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Lawrenceville Summer School 2012

INTRODUCTION | Classes | How to Apply

WHY LAWRENCEVILLE?

A Harkness Education
If you're used to learning while sitting in rows of desks, your experience at Lawrenceville this summer will be considerably different. Most Lawrenceville classes take place around wooden oval tables where a priority is placed on class discussion. Students share in the learning experience by asking questions, listening thoughtfully and offering their opinions. It's a vibrant atmosphere where students are able to take intellectual risks and learn to appreciate the ideas of their peers.

Project-Based Learning
One of the great advantages of taking a course during the summer is that students are able to focus exclusively on one or two subjects at time, which in turn provides an opportunity for deeper learning of content and skills. Many classes at the Lawrenceville Summer School will allow students to collaborate and seek new approaches to problems through project-based learning. Thus, students in an English class may spend more time learning to construct the perfect essay, while those in Pre-Algebra could be working together to figure out how to measure the height of the campus flagpole.

Student Learning
Teachers in the Lawrenceville Summer School will help students develop their critical thinking skills and become aware of their learning styles and habits. Students will learn to assess and monitor their own learning and teachers will actively help students "learn how to learn."

Experienced & Dedicated Teachers
The faculty for the Summer School are experts in their disciplines and are some of the best teachers in the area. They are passionate about their subject areas, and are excited about helping students take the next step in their educational journey.

Small Classes
Classes are kept small to facilitate constant interaction between the students and the teacher, and among the students themselves.

A Beautiful Campus, State-of-the-Art Classrooms
Lawrenceville's 700-acre campus is a wonderful learning environment, and all classes are held in air-conditioned rooms that utilize the latest educational technology.

A Tradition of Excellence
Lawrenceville has been a place of renowned learning for 201 years and is one of the leading independent schools in the nation. The combination of great tradition and the constant effort to explore new learning strategies has made Lawrenceville a leader in secondary education.

When?
Summer school classes run for three-week and six-week sessions from June 25, 2012 – August 3, 2012. All classes are held in the morning, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. (There are no classes on Wednesday, July 4, 2012). Please note that the Summer School is a day school and thus does not offer residential housing for students during the program.

What?
The Summer School offers two different kinds of courses: comprehensive math courses that can be taken for credit, and a selection of three-week electives.

2012 Lawrenceville Summer School Program Brochure

Introduction | CLASSES | How to Apply

For a complete list of course selections, along with course descriptions please view the Lawrenceville Summer School Program Brochure.

COMPREHENSIVE MATH COURSES

June 25 - August 3, 2012
These courses are intensive periods of learning that run for the full six weeks, where a combination of class discussion, lecture, group work, assessment, and study will take place. They meet for four hours each morning and are accelerated versions of a full years course. Students can receive credit for these classes with approval from their high school.

Click on red arrow to the left of the course name to see full course description

Algebra 1
- For students who have completed Pre-Algebra
- No previous high school math required
- Students in Algebra I will explore problem-solving in linear and quadratic equations, polynomials, algebraic fractions, and the application of axioms, concepts, and methods to the solution of numerical problems. Students are introduced to systems of equations in two variables, functions and graphs.
Geometry
- For students entering grades 9-11
- Students will learn at the Harkness table, collaborate in groups and develop skills in inquiry and presentation. Topics and skills to be covered include: logic and proof, dimension, proportion, scale, theorems about polygons (especially triangles and quadrilaterals), measuring length, area, and volume, and constructing figures using a compass and straightedge.
Algebra 2
- For high school students who have mastered Algebra I
- Algebra II is an advanced second-year algebra course that is similar to Lawrenceville’s core "Math 3" course. It acts as a last outpost where students can refine and master their algebra skills, and serves as a bridge to more advanced mathematical concepts and coursework like pre-calculus and calculus. Specifically, students will review basic concepts from Algebra I, and then advance to exponential functions and logarithms, trigonometric functions and identities, complex numbers, binomial expansion, matrices and determinants, and gain considerable exposure to graphing.
Pre-Calculus
- For high school students who have completed Algebra II and Geometry
- This intensive six-week course will cover the major topics intended to prepare students for a first year of calculus. Dynamic and interactive software will be used daily to enhance visualization and understanding. The course includes a detailed study of functions, emphasizing linear and exponential growth and their applications, trigonometry, and will finish with an introduction to limits and the average rate of change of a function. Throughout the course, basic statistics and probability ideas will also be introduced when appropriate.

3-WEEK ELECTIVE COURSES

Session 1: June 25 - July 13, 2012
Session 2: July 16 - August 3, 2012

Click on red arrow to the left of the course name to see full course description

Pre-Algebra Electives

Pre-Algebra I
- Session 1: June 25 - July 13, 2012
- For students entering grades 6-8
- In both parts I and II of this pre-algebra course, arithmetic and algebra coverage and remediation will be tailored to student needs and capabilities via Khan Academy and 1-1 tutorials. Problem solving and fun challenges will be a significant element of both courses. The challenges posed in Part I will involve geometric and algebraic solution processes, while those in Part II will extend these skills into topics of data collection, probability and statistics. All levels are welcome for three or six weeks.
Pre-Algebra II
- Session 2: July 16 - August 3, 2012
- For students entering grades 6-8
- In both parts I and II of this pre-algebra course, arithmetic and algebra coverage and remediation will be tailored to student needs and capabilities via Khan Academy and 1-1 tutorials. Problem solving and fun challenges will be a significant element of both courses. The challenges posed in Part I will involve geometric and algebraic solution processes, while those in Part II will extend these skills into topics of data collection, probability and statistics. All levels are welcome for three or six weeks.

