New Session of Mad Science for Future Space Explorers

The Academy of Future Space Explorers takes children on a 

voyage of discovery through the solar system and out into the stars! Students will investigate the life cycles of stars and planets, create galaxies out of bubbles and take home their own shimmering star constellation viewers. Make a model comet and learn about other space phenomenon we can spot in the night sky. Take a crash course on the technology of space travel and flight and explore how lasers help us navigate the great open outer space. Learn about rocket flight and how NASA gets people from our little planet all the way into outer space. 

8 week session:

Tuesdays April 1 - May 27 (no class on April 22)

Grades 1-5

3:00-4:00 pm

$104 per child

Room C-7

Register Now, only 20 spaces available!

https://register.madscience.org/mtdiablo/afterschool-register.aspx

This month in FAME, students view Albert Bierstadt's painting, In the Mountains, and listen to Jean Sibelius' composition, Finlandia. The uniting theme for the lesson is that both men promoted a cause they believed in through their art and music. 

Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957) was a composer from Finland and was extremely patriotic about his homeland, which was struggling under Russian rule. In 1899, he composed the stirring piece, Finlandia, to inspire his country's citizens to fight for independence. The Russian tsar outlawed the piece from being played in public, but it became a symbol of growing protest and the Finns ultimately prevailed. In front of a simple but effective theatrical set, FAME docents show students a map, flag, and photographs of Finland, as well as a video of scenes from the countryside accompanied by the famous music. Students discuss their associations with the dynamic composition and how Sibelius conveyed the majesty, bravery, and beauty of the country and its people. 

Albert Bierstadt (1830 - 1902) was a German-American artist and, like Sibelius, he was inspired by the beauty of nature. He is famous for large, idealistic landscapes, and his paintings from the late 19th century brought previously unseen images of the American West to an Eastern audience. Students view his painting, In the Mountains, which strongly resembles a scene from Yosemite, yet was actually a composite of various sketches and photographs taken from his travels. Through interactive discussion, students learn that Bierstadt's use of light and shadow was a trademark of his luminescent paintings and that despite his popularity, his style of painting fell out of favor in the late 1870s by an emerging art movement called Impressionism. Fortunately, at the time, Bierstadt's work was a powerful influence on conservation activists, like John Muir, who understood the need to preserve the authentic West, and this led to the creation of the National Park System.

Does your child need to burn off a little energy at the end of the day? Want to introduce him/her to some fun after-school sports!? Spring sessions of after-school Flag Football and Basketball are coming, so sign up now! Please see this flyer for more information! 

 

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