This summer NDSU will offer third through eighth grade students the chance to learn about topics in science, technology, engineering and math, commonly known as STEM. Registration is open for a series of four Summer Kids Camp sessions scheduled to begin June 10.
The following camps are offered through the 2013 Summer STEM Kids Camps. Many of the camps are offered on several dates throughout the summer.
Construction Materials
After an overview of the construction process and materials used in the industry, students design a house plan, select materials they would use to build their house, build models of their houses, and spend a day in the lab mixing concrete and running material tests.
Computing and Games
Attendees learn to create interactive stories, a Web page, games, music and art using Scratch, RPG maker and other software.
Prehistoric Creatures, Glowing Minerals, and Rocks that Tell Stories
Get a sneak peek into the NDSU Geology Laboratory and investigate a variety of Earth materials. Learn to identify minerals and rocks using common tools. Look for fossils with microscopes, go on a dig for “fossils,” and make a fossil to take home.
Robot Rumble
Using the Lego Mindstorms platform, the attendee will learn the basic engineering concepts of design and programming while working in teams to build a robot. Students will engineer a robot to perform tasks, overcome challenges and maneuver through obstacles culminating in an exciting competition.
The Great Health Care Adventure
Students will learn about science in health careers through fun, hands-on activities with real health care providers.
Gear Heads
Students will build and explore engineering through basic machines and mechanisms. Using Lego Education kits, students will learn about gears, pulleys, levers, linkages and pneumatics. Students work in teams to build simple and motorized mechanisms to demonstrate concepts.
Engineering Adventures
Students in this camp will learn how to apply math and science principles to solve real-world problems, engaging in a variety of hands-on activities to illustrate engineering concepts.
STEM Explorers
Students will participate in a project-based environment where they will use a problem solving strategy to investigate STEM-related topics. They will use a 21st century approach.
Crime Scene Science
A week full of activities spans the different scientific fields including experiments in fingerprint and bite mark identification, studying splatter patterns, powder analysis, chromatography and even DNA extraction.
The 2013 Summer STEM Kids Camps are open to all area students entering grades three through eight this fall. Each camp is $89 but discounts are offered for students taking more than one camp or if more than one child from a family attends a camp.
Scholarships also are offered through FM Metro Youth Partnership. To apply for a scholarship, visit http://ndsu.me/mypscholarship2013.
To view more information or to register for the 2013 Summer STEM Kids Camps, go to http://ndsu.me/dcem1304.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation’s top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.