Happy first day of fall!  We love to celebrate all of the seasons with science.  In this blog, you'll find instructions for how to write a letter in invisible ink, make art (using science), and make some delicious fall treats!

Secret Messages With Invisible Ink
Materials:
Cardstock
Measuring spoons
3 cups or small bowls
Spoon
Q-tips or a brush
Old newspaper or cardboard
Paper towels
For method 1: Water, lemon, and an iron
For method 2: Baking soda, water, turmeric and rubbing alcohol

Method 1:
1. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a bowl.
2. Add half a teaspoon of water to the lemon juice and mix it.
3. Dip a Q-tip into the lemon juice solution.
4. Use the wet Q-tip to write your message on cardstock.  Rewet the Q-tip if necessary.  Be careful not to soak the paper.
5. Let the paper dry completely.
6. Set the iron to high.  Run the iron over the paper and watch your message appear!

Method 2:
1. Mix 1 tablespoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water in a bowl.
2. In a different bowl, mix 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric with 3 tablespoons of rubbing alcohol.
3. Dip a Q-tip into the baking soda solution.
4. Use the wet Q-tip to write your message on cardstock.  Rewet the Q-tip if necessary.  Be careful not to soak the paper.
5. Let the paper dry completely.  If there is baking soda residue on the paper, remove it with a paper towel.
6. Dip a Q-tip or brush into the turmeric solution.  Paint the whole paper with the turmeric solution and watch your message appear!

Marbled Cards
Materials:
Two large plates
Shaving cream
Liquid food coloring (at least two different colors)
White printer paper or cardstock
Scissors
Spoon
Toothpick
Jumbo craft stick
Paper towels
Spray bottle
Water

Method:
1. Place the two plates next to each other.
2. Cut two letter-sized pieces of paper in half crosswise.  Then fold each in half, creating four cards.
3. Put shaving cream on the two plates and spread it around with your hands.  Create a layer with an area at least as large as your paper card and about half an inch thick.
4. Drop several drops of the first color of food coloring onto the shaving cream on both plates.  Repeat with any other colors you are using.
5. With the toothpick, gently swirl the colors in the shaving cream until you have created a design that you like.  Try not to overmix.
6. Use the spray bottle to spray water on top of the color pattern on one of the plates.  Use 5-10 pumps of water.  Allow the foam to sit for one minute.
7. Place your first card with the front facing down on top of the shaving cream design and press it gently so that the whole card is covered in shaving cream.
8. Repeat the process with the other card and plate.
9. Remove the cards from the shaving cream.  Scrape any remaining shaving cream from the cards using the craft stick or a paper towel.
10.  Let the cards dry.

Toffee Apples
(Caution: Boiling sugar is HOT!!!)
Ingredients:
8 large Granny Smith apples
3 cups of caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1/3 cup of water
1/4 cup of liquid glucose (or light corn syrup)
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
red food coloring

Directions:
1. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Wash the apples, remove the stems, and dry well.  Push in a thick skewer or popsicle stick.
3. Add the sugar, water, glucose, and vinegar to a large, heavy-based saucepan.  Cook over very low heat stirring constantly until the sugar completely dissolves.
4. Bring the syrup to a boil and put a candy thermometer on the side of the pan.  Boil until the mixture is at the hard crack stage (302 degrees F).  Use a pastry brush with a little water on it to brush down any sugar crystals that form on the sides.
5. Remove the pan from the heat and mix the food coloring in.  Let the bubbles subside.
6.  Carefully tip the saucepan on an angle and dip the apples, turning them a few times to coat them well.
7.  Cool the apples on the prepared baking sheet.
​
Spiced Apple Cider
Materials:
10 Apples
Spices-cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg, and cardamon
Stove
Muslin cloth
Potato masher
Bowl

Directions:
1. Core the apples and cut into large chunks.
2. Place apple chunks in a large pot.  Cover with water and add a selection of spices.
3. Heat until the water starts to boil.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Use the potato masher to thoroughly squish the apples.
5. Place the muslin cloth over the bowl and carefully pour the apple mixture over the top.  The apple juice will drip through the muslin, leaving the pulp behind.
6. Gather up the ends of the muslin and squeeze the pulp over the bowl to extract all of the juice.
7. Discard the pulp and enjoy your cider!

