Course Catalog

Explore how AI works, where we see it in everyday life, and why human thinking still matters. In this hands-on course, students investigate the benefits and risks of AI, uncover how machine learning works, and tackle real-world challenges like bias and misinformation. Perfect for curious minds ready to think critically about the future of technology.

Step into the role of a scientific detective! In Chemical Sleuths, middle school students explore the hidden world of chemistry through hands-on experiments and engaging investigations. Each week, students will observe chemical and physical changes, test reactions, and learn how scientists use evidence to identify unknown substances.

From bubbling reactions and colorful flame tests to chromatography and crystal formation, students build a foundation in safe lab techniques, careful observation, and data-driven reasoning. The course culminates in a Mystery Lab Challenge, where teams apply what they’ve learned to solve a real chemical puzzle.

Designed for curious learners, Chemical Sleuths introduces big ideas in matter, mixtures, and chemical change while fostering confidence, collaboration, and critical thinking—the same problem-solving mindset used every day at APL.

In Code Command, middle school students will take on the role of real-world codebreakers and cipher designers as they explore the history and logic of encrypted communication. Students learn how secret messages have shaped history—from ancient Rome to modern cybersecurity—while building decoding skills through hands-on activities and collaborative challenges.

Each session introduces a different cipher system—including Caesar, Pigpen, Polybius, Rail Fence, Columnar, and Vigenère—inviting students to crack codes using tools like cipher wheels, coordinate grids, and polyalphabetic keys. Along the way, students develop foundational skills in pattern recognition, logical reasoning, and secure communication strategies.

Inspired by mission-driven work at APL, this course reinforces real-world applications of cybersecurity, advanced computing, and secure communications.

The course concludes with Operation Cipher Escape, a team-based capstone challenge where students must decode a series of encrypted clues using everything they’ve learned—building confidence, collaboration, and curiosity along the way.

Bring code to life! In this hands-on course, students use micro:bit mini-computers and MakeCode to build interactive projects with lights, buttons, sensors, and motors. Learn how software powers real-world devices. Perfect for curious creators ready to explore the magic where coding meets hardware.

Learn to code by creating games, stories, and animations! In this hands-on course, students use the Scratch programming platform to explore the basics of computer science—like sequences, loops, variables, and more. Every week builds new skills through fun, creative projects. By the end, students will code their own final project and gain confidence as digital creators!

In Flight Crew, middle school students join a hands-on exploration of the science and engineering behind hypersonic flight—where vehicles travel more than five times the speed of sound and experience extreme forces, heat, and pressure. Students investigate the physics of motion, drag, heat, materials, light, and sensing through interactive labs using wind tunnels, stomp rockets, and engineering design challenges that simulate real aerospace testing.

Developed in alignment with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research Hypersonics STEM curriculum and inspired by work at APL, this course connects to work in integrated sensing and cyber, advanced materials, and systems engineering and integration. Students apply the engineering design process to balance trade-offs, optimize performance, and think like real aerospace engineers tackling next-generation flight challenges.

The course culminates in a Mission Optimization Challenge, where student “flight crews” design, test, and refine hypersonic-inspired prototypes. Along the way, they build teamwork, data analysis, and problem-solving skills—developing a strong foundation for future STEM pathways that support our nation’s most critical technologies.

Step into the shoes of a real crime scene investigator! In this hands-on forensics course, students collect fingerprints, analyze mysterious powders, decode DNA, and explore blood-spatter patterns to uncover the science behind solving crimes. Each week brings new clues and scientific tools as students use real forensic techniques to crack the case. The course ends with a mock crime scene investigation where students put their detective skills to the test!

In Snap Into Circuits, middle school students embark on a hands-on exploration of the science and engineering that power our world’s most advanced technologies. Students will investigate how electricity flows through systems by experimenting with voltage, current, resistance, and power using Snap Circuits kits and multimeters. Through guided builds, data collection, and engineering challenges, students discover how simple circuits form the foundation for everything from communications and sensing technologies to energy systems and robotics.

Developed with inspiration from APL, this course connects directly to real-world research in energy and power technology, microelectronics, and integrated sensing and cyber. Students gain an appreciation for how engineers at APL design reliable, efficient, and resilient electrical systems that drive national defense innovations and critical missions.

The course culminates in an Engineering Design Challenge, where student “circuit teams” design, test, and present a custom working circuit that integrates light, sound, and motion. Along the way, students build teamwork, problem-solving, and data analysis skills—developing the same engineering mindset used by scientists and engineers tackling today’s toughest challenges in advanced technology and defense.