Catamount Kids 2014 Summer Camp 1: Understanding Geologic Maps with Stuart Strife

Catamount Kids will be holding two different Summer Camp activities during the summer of 2014. Our first Summer Camp will feature guest instructor Stuart Strife, and the topic will be “Understanding Geologic Maps”.

Understanding Geologic Maps with Stuart Strife

Date: Saturday July 19, 2014

Time: 9 AM to 12 Noon

Location: Catamount Research and Development (Click Here for Directions)

About the Class:
We all use maps to find out where we are and how to get to where we want to go. There are many different kinds of maps that we can use to create a picture of the Earth’s surface. We are all familiar with state maps, town maps, maps showing where parks are located, and maps that show where lakes and oceans are. But, do you know what maps geologists make and use?

Geologists make colorful maps that tell us where different types of rocks are located on or below the Earth’s surface. These types of maps are used to find gold, diamonds, coal, sand and gravel, oil and gas, and any number of minerals we use in our daily lives.

Come join us and learn how to make a geologic map. We will use a cake that is made of different layers and frosting to represent the Earth. Using straws we will “drill” core holes into the cake (Earth) to find the hidden layer of ore. As we gather new core information, we will map what we believe the shape of the ore layer is. Ultimately, we will draw a map of the shape of the ore and “drill out” our prediction. And, the best part: we get to eat the cake when we are done!

When We Left Earth – Movie Night

On February 28, 2014, we will start a new program at Catamount Kids: our Science Movie Night! We plan to do this on a monthly basis as much as possible. Stay tuned to our Movie Night Schedule to keep up to date on when we will have Movie Nights. The goal of Science Movie Night is to show programs of an inspiring nature that have to do with science, research, engineering, and technology.

We will start off by showing the Discovery Channel/NASA mini-series called “When We Left Earth.” This is a really exciting overview of the early days of the US Space Program up through more current efforts to study Mars and develop habitable environments in space. This series really captured the enthusiasm and excitement that surrounded the early space program in the 1960’s. Our NASA astronauts were like rock stars! Check out the brief trailer below, and we look forward to seeing you on Science Movie Night!

Catamount Kids Home Grown Crystal Gardens – January 2014

Home-Grown Crystal Gardens

Our January 2014 Catamount Kids session on Geology and the Scientific Method with Stuart Strife was a blast!

Be sure to email us pictures of your crystal gardens to info@catamountkids.com ! We’ll include pictures of them in this post.

Here is a picture of the white crystal garden we grew in class on Friday January 17, 2014. This photo was taken on Sunday January 19, 2014. By this time, the crystal garden was done growing! Very beautiful.

Here is a photograph of Juliana’s crystal garden. Nice blue color! Photo submitted January 20, 2014.

Here is a photograph of Paloma’s crystal garden. Very colorful! Photo submitted January 20, 2014.

Here is a photo of Eleanor’s crystal garden. Very nice!

Photo submitted on January 21, 2014.

Here is a photo of Sadie’s beautiful pink crystal garden. Thanks for submitting!

Photo submitted on January 26, 2014.

Catamount Kids Home Grown Crystal Gardens – November 2013

Home-Grown Crystal Gardens

Our November 2013 Catamount Kids session on Geology and the Scientific Method with Stuart Strife was a blast!

Be sure to email us pictures of your crystal gardens to info@catamountkids.com ! We’ll include pictures of them in this post.

Here is a picture of the white crystal garden we grew in class on Friday November 22, 2013. This photo was taken on Sunday November 24, 2013. By this time, the crystal garden was done growing! Very beautiful.

Here is a lovely blue crystal garden grown by Liz and Gregory.

Photo submitted 11/24/13.

Here’s another nice blue crystal garden grown by Liz and Gregory.

Photo submitted 11/24/13.

A beautiful pink and yellow Crystal Garden submitted by Carmella!

Photo submitted November 25, 2013.

Here is a photo of Gabriel’s Crystal Garden!

Photo submitted 11/26/2013.

Here is Isabella’s Crystal Garden.

Photo submitted 11/27/2013.

Here is Zoey’s Crystal Garden! This is a nice example of a white garden, without any food coloring applied.

Photo submitted December 5, 2013.

Here is Payge’s Crystal Garden. Very pretty with the light blue color highlights!

Photo submitted December 13, 2013.

Catamount Kids Parents’ Night!

Fall 2013 Catamount Kids Parents’ Night

Have you ever thought that you would like to do the activities the Catamount Kids are doing? Now is your chance! We’re holding our first Parents’ Night. This will be a chance for us grown ups to have fun doing some science and engineering activities. Our activity will be to build an LED Christmas Tree using basic soldering skills. The Christmas Tree will be yours to keep, and is a perfect fun decoration for the Holiday Season!

No soldering experience is necessary. This is a fun and easy project. Of course, we welcome the seasoned solderer as well. The class is open to all interested adults, whether or not you have a child or grandchild in the Catamount Kids program, or regardless of if you are a parent or not! Join us and have some fun learning to solder, or practicing your soldering skills.

