HuckleBerry
Center for Creative Learning
Christine Rains
Christine Rains, co-owner and instructor of Quest in Science, is an experienced teacher who brings science to life for her students and creates a fun classroom atmosphere by promoting questions and discussion. Christine earned a bachelor’s degree in Physics from Scripps College in Claremont, CA and a master’s degree in Geophysics from California State University, Northridge. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from CSUN. She has been teaching elementary through college for many years, and currently teaches physics and astronomy at several local community colleges. She also spent several years working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, CA, on the REASON instrument on the Europa Clipper spacecraft that is heading to Jupiter’s moon, Europa. She has been working with Quest in Science since the early 2000’s teaching hands-on science to elementary school children throughout Los Angeles and became co-owner in 2011. In 2018, she welcomed her good friend and colleague Debbie Walker onto the Quest team as co-owner. At Quest in Science, we are passionate about providing quality science education to young learners. Quest in Science lessons encourage students to observe, measure, collect and analyze data, make hypotheses, and draw conclusions. Hands-on science to us means teaching based on activities that engage a student’s mind and hands to make science fun, interesting, exciting, and challenging. Christine Rains is excited to bring Quest in Science to the students and families of HuckleBerry Center for Creative Studies and looks forward to a great year!
Awesome Science I
Awesome Science I is an introductory science course aimed at building curiosity, analytical thinking, and hands-on skills in our very youngest learners. Awesome Science I will cover three quarters, with a different topic to explore each quarter. Children will work together in small lab groups to perform experiments and make observations. Your child will maintain a folder of our adventures together that can be used as their evidence of science in your records; please also encourage your child to share what they are learning with you and your family.
Homework: Occasional
Type of Class: Students that attend this class and do the homework do not need to do additional learning outside of the class to learn this subject.
Prerequisites: Students should be able to read and write to be successful in this class, but accommodations are available for students who are just learning these skills. Please let us know at the start of the term if your child may need those accommodations so that we can have them ready from Day 1!
Fall: Light & Energy
In our “Light and Energy” course, students will become energy experts by understanding that energy is responsible for all movement and change in our world. We will explore the many forms of energy: heat, mechanical, electrical, chemical, sound, solar, and light. We will concentrate the second half of the quarter on Light energy. We will study how it travels, reflects, and bends. Students will also learn how the eye sees light by learning the various parts of the eye and their purpose.
Winter: Weather Systems
In “Weather Systems,” students will discover what weather is, how it works, and how it impacts life on Earth. Students will learn to record the weather, use a thermometer, and describe and discuss different types of weather. They will explore the seasons, the atmosphere, and the water cycle, learning how different forces make the Earth’s biomes hot or cold, wet or dry. Finally, students will explore meteorology and ways to document and capture weather phenomena.
Spring: Animal Habitats & Classification
“Animal Habitats and Classification” will have students exploring our diverse world and its animal inhabitants. They will learn about the various biomes around the world and the habitats within each. They will investigate how different animals adapt and survive within their individual areas, including in extreme environments like ice caps and thermal vents. They will also explore how animals can work together in groups, as well as compete against each other, for survival. They will understand how animals are classified and how to categorize species by their physical and environmental features. At the end of the course, each student will present a diorama project of their favorite animal, depicting its habitat and characteristics that make it unique.