Week 2-4: ESC Credit Recovery and Enrichment Summer Camp Activities

Meghan Thoreau, OSU Extension Educator

Click here or on the image above to watch a short highlight video capturing students’ enrichment activities during their second through forth weeks of summer camp, produced by Meghan Thoreau.

Credit Recovery:

  • Math: Review of algebraic concepts, problem-solving sessions, and assessment preparation.
  • English: Reading comprehension exercises, writing, and literature analysis.
  • Science: Review of biology and chemistry fundamentals.

Week 2 Enrichment Activities:

  • Electric Design Challenge: building electromagnets and experiment with simple circuits and light bulb designs inspired by Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison.

  • Daughter’s and Son’s of the American Revolution: Learning American history and applying it to modern day.

  • LED Display Circuit Boards: understanding how to read electric schematics, build simple circuits using resistors, and construct the wires the right order to program an LED display cube.

  • Jam Making: having fun in the kitchen, gaining some culinary skills by creating delicious homemade jam to impress your friends and family.

Week 3 Enrichment Activities:

  • Mind Trap Design Challenge: student built their own “old school” labyrinth marble maze game. Our version consisted of a maze in the shape of a brain as we learned about mind traps and cognitive distortions and how to overcome them by applying on a different mindset. Students also learned the inner workings and mechanisms of the game itself – how to take the game from gravity fed to incorporating the use of simple cams, fulcrums, pivots and knobs to play the game.

  • Texas Instruments and Coding Challenges: students learned to program a rover using a Texas Instrument calculator through mazes and even write a parallel parking program. Students also explored how to program in sensors to create a working mood ring and learned the science of sound to create a musical note program.

Week 4 Enrichment Activities:

  • Electrical Design Challenge: student built wind powered cars, LED light circuits, and homemade light builds inspired by Benjamin Franklin designs.

  • 3D Modeling & Printing Challenge: student built wind powered cars, LED light circuits, and homemade light builds inspired by Benjamin Franklin designs.

  • Paper Speaking Electromagnet Build: students learn more about the science of sound, but understanding how loudspeakers or microphones are used to produce sound waves via electrical devices such as music systems or telephones or to convert sound waves into electrical signals. In the case of microphones, sound brings about voltage changes, thus allowing sound waves to be converted into electromagnetic waves.

This opportunity was brought to our community by the Pickaway County Educational Service Center, sponsored by the 21st Century Partner Program, which offers a unique blend of academic support, enriching experiences, and a credentialing opportunity to help students thrive. The camp experience is designed for grades 8th -12th graders enrolled in any Pickaway County Local School District.