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In-School Curriculum
After-School / GATE
Curriculum
Camp Curriculum
PlanetBravo's
technology curriculum instills a wide range of skills as valued by
the
National Educational Technology Standards
as well as our own proprietary technology standards compiled and
written by Academic Director Danny Pezzotta.
Courses vary based on the program offered by PlanetBravo (in-school,
after-school, or a camp), but in each case, the standards are
extremely high and innovative. Our in-school curriculum
is the most comprehensive program you will find in a K-8
environment. Starting in Kindergarten, students are exposed to
integrative technologies, developing their hand-eye coordination and
general computer knowledge. By eighth grade, students are avid
technology users who understand internet safety, ethics, and
responsible use. They can edit video projects for school, animate
digital diagrams, post wikis and blogs, graphically design websites,
and of course, appropriately research and construct reports, analyze
data through spreadsheets and databases, and troubleshoot typical
computer issues! We are very proud of our day-time curriculum
as exemplified below.
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IN-SCHOOL
CURRICULUM
(where PlanetBravo serves as
Schools' Technology Teachers)
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Grade Level |
Theme |
Technology Typically Covered |
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Kindergarten |
Technology as a Tool for
Imagination |
Basic Computer Functions, Academic Games
(both online and locally-installed), Word Processing, Digital Art, etc. |
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First Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Integration |
Academic Games, Basic Word Processing,
Basic Internet Use, Patterns in Graphics, etc. |
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Second Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Creation |
Computer Art, Desktop Publishing, Web 2.0 Creation
Sites, Photo-Editing, Slide Presentations, Word
Processing with Graphics, etc.
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Third Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Exploration |
Responsible Use, Computer Hardware, Troubleshooting, Web
2.0 creation sites, Word, Basic Excel, Internet
Searches, Keyboarding, etc.
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Fourth Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Communication |
Keyboarding, Internet Research, Podcasting,
Word/Excel/PowerPoint, Sound/Music Creation, Email,
Digital Camera Use,
Video Editing/Montages, Wikis, and Blogs.
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Fifth Grade |
Technology as a Tool for Multimedia
Presentation |
Responsible Internet Use, Multimedia File Types, Video
Editing, Sound, Animation, Multimedia Slideshows,
Computer Science Intro, complex Word Processing with
Mail Merges and Spreadsheets.
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Sixth Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Publication |
Advanced Desktop Publishing!
Letters, Newsletters, Graphic Design, Websites, Wikis,
Blogs,
Collaborative Online Docs, and much more!
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Seventh Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Computation |
Excel Spreadsheets, Databases, Analyzing Data, Basic
Computer Programming, Video Game Creation, Complex
Queries, etc.
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Eighth Grade |
Technology as a Tool for
Culmination |
Video Production, Animation, Graphic Design,
Programming, Web Design, and creating an online
portfolio of multimedia projects.
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AFTER-SCHOOL /
GATE CURRICULUM
(PLEASE NOTE: these offerings
change seasonally)
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Grade Levels |
Course Title |
Basic Description |
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K-2 |
Digital Photography |
Proper Camera Handling, Fun Camera Tricks and Important
Techniques, Tripod Use, Transferring to Computer, Fun
Photo Editing.
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K-2 |
Math & Logic Games |
Course consists of 3-units per session: typical math
work, logic exercises, and strategy games - all played
on the computers!
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K-2 |
Claymation Creation
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Students construct clay masterpieces and bring them to
life through stop-motion animation.
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K-2 |
LEGO-Motion |
Same as Claymation, but students use LEGOs!
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K-2 / 3-5 |
Cartoon Animation |
Students utilize online tools and programs like Scratch
and Flash to animate narrative stories.
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K-2 / 3-5 |
Special Effects |
Using Green Screens and tricky camera techniques,
students create DVDs filled with eye-popping special
effects!
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2-6 |
Podcast Production
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Students conceive, produce, and edit their own original
theme-based podcasts. Students publish to PlanetBravo's
iTunes channel for instant downloads to iPods and other
devices.
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2-8 |
Scratch Programming
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Using MIT's Scratch program, students become computer
scientists by dragging and dropping "logic blocks" while
making games and cartoons.
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3-5 / 6-8 |
Robotics
Engineering |
VEX Design Systems allow the students to construct their
very own robots for an interactive challenge at the
conclusion of the course.
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4-8 |
Website Creation |
Students use several online and free tools to develop
their own published websites.
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4-8 |
Video Game Creation
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Depending on licensing, PlanetBravo utilizes several
sources to teach the students how to make their very own
Video Games.
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4-8 |
Journalism |
Teamwork, Objectivity, Intellectual Property, and
Professionalism are just some of the principles taught
in this class that has the students creating a school
newspaper.
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4-8 |
Graphic Design |
Students create advertisements, posters, and logos in
this class that prepares them to work in a
graphics-oriented world.
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TYPICAL CAMP
CURRICULUM
(PLEASE NOTE: these offerings
change seasonally)
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Grades
2-3 |
This has quickly become our most popular class for
the younger age group. Students will start by
building with LEGO bricks, creating a scene and a
story in their imaginations. Then, using stop-motion
animation techniques, they will make that dream
become a reality, making the LEGO characters seem to
come alive and move on their own!
