Learning soars at Velocity Jr.

Utica Community Schools’ Velocity Jr. science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) camps were again the scene of exciting hands-on learning for elementary students, this time during spring break.

One of the weeklong sessions, ‘Wings and Things,’ enabled first through sixth graders to experience aerodynamics and explore Newton’s laws of motion and the Bernoulli factor. They learned about flying machines ranging from the Wright Brothers’ airplane to rockets and space travel.

Camper Bryan Chai, a Crissman Elementary fifth grader, was particularly interested in how the forces of drag, thrust, lift and gravity interact to allow a plane to take off, stay aloft and land – good things to know for someone like him who plans a career in vehicle design, he said.

Schuchard third grader Diya Tattitali echoed that interest, saying, “I really like learning how things work!” Tattitali has decided to become an architect, but is also thinking about designing planes.

The students put their knowledge to practical use designing paper airplanes and testing models in a wind tunnel. They visualized wind impact by experimenting with parachutes, windsocks and kites. By building their own rockets and learning to use a sextant and refracting telescope the students truly earned their ‘wings.’

In another series of sessions known as ‘Rock N Roll Robots,’ children in kindergarten through second grade used the LEGO WeDo robotics system to create robots that did indeed rock and roll through several programmed tasks.

The students explored the workings of simple machines, basic engineering and computer programming as they worked in teams to create a drum-playing monkey, a roaring lion and a bird that generates wind gusts by flapping its wings.

The Crazy Chemworks series for first through sixth grades gave the campers an opportunity to be junior chemists. The students donned goggles to shake up some funky concoctions as well as surprising reactions. They learned to change liquids to solids and back again. Using real laboratory equipment, they experimented with acids and bases, made their own gooey slime and unraveled many other ‘kitchen chemistry’ mysteries.

In all, the Velocity Jr. experience gives students a great chance to meet new friends, learn new things and have fun.

Utica Community Schools offers this unique STEM opportunity through its educational partnership with Macomb Community College, the city of Sterling Heights and the Sterling Heights Velocity Collaboration Center for business and manufacturing development.

A full schedule of Velocity Jr. camps is planned for summer 2013. Watch for information in the UCS Community Education summer brochure coming in May at http://www.ucscommunityeducation.com or call 586.797.6900.