This course is designed to prepare a student for the rigorous critical thinking and investigative skills needed for success in a yearlong Advanced Placement Chemistry course. Students will explore the important themes (Big Ideas) of the AP Chemistry curriculum and related learning objectives: structure of matter (Big Idea 1), properties of matter including characteristics, states, and forces of attraction (Big Idea 2), chemical reactions (Big Idea 3), rates of chemical reactions (Big Idea 4), thermodynamics (Big Idea 5), and equilibrium (Big Idea 6). The class will focus on building a strong conceptual understanding of fundamental concepts and problem-solving skills. In addition, students will work to develop laboratory investigation skills based on the seven science practices as addressed in the AP Chemistry curricular framework. This course will fulfill the AP Chemistry summer homework and exam requirement (to be completed by students who will take AP Chemistry at Loyola High School in the fall). The grade earned in this class will replace the grade for the Chemistry AP summer homework packet and exam.

Tuition is $540.00.

Is it physically possible for a home run to travel 562 feet? A newspaper claims Mickey Mantle hit one in 1953! Science can shed light on this fascinating sports question and others! This class will examine sports using the scientific principles of inquiry and investigation. Sports such as baseball, basketball, and football, will provide the lens for learning science. Please join us as we take a scientific journey into the science of sports!

Tuition is $540.00.

This innovative course encourages students to give their imaginations a 3-dimensional shape. Exploring material science, engineering, and arts, students will learn about the process of creating an object. Material properties, structural integrity, architecture, and material design are only a few things that will be covered in this engaging class. Resource usage, sustainability and environmental consciousness find more and more importance in our daily lives. In this course, we try to gain insights in new technologies and learn about the impact of our actions on the future.

Tuition is $540.00.

In this hands-on course students become engineers designing and building systems that lower the impact on the environment.  Students will have an opportunity to build model homes and vehicles that all depend on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.  Students will learn about critical global environmental issues including energy use and efficiency, pollution, transportation, agriculture, land use, construction, water access and use, and ecological destruction. 

Tuition is $540.00.

In this exciting hands-on course students will learn to apply fundamentals of chemistry and physics to create a spectacular sound and light show!  Through fun and engaging activities, students will learn to modify sounds by changing wavelength and frequency and to create amazing effects using mirrors and lights.  Students will acquire the skill and knowledge to enhance their performances with special effects such as making objects appear to float, animations, colored flames, and mini-fireworks, among many others!  

Tuition is $540.00.

We all love good food!  But do you know what really goes into making food taste great?  Cooking is as much of a science as an art.  In this course, the laboratory is transformed into a kitchen, as students explore the chemistry, biology and physics concepts behind the preparation of delicious foods we all enjoy.  Here is a taste of what this course will offer:  What’s really in mayonnaise?  Why do the world’s greatest chefs prefer copper?  Why can’t I use baking soda instead of baking powder?  What do you mean the key difference between rock candy, taffy, caramel and fudge is temperature?  How is salt used in making ice cream?  Students will engage in exciting laboratory investigations to answer all these questions and more!  Bon appétit! 

Tuition is $540.00.

Come discover the world of robotics! In this project-based course students will plan, construct and program robotic devices using the LEGO programming environment and NXT hardware.  Students will use inquiry, guided research, problem solving, and teamwork as they investigate how robots make decisions to navigate through their environment. No previous experience required. 

Tuition is $540.00.

Become a crime scene investigator!  This course is designed to give students hands-on experience solving realistic crime scene scenarios using actual forensic techniques.  Activities will include: glass fragment analysis, analyses of blood and skeletal remains, identifying trace substances, developing latent fingerprints, and identifying forgeries.  The course will culminate in the creation and analysis of a simulated crime scene. 

Tuition is $540.00.

This course is designed to prepare a student for the rigorous investigation and thinking involved in Advanced Placement Biology.  Students will explore two of the most important themes of the AP Biology Course: the genetic basis for inheritance and evolution by natural selection. The class will focus on building a conceptual understanding rather than primarily factual recall of information.  Students will work on developing skills of quantitative (computational) thinking, developing skills of laboratory investigation, and examining current developments in biological research.  This class is open to all high school students who have taken at least one year of high school laboratory science. 

Tuition is $540.00.