Course Descriptions

Summer Camp 2018 Course Description

To download our Summer Camp 2018 brochure, click HERE

ANIMATION

*Students’ projects and resource files can be downloaded from our website a week after the completion of the course.

LEGO Brickfilms

Grade 1 to 8
Prereq: none
Lights…Camera…Action! Create a unique story on a storyboard. Design your own movie set with LEGO® mini-figures, bricks, plates and background pictures. Using webcams, stop-motion movie software, and video editing software, create animated movies with titles, credits, transitions, and sound effects including narration. This course is fun to take with a friend.

Cartoon Maker

Grade 2 to 8
Prereq : none
Tell stories through a creative storytelling tool that enables you to draw, animate and narrate 3D characters. Students create the flow of the story, settings and characters. These story elements can either be selected from pre-designed templates, or designed by you. Then create the characters’ movements and narration. This course encourages students to develop their skills for the creative jobs of tomorrow, or to just explore the boundaries of their imagination.

Animation Studio

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Explore various styles of animations. Learn the techniques of 2D animation, 3D animation, and Stopmotion animation to create their own movies. Using an intuitive animation software, student will work with drawing tools, bone-rigging system, animation timeline, sounds and special effects. This course is an exciting and engaging way to introduce students to the professional animation skills.

MINECRAFT

*Students’ projects and resource files can be downloaded from our website a week after the completion of the course.

Minecraft® Building Wonders

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : none

Want to build some of those fancy, realistic-looking awesome monuments in Minecraft? With the 7 wonders of the world monument as references, the first challenge is to replicate a famous monument utilizing various blocks, ores, crafted items and tools. Teachers will provide tips and tricks on building better structures in Minecraft. Some of these tips include applying math to scale, and creativity to aesthetic considerations. This class maybe taken more than once, because different structure types from different geographical location and/or time period will be discussed.

Minecraft® Machine Marvels

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : none

Create contraptions with items such as pistons, pressure-plates, levels, buttons, trip wire, lava, water, doors, dispenser, TNT and redstone. Learn how to build simple machines. The teacher will provide guidelines on how to build some simple machines. These simple machines will be connected to create an entertaining “Rube Goldberg” machine. In addition to learning about action and reaction, transfer of energy, this course will also showcase the students’ logical ability as well as creativity.

Minecraft® Mod Coder

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : none

Acquire hands-on experience in developing Minecraft mods – the ability to customize the Minecraft game. Fire arrows, launch fireballs, spawn endless mobs and many more exciting mods. As students create Minecraft mods, they will build their programming skills, and apply the fundamental concepts of object-oriented programming using a drag and drop interface for Java.

Minecraft® Mod Programming with Java

Grade 5 and up
Prereq : none

Learn Java programming with Minecraft! Design and program your own Minecraft mods such as swords, tools, blocks, foods, biomes, achievements, and mobs. For every item (block or creature), design the graphics, then modify the Java code to program their new features. Learn the fundamentals of object-oriented programming such as object instantiation, call methods, parameter definitions, and run loops.

APP DEVELOPMENT

App Inventor

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Want to make mobile apps? Learn how to build apps using App Inventor software; an innovative app creation software for Android devices. The software transforms the complex language of text-based coding into visual, drag-and-drop building blocks. This course will step you through building progressively more complex apps. Learn how to build apps, as well as programming concepts and terminology. The apps will run on any smartphone or tablets.

Virtual Reality Apps

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Explore Virtual Reality world by building immersive VR projects using Unity 3D. Learn about the technology and psychology of VR – rendering, performance and VR motion sickness. Build an interactive 360-degree VR friendly environments with physics, gravity, animations, and lighting. Learn the basics of C# scripting language for character control. VR projects will be exported to smartphones to be viewed on Google Cardboard.

GAME DESIGN

Game Creation – Arcade

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : none
Create a customized arcade-style with game elements such as the player, enemies, bonuses, levels, lives, You can be as creative as you want as you decide on the theme, player and enemy characters, design of game levels, health points, number of lives etc. In addition to having fun and gaining a sense of accomplishment, learn about computer programming elements such as input, output, variables, relative values, conditionals etc.

