In this session we will use parametric equations to build a model for the motion of a Mars rover to show how we can use linear and quadratic equations to model the motion of various objects in the plane. Then we will use the distance formula to create a model to find out how close the rover gets to its intended target. We will use the TI calculator to graph the parametric equations and the distance function. Appropriate for Math 8, Math I and II, AFM and Precalculus students.

This session will focus on a variety alternate energy applications and currently new efforts in sustainability. How does one build a house based on methods used by termites in arid regions? What is the role of black ice in glacier melting? These questions and many other sustainability issues will be discussed.

As scientific tools have developed with the ability to ‘see’ at the atomic level, what we know about science is changing. In this session we will explore some of the new application of nano and bio technologies. Discussions will include bioengineering organism’s to respond to light; synthesis and analysis of nano scale drug delivery systems; physical properties behaviors at the nano-level; and other related topics.

This session will focus on exploring what is color and related topics to color. We will explore questions such as: How can we get useful work from energy in this wavelength? And how do plants do this? How is optogenetics, a new field in medicine, utilizing light to activate drugs? Appropriate for teachers of advanced students in grades 6-12 science courses.

This session will extend what we learned in Part 1. Exploring real world problems such as the payment of a loan or how pollution moves through The Great Lakes, we will build the recursive equations and explore when a system has an equilibrium value. Appropriate for teachers of advanced students in courses 8th grade Math to Precalculus.

This session will explore the basics of recursion. This will include using the graphing calculator to explore recursive equations. Exploring real-world problems such as the amount of a drug in the body or how money grows in an interest-earning account, we will build both the recursive equations and use those equations to find closed form functions for the scenarios.