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Academic Components (June 12 - July 28, 2000)

Houston PREP offered the following subjects and activities:

1. Biology – a four-hour per week lecture class. On topics of genetics, behavioral of biology and cell biology; with biology projects required of Fourth Year Students.

2. Engineering - a four-hour per week lecture/laboratory class on topics in engineering with engineering design projects required of First and Second Year participants. 

3. Introduction to Computer Science - a four hour per week lecture/laboratory class (equipped with Pentium computers) in computer programming required of all students except of the second year students. Advanced Computer Science - a six-hour per week lecture/laboratory class (equipped with Silicon Graphics Indy Machines) in various programming languages and Operating Systems; required of Fourth Year Students.

4. Introduction to Physics - a four-hour per week lecture class in elementary topics in physics; required of Second Year students.  Advanced Physics - a four-hour/week lecture class with hands-on experience in UHD’s Physics Labs; required of Fourth Year participants. 

5. Linear Algebra - a four-hour per week lecture class required of Second Year students, on topics of Matrices and their applications.

6. Logic - a four-hour per week lecture class required of First Year participants.

7. Pre-Calculus – a four-hour per week lecture class on topics such as differentials of calculus, limits, slope of tangent, derivatives and applications of rate of change; required of Fourth Year participants.

8. Problem Solving - a two-hour per week lecture class required of First Year.

9.Probability – a four-hour per week lecture class required of Third Year participants.

10. SAT Preparatory Seminar - a two-hour per week English and Vocabulary lecture and a two-hour per week Mathematics seminar required of Third Year participants.

11. Sky Math - a two-hour per week lecture and discussion using the Internet on the principles of mathematics in weather; required of First Year students. 

12. Statistics - a four-hour per week lecture class required of Third Year participants.  Topics include probability, descriptive measures (central tendency, variation, etc.), graphs, chi-square tests, simple linear regression, questionnaire design, and sampling techniques.  A project (using Minitab) was given to provide hands on experience with statistical concepts learned in class.

13. Technical Writing - a four-hour per week lecture/seminar/computer lab class required of Third Year participants.

14. Dance and Music Classes – a two-hour per week class required for all first year students. These PREP students had the opportunity to learn cultural diverse dance and music.

Student Activities - a four-hour per week period of time spent with Program Assistants during which students work on class assignments, library research, engineering design projects, team sports, etc.

16. Educational Field Trips - a variety number of hours spent on Fridays of specific weeks involving the following:

June 30, 2000 All of the students spent a day at the NASA Space Center where they attended the TRAM tour and viewed NASA’s IMAX Theatre.

July 7, 2000 All of the students visited the Houston Museum of Natural Science.  The students viewed the Museum exhibits.

July 21, 2000 All PREP students spent a day at Astroworld where they learned applications of engineering and physics.  The applications of engineering and physics observed at Astroworld were further analyzed through a set of worksheets provided by Astroworld’s management.