N.NM/S.CO: Summer science camps

Science Camps
Summer 2008 in Colorado Springs


Offered: summer science camps for students entering grades 5 and higher.

These camps will be as hands-on and practical as possible! These lessons will be especially valuable for students whose science education has focused primarily on theory and passing standardized tests. While such theory is critical, the lessons don’t really sink in until students get their hands a bit dirty using that knowledge.

Students will discover the answers to questions listed below and perform the listed tasks. Each session will work through theory, design, measurement, simple tools, evaluation, research skills, etc. to understand the subjects. The Scientific Method will be used throughout.

Ed Herlik, a Harrison D2 science teacher, is an engineer by education and also a jet pilot and patented inventor. Want to look into Mr. Herlik’s qualifications? Go to the Patent Office website: http://patft.uspto.gov/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html and search the Inventor Name block for ‘Herlik’. He has three more patents pending as well.

Tuition: Camps are restricted to groups of 10-15 students so that each will receive individual attention. Tuition is $95 per 15 hour session per student with the camper who organizes the rest receiving free tuition. Material costs are extra and range from $5 each for some sessions (like cars) to $15 for others (like electricity). Campers are confirmed on receipt of a non-refundable 40% deposit for the group. Students will keep everything they build plus some tools, such as multi-meters in the electricity camp. (Note: The organizer's tuition reward may be given to another camper. Wouldn’t it be great to bring a friend who would not otherwise be able to afford the fun education?)

Camps will be conducted on a 3-hour daily schedule the students choose over each of the weekdays in one week, such as from 1-4 each afternoon or 9-12 each morning. Sessions will take place in a school near Fountain and Circle though field trips are possible with parental assistance. The school also hosts math and music summer camps; please contact Mr. Herlik for information on those subjects. It’s possible for campers to take science in the morning and math or music in the afternoon.

Camps are available weekly from June 2nd through the middle of July. Camper interest will set the schedule so please indicate both your preferred camps and preferred dates.

Write to Herlik@DHVentures.biz with your questions and to express interest in subjects and the schedule.


Choices

Campers can modify these subjects to suit their interests.

Energy and Forces
∑ What forms of energy are available to man, how are they harnessed, where can they be seen operating in daily life?
∑ Which energy storage means did ancient people use? How do they work?
∑ What are the major forces acting in nature and what are the sources?
∑ How can those natural forces be harnessed into “green” energy?
∑ Describe and use both simple and complex machines.
∑ Build: Ice cube launchers using an historical energy storage means (torsion, tension, falling weight, etc.)

Electricity and Magnetism
∑ What is electricity, its measures, its terms, its sources in nature?
∑ Build simple circuits and measure the electricity flowing at various points.
∑ What is magnetism? How does it act over distances?
∑ How are the two related?
∑ Create electricity with simple household supplies.
∑ Create magnetism.
∑ Combine the two into an electric motor and perform work with it.
∑ Build: Electric motors, which then power some device (model vehicle, winch, fan, etc.). Send an email to Herlik@DHVentures.biz if you'd like to see an electric that motor was built by students using household magnets and scrap parts.




5th Grade capacitor - works well!


The Science of Cars
∑ How do combustion engines work?
∑ How are conventional vehicle fuels produced?
∑ Describe ethanol production and perform the chemistry.
∑ How do changing physical states and expanding gases power a vehicle?
∑ Explain the electrical system and test circuits.
∑ How do hybrid vehicles work and what are their advantages/disadvantages?
∑ Explain hydraulics and pneumatics, demonstrate them.
∑ What is friction and how does it affect various vehicle systems?
∑ What is momentum, kinetic energy?
∑ Where are the simple machines in a vehicle? Describe their contribution.
∑ How much energy builds up in vehicles at various speeds and what happens to that energy in a crash?
∑ How do hybrid vehicles work?
∑ Build: Tennis ball launcher to demonstrate ignition and compression.
Note: At the end of this camp, students will know their way around cars, how to check them for safety, how to change a tire, how to maintain the basic systems, etc. This is a ‘must have’ course for new drivers.

Basic Engineering and Inventing
∑ What are the basics of mechanical engineering?
∑ What are the basics of electrical power and controls?
∑ What are the most common simple machines, how do they work, how can they be combined into more complex machines?
∑ Learn brainstorming and other techniques to generate and develop ideas.
∑ Demonstrate simple drafting techniques and produce plans with dimensions and a parts list.
∑ Build: A simple mechanical invention of the student’s choice. Materials can't be supplied for this course as there's no way to predict what the campers will choose to build.

Earth Science
∑ How do scientists calculate the Earth’s temperature and atmospheric gas composition for the period before we had reliable instruments?
∑ What are the most common and most significant greenhouse gasses? What are their most prevalent sources today and in prehistory?
∑ What is the Earth’s temperature history, both over billions of years and over the past 500,000+ years?
∑ What have greenhouse gas levels been over those periods?
∑ Explain correlation and causation.
∑ Explain the correlation and/or causation seen in environmental records for temperature and greenhouse gasses.
∑ What are the most common natural and human-generated greenhouse gas sources?
∑ What are the common renewable energy sources and how do they work?
∑ Build: A means to store solar energy without a battery and then use that stored energy.




Solar powered motors turn a winch.


Flying
∑ Explain the basics of aerodynamics.
∑ How do airplanes work? Demonstrate flight controls with paper airplanes.
∑ How do airports work?
∑ Overview weather.
∑ Why do various airplanes look so different; what can they each do?
∑ Understand the various aviation careers.
∑ Potential Field Trip: With interested parents, the camp can visit a local airplane museum for a close look at functional aircraft systems.
∑ Build: A flying model aircraft and explain how it works.