Session 2, Day 3

Happy Fourth of July! All of the counselors were decked out in their best red, white, and blue outfits, face paint, flags, and tutus today! The campers enjoyed a traditional 4th of July lunch with brisket, corn, banana pudding, and potato salad while the counselors serenaded the cafeteria with a rendition of America the Beautiful.

Electricity and batteries were the focus of "The Science and Policy of Sustainable Energy" today. Students learned how batteries operate and got to make their own potato battery! Students placed a nail in one end of the potato to act as a anode, a positively charged electrode. A piece of copper wire was placed in the opposite end to act as a cathode, a negatively charged electrode. Alligator clips were attached to the nail and wire, and a mini LED light was connected by the two clips. When the acid in the potato reacts with the nail, electrons from the nail are lost and transferred to the wire, creating a current. A voltameter was used to measure the voltage the potato produced. Students found that not enough electricity was being produced to light the LED bulb. Students connected their potatoes together in a series circuit to increase the voltage. Once connecting potatoes, all of the students were able to light their bulb!

To introduce James Hutton's idea of gradualism, students in "Evolution: History of an Idea" learned about the formation of an ox bow lake. Gradualism is the thought that geological and biological processes take a significantly long time. Charles Darwin used gradualism to support his theory of evolution. Students placed 4 pictures in the order they believed the river evolved to form an ox box lake. Then students used sand and ginger ale to try to recreate a river.

This week in "So You Say You Want a Revolution?" students learned about the Agricultural, Industrial, and Technological Revolutions. Today, students displayed their learning through a Maker Space challenge. Students were supplied with materials like Play Doh, cardboard, construction paper, and popsicle sticks. Their challenge was to create an object that displayed the origins, economic impact, and social impact of their chosen revolution.