GRADES 1 & 2
Totally Terrific Toys for Smiling, Searching Scientists
You might find it difficult to walk past a colorful display of toys without pausing, smiling, and taking a closer look. The urge to roll the wagon down the hill, bounce the Silly Putty, or wind up the strolling character is nearly irresistible. In this class, we take that curiosity to the next level.
As an eager scientist, you will explore the concepts of energy and motion by using objects you love..toys! What forces of motion are needed to make these toys work? What can we change to make the toys work even better? Join us to create your own toys like the six- cent top, the ping- pong puffer T, and the balancing clown. We will investigate, experiment and play with balloons, magnets, and Slinkies T in this fun-filled class about the physics of toys.
Nancy Burn: M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction. Nancy has taught children of all ages in the Minneapolis Schools for twenty years. She loves seeing the joy on children's faces each time they make a new discovery. Nancy also teaches popular workshops for adults on classroom management and mentoring skills.
Break a Leg: Musical Theatre Experience
Have you got a song in your heart and two dancing feet? Come play with us! Every Saturday we will learn to act, sing and dance just like performers on Broadway. Your experienced, dramatic, fun YES teacher will choreograph and direct your awesome musical numbers while your rehearsal accompanist plays piano that brings the show music alive just for you. It will be the real Glee-style deal: authentic, fun, musical theater training. Who knows, this just might be your big break!
Patty Hall: BA, Theatre, UMN…has taught and created theater courses in Minneapolis schools, directed Theatre for the Young in Duluth, MN…national award winner for performances at The Kennedy Center…currently works for children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis. 
Playing with Paper, Pleasant and Peculiar
What do paper airplanes, paper mache, hand-made paper and origami have in common? They are all made from an amazing discovery called paper! You might use it every day, but this class explores the fun art, amazing history, and scientific discoveries in the world of paper. In this class, we will learn about the first paper makers in China more than 2,000 years ago. Then we will become paper recyclers and create our very own hand-made paper. Once we know how to make paper, we will become artists and scientists as we find fun ways to use paper to learn about sculpture and aerodynamics. Find your own inspirations to make paper mache sculptures, as well as investigate plenty of traditional and contemporary Japanese paper folding. We will also design and scientifically test a variety of paper airplane styles. Join the fun to explore the endless possibilities of paper!
Shannan Marsnik: BA, psychology, Pre-K to 6th grade teaching license, Macalester College. Shannan teaches Preschool and Kindergarten at Jean Lyle Children's Center in St. Paul where she tries every day to bridge science and art. She also enjoys gardening, bug hunting, and doing art projects with her two school-age daughters.
Totally Tropical Trip into the Rainforest
The tropical rain forest is a lush, vibrant and complex community; home to over half the creatures in our world. Many medicines and foods originate there as well as much of the oxygen we breathe. Did you know that the acacia tree could not survive without its ants, or that we wouldn't have bananas, cashews or mangoes without bats? Discover a place where frogs are born in tiny treetop ponds, and a monkey's howl can be heard for miles. Learn why some plants live so high they can't reach the soil, and others grow so big they literally squeeze the life out of their competition. In this class, you will come to understand the intricate relationships among the plants and animal life and you'll use your senses to listen to the sounds, visualize the beauty and re-create some of the wonder of one of the Earth's most magical and important places.
Kristin Matthews Long: teaches in St. Paul, where she lives with her husband, two very large dogs, and a tropical lizard. She spent most of her youth in the tropics of the Pacific Rim, where there was always a critter to "catch" and a tree to climb. Kristin has also spent time in the rain forests of Costa Rica, Australia and Hawaii. She is a graduate of Macalester College and the Coordinator for MITY's ExplorSchool.
GRADES 1 & 2 – Period 2
The Castle Tower, Cottage Porch and mansion Balcony: Creating Cozy Spaces
From castles and their battlements, to mansions and their many rooms, to the sod huts and skin yurts of early farmers and herders, we will study form, function and architecture of select shelters around the world. Learn about the cozy spaces we all crave to be in with books, paper, crayons and friends. Join the building of some sheltering creative spaces and sit in the middle of them! Peek out at the world as we write, collage, draw and invent new forms of shelter. We will make models and actual structures to shelter a child, a pair of friends, a class. To document our experience, we’ll make a book about our building adventures. You may include the floor plans and interviews with family and friends about the shelters in their lives.
Anne Brataas: BA, English, Colorado College; MS, Zoology, UMN; MS, Environmental Science, Miami U; MA, History of Science, Technology and Medicine, UMN is president of The Story Laboratory LLC. She is an award-winning journalist; has worked at the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. Her novel, “The Successful Mammal” is nearing completion.
