Description: This week is all about nature. Campers will turn into investigators as they explore Sturgeon City's outdoor surroundings and boardwalks. On Wednesday, campers will learn about survival, making shelters and participate in an overnight camp out. As it begins to get dark astronomy will be the topic as we learn about stars and the night sky and try to find the constellations.

Nature Investigators Lesson Plans - Monday9 – 9:30am – Arrival/Check-inCheck-in students outside of the building. Please have parents check the authorized pickup list and remind them that ID’s will be required at pick-up.

Once they have checked in, have them begin tie-dying their shirt on the picnic tables outside while waiting on others to arrive.

9:30am – 10:30am – What is Nature/Nature Scavenger HuntNature is everything in the world around us. It includes the plants and animals around us. It also includes the earth itself such as the rocks, mountains, rivers, and oceans.

Scavenger HuntStudents will be given a brown bag with a scavenger hunt pages stapled to it. Explain that they are going on the scavenger hunt to find the items on the paper. There items must be placed in the bag and kept. They will be using the items found for later crafts and activities. You can go all over Sturgeon City including the boardwalks and around the wetlands and park.

Educators: Please collect items as well in case some students do not find an item or have enough.

10:30am – 11:00am – Snack Time

11:00am – 11:30pm – Paint Brushes/Leaf PaintingWe will use some of the items we collected in our scavenger hunt to make paint brushes and do leaf paintings.

Materials several twigs string, twine or a piece of raffia materials for bristles (pine needles, spruce needles, cypress foliage, even tree buds, etc) optional: a rubber band cardstock

Steps1) Gather needles and leaves from trees of your choice - for bristles. Get several sticks that will become paintbrush handles.

2) Distribute the bristle material nicely around the stick and start attaching it by wrapping raffia (or twine) around.

3) Wrap raffia (or rubber band/twine) several times around the handle and the bristle material, then tie it firmly and cut off any excessive string.

4) Give each student a piece of cardstock and tell them that they are going to make a leaf collage. Have them paint their leaves and place them on the cardstock to create a leaf print.

11:30am – 12:00pm – Geology/Earth’s CrustGeology is the study of our planet, how it was made, what it is made of and how it changes over time. The word “geo” means Earth and the people who study geology are called geologists.

Structure of the Earth

There are huge landmasses on Earth. These land masses are made out of rock plats that float across the surface. They are called tectonic plates. Those plates float on the mantle. The mantle is an area between the core and the crust. The mantle is basically filled with molten rock. It is kept at a liquid state because of the energy given off by the center (core) of the Earth.

CrustThe crust is a thin outer layer of the earth where we live. It varies from 5k to 70km thick. The part that we live on is the continental crust whereas the part that is in the ocean is the oceanic crust

MantleThe second layer is the mantle. The mantle is much thicker than the crust.

Together they (crust and mantle) are combined to form the tectonic plates. These plates move very slowly. Where the plates touch is called a fault. There are three main boundaries for tectonic plates. A convergent boundary is where two plates collide into one another. This is there mountains and volcanoes are formed. A divergent boundary is where two plates move away from one another. An example of this is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the Atlantic Ocean. This is where new crust is formed. The third type of boundary is a transform boundary. This is where 2 plates move horizontal to one another. This causes earthquakes

Outer CoreThe outer core is made up of iron and nickel and is extremely hot (4400 to 5000+ degrees C). This causes the iron and nickel to remain in liquid form.

Inner CoreThe inner core is made up of iron and nickel just like the outer core. However, since it is so deep within the earth it is under immense pressure. Even though it is just as hot as the outer core, the pressure causes the iron an nickel to remain solid. The inner core is the hottest part of the earth at over 5000 degrees C. That is about as hot as the surface of the sun.

Explain to the class that they are going to simulate the layers of the earth with different liquids. Explain that due to different densities the liquid layers and the solid layers of the earth do not combine. So what is density? The density of a material is its mass per unit volume. Things with less density will float and things with a higher density will sink. So which do you think is more dense, the inner core or the outer core? Inner because it sits underneath of the outer core. The inner core is the densest layer of the earth.

