ECHS wouldlike to invite all 9th grade students to the 2012 Camp Discovery for an opportunity to meet their new classmates while participating in team building activities and academic challenges. This is a great way for students to dust the cobwebs off and jump-start their brains as they head into the new school year. Last year the students who came had a blast!!!

Camp FAQ’s

What do we do?
The morning is dedicated to team building activities that help students get to know each other, group initiatives that require groups to work together to complete different tasks, and problem solving activities that require the groups to really use their brains to come up with solutions. In the afternoon, students choose an academic challenge they would like to participate in. At the end of the week we have a showcase where the items created are put to the test. The challenges are:

1-Bridge Building- Students design and build a balsa wood bridge. The different bridges compete to see how much weight they can hold before breaking.

2-Water Rocket Building- Students design and build a rocket from a 2 liter bottle. Students compete to see whose rocket can go up the highest and bring an egg down without breaking.

3-Rube Goldberg Machines- Students will build a machine out of everyday items that will complete a simple task.

When and where is it?
It is at the school, July 23rd – 26th from 9 to 4 each day. Students need to be picked up promptly.

What do I wear?
Comfortable clothes because you will be outside most of the morning.

What about lunch?
Students need to bring a lunch except for Thursday. On Thursday lunch is on us!

How do I sign up?
Click on the link in the main email or call the school. 704-260-0227

Daily Schedule

Monday

9:00-9:30 -Whole Group- Welcome, Introduction, Overview

~Cover Digital Contract, Guidelines for Sharing and Chicken Soup

9:30-9:45 (15 min) -Small Group- Neat Names

9:45-9:55 (10 min) -Small Group-Are You More Like

Transition to next activity areas—The following will be done in rotations

10:00-10:20 (20 min) -Small Group-Name Tag painting

10:20-10:40 (20 min) -Small Group-Wind in the Willows and Lap Sit

10:40-11:00 (20 min) -Small Group- Trust Walk

Transition to next activity areas

11:05-11:15 (10 min) -Small Group-Switch, Change, Rotate

11:15-11:30 (15 min) -Small Group-Three Way Trust Walk

Transition to Community Room

11:30-12:15 (45 min) -Whole Group- Survival Scenario

12:15-12:25 (10 min) -Whole Group- Debrief-Just One Word

12:25-1:00 Lunch

1:00-3:30 Researching and Planning for Competition Activities (Bridges, Bottle Rockets, Rube Goldberg)

3:30-4:00 Journaling and Closure

Tuesday

9:00-9:10-Whole Group-Welcome Back, The Meter

Transition to next activity areas—The following will be done in rotations, withOUT name tags

9:15-9:25 (10 min) -Small Group-That Person Over There

9:25-9:35 (10 min) -Small Group-Commonalities

9:35-9:45 (10 min) -Small Group- Back to Back*Give out name tags at the end of the third activity

Transition to next activity areas—The following will be done in rotations

9:50-10:10 (20 min) -Small Group-Electric Fence

10:10-10:30 (20 min) -Small Group-All Aboard

10:30-10:50 (20 min) -Small Group- Inviso Maze

Transition to next activity areas—The following will be done in rotations

10:55-11:10 (15 min) -Small Group-Blind Polygon

11:10-11:25 (15 min) -Small Group-Improbable Chopsticks

11:25-11:40 (15 min) -Small Group- Human Knot So Fast

Transition to Community Room

11:40-12:00 (20 min) -Whole Group-Let All the Eagles Soar Who…

12:00-12:10 (10 min) -Small Group- Debrief-Body Parts

12:10-12:45 Lunch

12:45-3:30 Competition Activities (Bridges, Bottle Rockets, Rube Goldberg)

3:30-4:00 Journaling and Closure

Wednesday

9:00-9:10-Whole Group-Welcome Back, Zones of Comfort

Transition to next activity area—

9:15-9:45 (30 min) -Whole Group-Tanks

Transition to next activity areas—The following will be done in rotations

9:50-10:15 (25 min) -Small Group-Spider Web

10:15-10:40 (25 min) -Small Group- Islands

10:40-11:05 (25 min) -Small Group- Trolleys

Transition to next activity areas—The following will be done in rotations

11:10-11:30 (20 min) -Small Group-Toxic Waste

11:30-11:50 (20 min) -Small Group-Lego Monster

11:50-12:10 (20 min) -Small Group- Everybody Up and Key Punch

Transition to Community Room

12:15-12:25 (10 min) -Small Group- Debrief-Metaphor Cards

12:25-1:00 Lunch

1:00-3:30 Competition Activities (Bridges, Bottle Rockets, Rube Goldberg)

3:30-4:00 Journaling and Closure

Thursday

9:00-9:55-Whole Group-Welcome Back, Helium Sticks, Blind Birthday

Other Possible Ideas: Survival Games, Hoops Game, Talisman, Stepping Stones

Transition to Classrooms

10:00-11:00-Final Preparation of Competition Activities

11:00-12:00 Create presentations about themselves and what they learned/experienced at camp

(Posters will be hung for parent night)

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:30-Bridge Showcase

1:30-2:00-Rube Goldberg Showcase

2:00-2:30-Bottle Rocket Showcase

Transition to Community Room

2:30-3:30 Present posters, 2 min each-People may ask questions to help fill time limit

3:30-4:00 Videos

Bridge Building Competition

There are several different places to find information on bridge building competitions. The first year we used the instruction sheets that came with the bridge kits we purchased from AC Supply. The second year we tried the specifications from the NCDOT competition. Parts of these instructions are seen below. The instructions that came with the set seemed to be easier for students to follow.

