American Museum of Natural History After School Program Youth initiatives, Education Department Session 0214 Dates: November 4 – December 20, 2013 Application Deadline: Sunday, October 13, 2013 5PM • Students will be notified via email by Friday, October 18 Application link: https://surveymonkey/s/ASP0214 Exploratory Courses – Introductory level courses where you can explore diverse interests. These are NOT pre-requisites for the Science Research Mentoring Program. Saurischians to Birds Are dinosaurs really extinct? Evidence suggests that one group of dinosaurs survived the mass extinction 65.5 million years ago and can be found all over the world today. These avian theropod dinosaurs are modern birds. This course will investigate the evolutionary relationship between extinct theropod dinosaurs like Velociraptor and Tyrannosaurus rex and birds. We will explore paleontological evidence found in the fossil record that shows shared anatomical characteristics and behaviors between birds and extinct theropods. We will also learn how paleontologists collect, prepare and analyze fossils and how cladistics is used to establish relationships between extinct and living species. Meeting Times: Fridays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20 The Human Journey Who are you and where do you come from? Our upbringing and culture can provide some answers, but there is more to each of us hidden within our DNA. In this course, students will use their own genome to understand the great genetic diversity of modern humans and just how the descendants of a small group of Africans spread across the Earth. Meeting Times: Fridays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20 Environmental Illustration Students in this course learn to observe and illustrate their favorite species in a fun and challenging environment. Guided instruction will allow artists of varying levels to hone skills necessary to accurately depict animals in their natural surroundings. Students begin illustrating taxidermied specimens from the Museum’s collections, and progress to the Museum’s majestic dioramas in an effort to recapture these scenes on the page as they once occurred in nature. In the end, students will have the chance to practice new drawing skills by observing live animals. Meeting Times: Mondays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/4, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9, 12/16 The Observable Universe What makes Earth special? Why are some stars red or blue? Can we see a black hole? This class will introduce students to the physical sciences studied by Museum scientists: from the dynamic processes that have shaped Earth and the nature of other planets in the Solar System to the physics of light and how astronomers study the Universe. Meeting Times: Mondays and Wednesdays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/4, 11/6, 11/13, 11/18, 11/20, 11/25, 12/2, 12/4, 12/9, 12/11, 12/16, 12/18 Whales Did you know that whales are mammals that evolved from a land-dwelling animal? In this course you will explore amazing whale adaptations, such as using sound to “see” prey in water, learn about the latest efforts in whale conservation and survey the many cultures with connections to whales, including the legendary whale riders of New Zealand. Meeting Times: Tuesdays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10, 12/17 Science Research Courses – Intensive courses that serve as pre-requisites for the Science Research Mentoring Program. These courses are offered free. Stars This course is a pre-requisite for the Museum’s Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) in the astrophysics and earth and planetary science track. What is a star and how does it produce light? What types of stars are there and do they all go supernova? This class will introduce you to the variety of stars out there – from white dwarves to red giants, and G-type stars like our Sun to recently discovered brown dwarves that are changing our thoughts on what a star even is. You will learn about the stages in the lives of stars, from birth in a cluster out of a stellar nursery, to death in one of many possible forms. The course is offered free-of-charge. Meeting Times: Mondays and Wednesdays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/4, 11/6, 11/13, 11/18, 11/20, 11/25, 12/2, 12/4, 12/9, 12/11, 12/16, 12/18 Secrets of the Solar System This course is a pre-requisite for the Museum’s Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) in the astrophysics and earth and planetary science track. This class will take you on a grand tour of the solar system, from Mercury and the moons of Saturn, to asteroids and comets. How did such a diversity of worlds come to be? Like space detectives, we will follow the clues and try to unravel the secrets of the solar system’s formation and evolution. The course is offered free-of-charge. Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays: 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/7, 11/12, 11/14, 11/19, 11/21, 11/26, 12/3, 12/5, 12/10, 12/12, 12/17, 12/19 Research Methods in Conservation Biology This course is a pre-requisite for the Museum’s Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) in the biology and anthropology tracks. This course will introduce the principles and techniques of conservation biology, the causes of species extinctions and how the environment is changed over time by human activity. Aspects of population biology relevant to conservation will be covered, as well as conservation genetics, the genetic concepts and techniques used by scientists to study endangered populations. The course is offered free-of-charge. Meeting Times: Mondays and Wednesdays 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/4, 11/6, 11/13, 11/18, 11/20, 11/25, 12/2, 12/4, 12/9, 12/11, 12/16, 12/18 Comparative Genomics This course is a pre-requisite for the Museum’s Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) in the biology and anthropology tracks. This course will cover genetics and genomics, with a focus on understanding the composition of the genome. Students will learn what is in the genome, how mutations arise, and how variation in the genome impacts evolution and natural selection. Through a series of projects, we will study how Museum scientists use genetic information to study the history of life on earth and the conservation of endangered species. The course is offered free-of-charge. Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/7, 11/12, 11/14, 11/19, 11/21, 11/26, 12/3, 12/5, 12/10, 12/12, 12/17, 12/19 Human Origins This course is a pre-requisite for the Museum’s Science Research Mentoring Program (SRMP) in the biology and anthropology tracks. Around 3.6 million years ago in a remote corner of East Africa, two early human ancestors left a trail of footprints in a field of fresh volcanic ash. Walking upright with a gait that was more human-like than ape-like, these resourceful hominids were adapted to life beyond the tropical forests. Flash forward to 100,000 years ago to a cave in Israel where a band of the first anatomically modern humans laid to rest two family members, symbolically placing a necklace of shell beads with one individual and the jaw of a wild boar with the other. What traits separated these fully modern humans from their hominid ancestors? How did hominids physically adapt to their ever-changing environment, learn to produce tools, or develop the ability to communicate ideas? Explore first-hand what makes us human by examining fossils, studying anatomy, and learning to make your own chipped stone tools. In this course, we will trace the path of human evolution through in-depth discussions, hands-on activities, and visits to Museum halls that plot the history of humankind. The course is offered free-of-charge. Meeting Times: Tuesdays and Thursdays 4:30 PM to 6:30 PM Meeting Dates: 11/7, 11/12, 11/14, 11/19, 11/21, 11/26, 12/3, 12/5, 12/10, 12/12, 12/17, 12/19 For more information visit: amnh.org/learn-teach/grades-9-12/after-school-program
Posted on: Sun, 11 Aug 2013 15:32:53 +0000
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