MaterialsRubbing alcoholVegetable oilWaterLight corn syrupFood coloringMason jars

1. Divide the class into 4 equal groups.2. Give each group a mason jar, rubbing alcohol, vegetable oil, water, light corn syrup, and food

coloring.3. Tell them that based on those 4 items (alcohol, oil water and corn syrup) they need to decided

what the order from most dense to less dense is. Do not mix anything together yet. They must be approved by the teacher first.

a. Rubbing alcohol – crust least denseb. Vegetable oil – mantlec. Water – outer cored. Corn syrup – inner core most dense

4. When they have the correct order from most to least dense they may start combining their layers. Make sure that the densest goes in first. Allow them to only pour 2 inches per layer. Make sure to pour the layers in slowly as to not mix with the layer underneath.

**Note: They may use food coloring to color the alcohol and water. If coloring the alcohol, make sure they pour the amount into a cup and mix the colors before adding it to the mason jar.

When cleaning up pour the mixture in the sink while running hot water. Rinse out the mason jars.

12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch/Recess

1:00pm – 2:00pm – Geodes/Egg GeodesOne part of geology is rocks. We are going to specifically talk about geodes. Ask: What is a geode? Geodes are like the Tootsie Roll Pop of the geology world because underneath the hard exterior lies a surprise center!

Hollow RocksSo, let’s start at the beginning: how do you get a hollow rock with lots of sparkling crystals inside? First you need a hollow rock. Geodes start their lives as a hollow bubble inside a layer of rock. The bubble could be from air inside explosive volcanic rock or it could come from the hollow remains of animal burrows or tree roots. When these rocks form from air bubbles inside of volcanic rock it is pretty easy to picture. Think about the small air bubbles you see in pumice. Now, imagine just one of those bubbles completely surrounded by black or red volcanic rock. As rain pelts down on the hot bubble, the chemicals in the rock are slowly released into the water. Some of the water soaks through the hard, rocky outside of the bubble and is trapped for a moment on the inside. As the mineral-rich water moves on through the bubble, tiny crystals are left behind, clinging to the sides of the bubble. Millions of years pass while this in and out flow of water gradually builds crystals inside the empty space. The crystal formations might become large single crystals or tightly packed micro-crystals, so small that you can’t even distinguish one from another.

For this activity we are going to break open some geodes that you can take home with you! We are also going to make our own colorful crystal-filled geodes!

Breaking Geodes1. Each student is going to get a geode that they are going to break open using a hammer. EYE

GOGGLES AND SUPERVISION IS REQUIRED!!2. This will have to be done in small groups. 3. Take a few students out at a time and allow them to carefully break open their geodes. Place all

of their pieces in a Ziploc bag with their name on it.

Egg Geodes

Materials Egg shells (1 half per student)(extras in case some break) Glue Paint brush Alum Powder Pie pans

Steps1. Generously drip some glue into the shell halves. A little on the outside is OK, too.

2. Use the paintbrush to spread the glue all over the inside of the shell. Completely cover the interior surface with glue all the way up to, and including, the edges. Use more glue if needed.

3. Generously sprinkle lots of alum powder on the wet glue.

4. Turn the shell-half over and gently tap out any excess alum. Place it on a paper towel or paper plate to dry overnight.

5. This will be continued in tomorrow’s camp first thing in the morning!

2:00pm – 2:45pm – Rock Candy

Materials

Steps1. Give each student a glass mason jar, a skewer and 2 clothespins. The skewer must be cut to fit in

the jar so that it doesn’t touch the bottom but leave enough room that you can clip the clothespins on to hold it in the jar. The skewer cannot touch the sides of the jar.

2. Pour about 3 cups of granulated cane sugar into the large glass container.3. Heat water using the electric kettle4. Add 1 cup (237 ml) of water to the sugar. Watch what happens as the water bubbles through all

that sugar. There’s a lot going on in the container already. Use the heavy spoon to thoroughly stir the water (a solvent) and the sugar (a solute) together to make a solution. It will be very viscous (thick) and heavy because there’s a lot more sugar than water in there. Stir it well!

5. Add 3-7 drops of any food coloring to the mixture and stir it in thoroughly.6. Place a plate on the center of the table with some sugar on it. The students will need to coat

their skewer in the sugar before placing it in their solution.7. Once their skewer is coated they will clip the clothespins to the top and place it in the jar being

careful not to touch the bottom of the jar.

