Summer Science Camps

Field Trip to BYU

2009-06-26T08:07:00.001-07:00

On Thursday, we went on a field trip to BYU. Justin Bagley, a BYU graduate student in Ecology, showed us the fish tanks in the basement of the Widtsoe Building. He showed us fish from all over the world including live-bearing fish (fish that don't lay eggs) and a fruit-eating piranha! He even let the afternoon class help him feed his pet gar fish. Thank you, Justin, for taking time out of your busy day to help us learn!

Fish Camp - Week 2

2009-06-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

During week 2 of Fish Camp we enjoyed many center and project work activities. We learned more about ocean fish this week and created a card game about them called "Shark Attack." They also drew life-size fish and labeled them. We did a fun science experiment where we learned about acids and bases and how to test PH levels in the fish tank. We did all sorts of art centers. We made fish bowls out of wax paper, made saltwater paintings, baked cookies and built clay sculptures to paint. They enjoyed looking at things in the microscope at the observation center and they especially loved playing with worms at the sensory table.

Fisherman Brian

2009-06-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

Fisherman Brian came all the way from Mount Pleasant to teach us about fishing. He talked to us about the different fish he likes to catch, showed us his tacklebox, talked about different bait he uses, and even let us practice casting with his fishing pole! He also checked the kids "fishing licenses" and answered all their questions. Thank you Brian for coming!

The End of Week 1

2009-06-21T17:01:00.000-07:00

Thursday and Friday of Fish Camp were a blast! On Thursday, the kids enjoyed a fish puppet making center. They used their puppets to create shows in the puppet theater. They also enjoyed fishing for numbers at the math center. We learned about the salmon's life cycle and made life cycle wheels on paper plates. On Friday, we had a bubble center. The kids made their own bubble wands to use at the center. They also enjoyed playing a new card game this week called "Big Fish, Little Fish." We played musical chairs and pictionary to review what we learned throughout the week. We are looking forward to another week!

"Extra" Question of the Day

2009-06-18T10:57:00.001-07:00

True or False? All sharks lay eggs.

Fish Camp!

2009-06-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

We are having a wonderful first week of Fish Camp! We have already learned many things about fish. We have studied fish anatomy and learned about a fish's different fins. We have also studied fish habitats and life cycles. On Tuesday, we had two special visitors come to school. Heather and Julie work for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources and they taught us about the native fish of Utah. They also showed us the equipment they use and played a habitat game with us. All of the kids have been very busy during center time. They have done several art projects, played games, gone on a fish scavenger hunt, written stories, and read books in the library. They especially love our class pets this week... a red male Beta fish, a blue male Beta fish, and two fancy goldfish.

Summer Camp 2009

2009-02-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

We are starting registration for Summer Camp 2009!

This year we will be offering one camp. It will be headed by Miss Cristina and Miss Cindy as Miss Natalie is away in New Zealand. Miss Cindy graduated from Southern Utah University and has been teaching the last four years. She is very excited to join us this summer.

Our camp will be themed around fish! Give your child an opportunity to learn about one of the oldest and most diverse life forms on the planet. We hope to take a field trip to a fish hatchery, listen to guest speakers from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and have plenty of live fish in the classroom for observation and learning.

FISH CAMP
When: June 15-26, M-F, 9:30-12:30.*
*We may add a 1:00-4:00 afternoon session based on interest.
Sign-up for one week or two!

Remember that space is limited and registration is on a first come, first serve basis. Please e-mail us if you would like more registration materials.

Tornadoes & Hurricanes

2008-07-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

Tuesday and Wednesday we studied tornadoes and hurricanes. We read books about them, wrote research reports about them, and watched some video about them. We even acted out the parts of a hurricane--the eye, eye wall, and spiral bands-- as a class. The children were very fascinated by the storm chaser segment of one video we watched so we set-up a dramatic play storm chaser center the next day. Other centers included wind painting, building hurricane- proof houses, tornadoes in a jar, and wild weather collages.

