[INAAPT] Fwd: Middle School Summer Science Camp

[Steve Spicklemire]

 From Mary DeWitt at Notre Dame:

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Mary DeWitt <mdewitt at nd.edu>
> Date: April 19, 2007 11:10:12 AM EDT
> Subject: Middle School Summer Science Camp
>
> Sensing Our World 2007
> A week-long, all-day summer camp about physical science, materials,  
> physics, and sensors for students aged 12 to 14.
>
> July 16 – 20, 2007
>
> Sponsored by
> THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME -
>     DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY & BIOCHEMISTRY
>     DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS
>     JOINT INSTITUTE FOR NUCLEAR ASTROPHYSICS
>     NUCLEAR STRUCTURE LABORATORY
>
> APPLICATION DEADLINE - Monday, May 25, 2007
>
> WEB SITE (additional information and application forms) <http:// 
> www.jinaweb.org/outreach/SOW/SOW%20cover%20and%20info.pdf>
>
> Camp Activities
>      Students will learn about the scientific principles behind  
> many sensors used in everyday life through hands-on activities.  
> They’ll learn how devices such as sound and motion detectors work,  
> and they’ll make electric circuits, build their own detectors and  
> learn about polymers, cryogenics, and electrical generators.
>      Classes are held at the Notre Dame campus Monday through  
> Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Activities include meeting with  
> ND scientists to learn about their research and visits to several  
> different research labs on campus.
>      We expect a large response to the summer camp. Applications  
> are reviewed by the Sensing our World 2007 selection committee, and  
> twenty students will be admitted to the week’s hands-on science  
> exploration program. Selection notices will be mailed to students  
> June 15, 2007. Financial aid and scholarships will be made available.
>
> Sensing Our World Instructors
>      Camp instructors include faculty, staff, and graduate students  
> from Physics, Chemistry, and Anthropology, Biology, and Engineering  
> departments at ND, as well as a certified 9-12 teacher.
>      Kevin Johnston is the lead instructor of the camp. Mr.  
> Johnston is a high school physical science teacher in the Baugo  
> Community Schools, and holds degrees from Purdue and Indiana  
> University-South Bend. He was co-instructor of this program last  
> year, and brings to the program a wealth of classroom experience.
>
> Camp Sponsors
>      Sensing Our World 2007 is sponsored by the Department of  
> Chemistry & Biochemistry, the Joint Institute for Astrophysics  
> (JINA), the Department of Physics, the Nuclear Structure  
> Laboratory, and individual faculty researchers at the University of  
> Notre Dame.
>
> DOWNLOAD APPLICATION MATERIALS:
>     SEND TOGETHER: Application Form <http://www.jinaweb.org/ 
> outreach/SOW/SOWappPage3_07.pdf>
>                                      Parent / Legal Guardian  
> Permission Form <http://www.jinaweb.org/outreach/SOW/ 
> SOWappPage4_07.pdf>
>
>     TO BE SENT SEPARATELY: Teacher Recommendation Form <http:// 
> www.jinaweb.org/outreach/SOW/SOWappPage2_07.pdf>
>
> The camp fee is $200.00. Financial assistance is available for  
> those who qualify. To request financial aid, please write a letter  
> supporting the student’s need for assistance and include it with  
> the application. DO NOT SEND PAYMENT WITH THE APPLICATION FORM.
>
> GOALS
>      According to the Third International Mathematics and Science  
> Study (TIMSS) report, U.S. school children start out at the same  
> level as their international peers in elementary grades. However,  
> they fall behind in science and math by the time they reach the  
> middle grades. When they reach high school, they score below the  
> international average. In response to this finding, Sensing our  
> World was designed to expose middle-school students to the exciting  
> world of science, mathematics, and technology in an intensive hands- 
> on environment. The goal of the Sensing our World is to stimulate  
> middle school students’ interest in physical science using familiar  
> objects that operate by important, basic physical principles.
>
> STRUCTURE OF CAMP
>      The camp operates during five weekdays in summer from 9 a.m.  
> to 4 p.m. with a one-hour lunch break. All students aged 12-14 are  
> eligible to apply.
>      Selection is based upon the camp application submitted by the  
> student describing the reasons for wanting to attend the camp in  
> conjunction with a recommendation from a science teacher. Grade  
> point average is not used as a criterion. Scholarships are  
> available. Twenty students will be selected to participate in the  
> initial debut of Sensing Our World at ND. Classes will be led by an  
> experienced certified K-12 Science teacher with ND faculty and  
> graduate students providing specialized labs.
>
> ACTIVITIES
>      The lessons of Sensing our World are designed to align with  
> the Federal Education Standards for the middle school level  
> student. Hands-on experiments and lecture demonstrations are  
> employed. For example, in a prior session each student built a  
> burglar alarm, using light sensitive CdS photodetectors, thereby  
> introducing semiconductors, conductors and insulators, as well as  
> simple circuits in the process. Students learned about smoke  
> detectors that use a small quantity of radioactive materials.
>
> EVALUATION
>      Each student will receive a camp manual containing  
> explanations and supplementary background information about all  
> labs projects, as well as resource materials.
>      A pre-test and post-test are administered for each session.  
> The pre-test informs the instructors about each student’s  
> scientific background, which assists in tailoring the session  
> content and level. The post-test gives a quantitative evaluation  
> about the student’s progress over the course of the week. A  
> concluding open-ended questionnaire is used to assess the student’s  
> feelings about the camp. The camp concludes with demonstrations of  
> self-made sensors by the students to an audience consisting of  
> parents, family, ND faculty and staff. Each student is presented a  
> certificate in a short award ceremony.
>
> ***************************
> Mary DeWitt
> Outreach Specialist
> JINA-Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics
> University of Notre Dame
> Department of Physics
> 180D Nieuwland Science Hall
> Notre Dame, IN 46556-5670
> 574-631-8297
> fax 574-631-5952
> mdewitt at nd.edu
>
>
>