When Yuri Gagarin, the first man to orbit the Earth, was on his way to the launchpad in 1961, he realized he was about to go into space with a full bladder.  So the bus made a quick pit stop so that he could get out and pee on the tire.  Ever since then, it's tradition for every space traveler flying from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan to pee on the tire on their way to a launch.  You might consider this to be the first astronaut superstition, but it's hardly the last.

Before every launch from the Kennedy Space Center, astronauts eat a meal of steak, eggs, and cake, no matter the hour.  There is also a tradition of playing poker until the commander loses.  Astronauts typically bring a stuffed animal on their flight with them as well.  Not only is it considered lucky, but the fluffy little guys are a safe way to signal that gravity has shifted when they start floating around the cabin.

Other people involved in launches have their own traditions and superstitions.  Launchpad engineers believe it is bad luck for astronauts to see the rocket before launch day, and will go to great lengths to make sure it doesn't happen.  Before every mission, NASA engineers design a poster of the crew modeled after a favorite sci-fi movie.

Some astronauts lately have even taken to carrying a towel with them for good luck.  Whatever the superstition, just remember: don't panic!

Auroras, also known as the northern lights, are a visual display of an intricate dance of particles and magnetism between the Sun and the Earth.  Also known as space weather, auroras are colorful and dynamic.  They can occur when energetic particles from the Sun collide with atoms and molecules in the atmosphere. 

One thing that we've noticed about STAR Campers is that they are very interested in space.  In fact, several have dreams of becoming astronauts someday.  How does one do that?  NASA can be pretty particular when they are choosing candidates, so, to get you started, here are the current requirements for astronaut selection:

1. Be a U.S. citizen.
2. Have a master's degree* in a STEM field, including engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics, from an accredited institution.
3. Have a minimum of three years of related professional experience obtained after degree completion (or 1,000 Pilot-in-Command hours with at least 850 of those hours in high performance jet aircraft for pilots).  For medical doctors, time in residency can count towards experience.
4. Be able to successfully complete the NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical.

*The master's degree requirement may also be met by:

• Two years of work towards a doctoral program in a related science, technology, engineering, or math field.
• Completed Doctor of Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, or related medical degree
• Completion of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.

As we travel further and take on bigger exploration activities, we hope to someday see STAR Campers in space!

Did you know that all NASA astronauts are scientists?  Even astronauts who are trained as pilots contribute to the scientific research done in space.  Scientists use the scientific method in their research.  The scientific method is a process for experimentation that is used to explore observations and answer questions.  While not every area of science follows the scientific method exactly (because some areas of science are more easily tested than others), understanding the steps of the scientific method helps scientists to focus their questions and work through their observations and data.

Steps of the Scientific Method
1. Ask a question
The scientific method starts when you ask a question about something you observe.

2. Do background research
Chances are you don't have to start all the way from scratch to find an answer to your question.  Get online or to the library and search for what other people have learned about your question.

3. Construct a hypothesis
A hypothesis is an educated guess about how things work.  For this step, use what you already know to answer your question with an explanation that can be tested.  A good hypothesis allows you to make a prediction.

4. Test your hypothesis
Your experiment tests whether or not your hypothesis is correct.  It is important that your experiment be a fair test.  You conduct a fair test by only changing one factor at a time while keeping all the other factors the same.  You should repeat experiments several times to make sure your results are consistent.

5. Analyze your data and draw a conclusion
Once your experiment is complete, collect your data and see if it supports your hypothesis.  Often, scientists find that their hypothesis was not correct.  This is still valuable data!  When this happens, they communicate their results and then construct a new hypothesis and start the process over again.

6. Communicate your results
If you are working on a science project for school, you communicate your results with a display at the science fair or by submitting a final report to your teacher.  Professional scientists publish their results in scientific journals or present their findings at scientific meetings.  Sharing the results of your experiments helps other scientists who are interested in finding answers to their questions!

There are some commonly held beliefs about space that simply aren't true!  We're here to set the record straight.