Ben Franklin’s Invent-a-thon
More than just a face on the $100 bill! Come join us as we take a trip through history and begin to explore some of the MANY contributions and inventions of Ben Franklin. In this class, you will: Shock your friends with static electricity! Save a house from lightning bolts! Print your own cards and money! Learn Ben’s contributions to science, community and the United States. This class is very hands-on and project- driven. Get ready to learn why many Americans regard Ben Franklin as an important and amazing historical leader.
David Higley: BS, elementary education, MA, educational administration.
David currently teaches 2nd grade in Edina. Previously taught Science 1-5 in Minneapolis
and Milwaukee, as well as a former Teacher in Residence at the Bakken Museum.
Footsteps, Fingerprints and Forgeries
Do you like solving mysteries? Scientists use some fascinating skills to solve modern crimes or explain ancient mysteries. Learn how they crack these puzzles. If you have ever wondered how scientists find the guilty parties, then this is the class for you! Explore with us how the forensic experts uncover clues and match evidence to the suspects. Look at the ways that scientists work through creative dramatics, scientific experiments, and practical demonstrations. We will conduct investigations by collecting evidence in the “field” and experimenting in the lab. Begin with a little fingerprinting and join us in this crime science class to crack the case!
Brenda Barrett: Brenda currently teaches elementary students as a curriculum specialist in White Bear Lake. Brenda has taught gifted students at YES classes since 2008. She also worked with CLIMB Theater to teach K-12 students creative activities to deal with real life issues.
Calling All Hungry Artists!
Imagine art made of fruit, vegetables, flowers and leaves! Join us for fun as we learn about the work of painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo, who used these objects to make detailed portraits of other people. We'll try our hand at Arcimboldo's style, making interesting collages of images and natural objects. You really can make pictures and sculpture that you can eat, and use fresh produce as an art tool! Along the way, we will investigate artistic style and art history through hands-on activities. Sometimes your product will be your unique creation and sometimes we will work together to make giant works of art. No experience necessary; just bring your creative self and spirit of discovery.
Carrie Arnold: MA, Instruction, St. Mary's University; BA, "Art, Community and Pedagogy," Hamline University. Carrie has worked with children and youth in Alaska, Missouri, England, Switzerland, and is always happy to return to teach in Minnesota.
GRADES 3 & 4 – Period 1
Castles, Cottages, Mansions and More: The Story of “Home”
Come explore in research and creation some of the most intriguing of constructions in history: the shelter of humans. From castles and their battlements, to mansions and their many rooms, to the sod huts and skin yurts of early farmers and herders, we will study form, function and architecture of select shelters around the world. Of course, we'll need to create our own unique shelters, first as models and then as actual structures. Think small; think big. Think of making something large enough to shelter a child, a pair of friends, a class of YES students! To document our creative industry, each student will also make an illustrated guide book. It will explain some of your favorite shelter creations, through collaging, drawing, writing, and cartography. You might choose to include the floor plans, the building budget and interviews with family and friends about the shelters in their lives. Join our adventures of why, where, and how we live in the shelters we call "home".
Anne Brataas: BA, English, Colorado College; MS, Zoology, UMN; MS, Environmental Science, Miami U; MA, History of Science, Technology and Medicine, UMN is president of The Story Laboratory LLC. She is an award-winning journalist; has worked at the Star Tribune and Pioneer Press. Her novel, “The Successful Mammal” is nearing completion.
The Shocking, High-flying Spectacle of Benjamin Franklin’s Fabulous Inventions
Do you swim with flippers? Do you know someone who wears bifocal glasses? Do you like shocking your friends with static electricity? If you do, you can thank Ben Franklin! In this class, you will discover how to store static electricity; save buildings from lightning; fly History kites. Students will understand static properties as it relates to different materials, study the function behind lightning rods, and understand the basic concepts of off-set printing. This is a VERY hands-on, project based class; so roll up your sleeves and get ready to delve into the amazing contributions and inventions of one of America’s most prominent historical figures.
David Higley: BS, elementary education, MA, educational administration.
David currently teaches 2nd grade in Edina. Previously taught Science 1-5 in Minneapolis
and Milwaukee, as well as a former Teacher in Residence at the Bakken Museum.
CSI: Cool Crime Scene Investigation
How do scientists use their skills to unravel modern crimes or explain ancient mysteries? What tools and methods do they use in untangling these puzzles? If you have ever wondered how forensic scientists find the guilty parties, then this is the class for you! Explore with us how the experts uncover clues and match evidence to likely suspects. We will use creative dramatics, scientific experiments, and fascinating demonstrations to examine the ways that forensic scientists work. Join us to conduct investigations by collecting evidence in the “field” and experimenting in the lab. Fingerprinting will be only a start as you begin this journey of crime science investigation. The game’s afoot! Come unlock secrets with us!
Brenda Barrett: Brenda currently teaches elementary students as a curriculum specialist in White Bear Lake. Brenda has taught gifted students at YES classes since 2008. She also worked with CLIMB Theater to teach K-12 students creative activities to deal with real life issues.
