Pre-College/Youth Programs
ACADEMY
Course Descriptions 2011.
NOTE: Classes offerings subject to change. Course selections for each session will be sent out with the acceptance packets.
Session A Classes
for 5th and 6th graders
(More 5th and 6th grade classes
in Session B)
COMMUNICATION / LANGUAGE ARTS
WRITE ON THE SPOT
You will love this writing class or else! Experience a variety of activities that will take your writing to a whole new level. You’ll laugh until it hurts, smile until you annoy others, and leave the session writing and thinking better than you ever have before. You will be introduced to writing techniques you’ve never used before as you move around, play games, and communicate in fun and exciting ways. Instructor: Adam Drew teaches language arts at South Medford High School and is the Assistant Director of ACADEMY for Summer 2011.
VISUAL ARTS
CREATIVE CLAY SCULPTURE
Experience the art of Japan while you learn how to sculpt beautiful oranina (Japanese clay flutes), dishes, garden sculptures and other traditional Japanese pieces. Take home many of your creations that have been fired and glazed. Instructor: Wataru Sugiyama is an international sculptor and native of Japan. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States, England, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.
LIVING IN THE LAND OF ME
Okay, it’s your kingdom…what would it be like? Combine your senses and skills to create your own laws, design your official stamp, sing your anthem and devise your language. Will you and your subjects float or fly? How will your subjects gain a sense of community? Give it all you’ve got in this class that will combine social science, art, design and imagination. You’ll create a storyboard layout of your ‘total concept’ for your kingdom and make this really big idea come to life! Instructor: Lisa Ameijide has been a professional artist since 1974. She is a licensed teacher, TV producer and storyteller. Her goal is to encourage self-exploration through art.
THE FANTASY ILLUSTRATOR
Let your imagination soar as you draw fantastic beings and incredible creatures. Study the where, why and how of the great fantasy creatures of all time such as fairies, elves, ogres, dragons, sea monsters, centaurs, unicorns and dragons. Learn new drawing techniques for your favorites and design your own fantasy creations. Instructor: Craig Honeycutt has a Master’s in Art Education and is a local artist and art educator with more than twenty years teaching experience.
PERFORMING ARTS
ACTING UP!
Build your confidence as a performer in this energy filled theatre class. You will explore action on the stage as you learn the techniques of ‘short form’ improvisation creating scenes inspired by theatre games and audience suggestions. Find out how body language sends messages and how vocal and physical actions entertain and inform us. Amaze yourself as you combine these techniques to entertain and to be entertained! Wear clothes you can move in. Instructor: Mike Fitzgerald has over 20 years professional theater experience and has taught in the Rogue Valley for the past 15 years.
FUN WITH FENCING
En guard…ready…fence! Safe inside a mask and jacket, you will be introduced to the exciting sport of fencing. Learn the skills of “touching” (scoring on) your partner while avoiding being scored on and learn the respect, ethics and camaraderie involved in this sport. Instructor: Dylan Shelton has fenced both foil and epee with the Southern Oregon Fencing Center for four years and has taught SOU-sponsored fencing classes.
JUST DANCE
Do you like to dance? Do you like hip hop? This class is just for you! The focus will be on technique, flexibility and the choreography of hip hop, a blend of jazz, modern and street dance. We’ll utilize high energy music and street style movement to explore this unique style of dance. All levels are welcome. Come and learn a routine that you can take home to impress your friends and family! Instructor: Danielle Basey is currently a student at Rogue Community College where she also teaches dance. She has been dancing for 16 years, participating in and teaching ballet, jazz, modern, lyrical and hip hop styles.
STAND UP CRACK UPS
Are you a jokester or a storyteller? Are you a nerd, a knockabout or a wise guy? Find your funny bone in this class as you learn about set up and pay off and ‘the rule of three’ and write your own stand up comedy material and try it out on a supportive audience. Explore delivery, timing and find your personal comic style in this class of laughs as you discover what kind of comic you are. Instructor: Eve Smyth is an actor, improviser, and playwright. She is the co-director of Oregon Stage Works Ashland Children’s Theatre and is a member of the local improv troupe The Hamazons.
TAIKO DRUMMING
Taiko is the Art of Japanese Drumming and literally means ‘Big Drum’ in Japanese. This class will start off with the technique needed to play the drum; how to stand, how to hold the Bachi sticks and strike the drum. You will quickly move into powerful drum activities, games, rhythms and movement culminating in a song or two by the end of the week. This style of Taiko is called Wadaiko or group drumming where cooperation and working together is an essential element. Instructor: Pam Vellutini started Ashland Taiko as a school program in 2000 at the Briscoe Elementary School. The Ashland Taiko performance ensemble performs at a variety of community events annually.
SOCIAL STUDIES
21st CENTURY COBBLER
People say that the secret to life is comfortable shoes. You might think that Nike and Adidas have the comfortable shoe market cornered, but now is your opportunity to beat the kings at their own game. You will design, produce and engage in a flashy marketing campaign to sell your brand new, state-of-the-art athletic shoe. You'll begin to understand the competitive world of advertisement, supply and demand, and the goal that drives all shoe companies—profit. Instructor: Peter Voskes is a former ACADEMY student and counselor who teaches eighth grade U.S. History at Hedrick Middle School. He is also the cross county coach at North Medford High.
