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A Fantastic Thursday!

After a rainy morning, we really enjoyed the cooler weather and another fabulous hands on STEM day. I can’t believe tomorrow is the last day of camp and that will close out our month of STEM camps on campus. It’s always sad to come back the next week to the quiet halls of the buildings.

The red and blue groups spent the day with Dr. Haley Bergstrom and her team learning about fitness, human performance, and how we can use STEM to explore, investigate and learn more about the body. The students learned to take the pulse and conducted an investigation about how pulse can change with physical activity. In robotics, the theme was Things that Move. They had the choice to build a race car, lunar bot, pull bot, trash or recycle truck, street sweeper, etc. They had a lot of fun and were very creative in what they built and added to their robot! They even had some races going.

In the yellow and green groups, they got to learn about labs on a chip and conduct some investigations. They looked at the properties of different types of liquids and the pros and cons of each. They used microscopes to make observations about the properties. They even learned how to make fake blood! The orange and pink groups spent the day with Dr. Walcott and his team for some electrical engineering. They took tours of the engineering complex at UK and got to see a lot of the research laboratories and here about some of the investigations going on. They learned how to build a computer and built their own computer with arduinos. They had a lot of fun testing them out to see if their wiring worked! In robotics, they dove into the First Lego League Challenge – Trash Trek. Many were trying to move pieces from one place to another and to pick up objects and move them. This takes precision and patience to code and they did a fantastic job with it!

ChemCamp had another great day in the lab! They spent part of the day with Dr. Kenneth Graham. They dove deep into the chemistry of solar cells and how we can use natural resources to create solar cells, especially ones that are flexible. They also completed some investigations on polymer efficiency.

In Their Own Words…

  • that some bloob from your heart goes to your lungs and then your body.
  • That old people have mor blood than children.
  • I want to learn more about heart parts.
  • I learned what a micro fluidic mixer chip is and what it does
  • How fake blood is made
  • I learned how to build a compute.
  • I learned that 10 fingers could actually be 1024 different combinations.
  • The difference between analog and digital computers

Conversation Starters…

Red/Blue Groups

  • How do you take your pulse? Why is it important to take your pulse?
  • What happened to your pulse after you ran around outside?
  • How did you create a model of the lung and diaphragm?
  • How do the lung, heart and diaphragm work together?
  • What did you build with your robot today? How did you make it move?

Yellow/Green Groups

  • What is a lab on a chip?
  • What did you observe under the microscope?
  • How do you make fake blood? What do we use it for?
  • What challenge(s) did you complete with your robot today? What are you hoping to achieve or complete tomorrow?

Pink/Orange Groups

  • How do you build a computer?
  • What was the most interesting thing you learned on the tour today?
  • What challenge(s) did you complete with your robot today? What are you hoping to achieve or complete tomorrow?

ChemCamp

  • How do you make a solar cell?
  • What kind of materials are good conductors?
  • What would we use a flexible TV for?
  • Why would flexible solar cells be useful?

Picture of the Day…

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Downpour Fun!

About every 3-4 years there’s nothing we can do but get caught in a super fun downpour. This year was the year. The kids were great sports and everyone had a chance to dry out and have a great afternoon!

The red and blue groups were with Dr. Bruce Walcott in the College of Engineering today. They got to extend a lot of their learning from the energy lesson the day before. They built simple motors, learned what all the different fields of engineering were and what they did, and then played and coded with the ozobots. In robotics, they did an open build with animals, different from the ones they built the day before. Snakes were one of the most popular ones, especially when they got the mouth to open and close!

The green and yellow groups were with Dr. Haley Bergstrom and her team where they learned about fitness and how we use STEM in human performance. They learned about the importance of the heart and lungs. Built a model of a lung, did a fitness test to see the difference in their pulse before and after, and did some reaction tests. The orange and pink groups spent the day with Dr. Brandi Frisby and her team with virtual reality. They learned about the different types of virtual reality, how they create virtual reality worlds, and then got to create their own. They really enjoyed the space and shark VR! Many found it very relaxing. In robotics, they finished up the maze and C-A-T-S challenges and started on the First Lego League Challenge – Trash Trek. Most groups are using their sensors proficiently now and stringing multiple steps together!

ChemCamp did some exploration with the periodic table of elements and then the favorite was extracting DNA from a strawberry. They were amazed that strawberries had DNA!

In Their Own Words…

  • You can use chemicals to determine other chemicals
  • I loved quantum chemistry
  • What soluble and insoluble means
  • the DNA extraction of strawberries
  • I didn’t know that there was AR I only knew about vr and 360˚
  • I learned how to properly make a 360˚ video
  • That 3 pound weats can be heavy if you hold them long enof
  • I learned that the average adult has 5 liters of blood
  • I learned that when you breath in your diaphram drops when you exhale your diaphram comes back up.
  • I learnd aubout engineering and what I did not no before is how to make motors.
  • I want to learn more about electricity because it’s fun to learn about it.
  • I learned low volt use Ampere’s Law ElextioMagnet

Conversation Starters…

Red/Blue Groups

  • What type of engineering sounds interesting to you?
  • How did you make a motor?
  • What is an ozobot? How did you make it go?
  • What did you build with your robot? If you could create something else, what would it be?