Myth: The sun is burning.
Fire needs three things: fuel, heat, and oxygen.  The sun has plenty of fuel, as it is composed of mostly hydrogen and helium gases.  It also generates an enormous amount of heat energy.  But it's missing the third necessary factor to create fire: there is no oxygen in space!

Instead, the sun produces heat and light through a process called thermonuclear fusion.  Inside the star, hydrogen atoms collide at high speeds, allowing their nuclei to fuse together.  This creates helium and releases huge amounts of energy in the form of gamma-ray radiation!

Myth: The asteroid belt is dangerous.
It's true that there is a lot of rock in the area of space known as the asteroid belt.  It contains over 3,000 minor planets and more than 750,000 separate asteroids!  However, it is relatively easy to navigate a spacecraft through this rocky area.  The asteroid belt covers an area that is approximately 140 million miles across.  The average amount of space between each object is about 600,000 miles.  This all means that, despite how it's depicted in science fiction, the asteroid belt is still relatively empty!

Myth: The Great Wall of China can be seen from space.
We're actually a little sorry to debunk this one because it's such a fun idea.  At 13,171 miles long, the Great Wall of China is the longest man-made structure on Earth.  It's long, but it is not wide, and it is made of materials that blend well with surrounding terrain.  In low-Earth orbit, the wall is easy to pick out using radar, but it is, unfortunately, invisible to the naked eye.

Myth: Saturn is the only ringed planet in the solar system.
When you think of a planet with rings, Saturn undoubtedly comes to mind.  The gas giant has seven main rings, and they are visible from Earth with the aid of a telescope.  However, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune also have rings.  They are much thinner and less visible from Earth.  Their existence was confirmed by the Voyager flyby missions in the 1970s and 1980s.

Myth: Meteorites are hot.
As meteorites pass through Earth's atmosphere, the outside of them becomes so hot that the surface rock begins to melt.  That heat is all on the outside though.  Much like searing a steak, the outside gets hot, but the inside remains cool.  By the time a meteorite impacts the Earth, it is likely only mildly warm to the touch.

And finally,
Myth: We would explode in space without a spacesuit.
We are adapted to the pressure of Earth's atmosphere, and without this water in our tissue begins to evaporate and the body starts to swell.  This doesn't lead to an explosion though, because human skin is super stretchy!  What does happen is that after about ten seconds of exposure to space, a person becomes unconscious.

What are your favorite space myths?  Bust them for us in the comments!

As we get into the last few weeks before school starts back up again, here are some fun science activities you can do outside to get the learning gears moving again.

See how effective sunscreen is
Supplies:
Sunscreen spray
Sunscreen lotion
Black construction paper
Paint brush
Person-shaped cookie cutter

Process:
1. Put the person-shaped cookie cutter on the left side of the construction paper.  Spray the paper inside of the cookie cutter with the sunscreen spray.
2. Put the person-shaped cookie cutter on the right side of the construction paper.  Apply the sunscreen lotion to the paper inside of the cookie cutter using the paint brush.
3. Leave the construction paper outside in the sun for four hours.
4. Observe what happened to the paper.  The space that hasn't been sunscreened will likely have faded in the sun.  Which was more effective?  The spray or the lotion?

Observe plant transpiration
Transpiration is the process of water moving through a plant and evaporating from its leaves, stems and flowers.
Supplies:
1 clear plastic bag (sandwich or quart sized)
1 rubber band or twist tie
A leafy branch on a living tree or shrub
Sunny weather

Process:
1. Find a healthy, leafy branch on a tree or shrub.  The bigger and greener the leaf, the better!
2. Cover the leaf.  Put the plastic bag around a leaf or a small group of leaves.  Gently gather the bag around the stem or branch and secure it tightly with the rubber band.  Make sure it is sealed so no air escapes.
3. Observe.  Within a few minutes, you may begin to see fog or tiny droplets forming on the inside of the bag. 
4. Leave the bag for a few hours or overnight.  When you return, you will likely see visible water droplets on the inside--sometimes even small puddles!