DRAMA IN ANCIENT GREECE
Why was theatre important to the religious and civic life of the people living in ancient Greece? How did Greek theatre influence western literature? You’ll find out the answers to these questions as you explore and reenact scenes that stunned audiences in 400 BC and still have meaning today. Through hands on activities including designing your own sets, you’ll discover the major themes of Greek tragedy and comedy. Instructor: Andrew DeCarlow holds a degree in Latin and Ancient Greek from Brown University. He taught at St. Mary’s School before entering Yale University where he is studying to receive his MA in Religion.
JAPANESE ART AND CULTURE
Study Japanese art and culture through musical instruments, Shuji (writing Japanese characters with a brush and ink), Origami (paper folding art work), clay work and the Japanese language. Broaden your cultural horizons while having fun! You will learn about Japanese cultural traditions such as making a replica of Japan’s ancient clay bell. Instructor: Wataru Sugiyama is an international sculptor and native of Japan. He has exhibited his work throughout the United States, England, Switzerland, Germany and Japan.
SCIENCE
THE BUZZ ABOUT BEES
Discover all there is to know about bees! You will learn the history, science and mysteries of the life of the honeybee. Live bees housed in a special frame behind glass will be your guests as you use microscopes to identify their anatomy, dissect bees and plants, make a beeswax candle, examine honey frames and smokers and try on authentic beekeeping equipment and clothing used by beekeepers. And you’ll get a sweet sample of the bee’s hard work when you extract honey from the honeycomb! Instructor: Pat Morris has been a beekeeper for 25 years. He is the owner and CEO of Rogue River Bees and his bees pollinate from Central Valley California to the Willamette Valley. His bees produce 40-60,000 pounds of honey annually.
JUST TO BUG YOU
This is your chance to be introduced to the diversity of insects and to get up close and personal with all the creepy crawlies! You will take an engaging look at insects—from observing and handling insects, to exploring their world through “bug goggles,” to building robotic insects. You will even get some practice as amateur forensic entomologists! Instructor: Heather Ransom earned her Master’s in Education from SOU and has taught middle school science for the past 18 years. She has been awarded numerous grants to coordinate student attendance at a variety of science field trips around the state and country.
SCENE OF THE CRIME
Use your intuitive and hard science skills as you conduct forensic tests on the evidence found at a mock crime scene. You will learn crime scene analysis and study physical evidence for clues. You’ll work with fingerprints, hair, fibers and insect impressions. Crack the case as you investigate chromatography, examine blood samples and test for DNA to piece together what really happened at the scene of the crime. Instructor: Heather Ransom earned her Master’s in Education from SOU and has taught middle school science for the past 17 years. She has been awarded numerous grants to coordinate student attendance at a variety of science field trips around the state and country.
SCIENCE…YOU GOT TO EAT IT UP!
Take a closer look at the products in our grocery stores and find out who develops all that “stuff.” You will learn how food scientists develop your favorite beverages and even the foods for NASA. Have fun as you develop your own candy products and beverages. Then learn about the various components of food—fats, carbohydrates and proteins as you participate in exciting lab exercises to demonstrate their presence in foods and beverages. Instructor: Heather Ransom earned her Master’s in Education from SOU and has taught middle school science for the past 17 years. She has been awarded numerous grants to coordinate student attendance at a variety of science field trips around the state and country.
COMPUTERS/VIDEO
EXTREME TECH
Come learn the latest and greatest in technology while using state-of-the-art equipment. Learn how to publish your own website, delve into HTML, and develop web-ready video and audio content. Combine these skills to deliver your own unique website using integrated Google tools. Extreme Tech will whet that techno-artistic appetite using cutting edge Adobe products such as DreamWeaver, Flash, and Photoshop. Instructor: Anthony White has his Master’s in Teaching from Southern Oregon University with endorsements in Spanish and ESOL. He has extensive computer and technology experience.
IT’S MY BUSINESS
Discover how dollars are made using the worldwide web! Learn how many of today’s entrepreneurs set up businesses to make a profit in a virtual world. Check out some computer equipment and models that built the movement into what e-commerce is today. Discover how blogging, social media, search engines and advertising can work for you as a future business owner! Instructor: Caleb Laplante works for ShopDragon.com, a new kind of eCommerce website platform helping small businesses sell effectively on the internet to both their national and local audiences. He is also an alumnus of ACADEMY!
MATHEMATICS/LOGICAL THINKING/ENGINEERING
LEGO-ROBOTICS
Enter a world where engineering meets technology as you work together to meet the challenges of building and programming robots using the Lego Mindstorm equipment. You will learn mechanical and software design, problem-solving and teamwork skills and experience the excitement of building advanced Lego structures. Instructor: Graham Hetland was a youth programs instructor last summer and has mentored youth in past years. He has a BS in Environmental Studies from SOU and is currently enrolled in the MBA program, graduating this year.
MOUSETRAP ENGINEERING
You will be challenged to use your creativity and construction skills to design and build a vehicle that will attempt to travel thirty meters powered only by the energy of a mousetrap! Advanced designs and speedier cars will be possible for those willing to exceed the challenge. Instructor: John Hampton is a Math Teacher at North Valley High School. He grew up in rural Alaska, hunting, fishing and trapping. While attending school he owned and ran his own business by the age of 18.He loves math and the application of its concepts in the world around us.