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Make plans for Atlanta Science Festival, March 9-23, 2019
The Atlanta Science Festival returns next month, March 9-23, 2019, with a broad slate of activities for kids, teens and adults.
Among this year’s events for kids are:
- Mathapalooza, a sort of math open-house that challenges kids with math games and puzzles. Saturday, March 9, at the Ebster Recreation Center in Decatur.
- Astronaut Job Fair, a full-day event for kids ages 9 to 13, to tickle their imagination about the possibilities of working in space. Monday, March 18, at Fernbank Science Center.
- Pi Day, math-related fun for younger kids. Thursday, March 14, at the Children’s Museum of Atlanta.
- Family Zoo Safari Camp, a three-hour program that introduces kids ages 4 to 13 (with their parents) to what it’s like to be a zookeeper. Saturday, March 16, at Zoo Atlanta.
- Eco-Geo Expedition, a scavenger hunt at Arabia Mountain. Sunday, March 17.
Teens (and adults) have plenty to choose from as well: introduction to curling (the Olympic sport) . . . outer space in science fiction . . . neuro-engineering . . . honeybees . . . and much, much more.
There are literally dozens upon dozens of programs and events to choose from, far more than I can list here.
They’re not all downtown, either. Scanning the events list, I saw locations from Mableton to Marietta.
Many events have limited space and require you to register ahead, so don’t wait until the last minute to take a look and sign up.
As it does each year, the festival culminates in the Exploration Expo, a free event with more than 100 informative and interactive booths, Saturday, March 23 at Piedmont Park.
Emory Math Circle spring semester starting soon
Emory Math Circle is a place for kids who think math is cool.
Students in grades 6 to 12 use games, puzzles and problems to look more deeply at how math works and discover fundamental advanced math concepts.
Math Circle meets on Saturdays or Sundays — about twice a month — on the Emory campus. Groups are taught by Ph.D. students from the Emory Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.
The spring session of Math Circle is cranking up, and they still have a few spots open, starting as soon as this weekend. The program is free.
Two spring UGA-Duke TIP weekends for 8th-11th grade students
The University of Georgia will host two UGA-Duke TIP Scholar Weekend sessions this spring: Feb. 9-10 and March 30-31, 2019.
The Scholar Weekend program gives students the chance to study a topic that’s outside the typical school curriculum, and to do so in a college environment with like-minded peers.
Scholar Weekends are open to any students in grades 8 to 11 who have been gifted identified by their school. This includes anyone enrolled in honors, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement or accelerated classes.
Topics this spring include aircraft design, Star Wars mock trial, microbiology, marine biology, psychology, sports medicine and more.
Students arrive on the UGA campus on Saturday morning, spend the day learning, stay overnight on the UGA campus, and continue their studies on Sunday. Courses are taught by UGA professors, graduate students, professionals, and gifted educators.
Registration deadline for the February weekend is January 28. Deadline for the March session is March 1. Popular courses typically fill before the registration deadline. Cost is $450. Financial aid may be available.
Digital game design workshop this Saturday
The Games for Change Student Challenge is a game design competition that challenges students to learn simple game design while also learning about community issues.
In the challenge, middle-school and high-school students use simple game engine software such as Scratch, Unity 3D, Snap!, Gamesalad and others to create digital games. They then use these game platforms to build interactive games that incorporate a community issue, such as aging or the environment.
This Saturday, Dec. 1, students are invited to Georgia Tech for a Game Jam, a workshop that will introduce beginning concepts in game design and civic engagement. The workshop is free, but advance registration is required.
The Game Jam can help students gets started in the Games for Change competition, which will accept student submissions from February 1 to April 1, 2019. For the competition, students can work individually or in teams of up to four people.
Established in New York in 2015, the Games for Change Student Challenge will operate this year in four U.S. cities: New York, Atlanta, Detroit, and Los Angeles.
Stargazing and fossils at Tellus this weekend
This week’s cloudy skies are expected to clear on Friday, just in time for a night in the observatory at Tellus Museum. The museum will host Sky Watch on Friday, Nov. 16, from 7 to 10 p.m. Using a 20-inch telescope, visitors will look for a double star, the Snowball nebulae, and the Andromeda galaxy. Cost is $5. (This gets you into the observatory only; the museum will be closed.) If the weather is rainy or cloudy, check the museum web site to see if the event is canceled.
