Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 3/18/2013

Week of 3-18: This week we were able to have an extra session of Coleman's Camp on Monday.  This group of kids was able to take advantage of the beautiful weather to have a completely environmental / green Coleman's Camp.  On the grounds of the Library, we first collected natural materials such as leaves, bark, cherries, sticks, rocks, etc.  We then shaped mounds of earth and grass and created small mound homes or hovels that a creature might live within.  Our goal was to make a small magical or fantastical living space that one might happen by in the woods during an imaginary story.  The kids did an amazing job and we photographed the homes they made with the idea to later use some photo-editing software to copy in creatures we will create in our next session.  We also walked the perimeter of the library to examine the parts of the building they had never seen, including fossils in the exterior stone walls, drainage pipes, and the recessed areas of the building.  The Thursday group had a special meeting at the Central Resource Library and went on a book hunt through the stacks until each kid had dozens of books.  The Thursday and Saturday groups created flip mouth cards for skits, with the Saturday group finishing with enough time to record several skits that they brainstormed, each of which involved monsters!  They were exceptional at their improvisation skills and even invited a little sister and mom to join in!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 3/11/2013

Week of 3-11: The Thursday group worked with me to create a scavenger hunt based upon descriptive hints, the ability to blend into crowds, and decision making/problem solving skills.  Students would write messages on thick pieces of paper and assign point values to the lips based on how hard they would be to find.  Then they spread throughout the library, pretending to be an average patron, while they hid the paper somewhere.  Back in the room with me, they had to write riddles or clues on a different piece of paper.  We revised clues and worked to be helpful but neither too difficult nor too easy.  Once everyone had their clues finished, we would flip them over on the table and the kids would have to scan the clues, decide which ones were solvable, and then set out to find the pieces of paper.  The Saturday group investigated creating facial expressions on flip cards that allowed them to change their expressions instantaneously.  They then wrote several skits around a central idea, allowing fun improvisation of a bus ride that picked up monsters!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 3/4/2013

Week of 3-4: This week it was time for the Thursday group to revisit and re-explore a previous Coleman's Camp session, dry ice!  They took their previous investigations of dry ice and were able to replicate experiments and manipulate the variables they now understand.  They could vary the temperature of the water, use the liquid dish soap more sparingly, and knew how to get the empty 35mm film canisters to explode with maximum force!  Everyone had certain attributes of dry ice they wanted to focus on, and we took many photographs of their results.  The Saturday group created bases, lairs, jet backpacks, and other buildings from basic cardboard boxes.  We learned how to utilize our creativity and imagination to take boxes and transform them into accessories for the types of toys each kid plays with at home.  Some wanted a car bay for storing Hot Wheels; others wanted a Batman type base for action figures.  We worked to primarily use the boxes and any pieces cut from them to make doors, windows, ceiling pieces, walls, walkways, etc.  We then used a glue gun and paint to finish off the boxes.  My son Beckett brought in toys from our van and kids were able to test out their creations in imaginative play.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 2/25/2013

Week of 2-25: My Thursday group returned this week after the snow cancellation last week to work on their tessellations.  In finishing the projects the kids are able to see the effect of a repeating, interlocking pattern.  The colors are designs used by the kids are vivid and eye-catching.  The Thursday and Saturday groups both used the recent heavy snows to explore three-dimensional cubes.  My wife had seen a news report explaining that the recent snow fall was particularly heavy, with a cubic foot of the snow weighing approximately 20 pounds!  Both the Thursday and Saturday kids were challenged to build an actual cubic foot using rulers and scotch tape.  They formed groups, had to select their supplies, and then work as a team to build the cubes.  Different strategies were used, with some groups all working on one section at a time while others divided the work of making squares and then joining them later.  The placement of the tape at the vertices (or corners) was crucial.  After kids finished their cubic feet we reviewed the difference between the metric system and the US (standard system) or measurement.  Kids were then challenged to compete against another team to use their newly acquired learning to build a cubic meter.  Finally, kids looked at approximately how many cubic feet would fit into the cubic meter, noting that since we were dealing with two measurement systems there would be "extra space."  The kids loved the activities and the hands-on project!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 2/18/2013

Week of 2-18: The heavy snow hit our area and closed down schools and the library; my Thursday group missed this week.  However, by Saturday the library was open again and I was able to meet with the kids, who all were excited to be out of the house and doing something!  We continued to work on our tessellations, finishing drawing over the pencil tracings and then adding colors.  Kids experimented with adding in simple two-dimensional shapes repeating inside the tessellating forms they originally drew.  For the second hour we returned to the audio hide/find challenge from last week, where kids are on teams and hide things from each other.  The team members must listen carefully to recorded directions to find the objects.  The kids continue to learn how to refine step-by-step directions, give accurate and distinct descriptions, and even to anticipate the mistakes and misunderstandings of team members.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 2/11/2013

