Biology Boot Camp

The Bean Life Science Museum's summer camp programs ended with a blast as we rolled out our first ever Biology
Boot Camp! This camp ran Monday through Friday, from 10AM to 3PM. This summer we were able to provide
Biology Boot Camp for two weeks in July. The theme for the camp involved learning about the different types of
living organisms we have on Earth and how we can do our part to help protect them for future generations. This
was done through games, activities, lessons, and field trips. The main living things discussed included reptiles,
amphibians, birds, mammals, fish, plants, and insects.

On Monday, the theme for the day involved reptiles, amphibians and birds. First, the campers learned what makes

something a reptile, and the difference between reptiles and amphibians. The kids learned firsthand how heat
vision in snakes work, how reptiles and amphibians shed their skin, how to protect sea turtle eggs, and how these
animals use camouflage to blend  into their environment. They even got to meet a live snake, frog, and lizard! In
regard to birds, the campers learned how birds fly, what their feathers are used for, and how the differences in bird
beaks are adapted for the different foods they eat. We even had a huge presentation where live parrots, conures,
cockatoos, owls, hawks, and falcons came to visit the kids! Afterwards, they were able to have the unique
opportunity to dissect owl pellets, and take their bone findings home.

On Tuesday, the theme switched to mammals and fish. The campers learned what makes something a mammal,

and what the hair of a mammal is used for. They also learned about the blubber from marine mammals, echolocation
in dolphins and bats, the different groups of mammals, and how their teeth can showcase whether they are an
herbivore, omnivore, or carnivore. They also learned what makes something a fish, and were able to make their
own fish out of clay and craft items! They also learned about fish life cycles, how fish are able to float, and the
different ways they hunt and camouflage themselves. At the end, the campers split up into groups to learn about
a fun fish, put together a poster, and present to the class what they learned.

On Wednesday, the campers were treated to a lesson about plants. They learned what makes something a plant,

the different parts of the plant, why they need photosynthesis to survive, the variations in leaf types, and the need
plants have for pollination. The kids were able to see how xylem and phloem works through a fun experiment
involving flowers, food coloring, highlighters, and black lights. They found out that when a flower soaks up food
coloring or highlighter, it will absorb the color into their petals, and even glow! The kids also took their newfound
knowledge of plants and visited Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, to try to find as many plants as possible.

On Thursday, the theme involved insects. Not only did the campers learn what makes something an insect, they

were also able to see them up close and personal underneath microscopes! They learned what each part of an
insect's body is used for, what food they eat, and how they positively impact our world. The campers had the
opportunity to learn all about ant colonies, and the different jobs each ant has to ensure the survival of their
species. This was reinforced through a game where the campers had to communicate like an ant, and go on a
scavenger hunt to find the "food" they need to survive. Afterwards, they visited Bicentennial Park to catch and
identify as many insects as possible.

Lastly, on Friday, the campers were able to combine all of their knowledge from the previous days, and visit

Hogle Zoo. They had the opportunity to see lions and tigers and bears, oh my! All kidding aside, they were
able to see all of the animals and plants that we had discussed throughout the week up close and personal in
a fun and educational environment.Who knew learning could be so fun?!   

As an extra special treat, during the four days the campers learned about the different types of living things, they

were able to have the unique opportunity to gain V.I.P access to the museum's research collections. The kids
were able to visit with real scientists and researchers to learn why the museum has collections and why they are
important for conservation and protection of each species. All of the campers were able to leave the collections
with a greater understanding of the behind the scenes work the Bean Life Science Museum does on a daily basis.

All in all, Biology Boot Camp was a major success! The educators and the campers had so much fun learning

and interacting with one another. Don't be surprised if you see more Biology Boot Camps happening in future
summers! It looks like it may be a keeper! Thank you to everyone who supported us this year through all of our
camp programs. We enjoyed our time teaching all of your children about our wonderful Earth! If you would like to
be notified of future summer camp programs, sign up for our emailing list found on our website at mlbean.byu.edu.