Yellow/Green Groups

  • How do you take your pulse? What is your pulse?
  • How do the lungs work with the diaphragm?
  • How did you build a model of the lungs?
  • What did you notice about the fitness test?
  • What challenges did you complete with your robot today? How confident are you in programming your robot the way you want to?

Pink/Orange Groups

  • What is virtual reality? What are the different types?
  • How do create a 360* video?
  • What virtual reality did you experience today? What was it like?
  • What challenges did you complete with your robot today? How confident are you in programming your robot the way you want to?

Photo of the Day…

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Energy and Makerspaces!

Another exciting day is in the books! The students are settling into their routines nicely and are loving the investigations and building and programming each day. It’s been a bit humid on their walks across campus, but we are thankful the rain has held off and that the temperature is reasonable this week!

The red and blue groups got to spend the day with me! We looked at different sources of energy and what we use it for. We especially looked at the different sources of energy we produce the most of in Kentucky. We made our own electromagnetic train, created electricity with our hydroelectric water wheels, and moved a car with water and electricity as the fuel. In robotics, they started out with building a frog that they programmed to hop across the pond. Then they got to choose another animal and program the motor to get the animal to move appropriately.

The pink and orange groups spent the day with Doug Klein in the College of Engineering makerspace. The students got to observe the different big tools in action! There was a couple of different laser cutters – one for wood and one for metal. Then they created a 3d shape online and watched it print out and got to bring one of the print outs home. The yellow and green groups spent the day with Dr. Kenneth Graham in the chemistry laboratory in our Jacobs Science Building. The students explored solar energy and different ways we can produce electricity. They created their own solar panels from different types of fruit and compared them to what a fotocell. In robotics, the groups dove into the maze challenges, using their sensors and motors to complete the different challenges.

In ChemCamp, they are continuing the investigations in the lab. They explored the synthesis of aspirin today and learned how to determine an unknown concentration. All of the labs are based off laboratory investigations from our faculty’s research and investigations from our beginning chemistry courses at UK. The students have been doing an awesome job and are really loving all of the hands-on investigations and learning about different compounds and their reactions.

In their own words…

  • That cars can run whithout batteries.
  • I learned that you can use water to make eltrity.
  • The fastest train in the world can go 240 mph.
  • I want to make electricity by myself.
  • Tv’s and solar panels can bend. If they are made of organic materials.
  • Solar panels can be printed
  • That you can make solar-cells with blackberrys, pomegranite, and hibiscus tea.
  • I learned about a different type of 3D printing, involving a laser and white liquid.
  • I learned that ice melts quicker on cold medal then on warm wood. Since medal is a conductor and wood. Since medal is a conductor and wood isn’t ice melted faster on medal.
  • I would like to learn more about the topic, because the machines that print and cut the items are cool, and what you can do with them.
  • I Learned about pH and how to make asprin
  • I learned how to use a titration apparatus.
  • we made and purified aspren

Conversation Starters…

Red/Blue Groups

  • Tell me about the fastest train in the world. How does it work?
  • How did you make your own train?
  • How did you make electricity out of water?
  • Tell me about the picture you created.
  • How did you get the car to drive with water?
  • What did you build and program with your robot today?

Yellow/Green Groups

  • I thought all solar panels were hard and big. How can they make solar panels that are flexible?
  • I’ve never heard of a flexible TV. Tell me more about it!
  • How did you create a solar panel? What types of material did you use?
  • What challenges did you complete with your robot today? What do you like about robotics?

Orange/Pink Groups

  • What is a makerspace?
  • What was your favorite machine? What did it do?
  • What did you create to be printed on the 3d printer?
  • How do 3d printers work?
  • What challenges did you complete with your robot today? What do you like about robotics?

Photo of the Day…

Exploring magnets and their polarity
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Week 3 Kick off!

We kicked off Week 3 with a heavy, but brief, rain shower. Thanks for your patience today as we got over 210 students checked in and settled into camp routines. We’re thankful the rain held off for the rest of the day, although we had some humid walks across campus!

Today in the red and blue groups, they were with Dr. Jonathan Thomas exploring physics and learning about airplanes. They are well-versed in the four forces that enable an airplane to fly and they got to make multiple airplanes today to test out different variables to see which flew the highest, furthest, etc. In robotics, they started out with some beginning builds and learning about how to program their robot. They all got through the first build and were really excited to get to program it and watch it move initially!

The yellow and green groups were with Dr. Brandi Frisby and her team from College of Communications and Information exploring virtual reality. Students got to experience the two different types of virtual reality, learned how to create a virtual reality world, and even created their own! They really enjoyed the session and found it actually very relaxing. The pink and orange groups spent time with Dr. Robin Cooper and his lab exploring the human body. They learned about the nervous system, did some investigations with their senses and how they work with the nervous system, conducted some investigations with crayfish, and got to hold some organs today. The organs are always a favorite part of the day! In robotics, they built their robots and started some basic programming. For those who have programmed before, they dove right into the challenges!

