Summer Science Program 2010

2009 SSP Course Descriptions

RISING 8th GRADERS

WEEK OF JUNE 14-20

8A. Chemistry DR. CHRISTINA McCARTHA, associate professor of chemistry at Newberry College, will guide her students in exploring different topics in chemistry. The students will investigate the chemistry of adhesives, dyes and polymers through experiments in the laboratory. Her course will also include opportunities to explore experimental design, paint with polymers, use inkodyes to make a T-shirt, prepare Gak, Slime, Superballs and lots of other cool concoctions! TUITION $535

8B. SSP Robotics DR. GEORGE RUDOLPH, assistant professor of computer science at The Citadel in Charleston, will introduce rising 8th graders to the fun of solving real-world problems by applying math, science and technology to robotics. During the course, the students will use the Lego Mindstorms Education NXT Base Set and Education Resource Set to build, test and program robots to accomplish various tasks similar to those presented by FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team competitions. These kits, which participants will take home afterwards, provide everything except a computer, needed to continue FLL activities in their homes and schools. TUITION $835

WEEK OF JUNE 21-27

8C. Chemistry Please see course description 8A. TUITION $535

8D. SSP Robotics Please see course description 8D. TUITION $835

WEEK OF JULY 5-11

8E. Chemistry Please see course description 8A. TUITION $535

8F. SSP Robotics MRS. ELIZABETH BUNN, computer science and engineering teacher at GSSM, will introduce rising 8th graders to the fun of solving real-world problems by applying math, science and technology to robotics. During the course, the students will use the Lego Mindstorms Education NXT Base Set and Education Resource Set to build, test and program robots to accomplish various tasks similar to those presented by FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team competitions. These kits, which participants will take home afterwards, provide everything, except a computer, needed to continue FLL activities in their homes and schools. TUITION $835

RISING 9th GRADERS

WEEK OF JUNE 14-20

9A. CSI-GSSM DR. SID PARRISH, assistant professor of chemistry at Newberry College, is offering an introduction to the field of forensic science dealing specifically with the terminology, techniques and procedures used in collecting and analyzing evidence for use in legal proceedings. Topics will include evidence collection and contamination, crime scene analysis, laboratory equipment, DNA evidence, trace evidence and gunshot and bullet evidence. TUITION $565

9B. The World of Physics DR. PATRICK BRIGGS, associate professor of physics at The Citadel in Charleston, describes his course this way: “Experimenting on lasers, guitar strings, spring guns, golf balls and much more will show students the physical principles that explain the real world. This is an excellent preparation for high school and university science courses.” TUITION $535

WEEK OF JUNE 21-27

9C. CSI-GSSM Please see description of course 9A. TUITION $565

9D. Ethnomedicine: Herbal Medicine DR.FLORENCE ANORUO, assistant professor of biology at Claflin University in Orangeburg, will introduce students to ethnomedicine, also known as herbal medicine or herbalism, and the uses of phytochemicals derived from plants for therapeutic and medicinal purposes. They also will be introduced to a historical overview of the cultural, social and ethnic perspectives on herbal medicine. Students will receive the opportunity to classify the major groups of plant-derived compounds and the medicinal or therapeutic uses of individual compounds in treatment of common diseases. They’ll also learn to extract botanicals and distill essential oils used in aromatherapy. TUITION $535

9E. Marine Biology DR. RICHARD ZINGMARK, distinguished professor emeritus of marine and biological sciences at the University of South Carolina-Columbia, will explore marine biology with his students through lectures, visual presentations, laboratory activities and an overnight field trip to the Baruch Marine Field Laboratory near Georgetown that will (hopefully!) include an opportunity to observe the nesting behavior of loggerhead turtles. TUITION $655

9F. Six-legged Science DR. DON MANLEY, professor of entomology at Clemson University’s Pee Dee Research and Education Center in Florence, will help students uncover the fascinating world of entomology. Students will discover the answers to questions like, “How do insects living in cold climates protect themselves from the cold?” “What language do fireflies speak and what kind of light do they produce?” and “How far away can male moths detect a single molecule of sex pheromone?” Daily field trips will give the students hands-on experience about the earth’s most numerous and diverse inhabitants. TUITION $535

9G. The World of Physics Please see description of course 9B. TUITION $535

WEEK OF JULY 5-11

9H. CSI-GSSM Please see description of course 9A. TUITION $565

9I. Field Ecology of the Southern Appalachians DR. GARY SENN, research professor of education at the University of South Carolina Aiken, will introduce his group to the ecology of the southern Appalachians through witnessing the majesty of the mountains firsthand and learning some of the ecological relationships that make up the mountain system. A base camp will be set up at a campground in Gatlinburg, Tenn., with daily hikes to different ecological communities within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Participants will learn about the biotic and abiotic factors influencing the composition of ecological communities and how to identify a number of plant species that will help them recognize different community types. If you love the outdoors, look into this trip! TUITION $675

