GEMS/GISE STEM AT NORTHEAST AND SANFORD MIDDLE SCHOOLS,

RISING GRADES 6-8

 

PATHWAY CLASSES

Boatbuilding & Water Adventures (canoeing and swimming trips) (AVAILABLE AT NORTHEAST ONLY) Design and construct canoes with Urban Boatbuilders. Canoe our lakes and rivers with Wilderness Inquiry and explore Minneapolis and St. Paul through our waterways. Learn how to swim and/or improve your swimming skills with Water Safety Instructors at our pool.

 

Skateboard Science (field experiences at skate parks and with an engineering firm) Whether you are into extreme sports or just a nice ride, there is science and design in every board and rider. From momentum, gravity, friction and centripetal force to the basic parts of deck, wheels and trucks, build and learn to ride your own board.

 

Expedition Minneapolis (outdoor adventure field experiences) Discover the richness of the urban forest we call Minneapolis. Engage in a wide variety of environmental field experiences through the use of scientific inquiry while learning to use the tools of a naturalist. 

 

Bio Med / Scrubs Camp (field experiences with a variety of medical professionals and their work sites) Working with the same tools used by professionals in hospitals and labs, students engage in compelling, hands-on activities and work together to find solutions to problems.

 

Innovation Lab (field experiences with Dunwoody and U of MN) Experience what it’s like to be on Shark Tank! Design and create pro-types to present to potential “investors.” (This course includes CAD and 3D printing and various other technologies to help bring your inventions to life.) 

 

 

Additional Courses (in addition to pathway courses)

STEM Gear by Style Engineers __________ The real magic of fashion is how science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are part of the process of fashion design. Activities are designed to explore the science and technology of fashion. Students will be creating wearable technologies.

SOAR __________ Explore aerospace engineering and the physics of flight. Use the engineering design process to plan, design and construct a variety of vehicles that fly.

Coding __________ Learn to code using Tynker and progress to JavaScript and Python as you design games, build apps, and make incredible projects.

Design Art Meets Engineering __________ Explore engineering through art and design. Design and create mechanical sculptures and models and bring them to life through the engineering design process.

Engineering the Ride ____________ Explore the mechanics of the standard road bike while riding through the urban parks and streets of Minneapolis in this twopart course.

Explore Robotics _____________ Learn about mechanical design, construction, programming, and teamwork skills. Build different robot prototypes using LEGO building elements, motors, and sensors. Program robots with the computer to move, react, and make sounds. Utilize prototypes and programming skills to solve design challenges.

Amazon Mission __________ (Going into 6 th Grade)

Stranded! __________ (Going into 7 th Grade)

Everest Trek __________ (Going into 8 th Grade) Experience a simulation of navigating a mission in the Amazon, or being stranded on an island in the South Pacific, or climbing Mt. Everest. Explore and apply algebraic thinking and data analysis in the context of engineering design and adventure.

Story Games __________ Compete in sports and games based off of popular teen novels such as Hunger Games, Maze Runner, Divergent, Harry Potter and many more. Help build literacy skills and develop a love of reading while applying what you read to games and sports.

Photography __________ Develop your visual literacy skills while capturing summer life in this engaging, hands-on photography class.

IT Career Exploration __________ Gain hands-on experience with real-world information system applications. Learn from professionals who teach students database design, IT project management, and cloud computing.

Technology Driven Social Innovation __________ Create sustainable solutions to social problems. Use technology to promote social good to improve quality of life world wide. 

Dance ________ Hip hop is a high-energy class that infuses the latest styles of street dancing, breaking, popping, and locking. Classes will encourage students to step outside of the box by bringing their own individual style and personality to the movements.

Theatre _________ Act and Design! Students participating in Theatre will have the opportunity to perform or learn the technical elements of theatre by being on the tech team.

Cooking by Design _________ This design-based integrated STEM (food science)-Nutrition class engages students in using a variety of creativity and idea generation tools with an emphasis on “inventing” a cookie or inventing recipes brought to life through a variety of cooking methods like pickling, dehydration and more.

Drumline __________ Engage in drumline fundamental skills and techniques. Work on developing areas of performance, rehearse music and choreography, and culminate with the creation of a musical composition and arrangement.

Guitar __________ Learn how to play the guitar and/or improve your skills. Work on developing areas of performance, rehearse music and choreography, and culminate with the creation of a musical composition and arrangement.

Game On! Recreational Sport & Activities____ Learn and practice the skills and sportsmanship of Lacrosse, Soccer, Rugby, and Volleyball. Engage in games with your friends while improving your ball handling and field play.

Digital Electronics __________ Explore the foundations of computing by engaging in circuit design processes to create combinational logic and sequential logic (memory) as electrical engineers do in industry.

Amazing Structures: Bridges & Towers __________ Explore the fundamentals of civil engineering. Investigate tower and bridge designs, the forces that act on them, and the materials that can withstand those forces. Using CAD software and 3D printers, design your own structures, towers, and bridges.

Solar Powered Go Karts __________ Explore mechanical engineering through designing and creating a solar powered go kart!

Sonic Pi - Coding Music __________ Sonic Pi is a new kind of instrument for a new generation of musicians. Learn to code creatively by composing or performing music in an incredible range of styles from R & B and Hip Hop to Grime & EDM.

Science – Fact or Fiction? __________ Learn about chemical changes, chemical reactions, aquatic ecosystems, and our solar system while myth busting and determining if things are science fact or fiction.