Tuesday, June 5th

Today was a great first day! We had so much fun exploring the Iowa State campus, creating artwork with chemistry, and learning more about STEM careers in both aerospace engineering and forensic science.

Our morning began with introductions to our team and a scavenger hunt around the beautiful buildings and landmarks that make up Iowa State University. Students made human pyramids at the campanile, enjoyed popsicles at the Sloss House, and got some special treats at the Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) offices among so many other fun stops.

Lunch was a hit with BBQ pulled pork and roast turkey sandwiches, chips, and grapes. Students used the time to meet new friends and socialize with camp staff. Students also use vinegar and baking soda to create artwork. The vinegar is a mild acid that reacts with the baking soda, a mild base, to produce gas. We added powdered paint and vinegar to film containers. After adding some baking soda and securing the lids, BOOM, the paint splatters everywhere on their papers creating unique and beautiful pieces of artwork. They are expected to come home tomorrow.

The large group divided into two groups for the afternoon, Gold and Red groups. If you are not sure which groups your campers are in, this is the perfect conversation starter for today! Please ask them.

Gold group learned about how statistics and probability are used by the Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) to solve crimes and help with investigations. Forensic scientists taught students how to take finger prints and analyze their unique shapes. After making up silly stories with Mad Lips, students learned how to use the whorls, loops, and arches of finger prints to identify suspects and culprits in crimes. Finally, we ventured to Gilman Hall to take prints of our own shoes. We learned how walking patterns change the soles of our shoes to make them unique to us.

Red group spent the afternoon in Howe Hall with aerospace engineers and Make to Innovate (M:2:I). Students watched videos of rocket launches and learned what can go wrong causing them to blow up in the sky. The engineers use the quadcopter, a helicopter-style drone with 4 blades, to show students how aerospace engineering can be used to create agile drones. They even learned how to make it do a flip in mid-air! Finally, students entered into the flight simulator where a demonstration discussed how to take off, fly, and land a plane. Several campers even attempted to fly a large passenger jet like you would see at the airport. Finally, kids learned how engineers use the engineer design process (ask, brainstorm, plan, build, test, and repeat) to compete in an egg drop. See if your camper's egg survived the fall!