Then on Saturday, rain or shine, Tellus will offer a paleontology workshop for ages 8 and up, from 10 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. The workshop will teach fossil identification and how to tell geologic time. Cost is $15 for museum members, $30 for non-members. You must register in advance by noon on Wednesday, Nov. 14.
Book recommendations for gifted kids now on GiftedAtlanta.com
Recently, I met with a group of teachers and media specialists to talk about helping advanced readers find great books — books that are appropriate for a child’s reading ability, but that don’t contain content the child might not be ready for.
It’s a classic “asynchronous development” issue: A child’s academic reading level may be several grades ahead, but their social and emotional development is still tied to their chronological age.
Before I go any further, I have to say a word about reading levels and book choices. I believe that children should get to pick at least some of what they read, even if it’s below their tested reading level. A very advanced third grader can still enjoy the comedic wordplay of Amelia Bedelia, and they shouldn’t be denied the chance to do so, even though the book is written on a second-grade level.
That said, if a second grader is reading at a fourth-grade level, they often want to dig into something more challenging than Henry and Mudge. (Nothing against Henry and Mudge, mind you. They’re very charming books.)
To help, I’ve added a new page to GiftedAtlanta.com, called Books for Gifted Readers, where you can find a list of suggested books. The initial list is made up of books that my own kids have read and enjoyed. You can help grow this resource by sending me the titles and authors of books you recommend. Please use the contact form on the Books page to send me your suggestions.
Happy reading!
“Discovery Day” this Saturday at Tellus Museum
Tellus Museum’s Discovery Day this Saturday will showcase local makers and give kids the chance to make their own simple creations.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., visitors can see interactive “maker” exhibits from local creators. Kids 8 and older also can sign up for a workshop to build either a crystal radio or a mood lamp.
General activities are included in the regular admission price. There is an additional fee for workshops.
UGA Scholar Weekend for 8th-11th grade students
Registration is open for the UGA-Duke TIP Scholar Weekend to be held Dec. 1-2, 2018 on the University of Georgia campus. This two-day program gives students the chance to study in depth a topic that is likely outside the curriculum of their school, and to do so in a college environment with like-minded peers.
Scholar Weekends are open to students in grades 8 to 11 who have been gifted identified by their school. This includes any students who are enrolled in honors, International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement or accelerated classes.
Topics for the December weekend include post-apocalyptic literature, aircraft design, sports medicine, microbiology, marine biology, business, psychology, and the intriguing “Star Wars mock trial.”
Students will arrive on the UGA campus on Saturday morning, spend the day learning, stay overnight on the UGA campus, and continue their studies on Sunday. Courses are taught by UGA professors, graduate students, professionals, and gifted educators.
Registration deadline is Nov. 2. Popular courses typically fill up before the deadline. Cost is $450 if the student spends the night on campus, or $400 to attend during the day only. Financial aid may be available.
Enrollment now open for Duke TIP 7th Grade Talent Search
Duke University’s Talent Identification Program (TIP) is now enrolling students in its 7th Grade Talent Search.
To qualify for the TIP program, your child must have scored at the 95th percentile or above on at least one section of their 5th grade or 6th grade Georgia Milestones test.
Officially, registration will remain open through April 2019. But if you want your child to take the SAT or ACT during 7th grade, the deadline is sometime in September, depending on which test you want them to take and whether you’re applying online (preferred) or by mail.
Why would you want your 7th grader to take a college entrance exam?
First, if you have a highly gifted student who’s pegging the meter on standardized tests, the SAT or ACT can offer a better measure of their academic ability.
Also, Duke TIP uses these SAT and ACT scores to determine which students will be invited to participate in its highly regarded summer programs.
There is a fee to register; need-based financial aid is available.
Emory programs for math lovers
Emory Math Circle is a place for kids who think math is cool.
Students in grades 6 to 12 use games, puzzles and problems to look more deeply at how math works and discover fundamental advanced math concepts.
Math Circle meets on Saturday afternoons — about twice a month — on the Emory campus. Groups are taught by Ph.D. students from the Emory Department of Mathematics and Computer Science.
The next session of Math Circle will begin on Saturday, Sept. 15. Registration ends August 31.
Not ready to commit to a whole semester of math enrichment? Check out the Julia Robinson Math Festival on Sept. 2 at Emory. At this afternoon drop-in event, students can visit multiple stations where they’ll explore math problems and concepts, with guidance from mathematicians. It’s free, but advance registration by August 31 is requested.
Gifted Atlanta 