Thunder Cake

2008-07-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

On Monday we read the book Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco. The story is about a little girl who is scared of thunderstorms. Her grandmother, Babushka, helps her not be afraid of a storm by baking thunder cake with her. At the end of the book, there is a recipe for Thunder Cake. We had it for snack on Monday and it was delicious! Here is the recipe...

My Grandma's Thunder Cake

Cream together, one at a time

1 cup shortening

1 3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, separated (blend yolks in. Beat whites until stiff and then fold in.)

1 cup cold water

1/3 cup pureed tomatoes

Sift together

2 1/2 cups cake flour

1/2 cup dry cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture.

Bake in two greased and floured 8 1/2 inch round pans at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes.

Frost with chocolate butter frosting. Top with strawberries.

Lightning & Thunder

2008-07-28T21:07:00.000-07:00

Week two of Weather Camp started off great! We spent the day learning more about thunder and lightning. Take a look!...

At the this center they explored magnets and the question: How are magnets and lightning alike? Answer: Lighting happens when a opposites attract...a positive and negative ions are attract to one another. Magnets also use this principle.

At the art center they enjoyed making clay robots with lightning rods (aka paper clips). We used our robots for an experiment during project work.

Annelyse is working hard at the writing center. She chose a stormy picture to write about.

During project work the kids rotated through 4 static electricity experiments. At this center they are rubbing plastic combs with wool and then using the charged combs to pick-up puffed rice.

This center is similar to the last one except they are are rubbing plastic utensils and picking up ground pepper.

McKenna and Megan are vigorously rubbing their balloons to create static. They then touched to the balloon to their clay robots to try and hear a small spark. This center was the hardest to do.

The final center involved more balloon rubbing. They tried to generate sparks between two balloons. Mostly, they just stuck together.

Family Field Trip

2008-07-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, a couple of families were able to go to BYU to see the offical Provo weather station. David James, who teaches at both BYU and Pleasant Grove Junior High, oversees the weather station. He was kind enough to take time out of his Saturday to teach us about the instruments they use at the station. Now when we see the Provo weather report, we know where it came from. Thank you Mr. James!

A Visit from a Meteorologist

2008-07-25T15:40:00.000-07:00

Hillari Garner, an atmospheric scientist from Meteorological Solutions Inc., came to our camp today! She explained her job to the class and did several fun "thunderstorm experiments" with us. She was so kind to come all the way from Salt Lake! I have included a link to her company's website if you are interested. Thank you Hillari!

In this picture, Hillari is showing the class a picture of some solar panels her company uses.

Hillari formed a cloud in a bottle and then demonstrated the effects of high and low pressure by squeezing the bottle.

In this picture, the kids are imitating thunder by blowing air in a paper bag and popping it.

Six kids volunteered to demonstrate static electricity by rubbing ballons on their hair. She explained how positive ions attract negative ions and cause lightning to strike.

She used blue ice in a tub of warm water to demonstrate hot and cold fronts.

Miss Carrie played "Sno Shack" with the kids at recess. They really enjoyed shaving their own ice to make snocones.

The microscope center is always popular. The kids started out looking at ice cubes and frost in the microscope, but soon enjoyed finding other things to see close-up.

Snow painting was also a hit. For our snow paint recipe we mixed a 1/2 cup flour , 1/2 cup salt, and 1/2 cup water. The paintings sparkle when they dry!

Cutting snowflakes was also a popular math center. Some of the kids enjoyed finding shapes and lines of symmetry in their snowflakes.

The Seasons of Weather Camp

2008-07-23T13:55:00.001-07:00

During our first week of Weather Camp, each day was themed around a different season. Monday was Spring. We learned about the water cycle, how clouds form, and why it rains. Tuesday was Summer. We learned about the sun, shadows, and heat. Wednesday was Fall. We talked about changes in weather, wind, and air pressure. Friday will be Winter. We will learn about snow and ice.

In this picture, we are building a class anemometer. Anemometers measure wind speed. Since there was no wind on Wednesday, we had to cheat and use a fan!

Each child made a sun dial wristwatch on Tuesday. They learned how to tell time using shadows.

