Beautiful Bats | June 15 to June 19 | Grade(s): 2-3 | Valentine Camp
Bats are familiar to nearly everyone, yet most people have never seen one up close. Are bats dangerous? Do bats get tangled in your hair? Folktale and fantasy are all part of people's ideas about bats. In this class you will learn the truth about bats is more astonishing than any of the stories about them.
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Capturing Science through a Lens | June 15 to June 19 | Grade(s): 6-8 | Valentine Camp
Students will use digital photography to capture the essence of the flora and fauna of Valentine Reserve. Technology, art and science will be combined in this photography class. All students will need to bring a digital camera. Computer experience preferred.
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Ecological Diversity in the Eastern Sierra | June 22 to June 26 | Grade(s): 9-12 | SNARL
This course will explore the diverse Sierra Nevadan aquatic environment. We will visit and survey lakes, both freshwater and saline, high elevation and low, as well as a variety of streams and hot and cold springs. Students will experience the variety of flora and fauna that exist in these environments, both macro- and microscopic. We will employ and enhance your studies in biology and chemistry to introduce you to biotic and abiotic sampling and analysis techniques. The course is modeled after a university level introductory aquatic biology course. It will give you hands-on experience with environmental techniques and a view into the phenomenal aquatic realm.
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Involving Dissolving | June 22 to June 26 | Grade(s): 3-4 | Valentine Camp
Come see what happens when we mix powders with liquids, play with evaporation, and create crystallized masterpieces. Will everything we mix dissolve? We'll use resources at Valentine, read stories, and create chemical reactions involving dissolving during this week of scientific exploration. Please note, non-toxic materials will be used. DUE TO THE DISCOVERY/SURPRISE ASPECT TO THIS CAMP WE DON'T ALLOW STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE MORE THAN ONCE IN THIS CAMP.
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Science through Art | June 22 to June 26 | Grade(s): 5-7 | Valentine Camp
This course will explore science through the eyes of the artist. Looking at broad landscapes and delicate wildflowers, students will use a variety of media to enhance their observational skills while pursuing their artistic talent.
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Bones, Beads, and Baskets(Dual Language Class) | June 29 to July 03 | Grade(s): 5 | Valentine Camp
DUAL LANGUAGE CLASS: Must be proficient in Spanish/English at 4th/5th grade level; admission subject to instructor.
What would it be like to live off the land in a time before Vons? This class will become a small tribe and learn how early people in America hunted and gathered food and medicine, celebrated important events and played games. Students will use and make artifacts modeling Native American ways.
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Sifting through Science | June 29 to July 03 | Grade(s): 1 | Valentine Camp
Young children are natural scientists. This week our little scientists will use their senses as they eagerly explore and investigate the environment at Valentine through experiments, stories, games, and nature walks. We will use magnets, sand, water, dirt, rocks, and sift our way trough science.
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Hurray for Habitats | July 06 to July 10 | Grade(s): 1-2 | Valentine Camp
Owls, mule deer,rabbits,coyotes, bugs and bees all make their homes at Valentine. We will observe animals or evidence of animals that live in the high desert and/or riparian zones of the Eastern Sierra. As young scientists, we will record our findings and observations on our Habitat Boards. If you like to hike, explore, play games, and do outdoor science activities, then come join this expedition.
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Rocks & Dirt! (Dual Language Class) | July 06 to July 10 | Grade(s): 1 | Valentine Camp
Dual Language Class. Must be proficient in Spanish/English at 1st grade level; admission subject to instructor.
Rocks and dirt are all around us, but how much do you know about them? What is dirt made of? Do rocks sink or float? How do we use rocks in everyday life? This week we will have fun creating a science journal to record everything that we learn about rocks, dirt and fossils. Come be a rock hound with us!
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Painting Nature | July 13 to July 17 | Grade(s): 5-6 | Valentine Camp
Learn basic acrylic painting surrounded by the beauty of Valentine Reserve. Through a series of fun and easy projects and exercises the students will work up to creating a beautiful painting. They will also have lots of time to explore Valentine.
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Budding Botanists | July 20 to July 24 | Grade(s): 3-4 | Valentine Camp
The best way to appreciate Valentine Reserve is out along the trails! Our class will spend part of every day exploring the plant and animal life of Valentine while observing nature up close. These observations will provide inspiration for sketching, scientific illustration, and learning plant identification. We’ll delve into science, as we sketch, learning about plant and animal adaptations, photosynthesis and more!
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Wild Island Adventure | July 20 to July 24 | Grade(s): 4-5 | SNARL
Get ready for a week on the Wild Islands at SNARL. From the water we drink to the oceans that circle the Earth, liquids are everywhere.We will explore the properties of water and the wetlands surrounding the islands by observing the creatures that live there and discovering how liquids do what they do. Come prepared to get wild and wet as you learn all about our most precious resources.
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Involving Dissolving | July 27 to August 01 | Grade(s): 3-4 | Valentine Camp
Come see what happens when we mix powders with liquids, play with evaporation, and create crystallized masterpieces. Will everything we mix dissolve? We'll use resources at Valentine, read stories, and create chemical reactions involving dissolving during this week of scientific exploration. Please note, non-toxic materials will be used.
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