what is s.t.e.a.m.? · steam (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) is a strategy...

Draft Developed by ISBE Content Specialists at the Center for Education Initiatives at ISU 2019, Individual Tasks cited as appropriate. 1

What is S.T.E.A.M.? STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) is a strategy for exploring multiple

content areas in a collaborative, inquiry-based activity. Students are presented with a challenge or design concept that encourages inductive (inventive) thinking and deductive (conclusive) thinking. Inductive activities allow students to create products that are unique. Deductive activities allow students to create products that are similar but construction and materials may be different. These skills are not only a part of all students’ academic needs, but their social emotional development as well.

Incorporating hands-on STEAM activities in the classroom inspires a cooperative classroom environment. STEAM activities provide opportunities for students to feel sucessful. This is especially important for students who struggle academically or behaviorally as well as English Langauge learners. Students learn to work together to accomplish a challenge and practice Social Emotional Learing skills they will need for success in school and career.

STEAM components should involve problem-based and performance-based activities. Students learn the steps to solving a challenging activity by asking questions, imagining the solution, planning the design for the solution, creating the design and testing and reflecting to improve the original design.

The teachers will assume the role of facilitator during these challenge problems. Inquiry questions are essential tool to guide students. The goal of these questioning strategies is to facilitate productive struggle-- pushing students to think deeper and persevere in problem solving. Educators can then promote the design process thinking without “solving” the challenge for the students.

Safety Guidelines

Educators - Always perform an experiment or demonstration prior to allowing students to replicate the activity.

Look for possible hazards. Alert students to protentional dangers.

Students –

• Stay on task. Stay focused.

• Do not touch anything without the teacher’s permission

• Always clean up and return materials to the proper storage place.

• Never use tools for a purpose they were not intended

• THINK before you act.

• Clean up spills as soon as you can.

• Use caution when using tools.

Inquiry Questions for Educators

What are some different things you could try? What would happen if you...? What might you try instead?

What will you do next? How many attempts at the challenge? What did you adjust?

Tell me about your choice of materials. Tell me what happened…

How could you use this strategy? What will you do next after finishing this part?

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics

A strategy for exploring multiple content areas in a collaborative, inquiry-based activity.


S.T.E.A.M. Challenges

A Day at The Airplane Races Just Breathe! Create Model Lungs

Acid Attack Kaleidoscope

Blue Sky Lava Lamp

Build an Electromagnet Lego Maze Challenge

Buttons, Buttons, Buttons Lego Shadow Towers

Can You Catch the Water? Lemon Battery

Code Your Name Magnet Painting

Cornstarch Quicksand Marble Rollercoaster

Cotton Candy Fluffy Slime Marshmallow Catapult

Dancing Raisins Musical Straws

Design A Boat Challenge Pop Can Races

Drops on A Penny Popcorn Huff and Puff

Evaporation Art Rain Stick

Exploding Sandwich Bag Self-Inflating Balloons

Floating A Ping Pong Ball Sound Cups

Grass Heads Spaghetti Tower

Gumdrop Geodesic Dome Stacking Cups

Hoop Glider Toothpick Bridges

How to Make Lightning Zipline

The BEST of STEM Book List by the National Science Teachers Association (K-12)

Code Your Name Binary Code and Template

Online Resources for additional challenges/activities/grants/interactive simulations

Supply List

Sample Student Journal


A Day at the Airplane Races Materials:

Sheets of white paper (can be various sizes), scissors, colored pencils, crayons or markers, experiment journal and yard stick (or measuring tape), timer for “in-flight” measurement.

Challenge: Design an airplane that can fly the farthest or stay “in-flight” the longest.

Design and make your paper airplane. Some instructions on many styles can be found at https://www.origamiway.com/paper-airplanes.shtml. After students have built and designed their paper airplane perform 4 test flights. Use a T-chart in an experiment Student Journal to document each flight (Attempt/Distance or flight time). Each flight should be measured with a yard stick (measuring tape) using inches. Students can determine if the measurement is to “where the plane lands” or “where the plane stops” …which can sometimes be two different distances. Students can adjust between test flights, but they need to record what was adjusted in the journal. Once the 4 flights have finished, calculate the average distance that the plane flew for each student. Create a graph showing the different flights. Extension: Choose different sizes, weights, textures of paper. Students can add a “passenger” to the plane (washer, paperclips or Lego person).

