Forensic Science for High Schoolers with Alice Gambino

 Open to Students Ages 14 - 17

In this year long study we'll sharpen our scientific skills and expand our knowledge through the lens of forensic science.

Our learning adventure will cover the science behind using hair, fingerprints, fibers, and blood as crime scene evidence. We’ll also dive into the forensic science of entomology (YES, BUGS!), anthropology (human development and culture). And what about Toxicology? Autopsies? Arson? Ballistics? Yes! We'll explore all of these topics and so much more.

We'll work together to:

• Investigate our own mock crime scenes

• Participate in mock autopsies

• Propogate "forensic insects" and observe their life-cycles

• Apply our knowledge to real-life mysteries

• Create our own forensic crime solving boards

When

Option 1

Tuesdays 11am - 12:30PM with additional, weekly independent work in Google Classroom

September 3, 2024 - May 6, 2025

*2 inclement weather days are included. Classes will not meet on November 26, December 24, December 31, and April 22.

Option 2

Fridays 10:45am - 12:15pm with additional, weekly independent work in Google Classroom

September 6, 2024 - May 9, 2025

*2 inclement weather days are included. Classes will not meet on November 29, December 27, January 3, and April 18.

Duration 

This class will meet in person once a week for 90 minutes for a total of 30 weeks, broken into two 15-week semsesters.

Students will also participate independently in a weekly virtual lesson available in Google Classroom.

Location

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is a block away from Silver Spring Intermediate Park and just blocks away from the Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed duck pen and apiary.  Classes will take place both inside and outside.

Materials & Activities

Learning materials will be provided.  We'll use hands-on exploration including mock crime scenes, labs, and games as well as texts, articles, and media resources.

Each students will also create their own forensic science reference book.

    

Cost

$250 per semester.  

(If you are experiencing financial hardship, I am happy to work with you on a payment plan or reduced fee.)

Accommodations

There are restrooms available and a snack will be provided each week.  Students are encouraged to bring water bottles to stay hydrated.

Health & Safety: 

Hand sanitizer will be provided.  Hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged after interacting with our ducks or their eggs.  *Masks are optional.

Emergency Medical Forms as well as food allergies will be kept on hand. 

Registration Is Now OPEN!

Click here register.

Space is limited.

*The optional facemask policy may change if students with compromised immune systems register.  

Language Arts with Emily Ellerbe: Diverse American Voices High School Level

I'm excited to partner with English teacher Emily Ellerbe to offer a relaxed, alternative learning setting for young people to meet in small groups with a skilled educator without the hassle of membership commitments to any organization. 

  

Course Description

High School Language Arts: Diverse American Voices is an arts-integrated introduction to literary analysis using primarily YA (young adult) texts, focusing on diversity: not only cultural/ racial/ economic/ gender/ religious diversity within the works themselves but also works written in a diverse array of forms, including poetry, creative nonfiction, drama, graphic novel, and short fiction.

Both critical analysis and comprehension of texts written for an adult audience are important skills to develop in high school, but I contend that teasing these skills apart leads to a stronger foundation in both. This course builds literary analysis skills through texts that were written with teenagers as the intended audience, and will therefore be more likely to amuse, surprise, horrify, and demand the turning of its pages.

Students will come away with a thorough understanding of point of view, tense, figurative language, poetic elements, story structure, character arcs, evidence-based claims, and, above all, the relationship between form and function in literature. They will practice discussing texts with their peers in ways that deepen their own understanding of the texts, their peers, and the wider world.

Written assignments will include reflections, creative pieces, and a capstone analytic essay, scaffolded with teacher feedback on multiple drafts.

Final books TBA but possibilities are Piecing Me Together, The Poet X, The 57 Bus, American Born Chinese, Huda F are You?, Monster, Everything, Everything, and Man Made Monsters. All books will be available from local libraries.

When

Fridays from 1pm - 2:30pm

from September 6th, 2024 to May 23, 2025

(Classes will not meet on September 20, November 29, December 27, January 3, March 28, and April 4.)