The drama center is a popular place to be. They pretend to be meterologists for CBS (Canyon Brook School) News. :)

For our science center on Wednesday, everyone made their own wind direction recorder. This instrument can help them know if the wind is blowing north, east, south, or west.

On "Fall Day" some of the children enjoyed making crayon rubbings of leaves and classifying them.

In this picture, we are learning how to use a sundial. We were all impressed by its accuracy!

On "Summer Day" we spent some time outside tracing and measuring our shadows. We watched how our shadows changed throughout the day.

For a science experiment on heat, we put M&M's on a black piece of paper and a white piece of paper. We watched to see which melted more quickly. Most of us found that the M&M on black paper melted more quickly because the black paper absorbed more heat than the white paper.

Another fun art center this week was making sun catchers. We cut shapes out of card stock and used a push pin to make small holes in the paper.

On "Spring Day" we made posters explaining the water cycle. Everyone did a wonderful job of being creative with their posters. Some of the posters were even 3-D!

On Monday we experimented with making clouds in a glass jar. See the "Cloud Making" weather link if you would like to try this at home!

Bird Camp Day 8

2008-06-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a very exciting day at camp. We went on a field trip to the Riverwoods Animal Hospital in Provo. Heather, a nurse at the animal hospital, showed us many things at the hospital. We even got to meet some of the animal residents of the hospital which include an Australian Umbrella Cockatoo, a South African Tortise, and a Blue-Gold Macaw Parrot from the Rainforest. The children especially enjoyed holding the Cockatoo, who liked to dance and say hi.

Many of the children also enjoyed playing animal hospital during centers on Wednesday.

Bird Camp Day 7

2008-06-28T13:18:00.000-07:00

Our science experiment on Tuesday was "Which beak is best?" We used several "beak-like" tools to crack nuts, eat seeds, suck nectar, and scoop Swedish Fish. The experiment helped us understand why birds have different beaks.
Some children have really enjoyed the writing center. They like to write stories and contribute to our class ABC book.

We got out our bird puppets and enjoyed some very entertaining puppetry.
Since we are learning about bird sounds, we decided to have a music center for the kids to experiment with sounds. We even had a few children write their own bird songs!

The bug center was very popular today. The children enjoyed collecting "rolly-pollies" and other bugs birds like to eat.

We were so fortunate to have Jim Biser, an ornithologist, come and teach both classes about identifying birds by sound. He taught them how to listen for robins, magpies, starlings, and other birds common to our area.

Bird Camp Day 6

2008-06-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

On Monday of our second week, we spent time making a class book about birds. The students worked in pairs and researched interesting bird topics. They then created a page about their findings for our class book.The classes also enjoyed centers on Monday. They made bird hats, looked at birdseed in the microscope, worked on a bird ABC book and did a science experiment with Miss Natalie. Miss Natalie's science experiment asked the question, "Do eggs breathe?" After hypothesizing and experimenting, the kids concluded... "Yes! Eggs can breathe."

Bird Camp Day 5

2008-06-22T21:15:00.001-07:00

Friday was Bird Olympics Day. Our Olympic events included a chicken run, eating worms in mud (gummy worms in chocolate pudding), building towers with bird beaks, and bird sorting. We also enjoyed making edible bird nests for snack. What a fun day!

Bird Camp Day 4

2008-06-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Miss Natalie gave a wonderful lesson on flight. She taught about the Wright Brothers and how birds inspired their first airplane design. She challenged everyone to experiment with creating their own paper airplanes. We took the planes outside and did a test flight.
We enjoyed a fun cooking project where we made bird bread and ate it for snack.

The writing center became more popular on Thursday. We used Mo Williem's "Don't Let the Pidgeon Drive the Bus" as inspiration for our stories.

We do bird shares each morning at large group. A volunteer is chosen to create a poster or small report about a specific bird and share it with the class. In this picture, John is teaching us about his pet chickens.

Bird Camp Days 2 & 3

2008-06-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

During the past two days of Bird Camp, we have enjoyed some terrific guest speakers. On Tuesday we were lucky to have BYU's Bean Museum present a bird show. On Wednesday we had a chance to hear from two members of the Utah County Birders Association. Here are a few highlights...