Date: Friday, December 6th, 2013

Time: 6:00 PM to 7:45 PM

Place: Catamount Research and Development, a.k.a. “The Science Center”

Cost: $10 This includes the cost of the Christmas Tree project, which is yours to keep.

~~Click Here to Register~~ Registration Closed. Class Complete!

Getting Ready for Microbiology Lesson!

Apples prepared for growing mold and bacteria.

Learning About Microorganisms Using Apples

Our first class of the 2013-2014 season will feature experiments geared to teach Catamount Kids about bacteria, mold, and other microorganisms.

The homework lesson where the kids prepared apples kept in various liquids will be used to do an experiment to find out if any of the liquids help prevent the apple from being spoiled by mold and bacterial growth.

Catamount Kids were divided into one of four groups: Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Salt Water, and Air. One week before class meets, each student should prepare an apple sample by cutting the apple and placing a piece into a specimen cup. Then fill the cup with the liquid in your assigned group, or leave the apple exposed to air if you’re in the air group.

Learning About Microorganisms Using Bacterial Cultures

Bacterial Cultures from The Science Center

We will also be doing a really cool activity in class. We will be conducting Gram Staining of various bacterial cultures to learn which bacteria are Gram Positive, and which bacteria are Gram Negative. One week before our class, I have prepared several samples of cultures taken from various locations around The Science Center: bathroom sink, laboratory door handle, cell phone, computer keyboard, and main hallway floor.

During class, we will prepare slides of heat-fixed bacteria, and then subject the slides to the Gram Staining procedure.

Gram Staining is a useful technique that differentiates Gram Positive bacteria from Gram Negative bacteria. Doctors can use this information to help pinpoint the identity of bacterial specimens, and to help decide what antibiotics may be effective for treating various bacterial infections.

To learn more about Gram Staining, check out the Wikipedia article on Gram Staining. There is also a very good two-part video series on You Tube that shows Gram Staining, and describes the difference between Gram Positive bacteria and Gram Negative bacteria. Click Here to see Part 1 of the video. Click Here to see Part 2 of the video.

If you have any questions or comments about the upcoming Catamount Kids session, don’t hesitate to send me a note using our Contact Form! Sincerely,

Dr. H.

Catamount Kids – small scientists, BIG SCIENCE!

Geology and the Scientific Method

For our November 2013 Catamount Kids class, we are pleased to have Mr. Stuart Strife as our guest instructor.

Mr. Strife is a retired professional geologist who has an extensive rock, mineral, and fossil collection. He has a series of experiments planned to teach Catamount Kids about using the Scientific Method.

Learning About Science and the Scientific Method by Studying Geology

Science is simply put a way of thinking, a quest to gather knowledge, and a desire to learn why and how things work the way that they do. Scientists use a technique called the “Scientific Method” to investigate phenomena, test hypotheses, and add to their body of knowledge. In this class, kids will learn how to use the Scientific Method by investigating several questions in the field of Geology (the study of the Earth). Catamount Kids will become scientists for the evening and make predictions to answer the following questions:

1) Can a rock float like a boat on water?
2) Can you read a book through solid rock?
3) Can you determine what part of dinosaur’s body a fossil bone is from?
4) Can a rock change colors like a chameleon without using paint or magic markers?

Kids will make observations, form hypotheses, predict outcomes, and then perform a series of experiments to test their ideas. You will learn some fun things about rocks, minerals, and the Earth that is our home. Most importantly, this class will help Catamount Kids to develop a sense of curiosity that can stay with them throughout the rest of their lives.

Mr. Stuart Strife, Geologist, to be Our Guest Instructor for Catamount Kids November 2013 Class

About Stuart Strife – Geologist

Stuart grew up in central New York, very close to where Herkimer diamonds (quartz) are mined. He has always been fascinated with science, nature, and being outdoors. As a high school student, he decided to pursue a career in geology, and later earned BS and MS degrees in geology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. As a professional geologist, Stuart spent his career exploring for oil and natural gas deposits across the United States. He retired to Vermont in 2010 so that he could be close to his children and grandchildren. Stuart loves everything about earth science and, of course, has an extensive collection of minerals, fossils and gems. He enjoys reading about and studying the geological history of New York and New England.

We look forward to having Stuart as a Guest Instructor for Catamount Kids!

Click Here to see a short description of Mr. Strife’s November 2013 class.

Fall is Here!

Learning about Microorganisms using Apples

For our October 2013 Catamount Kids lab, we will bring in some fall themes to our study of microorganisms.

Apple picking is a favorite fall-time activity for many of us. We’re going to do some experiments to learn how microorganisms such as yeast, mold, and bacteria can grow and spoil our food, and what we can do to prevent this from happening.

There will even be some home work associated with this lab, so be ready! The kids will need to do some prep work at home the week before our lab meets. Don’t worry… it’s as simple as putting a piece of an apple in a jar of water!

Welcome to the New Catamount Kids Website!

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We are happy to announce our website has a new look! We aim to make finding information about Catamount Kids as simple as possible and plan on adding a lot of great new things to the website in the coming months like the Catamount Kids store. We encourage you to sign up for our emails at the bottom of the page so that you can stay informed.