Pacific Science Center Summer Camps with UW Bothell

Grades K-8 | Explore technology, engineering, chemistry, biology and more.

UW Bothell Office of Sponsored Research demonstrates commitment to inspiring the next generation by partnering with Pacific Science Center to bring high quality children’s summer camps to campus. UW Bothell staff and researchers also develop camps for Pacific Science Center to offer at many locations in the Puget Sound area. One camp has a special Bothell twist on art and science: Crows: Caws and Effect, a camp focused on crows and ravens for fourth and fifth graders.

Child with bunny ears looking at computer

Register for Summer Camps at pacsci.org/summer-camps.

Who teaches the camps?

Enthusiastic undergraduate students teach and engage middle school students in a week of summer camp packed with fun and interesting learning experiences. Campers come away with understandings of the bright and promising futures in science and technology that are open to them as well as the confidence to pursue their interests.

Camps developed by UW Bothell Faculty, Staff & Researchers

These camps were developed by UW Bothell staff and researchers and are offered at other locations, not limited to UW Bothell.

VR Hackathon

Grades 6 – 8
Explore the main concepts and development of virtual reality (VR) as you design custom environments. Learn about VR technology, practice Unity3D skills, and reveal the new worlds that exist in your imagination.

Cyber Sleuths

Grades 6 – 8
Data breaches, WiFi hacks, and online security are daily news topics in our digital world. Assume the role of a Cyber Sleuth as you learn to protect your information, encrypt data, and explore the legal and ethical issues surrounding digital hacking.

Java Coding & Video Games

Grades 6 – 8
/* If you wanted to create a video game, where would you start? A programming language is the first step to building your own fun and popular casual games. Create your own digital game using introductory-level Java programming alongside computer science students from UW Bothell. Are you game? */

Crows: Caws and Effect

Grades 4 & 5
Crows and ravens are smart, quirky, and mysterious. UW Bothell is home to thousands of crows that roost on campus every night creating a unique environment for research and creative expression. Crows: Caws and Effect is a week-long exploration that combines science, art and corvids. Learn how crows and ravens communicate using tools to gather food. Study their distinct anatomy, create crow-inspired artwork and discover their meanings in cultures around the globe. How will these clever creatures inspire your curiosity?

Crows: Caws and Effect Curriculum

Monday Outline: Introduction to Crows, Habitat, and Journaling

  • Safety Talk
  • Expectations and Overview of the Week
  • Crows at UW Bothell
  • Differences Between Crows and Ravens
  • Introduction to Nature Journaling
  • New Art Technique! Sketching
  • New Art Technique! Frottage/Leaf Rubbings
  • Wetlands and Restoration Introduction
  • Nature Journaling time at the Boardwalk/UW Campus Wetlands
  • New Art Technique! Watercolors
  • New Art Style! Surrealism and Journal Decoration

Tuesday Outline: Anatomy and Life Cycle of Corvids/Birds

  • Head, Wings and Toes!
    feather watercolor bookmarks
  • Corvid Family Lesson
  • External Crow Anatomy Lesson
  • Crow Anatomy Art Project
  • What do Feathers do? Learn about the three main feather types and drawing
  • Feather Bookmark
  • What’s Inside Counts: Bird Anatomy Compared to Humans
  • Skull Structure Lesson
    picture of a student painting eggs on a picture of an empty nest
  • Skull Drawings
  • Crow Anatomy Group Art Project
  • Nature Walk and Bird Watching
  • Life Cycle of Crows Lesson
  • Chicks and Parents Photo Painting – Mixed Media Lesson

Wednesday Outline: Natural History and Personifying Corvids

  • What are Fossils?
    Native American raven painting
  • Paint Your Own Fossil Bag
  • Personifying Animals Introduction
  • Crow Charades
  • Crow Personality Writing Warm Up (poetry forms)
  • Crow Myths from Around the World
  • Crow-llective Group Feather Collage
  • Corvid Morphology – Interesting Crow Features
  • Personification Artwork – Collage
  • Story Time Writing (short story)
  • Crow and Raven Myth Skits – Prep
  • Crow and Raven Myth Skits – Performance

Thursday Outline: Communication and Intellect

  • Intelligent Animals Check In
  • How Do you Measure intelligence?
  • Memory Puzzle Game
  • Animal Videos: Instinct vs Intellect
  • Caw-munication Lesson – Focus on Dr. Wacker’s research observing how crows communicate on UWB rooftops.
  • Are You Smarter than a Crow? Trivia Game
  • Crow Mask Study – UW researcher Dr. Marzluff discovers crows can pass knowledge onto other crows.
  • Paint Bird Feeder Components for Friday
  • Crow-munication Relay Game, campers use several different forms of communication, besides just speech
  • Art Lesson: Color Theory, Tints, Hues, Shades, and Tones
    pictures of corvids with different food sources (bugs, fast food, etc)
  • Nature Journaling Time

Friday Outline: Watershed and Habitat Awareness

  • Watershed Introduction
  • Nature Walk: Human Effects on Environment
  • Crows and Hunters Game
  • Bird Beak Buffet Introduction: What and How Birds Eat
  • Bird Beak Buffet Activity
  • Finish Bird Feeder
  • Nature Journaling Time/Open Art Time
  • Crow Skits: Good Morning Ameri-caw – Prep
  • Crow Skits: Good Morning Ameri-caw – Performance
    parents are invited to watch!

To read more about crows the UW Bothell campus, visit /about/crows.