Explorations in Vet Science Explorations in Vet Science

Highlights from summer camps offered through Iowa State University Extension and Outreach in Sioux County

Sioux County - Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach is continuing to expand its programs by offering their 4-H based STEM camps to non-4-H members. This summer in Sioux County, 75% of the attendance at the STEM campswere students new to the 4-H programs. Over 90 youth were enrolled in various camps throughout the summer.

Explorations in Vet Science, a cornerstone of the agriculture and natural resources camps, is for youth that love animals and science. This camp was for 4th through 8th grade students. Ben Pullen, Summer Ag and Natural Resources Educator, taught youth through games and hands-on activities. The students explored the basics of animal behavior and health. They spent time at various centers exploring first aid, x-rays, shots, teeth, and animal examination. For the first time thisyear, they participated in a biosecurity activity in response to the recent porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) concerns in the swine industry. They also had an opportunity to visit with a veterinarian about vet science careers.

Next Steps Vet Science is a continuation of the vet science experience. Offered to students who completed the 5th through 8th grade and participated in Explorations in Vet Science, this camp was a study in biology and the systems of the body. The youth built models of each system discussed. They made a heart out of pop bottles for the circulatory system, a lung made of balloons and pop bottles and muscles and bone made out of wood and rubber bands. Discussions followed each model about how it works, what it was representing and how to examine on an animal. The culmination of the camp was a health examination of an animal and then provides a report to the “owner” of the animal.

Next Steps in Vet Science Next Steps in Vet Science

Free Style Stem

Free Style STEM was a day of putting the engineering process into practice. ASK - IMAGINE - PLAN - CREATE - IMPROVE. Youth designed, built and tested sailboats and race cars . Summer STEM Educator, Callie Nordahl, challenged youth to spend their spare time completing electrical circuits with the Snap Circuits kits.

Green Thumb, Dirty Fingers was a K-3 camp that introduced younger children to the 4-H program. In this camp youth explored soil, tended plants and ate fresh produce. This camp encouraged healthy eating habits and interest in science and community involvement through hands-on activities. The camp began by digging in dirt, looking at the composition of different soils and talked about which soils are good for different plants. The children talked about seeds and different types of seeds observing differences and similarities. Participants helped to plant a flower bed in Orange City and a vegetable garden in Rock Valley. They ended the day talking about where food comes from and did an activity called “Rocks to Ice Cream” where they made ice cream in a bag. Summer Educator, Ben Pullen, offered the camps in partnership with the Orange City Parks and Rec Department and the Rock Valley Community School FFA Instructor.

Free Style Stem

Green Thumbs Green Thumbs

NASA STEM camp was a two-day challenge of designing, building and launching 2-litre pop bottle rockets on day one.NADay two took it to the next step and youth designed and built a return capsule for the "eggonaut" astronauts. Everyone was successful in learning but not every "eggonaut" was safely returned to earth. STEM Educator, Callie Nordahl, hosted a Skype session with NASA International Space Station Director, Michael Lammers. What a great opportunity to hear about real-life applications to our NASA STEM expereince.

Advanced Robotics (Gear Tech II) Gear Tech II, taught by Callie Nordahl, Summer STEM Educator, was open to all youth 5th through 9th grade and was held at the Northwest Iowa Community College Campus in Sheldon, IA. This 2-day camp took the youth to the next step in building and programming robots, requiring them to use block programming while integrating sensors and switches into their robot. Working in teams of two, the daily challenges encouraged youth to create more advanced commands in the programming and the students pushed themselves to create programs that worked every time. As in the Gear Tech I program, the students were able to showcase their accomplishments each day to parents and friends. A tour of Rosenboom Machine in Sheldon, gave the youth a look at block programming in a real-life setting.

Nasa Stem Camp

Robotics Camp (Gear Tech I) was a 4-day camp open to all youth grades 4th through 8th grade, led by Callie Nordahl, Summer STEM Educator. This camp taught robotics, global positioning systems (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies through building and programming a robot, navigation and map making activities. This camp utilized the use of Lego® sets with robotic components. The 18 students in the program built simple robots and learned to program for simple commands using block programming. Camp participants worked in groups and had to learn how to communicate using correct verbiage for each piece of the robot that they were building. At the end of each day they were able to showcase their accomplishments to their parents. A tour of Vogel Paints, EZ Liner Division, gave youth a first had look at the real life applicaiton of what they learned.

Robotics 1 Robotics 1

A new camp this year led by Ben Pullen was CSI: Learn to Investigate. This introduction to crime scene investigation gave 1st-3rd graders a chance to experience the tools of the trade of data collection, fingerprinting and more. Orange City Chief of Police, Jim Pottebaum, demonstrated how fingerprints are used in police investigations.

Robotics Camp 2

CSI Learn to investigate

Explore Medicine Camp

For information about camp opportunities and how your child can participate in 4-H, or how you can become a 4-H volunteer, contact Cindy Cleveringa, ISU Extension and Outreach 4-H county youth coordinator in Sioux County, at 712-737-4230 or clever@iastate.edu. Find us on the web at www.extension.iastate.edu or follow us on Facebook, ISU Extension and Outreach Sioux County.

A great partnership with Sioux Center Health made it possible to offer our first Explore Medicine Camp. Eleven youth experienced everything from the ER, patient care, lab, radiology, physical therapy, surgery and nursing home care. Youth learned there are many more opportunities in the field of medicine besides being a doctor or a nurse.