8. Place all of the mason jars on a side table to sit allowing the rock candy to grow. They CANNOT be moved or it will not grow.

When you mixed the sugar with the water and then heated and stirred the solution repeatedly, you created a supersaturated solution. This means there are far more dissolved particles of solute (the sugar) than the solvent (the water) can normally dissolve and hold at a given temperature. By stirring the sugar in hot water instead of room temperature or cold water, the sugar is dissolved faster in the fast moving (heated) water molecules. As the water cools, the huge amount of sugar particles remains in solution (a supersaturated solution) and it contains more sugar than can stay in

the liquid. The sugar falls out of the solution as a precipitate (particles). These connect with other sugar particles, and a crystal begins to grow.

You gave the suspended sugar particles a great place to begin crystallizing when you dried some crystals onto the string ahead of time. These are “seed” crystals. As sugar particles begin to settle (the precipitate), they join and form crystals quickly with other sugar molecules. You see this crystallization on both the bottom and sides of the jar as well as on the string. Sugar molecules continue to settle and crystalize on the string and on top of other sugar molecules until you pull it out of the solution and enjoy the candy.

2:45pm – 3:00pm – Clean-up/Dismissal

Nature Investigators Lesson Plans – Tuesday8:30am – 9:00am - Start prepping the water mixture for finishing the geodes.

6. Bring two cups of water almost to a boil and pour it into a bowl. Add several drops of food color to the water and stir. Dissolve ¾-cup alum powder into the water. Stir well and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes. This needs to be done for EVERY color you intend to use.

9 – 9:30am – Arrival/Check-inCheck-in students outside of the building.

9:30am – 10:00pm – Finish Geodes7. Students will be allowed to choose one color that they would like their geodes. Place the

solution in a pie pan.8. Place the shells into the solution alum-side up. Gently push the shells to the bottom of the

solution with the spoon and allow them to sit there overnight. Multiple shells can go in the same pie pan.

9. After 12-15 hours, alum crystals have grown! Carefully remove the shells and place them on a paper towel to dry and finish the geode-creation process. Perhaps you can leave them in the bowl longer and see if they grow bigger.

Your eggshell geode is formed through a process called sedimentation. While a geological geode is a mass of minerals within a rock that can take thousands, even millions, of years to form, your Incredible Egg Geode only takes a couple of days. The heated alum solution contains suspended particles of alum powder in it and as the solution cools, these particles of alum begin falling to the bottom. When the alum particles settle on the bottom, they begin crystallizing. Coating the shell with alum powder beforehand gives the suspended alum particles a surface to which they can more readily attach themselves. The particles that settle onto the interior surface of the shell crystallize quickly but you will also see evidence of crystallization on other parts of the shell as well as on the bottom and sides of the bowl.

10:30am – 11:00am – Snack Time

11:00am – 11:30pm – Basic Needs of plantsFood: Plants, like animals, need food to survive. Plants get nutrients from soil, just like you get nutrients from the food you eat. Plants are also special because they can make their own food, through a process called photosynthesis! Plants have a special pigment called chlorophyll, which captures sunlight. Using

sunlight and water, plants make their own food. In photosynthesis, when plants take in carbon dioxide, they let out oxygen, which is what we breathe. This is how we always have fresh air.

Water: Plants, like animals, are made mostly of water. What happens to a plant on a hot day, or when it doesn’t have enough water? It wilts! Plants can actually close the openings on their leaves to keep water inside. Plants also use water to make their own food!

Air: Plants “breathe” in CO2 and “breathe” out oxygen through openings in their leaves. Their roots breathe the way we do—they take in oxygen for respiration, which is the break down of sugars into energy. At night when there is no light, plants stop photosynthesizing (making sugars from light) and their leaves start respiration; or using up the sugars they stored during the sunny part of the day. In lakes and oceans, plants generally get plenty of CO2, which they use to make oxygen.

Sunlight: Plants use sunlight to make their food source. This helps them to grow and to make more plants.

Space: All plants need soil, but not all plants need soil to survive—although many plants get nutrients from the soil, they can survive if they get nutrients elsewhere. They just need some medium to deliver water and nutrients and provide stability. Different plants need different amounts of space (tree vs. dandelion). Plants also need space so they can pollinate to make more seeds, and thus more plants. Pollinators (like bees and butterflies) and seed dispersers (like birds) can help plants make more plants.

