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Chabot Classes - Online Catalog
Class
Offered
Subject*
Recommended Grade Level
All Charged Up
All Year
PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
All Systems Go
All Year
ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Anatomy of a Lifeform
All Year
LS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Atmosphere in Balance
All Year
ES,LS,PS, CS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Bee Blast
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Dance of the Planets
Seasonal
AS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Fossil Hunt
All Year
ES,LS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Garden Plan-it
Seasonal
ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
It's Elemental
All Year
PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Light Fantastic
All Year
PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Loco Motion
All Year
PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Magnet Magic
All Year
PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Mars Exploration
Seasonal
ES,LS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Micronauts
All Year
ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Moon Mania
All Year
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Moonstruck
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Planet Trek
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Redwood Ecosystem Hike
All Year
ES,LS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Renewable Energy
All Year
PS, CS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Rock-N-Erode
All Year
ES,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Shooting Stars and Space Rocks
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Space Station One
All Year
LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Sun and Stars
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Surviving in Space
All Year
LS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tapping The Wind
All Year
ES,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Tectonics and You
All Year
ES
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Voyage to Mars (CLC)
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
Wacky Weather
All Year
AS,ES,LS,PS
P
K
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
*Subjects: AS = Astronomy, CLC = Challenger Learning Center, simulated space mission, CS = Climate Sciences,
ES = Earth Sciences, LS = Life Sciences, PS = Physical Sciences
All Charged Up
Imagine being 300,000 miles from home and needing to repair a circuit board. Your students will be glad they took this class! By reading schematics, building simple circuits, and learning basic concepts such as series vs. parallel circuits, students are introduced to the science of electrical power.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 4: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g Grade 5: 1c Grades 9-12: 5a, 5e, 5f, 11a Open Court Grade 4: Unit 5, Physical Science
All Systems Go
What happens to your vital human systems in space? Students explore effects of microgravity on the human systems with a focus on balance, reactions, coordination and tracking ones own vital signs. Activity stations allow students to manipulate equipment and gather data about their own responses. Technologies such as science temperature probes, heart rate probes, digital blood pressure devices, spirometers, vestibular boards, and robotic training arms are utilized. This is a highly interactive session so students should dress comfortably.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 2b Grade 7: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5g, 6h, 6j Grade 9-12: 9a, 9b, 9g
Anatomy of a Lifeform
Our home planet hosts a plethora of unique creatures. In this course, students will explore the alien, yet strangely familiar anatomy of a squid. Through an extraordinarily complete dissection, students will examine physical adaptations and the relationship of structure to function in this remarkable organism. The smell of calamari will never be the same again!
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 5: 2a, 2b, 2d
Grade 7: 5a, 5b, 5c
Grade 9-12: 9b
Atmosphere in Balance
What is an atmosphere? How are life and air connected? How do humans impact air quality? Discover our relationship with the atmosphere around us. We will observe and record weather conditions outside Chabot, including the temperature and barometric pressure. Students compare Earth's atmosphere with the dense atmosphere of Venus and the thin atmosphere of Mars. Climate, climate change and ozone depletion are topics that will be covered.
Grades 9-12
In addition to the above, high school students will be introduced to NASA’s Earth Science program, including satellite observing systems, climate models and the basic principles of meteorology.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 5: 1b, 1d, 1g, 2f, 2g, 3b, 4e, 5a, 5b
Grade 6: 4a, 4b, 4e, 6b, 7a
Grade 7: 6a, 6f
Grade 8: 3d, 3e, 5a, 7a
Grade 9 - 12: 1a, 1e, 4b, 4c, 4d, 5a, 5g, 6a, 6d, 8a, 8b, 8c
Open Court:
Grade 5, Unit 2, 6 Earth Science
Bee Blast
This is the “all you ever wanted to know about bees but were afraid to get stung” class. Students will learn about the many fascinating features of a bee that will take them beyond the stinger. These experiences will include the construction of a bee model, the life cycle of a bee, behaviors and roles of the bee colony and how important they are to humans. They will act out the building and guarding of a hive; they will see how important pollination is to plants and experience the sound a bee makes.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade K: 2b, 2c, 4a, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 4a, 4b Grade 2: 2a, 2c, 2d, 2f, 4a, 4f Grade 3: 1g, 3a
Dance of the Planets
Students learn planet features, planet lore and orbital motions, and make Solar System bodies out of craft materials. In a narrated musical performance, students dramatize the origins and orbits of the sun, planets, asteroids and comets.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 3: 1a, 1d, 1e, 1f, 2d, 4d Open Court: Grade 3, Unit 1, 6 Astronomy
Fossil Hunt
What are some clues that have helped scientists unravel Earth’s mysterious past? Our budding paleontologists will explore fossil replicas to reveal hints of our history. Then, students will get a chance to investigate real fossils from eons past. To quench their thirst for dinosaurs galore, our young scientists will also embark on a “dig” to solve a dinosaur fossil mystery!
