2009 Afternoon Exploratory Opportunities

Brain Bowl

What is the only animal (other than humans) that can get leprosy? Do you like trivia? If so, join us for an afternoon of questions and answers. Teams will be formed to answer questions in a game similar to College Bowl and High-Five. Expect an afternoon of challenge and fun!

Bowling

Have a ball bowling in the air-conditioned OSU Memorial Union Basement! Daily fee includes 1 hour of bowling and shoe rental.

Challenging Challenges

Join the fun with friends old and new, stretch your brain, and reach new experiential plateaus with games and group initiatives to get you thinking outside the box. Explore issues of trust, communication, problem solving, cooperation, and creative thinking in a fun and exciting atmosphere.

Cheese Making

Visit the OSU Department of Food Science and Technology, and make your own cheese! Cheese making is an applied science which involves chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology, and engineering. Participants will be making Queso fresco and may take their cheese home with them. Participate in discussion about different types of cheese as well as a cheese tasting.

Chemistry Demonstration

Dr. Richard Nafshun will perform chemistry demonstrations including explosions, chemistry tricks, flames, projectiles, sparks, and an unexpected generation of light.

Chemistry Investigations

A hands-on experience! Students will synthesize and characterize polyvinyl alcohol (slime!).

Dance

Challenge your kinesthetic awareness and improve your spatial reasoning skills by investigating a variety of styles such as hip hop, jazz, contemporary, and swing dance.

Forest Products

Become a bit of a wood scientist and learn about one of the world's most important renewable resources (wood, of course!). Use this knowledge to design, construct, and then break beams of different shapes and sizes. Will your team’s construction support the most weight or will you be responsible for a falling building?

Fun with Felt - 2 days

Express yourself with wool! Create a project such as a small bag or wall hanging.

Game Room

Spend time with your newly made friends, share interests, play chess, checkers, cards, board games, or games you bring.

Geocaching - 2 days

Participate in a 21st century treasure hunt! Learn about GPS technology, using a GPS receiver, and geocaching. Then go out and find caches hidden on campus!

Global Warming at the EPA

Tour the US Department of Energy project on the effects of global climate change on Willamette Valley grassland plants. EPA scientists will share examples of the types of ecological research carried out by the EPA here in Corvallis relating to important environmental issues.

Mosiac Tiles - 2 days

Create a mosaic mirror, picture frame, or stepping stone.

OSU Oceanography Core Lab

Visit OSU's Oceanography Core Lab. See a slide show of oceanographers at work. Examine one of the world's largest collections of sea-floor sediment cores and rocks, and read history recorded in mud! What are foraminifera and why do we study them? Take home your very own foraminifera or a piece of basalt from the deep-ocean floor.

OSU Seed Lab

Seeds sustain our food supply systems so they are critically important for the economy and quality of life in every country around the world. It is important to maintain a continuous supply of good quality seeds. Many scientists and specialized businesses are working constantly in all aspects of seeds all around the world. The OSU Seed Laboratory is an example in Oregon. See how modern science and technologies are being used at the OSU Seed Laboratory to determine seed purity, germination and other quality traits. Visit the Emil Syvney museum of tropical seeds which includes the double coconut, the largest seed in the world.

OSU Student Health Services

Experience a College Health setting where the emphasis is on health promotion and prevention as well as treatment. Hands-on activities will be included in this opportunity.

OSU Veterinary Medicine

Tour the College of Veterinary Medicine facilities.

Outdoor Physical Recreation

The recreation leader will plan outdoor activities and will also ask for suggestions of activities you would like.

Papermaking - 2 days

Learn the ancient art of papermaking! Start with the basic and progress to adding fun embellishments, embossing paper, and more!

Recycled Art - 2 days

Use found items, create a piece of art or sculpture.

Rubber Stamp Art - 2 days

Learn the fun art of rubber stamping! Start with heat embossing and progress to masking techniques. There are so many possibilities.

Scavenger Hunt - OSU Library

See the state, explore the campus, visit the world--all from the OSU Archives. Plan to go through the gates of Flickr, into our great online pictures, and on a virtual scavenger hunt. Join us for some fun!

Segway

Have you ever wondered how people living and working in the big U.S. cities (New York City, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, LA) could help with global warming by using their cars less? The answer is in the new “people mover” called a SEGWAY SCOOTER invented by Dean Kamen. We will find out how it works….and take it for a RIDE!!!!!

Technologies and Methods to Search for Intelligent Life in Our Universe

How we search for exoplanets (planets orbiting other Stars), and how we analyze light and radio signals from these distant places to seek evidence that basic life or intelligent life may be present.

Yoga

Be ready to challenge your kinesthetic awareness and bring your playful side to class! Try different poses (asanas) and hear Sanskrit terms and world music. How long can you balance? Are you brave enough to try up-side-down poses? Learn to calm yourself with breathing techniques.

Excused Early Release

Students may, with prior permission of parents, be excused at 3:10 pm. Specific dates, or all days, may be designated.