Tech Camp: Frequently Asked Questions

Find out all the details for Tech Camps here!

Does a camper work individually, or in a group?

We believe that working in pairs or small groups fosters an environment of inclusivity and gives campers an opportunity to share and develop their skills together. We also find that switching roles within activities allows campers to see challenges from new perspectives, develop new ideas more easily, and work on collaboration skills that we believe are important to being good critical thinkers.

Minecraft Camps

This year, due to COVID concerns, all Minecraft campers will work individually at computers.

LEGO Camps

This year, LEGO camps will see campers working together in small groups of three. Campers can rotate between building, sorting and programing as they work through each activity.

What devices and software will be used?

Minecraft Camps

Campers build and code on laptops with a mouse or trackpad (their choice). We use Minecraft: Education Edition for all of these camps, as it has great tools for facilitating smooth group-based educational experiences, and incorporates coding lessons using Microsoft MakeCode.

LEGO Camps

• 1st – 2nd grade campers will use LEGO WeDo 2.0 kits and tablets. WeDos are a great way for campers to develop building and coding skills with developmentally appropriate tools. Campers will also work with Scratch Jr., a block-based programming language to create simple animations.

• 3rd – 8th grade campers will use LEGO Mindstorm EV3s and laptops. These tools can scale to more complex building and coding and are more developmentally appropriate for an older age group. Campers will also utilize online coding resources such as MIT’s Scratch software and Microsoft’s MakeCode.

What sort of activities will my camper participate in?

Minecraft Camps

In all of our Minecraft programs, campers will learn how to play, design, build, and code.

3rd — 5th Grade

• Minecraft Makers and Minecraft: Let’s Build focus on basic gameplay and building. For example, campers will research ancient architecture and then design and build their own wonders of the world in Minecraft.

• Minecraft Coders and Minecraft: Adventures in Code explore computer science concepts and programming. Campers will learn to build minigames and program an autonomous robot to do things like gather materials, tend a farm, and even build structures.

• Minecraft – Girls Only camps are similar camps to their Maker and Coder counterpart camps but with additional exploration of the role of women in game development.

6th – 8th Grade

• Minecraft Modders is a deep dive into the way Minecraft works. Campers will learn more about some powerful coding concepts including conditionals, functions, arrays, and artificial intelligence through the lens of Minecraft.

• Minecraft Modders –Girls Only! is a Minecraft camp for girls which uses Make Code and Javascript along with Minecraft: Education Edition to investigate how Minecraft works. This camp is similar to the standard Minecraft Modders camp, but there will also be time each day to explore the contributions of female game developers to the gaming community.

LEGO Camps

• Campers will tackle various building and coding challenges using their LEGO kits. Each day of camp has an area of focus – past day themes have included gears, animal movement, coding with Scratch, or using sensors. A few activities campers have done in the past include building a car and navigating an obstacle course, creating a puppy that barks and sits, and coding an interactive game; the camp theme will determine which activities occur.

How much time will my camper be spending indoors?

To some extent this depends on which location your child is attending.

At the Museum

As you might hope, we spend most of our days in a Minecraft or LEGO camp playing and exploring Minecraft or LEGO robotics! Each morning and afternoon, your camper will spend about two hours working on activities directly related to your theme.

For Minecraft camps, this time is predominately spent on computers. Although this is the main focus of our camps, we also recognize the need for your campers to move around and make use of our amazing campuses. Each day we also will spend about an hour of supervised unstructured time to allow your camper to follow their own interests and expel some energy.

At Chapel Hill

Our Mornings at the Chapel Hill location are centered around community and outdoor play. There will be time before lunch for campers to engage with the topics of their camps, but the majority of the work on LEGO or Minecraft will occur in the afternoon.

Here is a basic breakdown of our Minecraft and LEGO Camp Schedule:

Sample Daily Schedule at the Museum

9:00am – 11:30am Computer-based Minecraft activities or hands-on LEGO activities
11:30am – 12:00pm Lunch Time*
12:00pm – 1:00pm Free time and exhibit visits
1:00pm – 3:00pm Computer-based Minecraft activities or hands-on LEGO activities
*Lunch is always 30 minutes, but the exact time of lunch varies by day, age level, or activities.

 

Sample Daily Schedule In Chapel Hill

9:00am – 11:30am Community play and engagement
11:30am – 12:00pm  Computer-based Minecraft activities or hands-on LEGO activities
11:30am – 12:00pm Lunch Time*
12:00pm – 12:30 pm Free time
1:00pm – 3:00pm Computer-based Minecraft activities or hands-on LEGO activities
*Lunch is always 30 minutes, but the exact time of lunch varies by day, age level, or activities.

