Summer Space-Camp for Primary and Secondary School children
- Paper number
IAC-07-E1.1.03
- Author
Mrs. Alejandra Moral Dueñas, ESIC, Spain
- Year
2007
- Abstract
This paper presents a set of activities for performing a summer camp for primary and secondary school children focused in science and, mainly, in space. It is envisaged for 50 students during a fifteen days period in a warm region during summer such as Alicante, Valencia or Barcelona. Activities are developed outdoor forming teams of children with different objectives for each team. Amateur astronomical observatories will sponsor the camp by providing their facilities. Science activities are carried out in a very hands-on way, adding interest and mystery so that the students do not have the feeling of being studying. One of the most important achievements is to teach the students how important is science and how important is the study of space, answering in a very practical way question such as how the world is created, why we know it, how satellites work, why communications between opposite sides of the world can exist or simply the use of the GPS. Another goal of the camp consists in showing the current applications of space. The camp intends to make scientists like Copernico or Galileo become modern people for the students. Of course, not only science is the scope of the camp, but to inculcate other values such as team working, solidarity or multiculturalism. This summer space-camp is being under consideration for its first implementation during the following summer. We should take into account that our today children will manage the world tomorrow, and therefore, it is our duty to promote new generation of scientists, enthusiastic, open minded and good people.
- Abstract document