Post by title1parent on Jul 16, 2010 5:55:38 GMT -5
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/2502974,2_1_AU16_CAMP_S1-100716.article
Kids get summer science lessons
July 16, 2010 Beacon
By STEPHANIE LULAY slulay@stmedianetwork.com
Eighth-grader Christian Urrea tried to coax his group into testing their homemade roller coaster a few more times.
"We have to test it three times -- good scientists try it three times," Urrea said to his fellow East Aurora Magnet School students. And he was right -- the upside-down loop stopped working.
Urrea and his friends are taking part in the IMSA Golden Apple Scholars summer camp, a two-week camp at the Aurora Community Center designed to provide math and science mentorship to middle school students by college students studying in the field.
The camp is sponsored by the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Golden Apple Scholars and the East Magnet Academy.
"It's a great partnership because the students immerse themselves in science, mathematics and technology, the basis of the magnet school and IMSA," said East spokesman Clayton Muhammad.
The eighth- and ninth-graders spent Wednesday creating roller coasters out of yardsticks, manila folders and duct tape. The goal: to incorporate an upside-down loop into the coaster and move a marble from start to finish.
"They're learning about different forces -- normal, gravity, centripetal," said Corinne Hillertz, a Golden Apple Scholar studying mathematics at Elmhurst College. "This gets the students engaged and learning."
The teams had different strategies. Many sketched out plans, some adjusted the coaster as they went along, and one team had a start-to-finish to-do list. Some got the marble to funnel into an empty water bottle on the first try, while others just couldn't get the marble to cooperate with their design plan.
The camp, serving 47 students, is the brain child of Golden Apple Scholars James Allen and Namitah Shah. Allen is studying math at Monmouth College and Shah at the University of Illinois.
"My first year at IMSA, we wanted to run our own camp, and we designed everything," Allen said of the camp they started last year. "The students see things done in different ways than they would in schools."
For five weeks this summer, the scholars stay at IMSA to prepare for and run the magnet camp, providing them with their first exposure to teaching.
The Golden Apple mentors have committed to teaching five years at a school in need and get scholarships in return, said Golden Apple's Aaron Podolner.
Karen Lopez, a math teacher at Simmons Middle School, said the middle school kids are exposed to curriculum in the camp that they otherwise wouldn't learn for a few years in school.
Mariela Saenz, who will be a seventh-grader, agreed.
"I wish we did this in science class," she said, holding a blue testing beaker.
She added that they're also learning about building bridges, bugs and experimenting with chemicals.
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www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/2502976,2_1_AU16_GIRLSCIENCE_S1-100716.article
IMSA camp shows girls the possibilities of science
July 16, 2010 Beacon
By DAVID GARBE For Sun-Times Media
AURORA -- It was the sort of case you hate to see land on your lab table in the bleary light of a Tuesday morning. A kidnapping, as dastardly as they come: Some lowlife had snatched up a young heiress, and daddy was being asked for a $20 million ransom if he wanted to see the kid again.
But the girls assigned to the case couldn't have been happier. They were at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy's summer science camp, and solving a crime sounded like a cool way to apply their skills.
In their lab, the young investigators sorted out the evidence from the crime scene, testing samples like fibers, ink and blood (never fear, parents, the blood was synthesized and disease-free).
After comparing samples taken from various suspects, the team was able to positively identify the kidnapper, who could then be brought to justice.
Case closed: another victory for science -- and for fostering the spirit of inquiry, which was the real goal of the activity.
IMSA hosts a variety of programs all summer for a variety of ages, including weeklong residential camps at the school's Aurora campus.
This week, about 40 eighth- and ninth-grade girls from across the state are staying in IMSA dorms while they learn about how they might use science in future careers. A similar camp for boys will take place next week.
The camps are designed to introduce students to a way of learning science that mimics the way adult scientists conduct their own research: asking questions and seeking answers through experiments.
"'Inquiry' is something we are always saying at IMSA," said biology teacher Megan Schrementi, who led the crime-scene investigation activity. "We pose a question, and it's up to the students to decide how to answer it."
At the camp, students are spending their days as ecologists, chemists, zoologists and in other specialties, Schrementi said, describing a hands-on approach meant to help students recognize themselves as future scientists.
While the students learn a variety of laboratory skills, the priority is to help them capture the spirit of science, a passion that can potentially carry them forward throughout their schooling and careers.
"They learn and live with other students with a common motivation to learn science in an environment free of the stress of tests and homework," said Tracy Miller, the program's coordinator.
The camps also give participants a taste of what life would be like if they were to come to IMSA as full-time students, and many girls said they hope to do so.
Corina Echols, a 13-year-old Aurora girl, said she could definitely envision herself coming to IMSA for high school.
"I'm really intrigued by science," she said, "I like experimenting with things and doing things you aren't able to do on a daily basis."
Things like solving a kidnapping by examining blood samples, which she described as "pretty fun."
"We haven't been able to do many hands-on experiments like this at our school," said Naperville 13-year-old Kireem Nam, so the opportunity to do real lab work is exciting.
What's so cool about it?
"There are so many things out there to learn," Nam said. "You can do research and find out things that no one's ever seen."
