Week 7 of Camp Explorations has come to a close. We had a great week learning all about fossils. We even had some time traveling visitors! Throughout the week we learned about both the past and the future through all kinds of activities and games. Now that we are all certified paleontologists (and time travelers), we want to tell you about our week.
On Monday, we learned about Geologic Time. Campers started the day by learning about fossils by being able to study actual fossils. We were each given our own fossil to investigate, along with some tools to help us look closer and learn more. Through our investigation we were able to learn more about the animals and plants that came before us. After discovering more about fossils, we headed outside to learn more about when these animals lived. Our Reading the Chapters of Time activity had us sort through different animal models and use our new knowledge to determine which time period these fossils came from. After getting our hands dirty being real paleontologists, we decided to clean up and cool off inside while doing some crafting. We got creative and created some trilobite masks to mimic some of the fossils we saw earlier in the day.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we had some very special guests from Deep Time Travels. While we were outside enjoying our lunches, we were suddenly in the presence of time travelers! Dr. Paul Lyn B.E.E is a scientist from the future where pollinators have gone extinct. Frankie Stein is a cyborg also from the future who is trying to relearn how to be a human. Kevin is an alien from another planet who is struggling with how to create new life from seeds. Throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, we worked together to learn more about our new friends and help them solve their problems. Through art and experimentation, we came much closer to a solution for our guests.
On Thursday, we learned more about prehistoric life. We started the day with a tour through the museum where we learned all about different prehistoric animals like mammoths, mastodons, and dinosaurs. While in the galleries, we discovered more about dinosaur adaptations from a museum docent. They taught us about how different dinosaurs evolved to have different adaptations that helped them survive in their prehistoric environments. After discovering all different kinds of prehistoric life and the adaptations that make them special, we wanted to know why these amazing animals ever went extinct. We headed to play the Mammoth Extinction Game. Campers learned about things that can influence an animal’s extinction such as climate change, habitat loss, and hunting. Then we headed to a new activity where we learned more about how animals evolve. Campers saw how dinosaurs evolved and proliferated throughout the Mesozoic era. Dinosaurs first appeared in the Triassic period, when there were very few of them and they were quite small. Continuing into the Jurassic period, dinosaurs differentiated and increased in number. Finally in the Cretaceous period, dinosaurs were ruling the world. This is where they reached peak diversity and also where they reached their untimely end. Campers learned about this through the Dinosaur Timeline Activity.
On Friday, we brought all our new knowledge together to finally help our friends from the future. Through skits, we told the stories of the evolution of life, mammals, and flight. We learned enough to send our friends back to their respective timelines. But, just as they were about to leave, we realized we needed their help! Our friends from the future decided to stay to help us with the mass extinction we are currently experiencing.
Thank you so much for sending your kiddo(s) to camp with us this week. If you will not be joining us for our last session this year, we hope you have a great summer!