Visualizing Variables: Pictures, Patterns, and Data
Coordinate planes are one of the most useful methods of being able to display relationships between variables. These activities will involve both the introduction and practice for using these structures as well as some more direct relationships between the two and how to both read and infer from the graphs.
Monday - Coordinate Plane and Mystery Pictures
Tuesday - Mystery Pictures of the Fourth Quadrant
Wednesday - Isometric Graphing and Visual Illusions
Thursday - Messy Data and Best Fit Lines
Friday - Types of Curves
Math in Motion: Ratios and Rates
How do we compare things that move, mix, or change? In this class, students will explore ratios and rates by thinking about real-life situations like speed, recipes, and games. Through hands-on activities and puzzles, students learn how to compare quantities, find unit rates, and decide what it means for things to be “fair” or “in proportion.” This class builds strong number sense and prepares students for deeper work in fractions, algebra, and real-world problem solving.
Monday - Ratios and equivalent ratios (visual & numeric)
Tuesday - Unit rates and scaling
Wednesday - Speed, distance, and time logic puzzles
Thursday - Mixture and comparison
Friday - Real-world modeling challenge (students will design a “fair race” problem for their classmates to try and solve)
Understanding Insects and The Colors of Their World
Insects add color to our world but also rely heavily on color in theirs! It helps them decide what plants to eat, how to hide, and who is dangerous. So, what is responsible for all this color? In this class, students will learn about insects and how they interact with their world through color pigments. Working with butterflies, caterpillars, and aphids, students will use several lab techniques such as bioassays, chromatography, microscopy, and small molecule extractions to explore how these insects are impacted by plants and their color pigments. We’ll also explore what in the world can change plant and insect colors and ultimately why that matters. So come and enjoy a world of color.
Monday- We’ll start exploring the world by taking a tour of plants and insect pigments. Then we’ll start our own experiments to turn plants and insects into fun colors.
Tuesday- Students will learn how to ‘color write’ (chromatography) using pigments and chalk. Then students will use different solutions to discover hidden colors in the plant.
Wednesday- We’ll come back and review the results of our aphid bioassay before talking more in depth about how aphids get their color. We’ll return to chalk chromatography with aphids themselves. Finally, we’ll look more closely at plant coloring with some microscopy.
Thursday- Students will meet some of the most colorful insects in nature and learn what their favorite colors are in feeding assay. They will also get up close and personal using a dissecting microscope to see all our insect friends’ tiny details.
Friday- Students will enjoy a game style review of what they learned during the week, say goodbye to their insect friends and take home the flowers from their first experiment.
Neuroscience in the Blink of an Eye
How do our eyes help our brains understand the world? In Neuroscience in the Blink of an Eye, students explore how light enters the eye and sends messages to the brain that allow us to see. This class introduces the basic parts of the eye, the retina, and neurons that carry visual information to the brain.
Students learn how the brain interprets what we see and how light can affect our sleep, energy, and daily rhythms. Through hands-on activities, models, demonstrations, and group challenges, students discover how vision works and why light is so important to our brains and bodies. The week includes viewing and discussing an eye dissection to help students better understand eye structure without performing the dissection themselves.
Monday: Light and Seeing
- What light is and how it helps us see
- How light enters the eye
- Introduction to the main parts of the eye
- Hands-on activities with mirrors, lenses, and light
- Fun visual illusions and what they tell us about vision
Tuesday: The Retina and Visual Signals
- What the retina does and why it is important
- Rods and cones: seeing color, light, and motion
- How light turns into messages for the brain
- Simple experiments exploring color and peripheral vision
- Creating a basic retina model
Wednesday: Neurons and the Brain
- What neurons are and how they send messages
- How the eye connects to the brain
- The brain areas that help us see
- Activities showing how the brain can be “tricked”
- Group challenges using visual puzzles
Thursday: Light, Sleep, and Daily Rhythms
- What circadian rhythm means
- How sunlight and screens affect the brain
- Why sleep is important for learning and vision
- Real-life connections to school, sports, and screen time
- Discussion and reflection activities
Friday: Looking Inside the Eye
- Guided viewing of an eye dissection (demonstration)
- Identifying eye parts and connecting them to what students learned
- Review activities and visual games
- Class discussion: how eyes and brains work together