English Electives

Heroes & Heroines, Monsters & Demons
- Session 1: June 25 - July 13, 2012
- For students entering grades 7 & 8
- Heroes and Heroines, both ancient and modern, enchant and intrigue us with their stories of painful struggle, confrontation with darkness and monsters, and a hard won self-knowledge. These stories inspire and encourage us to be better people, and provide important life lessons. Students in this course will read and analyze both classical and modern heroic epics and novels from a variety of global sources. Focused attention will be given to the skills of close reading, engaged Harkness discussion, and analytical writing.
Making Worlds with Words
- Session 2: July 16 - August 3, 2012
- For students entering grades 7 & 8
- This course will investigate how words can create brand new worlds and how students can develop their ability to carry their audiences into them. Students will practice writing essays, stories, blogs, and poetry with an eye on asking the audience to step out of its reality for a while. Far from just being a diversion, though, the writing will seek to provide the audience with experiences of worlds and ways of being that it may not have known existed.
Language Structures: Sentences and Stories
(COURSE IS FULL. NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
Writing Practice Through Creative Writing
(COURSE IS FULL. NO LONGER AVAILABLE)

Science Electives

Biomimicry
- Session 1: June 25 - July 13, 2012
- For students entering grades 9-12
- This course explores the emergence of living technologies, industrial ecologies and new architectural forms that derive their inspiration from living systems. Students will design and perform experiments using ecological design and natural ecosystems in artificial settings, such as biospheres. The future of ecological design in the colonization of space and the settlement of open oceans, alternative materials, energy systems, consumer products, and residential construction methods, will be explored.
From Farm to Table
(Note: This class includes field trips to six different local farms)
- Session 1: June 25 - July 13, 2012
- For students entering grades 7-9
- Interested in environmental studies? Want to learn how to grow some of your own food? Looking to spend time with farm animals? This class offers an introduction to gardening, botany, and environmental studies, and will help students develop the skills necessary to grow small fruits and vegetables at home. Students will spend part of each day in the classroom discussing pressing environmental concerns farmers face, as well as time each day in the school’s vegetable garden. Six different farms near Lawrenceville will be visited to explore the local farming community. This course will also give younger students a taste of what an environmental science course would be like in high school.
Forensics
- Session 2: July 16 - August 3, 2012
- For students entering grades 6-8
- This hands-on course is designed to provide an overview of the basic science concepts and techniques used in a forensic laboratory. The nature and significance of physical evidence and the underlying chemical and biological principles of the scientific techniques employed for analysis and interpretation will be emphasized. Topics covered include hair, fiber and paint analysis, forensic toxicology and serology, blood spatter, arson and explosives, fingerprinting, and forensic DNA analysis techniques.
Great Apes
(THIS COURSE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE.)

Humanities Electives

The Civil War
(Note: This course includes a field trip to Gettysburg)
- Session 1: June 25 - July 13, 2012
- For students entering grades 9-11
- Students in this course will learn to understand the Civil War through the eyes – and words – of those who experienced it. Readings will include narrative texts, primary sources such as letters, diaries, and newspaper articles. The emphasis on history reading and writing will prepare students who might be entering an AP U.S. History course and students will be introduced to the Document-Based Question, a seminal part of the AP exam. The course will culminate in a day-long class trip to Gettysburg, where students will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the consequences of this particular battle, and why the Civil War remains – in the words of historian James McPherson – "The War That Never Goes Away."
China: Past to Present
- Session 2: July 16 - August 3, 2012
- For students entering grades 9-11
- Is China’s emergence as a superpower a new occurrence or just another turn of its cyclical history? This seminar study is for anyone fascinated by Chinese history and eager to better understand China today. Students will be introduced to the 4000 year old stream of Chinese history, literature, and culture. Students will obtain a solid understanding of China, and improved critical thinking and writing skills that will help them in future courses in social studies or the humanities.

Introduction | Classes | HOW TO APPLY

Step 1:
Application forms in PDF file format can be found below. You can request materials be sent to you by contacting:

Brent Ferguson
Director of Lawrenceville Summer School
2500 Main Street
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
bferguson@lawrenceville.org
609.620.6939

Step 2: Send application forms along with a check for $230 to the address above ($200 tuition deposit plus $30 non-refundable registration fee).
Make checks payable to Lawrenceville Summer School. The deposit is credited towards your tuition charge. Classes can fill up quickly and are limited to 14 students, so we strongly advise you to submit payment early to reserve your spot in the class.*

Step 3: Notification of acceptance will be emailed on a rolling basis.
Your remaining tuition fee and other information will be quoted in the acceptance email. Should a course receive too few applicants, it may be cancelled and you will receive a full tuition refund.

Step 4: Full tuition payment due by JUNE 1, 2012*
Students accepted into a course after this date must submit tuition payment in full at time of registration.

Step 5: Textbook lists and ordering information will be sent out by June 1, 2012. Students are responsible for purchasing their own textbooks online or at local bookstores.

TUITION

Comprehensive Math Courses
$1,750

Three-week Electives
$825
$875 (for The Civil War and From Farm to Table to cover field trip costs)
Students taking two electives receive a $100 discount on the total cost of tuition.

*(Tuition does not include cost of textbooks or course materials)
Note: All payments must be submitted by check or money order only. No credit or debit cards are accepted.

LUNCH AT LAWRENCEVILLE DINING CENTER
Note: Students who participate in the Lawrenceville Summer School AND language immersion with Middlebury Interactive Languages are eligible to participate in our lunch program. The cost is an additional $180 for a three week session or $360 for the full six weeks, and should be included in your tuition payment.

More questions?
Please contact Brent Ferguson at (609) 620-6939 or email bferguson@lawrenceville.org

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