CEHD News

School may be out for the summer but the CEHD and the Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium offer kids the opportunity to have a great summer camp experience.

Gheens Science Hall & Rauch Planetarium

“Learning can be a really fun experience for kids when they are given the creative freedom and resources to explore their own ideas,” stated Rachel Connolly, director of the Gheens Science Hall and Rauch Planetarium.

This July, the planetarium hosted its first annual Space Adventure Camp where kids participated in a variety of activities that ranged from learning how to build a hand-held telescope to building and testing their own Mars Lander. The camps were designed for children entering grades two through five in fall 2008 and balances work and play with teamwork and individual activities.

Campers had a lot to say about their experience and looked forward to working on their projects and learning more about space science each day.

“What I like most about space camp is that it expands my imagination and I learn new things. I would really like to come back next year,” stated DeMaris.

“I liked the dome the best. It feels like you’re moving when you’re really not. I also like learning about other universes and the gas giants like Jupiter. That is my favorite,” said Ryan.

Organizers are planning to expand the number of sessions next year to accommodate the camps’ growing popularity.

Summer Portfolio Institute

The “You’ve Got the Write One” Summer Portfolio Institute focuses on mathematics, writing and technology. The institute is supported by funding from Pepsi Americas.

Teachers who work with the students at the camp participated in professional development sessions designed to create curriculum for their classes.The institute is led by Dr. E. Todd Brown, assistant professor in the Department of  Teaching and Learning.

The theme for this year’s camp is “The Sky’s the Limit” and is designed for children entering grades four through eight. Student projects this year include building soda bottle rockets and tetrahedra kites that will soar with just the slightest breeze. They also went on a virtual tour of the moon, wrote hiakus for their kites and odes to the universe.

Cyndi McHolland, a lead teacher, stated that the purpose of projects such as these is to teach children about basic concepts of mathematics, science and writing and how these subjects may be applied in daily life. Launching the rockets will teach students how to measure speed and velocity and how wind may affect the results.

Kate, a seventh grade student, described how they kept track of their projects and what they learned through the desk blotter. “It’s like a scrapbook but it’s all on poster board,” said Kate. Families of the children were invited to a showcase on the last day and were guided through some of the activities the campers enjoyed during the week.