Game Creation – Platform

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : none

Learn the foundation of platform games like the Super Mario or Maple Story. The player will jump between suspended platforms, over obstacles or both to advance the game; and to collect bonuses. Implement a side scrolling game with gravity, drawbridges, platforms, bosses, levels, effects. Expand game design skills, while reinforcing the knowledge of programming concepts.

Advanced Game Maker – RPG

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : game-making experience

Design a role playing game, where player assumes the role of a character. The setting is a fantasy world consisting of a town, forests, dungeons and castles. The player will act out quests through a process of decision making. Learn some advanced game design skills such as narratives, enemy behavior and special effects, while expanding their creativity, and technical knowledge to create games of larger scale.

3D Game Development

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

COMPUTER SCIENCE/PROGRAMMING

*Students’ projects and resource files can be downloaded from our website a week after the completion of the course.

All About Computers

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Build a PC with Raspberry Pi – a single board computer, that promotes the teaching of Computer Science. Learn about how the computer and the internet work. Explore various computer applications and coding environments. In addition to learning about the computer hardware and software, students will practice the popular design thinking framework to design their own products.

Coding Your Own Games

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Calling all creative young gamers! Learn key concepts to create your own games in Scratch®. Start with a discussion of what makes a good video game, and then move on to creating games. The lessons are divided into 5 levels based on complexity. Each levelspresents more about basic game programming algorithm and logic. After progressing through these 5 levels, students would have mastered the coding skills to design and build their own games.

JavaScript® Programming 101

Grade 5 and up
Prereq : none

JavaScript is used everywhere. Web browsers like Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer; websites like Gmail, Facebook and Twitter use JavaScript. Starting with drag and drop interface, students will learn the basics of programming logic and computational thinking. Then they will move on to create games such as snake, breakout, pong etc. This course will cover topics such as JavaScript syntax, sequencing, repetition, conditional logic, nested loops, automation, pattern recognition, simple motion, keyboard and mouse events, creating and using an HTML canvas, operators, expressions, variables, collision detection, using arrays and objects.

Python® Programming 101

Grade 5 and up
Prereq : none

Python has a gentle learning curve, but a serious language that is used by programmers professionally. Complete engaging lessons, solve challenging puzzles, and create interesting programs. This class will cover Python syntax, sequencing, repetition, conditional logic, nested loops, automation, pattern recognition, simple motion, keyboard and mouse events, pen drawing, operators, expressions, variables, Turtle graphics, using arrays and objects to store structured data.

Web Design with HTML & CSS

Build your own website? Learn basic concepts of building a website, and developing webpages with HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and CSS (Cascaded Style Sheets). Build HTML pages with text, links, images, tables. Use CSS for colors, backgrounds, formatting text, page layout, and simple animation effects. Learn the latest techniques, best practices, and current web standards – HTML5 and CSS3. Concepts explained, examples provided, and activities are fun and interesting.

Minecraft® Mod Programming with Java

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Computer Programming Level 1A

Grade 1 and 2
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Sequencing, repetition, conditional logic, automation, and pattern recognition

Computer Programming Level 1B

Grade 1 and 2
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Sequencing, repetition, conditional logic, keyboard and mouse events, playing sounds, simple motion, and animation.

Computer Programming Level 2A

Grade 3 and 4
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Sequencing, repetition, events, conditional logic, animation, pen drawing, drawing shapes and patterns, playing musical notes, sending and receiving messages, handling user input, and color detection.

Computer Programming Level 2B

Grade 3 and 4
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Animation sequences combined with motion, game design basics, built-in animation commands, advanced keyboard and mouse control, sending and receiving messages, Actor layering, advanced events, math operators, and functions.

Computer Programming Level 3A

Grade 5 and 6
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Use sequencing, pattern recognition, loops, and conditional logic to create programs. Create scenes, add sounds and music, and use keyboard controls to drive your programs. Learn about motion, broadcasting messages, and adding special effects.