Week of 2-11: Both the Thursday and Saturday groups explored tessellations (http://www.tessellations.org/), creating their own shapes from simple 3x5 cards, tessellating them across a large piece of paper, and tracing over the outlines.  The time working on our tessellations also gives us time to focus on quality work, talk, and listen to music.  The Saturday group also worked on a unique problem solving activity created just for them.  Developing language skills - including descriptive abilities, accuracy, word choice, and correcting from prior mistakes - the Saturday group uses a small digital audio recorder to record directions to team members to help them find an object hidden somewhere in the room.  Kids quickly learn to be specific, use adjectives, and to think from the perspective of teammates who have no idea what the object is or where it is hidden.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Enrty: 2/4/2013

Week of 2-4: This week it was the Thursday group students who were able to experiment with dry-ice.  They observed sublimation in action, created the eerie fog with warm water, and created many bizarre and alarming sounds with different types of metal items pressed against the dry-ice.  We discussed the hazards of dry-ice inhalation as well as the effects of rapid and extreme freezing of human skin when in direct contact with the sub-zero material.  The kids were especially excited by the use of 36mm film canisters that, when filled with dry-ice and capped, would build pressure as the dry-ice sublimated until the lid would explode off, usually hitting the ceiling.  I am sure the library patrons were alarmed at any screams they could overhear, it was amazing!  We also mixed in dish detergent and created dry-ice bubbles that looked like ever-expanding masses of brains or worms.  When grabbed or picked up and squeezed, the bubbles would burst leaving small clouds, a peculiar effect.  The Saturday group created Valentine's Day cards for parents, practicing brainstorming, reflective and authentic writing, rough draft correction and editing, and then writing the final nice copy.  The kids assembled a foam dog and added unique details.  The notes to their parents told of their favorite activities to do with their family.  The finished products looked fantastic!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 1/28/2013

Week of 1-28: With the state assessments looming and classroom preparation increasing, the Thursday group took a humorous look at test situations and irreverent answers to worksheet questions.  We discussed the stress that can often come from state assessments and how teachers share in those feelings.  We watched two clips, one of Mr. Bean taking an exam and another from Spies Like Us where two agents try to cheat their way through difficult tests.  We then reviewed a packet of samples I have collected of hilarious student answers on worksheet and test questions, then creating our own.  The Saturday group conducted dry-ice experiments to learn about sublimation (the change from a solid directly to a gas, skipping the liquid state).  The students also had hands-on experience with making metal objects vibrate and make noise, creating eerie fog with warm water, and other investigations. 

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 1/21/2013

Week of 1-21: the Thursday group tested their critical thinking and problem solving skills by working through a few classic survival scenarios such as trapped at sea and lost in the wilderness.  Students read a scenario describing an emergency situation and then had to make choices about what to do and what supplies to take or prioritize.  Students then worked the same scenarios again in competing groups to see how group decisions and the decision making process compared to their individual choices.  We then looked at the suggested choices and explanations as given by the US Coast Guard and wilderness survival experts (http://www.wilderdom.com/games/descriptions/SurvivalScenarios.html).  

Students learned if they would have survived or not and why certain obvious choices were dangerous and how outside-the-box thinking is invaluable.  The Saturday group created fantasy worlds based on fabric and paper cutouts of their hands and feet.  The kids thought of how creatures would live in these words and they made a background world for them.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 1/7/2013 and 1/14/2013

Week of 1-7 and 1-14: the Thursday group has two weeks full of preparing costumes, making props, writing scripts, practicing parts, and drawing on their bodies with (hopefully) washable markers!  The Saturday group worked to create Monsters and their habitats/haunts. The Saturday kids created back stories for their Monsters and planned presentations of how the Monsters lived and the adventures they went on.  Filming the plays and presentations has been exciting and hilarious.  Videos uploaded to Coleman’s Camp YouTube playlist, including some great outtakes and behind-the-scenes material.  The kids have been amazing and their creativity boundless.  The skits and presentations involved group communication and cooperation, creative writing, art skills for props and Monster creation, and planning out beginning, middle, and end of a story or presentation as well as improvising through mistakes.  I am extremely proud of everyone!  The Saturday group also participated in a LEGO based problem solving day where they were challenged to recreate something from their homes, build something without looking at it, and working as a group (including Mr. Coleman) to build cooperatively.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 1/1/2013

Week of 1-1: The start of a new year!  My Thursday group has been thinking of doing small skits or plays for several weeks to demonstrate and explore some of the concepts we have been working on.  However, we have consistently run out of time each week and this week they demanded they have the time and materials to create original performances.  We brainstormed a variety of surreal, humorous, and interesting ideas that the kids were passionate about.  Groups were formed based on interest in each of the stories.  We worked through outlining a story with a beginning, middle and end and then students began scripting out the actual story, parts, and building props.  The Saturday group I wanted to reverse the story writing process and give them a concrete object to build their stories around so we created monsters from scratch, using some high-quality fabric samples, wooden blocks, glue guns, and an assortment of eyes, metal pieces, and art supplies.  Next week both groups will be adding to their stories and will be performing their skits/plays - my plan is to record and post the videos.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 12/24/2012

