General Information
Notification of Acceptance
Acceptance packets will be mailed by Friday, October 5, 2007.
Student and Parent Orientation
Students and Parents are required to attend an orientation program on Sunday, October 14, 2007 from 2:00 to 4:00.
Applying
Only complete applications will be considered. A complete application includes:
- Completed application form.
- School record of the 2006/2007 standardized test scores for reading, mathematics, and language.
- One completed teacher recommendation form.
- Non-refundable application fee of $15 (check or money order payable to ASU).*
Admission Criteria
Students will be admitted to the program based on an evaluation of their standardized test scores and teacher recommendation.
Course for 3rd Graders
Laws of Chance: Probabilities and Statistics
This course is for talented 3rd grade students. Nothing in life is certain. In just about everything we do we weigh the chances of being successful. In this course, we take a close look at probability and basic statistics. We will look at the chance or likelihood of an event occurring through spinners, dice, and shakers. We will also use these tools to look at samples and study frequency of events, graphs, mode, median, mean, range, and the fundamental principle of counting. It’s one way to think about your world and the decisions you make every day. We are trying things we think we will probably succeed at but we aren’t quite sure. This gives you one way to think about these decisions and may help you take control of them. From medicine to weather to sports, probability and statistics is there. Students will need basic skills in multiplication, division, and fractions.
Courses for 4th & 5th Graders
Creative Writing
This course is for talented 4th and 5th grade students. In this course we will explore the world of our imaginations and navigate that world with the power of language. We’ll begin with an exploration of ourselves. We’ll read to find how others explore their own stories. We’ll delve into poetry, the prose poem, flash fiction. We’ll build language through imagery and use that imagery to study character. We’ll read and respond to published authors, our peer’s work, and works we create as a class.
We’ll focus both on the creative aspects and the mechanics of writing. Each week, students will be expected to write, read, and discuss their own work, as well as the work of peers in class, and some outside reading. The course is modeled after a university level writing workshop in which class time is divided between writing, discussion and lecture—but the focus will be on writing as a process of discovery. Through a series of guided writing exercises, readings, and discussions, students will develop the relationship between the unique perceptions they have of the world around them, and the art of writing.
Engineering A to Z
This course is for talented 4th and 5th grade students. When we think of every day life most of us take a lot of daily conveniences for granted. Take for instance the toaster you use to toast your bread in the morning. Have you ever thought about the electricity that makes it work or how it gets all the way to your house? Or what about the road you take to go to school in the morning? What about the car that you ride in? The music that you listen to in your CD or MP3 player, the airplane you fly on to go on vacation, sending an email to a friend and a myriad of other things that are just “part of your daily life” are all in some way or another associated with at least one field of engineering. When you think about it, engineers impact your life on a daily basis. Who are these Engineers? What do they do? How do they do it? How do I become one? In this course students will have the opportunity to explore the many different engineering disciplines, their applications, learn basic applied science and math principles used in the different fields and work on in-class projects that will reinforce the concepts learned from each field. At the end of the course, the student will have a more clear understanding about engineering and the diversity that the field offers.
Course for 6th & 7th Graders
Through the Eyes of Monster Storms
This course is for talented 6th and 7th grade students. Learn about some of the Earth’s fiercest weather events like tornadoes and hurricanes and the meteorological science that helps us understand and prepare for them. Explore the forces behind some of our local weather such as monsoons and dust storms (haboobs).
Complete five missions with the help of materials, videos and interactive computer simulations developed by scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Geographic Society. Use data from satellites, air craft sensors, probes and radars to chase storms yourself and find clues for weather forecasting and prepare for monster storm events that impact society and our environment.
*There will be an additional $15 charge on all returned checks.
It is the policy of Programs for Talented Youth not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, or national origin in matters of admissions or services in the educational programs it operates. Programs for Talented Youth reserves the right to change without notice any statement concerning but not limited to policies, costs, courses, and staff. |