Parents interested in seeing their children reach similar conclusions can learn more about IMSA's summer programs at www3.imsa.edu/programs/SummeratIMSA
Kids get summer science lessons
July 16, 2010 Beacon
By STEPHANIE LULAY slulay@stmedianetwork.com
Eighth-grader Christian Urrea tried to coax his group into testing their homemade roller coaster a few more times.
"We have to test it three times -- good scientists try it three times," Urrea said to his fellow East Aurora Magnet School students. And he was right -- the upside-down loop stopped working.
Urrea and his friends are taking part in the IMSA Golden Apple Scholars summer camp, a two-week camp at the Aurora Community Center designed to provide math and science mentorship to middle school students by college students studying in the field.
The camp is sponsored by the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora, Golden Apple Scholars and the East Magnet Academy.
"It's a great partnership because the students immerse themselves in science, mathematics and technology, the basis of the magnet school and IMSA," said East spokesman Clayton Muhammad.
The eighth- and ninth-graders spent Wednesday creating roller coasters out of yardsticks, manila folders and duct tape. The goal: to incorporate an upside-down loop into the coaster and move a marble from start to finish.
"They're learning about different forces -- normal, gravity, centripetal," said Corinne Hillertz, a Golden Apple Scholar studying mathematics at Elmhurst College. "This gets the students engaged and learning."
The teams had different strategies. Many sketched out plans, some adjusted the coaster as they went along, and one team had a start-to-finish to-do list. Some got the marble to funnel into an empty water bottle on the first try, while others just couldn't get the marble to cooperate with their design plan.
The camp, serving 47 students, is the brain child of Golden Apple Scholars James Allen and Namitah Shah. Allen is studying math at Monmouth College and Shah at the University of Illinois.
"My first year at IMSA, we wanted to run our own camp, and we designed everything," Allen said of the camp they started last year. "The students see things done in different ways than they would in schools."
For five weeks this summer, the scholars stay at IMSA to prepare for and run the magnet camp, providing them with their first exposure to teaching.
The Golden Apple mentors have committed to teaching five years at a school in need and get scholarships in return, said Golden Apple's Aaron Podolner.
Karen Lopez, a math teacher at Simmons Middle School, said the middle school kids are exposed to curriculum in the camp that they otherwise wouldn't learn for a few years in school.
Mariela Saenz, who will be a seventh-grader, agreed.
"I wish we did this in science class," she said, holding a blue testing beaker.
She added that they're also learning about building bridges, bugs and experimenting with chemicals.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/2502976,2_1_AU16_GIRLSCIENCE_S1-100716.article
IMSA camp shows girls the possibilities of science
July 16, 2010 Beacon
By DAVID GARBE For Sun-Times Media
AURORA -- It was the sort of case you hate to see land on your lab table in the bleary light of a Tuesday morning. A kidnapping, as dastardly as they come: Some lowlife had snatched up a young heiress, and daddy was being asked for a $20 million ransom if he wanted to see the kid again.
But the girls assigned to the case couldn't have been happier. They were at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy's summer science camp, and solving a crime sounded like a cool way to apply their skills.
In their lab, the young investigators sorted out the evidence from the crime scene, testing samples like fibers, ink and blood (never fear, parents, the blood was synthesized and disease-free).
After comparing samples taken from various suspects, the team was able to positively identify the kidnapper, who could then be brought to justice.
Case closed: another victory for science -- and for fostering the spirit of inquiry, which was the real goal of the activity.
IMSA hosts a variety of programs all summer for a variety of ages, including weeklong residential camps at the school's Aurora campus.
This week, about 40 eighth- and ninth-grade girls from across the state are staying in IMSA dorms while they learn about how they might use science in future careers. A similar camp for boys will take place next week.
The camps are designed to introduce students to a way of learning science that mimics the way adult scientists conduct their own research: asking questions and seeking answers through experiments.
"'Inquiry' is something we are always saying at IMSA," said biology teacher Megan Schrementi, who led the crime-scene investigation activity. "We pose a question, and it's up to the students to decide how to answer it."
At the camp, students are spending their days as ecologists, chemists, zoologists and in other specialties, Schrementi said, describing a hands-on approach meant to help students recognize themselves as future scientists.
While the students learn a variety of laboratory skills, the priority is to help them capture the spirit of science, a passion that can potentially carry them forward throughout their schooling and careers.
"They learn and live with other students with a common motivation to learn science in an environment free of the stress of tests and homework," said Tracy Miller, the program's coordinator.
The camps also give participants a taste of what life would be like if they were to come to IMSA as full-time students, and many girls said they hope to do so.
Corina Echols, a 13-year-old Aurora girl, said she could definitely envision herself coming to IMSA for high school.
"I'm really intrigued by science," she said, "I like experimenting with things and doing things you aren't able to do on a daily basis."
Things like solving a kidnapping by examining blood samples, which she described as "pretty fun."
"We haven't been able to do many hands-on experiments like this at our school," said Naperville 13-year-old Kireem Nam, so the opportunity to do real lab work is exciting.
What's so cool about it?
"There are so many things out there to learn," Nam said. "You can do research and find out things that no one's ever seen."
Parents interested in seeing their children reach similar conclusions can learn more about IMSA's summer programs at www3.imsa.edu/programs/SummeratIMSA