Bridge Specifications:

  • The maximum length of the bridge shall be 16". The bridge must have a minimum clear span of 14" between supports.
  • The bridge shall be a minimum of 2" wide and must allow a 2" x 2" cube to be passed along the length of the bridge.
  • Your bridge must allow a 3” x 3" cube to be passed beneath the bridge at mid-span, measured above the support surface. The bridge shall be freestanding. With the exception of the opening for testing purposes, the bridge deck must extend the entire length of the bridge.
  • There must be an opening at mid-span in the bridge deck to allow for testing.

Testing:

Each bridge will be tested for overall strength.

Weight will be added continuously until the bridge breaks.

Bridge strength will be based on Model Efficiency Score.

MODEL EFFICIENCY SCORE:

Efficiency score = 0.035 x weight carried

weight of the bridge

Resources:

Balsa Bridge Kits -


Bottle Rocket Competition

Safety Guide:

Safety is very important with any rocket. Rockets are safe when everyone understands and abides by safe behavior. Only plastic drink bottles should be used, and new bottles should be used whenever possible. Bottles should be retired from use after 10-15 launches.

Objective:

  • Rocket must be made from 2 Liter soda bottle
  • Cannot exceed 40 psi during launch
  • Must carry an egg up and safely down. The egg must be able to be removed upon landing.
  • Rockets will be judged on height of flight and the return of the egg

Launch Safety Instructions:

  • Select a grassy field or athletic practice field that measures at least 30 meters in width. Place the launcher in the center of the field and anchor it in place. (If it is a windy day, place the launcher closer to the side of the field from which the wind is blowing so that the rocket will drift onto the field as it descends.)
  • As you set up your rocket on the launch pad, observers should stand back several meters. It is recommended that you rope off the launch site.
  • Do not point your water rocket at another person, animal, or object. Water rockets take off with a good deal of force from the air pressure and weight from the water.
  • The team member responsible for pumping air into the rocket should wear eye protection. The bottle rocket should be pumped no higher than about 50 pounds of pressure per square inch, but never above 90 psi. (***This will vary depending on the launching apparatus you have. We typically inflate to 40psi)Before launching, consult the following table provided for coaches in the Science Olympiads:

Table of Distances for a Given Pressure
Pressure / Typical Classroom Maximums
20 psi / 26 meters
40 psi / 51 meters
60 psi / 77 meters
80 psi / 102 meters
  • When pressurization is complete, everyone should stand in back of the roped off area for the countdown. Two-liter bottles can weaken and will explode. Bottles should be retired from use after 10-15 launches.
  • Continue to countdown and launch the rocket only when the recovery range is clear.
  • If you do not experience successful liftoff, remember that the bottle is pressurized and may blast off when you touch it. Be careful; do not let it hit you. Never stand over the rocket.
  • A team member should retrieve the rocket.

Resources:

Students transform everyday materials into a wacky innovative machine that accomplishesthe given task. The ingenious inventions provide a learning adventure in engineering and technology. The only limits on creativity are the students’ imaginations.

Objective:

To water a plant using as many steps as you can.

Rules:

  • Can use any materials that are not combustible or explosive.
  • Only one electrical cord can be used.
  • The team can have only have interaction with the machine at the beginning of the process.
  • Items that are attached to the machine must be able to be disassembled after the project.
  • A series of dominos count as only one step.

Judging:

  • Projects will be judged on the following criteria:
  • The number of steps in the machine
  • Did it water the plant
  • Was there human interaction once the process was started

Resources:

YouTube- Rubegoldberg

Resources and Costs

Resources online:

Do keyword searches for the following:

  • Teambuilding
  • Facilitative learning
  • Experiential learning
  • Group Initiatives
  • YouTube- Rubegoldberg

Websites:

Books:

  • Beaucoup Bandanas
  • Book of Raccoon Circles
  • Challenger Kit Field Guide (from www. training-wheels.com)

Costs:

Teacher / 2 weeks. This is your biggest yearly cost. You could get by with 5 Days. / $2000-$3000
Team Building Materials / Most of these items can be assembled from stuff you have or can be bought. We bought an already assembled Team Facilitation Kit from Training-Wheels.com for $1,800. You can buy a basic kit for $675. / $400
Construction Material / We built our own Spider’s Web, Platforms (4x4, 3x3, 2x2), Trolleys, Inviso Maze (see pictures below) / $600
Academic Challenges / Aquapod Bottle Rocket Launcher / $35
Balsa Bridge Kits- Could use other materials, kit lasts multiple years / $110

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