Summer Scholars: A Hands-On Journey through High School Chemistry

Registration
Policies and Procedures
Orientation Video
Orientation PowerPoint

Dates: Monday through Friday, July 8-12, 2024, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., UNC Charlotte

Registration: Please click here.

Registration Deadline: Friday, June 28, 2024

Application Fee: $250.00 (Refund Policy: All refund requests must be submitted via email to stem-precollege@uncc.edu and received 30 days prior to the start date of the program. No refunds will be granted within 30 days of the event. Refund request will take 2-3 weeks to process. There are no refunds for no-shows. A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit of $100.00 will be retained for each enrollment payment. No exceptions.)

Policies and Procedures: Please click here to view. You will be asked during your registration to confirm agreement with these policies.

Description: Welcome to “Chemistry Explorers,” a week-long journey into the fascinating world of high school chemistry! This immersive camp is designed to introduce students to key concepts, principles, and experiments aligned with the North Carolina Core Standards for Chemistry I. Through a series of engaging hands-on activities, demonstrations, and laboratory experiments, students will deepen their understanding of chemical reactions, atomic structure, bonding, and more.

Day 1: The Atomic World

  • Introduction to the structure of the atom
  • Atomic models: Dalton, Thomson, Rutherford, Bohr
  • Hands-on activity: Building models of atoms and ions
  • Demonstration: Atomic emission spectra

Day 2: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

  • Types of chemical bonds: ionic, covalent, metallic
  • Lewis dot structures and molecular geometry
  • Hands-on activity: Constructing molecular models
  • Experiment: Testing solubility and conductivity of ionic compounds

Day 3: Chemical Reactions

  • Types of chemical reactions: synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement
  • Balancing chemical equations
  • Hands-on activity: Reaction kinetics simulation
  • Experiment: Investigating factors affecting reaction rates

Day 4: Acids, Bases, and Solutions

  • Properties of acids and bases
  • pH scale and indicators
  • Hands-on activity: Titration of an unknown acid or base
  • Experiment: Neutralization reactions and pH measurement

Day 5: Energy Changes and Stoichiometry

  • Endothermic and exothermic reactions
  • Calculating reaction stoichiometry
  • Hands-on activity: Calorimetry experiment to measure heat changes
  • Experiment: Determining the stoichiometry of a chemical reaction

Each day will combine interactive lectures, group discussions, and laboratory work to reinforce learning objectives and encourage critical thinking skills. By the end of the week, students will have gained a deeper appreciation for the fundamental principles of chemistry while developing their laboratory techniques and scientific inquiry skills. Join us on this exciting adventure as we explore the wonders of Chemistry together!

If you have questions or need assistance please contact:

Mrs. Brittany McCann at: stem-precollege@charlotte.edu or call (704) 687-8726.

Registration: Please click here.