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Camp Descriptions
Elementary Camps
Math Explorers (Grades 1-2)
"Grow young learners' knowledge and love of all things mathematical..."
This camp has been offered since 2015 and will be taught by Karen Bonnell.
Instructor: Karen Bonnell
Intended for: Students entering grade 1-2
Dates: June 12-16th, 9 am - noon OR
June 19-23, 9am-noon OR
June 19-23, 1 pm - 4 pm
This camp is designed for our youngest thinkers, students entering first or second grade. This camp will be a smaller group, structured with age-appropriate explorations, including lots of games and hands-on activities. Topics covered will include symmetry, number sense, patterns, and reasoning. We will use books, manipulatives, and challenging puzzles to stretch and grow young learners' knowledge and love of all things mathematical! We will incorporate active movement and snack time as well.
This camp has been offered since 2015. Both morning sessions will be identical sessions for rising first graders; the afternoon session will be geared toward rising second graders and will assume familiarity with standard first grade math curriculum.
Geometry (Grades 2-3)
"'Play' with the relationship between two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes..."
This camp has been offered since 2016 and will be taught by Julie Haskell.
Instructor: Julie Haskell
Intended for: Grades 2-3
Dates:
June 19-23, 9am-noon OR
June 19-23, 1 pm - 4 pm
In this camp, students will “play” with the relationship between two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Students will strengthen their vocabulary and understanding of shapes and spatial relationships through small group explorations, center-based learning, and whole group discussions and projects. Students will use many fun and unique materials to construct their own three-dimensional figures. Students will also play a variety of games that enhance their logic and reasoning skills with geometry and number sense.
Students attending should... be able to name basic two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and understand the difference between two and three-dimensional objects.
See also: Spatial Training Boosts Math Skills
Camp Logic (Grades 4-6)
In this camp, students will experience a playful introduction to the underlying structure of mathematics--deductive reasoning.
Instructor: Rachael Lund
Intended Grades: 4-6
Dates: June 19-23, 9-noon OR 1-4pm.
The content for this camp will be based on the book Camp Logic, by mathematician Mark Saul and mathematics educator Sian Zelbo, which states:
"The games and activities in this book give students an informal and playful introduction to the very nature of mathematics and its underlying structure. Students may be surprised to see that many of the games and puzzles involve very little if any arithmetic, and when they do, the arithmetic is not what makes the puzzle challenging. Rather, the challenge is the reasoning itself. The theme that runs throughout the activities, and in fact throughout the subject of mathematics, is the idea of an “implication,” that new information can be derived from old through a chain of reasoning. While the idea of implication is subtle, and students may be years away from a formal understanding, they can practice and sharpen their intuitions with interesting puzzles, stories, and games. In doing so they will develop some of the same skills that they will be harnessing in learning more traditional mathematical material."
Students attending should... be comfortable with addition and subtraction of multi-digit numbers, and willing to puzzle through new puzzles or games.
Sample problem: If H, E, N, and G represent different digits, and HEN + E = EGG, then what does each letter represent?
This camp has been offered since 2017.
From Zero to Infinity (Grades 4-6)
Instructor: Lisa Armstrong
Intended Grades: 4-6
Dates: June 12th-19th (9am -noon OR 1-4pm)
In this camp, students will explore big numbers with an emphasis on understanding magnitudes. We will visit Spartan Stadium to estimate the number of blades of grass, pop popcorn to estimate the number of kernels which would fill the classroom, and estimate a variety of interesting “big numbers”. We will also play a variety of games to strengthen our math muscles!!
Students attending should... be comfortable with making estimations and beginning multiplication, and have strong number sense.
This camp has been offered since 2013.
Middle School (Grades 6-8)
MathCounts/Problem Solving
Does your middle school student relish a mathematical challenge? Join us for mathematical problems solving using materials from MathCounts, and MaPP. This camp will be taught Christopher Potvin.
Instructor: Christopher Potvin
Intended Grades: 6-8
Dates: June 19-23, 1-4pm
This camp will focus on providing challenging problem solving opportunities for middle school students, based on the national MathCounts competition resources. We will work on all facets of the competition, including working quickly and working as a team. Mathematically, we will learn tips and tricks for solving difficult MathCounts problems in diverse fields such as algebra, geometry and combinatorics. Students can test their readiness for this camp by considering the 2023 MathCounts Chapter Sprint round. The target audience for the camp will be students who can solve perhaps 10 of these problems, but any rising middle schooler interested in MathCounts and/or problem solving techniques is welcome and we will aim to diffferentiate learning so that all students are able to learn and grow.
Math Puzzlers
Does your middle school student relish a mathematical challenge? Join us for mathematical problems solving using materials from MathCounts, and MaPP. This camp will be taught by Christopher Potvin.
Instructor: Christopher Potvin
Intended Grades: 5-7
Dates: June 19-23, 9am-noon
On a popular game show, “Let’s Make a Deal”, host Monty Hall showed you three doors (A,B,C). Behind two were goats and behind the third, a brand new car. After you picked Door A on a hunch, Monty Hall showed you a goat behind Door C. Then, out of grace and generosity, he gave you the option to switch your choice to Door B. Should you switch doors or stay with Door A? This question perplexed the contestants, the public, and educators for many years, but has a simple mathematical solution. If it interests you, come to this camp where we will discover hidden mathematics behind this and many other puzzles and riddles.
There are no particular mathematical prerequisites for this camp, only an appetite for logical thought and a willingness to be hopelessly confused along the way. The target audience will be students who are approximately ages 10-12, but the primary determinant of learning for students of any age will be a willingness to think through challenging and interesting puzzles.