Week of 12-24: Thursday group experiments with electricity, making circuits to power small light bulbs and speakers.  Also testing materials to see if they conduct electricity or if they act as insulators to block the electricity.  The Saturday group set goals for the next year and made posters of finger paints and markers.  Also practicing following directions and working together to make Star Wars folded airplanes.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 12/17/2012

Week of 12-17: Using microscopes and examining prepared slides of insects, spores, and blood!  Kids removed hair, saliva, skin, blood (thanks Emma and her scab!), boogers (no sharing!), and finger/toe nails.  Learning parts of microscope, how to prepare a slide, and how to determine which pieces of one's body are ok to remove.  Kids in the Saturday session also had time to begin exploring electrical circuits, wiring, and the ability to blow out small light bulbs with too much power.  I gave every student a large and small microscope - please let me know if your child did not receive his or hers, I have extras.  Kids also took extra small microscopes for brothers, sisters, neighbors, cousins, and/or friends.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 12/17/2012

I am excited to see we are reaching a milestone in Coleman's Camp; we are nearing the end of the current session and will start the new session in January.  If you recall, when we originally began Coleman's Camp we looked at following the school schedule to keep everything simplified.  The start of a new session is a time for me to reflect on our past learning, set new goals, and develop further learning themes (using input from parents and students).

As such, going forward I plan to offer: 1) 1st Semester 2013 Coleman's Camp (running January to the end of school year), 2) Summer Session of Coleman's Camp (running during the summer), and then 3) 2nd Semester 2013 Coleman's Camp (running August until winter break).  Each of these sessions will have specific themes and will continue to correlate to classroom learning.

The session that ended was a fantastic experimental phase of Coleman's Camp and has helped me quickly refine and direct our unique learning adventure.  This Shutterfly website, as well as my YouTube channel, are direct outcomes of my continual efforts to keep Coleman's Camp dynamic, interactive, parent and student driven, and creative.  My hope is to keep the founding students of Coleman's Camp thriving and enjoying the time for as long as it supports their needs and wants.

One final, crucial point - I have found the experience of Coleman's Camp to have been so rewarding I have cancelled plans to transfer to a new school at the end of this year.  I had believed that it would benefit my career and my prospects of becoming a principal if I transferred to an elementary school that would provide different experiences than those I have had at Prairie.  However, the parents and students involved in Coleman's Camp have made we realize I am uninterested in leaving these kids.  Thank you parents!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 12/10/2012

Week of 12-10: Bonding with kids in Thursday and Saturday sessions about plans for winter break.  We feel like a real class sharing our excitement for the holidays.  Building off of our prior learning involving what our brain does and does not notice in our reality, we look at the work of several surrealist artists who worked at presenting reality in a new light.  Kids used mixed media to create surreal collages.  Students also requested we spend time practicing multiplication tests that some were struggling to pass in their classrooms.  Other students wanted to go further into surrealism and create additional pieces.  The Thursday session room split into 3 groups, 1) multiplication practicing (using the exact materials from their classroom), 2) additional surrealism collages, and 3) a group of boys beginning to make a surrealist film!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: 12/3/2012

Week of 12-3: no Thursday Coleman's Camp but my Saturday group learned new ways to create cartoon and caricature people using randomly drawn shapes that they add details to.  Also creating Henri Matisse paper cut outs of people and characters.  Highly detailed Star Wars paper airplanes from a book were attempted, though the folding become evermore complex, necessitating Mr. Coleman finishing 6 Millennium Falcons!

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: Third and Fourth Week

3rd and 4th weeks: Animal camouflage and mimicry, especially watching Youtube videos of cephalopods (cuttlefish, squid, and octopus).  Kids created environmental posters where animals were hidden through camouflage or mimicry.  Experiments with paper, including being able to walk through paper and (for the younger group) making paper airplanes for practice following directions and learning new skills.  Flown outside during beautiful day and pleased to have Mrs. Ecklund-Johnson to reach through gates around the library and retrieve ambitious flight paths!  A really interesting and thought-provoking week (4th) on how our brains work, what we see, and (most importantly) what we miss in our daily lives.  Videos highlighting inattentional blindness and change blindness.  These can be found on my YouTube channel link found on this Shutterfly page.  Kids then spent time developing and running experiments to test each other! 

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: Second Week

2nd week: Exploration of our Solar System using scale models!  Short films from Hubble Telescope and images of the universe, especially our planets.  Using metric system and meters to create scale model of the distances between planets in the Corinth parking lot.  Also introduction to true scientific experimental model of testing one change on an experiment - RotoCopter, making the wings larger, heavier, longer, or shaped differently.

Coleman's Camp - Weekly Journal Entry: First Two Sessions

First two sessions: Getting to know kids, problem solving and team building activities such as creating aluminum trophies for others to give and receive compliments and trusting a peer to guide you across a minefield.  Also, beginning to understand the benefits of working differently than we normally do.  Other activities: writing our names using increasing levels of new skills (writing with opposite hand, with arms instead of hands, with eyes closed).  Science concepts of inertia.