Incredible, Sometimes Edible Art!
Come discover the artistic world of Giuseppe Arcimboldo, an Italian painter known for his imaginative portraits made entirely of vegetables, fruits, flowers and other objects. His whimsical paintings will be a starting point for our investigations into artistic composition and the wonders of symmetry. Together we will wander through a bit of art history to lead us to new hands-on art adventures. You’ll create your own edible art and work collaboratively on large-scale portraits. Explore how a variety of media can be used to depict your creations: pastels, paint and produce! Join us to become an expert at design and assemblage, using 2D images and 3D natural objects in your own unique creations.
Carrie Arnold: MA, Instruction, St. Mary's University; BA, "Art, Community and Pedagogy," Hamline University. Carrie has worked with children and youth in Alaska, Missouri, England, Switzerland, and is always happy to return to Minnesota.
GRADES 3 & 4 – Period 2
The Magic of Motion: Physics of Toys
Zip, zing, zoom! Watch those rollerblades, skateboards, and scooters whir by. Our world of active kids is full of motion. You are about to discover that changes in motion just don't happen on their own. Join us to find out the secrets of physics that toy makers and sports enthusiasts know. We will be using a variety of toys with wheels to discover how energy and motion are part of our daily life. Have the need for speed? What can we do to make things go faster? Curious about how carnival rides work? We will work to answer these questions by exploring the concepts of friction, magnetism, and centripetal force. Students in this class will have a great time constructing experiments to help us understand these complex principles. Roller skates, racetracks, and much more will all be part of the exciting activities that will spark your fascination with the magic of motion!
Nancy Burns: M.Ed. Curriculum and Instruction. Nancy has taught children of all ages in the Minneapolis Schools for twenty years. She loves seeing the joy on children's faces each time they make a new discovery. Nancy also teaches popular workshops for adults on classroom management and mentoring skills.
Feel the Glee: Musical Theater Workshop
Have you ever watched a show with actors singing and dancing their hearts out? Did it make you think, “I wish I could do that”? Of course you have and this is your chance! This musical theater class brings two of Minnesota’s homegrown stars to teach you the exciting skills of the performance arts. You will learn to act, sing, and dance from past musicals and current Broadway hits. You will also perform song and dance numbers from the popular TV Series Glee. No experience necessary, just get ready to rock your Saturday mornings with this YES class!
Patty Hall: BA, Theatre, UMN…has taught and created theater courses in Minneapolis schools, directed Theatre for the Young in Duluth, MN…national award winner for performances at The Kennedy Center…currently works for children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.
Positively Partaking in Paper Possibilities
What can you do with a little paper? The possibilities are endless! Obviously, paper is used for writing and bookmaking, but have you ever thought about all of the other things you can do with paper? You can use it to make art projects, like paper mache, to learn about the ancient art of paper folding, and even to explore the science of aerodynamics. In this class, we will learn about the first paper makers in China more than 2,000 years ago. While we won't be able to use mulberry bark and hemp rags like they did, we will be able to make our very own hand-made paper using a similar style. Once we know how to make paper, we will explore some of the fun ways to use it. We will spend time making paper-mache sculptures, folding paper in the style of Japanese origami, and then branching out to aerogami, the "paper airplane" branch of origami. We will experience first hand the science behind why paper airplanes fly by creating many styles of airplanes, and testing our results. Let's find out what makes them fly straight or curvy and what kind of designs make them fly longer and farther. You can bring your sense of wonder with you to class, and we'll supply the paper!
Shannan Marsnik: BA, psychology, Pre-K to 6th grade teaching license, Macalester College. Shannan teaches Preschool and Kindergarten at Jean Lyle Children's Center in St. Paul where she tries every day to bridge science and art. She also enjoys gardening, bug hunting, and doing art projects with her two school-age daughters.
New Adventures into the Complex Community of the Tropical Rainforest
Come along on a tropical journey into the intricate beauty and complex community of the rainforest. As our season here begins to cool, frogs, moneys, bats, and butterflies are calling you to wander from your Minnesota home to experience an interdependent life in this vibrant growing environment. In this hands-on class, we will investigate some classic themes that have fascinated tropical biologists for years: the value of diversity, mimicry, the wealth of species and nutrient cycles. Use your senses to listen to the sounds, visualize the beauty and re-create some of the wonder of one of the earth's most magical and important places. You will grow to understand and appreciate the complex balance of tropical rain forest life and its relationship to the world.
Kristin Matthews Long: teaches in St. Paul, where she lives with her husband, two very large dogs, and a tropical lizard. She spent most of her youth in the tropics of the Pacific Rim, where there was always a critter to "catch" and a tree to climb. Kristin has also spent time in the rain forests of Costa Rica, Australia and Hawaii. She is a graduate of Macalester College and the Coordinator for MITY's ExplorSchool.
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