Week Four

Potential Chemical Energy- The word potential was introduced to the children in anticipation of their field trip. Campers learned potential is stored energy. A group of children made a cake that was determined to have chemical energy involved by mixing the ingredients and cooking them. The recipe was contributed from one of the campers. More chemical experiments were researched including vinegar and baking soda reactions and a lava lamp made from oil water and Alka Seltzer.

UMD Chemistry Lab- On Tuesday, campers walked to Dr. Isaacs chemistry lab donning safety glasses. There, Nolan Mc Neil, and graduate student Steve Murkli talked to the children about what they already knew about energy. He brought out a glow stick and explained how you mix the chemicals together to form a chemical reaction. They made some other solutions and had the children feel for heat or coldness to show emphasize further reactions. Steve and Nolan prepared an "explosion" to demonstrate potential energy by weaving tongue depressors in a long line and when they were released a chain reaction of flying sticks delighted the children. Back in the Blue room, children each wrote a thank you note to the chemists. Some children created their own potential energy experiment by lining dominoes up and releasing that energy when they pushed over the first one forming a chain reaction.

Robots- Dr. Sarah Bergbreiter, micro-robotics expert from the mechanical engineering department at the UMD, brought some of her mini robots in to share with the children. She showed how each robot was powered by a battery who's size was determined by that of the robot. The smallest, named "Tiny Terp", had a magnet attached to make the insertion of the battery into the robot easier. The tiny little robots moved across a great room table without falling off the edge due to the way they were programed. Bergbreiter also showed the children a micro-robot that was powered with potential energy, a new word the children had been working on this week.

It jumped and did a somber-salt when it's energy was released. Lastly, the largest of her robots that day, was placed on the floor in front of the children along with a computer that displayed or mapped out the area where the robot traveled. Children could observe on the computer where their bodies moved, represented by lights on the screen, in comparison to where the robot was. Every camper had the opportunity to drive this robot using a remote control.

Back in the classroom children designed their own robot as a writing assignment. First they drew a diagram of their idea and each child was encouraged to included three types of energy that they had been learning about so far in summer camp. The following day campers shared their creations with the class.

Energy Information Administration- John Staub, one of the Blue Room camper's Dad, just happened to work for the EIA. He came to teach the children about some of the things the EIA does, like compile information to show how much of different types of energy people in the U.S. use . There was a chart on a handout he gave, that displayed the statistics of what citizens use energy for and by what share. He told everyone about the Energy Kids web site URL that is full of information and fun activities for children. Campers learned that gas and oil come from plankton and diatoms that are older than the dinosaurs but are a kind of fossil fuel. Mr. Staub held up a giant map of the United States that showed were oil derricks were and the class could see there were many near us in Pennsylvania. He also said that even though the population had grown, energy use has stayed about the same due to more efficient ways of using it.

Mechanical Energy

Another CYC Dad, Mr. Anderson, with expertise in mechanical energy, came with a few demonstrations for the children. His emphasis was on potential and kinetic energy. Mr. Anderson jumped up on the couch with a tennis ball hanging from a string to demonstrate how the ball carried stored energy when he held it at a certain angle and when he released it, it had the energy of motion, or kinetic energy. Then he stretched a rubber band to show the potential energy, that all the children were familiar with. But when he released it and it shot across the room the potential energy turned into kinetic energy. As a final example he rolled a large magnet on the table toward a smaller wheel shaped magnet. The magnets have stored energy he said, that can pull toward each other. Each child was anxious to try the experiment and later a large basket of magnets was pulled off the science shelf of the Blue Room to be explored by the children. Mr. Anderson also brought up the concept that you cannot create or destroy energy, you can only convert or transform it.