Make seed necklaces1. To begin, gather an unbleached cotton ball, a piece of ribbon or string, a small sealable plastic

bag, and a bean for growing in the garden. 2. Wet your wool or cotton, place your bean in the center, and wrap the wool/cotton tightly

around it.3. Place it into the plastic bag, remove the air and seal. Punch a hole in the top of the bag, and tie it

around the students’ necks. In about two days, the bean will sprout and can be planted in the garden.

11:30am – 12:00pm – Plant Parts/Flower DissectionRootsBasic parts of most all plants are roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds. The roots help provide support by anchoring the plant and absorbing water and nutrients needed for growth. They can also store sugars and carbohydrates that the plant uses to carry out other functions. Plants can have either a taproot system (such as carrots) or a fibrous root system (such as turf grass). In both cases, the roots are what carry the water and nutrients needed for plants to grow.

StemsStems carry water and nutrients taken up by the roots to the leaves. Then the food produced by the leaves moves to other parts of the plant. The cells that do this work are called the xylem cells. They move water. The phloem cells move the food. Stems also provide support for the plant allowing the leaves to reach the sunlight that they need to produce food. Where the leaves join the stem is called the node. The space between the leaves and the stem is called the internode. You'll find out why this is so important as the mystery develops.

LeavesLeaves are the food making factories of green plants. Leaves come in many different shapes and sizes. Leaves can be simple. They are made of a single leaf blade connected by a petiole to the stem. An oak leaf or a maple leaf are examples. A compound leaf is a leaf made up of separate leaflets attached by a petiole to the stem like an ash or a locust.

Leaves are made to catch light and have openings to allow water and air to come and go. The outer surface of the leaf has a waxy coating called a cuticle which protects the leaf. Veins carry water and nutrients within the leaf. Leaves are the site of the food making process called photosynthesis. In this process, carbon dioxide and water in the presence of chlorophyll (the green pigment) and light energy are changed into glucose (a sugar). This energy rich sugar is the source of food used by most plants. Photosynthesis is unique to green plants! Photosynthesis supplies food for the plant and oxygen for other forms of life. A green plant helped make the oxygen you are breathing today.

Flowers

Flowers not only look pretty but, in fact, are important in making seeds. Flowers have some basic parts. Today we are going to dissect a flower and look at those parts.

1. Have students divide into groups of 2-3 people. Pass out a white tray and a flower to each group. Explain that as you talk about each part of the flower we are going to dissect the flower and find that particular part.

2. Petals are also important parts of the flower, because they help attract pollinators such as bees, butterflies and bats. You can also see tiny green leaf-like parts called sepals at the base of the flower. They help to protect the developing bud.

Have students carefully pull off the petals and lay them aside. Be careful not to pull apart the pieces that are attached to the stem on the inside.

3. The female part is the pistil. The pistil usually is located in the center of the flower and is made up of three parts: the stigma, style, and ovary. The stigma is the sticky knob at the top of the pistil. It is attached to the long, tube like structure called the style. The style leads to the ovary that contains the female egg cells called ovules.

4. The male parts are called stamens and usually surround the pistil. The stamen is made up of two parts: the anther and filament. The anther produces pollen (male reproductive cells). The filament holds the anther up.

During the process of fertilization, pollen lands on the stigma, a tube grows down the style and enters the ovary. Male reproductive cells travel down the tube and join with the ovule, fertilizing it. The fertilized ovule becomes the seed, and the ovary becomes the fruit.

FruitThe fruit is the ripened ovary of a plant containing the seeds. After fertilization, the ovary swells and becomes either fleshy or hard and dry to protect the developing seeds. Many fruits help seeds spread (maple seeds). Many things we call vegetables are really fruits such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans.

12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch/Recess

1:00pm – 1:45pm – Animal/Bird WatchingTake the binoculars/bug nets and go on an animal scavenger hunt to see how many different animals and signs of animal life that can be found around Sturgeon City.

1:45pm -2:45pm – Prep for Thursday Solar System ActivityExplain that we are going to start a solar system activity that will be continued on Thursday.

