Camp Creek Press

Dominic: Since I was three.

Me: How do you study a topic by doing a project?

Dominic: Instead of just reading a book, you actually do something with it. Like, when the preschoolers studied space, they didn't just read books about it. They built a rocket ship and helmets. When we were studying frogs, we made a giant frog and we made his joints move the way we learned how their joints move.

Me: So you build models? What other kinds of things do you do?

Dominic: All kinds of things. Also when we were studying frogs, we brought in frogs. We went to see frogs. We studied them.

Now I’m working on my geology project and I’ve been writing down everything I’ve learned and I’m making plans to make it into a book and hopefully sell it for lots of moola.

Me: So, some of the things you’ve mentioned include

- making models

- studying live specimens

- dramatic play

- reading books

- writing books

- taking field trips

Also, when you guys did that frog project, you had an expert come talk to you, right?

Dominic: A professor came from the university and he brought some frogs to show us. One got loose! It was hilarious.

Me: So, tell me about your geology project.

Dominic: Basically, I just get out my journal and a geology book and I read half a page and then write down in my journal what I learned that day. Also, usually most of the pages have pictures and I draw those in my journal, too.

Me: What made you interested in geology in the first place?

Dominic: We were on vacation and we were visiting the Badlands and at one of the tourist centers I got a book on geology and started reading it.

Me: What do you find interesting about geology?

Dominic: A lot of different stuff. It’s just interesting to find out how everything was made and the different processes — how volcanos are made, how rocks are made. What I was reading about yesterday was how a river will go around a convex bend and hit a block of rock and wash that rock away and then the river will slowly migrate sideways.

Me: When you’re done with your geology project, what do you think you might study next?

Dominic: I don't know. I’ll study whatever I think is interesting.