Programs
The Torrance Center for Creativity and Talent Development at The University of Georgia will offer the following programs for students in grades K-12 during the 2009-2010 academic year.
Currently accepting enrollment
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Duke T.I.P. – Academic Adventures:
December 12, 2009
Insect Friends and Foes
Code Green, Code Green…Paging the Plant Doctor!
Bugbot Programming
Creating Hogwarts
Crime Scene Investigation
Let’s Get Down to Business!
Science MythBusters
Duke T.I.P - Scholar Weekend
December 5-6, 2009
The Sensing Human: An Exploration into Human Sensation and Perception
Bio-Imaging in Research and Medicine
Problems and Progress in Disney
Game Werks: Creating Video Games to Solve Real World Problems
Introductory Robotics
Other Events:
MINDS Program
Saturdays at the Museum
Pilgrim’s Progress
Polar Express
MINDS Program
“Mentoring for the INtellectual Development of Students”
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MINDS is a hybrid online/face-to-face, semester-long mentorship and enrichment/acceleration program for first through twelfth grade students. Each participant will explore a topic of interest and develop a project to be presented at a Capstone Festival on December 13. University of Georgia mentors will consult with students online at least once a week. Face-to-face sessions will last 1-2 hours, 5-7 times per semester. The fall session is September 14 to December 13.
First through Third Grade – $300
Fourth through Twelfth Grade – $350
Information Session
Sunday, September 13th 2-3p.m. Aderhold Hall, rm 319
Saturdays at the Museum
Field trips to Roper Mountain Science Center
This is a great opportunity to enjoy experiences in the center’s classrooms and labs, including the Living History Farm, Harrison Hall of Natural Sciences, Planetarium, Observatory, and Symmes Hall of Science.
Students will board UGA vans at 8am and arrive at the Center by 10am and will return to UGA by 4:30pm. Registration cost is $100.00 per student, which includes transportation and Center admission. Click here for registration
November 14, 2009 Fall Harvest Festival
January 9, 2010 Olympic Science
February 13, 2010 Engineer-It
March 13, 2010 Space Day
April 10, 2010 Star Wars Universe
May 8, 2010 Spring Festival
June 12, 2010 Sizzlin’ Summer Fun
In cooperation with the
Greenville, South Carolina
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December 12, 2009
- Insect Friends and Foes
- Code Green, Code Green…Paging the Plant Doctor!
- Bugbot Programming
- Creating Hogwarts
- Crime Scene Investigation
- Let’s Get Down to Business!
- Science MythBusters
Insect Friends and Foes
Students will learn the basics of entomology including natural history, identification, and ecology. A portion of the course will in a science laboratory and a portion will be in the field collecting insects in various habitats including streams, forests, and meadows. Students will then work in the lab to process, pin and identify insects based on whether they are our "Friends" or "Foes". Students will be allowed to keep their insect collections and all collecting supplies. Students will also have the opportunity to visit the UGA Insect Zoo and safely handle tarantulas, scorpions, and various other insects and arthropods.
Code Green, Code Green…Paging the Plant Doctor!
Plants get sick, too! Visit with the Plant Pathology Department to explore how pathogens cause illness in plants. Learn about pathogens similar to those that cause human and animal illnesses and those that attack plants. Participate in hands-on activities to learn how plant diseases are diagnosed. Explore important concepts such as the disease triangle and signs/symptoms. Learn to use microscopes, make wet mounts, and so much more as we explore the macro- and microscopic world of plant diseases.
Bugbot Programming
This short course is designed for students in the 5th and 6th grades who have already completed the first Bugbot Robotics short course. This course goal is to provide students with an introduction to computer programming allowing behavior modifications of a robot based its infrared and sound sensors inputs. The student will learn about the basic programming of microcontrollers, the interfacing of sensors for sound and near-infrared light, and the actuation of electric motors and remote controller serial communications concepts. Upon completion of this course, students should be able to evaluate whether a desired robot behavior can be realized using a combination of computer hardware and software solutions.
Creating Hogwarts
Alice has Wonderland, Aslan has Narnia and Harry has Hogwarts. One of the most basic elements of fantasy literature is an amazingly inventive setting. Join us as we read classic examples of fantasy worlds, discuss the characteristics that make certain stories successful and others not, and then brainstorm, describe, and create new worlds of our own.
Crime Scene Investigation
Should we believe everything that we see on TV? Probably not! Television dramas such as the CSI series are great for learning a little about forensics, but the TV dramas are FULL of mistakes! In this course we will discuss some of the facts and fiction of what we see on TV and then learn the science behind real crime scene investigations. Students will have opportunities to gather and analyze evidence in an attempt to solve a crime. In this course, student CSI’s will engage in analysis of forensic chemistry of blood types, latent fingerprint lifting, hair analysis, forensic chemistry of unknown substances, and document analysis using thin layer chromatography, just to name a few. Come join our team, and help solve the crime!
Let’s Get Down to Business!