Our speaker from the Bean Museum brought several stuffed birds including a hummingbird, Great-Horned Owl, and Kingfisher. We learned several cool bird facts. Did you know a hummingbird can flap their wings 20-80 times a second?!

The morning class was priveledged to hear from Lyn Gardner. He talked to the class about several of the birds we often see in our backyards. We even saw and heard some of them while he was speaking!

Merrill Webb, the president of the Utah Country Birders Association, spoke to the afternoon class. He showed the class two stuffed owls: a Northern Saw-Whet and a Barn Owl. He taught the class that there are 3 things birdwatchers need... a field guide, binoculars, and a friend! The kids really enjoyed looked through his high-powered binoculars and spyscope.

Bird Camp Day 1

2008-06-16T20:17:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful first day of Bird Camp. Both the morning and afternoon sessions were very enthusiastic about camp. Today we answered the question, "What is a bird?" We learned that birds have feathers, lay eggs, have two wings, two legs, and a beak.

The children were especially excited about the bird camp pets. We have four baby chickens and two Zebra Finch birds.

One of the activites we did for centers today was "feather art." They could paint with feathers, glue feathers, make crayon rubbings of feathers...basically, they were supposed to be creative with feathers!

At the writing center, we made observation journals. They will use these journals to write down what they are learning about birds and to draw observational drawings of birds.

During the afternoon session, some of our older students enjoyed figuring out where different species of birds live and then placed them on the map.

After centers each day we meet for large group. We discuss the question of the day. Today's question was, "Which is the tallest bird?" The answer was an ostrich! We then learned more about ostriches.

For our project work experience today, we went on a bird scavenger hunt. After learning about the different features of birds, we looked for some of those features on different birds. Some of the kids enjoyed trying to classify the birds.

GEOLOGY CAMP HIGHLIGHTS - FRIDAY

2007-07-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

GEOLOGY CAMP HIGHLIGHTS - THURSDAY

2007-07-12T12:43:00.001-07:00

Here are a few highlights....

Not shown (making more conglomerate rocks using foam at the sensory table, classifying and graphing rocks at the math center, observing rocks at the observation center, learning about the rock cycle and earthquakes during reading time, recess kick-ball, reading at the reading center & research center).

At the writing center, the children made acrostic poems and looked for key words in a word search.
At the experiment center, the children hypothesized which rocks would sink and which would float. After writing their guesses, they tested their guesses.

The children painted rocks!For project work, Miss Natalie demonstrates 3 different kinds of ways quakes behave using cakes. The children were quick to pick up on which kinds did what (rift, fold, and fault).

Then they ate their experiment bake quakes! Mmmmm!

For project work with Miss Cristina, the children constructed buildings they thought could withstand and earthquake.

They also practiced some earthquake safety techniques.

GEOLOGY CAMP HIGHLIGHTS - WEDNESDAY

2007-07-12T12:35:00.001-07:00

At the math center, Megan counts the volcanoes found in the Rim of Fire. Some children found which continents had the most.
Rachel hypothesizes and tests the hardness of several rocks using her fingernail, a penny, and a nail at the experiment center.

William does too!

Nathan engages himself with an educational geology game at the computer center.

Madison and Ethan create volcanoes at the art center.

Here are a few others creating theirs.

For project work, the children learned about the behavior of volcanoes. They then drew a magma chamber, vents, and other parts of a volcano on our wall volcano.

Not shown: Making stone soup for snack (from the story read the previous day), weighing rocks (day two) as another math center activity, collecting iron from Cheerios as another experiment center, making volcano stories at the writing center, reading along at the listening center, computer educational games).

GEOLOGY CAMP HIGHLIGHTS - TUESDAY

2007-07-12T12:29:00.001-07:00

The children have had fun learning to observe and identify rocks at the observation center.

Kyle and Ethan experiment with the weight of rocks at the math center. We decided to carry this over to the next day so that they could also weigh with weights. They were VERY occupied at this center.
The children listen to a dinosaur book at the listening center.

The children experimented with making crystals from sugar at the experiment center.