What experience level does my camper need for these camps?

Minecraft Camps

We find that campers come to us with many different experience levels and interests, so we tailor all our Minecraft camps to accommodate a wide range of abilities and experience levels.

3rd – 5th Grade

• Minecraft Makers and Minecraft: Let’s Build camps focus more on gameplay and building, making it a great option for first time Minecrafters and experienced players alike.

• Minecraft Coders and Minecraft: Adventures in Coding camps explore coding and develop programming skills which deepen the experience of the game. We find these camps are most effective and enjoyable for campers who already have some familiarity with gameplay.

• Minecraft – Girls Only! balances building and gameplay with coding and programming development and is perfect for girls of all experience levels.

6th – 8th Grade

• Minecraft Modders camps explore coding and develop programming skills which deepen the experience of the game. We find these camps are most effective and enjoyable for campers who already have some familiarity with gameplay.

• Minecraft Modders – Girls Only! camps explore coding and develop programming skills which deepen the experience of the game. We find these camps are most effective and enjoyable for campers who already have some familiarity with gameplay.

LEGO Camps

Our LEGO camps are designed with all levels of experience in mind and are perfect for any LEGO enthusiast. There are no prerequisites for any of our LEGO themes, so campers are free to participate in either (or both!) LEGO camps for their age group.

What is the difference between the various LEGO camps?

1st – 2nd Grade

• LEGO: Animal Adventures focus on building and designing creations that mimic animal movement. While campers will learn to write code in WeDo software, the focus of this camp is to explore the designing and building of physical LEGO creations.

• LEGO: Space Explorers focuses on Space and how we can build LEGO projects that mimic tools used by astronauts. Campers will use the LEGO WeDo software to develop code to program their robots. Campers can also participate in activities that explore the solar system and beyond!

• LEGO: Junior Programmers and LEGO: Code Creators focus on coding. We empower your camper to build vehicles and machinery using LEGO WeDo, then write code to control their creation using WeDo software to complete various challenges. This camp also explores the block-based coding language Scratch, challenging campers to expand their coding knowledge and write their own interactive programs.

3rd – 5th Grade

• LEGO: Robotic Engineers focus on engineering and design skills using LEGO Mindstorm EV3. Campers will learn how to write code in the EV3 software and will spend a few days exploring the designing and building of physical LEGO creations based off animal’s characteristics.

• LEGO: Programmers focus on coding skills using LEGO Mindstorm EV3, and block-based programming languages such as Scratch and MakeCode. Campers will explore building and coding their LEGO creations as they work to navigate complex courses. This camp also explores other block-based coding languages, challenging campers to expand their coding knowledge and practice translating code between different languages.

• LEGO Robotics: Girls Only! and LEGO Programmers: Girls Only! are LEGO camps where girls can dive into engineering and coding skills. Campers will learn how to write code in the EV3 software using the block-based coding language, Scratch. We’ll explore engineering and design skills as we spend a few days developing physical LEGO creations using animal’s characteristics.

• LEGO Robot Rumble! focuses on both building and coding using LEGO Mindstorm EV3 to create fun robot battlers. Throughout the week campers will work together in groups to build and prototype a LEGO battle bot. We will explore different LEGO code for the robots to determine which battle bot is the most skilled.

6th – 8th Grade

• LEGO Mars 2022 uses the LEGO Space Challenge kit to develop building and coding skills with LEGO Mindstorm EV3. Campers will work together to create a rover to discover and tackle the challenges of space exploration.

What is the difference between the various Minecraft camps?

3rd – 5th Grade

• Minecraft Makers and Minecraft: Let’s Build camps focus on gameplay and building. Campers will spend their week building skills to design and build an in-game Museum of Life and Minecraft!

• Minecraft Coders and Minecraft: Adventures in Code camps focus on coding through Make Code and Minecraft: Education Edition. While we will be building and playing the game, most of the activities surround writing code to affect the way campers experience and play the game.

• Our Minecraft – Girls Only! camps are similar to their respective standard Minecraft camps, but we also take time to learn about the contributions to the gaming community by famous female game developers.

6th – 8th grade

• Minecraft Modders uses Make Code and JavaScript along with Minecraft: Education Edition to investigate how Minecraft works. Campers will spend time developing programs to modify (or mod) various aspects of the game to change the experience of Minecraft gameplay.

• Minecraft Modders-Girls Only! is a Minecraft camp for girls which uses Make Code and Javascript along with Minecraft: Education Edition to investigate how Minecraft works. This camp is similar to the standard Minecraft Modders camp, but will also include time to learn about contributions to the gaming community by famous female video game developers.

•Minecraft Modders camp, but will also include time to learn about contributions to the gaming community by famous female video game developers.