Last day of Camp Rockosaurus

"Dear Rockosaurus Families,

We commenced our last day by creating our own amber fossils.  While traditional  amber fossils span the centuries with their durability, ours are a little different, made from soap, not amber.  Unlike traditional amber, feel free to use this one to wash up for dinner! 

Next, we exploded into action, as we bumped and shifted our way through an exploration of plate tectonics.  We dove into the earth’s crust, learning about how it is similar to an orange with a peel that has been broken into many pieces. These pieces are always bumping into each other, sliding against one another, or pulling apart which can cause earthquakes and volcanoes. We discussed how some earthquakes are larger than others (measured with the Richter scale) and the kinds of damage they can cause. We experimented by designing structures out of blocks that could withstand shaky ground. After these structures were complete, they were put to the test as we created our own earthquakes. Those not left standing where revisited, and your camper came up with solutions on how buildings such as these could be redesigned and reinforced to withstand a plate tectonic belly dance.

Next, our volcanoes constructed earlier in the week, reappeared ready to blow. We talked about how the tectonics of our earths crust sometimes makes way for a volcano. We discussed magma and lava, and watched as our homemade magma poured out of our very own volcanoes. The flow of excitement continued into our volcano ice cream party. Best tasting lava we’ve ever had!

Over this past week we’ve explored dirt, rocks, dinos and volcanos. Today your camper will come home, armed with knowledge, but also armed with amber fossils (peel away the paper cup to reveal your soapy fossil) and home grown crystals. There may still be some liquid in your crystal.  Allow it to evaporate to see your crystal grow.  Campers will also be coming home with a “plant in a bag,” which allowed us to explore life underground.  To watch your plant sprout, ensure the paper towel is damp and that your seed is tucked snugly inside.  Hang the whole bag in a window where the sun shines, and…viola! Watch the sprouting magic that usually occurs underground for yourself!  We tried to send away for a pet dinosaur for every kid, but it turns out they’re a little hard to come by these days. :)

It has been a pleasure exploring with your camper this week.  We had a wonderful time and hope to see them at camp again soon! "