Supplies needed:A round balloonLots of newspaperFlour and water glue (instructions below)A container for mixing the glue (old plastic containers work well)A spoon or stick to stir the glue

1. Make a simple, thin glue from flour and water. Mix 1 cup of flour into 1 cup of water until the mixture is thin and runny. Stir into 4 cups of boiling water (the heating gives the glue a nice consistency, but is not necessary). Simmer for about 3 minutes, then cool.

2. Tear a lot of strips of newspaper. Strips should be about 1 inch wide; the length doesn't really matter.

3. Blow up and tie a round balloon for each student.4. Papier-Mâché: Dip each strip of paper in the flour glue, wipe off excess, and wrap the strip

around the balloon. Make sure to cover the entire balloon. Allow it to dry indoors until Thursday afternoon when we will paint them.

2:45pm – 3:00pm – Clean-up/Dismissal

Nature Investigators Lesson Plans – Wednesday9 – 9:30am – Arrival/Check-inCheck-in students outside of the building.

9:30am – 10:00am - Directions and CompassIn two parts, teach your students about the cardinal directions and how to use a compass and maps. The lesson includes outdoor activities.Follow these steps:Part 1: Directions1. Sit in a circle outside. Ask students

Where's the Sun? What direction is the Sun? Which way is north?

2. Use an object, such as a branch, to depict north. Explain the other cardinal directions and use a mnemonic device to aid students' memory, such as the sentence "Never eat soggy Wheaties."

3. Ask students to use materials in the area to mark the other directions.

4. Explain what a compass is and how it functions.

A compass is a device that is used in navigation. No matter where you stand on Earth, you can hold a compass in your hand and it will point toward the North Pole. What an unbelievably neat and amazing thing! Imagine that you are in the middle of the ocean, and you are looking all around you in every direction and all you can see is water, and it is overcast so you cannot see the sun... How in the world would you know which way to go unless you had a compass to tell you which way is "up"? Long before satellites and other high-tech navigational aids, the compass gave humans an easy and inexpensive way to orient themselves. A compass is an extremely simple device. A magnetic compass consists of a small, lightweight magnet balanced on a nearly frictionless pivot point. The magnet is generally called a needle. One end of the needle is often marked "N," for north, or colored in some way to indicate that it points toward north. On the surface, that's all there is to a compass.

5. Use a compass to test the accuracy of where students placed objects to mark directions in step 3. Make any needed corrections.

6. Say the different directions out loud, and ask students to point where the direction is with a compass.

7. Go inside and ask students to find north and other directions in the classroom

10:00a – 10:30am - Navigation with Compass

Tell students that they are going to learn how to navigate using a compass. Explain to them that they need to hold it in their hand keeping their hand flat. The arrow on the clear plastic holder should be pointing away from their body. As they turn the needle will turn with them showing their direction.

Give different degrees and directions to students and try to get them to follow that direction to a certain point. For example, tell one group to go 75 degrees N for 20 steps. They will have to turn their bodies until their needle is point to 75 degrees N and then walk 20 steps.

10:30am – 11:00am – Snack time

11:00am – 12:00pm - Latitude and LongitudeThe grid of intersecting lines on a globe enables us to identify every location on earth with a set of numbers or letters. The ancient Babylonians divided any circle or sphere into 360 degrees. The symbol for degree is ° (draw this). Ptolemy was a Greek thinker who borrowed the Babylonians’ ideas as he wrote one of the first books on geography. Ptolemy wrote that the furthest point at the right or left side of a circle or a sphere is 90 degrees from the top. There are 180 degrees between any two sides of a circle or sphere. This means that the north and south poles are 180 degrees apart from one another, and both are 90 degrees from the equator. Geographers use Ptolemy’s calculations to create Lines of Latitude and Lines of Longitude.

Lines of Latitude are imaginary lines that circle the globe from east to west. Lines of Latitude are called parallels because the lines parallel, or run in the same direction as the equator. The equator is the imaginary line that is as far away from the North Pole as it is from the South Pole. Lines of Longitude intersect the equator at right angles but end at the North and the South Poles. Lines of Longitude are also called meridians. Meridian comes from a Latin word that means midday. The sun crosses each meridian in the middle point between sunrise and sunset.