Computer Programming Level 3B

Grade 5 and 6
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Draw geometric patterns using pen-based drawing primitives to manipulate angles, direction, sizes, and color. Build a projectile based physics game using the physics engine – manipulate gravity, hit boxes, collisions, bouncing, static platforms, impulse, velocity, and force.

Computer Programming Level 4A

Grade 7 and 8
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Events, keyboard and mouse interaction, conditional loops, nested loops, sending and receiving messages, fluid motion, parallax scrolling, local and global variables, functions, and object cloning.

Computer Programming Level 4B

Grade 7 and 8
Prereq : none

Topics Covered: Using list variables to store structured data, using persistent cloud variables to build a leaderboard, using various types of loops, advanced flow control, using physics attributes such as velocity, impulses, and collisions, sending and receiving messages with parameters, using functions, and defining advanced conditional logic with math and Boolean operators.

ELECTRONICS

Electronic Games, Gadgets & Gizmos

Grade 3 and up
Prereq : none

Unleash your inner inventor. Learn the basics of electricity, engineering and circuitry while creating fun interactive games that emulate memory game, card game, racing games and more. Build and play with circuits to creating your own electronic inventions. Motors, wheels, lights, switches, servos, buzzers, etc are snapped together to invent a remote control racecar, build an automatic bubble blowing device, and more. In the midst of creating all the exciting electronic games, gadgets and gizmos, learn about the electronics components, circuit diagrams, symbols, connections and polarities.

DIGITAL GRAPHICS

3D Modeling & 3D Printing

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Want to master 3D modeling and 3D printing? Learn the concepts and techniques you need to build your skills, comfort, confidence, and create exciting projects. Create your own simple models such as name plates, pen holders, model cars, treasure boxes, chess pieces etc. Downloading and modifying ready-made models to creating more intricate models. Also included in the course is the information on the 3D printing revolution and the science behind how it works is also included.

ROBOTICS

LEGO® Robots Build! Code! Play!

Grade 1 to 3
Prereq : none

Boost your Lego play with robots. Students build robots with familiar Lego bricks. Using a visual programming app, students will code the robots to make them come to life. Make a talking, driving and dancing robot; a purring, harmonica-playing cyber-cat; a rover ready to do the student’s commands and an interactive guitar. Teachers will explain the robots’ actions through the mechanics of the motor, sensors, gears, etc. After all these fun projects, build, code and play with your own robot creation.

LEGO® Junior Robotics

Grade 1 to 3
Prereq : none

Calling all junior robotics engineers! Work with programmable smart hub, motor, sensors and various Lego bricks to build and program models such as helicopter, truck, gorilla, frog, dolphin, caterpillar and more. This course offers hands-on activities that ignites students’ curiosity, while enhancing their skills in science, engineering, technology, and coding. This course may be repeated as students will work on different projects

LEGO® WeDo® Robotics

Grade 1 to 3
Prereq : none

Explore robotics through building models and using a computer to program the models’ behavior. Our models include ferris wheel, race car, merry-go-round, crane, animals and more. Building models will improve spatial cognition and visualization abilities. Programming encourages students to think logically to produce a specific action. Students will also learn about simple engineering concepts such as pulleys, belts, gears and levels, while having a blast. This course may be repeated as students will work on different projects.

Drone Programming

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

LEGO® Mindstorms Robotics Engineering

Grade 4 and up
Prereq : none

Learning about robotics engages students’ natural curiosity, and helps them develop skills and confidence. Their codes come to life in ways they can see, hear, touch and even chase across the room. As the students build and program their robots to navigate an obstacle course, emulate a scorpion, or wrestle in a Sumo battle, they are acquiring knowledge about remote control (ie Bluetooth & Infrared), data hubs/wires (ie data transfer), Math concepts (ie Boolean logic, range, random, variables and constants), flow charts and more. This course may be repeated because different robot sets and software version will be used with different projects.