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 3: 3d, 3e Grade 4: 3b Grade 7: 3c, 3d, 3e, 4b, 4f, 4g Open Court: Grade 2, Unit 4 Life Science
Garden Plan-it
Earth is the only “green” planet that we know about. Why? Study the unique conditions of Earth that make it habitable for life. Students will study Chabot's outdoor Enviro-Garden, and discuss plant needs, garden microclimates, and useful and harmful garden insects and other creatures. Discover ways that personal, community and school gardens can conserve Earth's energy and resources.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade K: 2a, 2c, 3c, 4c, 4d, 4e Grade 1: 2a, 2b, 2e, 3c, 4a, 4b Grade 2: 1a, 2f, 3c, 3e, 4b, 4c, 4f, 4g Grade 3: 1a, 2a, 3a, 3c, 3d, 4d, 4e, 5c, 5d Open Court: Grade K, Unit 1 Life Science Grade 1, Unit 7 Earth Science Grade 4, Unit 2 Earth Science
It's Elemental
In this class, students will be introduced to the properties of elements, atomic structure and the organization of the periodic table of elements. Through hands-on experiences, students will discover that elements are divided into metals, non-metals and metalloids. They will begin to connect why the elements are organized in their periodic table by their chemical properties. Flame test demonstrations will allow students to observe the properties of some salts.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1f, 6g, 6h Grade 8: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3f, 7a, 7b, 7c
Light Fantastic
What is white light? What makes a rainbow? Why is the sky blue? What is the electromagnetic spectrum? These are the major themes of this hands-on class about light energy. Why we see color and how light moves and changes are all part of the fascination we have with light and color. Students will participate in a number of investigations to learn about this form of energy and how it affects our lives.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 1: 2b, 3c Grade 2: 4a, 4c, 4g Grade 3: 1a, 1d, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 4d
Loco Motion
How things move and how we move them is the focus of this class. Students will learn about six simple machines that make our lives easier. Through hands-on equipment, students will use different machines and discover how each work. They will find out how each machine can be used to perform a task. This stations-oriented class will allow students to explore the various machines, three kinds of forces and Newton’s Laws of Motion.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade k: 1a, 4c, 4d Grade 1: 4d Grade 2: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 4a, 4g
Magnet Magic
Through hands-on experiences, students will discover the wonderful world of magnets. They will participate in many activities that will allow them to explore the following questions: What kinds of things are attracted to magnets? How strong can magnets be? What is a magnetic field? How does a force we cannot see move things? What are some toys that use magnets? How do you make a working compass?
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade k: 1a, 4b, 4d Grade 1: 4e Grade 2: 1c, 13, 1f, 4a, 4c, 4g Grade 3: 1h, 5b, 5d, 5e
Mars Exploration
NASA is planning its Mars-Nerva mission for the 22nd century, but your students can prepare to colonize Mars now. They’ll get to construct a stable landing structure, operate a simulation of the Rover, and examine geological specimens to determine if Mars is suitable for human life.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 5a, 5b, 5c Grade 8: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d Open Court: Grade 5, Unit 2 Physical Science
Micronauts
Imagine that your students are micronauts (small astronauts) on a special mission about Space Shuttle Discovery heading for the International Space Station (ISS). Students will learn about the ISS, microgravity, living in space and the Space Shuttle as they prepare for their mission. We will simulate a trip aboard the Shuttle. Once docked at the Space Station, your micronauts will disembark and work with a partner to engage in hands-on activities at ten work stations. The stations will focus on activities involving the Solar System, glove boxes, sorting – bugs, germs, rocks and objects, weighing chemicals and objects, magnetic strength, sound bingo and using a microscope. This program will allow your students to use their imagination and skills as they journey to the ISS and back aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade K: 1a, 1b, 2a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e
Grade 1: 1a, 1b, 3a, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e
Grade 2: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1g, 3a, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f, 4g
Grade 3: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e
Moon Mania
Students will learn about the moon through a variety of activities that will allow them to observe and explore a simulated moon surface and collect rocks to examine. The activities are designed to allow the young learner to use their senses to sharpen their observational skills.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade K: 1a, 4c, 4d, 4e
Grade 1: 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d
Grade 2: 1a, 1b, 1c, 3a, 4a, 4f
Grade 3: 4b, 5a, 5c, 5e
Moonstruck
Using hands-on activities and modeling, students examine why the Moon changes shape every night and how it orbits the Earth. They will study the Moon’s features on a "trip" with the Apollo astronauts, create a scale model of the Earth and Moon, and make a Moon activity book to take home.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 3: 1d, 1e, 2d, 3d, 4d, 5c, 5d, 5e
Grade 4: 3b, 5a, 5c, 6b, 6c
Open Court:
Grade 3, Maria's Comet (Maria's Comet is part of the Leveled Classroom Library collection of reader and is highly recommended for the Moonstruck class.)
