Math-Science Computer Camp

Peck's Farm

WEEK ONE: 3rd graders.

Day 1: Introductions and explanation of tick biology.

Farm tour: organic garden, some edible wild plants, horse ring, traditional outhouse, sauna, chicken yard, hawk, wildlife in rehab including young raccoons, duck, killdeer, etc, horse stalls, cliff and barn swallow nests, bat houses, Sauk River, great-horned owl as foster parent, wood sawing and splitting, wood cook stove in house, house insulation, wood furnace, wildlife in rehab on porch such as gosling with leg in a cast, etc.

Earthworm experiment: Each group(about 7 campers per group) learns about earthworm biology and soil components then does a study comparing earthworm numbers and sizes between mulched and unmulched garden soil. Experiments every week were designed to emphasize proper scientific methods and to provide data for discussion and graphing by computer back at SCSU.

Day 2: All campers hear about horse care and riding from two young neighbor women who use their own horses. Every student gets to ride on a horse (we lead for safety reasons) about ½ mile, practicing commands. Students not riding spend time in hayloft swinging on a rope (a pendulum), visiting some of the wildlife, sawing wood, etc. After riding, campers can brush horses, etc.

Day 3: Divided into 3 groups, each group goes on a nature walk through the horse pasture to the eagle nest; helps build a "jungle gym" out of small logs for the raccoons; goes into our house to do a Kims Game (improves powers of observation) and learn about various tools used in wildlife rehabilitation. During the last hour there is a scavenger hunt of 20 items from nature and farm things observed during the week, followed by ice cream bars for the top teams, which is everyone.

WEEK 2 4th graders.

Day 1: Similar to week 1, some changes in garden (e.g. campers get to pick and eat a fresh strawberry) and wildlife in residence. Increased emphasis on composting as a form of recycling.

Spittle bug Experiment: Explanation of spittle bug biology. Collected data on relative abundance of spittle bugs on 3 species of plants in pasture.

Day 2: Similar to week 1, but slightly more advanced.

Day 3: Similar to week 1, but also spend time in barn counting swallow nests and observing young plus a discussion of diversity based on looking at the different kinds of chickens. Also some chicken/rooster/eggs "sex education".

WEEK 3 5th graders.

Day 1: Tour similar to weeks 1 and 2.

Calligana pollination experiment: After discussions of flowers, pollination, and legumes, each group compares pollination success at different heights or at different sides of a calligana clump.

Day 2: Tour to Klehrs farm between Richmond and St Martin. On the way, we point out major crops, poultry processing plant at Cold Spring, granite sheds, and sources of pollution of the Sauk River Chain of Lakes. At the farm campers get to: milk a dairy goat, feed dairy goats, taste fresh goats milk, observe the various stages in raising pigs, smell manure, hold a baby pig, and see and learn about 60,000+ chickens about go off to processing at the plant in Cold Spring. Science is continually emphasized - eg composting of dead chickens.

Day 3: Back at Pecks, each group: Does Kims game and goes on short nature walk to the restored prairie; sees wildlife rehab slides; works with the young raccoons; goes to the hayloft. Riddle game followed by ice cream.

WEEK 4 6th graders.

Day 1: Introductions include a talk about black flies ("gnats"). Tour similar to previous weeks, but more advanced.

Microhabitat experiment: Each group discusses the difference between habitat and microhabitat, then does temperature readings at various situations that might show microhabitat differences. Discussion of the observed differences.

Day 2: Farm Science. Campers rotate between two neighboring farms. At Eichmeiers they learn about raising sheep and help to weigh a sheep to see if it is ready for market. They also go into a pasture with beef cattle, including a bull. Throughout there is an emphasis on the science of animal behavior, also some science in explaining electric fences. At Mehrs dairy farm they learn about: farm machinery - expenses, safety, etc; dairy cow biology: conception, calves, heifers, steers, bulls, dry period, etc.; milking process and the sanitation required; feed.

Day 3: Each group does the following: Camouflage slides and game; prairie walk; corn field; hayloft and horses; raccoons and wildlife tools. The last hour we do a riddle/activity game followed by ice cream and a water fight.

WEEK 5 8th and 9th graders.

Day 1: Tour, including planaria in the river.

Microhabitat experiment similar to week 4.

Day 2: Farm Science. Two groups of campers rotate between Doyles and Hoopers. Doyles is a commercial mushroom farm, where we were guided by a mycologist from Mexico. Campers observed preparation of the growing medium, growth of the mushrooms, harvest and marketing. At Hoopers, we got close to an experimental herd of yaks and helped move cattle in an intensified rotational grazing system.

Day 3: River Science. After a discussion of the science of limnology and a discussion of canoe physics and safety, each large group (about 12) were led on a Sauk River canoe trip, either 4 miles Cold Spring to the farm or 2 miles from the farm to Rockville. Wildlife, eg painted turtles and kingfishers were observed on the way. When not canoeing, the large group did camouflage slides and game. Then we all did the riddle/activity game and had ice cream.

NOTE It is interesting observe how these mostly "city kids" evolve during the three days. We sort of dread when they first come out of the vans holding their noses, swatting at perceived hordes of insects, scared of horse manure, dumfounded that we have a privy, scared of ticks lurking in grass, etc. Many of them, after three days, have overcome a lot of these phobias, e.g. they will spontaneously run in tall grass, stop holding their nose when they go into the barn. Some might even pick up a dry horse apple!

Also, I think we do help the campers see that science is not just something done in a lab with white lab coats, test tubes and computers. Science can also happen in a garden, a river, a dairy farm, etc.

Earthworm Study

Instructions for Leaders and Helpers

1. Your group listens, with the other groups, to an introduction about earthworms and this study.
2. What is mulch? (Discussed on the initial tour of the garden).
3. Do you expect more earthworms where there is mulch or where there is no mulch? Why? (earthworms have a moist skin). Make a hypothesis.
4. Make sure all students participate at some point.
5. Have two students do unmulched soil first. Dig a hole about the same size and shape as the bucket, filling the bucket up to the rim about one inch below the edge.
6. Empty the bucket onto the plastic and sort the worms by sizes into cups. Put any interesting other creatures into a glass jar to look at.
7. Count the worms in each cup and put the info onto your group's data sheet.
8. Hold up a big worm and ask if it is a boy or girl worm. Which is the mouth end? Can they feel the small bristles-setae?
9. Return animals and soil to the hole.
10. Repeat using mulched soil (use soil under the mulch).
11. Remind students that scientists have to make everything the same except for the thing they are studying, which is called the variable. What is the variable in this study? What things do we keep the same? (amount of soil, how we remove soil from the hole, how carefully we count the worms, time of day, etc)
12. Discuss the results. Did the hypothesis seem to be true?
13. All groups, at the end, will read their results to make up the grand data sheet. Did other groups get similar results?