9J. Oceans and Man DR. RICHARD ZINGMARK, distinguished professor emeritus of marine and biological sciences at the University of South Carolina-Columbia, will explore the many interactions between humans and the oceans through lectures, visual presentations, laboratory activities and a full-day field trip to Charleston to visit a marine laboratory and the South Carolina Aquarium. TUITION $585

9K. The Physics of Sports DR. PATRICK BRIGGS, associate professor of physics at The Citadel in Charleston, will break down sports performances and investigate the physical concepts behind them. Students will discover what makes a runner fast, a bat  ‘sting’, a basketball bounce and much more. TUITION $535

9L. A Walking Tour of Physics DR. CHARLES RAINS, professor of physics at Anderson University, says that his course could be subtitled “Gizmos, Gadgets, and Other Cool Stuff.” He will show his students some of the very simple ideas of the fundamental science called physics. He will then stress how these ideas underlie diverse everyday phenomena such as weather, stereos, the kitchen, cars, sound and hearing, colors and vision, animal size and features and much more. TUITION $535

RISING TENTH GRADERS

WEEK OF JUNE 14-20

10A. Excursions in Geometry.  DR. K. SRIS, who teaches mathematics at GSSM, describes this introduction to different kinds of geometry as
follows: “This course builds on the traditional Euclidean geometry of triangles and circles. You will be making geometrical objects using origami paper and a Zometool Creator 2 Kit that is yours to keep after SSP.  You also will build Peaucellier's linkage, which draws a straight line without using a straight edge, and all five of the Platonic solids using different materials.  You will get a glimpse of inversive, projective and non-Euclidean geometries.  If you have a graphing calculator, please bring it.  The students wishing to take this course should have taken Geometry, earning a grade of B or better. They should also enjoy building models!”  TUITION $625

10B. A Mathematical Tour of Forensic Science J. KEITH McELVEEN, a practicing forensic audio/video examiner, researcher and lecturer, will introduce his students to fundamental concepts of the physics of light and sound and the science and mathematics that apply to collecting, analyzing and extracting useful information from audio, photographic and video evidence from a crime scene. He will also show students how human biology affects the generation of evidence (e.g., speech), the perception of evidence (e.g., vision and hearing), and the identification of humans (e.g., gait, voice, tattoos, and face recognition). Students will gain hands-on experience applying the various mathematical techniques learned in the course to clean up audio and video recordings using both mass-market commercial and professional forensic software. Among the applications his students will use in SSP and take home are Adobe Photoshop Elements 6.0 for image editing and Acon Digital Media Acoustica for audio editing. TUITION $665
  
10C. Odds, Chance, Probability and Logic DRS. NANCY AND TERRY LONG, retired GSSM instructors, will introduce students to a variety of topics, including the history of gambling, a study of logic and a study of odds in sports. The group will watch and explore probability in the movie “A Beautiful Mind,” which tells the story of John Nash. Students also will take a trip to the South Carolina Educational Lottery in Columbia and conduct a probability study, culminating in TV-style team contests. Students will use a TI-graphing calculator for various calculations, including the probability of various poker hands and the determination of fair and unfair games. Loaner calculators will be available for use, but students should feel free to bring their own. TUITION $535

WEEK OF JUNE 21-27

10D. A Mathematical Tour of Forensic Science Please see description of course 10B. TUITION $665

10E. Odds, Chance, Probability and Logic Please see description of course 10C. TUITION $535

WEEK OF JULY 5-11

10F. Dynamic Web Page Creation with HTML and JavaScript MR. STEVEN WEINGARTNER, instructor of business technologies at Florence-Darlington Technical College, will teach his students how to create web pages working directly using HTML (Hyper-Text Markup Language) code. Understanding the basic language of web pages allows for the incorporation of JavaScript, as well as other programming languages. With JavaScript, web pages can advance automatically, pictures can rotate, creatures can follow your mouse and even fireworks can explode on a page (at no risk to the viewer)! This course condenses the material normally taught over a semester into one action-packed week. Students can use materials the instructor has authored on DVD long after SSP making it easier to continue their learning and share their experiences. No previous knowledge of HTML or JavaScript is required. If you already have significant experience creating and/or programming web pages, you may want to sign up for a different course. TUITION $655