Camp Bioscience: Developing a Biology Summer Camp for Upper Elementary Students

Journal of STEM Outreach. PMB 0367, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, TN 37203. e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://www.jstemoutreach.org/

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14

Summer Programs; Elementary School Students; Biology; Camps; Grade 5; STEM Education; College Faculty; Graduate Students; Science Interests; Outreach Programs; Scientists; Program Effectiveness; Student Attitudes; Student Interests

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Informal outreach programs can provide authentic science experiences for elementary school students, who may not have these experiences in formal school settings. Research indicates that students lose interest in science in middle school, so it's important to reach them early. To address this need, we designed a summer camp focused on exposing children in 5th grade to current research projects being conducted by STEM faculty and graduate students at the university to increase their understanding of science practices and interest in STEM. This paper describes the outreach model focused on authentic science research projects and direct exposure to scientists and their work. We investigated the influence of participating in the camp on students' understanding of the nature of science, and their interest in science. Data collection included pre-and post-student surveys, observation data, and artifacts. Students reported gains in understanding of authentic science practices on the surveys (p = 0.0055), while observation data exhibited a progression of learning throughout the week. Additional data were collected to monitor student engagement with the activities to improve future iterations of the camp as a summer program.

As Provided

2021

EJ1310926