They called the line at 0° longitude the prime meridian. Meridians are counted east and west from the prime meridian. St. Louis, Missouri is 90° west of the prime meridian, so it is one-fourth of the way around the earth from the prime meridian. The International Date Line is 180°--as far away as possible--from the prime meridian. When it is noon along the prime meridian, it is midnight along the International Date Line.

Latitude and Longitude Activity

This activity will test the student’s knowledge on latitude and longitude. The classroom will be turned into a “map” with an equator and prime meridian. There will also be latitude and longitude lines. Each

student will be given a card with a Latitude and Longitude written on it. They will need to find that point in the room and stand on their point. (Have students work in pairs)

1. Explain to students where the equator and prime meridian is on a map. Have them draw in the Equator and Prime Meridian on their maps (make sure they use a different color for each) and show them their locations on the classroom “map.” Explain that 0 degrees East and West is the Equator and 0 degrees North and South is the Prime Meridian.

2. Each group will receive a card with coordinates on it and each person will start at the 0 degrees mark (the center of the classroom)(You can have each group do the next two steps one at a time while every one watches or you can have one person from each group start at the same time.)

3. Their numbers will have the Latitude first for example one group will have 25 degrees N so one of the students in the group will stand up and go to the equator and walk in the direction of N until they reach their latitude line and stand there.

4. The second number will be Longitude. The remaining partner will stand up and go to the prime meridian line and walk until they find there longitude line. For example 25 degrees W.

5. Once all students are in place have them turn to face the direction that their partner walked. So if their card reads 25 degrees N, 25 degrees E the person who walked N will face E and the person who walked E will face N. (you will have to help them with this).

6. Once they are all facing their directions, have them slowly walk until they reach each other. This spot that they are standing on is their location that is written on their piece of paper, their latitude and longitude.

Explain to students that this is how explorers find locations on maps. They use latitude and longitude lines to form coordinates and then use these coordinates to find locations on a map. For example, the coordinates for Jacksonville, North Carolina are 34.8 degrees N, 77.4 degrees W.

12:00pm – 1:00pm – Lunch/Recess

1:00pm – 2:45pmMake a shelter outside, have students use branches, duct tape and get creative!Make fire

2:45pm – 3:00pm – Clean-up/Dismissal

Nature Investigators Lesson Plans – Thursday9 – 9:30am – Arrival/Check-inFIELD TRIP DAY and CAMP-OUTWe will be leaving around 9:15. We must be packed and ready to go. Everything will be taken with us on the bus.

2:30pm – 3:00pm – Snack Time

3:00pm – 4:00pm – The solar SystemUsing the balloons that we made with Papier-Mâché, assign each student a planet, the sun, or moons and have them paint their balloon. Allow to dry. We will hang these later.

4:00pm – 5:00pm – Galaxies in a JarWhat is a Galaxy? According to the dictionary a galaxy is a gravitationally bound system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas and dust, and dark matter. A nebula (Latin for “cloud”) is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen, helium and other ionized gases. Originally, nebula was a name for any diffuse astronomical object, including galaxies beyond the Milky Way. We are going to make a Nebula in a jar that students will be able to take home with them.

MaterialsMason jarGlitterTempura paint (blue, purple, and pink)Lots of cotton balls

Steps:1. Fill 1/3 of the jar with water.2. Add several drops of paint to the water, put the lid on and shake to mix the paint and water.

3. Add a bit of glitter4. Stretch cotton balls and add them to the water until the bottom is filled with cotton, pressing

them down into the water with a stick or butter knife.

5. Fill another 1/3 of the jar with water and add several drops of contrasting paint and repeat steps 2-4

6. Fill the final 1/3 of the jar with water and repeat steps 2-4

5:00pm – 6:00pm – Pizza Party

6:00pm – 7:00pm – Constellation CircuitsWill need to make ahead of time to write down accurate directions

8:00pm – 9:00pm – Star Gazing

9:00pm – Get ready for bed

Nature Investigators Lesson Plans – Friday8:00am – 9:00am – Breakfast/packing/getting ready for the day

9 – 10:30am – CrabbingCan also do the fossil pit if you want to break up activities

11:00am – 11:30am – Snack Time

11:30am- 12:00pm – Graduation Ceremony/Dismissal