Space Camp was wonderful!
We had such a good time and they learned so much.
Here are some of the highlights from each day of camp...
Monday - Our Solar System
We
learned about the sun today as well as the 8 planets that revolve around the
sun. The kids were challenged to learn all of the planets in order by
the end of the week! We made a human model of each planet's distance
from the sun using toilet paper squares. The kids also broke into
groups and made a poster about a specific planet.
Tuesday - The Moon
We learned about the rotation of the moon and how it relates to the phases of the moon. We also learned a little bit about the characteristics of moon. We were super lucky to have Larry Vidinha, aka "Mr. Tash", from Renaissance Academy come and teach the kids. He used Oreos to explain the phases of the moon, which the kids LOVED. He also did a fun experiment with making craters.
Wednesday - Astronauts and Space Travel
We had a "blast" learning about some famous astronauts and what it's like to live in space. They had some fun centers including making alien puppets. We read a book on space stations and then the kids created their own space station designs using cardboard boxes, paper towel tubes, plastic containers, etc. We also did a science experiment where we set off alka-seltzer rockets. And the Hunt Family was kind enough to bring the kids "astronaut food" (freeze-dried foods) for snack.
Thursday - Stars, Constellations, and Galaxies
Today we focused on stars! They made pictures of constellations and created galaxy paintings. We had a very special guest speaker come all the way from BYU. Her name was Denise Stephens, and she is an Associate Professor of Astronomy. She was so kind to not only come and speak to the kids about space, but she also brought binoculars and telescopes for them to see, including a special solar telescope. The kids loved her presentation!
Friday - Dwarf Planets and Culminating Activity
Friday was our last day of camp, and we spent most of our time getting ready to teach our parents what we learned this week. We also wrote thank you notes for our guest speakers and helpers. I noticed that the kids had an interest in Dwarf Planets throughout the week, so we also spent a little bit of time reading and learning more about the dwarf planets.
Thank you so much for coming to our culminating activity! The kids were so excited to tell you about their week. They were such a great group; I hope we get to do more camps in the future!