Planet Trek
Using planetarium software and other engaging media we’ll learn how to identify planets in the current night sky and learn how our Solar System, and other solar systems, form. Through hands-on activities we’ll model the scale sizes of our planets and dwarf planets. We’ll investigate impact craters on earth and elsewhere in the Solar System and experiment with the variables that affect crater size. And we’ll perform simulations of radar mapping on Venus and plot our results.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 4: 3b, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6b, 6c
Grade 5: 1b, 1g, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6b, 6f, 6g
Grade 6: 2a, 2c, 2d, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 5e, 7a, 7b, 7c
Open Court:
Grade 4, Unit 3, 4 Astronomy
Grade 5, Unit 2 Astronomy
Redwood Ecosystem Hike
Living things depend on each other and on non-living things. Learn how life in the forest is interconnected. Why and when do we depend on nature? Learn about the life of a redwood. Build a redwood food web on this investigative hike.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 3: 3a, 3b, 3c
Grade 4: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3d
Grade 5: 2e, 2f, 2g, 3c, 6a
Renewable Energy
Look at energy consumption patterns and impacts across the globe and decide what fuels we will need to power our world in the 21st century and beyond. Build some alternative energy machines and test run them along with your classmates. Explore the potentials of solar, wind, hydropower, fuel cells and more. Did you know that you could generate your own electricity? Find out how as we take an energetic look into our common future.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 4: 1g
Grade 5: 1b
Grade 6: 3b, 4a, 4b, 6a, 6b
Grade 7: 6a
Grade 8: 1b, 2f, 3a
Rock-N-Erode
“There’s gold in them thar class!” We’ll head back to the Gold Rush days to do some gold panning, and engage in other hands-on activities to get to the core of why Earth is covered by so many different types of rocks and minerals. Practice techniques that geologists use for identification and classification of rocks and minerals. We’ll discover how volcanoes, mountains, and the water cycle are all important in rock formation, mineral formation and erosion.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 4: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5c, 6d, 6f History/Social Science: 4.3–3, 5, 4.4–2 Grade 5: 1b, 1d, 1i, 6a, 6h Grade 6: 2a, 2b, 2c, 7a, 7b, 7e, 7h
Shooting Stars and Space Rocks
Using hands-on activities and dramatic media, students learn where meteors come from and why (and when) we have meteor showers. They examine comets inside and outside, learn about some famous and infamous comets, make a comet in the classroom, and simulate comet orbits. Examining collections of earth and space rocks, students analyze and categorize their collections, learn to tell meteorites from meteor "wrongs" (Earth rocks) and learn about the effects of recent meteoroid impacts on earth. Grades 5-8 Using hands-on activities and dramatic media, students learn where meteors come from and why (and when) we have meteor showers. They examine comets inside and outside, learn about some famous and infamous comets, make a comet in the classroom, and simulate comet orbits. Students examine and classify rocks from earth and space and study meteorite characteristics. They explore the process of impact cratering on earth and throughout the Solar System and learn how life on earth has been affected by rocks from space.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 3: 1d, 1e, 2d, 3d, 3e. 4a, 4d, 5c, 5d, 5e Grade 4: 3b, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6b, 6c Open Court: Grade 3, Unit 1, 6 Astronomy Grade 5, Unit 2 Astronomy
Space Station One
Have you ever wanted to experience lift-off in the Space Shuttle? Do you want to find out if you have the “right stuff”? This is the class for you! We use simulated robotic arms to manipulate objects in space, practice remote space station docking techniques used by the International Space Station, and measure pulse rates before and during tasks to see how your students operate under pressure.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 5a, 5b, 5c Grade 8: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d Grades 9-12: 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g
Sun and Stars
Students study our sun, its composition and energy source, and its effects on Earth. And, weather permitting, they observe the sun through solar telescopes. With hands-on activities and media, students learn how stars and solar systems form and evolve. They learn the differences among stars and what caused these differences, and which stages can be observed in the night sky. Students may also learn how planets around other stars have been detected and which of those stars can be identified in the night sky.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 5: 5a Grade 6: 4a, 4b Grade 8: 4a, 4b, 4d Grade 9-12: 1a, 1b, 1e, 1g, 2c, 2d, 2f
Surviving in Space
What happens to the human body during long space flights? How does the space environment differ from that of Earth? Using the latest research from NASA and others on physiological changes in space, students learn about the human body systems through a series of whole group and learning station activities. They view segments from Shuttle missions and the international space station that illustrate how human systems are affected by microgravity. Measuring heart rate, lung volume, manual dexterity, temperature, and more allows students to become familiar with the various systems. They use microscopes, spirometers, computer probeware, and other technologies in gathering their data. In the end, students get a feeling for what it might be like to train for a voyage into space!
