Please check our website after September 1, 2010 for new Fall classes!
GRADES 1 & 2 – Period 1
Journey into Ancient Civilization
Join us to investigate the science, games, history, art and inventions of some amazing ancient civilizations. We will conduct some of the same experiments that these intelligent people did many centuries ago. Creative dramatic games will help you imagine you are part of ancient Greece, Egypt, the Aztec Empire, and Mesopotamia. Unravel the mysteries of mummification, astronomical wonders, and building those pyramids. In 2010, you will discover some inventions that changed ancient society and modern life forever!
Brenda Barrett; Brenda currently teaches at Pius X School in White Bear Lake. B has taught YES classes before and has also taught at ExplorSchool this past summer.
Calling All Inquisitive Inventors!
"INVENTION" Can you see it, hear it, touch it, imagine it? Our lives are surrounded by inventions. You are invited along to try your hands and minds at devising your own inventions. Do you know the woman who invented the flat bottom paper grocery bag we use today and founded her own company in 1870? Mattie Knight not only made shopping easier but designed her first stop-motion device when she was 12 years old. Perhaps you know of a problem to solve or just want to compose and tinker with some interesting materials. In this class we will include an investigation of motors, how they work and why we use them. You will be able to assemble a new invention which includes the motor and lots of other creative materials. Come along on the path to discover your inner inventor!
Matthew Smith; BA, Education and Communications, St John's University, MA, St Mary's... currently teaching at Roosevelt Elementary School in St. Paul… varsity baseball coach at Humboldt High School... volunteers at Boys and Girls Club. 
3..2..1… Blast Off!
Fasten your seat belts and join us as we travel into the sky above our home planet. We will transform into well trained astronauts and prepare our ship for the journey ahead. After liftoff, we will take a wild ride through space to explore the stars, earth's moon and that fabulous sun. Is it really a mass of incandescent gas? What can we discover about those other fascinating flying fragments on the fringes in our solar system? Come along on this astronomical journey to glide on Saturn’s rings and visit the planet Mars, as we consider the latest research of scientists there. Join us for the space adventure of a lifetime.
Katie Gillard; Katie has taught 2nd grade in Woodbury, MN for 5 years. When she is not teaching, she is home with her two children. Katie has family running a primary school in Gujurat, India and is planning a trip there soon.
Imagine it! Create it! Then put it on!
Do you think art can be seen on more places than just the wall? What if you could transform your body into a stoplight, flower, or space alien? Look at exciting examples of wearable art from professional designers, and then make your own! Come explore many different materials and use your creativity to make hats, costumes and clothes out of everyday objects! You will learn about the art of batik (using wax to resist a color dye) used in several places around the world, and get a chance to make your own on a T-shirt, skirt, or pair of pants. In this wearable art class, let your art run outside the lines and even off the page and on to your own body!
Heidi Tungseth; BA Philosophy, Art minor, Wheaton College (IL); Post-Baccalaureate Program in Painting and Illustration at MCAD; M.Ed. in Art, UMN. Taught elementary art at Forest Elementary school, Robbinsdale; currently teaches high school art at BlueSky Online Charter School.
GRADES 1 & 2 – Period 2
Chemistry Wizards (class is full)
Do you want to learn chemical reactions that will amaze your friends and family? We will use common items found in your home such as glue, oil, vinegar, etc., to concoct lots of exciting reactions. You’ll build molecules and create chemical reactions and polymers. You’ll discover when and why solids change into liquids and gases. You will become a chemistry wizard!
Melissa Swenson: BA, Biochemistry, UM Morris… M.Ed., University of MN…teaches 9th grade physical science and chemistry at Delano HS. Enjoys judging and coaching gymnastics and playing tennis.
Art in 3D: Creating Sculpture(class is full)
Calling all sculpture lovers! Learn to create a variety of three-dimensional works of art while learning a little technique and history at the same time! Sculptures can and have been made out of many different materials over the years, such as clay, marble, metal, sand, ice, paper, bone, wood and even plants. In our class we will explore a variety of sculptors from different countries and time periods and figure out why they chose the materials they did. We will then try out some basic sculpture techniques using a variety of mediums ourselves, including clay, wood, paper, and even wire. Let's look at art from all sides and see what we can create.