Location

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is houses away from Silver Spring Intermediate Park and just blocks away from the Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed duck pen and apiary.  This class will meet both inside and outside depending on the weather and students' preferences.

Cost

The course fee is $275/per semester or $500/full school year

REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

Click HERE to Register!

Space is limited.

About Emily Ellerbe

Emily has a BA in English from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and has worked professionally in libraries, bookstores, and as an assistant to a prize-winning children’s author. She has studied writing at the Writer’s Center in Bethesda, the Kenyon Review Workshops, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, and workshopped with authors Amity Gaige, Isle McElroy, Jamie Quatro, Laila Lalami, and Julia Phillips. She is currently seeking representation for her first novel, and drafting her second. This year will be her 15th year of homeschooling, and her 6th year of teaching literature and writing at the high school level. 

  

 

Tea & Fairy Garden Inspirations from Around the World Ages

Open to Ages 7 - 9

Did you know that there are tiny mythical creatures similar to fairies or gnomes in cultures all around the world? 

In fact, every continent but Antartica shares stories of tiny peoples.  Some are helpful; some are mischievous, and some are downright nasty.  Did you know that the same is true of tea?  Ok, tea is usually not mischievous, but tea is shared in cultures across the globe.  Each week we’ll explore a different culture’s mythical tiny creatures while tasting their tea.  Then we’ll break out the glitter and glue to create a new miniature piece to take home for our own fairy/gnome gardens. 

What kind of miniature pieces will we make?

That’s up to you!  Our Tiny Creatures Maker Space Cabinet will supply us with all we need to make fairy houses and doors, swings and checkerboards, cakes and cauldrons, and so much more!

What Parents Should Know

When

Tuesdays in June & July from 10:30 am - 12:15 pm

Duration 

This class will meet for 105 minutes, once a week from June 4th- July 30th, 2024. 

Parents are free to drop off students or stick around. There is also a lovely park less than a full block away.  

Location

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is houses away from Silver Spring Intermediate Park and just blocks away from the Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed duck pen and apiary.  Most of our classes will take place outside, rain or shine under a canopy.    

Materials & Activities

Learning materials will be provided.  We'll use hands-on exploration and games to sharpen and develop our skills in art, literature, and social sciences including:

• Participation in collaborative conversations with diverse partners, recognizing and respecting different points of view
• Identifying key details in read aloud texts and media presentations
• Adding drawings and visual displays to illustrate details from our texts and presentations
• Retelling stories in our own words 
• Identifying the seven continents and locating different countries on a map and globe
• Comparing and contrasting different tastes, textures, characters, and themes
• Differentiating fiction and non-fiction texts
• Identifying reliable sources when learning about history and culture
• Acting on creative ideas related to our learning content
• Exploring the use of different mediums, especially natural fibers, to create 3-dimensional pieces (fairy garden bling)

Each students will also create their own reference book with records of all the cultures, myths, teas, and textiles we explore.

    

COST

The full eight-week course is $200

($175 for additional siblings)

$75 is due at the time of registration and can be sent via PayPal or Venmo. The balance is due before June 3rd.

OR

*Flexible six weeks is $168 per child

*Flexible four weeks is $120 per child

The full amount for flexible weeks is due at the time of registration.

*To accommodate camps and summer travel, parents may choose to purchase a registration for four or six classes which can be redeemed on Tuesdays between June 4th and July 30th that work best with their summer plans. Please register your child no later than Sunday evening for that week's Tuesday class.

(If you are experiencing financial hardship, I am happy to work with you on a payment plan or reduced fee.)

Accommodations

There are restrooms available and a snack will be provided each week.  Children should bring water bottles to stay hydrated.  A cooling area with fans, water, and popsicles will also be available. 

Health & Safety: 

Hand sanitizer will be provided.  Hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged after interacting with our ducks or their eggs.  *Masks are optional.

