Registration is open, classes are filling up, and the Crows: Caws and Effect curriculum is finally finished. A major thanks to my student worker, Jessica Rouske, who helped develop and complete this project! -SV
Crows and ravens are smart, quirky, and mysterious. UW Bothell is home to thousands of crows that roost on campus every night creating a unique environment for research and creative expression.
Join us for a week-long exploration that combines science, art and corvids. Learn how crows and ravens communicate and use tools to gather food. Study their distinct anatomy, create crow-inspired artwork and discover their meanings in cultures around the globe. How will these clever creatures inspire your curiosity?
New! Crows: Caws and Effect Curriculum
Grades 4 & 5
UW Bothell: August 5 - 9
Monday Outline: Introduction to Crows, Habitat, and Journaling
- Safety Talk
- Expectations and Overview of the Week
- Crows at UW Bothell
- Differences Between Crows and Ravens
- Introduction to Nature Journaling
- New Art Technique! Sketching
- New Art Technique! Frottage/Leaf Rubbings
- Wetlands and Restoration Introduction
- Nature Journaling time at the Boardwalk/UW Campus Wetlands
- New Art Technique! Watercolors
- New Art Style! Surrealism and Journal Decoration
Tuesday Outline: Anatomy and Life Cycle of Corvids/Birds
- Head, Wings and Toes!
Crow collage by Sarah Verlinde - Corvid Family Lesson
- External Crow Anatomy Lesson
- Crow Anatomy Art Project
- What do Feathers do? Learn about the three main feather types and drawing
- Feather Bookmark
- What’s Inside Counts: Bird Anatomy Compared to Humans
- Skull Structure Lesson
- Skull Drawings
- Crow Anatomy Group Art Project
- Nature Walk and Bird Watching
- Life Cycle of Crows Lesson
- Chicks and Parents Photo Painting - Mixed Media Lesson
Wednesday Outline: Natural History and Personifying Corvids
- What are Fossils?
- Paint Your Own Fossil Bag
- Personifying Animals Introduction
- Crow Charades
- Crow Personality Writing Warm Up (poetry forms)
- Crow Myths from Around the World
- Crow-llective Group Feather Collage
- Corvid Morphology – Interesting Crow Features
- Personification Artwork – Collage
- Story Time Writing (short story)
- Crow and Raven Myth Skits - Prep
- Crow and Raven Myth Skits – Performance
Thursday Outline: Communication and Intellect
- Intelligent Animals Check In
- How Do you Measure intelligence?
- Memory Puzzle Game
- Animal Videos: Instinct vs Intellect
- Caw-munication Lesson – Focus on Dr. Wacker's research observing how crows communicate on UWB rooftops.
- Are You Smarter than a Crow? Trivia Game
- Crow Mask Study - UW researcher Dr. Marzluff discovers crows can pass knowledge onto other crows.
- Paint Bird Feeder Components for Friday
- Crow-munication Relay Game, campers use several different forms of communication, besides just speech
- Art Lesson: Color Theory, Tints, Hues, Shades, and Tones
- Nature Journaling Time
Friday Outline: Watershed and Habitat Awareness
- Watershed Introduction
- Nature Walk: Human Effects on Environment
- Crows and Hunters Game
- Bird Beak Buffet Introduction: What and How Birds Eat
- Bird Beak Buffet Activity
- Finish Bird Feeder
- Nature Journaling Time/Open Art Time
- Crow Skits: Good Morning Ameri-caw – Prep
- Crow Skits: Good Morning Ameri-caw – Performance parents are invited to watch!
To read more about crows the UW Bothell campus, visit https://www.uwb.edu/visitors/crows.
View the Office of Research Pacific Science Center Summer Camps Website: https://www.uwb.edu/research/events/summer-camps