Day 2: Probes, Probes, and more Probes!!!!

The second day of camp started with a quick activity to show the importance of detailed instructions. Campers were split into groups of two and they were given a cup of "stuff" (small Erlenmeyer flask, a battery, some toothpicks, a clothespin, a rubberband, etc). Then one partner built some sculpture with the "stuff" and wrote a set of detailed instructions so that the other partner could recreate it.







Students realized that there was a big difference from what they meant to write when they wrote their instructions when comparing to what they actually said.

We also spent a little time talking about the project manual, and the two different ways that the campers will need to explain their experimental procedures next year.
After this we spent the rest of the day exposing the campers to the different probes we have to offer. This will be very important for next week when they have to work on their own mini-projects, as well as next year when it is the real thing. The campers worked with the following probes:

The Sound Level Meter

The Carbon Dioxide Probe

The Gas Pressure Meter

The Wind Tunnel

The Light Meter

The Force Plate
The Flow Rate Meter
The Go Motion Probe
The Temperature Probe and Thermocouple

The Dual Range Force Meter

The Heart Rate Monitor

Overall, it was a great day (despite the heat) and all of us here cannot wait for tomorrow.