Guiding Questions:

What changes did you make to your original design during the testing? Why do you think those changes helped or hindered flight? What does the experiment tell you about flight? Does it make a difference in distance if the plane is bigger? Smaller? Different shapes? Is there a difference between the “longest length” flight and the “longest time” flight?

Vocabulary

Air Resistance

Draft

Gravity

Kinetic Energy

Lift

Thrust

Art Activities Graphic designs added to the airplanes.

“Paper Airplanes: Building, Testing, & Improving. Heads Up! - Activity.” Www.teachengineering.org, www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_airplanes_lesson06_activity1.

https://www.origamiway.com/paper-airplanes.shtml


Acid Attack Materials:

PER GROUP OF THREE - Tap water, lemon juice, white vinegar, 3 pieces white chalk (larger pieces with a flat surface are best), 3 small cups labeled with group name (clear plastic), 3 nails (or other sharp objects that could scratch chalk), 3 strips litmus paper, Acid Attack WK (each student) (http://bit.ly/2BZt4Cy), and Acid KWL Chart (each student) (http://bit.ly/2C1TlQD). TEACHER- waterproof marker and timer (Plaster can also be made and used in place of the chalk. Here is a recipe: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Plaster-of-Paris )

Challenge: Describe how each liquid modifies the sculpture and the time it takes to break down the statue.

Prepare three cups for each group, one with tap water, one with lemon juice and one with vinegar. Label each cup using a waterproof maker with the group name and the liquid each cup contains. Discuss how and why acid rain occurs and how acid rain can chemically erode many

limestone statues and monuments. Explain that engineers work to stop acid rain by finding cleaner ways to create energy as well as modifying existing technologies (cars, industrial plants, etc.) so that less air pollution is created, and thus, less acid rain. (Complete K of the KWL) Divide the class into groups of three students each. Hand out the 3 cups of liquid, three nails and three pieces of chalk to each group. Each student uses a nail to carve a picture, shape or markings into one piece of chalk, which represents an outdoor statue, sculpture or building composed of limestone. Students draw a quick sketch of their chalk in their Student Journals. Each student places his/her piece of chalk in a container of liquid and waits 10 minutes. While students are waiting, have them use litmus paper to measure and record in their Student Journals the pH of each of the three liquids. After 10 minutes, have students remove the chalk from the liquid and draw a new sketch of the changed chalk on their Student Journals. Extension: Leave the chalk in the solution for a few days and check on the chalk’s dissolving shapes. How can the statues be protected?

Guiding Questions:

How have the sculptures changed? Which liquid had the most effect on the chalk? Which liquid had the least effect? Did this match the pH level data? What about other liquids? Soda? Oils? Cleaners?

Vocabulary

Acid

Limestone

Calcium (Ca)

Carbonate (CO3-2)

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

Erosive

Chemical reactions

Art Activities

The students’ sculptures

“The Effects of Acid Rain - Activity.” Www.teachengineering.org, www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_earth_lesson5_activity2.

https://www.teachengineering.org/content/cub_/activities/cub_earth/cub_earth_lesson5_activity2_attack_worksheet.pdf

https://www.teachengineering.org/content/cub_/activities/cub_earth/cub_earth_lesson5_activity2_acid_kwl_chart.pdf

http://bit.ly/2C1TlQD

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Plaster-of-Paris

https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Plaster-of-Paris


Blue Sky Materials:

Transparent box or large beaker or jar, aquarium, tap water, flashlight, drops of milk or powered milk, polarizing filter (old sunglasses will work) and optional blank card

Challenge: How can “water” change the color seen from a flashlight?

1. Fill the container with water 2. Place the light source so the beam goes through it (see picture) 3. Add a few drops of milk at a time (or powered milk a pinch at a time) 4. Stir until you can see the beam Look at the beam from the side of the tank and then from the end of the tank (see diagram above). You can also let the light project onto a white card held at the end of the tank. From the side, the beam looks bluish-white; from the end, it looks yellow-orange. If you’ve added enough milk to the water, you’ll be able to see the color of the beam change from blue-white to yellow-orange along the length of the beam.

Guiding Questions:

How does the “beam” change as the milk is added? What happens when the filter is placed between the light source and tank? Or between student’s eyes and the tank? Can students draw a model to explain what is happening? Connect what you have learned by the way sunlight behaves in the atmosphere.

