Summer camp

During one of my visits in June, a group of 1st-3rd graders came by my table to check out the tide pool coloring pages and chat up their experience at the touch tank. Turns out they were part of Elleyna Igo’s summer camp, Superior Explorers, one of the many camps offered at the Aquarium. Elleyna and I made arrangements for me to be a guest art instructor at their future camps, and in the end, I was able to join 3 different camps this summer.

Though I’ve been a teacher for some years, this was a new venue for me and I was excited knowing I could share my loves of art and science. On day one, I joined the kids out on the dock where they collected Lake Superior water, then put droplets on slides to magnify on the microscope. When the screen first lit up I almost screamed. Alien-like creatures were zooming across the screen. How cool to be in the room with the kids as they fully engaged with the natural environment that surrounds them every day.

As an art exercise, we used strips of paper to make zooplankton sculptures. I wasn’t sure whether the students would stay interested but they dove right in and created masterpieces! All in all, it went well with my July survey question which was all about Lake Superior.

I was able to fit in two more camps after the first - an Amazing Animals and another Superior Explorers. We used cut paper to design unique turtle shells, and fish collages.

Thanks to the Aquarium, Elleyna and all the great and inspiring kids that engaged with the art project.