STEAM Experience Curriculum

"CSI Gold" was a week-long crime scene investigation themed summer where students acted as both detectives and forensic scientists to solve the mystery of who stole TinkRworks' “golden drone”.

"Wizarding World Adventure" was a week-long Harry Potter themed camp where students were transported into Hogwarts and followed the motto "Magic is cool.  Science is real!"

Rather than being regular kids at a summer camp, the students took on the role of CSI investigators responsible for solving a real case.

The students reviewed suspect profiles and gathered information to determine potential motives for the crime.

Students got to interact with a crime scene that included REAL specimens.  The "suspects" strategically placed their fingerprints and hair follicles within the crime scene to fit the story line, and I also scattered a mystery powder across surfaces, with a threatening note left by the thief that was written with one of the markers in the room.

Outside the crime scene, students could experiment, explore, make mistakes, and ask a bunch of questions. When they went into the crime scene, it was all business; they wore their lab gloves and goggles, and took the responsibility of extracting evidence very seriously. They got to experience firsthand why it is important to study a topic closely and practice skills before completing a task.

Students experimented with green screen videography and special effects to film scenes like they were in scenes of the Harry Potter movies.  They experimented with making their friends "disappear" under an invisibility cloak!

To make the magic feel real, I researched different physical and chemical reactions that produced similar effects as the spells and magic in the movies.  In the picture above, students made "prophecy orbs" by filling plastic ornaments with tonic water and galaxy glitter, and made the tonic water glow under black light while learning about the scientific property of fluorescence.

The students participated in a wizarding tournament, and had to collaborate as a team to use the knowledge they gained during camp to conquer the challenges.  They even learned how to play real-life quidditch! 

For this activity, the students researched what physical/ chemical changes occurred when dissolving different substances in water and vinegar or when in contact with iodine. They also used pH strips to determine whether the substance was acidic or basic.

When the students were equipped with what they needed to know, they went into the crime scene to collect the substance evidence.  They performed the necessary tests to determine the substance's attributes, and then came to a conclusion of what the substance's identity was. They figured out that the substance was a mixture of baking soda and citric acid!

The students discussed possible motivations for the subjects having this substance.  I acted as the head of the detective department, and they had to report to me their findings and reasoning for why the suspects would use baking soda or citric acid, and who seems the most guilty (other evidence included).

Coding in C++ might be tricky, but students were taught the theory behind coding and used a drag-and-drop programming app to control programmable LEDs called neopixels.  They also were introduced to light color mixing, and learned how the primary colors of light are different than the primary colors of paint.

Young children are most likely taught to stay away from fire for safety reasons, so it is always exciting to be able to use fire in experiments.  Students learned the three "ingredients" required for a combustion reaction to occur, and explored the differenced between physical and chemical reactions