Chem Camp enjoyed some lab safety and then dove right into investigations and experiments! They did experiments around carbon dioxide, explored macromolecules, and wrapped up the day with a DNA murder mystery.

Conversation Starters…

We know your child is getting to the age where it might be like pulling teeth to get them to talk about their day beyond “It was fine.” “It was fun.” “I didn’t do anything.” So, each day we’ll post some suggested conversation starters centered on camp activities or STEM-related themes.

Red/Blue Groups

  • What are the 4 forces of flight?
  • How does an airplane fly in the air?
  • What different materials did you use to build your airplane today? Did your designs work the way you thought they would? What was frustrating about building your airplane? What was fun about designing your airplane?
  • What did you build with your robot today? What are you most excited about doing with your robot this week?

Yellow/Green Groups

  • What was experiencing Virtual Reality like?
  • Did you feel like you were in a room or in a different place when you had the goggles on?
  • If you could create a VR world, what would it be? Why?
  • How did your robot building go today? What are you most excited about learning about with your robot this week?

Pink/Orange Groups

  • Did you touch any organs today? What did they look like? What did they feel like?
  • What did you do with the cinnamon activity today?
  • What does the electricity in your muscles do?
  • How did your robot building go today? What are you most excited about learning about with your robot this week?

Chem Camp

  • Tell me about the sugar rainbow.
  • What are macromolecules?
  • What was the murder mystery you had to solve? What strategies did you use to solve the mystery?

Photo of the Day…

Each day we’ll post a camp highlight.  Click the picture and it will take you to the weekly photo album. Please note that we try to capture pictures of all the campers, but we cannot guarantee that we will get every single one. We try our very best to though! We leave them unedited, so if you love to edit photos…feel free! If there is a photo you wish to have removed, please email me and we’ll take it down!

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Week 2 Comes to a Close

It’s hard to believe we had to say goodbye to another set of campers this week! As one student stated when we were leaving – “Well it just feels like Monday to me! I can’t believe we’re already leaving!” There were some tears shed because it was the last day – extra hugs were given and we took it as a good sign that they had a great week together!

Working together to build their simple motor.

The red and blue groups got to spend the day with Dr. Bruce Walcott and his team exploring the different fields of engineering, building simple motors, and playing with Ozobots – a small robot that uses light sensors to read where to go. The students were surprised at the small amount materials and effort needed to make a motor! The purple and brown groups spent their day with Dr. Janet Lumpp and got to dive deep into circuits. They learned why circuits work, what it means to be open and closed, and got to build some of their own circuits. The small challenges were fun for the students and they loved the lights and noises when they successfully completed a circuit! In robotics, today was creative build day. And boy were the students creative! This group this week really embraced the idea of creativity. They had awesome stories to go along with their builds and were very excited to program it to do quite a variety of things. I hope they shared about it with you tonight!

Completing a circuit challenge

In the yellow and green groups, the students got to spend time in the engineering makerspace with Doug Klein. They saw the 3d printers in action and got to design some pieces themselves. The laser cutter was another favorite! The students brought home a 3d printed cube they got to watch being printed. In robotics, they wrapped up the Trash Trek FLL challenge. There were some great successes, especially around using the medium motor to pick up objects and move them to another spot! This group of students really excelled in programming this week.

Intently watching the 3D printer create a cube.

In their Own Words…

  • Electro magnets help make motors
  • I like leaning about engnieens
  • What Parallel/series circuits are
  • I would [like to learn more] because my dad works with electricity somtimes and I can help him!
  • I liked when we put the pieces together and mad the propeller.
  • That some woodcutters use lasers to cut wood.
  • I like that I got to see many engineering tools
  • I would like to learn more about 3-D printing because it is interesting and useful for models in the medical field.
  • I liked learning how to work different machines.
  • I did not know you could use A sla printer to help people with problems with their bones and stuff.
Trash Trek Challenge

Conversation Starters…

Red/Blue Groups

  • What type of engineering might interest you?
  • How did you make a motor today? How did you know it was working?
  • How did you get the Ozobots to move? What did they look like?
  • What did you build with your robot today? What did you program it to do?
  • What was your favorite part about camp this week?
  • What do you want to learn more about?

Brown/Purple Groups

  • What kind of circuits are there?
  • How do you know a circuit is working?
  • How did you get your circuits to work?
  • Why are circuits useful? What do we use them for?
  • What did you build with your robot today? What did you program it to do?
    What was your favorite part about camp this week?
    What do you want to learn more about?

Yellow/Green Groups

  • What was your favorite machine today? How did it work? What did it make? How would it be useful in the future?
  • What did you design for the 3d printer?
  • How does a 3d printer work?
  • What challenges did you complete with your robot today? What sensors or motors did you use? What did you program it to do to complete the challenge?
  • What was your favorite part about camp this week?
  • What do you want to learn more about?

Photo of the Day…

Investigating Electromagnetism!