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We’re so glad you asked!
Every camp season, a lot of thought and care goes into selecting our weekly camp themes. Besides making sure that each week is loaded with educational content, it’s imperative that it also brings on the fun!
And when the idea for Minions came up, well – we went a little ba-na-nas – and let us tell you why! Not only are the Minion clan just about the most adorable little yellow coloured crew that you’ll find, but their lives, history and mission are all interwoven with a little STEM magic too.
Let’s take a look at how the story of the Minions contains STEM connections all throughout (and some you may have never thought about!).
As the Minions’ story goes, Minions came to being thanks to a long evolutionary journey that brought them from a single-celled organism living in the water, all the way to the land-based clan we know today.
And when it comes to science, the theory of evolution is one of the most important ideas, and it comes from the work of many brilliant minds like Charles Darwin, Alfred Russel Wallace, Gregor Mendel, and more, over centuries.
Evolutionary biology incorporates elements of many STEM disciplines, including genetics, ecology, palaeontology, and bioinformatics. Advances in technology, such as DNA sequencing and computational modelling, have revolutionized our ability to study evolutionary processes and patterns.
Overall, the theory of evolution is a testament to the collaborative nature of science and the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in understanding the natural world. It stands as one of the most profound and influential concepts in the history of science, shaping our understanding of life and our place in the universe.
Plus – it gave us Minions!
As they’ve evolved, Minions have always sought out the ‘biggest bad’ to become their leader. And as we can see in the movie, the animals that have ruled the earth have changed a lot over time.
How do we know which animals dominated over time?
Well that’s where palaeontology, the study of life on earth through fossils, comes in!
Through the study of fossils, palaeontologists contribute to our understanding of evolution, biodiversity, and the history of life on our planet, and they use a lot of STEM to make it happen.
As just one example, Palaeontologists use:
The result? We can build a picture of how life on Earth has changed over time. And yes, that means we can look at which life forms may have been the ones that the Minions chose to follow!
Long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, tiny microscopic organisms ruled the planet! These were the very first life forms, so small that you couldn’t even see them without a microscope (but the Minions still found and followed them!). These rules lived in the oceans, rivers, and even in the soil, and they were the pioneers of life on Earth.
Roar! Here come the dinosaurs, the giants of the prehistoric world! From the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex to the gentle Brachiosaurus, dinosaurs ruled the land for millions of years. Some were fierce hunters, while others were peaceful plant-eaters. They lived during the Mesozoic Era, also known as the Age of Dinosaurs, and they left behind fossils that scientists still study today.
Brrr! Welcome to the Ice Age, a chilly time when huge creatures roamed the Earth. Mammoths, sabre-toothed cats, and giant sloths were just some of the amazing animals that lived during this icy period. They adapted to cold climates and wandered across frozen landscapes in search of food. Eventually, as the climate warmed, many of these magnificent creatures disappeared. And while there’s no concrete evidence that Yetis were part of this time period – they definitely appear in the Minions Movie!
Hey, that’s us! Humans are the most recent rulers of planet Earth. We’re not as big as dinosaurs or as furry as mammoths, but we’re pretty clever! Over thousands of years, humans have built cities, invented amazing gadgets, and explored every corner of our planet. And while the Minions will always be drawn to mischief, the truth is that humans also care deeply about each other, for the Earth and the incredible diversity of life that surrounds us.
Last but not least: Minions are known for their mischievous antics and hilarious inventions.
While they may not be traditional inventors like scientists or engineers, they definitely have a knack for creating all sorts of wacky gadgets and contraptions.
Throughout the movies, we see the Minions cooking up all sorts of crazy inventions to help their boss, Gru, with his evil schemes (though they often end up causing more chaos than anything else!). From the Freeze Ray to the Fart Gun, the Minions’ inventions are always inventive, albeit sometimes a bit… unconventional.
So, while they may not have fancy degrees or laboratories, the Minions are definitely inventors in their own unique way. Who knows what crazy invention they’ll come up with next? Just remember, with Minions around, you’re always in for a hilarious and unpredictable adventure!
So, with all that in mind, of COURSE we brought the Minions back for STEM Camp Summer Camp 2024! Dive into the Minions STEM Camp Summer Camp theme to learn more about all of the fun and mischief our Minions will be getting up to.