STEM Camp 5-6: Waves and Sound
Summer Science
Schedule in 2026
From the waves that roar in the ocean to the light of stars that gleam across the night sky, a surprising number of physical phenomena can be modeled using the mathematics of waves. In this course, students are introduced to properties of waves and learn about wave behavior and its consequences. While students will learn about many types of waves, there is a focus on sound waves and why we as humans hear things the way we do. Students with an interest in music will enjoy learning how different sounds and pitches are produced.
Both a conceptual framework and hands-on experience are important in building a scientific understanding of the world, so each day of Waves and Sound will have two main class components:
- Physics Investigation where students will learn new concepts about waves and solve challenging problems using the math and physics which describe those concepts.
- Laboratory Exploration where students will be introduced to physics lab equipment and learn how to gather and analyze data. Through hands-on investigation, students will build a deeper understanding of the topics learned during the physics investigation.
This course helps build interest and a foundation for future physics classes. It encourages students to ask questions about the world around them and establishes scientific problem-solving methods for tackling those questions.
Since mathematics is one of the main tools used to understand the physics of waves, students will need to have completed a math course similar to our Math Level 4 or Math Level 5 courses to be successful in this course.
This two-week course meets Monday through Friday for three hours each day.
Space is very limited for our summer programs. Please do not wait until the last minute to enroll. If there are more than two weeks before the course starts, a $200 deposit will be due when enrolling, with the balance due two weeks before the course begins.
