STEM Summer Camp for Creative Thinkers: Engineer It!
This four day camp will focus on different aspects of engineering as learners are challenged to solve a different problem each day of camp.
Susan Laforet, M.Ed Curriculum and Instruction
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(165)
Star Educator
What's included
4 live meetings
5 hrs 40 mins in-class hoursAssessment
Informal assessments will be included using games such as Time to Climb (NearPod) and Gimkits.Grading
Certificate of Completion provided at the end of the course.Class Experience
US Grade 2 - 5
Beginner - Advanced Level
This class is inquiry based, centered on the process engineers use to solve problems. Each day of class we will explore a different engineering approach, integrated with the science content involved - simple machines, principles of flight, air resistance, and environment. Students will interact with the teacher and classmates through the NearPod presentation, then the challenge is presented. They will collaborate and brainstorm solutions for the problem, use simple materials to build their solution, and test to evaluate its effectiveness. Along the way they will come to understand the Engineering Design Loop and different branches of engineering. Students will explore the six simple machines and use what they learn to design creative solutions to problems. They will explore the principles of flight, wind and air resistance, and what aerospace engineers consider when designing planes and rockets. Each of the challenges will follow the Engineering Design Loop and accepted scientific procedures to test their designs. All four of the STEM fields will be included in the camp. Campers are asked to keep their cameras on for the majority of class, particularly when speaking, to encourage full engagement. Please ensure each learner comes to class with all of the materials listed for that day so that they may fully participate in the building process.
Learning Goals
Students will understand the basic principles of engineering, learn about the engineering design loop, and collaborate to solve a different engineering problem each day.
Syllabus
Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created CurriculumStandards
Aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)4 Lessons
over 1 WeekLesson 1:
Sail Away
Students will be introduced to the Engineering Design Loop, steps all engineers use to solve problems. They will explore simple machines (wheel and axel) and how air resistance affects motion. They will be presented with the problem of the day - Can you build a wind powered car that moves, using common household materials? 85 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Strawkets
Each lesson will begin with a review of the Engineering Design Loop. This lesson focuses on aerospace engineering, and will include principles of forces on Earth, how NASA must design rockets to escape Earth's gravitational pull. They they will build a rocket, using straws and paper. Each student will use the scientific method to test their rocket's flight, and change variables to see if they can make it go as far as possible. 85 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Safe Flight
Continuing with our exploration of flight, students will explore how the design of airplanes affects their speed and distance. We will collaborate on which design will fly farthest, and students will build their first plane. After testing their planes, they will explore how changing variables might change the direction or speed of the flight path. 85 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Catch that Bug!
We return to our exploration of simple machines in this final day of camp. This challenge will center of using levers, but campers may choose to use any of the six simple machines in their design. They will be tasked with building a working, moving trap to catch insects, using common household materials. 85 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
All of the lessons will be presented through the interactive NearPod platform and may include games such as Time to Climb, Gimkit, or Kahoot. Some lessons will include videos from YouTube, either pre-screened or recorded by the teacher. Students will NOT conduct internet searches for the research aspect, but will use the Symbaloo site created by the teacher to access verified, safe, and prescreened websites and articles.
Supply List
Complete material list may be found at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZuMMKh_GCkUZ19DsoHhYanTTuGZ5qGXx/view?usp=sharing
Joined July, 2021
4.9
165reviews
Star Educator
Teacher expertise and credentials
Texas Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Master's Degree from Grand Canyon University
I have been sharing my love of science and math and STEM with elementary students in public schools for over 28 years. I served most of that time in the classroom and then moved into Instructional Coaching to help other teachers improve their practice in those areas. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction.
Classes with Ms. Susan are fun, engaging, and hands on, with an inquiry approach in everything we do. My goal is to latch on to the natural curiosity children have about the world around them and use that to explore science, engineering, and math concepts in a rich and meaningful way. I believe in teaching in ways that children learn, using strategies and activities that foster a love of learning. As a retired teacher, I am not bound by district or state policies and I am able to use fun, creative lessons to instill the academics that children need to master, not the ones they need to pass state assessments.
One of my favorite quotes from Carl Sagan sums up my approach to science education - "Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge." In Ms. Susan's Super Science and Math classes, students will be challenged to think!Reviews
Live Group Course
$45
for 4 classes4x per week, 1 week
85 min
Completed by 3 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 8-12
1-8 learners per class
