With in-person summer camps and travel plans severely disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Museum of Natural History is offering a range of thought-provoking online summer science camps for children in Grades 2-9.
From the week-long ‘Planetary Power’ camp for those in Grades 2-3 to the two-day ‘Our Place in Space’ camp for students in Grades 7-9, the Museum’s summer camps invite children to explore topics like Earth and space science, biodiversity, and climate change. Each camp- which are taking place in July and August- include connected time for online learning, thought-provoking hands-on investigations, and virtual tours of Museum exhibits. Each day of camp will include:
- Online activities, including virtual hall visits, guest scientist talks, behind-the-scenes tours, and live-animal encounters
- Educator-led discussions and community building
- Offline hands-on science projects, games, and crafts (note that during offline activities, educators will remain available to chat and assist campers)
The following is a listing of summer 2020 summer camp offerings that currently have availability.
Adventures in Science
Grades 2-3
Key to the Kingdoms of Life
Session 1: Monday, July 27–Friday, July 31
Session 2: Monday, August 10- Friday, August 14
10 am-2 pm
$375
Take a tour of the kingdom of living things as we look at the incredible diversity of life on our planet, past, and present. Explore the adaptations that allow life to occupy every corner of Earth, from the deepest seas to the driest deserts.
Planetary Power
Session 1: Monday, August 3–Friday, August 7
Session 2: Monday, August 17–Friday, August 21
10 am-2 pm
$375
The Earth is a dynamic, sometimes unpredictable planet. Explore evidence of how Earth’s forces have shaped our planet, from the deepest ocean trenches to the highest volcanic peaks, then take a trip to space to see how these same forces forged our celestial neighbors.
Grades 4-6
What’s Written in a Rock
Session 1: Monday, July 27–Friday, July 31
Session 2: Monday, August 10- Friday, August 14
10 am-2 pm
$375
Find out how the same forces that forged our planet preserve its past as we dig deep into geologic time and examine evidence of Earth’s dynamism. Explore the intersection of paleontology, geology, and astronomy as we focus on fossils, the rock cycle, and planetary collisions.
Building Biodiversity
Session 1: Monday, August 3–Friday, August 7
Session 2: Monday, August 17–Friday, August 21
10 am-2 pm
$375
Every organism on Earth is related—from carnivorous plants and metamorphosing insects to fungi spores and the towering Tyrannosaurus rex—even you! Follow the thread that connects all living things as we celebrate biodiversity and investigate how biologists build our understanding of the tree of life.
Middle School Institutes
Grades 6-8
Coding Climate Change
Session 1: Tuesday, August 4-Thursday, August 13
Session 2: Tuesday, August 18-Thursday, August 27
9:30 am-12:30 pm
$500
No prior coding experience is necessary! Global temperatures this past decade have been the hottest ever recorded. As our planet continues to warm, climate scientists are analyzing datasets and building computer models to understand which factors are driving the climate change we observe. Coding Climate Change explores the intersection of climate science and computer science, and students will acquire skills in the popular coding language Python as a means for interpreting NASA Earth Observatory climate data. This camp will also look at how human activity and the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic might also affect our complex climate system.
Grades 7-9
Our Place in Space
Tuesday, September 1 (10 am-3 pm)- Wednesday September 2 (10 am- 1 pm)
$175
Discover the planets, moons, and other objects that make up our solar system like you’ve never seen them before! Using our planetarium software OpenSpace, students will voyage through the cosmos to visualize real NASA mission data to view Martian landscapes, the moons of Jupiter, and much more. We’ll also highlight specific spacecraft that provide the data and set the stage for the future of space exploration.
