junior program summer site : conversations : first session



	jordan from massachusetts (7/16) Jordan is a Pioneer day student that loves how Explo makes learning fun. From the science of sound to pinewood derby racing to a little canoeing and kayaking on the side, Jordan sure knows how to have fun Explo-style. Which classes are you taking? I’m taking a science class about sound called, “Whizz, Bang, Boom”, and I’m also taking a pinewood derby class called “Speed Racer”. What have you been doing in “Whizz, Bang, Boom”? We’ve been making instruments and experimenting with them. We’re making guitar type things, and somebody else is making a big flute type thing. What did you use to make your guitar? Wood. Just wood? Well, we also have guitar strings so we’re using those too. What have you been learning in that class? We’re learning about, like, sound waves and echoes, and some other stuff. Echoes keep on going, which is why thunder lasts longer than lightning. For sound waves, we tried to see if we could see what a sound wave looked like by using Slinkys. It looked cool. We also did an experiment with tape on a bowl and some marbles. We put tape on the bowl and used the marbles to see – if we blew hard enough – if the marbles would move. Did they move? Kind of. Tell me about “Speed Racer”. In “Speed Racer” we’re making cars, which we’re almost done with. We painted them, and we’re also putting on all the accessories. We’re making a pinewood derby car that races on a track. Mine looks like a BMW that’s silver and has a window, and it has wood on the side of the window to keep it secure. I painted mine silver, blue, and red for the lights. I put on a windshield and doors. Do you think it’s going to win the race? Probably not, but I know that it’s going to go straight. What have you learned about building a successful pinewood derby car? We learned that if the wheel isn’t straight, then it wouldn’t move well. What do you like about classes at Explo? I like them because they’re fun to learn. We do a lot of experiments in “Whizz, Bang, Boom” and I love doing experiments. What are you taking for your mini-course? I’m taking “canoeing + kayaking” and tennis. Last week in “canoeing + kayaking,” we brought the kayaks to Hopkington State Park and we learned how to flip over the boat when you’re in the water without falling out. It was kind of confusing, but it was fun. Had you ever canoed or kayaked before? I had done it before in activities, but other than that I had never canoed or kayaked before. How is tennis? It’s going well. We’ve been learning about our strokes, like our backhand, our forehand, and volleys. This week we’re learning how to serve. Are you really into tennis? I’m not exactly a big tennis player, but my dad is, so he said I should learn how to play. Cool. Well now you can play it with him. Yeah, maybe. Have you noticed yourself improving? I think I’ve gotten a little bit better, especially with my right hand since I’m a lefty. I was surprised that I could do a backhand. Did you go on any trips last weekend? Yeah, I went to Boulder Morty’s rock climbing. It was good, but it was a little confusing with the rocks. One of the rocks was way up high, and another one of the rocks was way down low, and when I needed to put my right foot on one of them, I couldn’t reach one. There were also little ledge type things, so it was hard to get up on those. It was tricky, but fun. What have been some of your favorite main events? My favorite main event was probably carnival night. We played games, and there was one game that I’m really good at. You had to aim and knock down ball-type things. It was very hard at first, but then I got the hang of it. There I got, like, four tickets. I used the tickets to get a Frisbee and something else. What about your favorite activities? My favorite activity is “Tape-Hands Tuesday,” where you tape your hands together and try to do stuff. It was really fun. I’m going to do it next activity period today. What do you have to do with your hands taped? Well, there was this one time that I drew, kind of, but the picture didn’t come out that well. It was supposed to be like a star type thing, but it just came out as a big blob. At least you didn’t have to try and eat with taped hands! Yeah! What is your favorite part about Explo? My favorite part about Explo is meeting new friends and experiencing new things . . . like learning about sound waves or how to make a pinewood derby car. I also really liked experiencing canoeing and kayaking. Is it easy to make friends here? Yeah. It’s a little easier because everybody is looking for new friends. If someone reading this were thinking about coming to Explo next year, what would you say? I would say that Explo is one of the best summer programs, and I would really recommend it. They make learning fun: you still learn, but it doesn’t feel like it. To me, time here goes by really fast. I really wish that Explo were longer. If Explo were a type of food, what would it be? Probably something really good, something that has sugar in it. Probably ice cream. Explo is fun, like when you make ice cream sundaes. During the final party, Explo has ice cream. There is also cotton candy at carnival night . . . maybe Explo would be cotton candy. more conversations > first session \| second session