Make your own bubble solution
Supplies: 
1 large cup
1 spoon
Bubble wands
1 container with lid (optional)
1/2 cup of dish soap
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar

Process:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of dish soap into a large cup.
2. Add 1 1/2 cup of water to the dish soap in the cup.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of sugar.
4. Gently stir the mixture.
5. Go outside and blow bubbles!
6. If you have bubble solution left, store it in a container with a lid.

Campers past and present, we want to see your STAR Camp photo memories.  If you were a camper when we were still Astro Camp, we want those too!  We would love to feature your memories on our social media accounts.  If there's a story that goes with your pictures, we want that too!

To get the ball rolling, here is a picture of me, DSSF social media manager Faith Alvarez, as a wee camper back in the early 2000s:

I'm the one with the glasses and pigtails.

Now it's your turn!

You ask, we answer!  And if it's a question about summer camps, chances are, someone else has been wondering the same thing.  We do have a section on our camp page to answer frequently asked questions that you can find right under the registration buttons.  And, for your convenience, since you have already found your way to this blog post, we will answer them here as well.

Where is camp being held?
DSSF has partnered with Utah Military Academy and DaVinci Academy of Science and the Arts. Spring Break camps will be held at the DaVinci Flex campus in Kaysville (858 W 350 N, Kaysville, UT). All summer camps will be held at UMA in Riverdale (5120 S 1050 W, Riverdale, UT).

Where do campers sleep?
STAR Camp will use 4-5 rooms for camper dorms. These rooms are regular classrooms during the school year. Campers will be sleeping on air mattresses  or cots in these rooms, provided by STAR Camp. The number of dorm rooms will depend on enrollment for each camp, with 4-12 campers in each dorm. At registration, campers should select a dorm: Girls, Boys, Mixed Gender. If choosing a gender-specific dorm, we kindly request that you select the dorm of your child's gender assigned at birth.
STAR Camp participants should remember that while we invite and encourage you to stay overnight, this aspect of camp is optional. A camper will not miss out on any activities if they choose to go home at night. The decision to stay overnight or be picked up at the end of each day is reversible at any time, through clear communication between parents and the STAR Camp directors.

Are there showers?
YES. Utah Military Academy has three individual showers in the boys' locker room, and three in the girls'. We arrange a shower schedule at each camp, so every camper has an opportunity to shower most days if they wish. We encourage all campers to shower at least once while at camps that are four days or longer.

Where and what do campers eat?
Campers will eat in the UMA cafeteria. All meals while at camp are provided (except for Junior Astronauts Day Camp). The menu is subject to change at any time, but will generally follow this schedule: 

• Day 1: Lunch--uncrustables; dinner--pizza
• Day 2: Breakfast--sausage on a stick, fruit, yogurt; Lunch--lasagna; dinner--sub sandwiches
• Day 3: Breakfast--french toast sticks; Lunch--mac and cheese; dinner--Potato bar
• Day 4: Breakfast--cereal; Lunch--chicken nuggets

Accommodations cannot generally be made for special dietary restrictions. Please email [email protected] with specific menu questions. 

Will friends and family be put on the same team?
Because of the wide variety of students attending camp we cannot guarantee friends and family members will be put on the same team. Our long experience has shown that it is beneficial if a camper gets to know new people. Each camper will have the opportunity to interact with students from across the country and make new friends. Campers will have the opportunity to submit a dorm mate request when camp packets are mailed in May, and requests will be granted to the best of our ability.

What if my child has special dietary needs?
Each student is required to fill out a simple medical form during registration. Please list any food allergies on this form so we can keep our kitchen and cafeteria safe for all campers. If your child requires special meal accommodations, please contact the camp director at least two weeks ahead of camp.

What if my child needs to take medication while at camp?
Utah State Law prohibits us from dispensing medication of any type to campers. Any prescribed or over the counter drugs must be sent with the student to camp. You will need to list all medications sent with the student on the medical form along with the dosage information. We can remind the student to take their meds at the parents’ request, but they must self administer them. If medication requires refrigeration, please let us know and we can take care of that. Because our days can sometimes be very long, it is advisable that parents send a small supply of over the counter headache or stomach ache medicine (e.g. Ibuprofen, Pepto Bismol tablets, etc.).

