious challenges.   I think peer mentoring could be of benefit both to the high-functioning mentors and to our most challenged students who will need the extra help and often have very little opportunity to interact with peers.

The other cooperative aspect will be to pair neurodivergent students together to assist each other and potentially build organic friendships while also building knowledge.  I often have parents who come to me seeking answers for neurodivergent children who are lonely and friendless and it is heartbreaking.  We know that friendship has to develop organically so the hope is that this class could be a platform from which friendships could spring for socially challenged students.

This class will have limited opportunities for neurotypical students who have a desire to come alongside neurodivergent students to create a supportive team to complete projects.

This class will also need adult volunteers/parents to monitor and support all students as needed.

This class will take place outside under the giant tent at The Crossing.

 

MS Science: Chemistry/Physics (Real Science 4 Kids)
6th-8th Grade
Instructor: Cameron Lanteigne
$53/month ($212/semester); 50 minutes/week

 

Tracks 1 & 2 are identical.  The same class content is offered for both hours.

Textbooks for student use will be provided and must be returned at the end of the semester.

Students will complete a worksheet for homework each week.  Tests will be given twice each semester.
 
This class is designed to give students both solid science information and hands-on experimentation.  Students will be exposed to scientific terminology. During each class, the teacher will review with the students from the Real Science 4 Kids (Gravitas Publications) text. Experiments are designed to engage the students in an actual scientific investigation through hands-on labs or a demonstration by the teacher.  
 
Fall Semester: Chemistry

Real Science Chemistry will introduce students to the essentials of chemistry. Students will explore atoms and the periodic table, molecules, chemical reactions, acids and bases, neutralization reactions, mixtures and separating mixtures, energy molecules in food, polymers, proteins and nucleic acids, and more.

Spring Semester: Physics

Real Science Physics will introduce students to the basic building blocks of physics in a way that is easy for students to understand. Students will explore the laws of physics, force, energy, work, potential and kinetic energy, chemical energy, electrical energy and electric charge, heat, magnets, momentum, inertia, friction, sound, light, the conservation of energy, and more.


A-G Biology Lab 9th-12th Grade
Instructor: Tina Nassar
$63/month ($252/semester); 80 minutes/week (Includes supplies/specimens and lab manual)

This is a two-semester course but students are welcome to add at any time.

Light lectures will be done at the beginning of every lab to provide students with the information needed to perform the lab with understanding. At times, the students will also be required to complete some additional work at home to prepare for upcoming labs. 
Students will be expected to complete the labs and will be assigned grades for their work and participation. 

It is important to understand that this course only fulfills the lab portion of a biology curriculum. The students should be doing their own biology curriculum at home in addition to this lab class.
This lab course can be used with any biology textbook and we have charts available showing correlation of experiments to many common textbooks.  

Check with your school to ensure this lab course will comply with a-g requirements.

Spring Semester
Fungus - Yeast
Monocot vs. Dicot (leaf, root, stem)
Parts of a Flower
Plant Leaves
Lichen
Dissection: Sea Star
Dissection: Worm
Dissection: Crayfish
Dissection: Grasshopper
Dissection: Fish
Blood
Muscle
Bone
Genetics
Dissection: Frog

 


A-G Chemistry Lab 9th-12th Grade
Instructor: Tina Nassar
$63/month ($252/semester); 80 minutes/week Includes supplies/specimens and lab manual

This is a two semester course, but students are welcome to add at any time.

Light lectures will be done at the beginning of every lab to provide students with the information needed to perform the lab with understanding. At times, the students will also be required to complete some additional work at home to prepare for upcoming labs. 
Students will be expected to complete the labs and will be assigned grades for their work and participation. 

It is important to understand that this course only fulfills the lab portion of a chemistry curriculum. The students should be doing their own chemistry curriculum at home in addition to this lab class.

This lab course can be used with any chemistry textbook and we have charts available showing correlation of experiments to many common textbooks. 

Algebra 1 is a prerequisite. Students will be doing algebraic equations and graphing.

Check with your school to ensure this lab course will comply with a-g requirements.

Spring Semester

Mole Ratios
Melting Points
Freezing Point Depression
Le Chatelier’s Principle
Reaction Rates, Concentration
Reaction Rates, Temperature and surface area
Solubility Product Constant
pH and pH Indicators
Buffers
Organic Chemistry Models
Hydrocarbon Models
Polymer Models
Cross-linking of a Polymer
Nuclear Decay Simulation

 

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