Curriciulum Overview
Our talented tech team develops original curriculum and instruction, customized to the interests and abilities of our students. Mentors from university and industry help target and elevate student work on unique projects. Our work is guided by the Stanford d.school Design Thinking model and Lean Startup Methodology. At all times, students are taught to employ not only creativity, but authenticity in all projects, tackling real problems they may encounter personally or that exist locally or globally.
LOWER SCHOOL
As students mature through Lower School, they are provided increasingly frequent opportunities to move from the LS Discovery Lab and work in the Startup Incubator in the following courses:
As students mature through Lower School, they are provided increasingly frequent opportunities to move from the LS Discovery Lab and work in the Startup Incubator in the following courses:
- STEM Inventioneering (Grades 4 and 5): Students engage in a required, full year of STEM Inventioneering addressing Design Thinking, Computational Thinking, Introductory Coding, User Interfaces, 3D Design and Fabrication, Robotics Software and Hardware, Digital Media, Electronics, Technologized Textiles, and UAV flight. Instructor: Rachel Ziter
- System Dynamics (Grades 4 and 5): Students participate in a required, full year of System Dynamics. Students employ hands-on, participatory activities as well as STELLA systems modeling software to produce functional, real-world models in economics, ecology, and other themes. Instructor: Rachel Ziter
UPPER SCHOOL
All Middle School students take a required CodeMakeMedia course in the Startup Incubator as they enter Middle School in Grade 6.
All Middle School students take a required CodeMakeMedia course in the Startup Incubator as they enter Middle School in Grade 6.
- CodeMakeMedia (Grade 6): Students take a required, full-year CodeMakeMedia course emphasizing project-based learning in increasingly advanced STEM themes. Content addressed consists of Design Thinking, Coding, Mobile App Development, Alternative User Interfaces, 3D Design and Fabrication, Robotics Software and Hardware, Digital Photography, Digital Media, Electronics, Technologized Textiles, and UAV construction and flight. Students are provided increasingly frequent opportunities to learn and use equipment in the Heavy Duty Lab, including the laser cutter and more advanced woodshop tools. Instructor: Rachel Ziter
- Digital Media Messaging (Grades 7 and 8): Students may choose an elective Digital Media Messaging course exploring and applying the use of digital photography and editing, graphic design, video production, and introductory digital animation to create and communicate powerful informational and emotional messages. Instructor: Tobin Herringshaw
- Tech Mashup (Grades 7 and 8): Students may choose an elective Tech Mashup course featuring student-driven, project-based learning on a wide range of progressive coding and engineering themes rooted in design-thinking. Instructor: Robin Pence
- Tech and Entrepreneurship (Grades 9-12): High schoolers may choose an elective, full-year Tech and Entrepreneurship mentored FabLab experience. This experience is student-driven and personalized to each student and student team. Students may create and execute a wide range of activities. Examples for the fall semester consist of: preparing for and competing in DECA competition; designing and prototyping an autonomous bicycle; taking a Udemy course in C++; establishing a specialty T-shirt business by designing a business plan and creating an Etsy store; designing and coding a new app in Swift; and growing a "squishy" business by creating a commercial website and online store. Instructor: Leon Wilde
- Robotics (Grades 9-12): High schoolers may choose an elective, full-year Robotics course focused on small team robotics projects. Projects planned for the current school consist of working on the humanoid, inMoov, open-source robot; designing, building, and operating a "Mars rover" in a simulated Mars yard, executed collaboratively with a partner school in Israel: and serving as a seed team for Solar Rollers in Southern Nevada 2019. Instructor: Leon Wilde
- UAV Competition Team (Grades 9-12): High schoolers may choose to participate in our Adelson Drone Club, learning to design, build, and fly UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles). Students prepare for and compete in the annual Skybot competition held in May. The Adelson Drone Club won the championship on its inaugural outing at the 2018 Skybot competition. Instructor: Leon Wilde
- Digital Photography and Graphic Design; AP Digital Photography (Grades 9-12): High schoolers may choose an elective, Digital Photography and Graphic Design, or AP Digital Photography course. Photographic and editing techniques, including the use of the Adobe Creative Cloud, are employed for the purpose of creating professional and aesthetically impactful images. Instructor: Tobin Herringshaw
- Video and Motion Graphics (Grades 9-12): High schoolers may choose an elective, full-year Video and Motion Graphics course in which they propose and produce a wide variety of projects incorporating video shooting and editing, 2D and 3D digital animation, stop-motion animation, AR/VR development, and video game design. Facilities include a chromakey wall, a sound-booth, Mac Pros and industry-grade software. Instructor: Tobin Herringshaw
- AP Computer Science Principles (Grades 9-12): Students in Grades 9-12 may choose an elective, full-year AP Computer Science Principles course. Employing the Code.org curriculum, this course features an exploration of a wide range of CS topics including Internet architecture, digital processing, cybersecurity, and JavaScript programming. Instructor: Camille McCue, PhD
- AP Computer Science A - Java (Grades 9-12): Students in Grades 10-12 may choose an elective, full-year AP Computer Science A (Java) course. Employing the Edhesive curriculum, this course addresses programming fundamentals; data structures; logic; algorithms; object-oriented programming (OOP); recursion; and software engineering. Instructor: Camille McCue, PhD
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