Summer Academic Enrichment Eligible Programs

Goals

The goal of the Bell Museums Science Discovery Day Camps is to spark a strengthened connection, a thoughtful insight, and a new way of experiencing science and the natural world for K - 6th youth. We facilitate the self-discovery of curiosity, observation skills, and natural scientific abilities. We pioneer approaches to learning, engage all senses and ask questions fostering imagination and inquiry linked to University research that is timely and cutting edge. We advance the quest to discover, understand, and motivate those we serve to seek their role in the stewardship of lifes diversity.All camps focus on four primary pedagogical approaches: 1. Hands-on Learning - Campers handle and work with collection specimens, live animals, and field and lab equipment. Teachers demonstrate many field and lab techniques. For instance, campers will learn the mechanics of netting, pinning, preserving, and writing correct labels for insects to create their own insect collections. 2. Object-based Learning - Object-based learning allows for creative analysis, original data collection, and interpretation based on observations. The natural habitat surrounding the museum and the museum scientific collections provide real study objects for campers. 3. Interdisciplinary Learning  Camp teachers combine many disciplines such as art, language arts, math, and social studies to access difficult science content and concepts, to address the heavy focus in K-8 schools on improving reading and math skills. 4. Scientific Inquiry - Problem solving in science is a structured and direct way of asking and answering questions. Science inquiry requires mastering certain science process skills such as observing, classifying, communicating, measuring, estimating, identifying patterns, collecting data, predicting, making models, analysis, and interpretation of data. Campers practice these skills as they work individually or in small groups to solve problems in the field.

Activities

Explore all of your favorite magical subjects such transfiguration and how animal's change in appearance, experiment with magnets and learn about levitation, discover animal mimicry and plants that eat meat, and practice your hand at different chemical reactions.

The camps are led by Bell education staff and give campers the opportunity to meet University scientists, take field trips to University learning centers such as the Raptor Center, Insect Museum, research greenhouses and more. Campers also get to take part in recreational activities including swim trips to the world class University Aquatic Center.

Program Dates

June 16-20, 2014 August 25-29, 2014

Can students reside on campus? No

Can students commute to campus? Yes

Can students take online classes?