Vocabulary

Atmosphere

Color Scattering

Dissolve

Light

Waves

Wave Length

Art Activities

Students can write poems describing the sky, clouds and sun, and design the text with different colors

“Blue Sky.” Exploratorium: the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, 24 Nov. 2015, www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/blue-sky.


Build an Electromagnet Materials:

PER GROUP OF THREE - 1 D-cell battery (new is best), 1 3-inch (7.6cm) iron nail, 1 wide rubber band, 2 x 2-inch piece of 150 grit sandpaper, 4 paperclips, 24 inches magnet wire (AWG22 or higher)

Challenge: Can a nail become a magnet using a battery?

Divide the class into groups of three students each. Have groups sand the coating off the last quarter-inch of each end of the wire (this is where the wire connects to the battery). Students wrap the magnet wire around the nail) Students decide how to wrap the wire- Tight, loosely, or overlapping. They need to leave approximately 2 inches of wire free on each end of the nail. HINT-Students will need to wrap their nails at least 20 times and wrap the coils tightly, leaving no gaps between wraps to be successful. Have groups draw and describe

their current wire configuration in their Student Journal. Remind them to be specific: how many times did they wrap the wire around the nail? Did they wrap it tightly or loosely around the nail? Direct students to hold a wire end on each end of the battery and secure the wires by wrapping the battery with a rubber band (see images). Students can now try to pick up paperclips with their “magnets”. Students can also try to pick up other objects or attach to objects in the classroom.

Guiding Questions:

How many paperclips can be picked up? What if the wire configuration changed? What configuration collect the most paperclips? Why might engineers want to use an electromagnet rather than a permanent magnet? How could you increase the strength of your electromagnet?

Vocabulary

Circuit

Direction of Current

Electrical Current

Electromagnet

Magnetic Fields

Permanent Magnet

Art Activities Design a magnet of any size to be used to fix a problem, make a new

discovery or new inventions. Draw a diagram of how the magnet would be used or a “fiction” story about the magnet.

“Creating an Electromagnet - Activity.” Www.teachengineering.org, www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_mag_lesson2_activity1.


Buttons, Buttons, Buttons Materials:

A large assortment of buttons (different shapes, sizes, button holes, colors), and balance scale.

Challenge: Balancing weight, quality and comparisons.

Place instructions at the station offering choices of what to do with the buttons. All choices can be recorded in the Student Journal. Sorting – Students can sort by color, how many holes are in the button, how they fasten (holes or loop), and size. Measuring – Sort buttons by size- smallest to largest or thickest to thinnest. What is the smallest number of buttons that can line up to make a line 12 inches long? What is the largest number of buttons that can be lined up to make a line 12 inches long? (Adjustments of the length can be made using a paper with lines that students measure and then complete the button comparison.) Weight Challenges- Using a balance scale- How many small buttons does it take to balance a certain number of large buttons? Students can create their own “comparisons” based on the buttons available. Balancing Buttons- students can try to spin a button, roll it on its edge or just stand it up on its edge.

Guiding Questions:

How many small yellow buttons make the same length line as 15 black buttons? (Variation on this question based on the amount and style of buttons available.) Does the number of holes in the button make a difference in the weight? Why/Why not? How else can you sort or classify the buttons? Will 15 assorted buttons always balance with 15 other buttons?

Art Activities

Students can sew buttons in patterns on felt or other materials. Take two pieces of fabric to make a practice piece for buttoning and

unbuttoning.

Vocabulary

Balance (Scale)

Classify

Comparison

Size

Style

Weight


Can You Catch the Water? Materials:

Cardboard/plastic tray (1 per group to build model), medium trash bags (1 per group), large spray bottle (best if 1 per group), food coloring, and water. All groups need access to- roll of masking tape, newspapers, Styrofoam /plastic bowls, paper plates, 12 oz & 3 oz plastic/paper cups, assorted rocks, foam balls and other items to create “land forms”.

Challenge: Design a model that shows the affect and movement of water on an environment.

Students brainstorm about what could affect a stream and how the area around the stream would be affected. (Educators ensure that water quality (dirt, pollution), precipitation (rain, snow), life (animal, plant), human-made changes (dams, buildings), and location (mountains, valleys) are discussed.) Students use the materials to create their “region”. When completed, cover the region with a plastic bag. Loosely mold the plastic around the objects, tape if needed. Have students make predictions about what will happen to the water in their region. Now students can “make it rain” with the spray bottle. Spraying water at the top of the creation will allow rivers to be appear based on the design of the structure. One “spray” is not enough. Students will need to spray continuously to create the flow of water. Extension: Give each group a sponge to be a “dam” on one of their rivers. Make it rain again. Place a few drops of food coloring on the sponge to represent pollution. Rain again.