Shannan Marsnik; BA, psychology, Pre-K to 6th grade teaching license, Macalester College. Shannan teaches Preschool and Kindergarten at Jean Lyle Children's Center in St. Paul where she tries every day to bridge science and art. She also enjoys gardening, bug hunting, and doing art projects with her two school-age daughters.
Here! Here! For Shakespeare!
“To Be or Not to Be…” Have you heard that very famous question? Do you know, which very famous character asked it in which very famous play? Do you know the name of the play’s author, who was one of the most famous writers in history?! Each week students will experience words written by the amazing English Language playwright, William Shakespeare, understanding them in modern English. Working in small groups, students will act as directors, actors and playwrights as they create their own adaptations of the Bard’s characters. Think: Romeo & Juliet played as first grade super heroes who join forces to save the planet, united against the wishes of their fighting families.
Patty Hall; BA, Theatre, UMN…has taught and created theater courses in Minneapolis schools, directed Theatre for the Young in Duluth, MN…national award winner for performances at The Kennedy Center…currently works for children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.
Your Amazing Brain
Do you like to play games or challenge your friends? Have your eyes ever deceived you? You are invited on an amazing adventure into your brain. Find out how your brain learns and how you remember things. Did you know that the human brain has 10 billion neurons, making it the most powerful learning tool in the world? Do you know what a neuron is? A dog’s brain is 19 times smaller than a human adult brain; an elephant’s brain is 4 to 5 times bigger than ours. Join us as we investigate brains, create brain models, and play brain games. We will explore the brain through games, music, and hands-on activities.
Jennifer Siebenaler ; MEd, education and leadership, and working on her Doctorate of Education in Leadership. Has a grades 1-6 teaching license. Has taught in private and public elementary and middle schools. Currently, is a gifted education specialist at Lake Marion Elementary School in Lakeville, MN, and an adjunct professor for the Graduate School of Education in Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
GRADES 3 & 4 – Period 1
Creative Chemistry (class is full)
What do molecule building and chemical reactions have in common? Step into the classroom and find out. Become a chemist and find out what can happen with ingredients you can find in the grocery, drug, or hardware store. You’ll create polymers, turn solids into liquids, and concoct cool colloids and suspensions. You’ll see the chemical reactions that glue, borax, alka-seltzer, vinegar and oil can cause.
Melissa Swenson: BA, Biochemistry, UM Morris… M.Ed., University of MN…teaches 9th grade physical science and chemistry at Delano HS. Enjoys judging and coaching gymnastics and playing tennis.
3D Art Experience: Sculpt it, Build it, Make it
Sculpture, or the creation of art in three dimensions, has been used by artists around the world since ancient times. Sculptures have been made using a vast array of techniques and an even larger array of materials. In our class, we will explore a variety of sculptors from different countries and time periods and try to figure out why they chose the materials they did. We will also examine how and why certain sculptures elicit particular feelings in viewers. Then, using the basic processes of subtraction, substitution, addition and manipulation, we will create our own sculptures from materials such as clay, wood, paper, and wire. Be prepared to get messy!
Shannan Marsnik; BA, psychology, Pre-K to 6th grade teaching license, Macalester College. Shannan teaches Preschool and Kindergarten at Jean Lyle Children's Center in St. Paul where she tries every day to bridge science and art. She also enjoys gardening, bug hunting, and doing art projects with her two school-age daughters.
“All the World’s a Stage”
for you and Shakespeare Do you enjoy learning and even creating different languages? Are you an actor? Do you use your talents to think up stories and then turn them into plays? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, you may be the next Shakespeare! Join us each Saturday morning in March as we read, interpret and perform comic and tragic scenes taken from the plays of William Shakespeare. The goal of this class is to make the most historically celebrated playwright of the English language accessible, relevant and fun. You’ll be busy as you act, direct and re-write scenes with your small group of players. Who knows, you may find that you even come up with performances you’ll want to share with the rest of the class.
Patty Hall; BA, Theatre, UMN…has taught and created theater courses in Minneapolis schools, directed Theatre for the Young in Duluth, MN…national award winner for performances at The Kennedy Center…currently works for children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.