SOFTWARE USED: Pinnacle Studio, Acid Music |
Register Now |
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Grades
2-3 |
Using an MIT developed, free to download program
called Scratch, students will learn how to make
animations, sound boards, and a host of different
games. Rather than writing out lines of code,
Scratch uses an easy to understand drag-and-drop
programming method, allowing our students to
complete multiple projects in one week. Best of all,
completed games and cartoons are posted live to the
internet for anyone to see!
SOFTWARE USED: Scratch |
Register Now |
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Grades
2-3 |
NEW in 2012! We’re
going to bring your dreams to life! Taking advantage
of the camp theme of the week, students will use all
of our favorite technological tools to transform
into the dream version of themselves. From
slideshows to digital video, graphic design to music
creation, we cover it all in this amazing,
imaginative, fun-filled course!
SOFTWARE USED: Adobe Photoshop, PowerPoint, Acid
Music, Pinnacle Studio |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
Our most popular class 10 years running, Fusion101 introduces
students to ClickTeam’s Multimedia Fusion 2. In the course of a
week, students will turn a blank white screen into a fully
functional video game by adding characters, backgrounds and more
from a massive library of cool sprites. All completed games (and
yes, some students will make several) are exported in a format that
can be played on any computer, as well as posted online!
SOFTWARE USED - Multimedia Fusion 2, Adobe Photoshop, Acid Music |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
NEW in 2012! Picking
up where Fusion101 leaves off, Freestyle Fusion
introduce more advanced game styles (multiplayer,
RPG, escape), techniques (spriting, advanced enemy
AI), while also exploring the huge variety of
movement options Fusion provides. The counselor
focuses on introducing skills as opposed to guiding
projects, allowing for more variety and creativity
in games created.
NOTE: REQUIRES FUSION101 OR COMPARABLE AS
PRE-REQUISITE
SOFTWARE USED - Multimedia Fusion 2, Adobe
Photoshop, Acid Music |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
NEW in 2012! Newly
released by ClickTeam, the iOS exporter allows
students to design games that can be played in the
iPhone and iPad. The app store already has several
Fusion-created games available for download, and our
students will be making their own incredible games.
You DO NOT need to own an iOS device to take this
class, but it is highly recommended.
NOTE: REQUIRES FUSION101 OR COMPARABLE AS
PRE-REQUISITE
SOFTWARE USED - Multimedia Fusion 2, Adobe
Photoshop, Acid Music |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
NEW in 2012! Given
all the equipment you need (cameras, tripods,
microphones, green screens, editing software and
more), what could you make in a week? The Digital
Shorts class allows students to work as a group to
create their own short films, music videos, or even
choose your own adventure stories! Though the
filming is done together, every student will edit
their own final cut.
SOFTWARE USED - Pinnacle Studio |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
It’s back once again and it’s only getting better.
Using Adobe After Effects, one of the premiere
editing programs in the film industry, students will
be able to make their own special effects movies
featuring turning bright sunny days into dark rainy
ones, explosions, lightning bolts, laser beams...
the sky’s the limit!
SOFTWARE USED - Adobe After Effects |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
Some amazing projects were made in the inaugural
year of this class in 2011, and it’s back once again
for 2012. Using LEGO bricks, clay, and even people,
students will bring still images to life using
point-and-shoot cameras and Pinnacle Studio. Make
the same amazing style of videos that can be seen
all over YouTube!
SOFTWARE USED - Pinnacle Studio |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
NEW in 2012! Students
in this course will begin by learning to properly
and skillfully use a DSLR camera, learning about
framing, focus, shutter speed, depth of field, and
more. After a solid library of photos has been
collected, students will learn how to edit and
enhance their photos, as well as incorporate them
into graphic design projects like posters and
magazine covers. An absolute must for the
artistically inclined!
SOFTWARE USED: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom,
Adobe Illustator, Adobe InDesign |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
Using a state of the art program, students will be
able to create their own 3D models, put them into a
3D environment, and bring them to life in a short
animation. The program lends itself towards 3D game
modeling, and allows students to create the video
game characters, objects, and scenes they’ve always
imagined. Learning to animate with 3ds Max is a
stepping stone towards creating a real 3D video
game.
SOFTWARE USED: 3ds Max |
Register Now |
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Grades
4-9 |
NEW in 2012! Adobe's
newest program, Adobe Edge, will allow our students
to create and design 2D animations that can be
viewed on any web-capable device. Unlike it's
predecessors, Adobe Edge uses HTML5, which will
allow our young artists and dreamers to make
incredible animations that can even be viewed on iOS
devices and post them live to the web!
SOFTWARE USED: Adobe Edge |
Register Now |
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Grades
6-9 |
It all starts will a pile of metal, screws, gears,
wheels, and wires. It’s up to our students to take
these bare essentials and turn them into
competition-ready robots by the end of the week.
Every robotics class features a new challenge that
the robots must rise to meet, and with guidance from
their highly skilled counselor, the students will
design, build, program, and drive their robots into
battle! |
Register Now |
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NEW in 2012! Last
year, PB Legends was an experiment in independent
study, allowing those who attended to choose their
own topics to work on each day. The result was a
truly inspiring collection of projects and an
excited, invigorated group of students. This year,
we bring PB Legends to every location as the
Director’s Lab. The only class taught by the camp
director, the select students in this class will
have the freedom to work on whatever they want, all
under the watchful eye of the most seasoned of the
camp’s staff.
NOTE: REQUIRES PRIOR PLANETBRAVO EXPERIENCE. CALL TO
REGISTER |
Call to Register |
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