We just completed another packed week of summer camp at the Allentown Learning and Engagement Center (ALEC)! This week included a treasure hunt, Central American food and crafts, and even an adventurous field trip on the river.
For Monday's project, we decorated T-shirts, using permanent markers and rubbing alcohol to create colorful tie-dye effects. We also stamped the shirts with the Brashear Kids logo. For snack, we made our own guacamole. There was also much excitement from a treasure hunt... the students had to follow tricky clues around ALEC to discover hidden treasure chests.
On Tuesday, we learned about Central American countries. We played the Mexican Hat Dance, and the winner had the delight of taking home a sombrero! Students got very creative when we made worry dolls from Guatemala.
On Wednesday, Jeanne from the Knoxville Library paid us a visit, and this week the topic was rocks, minerals and fossils. She brought a beautiful and informative book called A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long. She also showed Let's Look at Dinosaurs, a pop up book by Frances Barry, and we talked about dinosaur extinction theories and how dinosaurs are displayed in museums. For our hands-on activities, we excavated chocolate cookies like archaeologists and identified rocks, which even involved looking at them under a black light.
On Thursday, we went on an exciting RiverQuest field trip! We traveled Pittsburgh's Three Rivers, while learning about the river ecosystem and food chain. We examined river water under microscopes, taking a good look at phytoplankton and zooplankton. We also learned about the fishes and eels found in the rivers, and even got to do a little bird watching.
Thanks to all the kids for coming to camp with good attitudes and a zest for life! Thanks also to our volunteers, guest presenters and staff for putting together great programs at ALEC.
-Laura
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