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 3: 3a, 3b
Grade 4: 3b
Open Court:
Grade 4, Unit 1, 3, 5 Life Science
Tapping The Wind
An Energy Investigation. Let’s take a close look at wind energy and its potential to meet the growing global demand for electricity. On a list of the top ten future sources of energy compiled by a leading energy and climate scientist, wind energy has been identified as the number one choice as an important renewable energy solution. It is an ancient and proven technology that continues to be made more efficient. Students will be introduced to wind turbine features and how they work. After getting some basic principles about this technology, student teams will embark on an inquiry lesson, having access to the necessary materials to design, build, and test their experimental wind turbine blade designs using a simulated wind tunnel. They will measure the energy output of their models with voltage meters in order to compare the efficiency of their designs. Data will be entered into an active class spreadsheet. Students will experiment with variables such as the length, weight, number of blades and blade angles. They will be encouraged to modify their designs for further efficiency based on their measured electrical energy outputs. The class will conclude with a review of their results, identifying factors that they considered to be important in their wind turbine construction.
Tectonics and You
In this fully hands-on class, your students will utilize 3d globes to learn the layers of the Earth from the inner core to the crust. We’ll also use puzzles and 3-d globes to understand the fit and movement of lithospheric plates through geologic time. Students will investigate the driving force of plate tectonics with a hands-on science experiment that demonstrates convection currents in the mantle. They’ll also get a chance to “be the earthquake” in a kinesthetic activity where they learn about the different types of seismic waves. Finally, these concepts will be tied together as students create structures for a shake table challenge.
Click here for Supplemental Teacher Information
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade 4: 5a, 6a, 6d, 6f Grade 5: 6h Grade 6: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 1g, 3a, 3c, 4c
Voyage to Mars (CLC)
It is 2076, one hundred years after the landing of Viking I, and a now routine voyage to Mars has brought the latest human crew into Martian orbit. Control of the incoming flight has been transferred from Houston’s Mission Control to Mars Control at Chryse Station. The crew arriving from Earth on the Mars Transport Vehicle has been trained to replace the crew of astronauts that has run Mars Control for the past two years, and to continue its scientific explorations of the Red Planet.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards:
Grade 5: 1c, 1d, 1g, 2a, 2b, 2e, 2f, 3b, 3d, 4a, 4c, 4e, 5b, 5c, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i
Grade 6: 1d, 1e, 2a, 2b, 3d, 4b, 4d, 5a, 5c, 6a, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 7g
Grade 7: 1f, 3c, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4e, 4g, 5g, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6h, 6j, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e
Grade 8: 1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, 1f, 2f, 2g, 3a, 3d, 3f, 4c, 4b, 5e, 6b, 8a, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f
Wacky Weather
The water cycle, seasons, and tools we use to learn about different weather conditions will provide experiences that will allow them to begin understanding this fascinating and ever changing topic. Students will have opportunities to make weather tools, sing a song about the weather cycle, and be introduced to the reasons for the seasons as they observe and participate in a variety of activities.
Supports the following State Science Content Standards: Grade K: 1b, 1c, 3b, 4b, 4c, 4e Grade 1: 1a, 1b, 3a, 3b, 3c, 4a Grade 2: 1e, 4a, 4b, 4g Grade 3: 1a, 1e, 1f, 2a, 5c, 5d
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