Bring Your Brain to Class
Would you be a good detective? Have you noticed what color eyes your teacher has? Can you remember what you had for lunch yesterday? Hop on board for a journey into your amazing brain. We will learn about the brain, explore techniques and activities to help us remember things, and by the end of our journey you will understand how your brain learns and "arranges" information. Is anyone ready for a game of synaptic tag? Join us as we investigate brain parts from neurons to the cerebellum, create brain models and compose brain songs. Have fun learning about the brain through games, music, and hands-on activities.
Jennifer Siebenaler ; MEd, education and leadership, and working on her Doctorate of Education in Leadership. Has a grades 1-6 teaching license. Has taught in private and public elementary and middle schools. Currently, is a gifted education specialist at Lake Marion Elementary School in Lakeville, MN, and an adjunct professor for the Graduate School of Education in Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
GRADES 3 & 4 – Period 2
Eureka! The Science of Ancient Civilizations
Have you ever wondered how mummification works, who made the first known maps, or how the ancient Egyptians were able to build the pyramids? Would you like to make your own sundial, discover how to detect earthquakes, or learn how fireworks “work”? Creative dramatics will help us imagine ourselves in these ancient civilizations, while we explore ancient science and technology. Try your hand at the same experiments that produced inventions that changed societies forever, and answer the question: Are you smarter than an Ancient Egyptian?
Brenda Barrett; Brenda currently teaches at Pius X School in White Bear Lake. B has taught YES classes before and has also taught at ExplorSchool this past summer.
Awesome Inventions, Creations, Solutions (class is full)
Do you enjoy creative experiments with goop, bags, boxes, rubber bands and wooden spools? Join our amazing inventors group to discover the solutions that other inventors have found to make your every day tasks easier. Try your hands at new discoveries with brainstorming, plans and 3D creations. If you are reading this on a computer, you might thank Grace Hopper who designed the first computers used in 1944 and found the first computer "bug" which was an actual moth in the hardware! Perhaps you are the next Mattie Knight, who invented the flat bottom paper bag we use for groceries today and also developed real life machine solutions at age 12 (in 1850)! As we come to understand axles and gears, friction and inertia, you will be able to use your inquisitive mind to create your own machine. Maybe you will create a robot that cleans or walks or drives. The world awaits you, oh awesome inventors of YES!
Matthew Smith; BA, Education and Communications, St John's University, MA, St Mary's... currently teaching at Roosevelt Elementary School in St. Paul… varsity baseball coach at Humboldt High School... volunteers at Boys and Girls Club.
Space University
Welcome to adventures in astronaut training! In this class, we will train as real astronauts and prepare for our first space mission together. Before we board, we will investigate how our spaceship operates. As prepared space travelers, we want to know what life is really like inside that shuttle. Once we blast off from the third planet away from the sun, we will experience all the wonders of the sky. You are invited along to explore the heavy, heated heart of our solar system, also known as the sun. Scientists have been investigating earth's moon since before you were born, and we'll travel along on explorations. What do we know about the stars, meteors, asteroids, and how can we discover more? Join us for this adventure, and see if you have the right stuff!!
Katie Gillard; Katie has taught 2nd grade in Woodbury, MN for 5 years. When she is not teaching, she is home with her two children. Katie has family running a primary school in Gujurat, India and is planning a trip there soon.
The Wide World of Wearable Art
Are you looking for an excuse to pull your art right off the paper and on to your body? Come be inspired by top-notch costume designers creating out-of-this-world wearable art, and make some of your own! Design a party dress or tuxedo out of just newspaper and tape, and then take fashion photos! Create your own hat out of recyclable objects. Learn about the batik wax resist and dye process used in other parts of the world and then apply your own pattern to a t-shirt, skirt, or pair of pants. Make a costume that transforms you into a space alien or an inanimate object! Be a part of the magic and let your imagination run wild in the wide world of wearable art!
Heidi Tungseth; BA Philosophy, Art minor, Wheaton College (IL); Post-Baccalaureate Program in Painting and Illustration at MCAD; M.Ed. in Art, UMN. Taught elementary art at Forest Elementary school, Robbinsdale; currently teaches high school art at BlueSky Online Charter School.
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