15 Jul 2019 FHC Camp Week 2
Day One
We started off with a good few hours of working in the garden. We weeded and we put tomato stakes in the ground so we could prepare for the planting of tomatoes. One of our teams (yellow team) moved beds from under our tent so the beds would get sunlight. After working in the garden we had lunch provided by the wonderful Chef For Hire the main course and FHC for the sides.
Then after lunch we went into our activity for the afternoon. Purdue Extension came in to teach us about the Scientific Method and how we use it in science and daily problem solving.
They asked us what we knew about the method and there weren’t a lot of answers, then they asked what we wanted to know about the Scientific Method and there were a lot of questions like, “what is it?” “how is it useful?” “how do we use it?”. Then they gave us a problem we had to solve using the Scientific Method.
Two people in each of our groups were tied to each other and we had to figure out how to get them free with the materials we had.
We had to follow the steps of the Scientific Method to complete the task. The steps of the Scientific Method are;
- Ask a question
- Make a hypothesis
- Test your hypothesis with an EXPERIMENT
- Analyze the results
- Draw a conclusion
- Communicate results
So we asked the question “How do we get them untied?”
Then we made the hypothesis that maybe if we cause friction against the yarn then it would catch fire and burn up leaving the subjects free.
We tested the hypothesis and the subjects got free.
We drew the conclusion that tension on yarn and causing friction made the yarn weaker making it easier to break free.
Then the three groups had a representative go up to the front of the tent and tell us about their results. and a lot of the results were similar.
Then the speakers from Purdue Extension allowed us to have some fun and we created rockets to fly out of paper. We had two rounds. In the first round we just threw the rocket as far as it would go then the distance it went would be marked and the next person had to get farther then that. Then we had another round where we had to use a straw to propel the rocket forward and not a lot of the students made it that far in distance.
Day Two
We went to JTV park after lunch about a 5 minute walk from FHC after long hot hours on the farm. The boys played a good game of basketball for the 2 hours we were there while most watched the game.
Some went to the swings and played tag, while others wanted to sit down at the benches and talk. Day two was a peaceful day and it was nice to have a relaxing day.
Day Three
We had our neighbor Major Tool and Machine come down and do a presentation on their company with 400 employees. It was really interesting to hear how they produce tools for NASA. They talked to our students about starting a summer long project, so we brainstormed some ideas and came up with building carts to hold team gardening tools to push their tools around FHC.
Day Four
We had police officer Samone Willis come talk us about the Cadet training that the city has if we want to become a police officer. She gave us examples on how to carefully proceed being around an officer if we get pulled over or if we are jaywalking.
She talked to us about how we should know our rights if we’re ever in a situation where the officer is escalating the situation or if we’re escalating the situation. She told us what not to do in a situation with a police officer and used some of our students in an example skit.
After our educational time with Officer Willis, Paul Best photography week educator, took our headshots for final day presentation. So while a lot of us were waiting to get our pictures taken, we spent time together and talked to each other while also taking pictures with the cameras provided for us.
Day Five
While Paul Best, who teaches photography at FHC, was working on the final stage of preparation for the photo display, we decided to end our week with a game of dodgeball. What a wonderful way to end our week!