Congo Camp 2010

The suspension bridges the Young Engineers made.

Our Young Engineers continued exploring how important engineering is to the everyday as they made suspension bridges. 

One of the more well-known types of bridges, suspension bridges work with special cords and platforms that hold up parts of the bridge.

To make this bridge, the campers started off with pieces of string and a fake roadway.  Once they had these parts, they then started to connect the strings to various parts of the bridge to lift it up. 

The bridges looked excellent after completion and we are all excited that in only a few decades time we may be driving over our Young Engineers's bridges. 

The Smart Bot Boxes.

The Young Engineers constructed and played with Smart Bots today.  These Bots moved around by a motor inside of a special plastic ball.

You may ask: why are they called smart bots?  Well, when they hit any foreign object they are able to figure out how to move away.

Because of this ability, our Young Engineers started to make a maze through which the smarts bots could navigate.  Each camper added on a leg to the maze to help develop a good route for the smart bots.

All of the campers were excited to get their bot into the maze and see just how well the bot made it through the maze. 

Students using their handmade blenders.

Our Young Engineers had a lego day on this last day of the first week.  After continuing to construct their bridges, each camper then took control of some lego pieces and made machines.

There were multiple machines that were created.  One camper created a "helping hand" which could be extended to grab items, while another camper developed a wind-up lego car.

Two campers actually developed a mechanical blender which they submerged in water to see it work.  These Young Engineers have been enjoying all of the activities they have been doing, and we can't wait to see the constructions they make next week!

The beginning stages of the bridges.

Living near DC, we all know just how important bridges can be to get to and from work, museums, and other sites in our Nation's capital. 

But, as we drive over them, we may forget that Engineers helped to design and construct these magnificent structures.  Our Young Engineers were working on bridges today to see just how to construct effective ones.

Each bridge was made of popsicle sticks and each camper had to plan out exactly the best way to build the bridge.  The designs were reminiscent of traditional bridges and we can't wait until the campers have finished their bridges.

Someday, these Young Engineers may just be building the next bridge to get you to work.

One of the many towers made by our Young Engineers.

In Young Engineers, the campers were constructing towers out of marshmallows, toothpicks, and straws.

This task was not as simple as it seems.  The final tower had to be able to hold up 2 DVDs and 1 VHS for 30 seconds.  The final towers also had to be at least 2 feet high.

All of these young engineers were doing quite well in constructing their towers and they were each patiently attempting to make their tower stand tall.

We can't wait to see the towers once they are completed and holding up the videos!