In this article, second graders learn the basics of engineering through an exploration of magnetic levitation (maglev) technology. The author designed and taught the lessons to a class of 26 students enrolled in a month-long summer science program. The maglev lessons took place over three mornings (15 minutes for the first lesson and 40 minutes…

This article describes an elementary science summer day camp at East Palatine High School in East Palestine, Ohio, for students in grades K-4, aided by high school (grades 9-12) student mentors. The school's Outdoor Area for Studies in Science (OASIS) is used for formal and informal studies in science for an elementary science camp week. The camp…

For many children, summertime is free time. For parents, summer often means searching for structured learning opportunities for their children. For teachers, summer can mean heading back to school for professional development. The elementary science institute for teachers that the authors conduct includes a summer science camp for children. Last…

The summer provides a unique opportunity for children to further their interests in science, especially science in the out-of-doors. Once school is out for the summer, there is seemingly unlimited time, with no strict curriculum guidelines to follow. For students with a passion for the out-of-doors, summer science camps and school-based summer…

For two weeks during Summer 2009, three elementary school teachers--Darcy Marcou, Melissa Lange, and Andrea Konitzer--participated in a science institute directed by Scott Ashmann, a science education professor at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The purpose of this institute for elementary school teachers was to learn (a) more about Earth…

Students get excited about science when they investigate real scientific problems in the classroom, especially when the investigation extends over several weeks. This article describes a health-science problem-based learning (PBL) investigation that a group of teachers and teacher educators devised together for a group of fourth- to sixth-grade…

Provides information about a summer camp with an astronomy focus for students in grades 4-8. Discusses planning, camp basics, telescope orientation, and other features of camp life. (DDR)

Describes a school-hosted, non-residence science day camp. Provides a list of guidelines for planning such a camp. (DDR)

Describes science programs for gifted students developed at a learning center in Connecticut. Programs include investigations in astronomy, geology, and climatology. The learning center site is a abandoned NIKE missle base. (MA)

An account of a teacher's experience in presenting astronomy to 12 to 15 year olds in a summer science program is presented. Observations of planets, meteors, and the sun are the major projects which are discussed. (SA)

Describes a science-oriented photography program offered during the summer to sixth-grade students. The program aims to increase visual literacy, and students spend considerable time in planning, taking, arranging, and using self-made photographs for the intentional communication of meaning. (JR)

Describes an elementary school summer program designed to allow children to develop their fullest potentials for logical thinking and structuring their own knowledge. In particular, the activities of the science center are discussed. (JR)

Describes a summer science program for suburban upper-elementary and junior high students. The students are involved in field ecology experiences including stream studies, fossil collecting, and dissections of organisms. (SA)