About 160 of the state's top high school students will be studying chemicals in the environment, designing websites, and investigating the age of the universe at the 2009 Governor's School for Math, Science, and Technology at Lynchburg College.
This is the 14th year Lynchburg College has hosted the program, which is directed by LC mathematics professor Danny Cline. The school provides intensive, hands-on learning experiences in classes offered by Lynchburg College faculty and a core of faculty recruited from high schools and colleges.
During their month-long stay from July 5 to Aug. 1, students live in College residence halls and enjoy the use of College facilities. They choose one of 10 classes of study. Classes include:
Better Living Through (Environmental) Chemistry
This course will provide a hands-on introduction to the chemical interactions that shape our environment and to the chemical problems in the environment. Efforts in the area of "green chemistry" as a way of eliminating or remediating these problems will be among the topics discussed.
The History of Life on Earth
This class will explore the basic principles and theories in biology, including evolution, as well as relationships among living and fossil animals, and will explore the similarities in body structure for vertebrates, along with geology, including geologic time, Earth history, and plate tectonics. Discussions will include the basics of how rocks and minerals are formed and how the surface of the earth changes over time. A large part of the class will focus on the evolutionary history of life, with special emphasis on the Dinosauria. There will be field trips to the Virginia Museum of Natural History, as well as excursions into the field to see rocks and fossils firsthand.
2D Animation and Website Design with Macromedia Flash
This is a hands-on introductory course in the basics of animation and website design with Flash. Students will learn how to use Flash's drawing tools to design characters for an animated short and will design an educational Flash document as well as a website.
The Science of Strength
This class will encompass a broad range of scientific and theoretical constructs applicable to the development of a sound strength and conditioning program. The program will focus on aspects of strength and conditioning that maximize an individual's athletic potential while reducing the risk of injury. Implementing a functional and sport-specific program will provide athletes the underlying structure required to perform at their optimal level of play. Areas covered in the course include muscle physiology, biomechanics, psychological components for optimal sports performance, nutrition, and various applications for fitness testing.
The Dark Night Sky - Serious Questions for Real Astronomers
What precisely is a comet? Are we really in danger of colliding with a comet or an asteroid? Have such events happened in the Earth's past? These questions will provide a starting point for an investigation of current understanding of the age, size, and nature of the universe. Students will keep a nightly journal of a variety of naked-eye observations of the night sky, will use the Internet as a source of information, will use telescopes to observe astronomical phenomena, and will analyze a variety of astronomical data in the laboratory.
Each year since 1973, Governor's Schools have offered opportunities for high school juniors and seniors from across the state to study together. Every public and private high school in Virginia is invited to submit nominations for students who have been identified as gifted in a particular area. Governor's schools are also offered at other locations in the humanities, visual and performing arts, and foreign languages.
For more information, check http://www.lynchburg.edu/governorsschool.xml or contact Dr. Danny Cline at 434/544-8372.