Junior Naturalist- Round 2

That's a wrap on our second and final week of Junior Naturalist Camp! This week was for kids in 6th and 7th grade and similar to the first Junior Naturalist Camp held a couple of weeks earlier, we were able to learn about the museum’s collections and research, and how they are beneficial to our life.  The kids' time was split between visiting  Thanksgiving Point and Monte L. Bean Life Science. In terms of their time at our museum, the kids had the opportunity to collect insects and plants for their very own collections. With all the necessary gear, we packed up to visit South Fork and Aspen Grove to find the specimens we needed. It took great skill and concentration for the campers to collect what they needed for their collections.

The following day at our museum included preparing their specimens by gluing and mounting their finds from the field trip. They also experienced V.I.P. access into the museum collections to see how professionals work with research collections on a daily basis.

Finally, on their last day, they were able to present their collections along with all of their research to the public with the use of posters, presentations, and microscopes. Patrons of the museum were able to come and listen to the camper's research presentations and enjoy their hard work.

These campers are on the road to becoming some top notch researchers! We thoroughly enjoyed working with them and hope they continue the road to learning and discovering the wonders of our planet. See you next year for more Junior Naturalist Camp!

Critter Camp- Air Edition

This past week we had a blast with our little 4-6 year old adventurers! On Tuesday, June 19, we spent the day at the museum, learning all about which animals fly, the anatomy of birds, and even pollination, plus so much more! The kids flew paper airplanes to learn about how things fly, and colored pages as we talked about the important things birds have that make them different and allow them to fly. We ended the day playing a flying animal matching game.

On Thursday, we left the museum to explore the outdoors. We traveled to Highland Glen Park and saw so many different flying animals, such as honey bees, butterflies, a Forester's tern, a scrub jay, mallard ducks, and barn swallows! The kids loved walking around and identifying the animals from their field guides. We then travelled to the BYU Botany Pond to get a closer look at ducks, turtles, and even some adorable ducklings.

At the end of the day, the tired kids came back to the museum for a special presentation by our educator Allie, who volunteers at a bird sanctuary. She brought some special friends for the kids to see, Candyce the Peregrine Falcon and _______ the Great Horned Owl. Such an incredible experience!

BYU Museums Camp 2018

For the past two weeks, the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum took part in BYU's Museum Camp. This camp invites young teenagers to experience BYU's four museums, in order to see and appreciate the various collections and the impact they have on the community. The youth participants had the opportunity to see behind the scenes of all of the museums, and spoke with museum employees to expand their knowledge in regards to critical thinking, exhibit design, educational programs, and writing skills.
In order to prep for creating their own exhibits, the participants came to the Bean Life Science Museum to learn about education and outreach. First, the participants toured the research collections where they learned why collecting of specimens is important to education and science. Second, they toured with an expert who explained the process of exhibit design and the hard work that goes into making an exhibit fun and educational to all ages of the public. Lastly, they were able to visit with a museum educator to discuss the various educational shows and programs the museum offers, why they are in place, and even got to participate in their very own private live animal show! These experiences provided a great opportunity for the campers to gain their own ideas to incorporate education and outreach into their exhibits.
If you would like to know more about the education programs we offer at the museum, visit our website at mlbean.byu.edu.

Critter Camp- Water Edition

Week two of Critter Camp was all about water critters! On the first day the kids were in the Bean Museum learning about water critters in many interactive ways. We began their ocean discoveries down in the darkest depths of the ocean. We learned how angler fish catch their food and then swam up a bit higher to learn about animals that lived near the surface of the ocean. We also made own swordfish noses and see what it takes to hunt like a swordfish. We also got to experience the trials baby sea turtles face getting to the ocean through a relay race. We had to hop over crabs, swerve around rocks, and duck under birds. One of their favorite parts was getting to meet some of the water critters that live at the Bean Museum. We finished the day off with a hunt around the museum for different wetland animals.

On the second day of camp, the kids piled into vans to go on an adventure. After a fun car ride of singing Disney tunes, we arrived at Cascade Springs. We journeyed across the boardwalks and through the trails in search of water critters and saw lots of cool plants along the way! One of our favorite plants was Lamb’s Ear because it was so soft to pet! We enjoyed seeing the habitat where water critters live and seeing a few animals too!

