Course Description
Junior astronomers prepare to blast off into a deep exploration of all things outer space! This hands-on course will have students act as experimenters, scholars, and theorizers as each lesson takes them deeper into the field of astronomy. From the Ancient Greeks to modern day, students will investigate how astronomers have come to understand the scientific principles that govern our universe. Topics will include The Big Bang, stars and constellations, black holes, the solar system, the structure and evolution of galaxies, and more!

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
In this course, students will build their own mBot robot and then tackle advanced robot challenges! They will learn engineering and coding methods while testing and building designs using multi-port Hub motors and actuators. In each class, students will learn a new coding sequence, from programming light sensors to object avoidance, and then take on a challenge that incorporates these skills. Will your robot succeed? Let’s find out!

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $100 materials fee is required. The materials fee for this class covers the cost of the MakeBlock mBot robot kit. Students will be able to take home their completed robot at the end of the course.

Course Description
Is a goldfish’s memory really only 3 seconds? Does tomato juice get out skunk smell? Can you get sucked into quicksand? This course explores these popular myths and more using the scientific method and classroom experiments. The students will learn if these myths are true, and, if not, where the idea may have come from. Students will design their own experiments to help prove or disprove the myths and to see if they can come up with their own solutions to these problems.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $20 materials fee is required.

Course Description
Students in this course will explore foundational philosophical concepts while learning how to question, reason, and debate in the tradition of philosophers through the ages and around the globe. Each class meeting will focus on a specific branch of philosophy (such as epistemology or metaphysics) and how a wide variety of influential thinkers approached this branch. We will compare and contrast how philosophies from different parts of the world shaped how we approach ethics, thought, and knowledge. This course will guide students to discover their own insights as they hone their verbal and listening skills in spirited dialogue.

Course Description
In this hands-on course, students will learn how circuits work by building projects with Snap Circuits. Each week, they’ll explore parts like resistors, capacitors, diodes, transistors, motors, and more. Students will build, test, and improve projects such as motors, fans, radios, and generators while learning concepts like Ohm’s Law, voltage, and current. They’ll practice teamwork and problem-solving as they design and share their own circuits. No experience needed — just bring your curiosity!

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
What is it like to plan a mission to Mars? In this class, students will delve into the world of interplanetary exploration as they investigate the Martian surface and plan their own missions to Mars. Students will learn to access and analyze data from NASA spacecraft and gain an understanding of the variety of techniques and data available to study planetary surfaces. With an understanding of relevant scientific techniques and current questions about the Martian surface, students will not only outline their own mission, but select a landing site and scientific instruments within engineering constraints. Mastery will be demonstrated through a set of mission planning exercises that will lead to development of a mission plan that is scientifically viable and possible.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
The Middle Ages has been branded unfairly as the “Dark Ages,” a time in which little progress was made in science, technology, or learning. However, the advances that were made in this time demonstrate otherwise! In this class, we will learn about the various ways in which medieval scholars advanced knowledge in the fields of machinery, architecture, botany, mathematics, and chemistry (alchemy). We will learn the history of science in this time, along with engaging in hands-on experiments and constructions. We will also learn about the ways in which medieval science and modern science overlap. Activities will include building and testing miniature catapults and trebuchets, simulating medieval chemistry experiments, building models of Gothic arches, and more!

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
When we’re immersed in a video game it’s often the worldbuilding and storytelling that make it such an enjoyable experience. This course will cover level design maps, translating those maps into perspective drawings and set dressing the environment. Students will learn to think in 3D while drawing on a 2D surface. Students will learn skills such as drafting, architecture, perspective and organic foliage design to create believable environment drawings that could be used in a Video Game Concept Art portfolio. The course will end with an art exhibit with invited industry professionals.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $10 materials fee is required.

Course Description
Without the help of spellcheck, it can be easy to feel lost in letters! In this class, students will learn mnemonic devices and rhymes that make spelling fun – and more accurate! Rules will include the ubiquitous “I before E, except after C” and tips for spelling words like “friend” (“Your friend is your friend till the END, so the word ends with END”) as well as many others. Topics will also include etymology, covering Greek and Latin roots, and how to use their newfound knowledge to expand vocabulary and aid in reading comprehension.

Course Description
Discover the magic of math and science in this hands-on course! Students will learn to dazzle friends and family with incredible illusions using everyday objects like balloons, plastic bags and a deck of cards. We will learn the secrets behind easy to master magic tricks and examine the math and science that make them work. In this class students will start with simple card tricks using mathematical principles to find a selected card from a deck and work our way up to building our own optical illusions that can make things appear and disappear. By the end of the course everyone will be asking “How did you do that?”

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $10 materials fee is required.

Course Description
T.S. Eliot once said: “Good writers borrow, great writers steal.” To gather the skills to be the next great play and screenwriters, we are going to take his advice. Before the 20th century, emulation of the greats was how a writer learned their craft. We will be looking at great dramatic writers, trying to find out why people have enjoyed their work throughout the generations, and putting ourselves in their shoes. We might forge lost scenes to Shakespeare plays, make alternate endings to Hitchcock’s Rear Window, or make a mashup of Spielberg’s E.T. and Moliere’s Tartuffe. Students will be encouraged to follow their own passions in finding writers they feel are great, and delving into their work. We will break down scenes of great plays and films, and also step into the roles of actors and directors to see how they perceive this work. We will learn what makes a classic on the screen and the stage, and discuss how to write treatments and pitch your work to a producer.

