/ScienceCampCalendar2012PDF

Week 1: June 25 – 29 Go‐Go‐Gadget Week Join us as we build and examine useful devices to determine the scientific principles behind their function. Campers will build a circuit and work with simple motors and flashlights to discover the relationship between electricity and magnetism. They will assemble and launch a rocket and learn about the scientific principles of land and sea travel by working with miniature cars, boats and submarines.

Week 2: July 2 – 6 (Closed July 4) Environmental Science Week Campers will explore Germantown Academy’s 120 acre campus to learn about the delicate forest and marine ecosystems that are all around us. Students will consider the impact of factors like pollution and over population on these ecosystems and learn ways that we can reduce our environmental impact. Activities will include a study of birds, a simulated oil spill, and fishing and canoeing in the Wissahickon Creek.

Week 3: July 9 – 13 Fun With Chemistry Week What makes some materials glow in the dark? How do chemical hot and cold packs work? Why is molasses thicker than water? How do chemical reactions cause color changes or explosions? Campers will discover the answers to these questions and many others as they examine interesting and exciting chemical reac‐ tions. We will learn about what happens at the molecular level to cause the changes observed.

Week 4: July 16 – 20 Forensic Science Week Campers become investigators as they explore the principles of forensic science to solve each age appropriate crime. Techniques like hair and soil analysis and fingerprinting will be used to solve cases of grade tampering and borrowing without permission. Other activities include the chemical analysis of evidence and making casts of tools and footprints. We’ll have a lot of fun learning how science is used to fight crime.