More fun at the observation center.

We went on a field trip to BYU's Earth Science Museum. We let the children browse the museum finding what interested them most and taking notes of questions they had that we could answer through the camp.

Here they observe BYU geology students at work on fossils in the lab.

Isabel points out her favorite rock at the museum.Ethan and Leif write in their observation journals their findings.

Abby points out her favorite quartz rock.

Madison and Ethan browse and take notes.

GEOLOGY CAMP HIGHLIGHTS - MONDAY

2007-07-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

We failed to take pictures earlier in the day but we did remember to catch a few photos from our walking field trip to observe rocks in the neighborhood.

Katie draws rocks she finds in her observation journal.

What observant kids!

Taking a stroll. Observing rocks that decorate houses and yards!

Highlights...Bug Camp - 6/27

2007-06-27T13:06:00.002-07:00

TODAY DOREEN, A BEE-KEEPER, CAME. WHAT A GREAT BEE-KEEPER!

She taught the children about the different bees in a honeybee hive (queen, drone, and worker bees).

Thepicture below shows a smoker. If you want to relax the bees, you use this smoker.

This is what you use to extract the honey. This hot iron melts off the wax to the cells full of honey. The flavor of honey depends on the flowers the bees have extracted the nectar from.

This is the spinner that pulls the honey from the hive. Mmmmmmm!

The children observe the bees in the observational hive unit. They could hear them whir angrily inside the glass. We tried to figure out why they were angry. It was interesting to see how their body moves when they are angry.

The children wrote and drew in their observational journals the things they learned or thought interesting.
At centers, the children measured out the ingredients needed to make corn-bread. We had the corn-bread with honey for snack today.

At the sensory center today, the children sniffed different smells and tried to identify them. The children have had specific interest in the way that bugs smell, taste, see, hear, and feel.

At the writing center, the children began writing articles for our community bug newspaper (to inform the community about bugs and what to watch for).

Highlights...Bug Camp - 6/22

2007-06-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

...coming soon...

Highlights...Bug Camp - 6/21

2007-06-21T12:52:00.000-07:00

Madisen presents her research on bees. She also shared her insect collection with the other children.

The children make their own marshmallow spiders for snack using marshmallow, toothpicks, and raisins.

Today, the children used the scientific method to experiment with different foods to see which one ants liked best.

PARENTS!

2007-06-20T12:57:00.001-07:00

Come to our week culminating activity at 12:15pm on Friday. The children will share with you some of the things they have learned!

Highlights...Bug Camp - 6/20

2007-06-20T12:34:00.001-07:00

Another day...of observations, expression, experimenting, and learning.

We noticed a garter snake outside our front door. The children thought that was pretty cool. They are garden friends.

In Art Center, the children made bug puppets and then used them for dramatic play at the Drama Center. They showed what they learned yesterday about the different parts of an insect (4 wings, 6 legs, lots of eyes, etc.).

Cait did a report in earwigs. The children learned what nocturnal means. Earwigs are nocturnal, eat grass/dead insects/live insects, and are harmless to people. Great job Cait!

The children used the race tracks they made yesterday in Art Center to experiment with racing with bugs. Surprisingly, the bugs used were quite cooperative. Some of the children found that if they stroke the bugs (depending on which ones) they would move the direction they wanted it to go. They timed different bugs on their race tracks.

The children used dance and movement to show the metamorposis of a butterfly. We also read The Grouchy Ladybug and acted it out. The children chose their characters and did a fine job using expression in their acting!

The children demonstrated the sequencing of the metamorphsis of a butterfly in this craft activity.

Highlights...Bug Camp - 6/19

2007-06-19T12:51:00.000-07:00

Miss Cristina helps teach research skills at the Research/Library Center.

At centers the children discovered the fun of worms at the sensory table. The compared lengths.

At the Observation Center, the children try out the microscope. They enjoyed adding the bugs they caught at home to our Bug Zoo collection.

At the Art Center, the children made their own race track out of play dough. They will race bugs using their race track tomorrow. They thought rollypollies, worms, or beetles would be good to race.

More fun with worms!

