Program Dates and Activities

April 9, 2011 Water: from molecule to landscape: Work with content specialists to discover the physical and chemical properties of water that enable it to move through life and earth systems, making Earth the blue planet. Creative lessons will teach about water as a precious natural resource, its integral role in human development through time, and water resources management.
May 7, 2011 Water resources from space: Apply a systems approach to understanding water on different scales of time and space through inquiry-based activities. What do we need to know to reduce water use at our schools? What if we were advising Tucson Water? What if we were managing operations at Hoover Dam? Use remote sensing views of the Southwest US and explore what you can learn from space. Try on different "glasses" (sensors) to see how scientists use multiple perspectives to study water resources and a variety of other environmental issues on varying scales of time and space.
June 13 - 16, 2011 Experience the Colorado River: Let the Colorado River and our expert guides teach you about the fascinating connections between this waterway and life in the Southwest on a 4-day canoe/camping trip in Black Canyon, near Hoover Dam. Departs from/returns to Tucson, AZ. More information about this trip is provided below.
June 20 - 23, 2011 Unit and Exhibit Design Workshop: Design and plan for a year of classroom activities or after-school Earth Club adventures in environmental science, technology, career exploration and service learning. Explore and develop resources to help students connect their own experiences with multiple perspectives visible from space. Develop digital exhibits and posters telling important stories from the perspective of space for your classroom and beyond!
August 27, 2011 Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Teacher Appreciation Night (Free admission for teachers and a guest) (Optional): Join the group for a one-hour meeting to submit your revised implementation plan, ask any questions, and share good ideas, then enjoy the Desert Museum for Saturday Summer Evening with your family or other guests.
August, 2011 - April, 2012 Implementation: During this time, you'll implement Earth Camp activities in your classroom and, for an additional stipend, you can facilitate an after-school "Earth Club" at your school or other community site. In both cases, four to five lessons, or four to five club meetings will constitute the core of your instructional commitment for the year. Lessons can be a full unit or supplement existing curriculum. Club or classroom activities might include school water audits, analysis of remote sensing data and space-based photography related to local water resources, or developing teaching activities for community festivals, such as Earth Day.
October 21 - 22, 2011 Participate in Saguaro National Park's BioBlitz (Optional): A BioBlitz is a 24-hour event in which teams of volunteer scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to find and identify as many species of plants, animals, microbes, fungi, and other organisms as possible. We'll provide transportation and training for you and some of your students to participate in this community-wide event.
November 5, 2011 Implementation Workshop: Compare notes with your colleagues and share applications and lessons learned from early implementation efforts. The Earth Camp team will present additional image resources focused on water from a broader regional perspective.
April 2012 (Date tbd) "Power of Perspective" Exhibit Opening: Present your classroom and Earth Club activities in a reunion with your Earth Camp Educator team. Enjoy your exhibit posters and new digital kiosk.