Enrichment Week

One week out of the summer, our city school system offers an enrichment week to the children.  These are fun classes that cover a wide range of interests.  This year Austin took Weird Science and Adam took Rockets.

Austin's week consisted of several interesting experiments and fun projects.  On Monday they put a raw egg and a hard boiled egg in vinegar to see what would happen (they left these eggs in the vinegar all week!)  One day they went to the EMU Science Museum, they "dissected" a rock, they "played" with dry ice.  Some of their activities didn't work out.  For example: the day they were suppose to play with the sun, it was cloudy and rainy.  I'm sure they had some back up activities.  Overall, they had a fun week and learned a lot through this play.  When they checked the eggs on Friday, Austin said the hard boiled egg had morphed and the raw egg was rotten.  Can't wait to try this with Adam  :)

Austin did not know any of the other children in his class, but quickly became friends with Aaron.  This boy will be going to the same school as Austin next year.  It's nice that Austin already has a new friend going into the new school.

Adam signed up for enrichment, then his best friend at school decided to sign up as well.  They both got into the same class.  They were very excited about being together all week again.

Some of the things they did in rockets consisted of: making rockets out of film canisters.  They put just a little water in, and about 1/4 of an alka seltzer tablet and let it sit.  They, also, made air rockets--they did something with balloons that day, not sure how that fit in.  They had PVC piping and an empty 2 liter bottle on the one end.  Put the rocket on and STOMP!  One day they made water rockets.  They made these out of 1 liter bottles, put parachutes on, they had everything!  They would pump up the water pressure and pull and string and it would fly!  They made rockets that used solid fuel they used type A (honestly I don't know what all that means, but that is what the teacher told me.)  I did not get to see this go, because it was raining, but apparently it was pretty great!  On the first day of class the teacher taught them about the different parts of rockets and why they use certain things.  He went over why the tip is pointed and not rounded, how the fins help the rocket have control, etc.  I was not in the class, but I could just imagine Adam totally into this, he loves knowing the why behind the questions!

I forgot to take my camera the last day of enrichment.  I couldn't believe that I didn't have it!  But, at least I have a few memories recorded for the boys to remember this wonderful week.