How can I contact my child during camp?
Campers will have the opportunity to call or text before breakfast and before lights out. If your camper does not have a cell phone, they may borrow a director’s phone during these times for a few minutes to make a phone call (no texting). Cell phones must be stored in suitcases during daytime hours. If you need to contact your child at any other time, you must call or text the camp number: 801-917-4829

How well are the campers supervised?
The director, Annika Jensen, and 5-7 other staff members stay on site 24 hours a day while camp is in session. Annika’s husband, Ryan, is on site at night to provide extra security and supervision. We have tried very hard to set up a program that we, being parents ourselves, would feel comfortable sending our own children to. 

Can my child attend more than one camp in a summer?
Absolutely! We have many campers who spend multiple weeks with us each year and we love it! A discount is automatically applied at checkout when you have multiple camps in your cart. 

Are discounts available?
We work very hard to keep tuition as low as possible for all campers, and never want the cost to be the reason a child can't attend STAR Camp. Families who are registering multiple children for overnight camps will receive a 10% discount for each subsequent child. The children do not need to attend the same camps.  You must register all children at the same time to receive the discounts. Contact us if you are adding children at a later date. 

​Who can attend the graduation ceremony?
We encourage all immediate family and grandparents to attend camp graduations! 

What should my child pack for camp?
Packing lists for camp will be sent with the complete camp packet in May.

We hope you're as excited for camp as we are!  See you all soon!

We did it!  We all made it through another school year!  As we all know, the end of the school year is for fun and celebration.  In that spirit, we've gathered a few fun (and science-y) activities you can do with your class or at home.  Enjoy!

Bubble Geometery
Materials
Four pipe cleaners
Strong bubble mix
Deep bucket
Somewhere you can get wet!

Process
1. Make a cube out of your pipe cleaners.

• Fold two of the pipe cleaners separately into squares. 
• Cut one of the remaining pipe cleaners into three parts.
• Wind each of the cut pieces into the corners of the square pipe cleaners.  Connect the two squares together using the smaller pipe cleaner pieces.
• Use the final pipe cleaner to complete the cube, leaving a small amount hanging off of the cube to use as a handle.

2. Carefully pour the bubble mix down the side of the bucket to avoid making small bubbles.
3. Dip the cube into the bucket and carefully withdraw it a few times.  Can you make a cube shaped bubble form on the inside of the frame?
4. If you have more pipe cleaners, try again with other 3-D shapes!

Fizzy Lemonade
Materials
Lemons
Sugar
Baking Soda
Water

Process
1. Boil a couple of cups of water on the stove.
2. Add two tablespoons of sugar per cup and stir to dissolve.  Let the mixture cool.
3. Squeeze lemon juice into cups.  It takes about one lemon per glass of lemonade.
4. Add the sugar water to the cups with lemon juice.
5. Add 1/4 tsp of baking soda to the lemonade.  Enjoy your fizzy lemonade!

Homemade Sundial
What you need
1 paper plate (or a circle cut out of cardstock or cardboard)
1 straw (or a pencil, chopstick or skewer)
1 pointed object (like a sharpened pencil)
Rocks (optional)
Sidewalk chalk (optional)
Compass (optional)

Process
1. Use a pointed object, like a sharpened pencil, to carefully poke a hole through the center of a paper plate. If you don’t have a paper plate, you can cut out an 8-inch-diameter circle on a piece of thick cardstock.
2. Place the straw or pencil in the hole you made.
3. Write the number 12 at the edge of your sundial for 12 p.m. (noon).
4. Take your sundial outside to a sunny spot that doesn't get shady shortly before noon.
5. Rotate your sundial until the straw's shadow aligns with the number 12.  Your sundial will now look like a clock!
6. Slightly angle the straw or pencil in the direction of the shadow so it points north.  (Use your compass to confirm the direction.)
7. Secure your sundial in place using rocks.
8. Return in an hour and check the position of the shadow.  Has it moved?  Write the number 1 at the edge of the plate where you see the shadow.
9.  Continue to record data on the edge of your plate each hour.