Emergency Medical Forms as well as food allergies will be kept on hand.  Ms Alice and an assistant will be present to assist children.  

Registration Is Now OPEN!

Click here to register.

Space is limited.

*The optional facemask policy may change if students with compromised immune systems register.  

What A Blast We Had Last Summer!

Scavenger Hunts, Water Battles, Eggscape Rooms, and BioMimiCRY - What do all these terms have in common?  They were all a part of our summer of learning! 

When it's summer in Silver Spring, the heat and humidity can put a damper on outdoor learning experiences, UNLESS you learn to lean into the temperatures.  We included sprinklers, super soakers, and water bombs in our scaffolding and review exercises to keep the energy high.  These kids brought their A-Game to every activity.  I was so impressed with their eagerness to particiapte, connect with new faces, and learn all they could about biology via ducks and honey bees.  I went to bed each night with tummy muscles sore from all the laughter and a heart full from watching all the new friendships form - friendships that continued long after our summer learning adventures were over.  

Duck Life Cycles

We successfully hatched FIVE little ducklings and got to track their growth and development over the summer. 

This created fun data to play with using calcuations, graphs, and charts.  

 

 

Exploring the purposes of different duck feathers

 

 

Honey Bee Life Cycles

Every student created a reference book to take home.  It was jam-packed with learning content covered throughout the course.

Bee Anatomy: We created our own honey bee anatomy diagrams to take home. 

Observing honey bee-havior in the garden

The Hive: Not only did we take apart an actual beehive, 

we also created our own minature beehives with all its parts labelled to take home.  

Some students even geared up and explored live hives in our apiary!

Bunny Cuddles

Our therapy bunny, Thor was thrilled to give and receive extra cuddles from kids needing a sensory break from the heat and activity outside.

Grow, Baby, Grow! One-Day Teen Workshop

For Ages 13 - 18  

In this one day workshop, we'll deconstruct old, forgotten babydolls and breathe into them a new, life-affirming purpose.

Go home with a unique planter and care guide for your new life. Along the way we'll learn a lot about plants, including how to ensure that your new baby is getting the proper soil, sunlight, water and nutrients it needs to thrive. Savor every moment; they grow up so fast!

When      Friday, June 16th - 12:30pm - 3pm

                

                Saturday, June 24th - 12:30pm - 3pm

Duration 

This is a one-afternon workshop.   

Location

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is just blocks away from the SCC Meeting Location and Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed duck pen and apiary.  Most of our classes will take place outside, rain or shine under a canopy.    

Materials  

All materials including dolls, soils, plants, pots, and tools will be provided.

Cost

$50

A $25 deposit is due at the time of registration and can be sent via PayPal or Venmo. The balance must be paid in full before the first class, unless you have made other arrangements with me. (If you are experiencing financial hardship, I am happy to work with you on a payment plan or reduced fee.)

Accommodations

There are restrooms available and a snack will be provided each week.  Teens should bring water bottles to stay hydrated.  A cooling area with fans, water, and popsicles will also be available. 

Health & Safety: 

Hand sanitizer will be provided.  Hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged after interacting with our ducks.  Yes, we have ducks and everyone loves to feed them.

*Masks are optional.

Emergency Medical Forms as well as food allergies will be kept on hand. 

Reserve your teen's spot here:

Registration is Closed.

Space is limited.

*The optional facemask policy may change if students with compromised immune systems register.

Honey Bee Life Cycles & Concoctions

For Ages 8 - 14

Have you ever wondered how honey bees defend their honey, or whether they really do dances?  Wanna safely see what it looks like inside a hive, check out iddy-biddy baby bees, and observe how they keep their home cool in summer?    

In this six-week course, we’ll explore the life cycles, adaptations, bee-haviors, and anatomy of honeybees.  We’ll also craft up some amazing concoctions, like salves, balms, and wax-preserved flowers using resources provided by Ms. Alice’s honey bees.  

