Eli Whitney Museum

Please Note: This is a four day class- Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri.
We are closed, Wed, June 19th.

Campers will explore fire in its many forms and its many uses throughout history. From its creative uses in glasswork and ceramics to its more practical uses as a source of heat and food (marshmallows hunted from the wilds of the grocery store aisles). This week offers glimpses into disciplines all joined by their universal use of this earliest of human inventions. These disciplines will be taught by apprentices and staff members, many of whom practice these forms independently and have jumped at the chance to share them with the campers.

Major projects:
Ceramics: Shape and burnish pinch pots to be transformed in an oak fire that will reduce minerals into elegant colors.
Chemistry: The Chemical History of a Candle: experiments designed for children by the brilliant inventor Michael Faraday in Eli Whitney’s Time.
Solder: Assemble found objects with flux and solder, combining silver, copper, and brass.
Campfires: Learn to build, light, and manage campfires, both traditional and interscholastic competition style.
Candle Culture: Dip an elegant beeswax candle and reenact the history of artificial light.
Rockets: Trace the evolution of fireworks from China to 4th of July. Help build an Estes rocket display.
With classic small experiments: lens tricks, steel and flint sparks, hot air balloons, classic corn popping, tinfoil rockets, putt-putt boats, casting tin soldiers, steam toys, and more.