Hun Adventures

• Week 1: Introduction to basic skills in small business: product development, budgeting, marketing, sales, etc. 
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation

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Session 2: Financial Literacy
Students will study how the world of finance works, including savings and checking accounts, auto loans, mortgages, credit cards, the influence of advertising, and the stock market. Students will apply for loans, evaluate different credit card offers, and negotiate mergers in role-playing scenarios as well as participating in simulations of buying and selling stocks. For their culminating project, students will role-play scenarios where a scam artist tries to trick them into bad financial decisions, which they will attempt to avoid.

• Week 1: Introduction to basic skills in financial literacy: savings & checking accounts, loans, credit cards, etc.
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session I & II: Middle School Creative Writing 
Do you love writing, or want to improve your writing skills? Designed especially for the emerging writer, this course will help students develop a personal voice, expand vocabulary, and strengthen grammar and punctuation skills. Assignments will include personal narrative, fiction, poetry, research historical fiction, and playwriting. Students can choose Session I, Session II, or both Sessions. Proficiency in English is required.

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Session I & II: SSAT Prep and Study Skills
This course offers an individualized and student-centered approach to test preparation through an innovative and interactive curriculum. Each of the three weeks is devoted to a different portion of the SSAT test and is designed to equip students with time saving and point-boosting techniques. Every class will include both group instruction and individual attention, as well as regular practice and extensive feedback.

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Session I: Historical Time Machine
Students will study a different decade each week, digging into culture, fads, struggles, and victories. Examples may include the 1920s, the Mayans, the Great Wall of China, etc. In each unit, students explore interactive activities such as Virtual Reality, historical fiction, fashion magazines, movies, and photographs to bring the historical period to life. The culminating project will be the creation of a living museum.

• Week 1: Introduction to the study of history: historical fiction, virtual reality, photograph analysis, etc. 
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session II: Junior Model UN
Students will explore the principles of the United Nations in a format that is geared toward 5th through 9th grades. Each week will focus on a particular global issue, such as famine, climate change, sustainability, or human rights. Students will work in groups to represent a country, researching issues, brainstorming solutions, and debating both policy and morality. 

• Week 1: Introduction to basic principles of Model UN: diplomacy, economy, human rights, etc., as well as the element of persuasive argumentation.
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration, and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session I & II: Hun Adventures Book Club
Join us for an exciting summer of reading award-winning books that challenge and entice the imagination! Both strong and developing readers will enjoy exploring young-adult literature in a variety of genres from fantasy to contemporary fiction and memoir, analyzing content for meaning, inference, and plot and character development. Students should be proficient in English and have solid reading comprehension skills.  Last summer students read Chomp (Carl Hiaasen); The Ranger’s Apprentice Series: The Ruins of Gorlan, Book 1 (John Flanagan); The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian (Sherman Alexie); The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks (E. Lockhart); and Leviathan trilogy: Leviathan, Book 1 (Scott Westerfeld). New books will be added this summer!

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Session I & II: Middle School Science 
Do you want to learn how you can use physics to create a bridge out of paper that can hold the weight of yourself!? This class is designed especially for creative minds that love to turn everyday items into something extraordinary.  We will take these creations and learn about the science behind what makes them work.  

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Session I: Architecture
Students will study different architectural styles and methods, from ancient cathedrals to modern skyscrapers and bridge design. They will visit interesting buildings and sculptures in Princeton, and experiment with blueprints, LEGOs, Minecraft, and computer aided design (CAD). The class will culminate with an original design for a building.

• Week 1: Introduction to basic skills in architecture: building design, structure and support, blueprints, etc. 
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session II: Rockets
Students will study the science and history behind rocketry, including the original Apollo series and how this evolved over time to the Space Shuttle and to new rocket designs by private corporations such as SpaceX and Blue Origin. They will build and launch model rockets, seeking to improve the design over multiple launches. They will study different propulsion systems such as water pressure, steam, hydraulics, fuel and wind. The culminating project will be a competition for best improvement on a model rocket.

• Week 1: Introduction to basic skills in rockets: design, propulsion, aerodynamics, Apollo vs. Space Shuttle, etc.
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session I: Coding
Students are introduced to the concepts of coding, beginning with the coding of a human robot. In this process, students learn to give specific commands to the human-bot so that the desired outcome is achieved. Students will evaluate their “coding” and learn how to correct errors in their “code”. As a capstone, the students will program the human-bot to cook (microwave) s’mores. (And they can then eat the s’mores.)

• Week 1: Introduction to the study of coding, programming, etc. 
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session II: E-Gaming
Students are introduced to the concepts of e-gaming, beginning with an analysis of their favorite games. In this process, students learn to examine how their favorite games are structured and start designing their own game. As a capstone, the students will pitch their self-designed e-game to their peers and parents.

• Week 1: Introduction to basic principles of e-gaming as well as the elements of gamification.
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration, and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session I: Create a Superhero
Students will study three different graphic novels about superheroes, as well as the underlying mythology behind their creation. They will study the historical and cultural events that led to their creation, as well as analyzing the stories for their literary merit.  They will then create their own superhero, including an origin story, costume design, and prototype comic book.

• Week 1: Introduction to basic skills in writing graphic novels: characterization, back-story, costume design, plot development, etc. 
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

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Session II: Make a Movie
Students will analyze films from different eras, including early silent films and short films by Pixar, and learn the skills of screenwriting, acting, directing, design, and video editing. The culminating project will be the production of an original short film.

• Week 1: Introduction to basic skills in filmmaking: screenwriting, acting, directing, design, editing, etc.
• Week 2: Further exploration, development of original ideas, collaboration and problem-solving.
• Week 3: Prepare for Shark Tank-style presentation.

See the full syllabus