Mathematics
Dr. Pavlo Pylyavskyy will lead the geometry course. This course will cover the topic of geometric transformations, which is a powerful tool for solving geometry problems. The topics covered include parallel translations, reflections, rotations, homothethy, inversion, and pole-polar duality. The course should be accessible to strong middle and high school students. Each lecture will start at a rather basic level, and will progress towards more advanced topics towards the end.
Course Outline:
Dr. Yifeng Yu will lead six lectures on topics like Number theory, Probability and, if time permits, Quadratic equations/polynomials. He will (1) go over significant concepts/theorems/tricks and (2) present major types of problems including math proofs that appear in math competitions. In terms of contents
Course Outline:
To help students develop genuine interest in math and encourage them "aim high", Dr. Yu will also incorporate famous math problems and stories of great mathematicians into his presentations.
Writing
Mr. Jonathan West will lead a scientific writing course. Students will write informational and persuasive compositions on science topics. In the first paper, students will write instructions for scientific procedures (day 1 and 2). In the second paper, they will explain scientific systems (day 3 and 4). These papers will require presenting scientific information in simple, nontechnical terms. Students will then write persuasive proposals of solutions to science-related problems (day 5 and 6).
Mrs. Jun Wang will lead a journalism writing class covers from story pitch (day 1), research (day 2) interview (day 3), writing the story (day 4 and 5) to editing and fact checking (day 6). The class produces a science and technology publication at the end. The curriculum goes hand in hand with the theme of the “Art of Sciences” camp. Students are required to read the New York Times and your local newspapers routinely and bring your own story pitch to the camp.
Physics
Dr. Yi Zhou will lead the Mechanics course. This algebra-based Physics course is for middle school and high school students who are new to physics with no prior physics coursework necessary. Students should have completed algebra I and geometry. This summer course will also give students a head start if they would like to prepare for the F=ma contest.
Textbook: Physics: Principles with Applications 6th Edition by Douglas C. Giancoli. Students don’t need to bring this textbook to the camp.
Course Outline:
Day 1 Kinematics: One dimensional motion, Two dimensional motion.
Day 2 Dynamics: Newton’s Laws of Motion, Forces & free body diagrams, Friction.
Day 3 Circular Motion: Circular Motion, Rotation, and Gravity.
Day 4 Energy: Work, Power, Kinetic energy, Potential energy (gravitational, elastic), Conservation of Energy.
Day 5 Momentum: Impulse, Momentum, Conservation of Momentum, Elastic & Inelastic Collisions.
Day 6 Rotational Motion: Torque, Center of Mass, Rotational kinematics, Rotational dynamics, Rotational inertia, Rotational energy, Angular momentum, Conservation of angular momentum.
Chemistry
Mr. Chuck Wheeler Handlon will lead the Elements of Chemistry course. This chemistry course is for middle school and high school students who are new to chemistry with no prior chemistry coursework. The course will also provide students the background to engage in higher level chemistry content. Students will learn through demonstrations, lectures and short hands on activities.
Course Outline:
Day 1-2 The structure of matter: Atomic structure, elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions, chemical and physical properties and the organization of matter in the Periodic Table are included.
Day 3-4 Reactivity: Interactions of matter in chemical reactions, types of reactions, law of conservation of matter in reactions, identification of unknowns through reactions.
Day 5 Energy and Matter: This include interactions of matter involving energy absorption and release, temperature and heat as well as using energy to decompose matter
Day 6 Applications of Chemistry: Using chemistry in art, crime scene investigation, food chemistry and biochemistry
Computer Science
Mr. Zhezheng Luo will lead a USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) training course at the Gold and Platinum levels. Students are required to have previous coding experience in C++ or python. C++ is the recommended language. This is a special focus group in our camp. Students in this group need to submit the 2018-2019 contest score for their Gold and/or Platinum levels. For these group of students, they will participate the morning math and writing classes and spend the whole afternoon with Mr. Luo for his training.
Dr. Pavlo Pylyavskyy will lead the geometry course. This course will cover the topic of geometric transformations, which is a powerful tool for solving geometry problems. The topics covered include parallel translations, reflections, rotations, homothethy, inversion, and pole-polar duality. The course should be accessible to strong middle and high school students. Each lecture will start at a rather basic level, and will progress towards more advanced topics towards the end.
Course Outline:
- Parallel translations: Vectors, parallel translations, construction problems.