What Parents Should Know

When

Option 1

Wednesdays 11am - 12:30pm

June 21 - August 2

Registration CLOSED

Option 2

Mondays 11 am - 12:30pm

July 10 - August 14

Registration CLOSED

Duration 

This class will meet for 90 minutes, once a week for six weeks. Parents are free to drop off students.  

Location

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is just blocks away from the SCC Meeting Location and Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed duck pen and apiary.  Most of our classes will take place outside, rain or shine under a canopy.    

Materials & Activities

Learning materials and supplies will be provided.  We'll use hands-on exploration and games to dig into life science topics including:

• Classification
• Traits & Adaptations
• Reproduction
• Metamorphosis
• Symbiosis
• Pollination
• Biomimicry

Students will participate Honey Bee related STEAM activities developed to sharpen their scientific processing skills. 

Cost

The six-week course is $160.

$30 is due at the time of registration and can be sent via PayPal or Venmo. The balance must be paid in full before the first class, unless you have made other arrangements with me. (If you are experiencing financial hardship, I am happy to work with you on a payment plan or reduced fee.)

Accommodations

There are restrooms available and a snack will be provided each week.  Children should bring water bottles to stay hydrated.  A cooling area with fans, water, and popsicles will also be available. 

Health & Safety: 

Hand sanitizer will be provided.  Hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged after interacting with our ducks.  *Masks are optional.

Emergency Medical Forms as well as food allergies will be kept on hand. 

Registration is now Closed:

Register Here!

*The optional facemask policy may change if students with compromised immune systems register.

Hands-On that Ducky Life Cycles Class

For ages 9-13

(Click here for ages 5-8)

What do ducks eat? Will they eat from your hand?  How far can they fly?  Do they like to be picked up?  How do they stay warm?  Do they hibernate in the winter?  How long does it take for an egg to hatch?  Oh my gosh!  Are we really gonna get to see and touch ducklings?  Oh, yes we are!  

In this six-week course, we’ll explore the life cycles, adaptations, behaviors, and anatomy of ducks with special guests Papyrus, SandyDuckin, Millie, & Louise.

What Parents Should Know

When

Thursdays from 11am - 12:30pm

July 13th - Aug 17

(Severe Weather makeup date Aug 24)

Duration 

This class will meet for 90 minutes, once a week for six weeks.  One severe weather make-up date will be added to the end of the six week program.  Parents are free to drop off students or stick around.  

Location

Classes will take place at Ms. Alice’s House on Boston Avenue in downtown Silver Spring, MD.  Her home is just blocks away from the SCC Meeting Location and Montgomery College Takoma Campus.  Ms. Alice’s House has a fully enclosed backyard with a further enclosed duck pen and apiary.  Most of our classes will take place outside, rain or shine under a canopy.    

Materials & Activities

Learning materials will be provided.  We'll use hands-on exploration and games to dig into life science topics including:

• Classification
• Traits & Adaptations
• Habitats
• Reproduction
• Food Chains & Food Webs
• Symbiosis
• Biomimicry

Students will participate in Duck-related STEAM activities developed to sharpen their scientific processing skills. 

Cost

The six-week course is $130.

$30 is due at the time of registration and can be sent via PayPal or Venmo. The balance must be paid in full before the first class, unless you have made other arrangements with me. (If you are experiencing financial hardship, I am happy to work with you on a payment plan or reduced fee.)

Accommodations

There are restrooms available and a snack will be provided each week.  Children should bring water bottles to stay hydrated.  A cooling area with fans, water, and popsicles will also be available. 

Health & Safety: 

Hand sanitizer will be provided.  Hand washing with soap and water will be encouraged after interacting with our ducks or their eggs.  *Masks are optional.

Emergency Medical Forms as well as food allergies will be kept on hand.  Two adults will be present with children at all times.  

Request Registration Here:

Registration Is Now Closed.

Space is limited.

*The optional facemask policy may change if students with compromised immune systems register.