Virtual Saturday Enrichment Programs

Student SEP Session 1: February 12, 19 & 26
10:00 am—12:00 pm EST

Engineering at Home: The Next Level
Grades: 2-3                     
Instructor: Pennie Brown

Thisclass is designed for students who have had a level one experience. In this three-session class, the students will continue to create, model and test solutions to more complex engineering challenges.  Students will build upon experiences by using new materials with previously introduced challenges.  Students may find that a familiar problem presents differently using varied materials.  Students will use problem-solving techniques to solve these challenges. Note: Pparticipants will need to have various household materials available weekly.  Information will be provided by the Instructor in the Course Welcome Letter. 

Life of an Architect
Grades: 3-5
Instructor: Kim Hundley

Are you familiar with the works of Frank Lloyd Wright? Do you like exploring nature?  Do you readily notice, colors, shapes or patterns in nature?  Do you like to draw, color, or create things you see in nature?  Do you feel you have a skill or talent for architectural design?  If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, then this is the course for you.  After learning more about the famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, you will use your creative skills to create 8 projects worthy of display or framing. Who knows…you may be the next Frank Lloyd Wright of this century! Note: Students need to have access to a printer.

Habitat Helpers
Grades: 3-5                     
Instructor: Brandy Metzger

Do you love animals? Are you interested in coming up with ideas that could help animals that are endangered? In this course you will embark on a journey across the planet to learn about 5 different endangered species. First, you will uncover the hardships these animals face that put them at risk. Next,  you will work as a team to determine possible solutions to their declining numbers. Finally, you will work to create prototypes of your innovations with simple items from your home. Get ready to spark up your imagination and become an environmental visionary!

It's Time to Code Your Own Game                    (Course at capacity and now closed!)
Grades: 5-6
Instructor: Sue Sydow

Do you like playing games online? Have you ever wondered how these games were created? Do you want to create your own game and share it with friends? This coding course uses code.org to teach you how to design and code your own game. Students will explore JavaScript and code events to create games. Students will practice problem solving as they debug their code and critical thinking skills while programming their games. Imagine all the creativity!

Itching to Code
Grades: 6-8
Instructor: Theresa Goltermann

Students will learn the four core concepts of coding, Loops, Conditionals, Variables, and Functions, as they design and code creative animations that help others learn about important issues. Using the Scratch programming environment, students will learn how to incorporate art and music in layers to help their message come alive.

Worth a 1,000 Words: A Multimedia Writing Adventure in Persuasive Writing
Grades: 7-9
Instructor: Dr. Renee Kingan

Learn how to transform your original writing into powerful presentations that amplify your voice and move people’s minds. In this course, students will plan, write, and create original videos using hardware and software you already have at home. Writing activities will focus on developing a thesis and supporting claims with concrete descriptive evidence. Video production activities will include understanding copyright and fair use, storyboarding, voice-over recording, basic animation techniques, and best practices for live-action filming. This course will help any student looking to improve your skills in writing persuasive essays. Whether you’re an avid writer or you are looking for new ways to express yourself, there’s something here for everyone! 

Instructor’s note: This spring’s session of WATW will focus on persuasive speeches, so students who attended spring, summer, and fall sessions of this course in 2021 are invited to enroll again if you’d like to gain more experience in writing and video production. Writing activities for Spring 2022 are designed to take your persuasive writing to the next level, and though the video production resources build on those you used in previous sessions, the mini-lesson activities focus on building effective argumentative essays. Consider this an opportunity to branch out into a new production method OR to take a deeper dive into hardware and software you’ve used before. As in previous sessions, students always have the option to pursue personal-interest projects in genres other than persuasive nonfiction.

 

Student SEP Session 2: March 12, 19 & 26
10:00 am—12:00 pm EST

Engineering at Home:  The Next Level
Grades: 4-5                  
Instructor: Pennie Brown

Description above.

It's Time to Code Your Own Game
Grades: 2-3
Instructor: Sue Sydow

Description above.

The Human Body: A Series for Middle School!
Grades: 6-8
Instructor: Colleen Ignacio

This course will focus on the structure & function of the human body, a marvelous machine! In this course, your student will gain an understanding of the basic anatomy & physiology, the body systems, & the jobs they perform. Students will understand how we think, communicate, grow, move, reproduce, & stay alive. Additionally, your student will learn about major disorders, recent medical advances & ways to take care of their bodies. Get your student engaged with this fascinating class!

Itching to Code
Grades: 6-8
Instructor: Theresa Goltermann

Description above.

Block by Block: Introduction to Multi-Screen Music Video Production
Grades: 7-9
Instructor: Dr. Renee Kingan

Learn fundamental audio & video editing techniques as you create a multi-track, multi-screen music video to share with your family & friends. No prior musical experience is required, as student-driven instruction will include tutorials for creating original music videos for existing songs, student-arranged cover tunes, & original compositions ranging from 2 to 16 voices/screens. Students will learn about copyright & fair use while diving into basic multitrack audio editing & easy multiscreen video editing. All activities will make use of free software for desktop & mobile platforms including Audacity, iMovie, MovieMaker, &  OpenShot. Once you learn the building blocks of audio & video editing, the sky’s the limit. 

Please Note:  Our courses are designed to be for the enrichment of minors via synchronous instruction to maximize the instructional benefits through interactions among peers and instructors. Therefore, neither the Center for Gifted Education nor the SEP instructors will be video recording the Saturday/Summer Enrichment Programs (SEP) as appropriate permissions are not in place. In the event a SEP session is missed, parents may request class materials, if available, from the Program Coordinator. Recordings of missed classes will not be provided. 

Register via CampSite 

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Behaviors fostered by the gifted learner program include the ability to:

• apply process skills used in individual fields of inquiry,
• recognize problems and approaches to problem solving,
• understand and appreciate individual differences, and
• become a self-directed learner.

 

 

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For more information about our enrichment programs, please contact the Precollegiate staff at (757) 221-2362. You can also contact us by [[sep, email]].