Junior Naturalist Camp

This last week with the Junior Naturalists was a blast! 10 budding scientists from the 

fourth and fifth grades joined several of our Museum Educators for an exploration of Utah’s
flora and fauna. On Tuesday, June 5, the Junior Naturalists and Educators embarked on an
exciting day of collecting bugs and plants from Aspen Grove and South Fork Park. It was very
hot, but the Junior Naturalists were so excited to catch and collect insects that they didn’t mind
the heat. Kids caught a wide variety of bugs and insects, from spiders to butterflies to
bumblebees! They also collected some incredible plant specimens.

On Wednesday, June 6, the Naturalists returned to the museum to carefully glue their pressed plant specimens and pin their insect collections. The lucky kids even got to tour the usually off-limits research collections in the museum! They marveled at mammals, birds, insects, and plants from all around the world, and were able to learn from Brittany about the importance of research collections and preserving specimens correctly!





Finally, on Friday, June 8, the Naturalists returned once again to showcase their completed collections. Museum guests stopped by the table to take a peek in the microscopes at insects up close, admire the plants, and learn from these brilliant kids about their exciting week. Thanks to all those who participated and we hope to see you again next year!

Critter Camp- Land Edition

The Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum sent out a call to all kindergartners and first graders to come to the Bean Museum to participate in the first ever Critter Camp! Critter Camp is designed to teach kindergartners and first graders about the many different kinds of animals that live on our beautiful planet Earth. The camp is designed to focus on critters of the land, the water, and the air. On the first week of Critter Camp, we focused on animals of the land. Twenty children answered the museum's call and came to Critter Camp last week to learn about the variety we have in animals that live on the land regions of Earth through crafts, games, and activities.

The first activity the children were able to participate in involved understanding the different ways land animals eat. Land animals can eat their food in many different ways including pecking or scooping up food with a beak, sucking up food, scavenging and digging for food, and catching food with sticky, long tongues. The kids got to try out all of these different eating techniques with some fun games. Some activities included sucking up M&M"s with straws into a cup just like an elephant grabs food by sucking it up using its trunk, digging through paper bedding to find plastic insects like bears dig and scavenge for food, using sticky hands to catch paper insects like lizards snatch insects from the ground, and finally, the kids snatched chickpeas up with chopsticks like ostriches use their beaks to peck up food.

The second activity involved learning how land animals have special senses that help them navigate their environment, including sight, touch, smell, and sound. This activity included placing their hands inside of mystery boxes to feel different animal pelts, listening to different animal sounds, touching a live snake and seeing a live tarantula and learning how they smell, and looking at animal tracks to guess what land animals made them.

Lastly, the children learned how different land animals move. Some of the animals included hopping kangaroos, crawling lizards, stomping elephants, slithering snakes, waddling penguins, and running cheetahs. The kids were able to draw a fun land animal and practice the different ways that they moved. In the end, not only did the children go home with new and interesting information about land animals, they were also able to go home with prizes and their beautiful drawings and coloring pages.

On Thursday, the educators and children had the opportunity to put their learning to the test by heading up to Big Springs Trail in Provo Canyon, to scout out land animals. While there were no giraffes or lions stalking the forests of Utah, the children were able to see many insects and various invertebrates, as well as a few small land animals. They even got to see the rare yellow Labrador Retriever dog roaming around! Whenever a new animal was discovered, the kids were able to draw and label their findings. The campers explored the Big Springs trail, played some fun animal games, and even used their artistic skills to make some leaf rubbing art. What a day! After a short drive filled with fun songs, they finished off the day at BYU"s Museum of Paleontology to discover land animals that used to roam the Earth.

Success! The children and educators had such a fun time, and were able to learn from each other in the process. Everyone was able to go home with a new sense of wonder about all of the wonderful land animals we have. Thank you to everyone for such a wonderful week of camp! We are excited to see what is in store this week, as we prepare for round two of Critter Camp, which involves learning about water animals!