Fab Lab Spring 2013 Programs
New this year for Spring 2013, Country Day is excited to offer courses in conjunction with UCSD and Fab Lab as part of the STE[+a]M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) program.
These programs are hosted at LJCD, but students from any school are welcome!
SPRING BREAK 2013
Middle School:
Intro to Electronics: Make Musical Electronics
This course will introduce basic electronics and physics in order to facilitate the creation of a number of unique musical instruments and better understand the interaction between electronics, sound and our ears. Students will participate in the designing and building of their own ‘sound boxes’ while learning core basic principles of electrical engineering in an easy-to-understand way.
At the end of the course, students will have designed and built several of their own funny, elegant or odd musical instruments utilizing electronic components, including an electronic sound box, and an amplifier they can use along with their new instruments. These electronic instruments and amplifiers will be designed as take-home pieces for the students to keep.
Each day will be split in two parts, the first half of which will be spent learning and discussing the science, technology and art behind sound, music, electronics and instrument building and hands on experiments with acoustics and electronics. We will spend the second half of our day building our unique musical instruments from a variety of materials and technologies. This class is designed for artistic or techie students, as well as newcomers or students with experience in this topic.
Session 1 (Grades 5-8)
Dates: March 25 – 29, 2013 (M-F)
Instructors: Brendan Bernhardt Gaffney, UCSD
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Cost:$375 (includes class materials)
3D Modeling & Design
In this class, participants will be introduced to basic concepts of 3D modeling and design – the same technology that helps architects, engineers, industrial designers and animators create buildings, forms, products and environments.
Through hands-on projects, students will learn how to model 3D geometry, how to generate a 3D model from physical objects using photography, and how to modify their geometry to develop their designs using Autodesk’s 123D suite.
As a final project, students will create a unique 3D character that they conceptualize and design. The students will then work in teams to use their characters to create new hybrid inventions, which is sure to bring laughs while teaching collaboration and skills related to measuring and engineering interlocking parts.
This course will engage students in a creative and project-based approach to learning the fundamentals of 3D modeling – a technology that is currently driving innovative and creative industries worldwide. Students will present their final projects using a variety of presentation techniques, including animation and renderings.
This class is designed for artistic or techie students, as well as newcomers, and is a good choice for those who plan to take the Spring Workshop after school program on Industrial Design and 3D Printing.
Session 1 (Grades 5-8)
Dates: April 1 – 5, 2013 (M-F)
Instructors: Ann Worth, MIT School of Architecture
Time: 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Cost: $300
Coding the Future: Introducting Java
Dive right in to coding with Java, one of the world’s most scalable and popular programming languages.
This is a practical and fun workshop with no lecture-style teaching. You will be coding progressively trickier problems for the entire duration of the class. You will learn by doing.
You’ll practice the basics of programming – variables, control statements, loops and boolean logic – that will provide you with a solid foundation for tackling new technologies and programming languages. This knowledge will be absorbed by constructively coding for the entire duration of the class. We’ll build 2-3 small applications each day that perform animation and user interaction tasks using Java.
You’ll leave with the tools you need to build your own Java applications at home or with your classmates.
You don’t need to be a techie to enjoy this workshop. Programming is easy and fun.
Dates: March 25-29, 2013 (M-F) Grades 9-12
Instructor: June Clarke
Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cost: $300
Coding the Future: Augmented Reality
AR technologies are the current focus of the most forward thinking engineers at companies such as Google, Qualcomm and Nokia.
Augmented Reality (AR) uses a suite of technologies to deliver information and media to accompany a real-time user experience. The Google Sky Map app and the heads-up display in Iron Man’s mask are two examples of AR in use.
In this week-long, 1pm – 4pm workshop you’ll learn the principles behind AR, how programming languages and databases are used to produce AR and how to build your own AR app. At the end, your app will be published and accessible to anyone with a smartphone anywhere in the world.
Participants may bring their own Apple iOS or Android devices with the “Layar” application downloaded and installed. This is not a requirement for participation.
Dates: March 25-29, 2013 (M-F) Grades 9-12
Instructor: Xavier Leonard
Time: 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Cost: $300
SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
3D Printing & Industrial Design
La Jolla Country Day is offering a spring after school program that engages middle school students in a hands-on Fab Lab (fabrication laboratory) learning experience. Students will work with advanced technical tools to perform activities that introduce them to STE[+a]M: science, technology, engineering & math, as well as the arts.
While we will cover technical topics, this class will be taught in a creative and inquiry-driven manner. Participants will learn about industrial design, 3D modeling, and digital fabrication, using a 3D printer to create physical forms from their designs. These physical forms will then be brought to life and made to move or light up by using an Arduino microprocessor and actuators, engaging students in computer programming, robotics and engineering.
These complex topics are explained in easy-to-understand language and fun projects, as we partake in designing and manufacturing our own creations. This class is appropriate for students who enjoy working with computers as well as those who enjoy art. There is no technical prerequisite
Session 1 (Grades 5-8)
Dates: April 10 – May 30, 2013 (W & Th)
Time: 3:15 -5:00 pm
Cost: $400 includes class materials