Hi everyone! I had a really successful summer camp and I though I'd share it.

I used another camp I found on Waygook for the foundation (I forget which user, but thank you!) and expanded it to a two week camp with a workbook. The post should include the ppts, workbook files, and materials.

The camp was set as 10 1.5 hour periods (2 weeks)

The workbook is included as a pdf and ppt in case you need to make any changes. To print the workbook you will have to do some experimenting with your printer as far as double sided and getting the pages to print in the proper order but it IS possible (and well worth it).

Make sure you go through all of the presentations beforehand because there may be some formatting issues since I was using 2 different versions of ppt.

***Please take time to read the lesson plan because there are some important notes I added after the camp (in red text).

Have fun!!!

Great base for my winter camp bro!!! If you are ever in Gangnam, I'll grab you a beer or 3

Especially with all the Interstellar hype nowadays, this camp is perfect and so incredibly well put together. I'll be using some of it for my winter camp this year, thank you so so much for sharing!!! 

 thank you very much!

I'm in a middle school, but I can easily adapt it for a higher level.
Thanks alot.

wow dude!!! only in the 2nd PPT and really impressed...great job and thanks so much :)

Yo guys it's Backstreet Boys - Larger Than Life

Hey guys! Thanks for all the great compliments and feedback. To answer some questions:

I had the students colour the planets with crayon/marker/pencil crayon and then helped them tape the planets to the cardboard circle. Most of the students looked at the pictures of the planets in the booklet to help them colour. (My booklets were colour printed!)
**As a tip, I made a template for the placement of the planets on the cardboard circles and gave the students their cardboard with a dot and planet name beside each one.
1) Cut out one cardboard circle to use as the template.
2) Draw a spiral starting from the center and working outward. (The sun will sit at the start of the spiral)
3) Draw 8 dots strategically spaced so none of the planets are too far from each other or clustered in a small area. (I know this is not scientifically accurate but it makes for a more balanced finished product)
4) Write the planet name beside each dot (Mercury being closest to the center and Neptune closest to the edge.
5) Use a knife to poke/drill a small hole on each dot.
6) Put the template on top of each cardboard circle and pop the marker through the hole to mark the perfect spot for each planet.
7) Remover the template and write the correct name beside each dot.

It's a bit labor intensive but I found it was totally worth it for the kids to have a better finished product.

For the constellation viewer, the "rotating arm" part was fastened in the middle with a paper fastener and the hole cut out at the end was normally a tight enough fit that the tube just stayed in with a friction fit. Some of my students used scotch tape to hold it in better.

Thank you Tyson.

One more (kind of silly  ) question. What kind of string do you use? I have to tell my co teacher what supplies to order and I never know how to specify when I ask for 'string'.

Haha, any kind of string is fine but if the string is too heavy/thick it looks a bit funny since it takes away the illusion of the planets "floating." I can't say that I know exactly how to describe the proper string. Not thread but not rope? Good luck :)

I hate being repetitive, but seriously awesome job.  You've just made my life a hell of a lot easier.

Agreed. I'm also adapting this material for winter camp. A suggestion to those doing so. Storybots songs about space.