Camp Descriptions

Camps for Grades 3-5

To help you and your child choose the best science or math camps for her/him, please read over all of the descriptions. Check aimforthestars.unomaha.edu for dates offered. Most camps are open to children ENTERING grades 4 - 10.  Totally Cool Math & Science Combo is open to 3rd graders. 

Camps with off-campus field trips are marked with a *.  No trips will take place on Mondays.  Fieldtrip explanations will go home with campers on Monday of each week.

Totally Cool Math and Science Combo      

• Cost: $180               
• Offered to Entering 3^rd – 4^th graders

Experience being inside a bubble!  Begin to explore the exciting worlds of Science and Math through sound, light and color!  M&M Math, bubbles, pitch, mirrors and color top the list of activities.  Make tessellation t-shirts!  Solve puzzles and play with time. Play Egyptian Baseball!  Make oobleck and get MESSY!

3D Printing for Tomorrow     New for 2019!

• Cost: $190
• Offered to Entering 4^th - 5^th graders

Campers in this brand new camp will design habitats made for future moon bases; then design the habitats to fit 3D digital standards.  Astronauts are heading to the Moon and Mars; they may use the food storage prototype you design!  Drawing digitally in a 3D program is a highlight of the camp.  Campers will also use various techniques to design and to print in 3D.

Antarctica: Science on Ice!

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Antarctica: the coldest, windiest, driest place on Earth!  Learn about the major Earth systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere and biosphere. Find out what’s with all the ice.  Explore Antarctica!

*Art in Science

• Cost: $185
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Scientists become great artists in Art in Science! Campers work side-by-side with internationally exhibited artist Bart Vargas, who uses unique and weird materials to raise awareness of our environment. Create and mount your own creations based on the works of several artists. Discover the science of shapes and structure in nature.

Astronomical Adventures

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Build and launch a rocket! Learn about planets, stars and moons in the Mallory Kountze Planetarium.  Study solar activity with large telescopes on our rooftop observatory.  Compete in the Great Balloon Race and much more! 

*Earth Science - What Rocks Our Earth

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

If you like to dig for rocks and fossils, this is for you! You will visit Schramm Park for a fossil dig. Discover what geologists do and make a stratigraphic model.  Learn how to identify minerals, create artesian wells and study river systems using the university’s stream table.  Earth Science will really rock you!

EV3 Engineering I

• Cost: $190
• Offered to Entering 4^th - 5^th graders

This camp uses LEGO™ Mindstorms Education EV3 to build, program and test solutions using the EV3 Intelligent brick.  Brainstorming creative solutions to engineering situations using rotation, light, ultrasonic and touch sensors, students practice collaboration and problem solving skills.

EV3 Engineering 1.5   (Must have taken NXT 2 or EV3 Engineering I)

• Cost: $190
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Campers will collaborate with a partner to expand upon experiences in EV3 camps to solve problems encountered in LEGO™ competitions while enjoying new challenges in robotics. 

Get Your Game On!  Strategies of the Mind

• Cost: $175
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Learn or extend your skills in Chess, Checkers, Stratego and other games as you strengthen your problem solving skills.  Play games all day and learn strategies to outwit worthy opponents.  Learn how to THINK TO WIN!

*Physics with Toys

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Learn all about spinning, pulling and pushing!  Investigate a park and your toy box.  Science is everywhere!  You lift you with a giant pulley!  What do butter and simple machines have in common?  A mighty tasty exploration!

*Powering the Future

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 4th – 5^th 

Harness wind, water and solar power using windmills, solar panels and turbines. Find out about giant wind turbines and geothermal energy. Visit an Omaha Public Power District facility! (Conditions permitting)

Practical Math

• Cost: $185
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

The purpose of this camp is to present fun and practical applications for mathematical problem solving and programming using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, online applets, coding and a variety of games. Create and develop a sales plan for your own candy bar. Campers work collaboratively to explore Math creatively.

Sounds of Music

• Cost: $175
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Explore the science of sound, acoustics and instrument construction.  Campers will learn about music classifications: aerophone, membranophone, idiophone and chordophone.  They will create unique instruments inspired by world music. This is new and improved music camp!

Stack It Up! Structural Engineering

• Cost: $190
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Explore a sophisticated interlocking brick system with essential engineering and construction techniques from the Lego Master Builder Academy.  Apply those concepts while learning some basic NXT programming tasks.  Collaborate with partners to create stories about your creations!

The World!

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Choose countries to explore; learn their landscapes, cultures and foods.  Take a “trip” to discover the wilds of the Black Forest, the Great Barrier Reef or maybe the Great Wall of China!  From the Sahara Desert and the Amazon rainforest to the islands of the Galapagos and mysterious Borneo – apply for a passport and travel the world without leaving Omaha! 

Understanding Electricity     New for 2019!

• Cost: $190
• Offered to Entering 4th – 5^th graders

How does electricity work in our house?  Investigate the concepts of energy and electricity using snap circuits, experiments and activities.  An Omaha Public Power District expert will visit to discuss electricity basics.  Put your knowledge to the test and electrify a city using Micro:Bits!

*Weather: A Force of Nature

• Cost: $185
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Forces of Nature can make kids mini meteorologists! Study meteorology and explore hurricanes, tornadoes, hail, rain, snow and on and on! Meet weather forecasters.  Visit the National Weather Service office in Valley.  This camp is for you whatever the weather!

*Wild Side - Biology

• Cost: $185
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

Jump into the Wild Side of Biology!  Study plants, animals and their relationship with the environment.  Learn about the predator/prey cycle, and why it is important to us.  Race beetles!  Study tiny water creatures at a local lake.  Visit Glacier Creek and net some insects!  Build a critter condominium for a tiny critter.  Study living organisms in The Wild Side Biology Camp! 

*Zoology

• Cost: $190
• Offered to Entering 4^th – 5^th graders

In Zoology, we study extreme animals! What makes animals different and unique?  Learn about adaptations, visit the zoo to observe animal adaptations at work, and create an ocean habitat t-shirt.  Have fun with others who love animals!

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 Astronomy

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 6^th – 8^th graders

Explore electromagnetic energy in the Kountze Planetarium! Learn how gravity binds solar systems together or tears them apart. Spend an evening viewing the planets and deep-sky objects through full-size telescopes! Build and launch your own rocket. 

Dynamic Earth

• Cost: $180
• Offered to Entering 6^th – 8^th graders

Investigate the earth and our interactions with it.  Use maps and computers to learn about unique landscapes.  Explore geography with activities such as an afternoon of GEOcaching, building mosaic maps and creating your own island with contour lines.  A Geography Bee rounds out the week!