Day 3 of camp kicked off with another round of groups, including working on the students’ worksheet packets, learning to use the Oculus, one of the library’s many pieces of exciting technology, working with the 3D printer, and playing a game where the students were each cast as marine biologists trying to create a thriving coral reef ecosystem. After spending approximately 20 minutes at each station, the kids were given a 20-30 minute break, to rest, play, or read independently.
Next, Miss Sherry gathered the kids together and had them watch a video about building a model estuary. After Miss Abbie read them a short book about another aspect of the salmon’s life cycle, Miss Sherry broke them into 3 groups, and with the help of a teacher and a teen volunteer, each group made their own model of an estuary. To build the models, the students were given various craft supplies, including, craft sand, construction paper, popsicle sticks, yarn, pipe cleaners, pompoms, and more. Each group put in a valiant effort, but everyone agreed that one group stood out among the participants, putting so many plants and animals on their display, it was truly impressive!
After finishing the models, each group chose a member to present their creation to the rest of the students. It was really fun to see what everyone came up with, and what their interpretation of an estuary looked like.
When the presentations were through, lunch was served. The kids had the option of salmon or hotdogs, and the kids who chose hotdogs got to roast their own, under the watchful eye of Poppa Library.
With the conclusion of lunch came the arrival of the kids for the Wednesday afternoon summer reading program. This gave the camp participants the opportunity to interact with more of their peers.
The students continued to work on their storyboards for the life cycle of salmon, which they will finish by the end of the week. They also learned about the role Lewis and Clark played in exploring and shaping the Western Frontier and the help they received from the Native Americans. In exploring the tribal traditions of our Native peoples, the kids learned about the origin of the sweat lodge, and heard the legend of the glutton.
At 3 p.m. all of the kids, both from the summer reading program and camp, went to the farmers’ market for the pop-up library. The kids had the opportunity to read, play at the park, and browse the vendors’ wares. At the end of the day, the parents came to the farmers’ market to collect their campers.
What a great week it has been so far! We can’t wait for tomorrow!