The Chemistry course will give you an in-depth understanding of a full year of high school chemistry. You will have the opportunity to integrate your theories and hypotheses in chemistry with qualitative and quantitative experimentation in the lab. You will spend part of each day in the laboratory, completing experiments designed to elicit your higher order thinking skills while expanding upon the principles of structure, periodicity, kinetics, solutions, gases, thermodynamics, equilibrium, and oxidation-reduction. The thinking skills you develop through your experimentation will be used to explore a broad range of scientific topics.
Instructor: Alan Junck, B.S. in science education, has taught chemistry in Missouri and in Iowa. He is currently a chemistry instructor at Ames High School. This is Alan's ninth year with OPPTAG
Score Criteria: ACT-Composite ≥21, ACT-Science Reasoning ≥23, combined SAT-Math and SAT-Verbal ≥930 or ≥3.50 (on 4.00 scale) on high school GPA; completion of Algebra I is recommended but not required.

You don't need to bring a spacecraft with you for this class; an enthusiasm for writing will take you to new worlds just as easily! This course includes a variety of writing activities of varying intensity. From informal sketches to fully revised short stories, writers will explore a science-fiction realm of their own creation, both on the individual level and on the class level. For inspiration prepare to visit several sites in the Ames area that, with a bit of imagination, will serve as out-of-this-world locales. Two science-fiction novels (one a class text, the other a smaller literature circle choice) will offer further inspiration. Daily writing technique workshop sessions will serve as the technical foundation for weekly short stories. The class as a whole will constantly contribute to an ongoing storyline of a science-fiction universe that will develop a life of its own as the ideas grow in number. This class will make your writing process an interactive, energetic, and imaginative one!

Instructor: Instructor: Ryan R. Kelly earned his B.A. in English from the University of Iowa in 2001. He has taught high school language arts in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and at Dowling Catholic High School in Des Moines. He is currently in graduate school to complete his M.Ed. at Iowa State, as well as begin course work toward a doctorate in English/Literature. This will be Ryan’s third enthusiastic year teaching for OPPTAG.

Score Criteria: ACT-Composite ≥ 20, ACT English ≥ 20, OR
SAT-Verbal ≥ 480, OR ≥ 3.50 (on 4.00 scale) high school GPA.

Welcome to applied psychology: understanding yourself and others! Psychology is the scientific study of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Contrary to popular belief, psychology is more than just abnormal behavior and therapy. In fact, applied psychology focuses on the use of different psychological principles to solve real world problems. Psychologists study everything from the function of the brain to the behavior of entire cultural groups. This course is aimed at giving you unique opportunities to explore the role of psychology in diverse ways.
Prerequisite: ACT-Composite ≥ 20, ACT-Science Reasoning ≥ 22, OR• Combined SAT-Math and SAT-Verbal ≥ 930, OR ≥ 3.50 (on 4.00 scale) high school GPA.

Instructor: Ashley Hackler holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and Spanish from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, along with a master’s of science in psychology from Iowa State University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Iowa State University. She teaches Counseling Theories and Techniques-Lab and has taught Introduction to Psychology at Iowa State. Ashley has experience working with high school students in both wilderness therapy and at Duke University’s Talent Identification Program. This is Ashley’s first year teaching with OPPTAG.

Neuroscience is a field of science that is devoted to studying the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord and nerves. The study of the nervous system is crucial to understanding how we perceive and interact with the external world. In this introductory course, you will learn about how the nervous system works in healthy individuals as well as what goes wrong in individuals with diseases to the nervous system including discussions of Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, Glaucoma and Multiple Sclerosis. The in-class activities, discussions, independent projects and presentations will help you develop knowledge of basic neuroanatomy, nerve cell biology, neurochemistry and pathology of the nervous system. If you have ever wondered how your brain and spinal cord works, this is the course for you!

ACT-Composite ≥ 20, ACT-Science Reasoning ≥ 22, OR Combined SAT-Math and SAT-Verbal ≥ 930, OR ≥ 3.50 (on 4.00 scale) high school GPA;

• One year of high school science is recommended, but not required if student meets the score requirements.

Ashley Scolaro holds a B.S. in neuroscience and biology from Drake University, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in neuroscience and cognitive psychology from Iowa State University. Ashley’s teaching experience includes being a teaching assistant for the veterinary medicine schools neuroanatomy course, as well as teaching psychology orientation courses at Iowa State University. This is Ashley’s first year teaching with OPPTAG.

Java Computer Programming will cover nearly a full semester of a college-level introductory computer science programming course, exposing you to algorithm development, control structures, data structures, and some advanced topics. You will initially study program design fundamentals but the majority of your time will be spent investigating Java, a modern language widely used in academia and industry. During this investigation, you will develop problem solving skills and a strong base of computer programming capabilities. Each day, you will participate in both individual and small group programming projects and participate in class discussions and activities. Your drive and creativity are the only limits in this class!

Instructor:Brian Patterson holds a Bachelor's degree from Carleton College, a Masters degree from Iowa State University and is currently working on his PhD in Computer Science with emphasis on artificial intelligence. Brian's teaching experience includes undergraduate and graduate computer science courses and being instructor with the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. This is Brian's third year teaching with OPPTAG.
Score Criteria: ACT-Science Reasoning =21, ACT Math =18, SAT-Math =500 or combined SAT-Math and SAT-Verbal =930 or =3.50 (on 4.00 scale) on high school GPA. Completion of Algebra I is required

NOTE: JCS Mathematics is closed for registration as it may have reached capacity or not have enough students registered. In the event that this course has been cancelled all registered students will be notified.