- Reflections: Reflections, compositions of reflections, construction problems.
- Rotations: Rotations by 60 and 90 degrees, compositions of rotations.
- Homothethy: Composition of homothethies, construction problems, advanced topics.
- Inversion: Definition and applications.
- Pole-polar duality: Definition and applications.
Dr. Yifeng Yu will lead six lectures on topics like Number theory, Probability and, if time permits, Quadratic equations/polynomials. He will (1) go over significant concepts/theorems/tricks and (2) present major types of problems including math proofs that appear in math competitions. In terms of contents
Course Outline:
- Number theory: Divisibility, prime numbers, prime factorization, remainder, gcd/LCM, applications in cryptography (e.g. the famous Diffie–Hellman key exchange), etc.
- Probability: Combination and permutation, discrete probability, continuous probability, the notion of independence, inclusion-exclusion principle, how to employ symmetry to quickly calculate probability, Bayes formula (if suitable), well known paradox in probability, etc.
- Quadratic equations/polynomials: quadratic formula, Vieta's formulas, \Rational root theorem, factorizations, etc.
To help students develop genuine interest in math and encourage them "aim high", Dr. Yu will also incorporate famous math problems and stories of great mathematicians into his presentations.
Writing
Mr. Jonathan West will lead a scientific writing course. Students will write informational and persuasive compositions on science topics. In the first paper, students will write instructions for scientific procedures (day 1 and 2). In the second paper, they will explain scientific systems (day 3 and 4). These papers will require presenting scientific information in simple, nontechnical terms. Students will then write persuasive proposals of solutions to science-related problems (day 5 and 6).
Mrs. Jun Wang will lead a journalism writing class covers from story pitch (day 1), research (day 2) interview (day 3), writing the story (day 4 and 5) to editing and fact checking (day 6). The class produces a science and technology publication at the end. The curriculum goes hand in hand with the theme of the “Art of Sciences” camp. Students are required to read the New York Times and your local newspapers routinely and bring your own story pitch to the camp.
Physics
Dr. Yi Zhou will lead the Mechanics course. This algebra-based Physics course is for middle school and high school students who are new to physics with no prior physics coursework necessary. Students should have completed algebra I and geometry. This summer course will also give students a head start if they would like to prepare for the F=ma contest.
Textbook: Physics: Principles with Applications 6th Edition by Douglas C. Giancoli. Students don’t need to bring this textbook to the camp.
Course Outline:
Day 1 Kinematics: One dimensional motion, Two dimensional motion.
Day 2 Dynamics: Newton’s Laws of Motion, Forces & free body diagrams, Friction.
Day 3 Circular Motion: Circular Motion, Rotation, and Gravity.
Day 4 Energy: Work, Power, Kinetic energy, Potential energy (gravitational, elastic), Conservation of Energy.
Day 5 Momentum: Impulse, Momentum, Conservation of Momentum, Elastic & Inelastic Collisions.
Day 6 Rotational Motion: Torque, Center of Mass, Rotational kinematics, Rotational dynamics, Rotational inertia, Rotational energy, Angular momentum, Conservation of angular momentum.
Chemistry
Mr. Chuck Wheeler Handlon will lead the Elements of Chemistry course. This chemistry course is for middle school and high school students who are new to chemistry with no prior chemistry coursework. The course will also provide students the background to engage in higher level chemistry content. Students will learn through demonstrations, lectures and short hands on activities.
Course Outline:
Day 1-2 The structure of matter: Atomic structure, elements, compounds, mixtures, solutions, chemical and physical properties and the organization of matter in the Periodic Table are included.
Day 3-4 Reactivity: Interactions of matter in chemical reactions, types of reactions, law of conservation of matter in reactions, identification of unknowns through reactions.
Day 5 Energy and Matter: This include interactions of matter involving energy absorption and release, temperature and heat as well as using energy to decompose matter
Day 6 Applications of Chemistry: Using chemistry in art, crime scene investigation, food chemistry and biochemistry
Computer Science
Mr. Zhezheng Luo will lead a USA Computing Olympiad (USACO) training course at the Gold and Platinum levels. Students are required to have previous coding experience in C++ or python. C++ is the recommended language. This is a special focus group in our camp. Students in this group need to submit the 2018-2019 contest score for their Gold and/or Platinum levels. For these group of students, they will participate the morning math and writing classes and spend the whole afternoon with Mr. Luo for his training.