Course Description
Why do cultures develop mythology? What were the roles of gods and goddesses in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds? This class will explore these questions and more. Students will learn about Greek and Roman mythology, specifically the need for gods and goddesses, their roles, their characteristics and how they were worshipped. We’ll learn about the various deities in both cultures, comparing and contrasting them. Students will do research and crafts and will invent a god or goddess, designing, naming and making a representation of it.

Course Description
From Yemen’s towering ancient skyscraper cities to Spain’s intricate indigenous water mazes and the monumental Ziggurat of Ur in Iraq, certain feats of ancient engineering continue to inspire awe today. This course delves into the ingenuity of past civilizations worldwide, examining how they created enduring structures that have withstood earthquakes, floods, military conflicts, and the passage of time. In each class meeting, students will explore a different ancient engineering achievement and apply principles of architecture, physics, engineering, mathematics, and sustainability to design their own innovative masterpieces inspired by these engineering phenomena of the past.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
Bring your ideas to life on the web! From designing beautiful layouts to making buttons click and animations pop, students will gain experience building real-world websites. As they develop fluency in HTML and CSS, each student will create their own website to share with their classmates. Then, to hone their skills with JavaScript, they will build an interactive quiz and leave with the confidence and experience to start their journey as a web designer.

Course Description
Let’s get curious, crafty, creative, and innovative! Do you ever wonder what folks did for entertainment and fun before there were video games and electronics? Let’s jump back in time and discover together what folks in ancient civilizations invented as means for passing time and engaging in competition. In this class we will learn about the history of a variety of games whose beginnings can be traced to the days of ancient civilizations. We will learn all about the people, the time, and the games that were played. We will then design, create, and learn to play our own versions of these ancient games using a variety of found and recycled materials. Get ready to build, play, and work with your classmates as we learn about ancient games!

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $20 materials fee is required.

Course Description
Technology is often driven by the need to defend territories or the desire to conquer new ones. In this class, students will learn about offensive and defensive techniques in medieval warfare. They will learn Tinkercad to design and 3D print models of some of these. Students will then take on the role of military advisors and invent “secret weapons” that would have been plausible at the time but were not invented until much later. Several times during the course, we will role play famous land and naval battles of the period, but with a twist. Students will incorporate their own secret weapons into the strategy of the side they are playing. Mastery will be demonstrated by being able to discuss and apply strategy and technology appropriate to the period.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $15 materials fee is required.

Course Description
You’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands, of printers in your life, but have you ever thought about what is inside of them? You know about the ink, but what about the “guts” that make it work? What else could the “printer guts” do? In Reverse Engineering, we’ll be taking apart discarded ink jet printers and using engineering analysis and design to repurpose the machinery to create new devices. Students will use various tools (but not hammers!) to take apart the printers and use what’s inside and create an automaton – a machine that can draw! Students will also be challenged to see how far they can take their projects to find new uses from the repurposed parts of the ubiquitous printer.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required to purchase tool kits for each student to take home at the end of the course. If students use their own tools, the materials fee will be waived.

Course Description: This class makes use of actual rockets and simulations to teach students the basics of algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus. Students will learn conceptual physics at the same time as they learn the intuition behind the math. Calculations will be brought to life with a real rocket launch! Mastery will be demonstrated by solving math problems, building a model rocket, and witnessing a successful launch.

Prerequisites: Students in the class should be comfortable with the fundamentals of algebra.

Course Description
In this class, students will be introduced to the laws of physics through hands-on projects and experiments. They will learn about the different sources of energy that can be converted into electricity and conduct experiments to determine the effects of momentum on collisions and rocketry. Students will participate in demonstrations of Newton’s three laws of motion and discover how to do science–physics style!

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
From Actinomyces (beneficial bacteria in our digestive tract that helps us break down food) to Varicella Zoster (the tiny virus that causes chicken pox) the microscopic world is wildly diverse in structure, function, and impact on our lives. If you’ve ever wondered about the culprits behind common diseases or the heroes behind some of life’s core processes, this class will help lead you to answers through hands-on activities, case studies, and engaging discussion. By the end of the course, students will be able to understand the causes, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms, and cures for illnesses, as well as how some microbes are beneficial to humans and the environment. Students will apply their knowledge through participation in activities where they act as doctors and microbiologists in intriguing case studies.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $25 materials fee is required.

Course Description
Get ready to set off on a fantasy adventure! While playing this quintessential tabletop role-playing game, students will navigate complex scenarios and unravel the secrets of a mysterious new world, riddled with monsters and magic. The players will form a party to work together as they create and explore their own characters’ stories, delve into dungeons, and overcome great challenges. They will decide the ultimate outcome through social interaction, in-game conflicts, and rolling of the dice. While playing, students will also hone their storytelling and worldbuilding skills. Will you answer the call of the Dungeon Master?

Students who have participated in this course previously are welcome to take it again.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $10 materials fee is required.

Course Description
Did you enjoy one of our introductory LEGO Mindstorms EV3 robots classes, and do you want to use what you learned in some friendly competitions? This class will quickly review the process of creating a basic LEGO Mindstorms robot, and then students will create robots largely independently to meet a variety of accuracy, speed and strategy challenges.

Prerequisite: Students must have previously attended an IEA LEGO Mindstorms EV3 class. Students who have been on a competitive LEGO Mindstorms team elsewhere can join with permission of instructors.

MATERIALS REQUIRED: A $15 materials fee is required.