Dr. Clark, and entomologist and professor at BYU came and taught the children about insects, their features, and how to classify them. It was VERY interesting. Thank you Dr. Clark!

The children put out their antennae.

Dr. Clark taught the children that crickets communicate with their legs.

WELCOME LETTER

2007-06-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Summer Science Camps!

We are excited to work with you and your children this summer. We want to make you aware of a few "house-keeping" items as we get closer to the start of camp.

The morning session will begin at 9:30am. Canyon Brook School is located at 538 E 4190 N. The school is in the basement of a residential home. You will need to go through the gate, walk around the back of the house, and look for the staircase that goes down to the basement door. We will put up signs the first day to help you find your way. Please remember to pick-up your child promptly at 12:30pm each day. If your child is ever to be picked-up by someone other than a parent, you will need to let us know ahead of time. Please speak with us in person or provide a written note. This is very important to your child’s safety!
Throughout the camp, we will spend a lot of time outside. Each child will need to bring a water bottle with their name on it. They will also need a hat to help shade their face from the sun. If your child is sun-sensitive, you may also want to send sunscreen, sunglasses, etc.

On occasion, we will go on walks around the neighborhood to look for bugs/rocks. We will stay away from busy streets and will do everything we can to ensure your child’s safety on these walks. Please sign the permission form available to you during the first day of check-in or bring the one you were sent the first day of camp.

Lastly, we want to make you to visit this blog often. We hope to update it regularly with what we are doing at camp. We will post pictures, stories, links, and home extension ideas on the web. If you do not want your child’s picture or name on the Internet please let us know. We won’t post any last names, just first names.

As always, you are welcome to contact us with any questions, suggestions, or concerns. You can e-mail us at sciencecamps@gmail.com or call #787-4751. We look forward to teaching your children this summer!

Sincerely,
Natalie Snow
Cristina Duke

BUG CAMP BEGINS MONDAY!

2007-06-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Cristina and I are very excited to explore the wonderful world of bugs with our camp attendees!

We have:

lady-bug and butterfly larvae to observe while they go through their metamorphosis
an entomologist is coming to speak to the children on Tuesday
supplies we need to go bug hunting and observing
over 100 bug books are ready to be thumbed through, read, and looked at
lots of other great activities

If your child is attending the camp and is currently collecting bugs, please have your child bring them to add to our collection! We would love it!

AFTERNOON SESSION OF CAMPS

2007-06-02T12:18:00.000-07:00

WE ARE FULL IN EVERY MORNING CAMP.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUT YOUR NAME ON THE WAITING LIST, PLEASE EMAIL US.

WE WILL OPEN FOR AFTERNOON SESSIONS OF CAMPS IF THE INTEREST FOR AFTERNOONS IS SUFFICIENT. WE NEED TO KNOW AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

If you are interested in an afternoon session, please email us at sciencecamps@gmail.com asap.

Afternoon session times would be:

Monday - Friday

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

SUMMER SCIENCE CAMPS!

2007-05-09T17:32:00.000-07:00

JOIN US THIS SUMMER!

We will be using Project Work to explore the world of bugs and geology. Project Work is a fantastic teaching model that

Discovers what the children know and what they want to learn

Uses multi-sensory and multi-leveled ways of finding answers to their questions

Teaches the scientific method

Integrates the subjects (i.e. math, reading, writing) into meaningful learning experiences

Encourages children to celebrate what they have learned

Camp activities will include local field trips (parents are welcome to come), guest speakers, experiments, as well as direct and exploratory instruction. All activities are hands-on and engaging.

At the end of our 2-week camps, we ill have a "culminating activity" where each child will teach their parents what they have learned.

PICK YOUR SESSION...

(choose one week or the entire 2 weeks)

BUGS CAMP

June 18 -29 , M - F

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

GEOLOGY CAMP

July 9-20, M-F

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

COST:

$125 per session (2 weeks)

$65 per half session (1 week)

There will also be an $8/$15 supply fee

There is a cap of 12 children per class (1:6 teacher to student ratio). We may add an afternoon class based on interest. Registration is on a first-come/first-serve basis.