STEC Science Program at Rockwood Nature Center

NEW!!  Beginning September 9

Science Through the Eyes of a Child (STEC)

 is now offering

Science Programs 

at

Rockwood Nature Center 

Chesterfield County Parks and Recreation
To Register go to:  http://www.chesterfield.gov/parks/

or 

Call 804-748-1623

Science through the Eyes of a Child (STEC) offers science and science enrichment programs for students in Junior Kindergarten through 8th grades. STEC’s mission is to inspire a passion for learning through innovative applications in science. Our courses enable students to explore science in fun and creative ways through a hands-on experience. Students learn to formulate questions, develop hypotheses and integrate a variety of other disciplines such as math, art, history and writing into projects and experiments.

STEC is offering the following programs at Rockwood Nature Center beginning 
September 9, 2013. See http://www.rockwoodnaturecenter.com/ for information about the Nature Center and registration instructions (note registration for these courses will be available on Tuesday, September 3 at 4 pm).

Home School Science Program
STEC will provide a series of general science instruction for home-schooled students in grades JK-6. Course content will be tailored to grade-level and follows local, state and national standards for science education. Topics include 1) an introduction to life science through general biology, zoology and botany; and 2) an introduction to physical science through the study of basic chemistry and physics. Course descriptions are as follows:

Ready, Set…Science
This course is designed to forge a foundation in science through fun, captivating, hands-on activities. Plants, animals, earth and physical sciences will be introduced. We will also explore color, shape, name recognition, responsibility, senses, force and motion.

Grades JK-K-1
Series 1 (7 classes)
Mondays: September 9,16,23,30, October 7, 21, 28 8:30am-9:30am $70
Wednesdays: September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23 1:00pm-2:00pm $70
Fridays: September 13,20,27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 10am-11am $70

Series 2 (6 classes)
Mondays: November 4,18,25, Dec 2, 9, 16 8:30am-9:30am $60
Wednesdays: October 30, November 6, 13, 20, Dec 4, 11 1pm – 2pm $60
Fridays:  November 1, 8, 15, 22 December 6, 13 10am – 11am $60

Ready, Set…Science Two
This course takes Ready Set…Science to the next level with fun, hands-on activities that explore plants, animals, earth and physical science with a greater emphasis on the similarities and differences we observe. Color, shape, name recognition, responsibility, senses, force and motion will be examined and discussed. Students will learn how to create and maintain a science lab journal to document (through writing and illustration) many of the discoveries made in class.

Grades 1-2-3
Series 1 (7 classes)
Monday: September 9,16,23,30, October 7, 21, 28 10:00am-11:00am $70
Tuesdays: September 10, 17, 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22 8:30 am-9:30am $70
Wednesdays: September 11, 18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23 11:30am-12:30pm $70
Thursdays: September 12, 19, 26, October 3,10,17,24 11:30am-12:30pm $70
Fridays: September 13,20,27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 1:00pm-2:00pm $70

Series 2 (6 classes)
Mondays: November 4, 11 18, 25, December 2, 9  10:00am-11:00am $60
Tuesdays: October 29, November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 10 8:30 am-9:30am $60
Wednesdays: October 30, November 6, 13, 20, December 4, 11 11:30am-12:30pm $60
Thursdays: October 31, November 7, 14, 21, December 5, 12 11:30am-12:30pm $60
Fridays:  November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6, 13 1:00pm-2:00pm $60

Science through the Seasons
Students will engage in captivating hands-on projects that incorporate seasonal elements. Examples include the extraction of pigments from varying shades of autumn leaves. (In a subsequent spring series, students will observe and document the life cycle of amphibians such as frogs and salamanders). These courses apply national, state and local academic standards for science including science as inquiry, physical science, life science, earth and space science and the history and nature of science.

Grades 3-4-5
Series 1 (7 classes)
Mondays: September 9,16,23,30, October 7, 21, 28 11:30am-12:30am $70
Wednesdays: September 11,18, 25, October 2, 9, 16, 23 8:30am-9:30am $70
Thursdays: September 12, 19, 26, October 3,10,17,24 8:30am-9:30pm $70
Fridays: September 13,20,27, October 4, 11, 18, 25 2:30pm-3:30pm $70

Series 2 (6 classes)
Mondays: November 4, 11, 18, 25, December 2, 9  11:30am-12:30am $60
Wednesdays: October 30, November 6, 13, 20, December 4, 11 8:30am-9:30pm $60
Thursdays: October 31, November 7, 14, 21, December 5, 12 8:30am-9:30pm $60
Fridays: November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6,13 2:30pm-3:30pm $60

Science through the Seasons
Students will engage in captivating hands-on projects that incorporate seasonal elements. Examples include the extraction of pigments from varying shades of autumn leaves. (In a subsequent spring series, students will observe and document the life cycle of amphibians such as frogs and salamanders). These courses apply national, state and local academic standards for science including science as inquiry, physical science, life science, earth and space science and the history and nature of science.

Grades 4-5-6
Series 1 (7 classes)
Mondays: September 9,16,23,30, October 7, 21, 28 1pm-2pm $70
Tuesdays: September 10,17,24, October 1,8,15, 22 12:30am-1:30am $70
Fridays: September 13,20,27, October 4,11,18, 25 11:30pm-12:30pm $70

Series 2 (6 classes)
Mondays: November 4, 11, 18, 25, December 2, 9 1pm-2pm $60
Tuesdays: October 29, November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 10 12:30pm-1:30pm $60
Fridays: November 1, 8, 15, 22, December 6,13 11:30pm-12:30pm $60

Science Enrichment

Magnifying the Magnificent
Have you ever wondered what might be living underneath that old rotten tree stump? Do you know the difference between a centipede and a millipede? Are all insects bugs? These questions and much more will be answered in this introductory zoology course where we will get up close and personal through the use of compound and stereo microscopes. Be amazed at the diversity of life in just an eye dropper full of pond water! (Ages 7 and up)
November 2, December 7   4-6 pm   $23

Cool Chemistry
Enter the world of laboratory science through hands-on chemistry. We’ll learn about solids, liquids, and gases in a study of the phases of matter and through experiments with dry ice. We will also learn about polymerization, endo and exothermic reactions and the quantum behavior of the electron!
(Ages 7 and up)
November 10   2-4 pm    $23

Adult Programming

Developing and Implementing a Science Curriculum Web
Identifying and applying the many cross-curricular connections in science

Learn the art and significance of creating and implementing a curriculum web. Although this concept can be applied to any discipline, it will be demonstrated in this class through zoology and an application in physics. The many connections found in zoology and physics will be discussed and ways to implement each element of a basic to quite complex curriculum will be described. (Ages 18 and up)
September 28   4-5 pm   $12