ACTIVITIES 2009 / 2010
Each member commits to an active role in planning and offering activities that will encourage our children to contribute
their talents and interests, as well as learn from those of their friends.
While a number of our members travel from Houston and outlying areas, all units and park days are held in Sugar Land, TX on Tuesday mornings. We often take advantage of field trip opportunities throughout the greater Houston area.
A detailed activity calendar is posted on our private Yahoo site where members keep each other up-to-date and share ideas and information.
"Getting a good education for your child is not a spectator sport."
~~ CharlieHoff
Ages 10 and under
Health
Our bodies are amazing! Have you ever wondered how to help someone who is hurt? How does our skin protect us? In this class, we will take a look at first-aid, diseases, nutrition, and our bones and muscles. We will use problems, experiments and activities to improve our knowledge of our bodies.
Body Systems
We will study five main systems of human anatomy: skeletal, nervous & sensory, circulatory, respiratory, and digestive. Class time will be comprised of reading, discussion, worksheets, hands-on activities, and experiments. Tentative plans include: making a clay model of the brain, making models of types of joints, trying optical illusions, testing food items for starch, using iodine test before and after digestion with our own saliva, and more!
Social Studies
Study the seven continents by exploring the geography, climate, natural wonders, languages, animals and foods of the regions.
Science.
Amazing Animals
What mammal lays eggs? What is the World's largest fish? What do people have in common with a giraffe? Explore some of the mysteries of the animal world.
Ages 11+
Art History
Understanding the artist is the key to understanding the art. Meet some of the most colorful characters and what their work shows us about their lives, as well as ours. Then try your hand at creating your own masterpiece.
Choosing Your Way Through our Colonial Past
History happens when humans are forced to make a hard choice. Become involved in the exploration of America's past and take the challenge at crucial moments to choose between two courses of action that will bring very different consequences. Using primary source documents, we will delve into Early Jamestown and the knitting of a society. Experience the past not as a series of inevitable events, but as the meandering record of human choices, some good, some bad, but all leading to the world of today.
SAT Tactics and Preparation
It can sound scary, but learning strategies for answering the questions and knowing what to expect is as important as knowing the subject matter. Practice skills that will ensure you feel confident and can do your very best.
Putting Unsolved History to the Test
Some of the world's most interesting mysteries in history will be put to the test by applying all sorts of questions and techniques for answering those. This will be done through games and puzzles. Discover how to "dissect" a question like a real detective or archaeologist might and how to answer like an expert!
Agnesi to Zeno: Counting on History
Did you know that Isaac Newton was inspired to study mathematics after a fight with the school bully, or that Maria Agnesi solved problems in her sleep? Blaise Pascal made one of his greatest discoveries because of a toothache. You might be surprised to learn that Albert Einstein didn't do very well in school and that Descartes got a great idea by watching a fly. Behind every discovery there is a story. We will follow the fascinating stories of some of the greatest of these investigators by replaying their discoveries and exploring mathematical concepts, as well as the cultural influences, through enlightening hands-on activities.
Flavors of the World
We will travel the world through geographical regions tasting as we go. We will dig into the historical significance of food in specific regions of the world. Each session will involve tasting some of that food in dishes created by each participant. For the most par, cooking will be done at home. We may do some simple dishes at the workshop.