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!
Middle School Earth Science
Earth Science
Fall –
This year long Quest in Science course will take students on an in-depth exploration of Earth and its systems. Geology will be the core of our class. To better understand our Earth, we will also examine its interaction with all its processes: the hydrosphere, geosphere, biosphere and atmosphere. We will take a hands-on approach to studying rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, mountain building, volcanoes, earthquakes, weathering and erosion, energy resources, as well as California geology. Students will work together in small lab groups to perform experiments, test hypotheses, and gather and record data.
Winter -
This session will focus on the forces at play within and around the earth. We will study earthquakes and how they travel. We will investigate powerful forces that shape the ocean shores and floors. We examine both the rock and water cycles. Students will work together in small lab groups to perform experiments, test hypotheses, and gather and record data.
Spring -
This session focuses on Earth’s atmosphere, universe and geographical history. Students will learn how and why air moves and creates weather. They will create a model of our solar system to obtain a better understanding of the scale of the universe. Students will learn how to measure the relative distances to the stars and discuss the concept of time. They will examine Earth’s layers and features to determine relative age. To conclude our course, students will make a presentation on their favorite Earth Science topic from the year of which they have conducted further research.