Camp Learn-A-Lot Week 4 - August 13th, 2015

An Eventful End of the Week

The Henry Ford Museum

Week 4 of Camp Learn-A-Lot has been jam-packed with cool and exciting learning experiences for the students. First, the campers got to witness an animal show about wild creatures from the Creature Conservancy, and then, they had the chance to take a journey through time at the historic Henry Ford Museum. I only wish I'd had this many amazing opportunities in my school days! This Wednesday, August 12th, the entire Camp made the trip to Dearborn and arrived bright, early, and ready to explore. From 10:00am to 11:30am, the staff and students toured the common area of the museum, which is broken into roughly five sections that cover the history of the United States: America's beginnings, the civil rights movement, aviation, technological and cultural advances, and how cars have shaped our lives. The halls were lined with beautiful vintage cars, full-scale airplanes, and an enormous locomotive; there was even a remodeled, fully-functioning diner from 1946 serving lunch, at which yours truly enjoyed a quick cup of coffee! 

The exhibits were interesting and interactive; the students launched paper airplanes, played with the controls of some pretty impressive machinery, worked on building a full sized Model-T from the nuts and bolts, and even sat on the bus in which Ms. Rosa Parks refused to be denied her civil rights any longer. After lunch in the Michigan Café, campers were treated to the movie "Secret Ocean." Our camp members did not simply watch life in the oceans, they experienced it in remarkable IMAX 3D. They were encapsulated in the magnificence of different sea creatures, and learned the importance of conservation efforts to preserve all sea life: did you know that 50-70% of the oxygen we breathe, comes from the oceans? Incredible! Thank you so much to the Henry Ford Museum for having us, and allowing us to give our students an incredible learning experience.

Romulus students building a Model-T

Sitting at the controls of a mechanical masterpiece

Sitting on the Rosa Parks bus

Fun at the IMAX… in 3D!

Splatter Day #2

Splatter day is always a labor of love: tutors spend the entire morning preparing the stations and filling water balloons. This Friday was the second "Splatter Day"of the 2015 Camp season. Activities included the regular water balloon toss, hose limbo, and the ever-popular water slide, but this time… we had something extra special in store for our campers. Our friends at the fire department visited us in their truck and let the fire hose loose to help our campers beat the heat. The students had a blast running through the spray, and thank the fire fighters for being so generous. 

Classroom Business

This week, along with many outside learning opportunity, much progress was made in the traditional classroom setting as well. Students continue their work with math facts in hopes of improving post test scores next week, and preparing them for their next school year, only a couple weeks away, now. Some classes have even practiced long division, averaging, and charting with the information they collect from performing experiments. And in another math-science connection, campers have worked with the symmetry and asymmetry of living beings. We continued this week with the study of plants and animals, studying social/herd behavior, plant growth and root systems, sense receptors, and how the five senses contribute to survival. A few classes even did an experiment where students were blind-folded, and had to use their sense of smell to guess the odor! (The students felt a little silly in their blinds, but they giggled and had fun guessing.) The lower grades also worked on identifying different types of vegetables and making a model of pollination. This blogger has personally seen some of the projects and animal behavior presentations our students have been working on, and know the parents and guardians attending the science showcase next Wednesday, August 19th will enjoy them too.

Students test their smelling skills in a blind experiment 

Third graders research an animal for their presentation next week

First graders work to identify different vegetables

Parents and Guardians:

Next week is the last week of Camp Learn-A-Lot! Some important dates to remember are Wednesday, August 19th from 5:00 - 6:00pm, there will be a Science Showcase and BBQ for the parents/guardians of Camp students. Please join us for free hot dogs, chips, drinks, and a chance to see your student's classroom and projects. Also, on the last day of camp, Thursday, August 20th, there will be a field trip to Turtle Cove for all students. Please send them to school with a swim suit, towel, and any other necessary swim gear. Thank you!