News
BELLEAIR
Mention smoke and mirrors, and people often think of magic. Not the participants of the Mad Science Camp, where smoke and mirrors turned the science behind what makes a camera click into child's play. Fun facts and science brought together 11 students ages 6 to 9 who enrolled in the Belleair Recreation Department's Mad Science Camp, which ran Monday through Thursday at Dimmitt Community Center.
Wednesday and Thursday mornings were all about photography, with Wednesday devoted to light.
Each fun fact, game and experiment would lead to understanding how light could be captured, bent and bounced to create photography. Mad Science instructor Sarah Weatherbee, a.k.a. Bionic Bee, had the students try on 3-D glasses that turned light into red and blue streaks. Then they learned how the grooved surface of a CD refracts or deflects light.
"You can see rainbows," said Carter McAllister, 9, of Belleair. "That's cool."
Tuesday through Thursday mornings began with take-home session projects. Wednesday the children made kaleidoscopes using film canisters, colorful beads and cell slides usually found in a laboratory. The result: learning how light is manipulated in photography and a toy.
"Take-home projects allow a child to continue the exploration of science at home," said Weatherbee, 27, of St. Petersburg.
Gina Huckaby, 9, of Belleair Beach was happy to recite what she had learned about the light waves, but happier to bring home her project.
"I had another kaleidoscope, but it broke," Gina said. "This is super fun. I have a new kaleidoscope I made myself."
While the morning sessions focused on photography, afternoons were dedicated to learning about the body. Lynn Al, a.k.a., Lunatic Lynn, who guides students down the Mad Science Organ Trail, arrived with interactive lessons prepared and a brain-shaped mold of green Jell-O.
"I use Jell-O Jigglers and add sand and potato flakes," said Al, 41, of Madeira Beach. "When it sets up, it feels like brain matter and helps students understand why we have a skull."
Whether learning about the brain or light absorption, fun was foremost.
After a snack, Weatherbee clicked off the lights. A machine puffed smoke to help illuminate light rays peeking through holes in the red playroom mats acting as window shades.
"What makes light curve?" Weatherbee asked. "Right, a light beam never stops bouncing. It keeps going unless you catch and bounce it."
All 11 children rushed toward the sunbeams holding small mirrors.
Grayson Hinrichs, 6, of Belleair captured a beam. "Someone catch my beam," he said.
Carter caught it.
Gina caught a beam, too. She bounced it to the ceiling, changed her mirror's angle and hunkered near the floor.
Suddenly three children stayed very still. They had created a light chain, and everyone learned how a camera's mirrors focus light.
The children filed into groups to examine six concave and convex lenses, another step in the fun-filled two days that would culminate in creating their own take-home camera.
Grace Ruppel, 6, of Clearwater Beach held one to her eye. "Light has particles in it," she said.
Across the room, Gina peered through a lens, too. When she set it down, she shook her head.
"I didn't know there were so many lenses," she said. "I've seen eyeglasses before and thought there were only two."
On Thursday, the children built their own cameras and developed film. Then they worked in a darkroom and watched their photographs seemingly appear magically. But these children knew better. They had lots of fun, but learned the science behind the lenses, prisms, light and the smoke and mirrors.
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