GoSciTech - Residential Course Descriptions & Course Schedules

Are you a strategic thinker with a love of puzzles? Chess has been played for over a thousand years, and this seemingly simple game is famous for its ability to enhance your critical thinking, focus, creativity, and even empathy. All player experience levels are welcome—from first timers to experienced competitors—as we learn the rules, notation, and tactics to become mentally agile players and students of the game. Throughout the camp, you'll have the chance to play plenty of chess games, participate in friendly competitions, and even learn from guest speakers. By the end of the week, you'll leave with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the game of chess, as well as new friends who share your passion for this timeless game.
Instructor: Dr. Gordon Brown
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th, & 10th

Have you always wanted to explore space? Join us in Destination SPACE and create your own weather stations while learning about remote sensing methods for space exploration. You will build, test, calibrate, and program your own mobile weather station and analyze and report the data it collects while exploring climatology, satellite science, engineering, and more! We will launch our weather stations on a tethered weather balloon, design and launch water-bottle rockets in a team competition, and investigate just how remote sensors work. Students are encouraged to visit the Destination SPACE, Inc. website for more information; https://www.destinationspace-stem.org/.
Instructor: Dr. L. DeWayne Cecil 
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th, & 10th

Just how do video games work and how can you make your own? Learn the basics of video game design and development from level design and programming to art and music through interactive projects! We will create our original games with the PICO-8 fantasy console by building custom sprites, sounds, and objects. In this course, you will become familiar with object-oriented programming and basic video game development. And you’ll use the iterative design process to improve your game based on player feedback – just like real video game companies!

This class is designed for enthusiastic gamers and/or aspiring game designers with little to no computer programming experience.
Instructor: Mr. Taylor Belcher
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th, & 10th

Have you ever wondered how a 1-million-pound aircraft overcomes the force of gravity to soar near the speed of sound at 37,000 ft above the ground? Are you curious to know about the engineering principles that make flying possible? We will explore the fundamentals of aerodynamics, and aircraft instrumentation that is key for flight. You will learn about both ground and satellite-based navigation that is essential for air travel. We will study how weather is monitored and affects flight. In addition, the class will end with using a wind tunnel for testing and analysis that is essential for understanding why wings are designed in a particular fashion.
Instructor: Dr. Mark Kanaparthi
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th, & 10th
 

Have you ever wondered what happens when there is a massive oil spill in the middle of the ocean? What is the impact on the marine environment, beaches, and humans? How are toxic chemicals cleaned up from the environment and who does it? Bioremediation is an environmentally friendly technology that uses microorganisms to remove pollutants from the environment. This interdisciplinary field connects environmental chemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, and environmental microbiology. We will explore how different microorganisms degrade various materials and the challenges bioremediation must overcome to be effective. Through case studies and hands-on experiments, you will investigate the background and future of bioremediation!
Instructor: Dr. Gita Mohanty
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th, & 10th

Are you a creative scientist? Or a curious artist? Together, we will discover the “how” of photography by working with light-sensitive materials. You will combine historical photographic processes with modern digital techniques for one-of-a-kind prints. Whether you are an artist, scientist, or something in between, join us and learn how to make decisions that can transform your snapshots into memorable works of art.
Instructor: Mrs. Julie Mixon
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th, & 10th

Why do we look like our parents, but also different? What is DNA and how does it make us all similar and unique at the same time? DNA carries all of the information that determines the functions of our cells and how they respond to their environment. We will look at how DNA is studied in scientific laboratories and how genetic information can be used by medical doctors. You will learn what DNA looks like, how it is inherited by offspring, and what can happen when a change, called a mutation, occurs.
Instructor: Dr. Janay Vacharasin or Dr. Jennifer Taylor depending on which week.
Grade Level: Rising 9th & 10th

Coral reefs are some of the most breathtaking ecosystems on Earth. Among the giant boulders and towering forests of branched corals live thousands of creatures. Vibrant wrasses hide in every nook and cranny, predatory barracuda wait for a snack, all while beaked parrotfish nibble at the structure of the reef itself. The clear waters around the reef are patrolled by sharks and sea turtles. Unfortunately, human activities around the world are threatening these vital yet delicate ecosystems. In this course, you will determine the effects of ocean acidification on shell formation. You will assess how pollution affects algal photosynthesis. Finally, you will use sea anemones to investigate how increased ocean temperatures can lead to coral bleaching. 
Instructor: Dr. Geoffrey Mitchell
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th & 10th
 

Are we alone in the universe? Until recently, this fundamental question about our place in the cosmos was only explored through philosophical discussion or works of science fiction. The growing science of astrobiology seeks to turn science fiction into science research. By combining classroom learning and hands-on experimentation, we will explore three main research areas: the search for habitable planets elsewhere in the universe, the study of so-called "extremophiles" on Earth, and the search for habitable zones and life elsewhere in the solar system. Become an astrobiologist for a week and join us as we search for answers!
Instructor: Dr. Patricia Craig
Grade Level: Rising 9th & 10th

If you want to learn the basics of the Unity3D game development program while working on cool projects this is the class for you! Students enrolled in this course will learn core aspects of video game development and object-oriented programming through a series of hands-on projects. We will flex our creative muscles as we create custom sprites, sounds and 3-D objects for the Unity3D environment. We will modify existing video games by adding in our own creations and level designs, and then improve our titles based on player feedback just like real video-game companies. This class is designed for students who have little to no computer programming experience, but who are enthusiastic gamers and/or aspiring game developers.
Instructor: Dr. Roger Newman-Norlund
Grade Level: Rising 8th, 9th & 10th