In this course, students work in teams to start and run their own businesses in a simulated industry. Taking on different leadership roles, students will learn the basics of business and entrepreneurship as they apply for jobs, design, manufacture, market, and sell their products in the Torrance Center marketplace. Students play the roles of analysts, controllers and traders to learn the basics of saving and investing. Working in teams, students set financial goals, analyze forecasts, create a diversified portfolio, track their investments, allocate assets and trade.
Science MythBusters
Can eating PopRocks and Coca Cola together make your stomach explode? Do you get wetter walking than running in the rain? Does it really take 7 years to digest a swallowed piece of gum? Is the 5-second rule safe? Are dog mouths really cleaner than human mouths? Students will learn about the scientific process as they design experiments to test these common scientific myths and more!
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UGA Scholar Weekend Courses for December 5-6, 2009
- The Sensing Human: An Exploration into Human Sensation and Perception
- Bio-Imaging in Research and Medicine
- Problems and Progress in Disney
- Game Werks: Creating Video Games to Solve Real World Problems
- Introductory Robotics
The Sensing Human: An Exploration into Human Sensation and Perception
Human beings are endowed with a remarkable ability to sense and perceive the world around them. Equally astounding are the consequences that accompany the loss of one or more of the senses. This course will use an interactive and observation-driven approach to introduce students to the basic anatomy and operation of human sensory systems, such as our five basic senses. Students will also learn about important theoretical principles from sensory psychology and perception that allow us to integrate sensory input to understand what is happening in the world around us. A major focus of this course will involve small groups of students collecting data from experimental examples as well as hands-on exercises, including a sheep eye dissection, to illustrate research methods and key concepts in sensation and perception. This course will also cover common impairments in sensory processing, including blindness and hearing loss, and what we can learn from these problems. Join us as we explore how we perceive the world!
Bio-Imaging in Research and Medicine
Have you ever watched a medical drama and wondered about the alphabet soup of tests the characters were discussing? This course will explore how different imaging techniques, such as x-ray, ultrasound, PET, and MRI work and how they are used in research, medical and veterinary applications. A prevailing theme for the weekend will be "Could Dr. House do that in real life?" Guest speakers will include Dr. Sornborger from the Engineering Dept., who will teach the students about his research imaging zebrafish, and a technologist from the PET scanner at Athens Regional Medical Center. After each section, we will analyze what is wrong with a clip from a medical drama. Students will also participate in "House, MD"-style games in which they will be given a symptom profile and will work in teams to diagnose their "patients" by "ordering" medical imaging tests. Finally, students will participate in setting up and conducting an experiment at the Bio-Imaging Research Center here at UGA. The students will be able to see EEG and MEG brain data and actual MRI images as they were being collected, as well as functional MRI data, e.g. brain activity or blood flow in a contracted leg muscle.
Problems and Progress in Disney
In this course, we will examine the products of the Walt Disney Company–cartoon shorts, feature–length films, and theme park attractions–and find out what has made them so outrageously popular for the last eight decades. In what ways do they speak to the human condition? Do they contain subversive “hidden messages”? Are they, especially the older ones, racist? We will take a critical, yet affectionate, look at the cartoons that entertain us and the company that created them, and will be viewing short and long clips from such classics as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, The Little Mermaid, Fantasia, and a host of cartoon shorts.
Game Werks: Creating Video Games to Solve Real World Problems
Do you love playing video games and would you like to learn how to create your own? Game Werks is a program for students who are interested in learning more about video gaming and the video game industry. This course uses video game design activities to motivate students to learn both hard and soft 21st century skills. Students learn to problem solve, work in groups, design software, and understand the economic and management issues associated with game development. The Game Werks program model harnesses a student’s passion for video games and provides a relevant context for understanding concepts across different academic disciplines. The project–based learning activities and connection to professionals in the video game industry creates a powerful learning environment for students.
Introductory Robotics
Have you ever watched a science fiction movie and wondered “can robots actually do that?” The real–world answer may surprise you! This course will provide students with the hands–on opportunity to program pre–constructed robots and work with NIR light sensors and servo motors. Students will explore concepts such as microprocessor(s) system programming, serial inter–processor communications, near–infrared and sound sensor usage. This course will take place at the UGA Driftmier Engineering Center in an Active Learning laboratory with a combination of multimedia and network control software that allows students and instructor to share information during class and record it all for later review on the web. Due to limited robotics equipment and lab space, this course is restricted to 12 students.
Friday Night Focus: Pilgrim’s Progress
Calling all children in grades K-5!
Step back in time to our nation’s First Thanksgiving. Be a Pilgrim or Native American for the night and experience the historic event through a variety of hands-on experiences including making your own corn husk dolls, fox & geese game and homemade drums.
Date: 11/20/09
Time: 6-9 pm
Click Here for registration form.
Polar Express
A cozy holiday evening based on the beloved children’s classic by Chris Van Allsburg – – children are encouraged to come in pajamas. Children will work in Santa’s workshop on some special gifts of their own. The festivities conclude with a dramatic reading of The Polar Express, complete with hot chocolate and cookies.
Date: 12/18/09
Time: 6-9 pm
Click Here for registration form.
"Learn to free yourself from the expectations of others and to walk away from the games they impose upon you." -E. Paul Torrance
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