Busy 4-H Summer
Aly Reed and Alexis Carroll supervise a group of young scientists.
The 4-H program is busily heading toward its major events of the year when the Caribou County Fair kicks off next month. But despite the preparation for a wide range of projects currently being undertaken by 4-H members, the program is still hosting a weekly series of classes throughout the summer. Over the last few weeks, 4-H has featured archery and rifle classes, as well as classes in STEM and other sciences.
Last week, the rifle class groups spent time at the top of the fire station learning their MATS and the rules of the range. MATS stands for Muzzle, Action, Trigger, Safety, and is a pneumonic for remembering the basics of safety in firearms handling. Keeping the muzzle in a safe direction, the action clear, the trigger disengaged when not preparing to fire, and the safety features on were the steps reiterated by 4-H Coordinator Lisa Barfuss to a co-ed group of eager firearms students.
Students who finished the air rifle course qualified to attend the .22 class on the shooting range at the end of this week, which caused no end of excitement among class members.
During the week, students also worked at archery at the Fairgrounds in Grace. Due to excessive heat expected during the scheduled hours later in the afternoon, the class was moved to an early morning session.
At the beginning of this week, the Extension Office hosted a STEM Day Camp with a number of activities. The camp was run by Alexis Carroll (Lexi), and assisted by Alyson Reed. The kids who made their way to the camp were treated to an afternoon of colorful science experiments.
During the course of the day camp, students made “elephant toothpaste,” “magic milk,” and heat-sensitive play-doh. The activities all pointed to some of the interesting chemical reactions that happen in common household items. Magic milk, for instance, involves filling a pie tin with whole milk enough to cover the bottom of the pan, adding different colors of food coloring, and then slowly adding drops of dish soap. The dish soap dissolves the fat molecules in the milk, and the colors create interesting patterns as a result.
Elephant toothpaste explored the interaction between hydrogen peroxide, yeast, and soap in an enclosed bottle, leading to a slow motion volcano
of color.
Each class during the summer is a chance for students to stay engaged with learning, meet with their friends and work on useful skills as they enjoy the summer months.