Guiding Questions:

Where does the water flow on your region? Does it form rivers and lakes? Streams? How do mountains, hills and valleys dictate water flow in the region? What happened when you added a “dam”? How does pollution affect the region? Where does the pollution end up? How can these observations be connected to recent natural weather events?

Vocabulary

Topographical Features

Catchment Basin

Watersheds

Geologic

Diversion

Water Collection

Region

Art Activities Make a drawing of your region and the challenge. Include rivers, lakes and streams created after the rain. Creating

the model is also an art activity.

“Can You Catch the Water? - Activity.” Www.teachengineering.org, www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_earth_lesson2_activity3.


Code Your Name Materials:

Cord (elastic can be tricky…. just make sure the cord can go through the beads chosen), Beads – One color for “1”, one color for “0” and one color for “spaces between the letters”. Quantity of beads used per student depends on their name. Shorter names can make a bracelet, longer ones will make necklaces, Binary Code worksheet (in the appendix).

Challenge: Create an item that spells out a name without any letters.

Discuss language and how computers communicate. Give each group or student a copy of the Binary Code worksheet and the Binary Code Cipher. Once students have “coded” their name on the worksheet they can build their bracelet/necklace. Start with a “spacer” bead, then the binary code for the first letter of the name, then a spacer, then the binary code for the second letter…. etc. End with a spacer bead. Extension: Have students create strings of spelling words that other students can decode to find out the word.

Guiding Questions: Why does this work for a computer to communicate? How long would it take to write a sentence? What does the 1 & 0 represent? When would communicating in code be helpful? What are some important rules to follow when creating a code?

Vocabulary

Binary Code

ASCII

Code Ciphers

Language

Morse Code

Program Art Activities

Create bracelets, necklaces or keychains to represent student names, character names or inventor’s names/inventions.

“Binary Baubles” -https://code.org/files/CSEDbinary.pdf


Cornstarch Quicksand Materials:

Plastic tub at least 2‘long and 6” deep, 10lbs corn starch, sturdy wooden spoon and other utensils, 1 gallon of water, and towels.

Challenge: Can a liquid support an object?

Place 10lbs. of cornstarch into the plastic tub, add ¾ of a gallon of water and slowly fold in additional water until the mixture “flows” from solid to liquid when folded. Explore – Students can remove their shoes and socks to “walk” across the top of the cornstarch quickly. If they stop they will sink to the bottom of the tub. Use towels to step out of the tub. Students can “bounce” items across the tub to see the speed/weight of items that don’t sink immediately. Online Resource: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1502-non-newtonian-fluids Math Online Resource: http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/what_is_viscosity.htm

Guiding Questions:

Are there other Non-Newtonian liquids? How do Non-Newtonian liquids make a difference in our daily lives? What happens when the ratio of water to cornstarch is changed? Does the weight of items determine how they behave? Does the depth of the liquid change the behavior?

Vocabulary

Compound

Liquid

Mixture

Non-Newtonian Liquid

Solid

Viscosity Art Activities

Add food coloring to create a “finger paint” artwork. (Rubber gloves are recommended.)

“How to Make Quicksand.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 4 Nov. 2013, www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-for-kids/how-to-make-quicksand/.

https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/1502-non-newtonian-fluids

http://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/what_is_viscosity.htm


Cotton Candy Fluffy Slime Materials:

Elmer’s style white glue, saline solution (includes sodium borate & boric acid), foam shaving cream (NOT GEL), baking soda, spoons, measuring cups, bowls to mix, and food coloring for colored fluff.

Challenge: Observe the feel, smell, texture and how the slime behaves.

Place 3-4 cups of shaving cream into a bowl (adjusting the quantity will change the texture). Add color and ½ cup of glue and mix. Add ½ tsp of baking soda and mix. Add 1 tablespoon of saline solution to the mix and start “whipping”. Once completely mixed students can take it out of the bowls with their hands. (Put some saline solution on hands to avoid “sticking”).

Guiding Questions:

Is slime a liquid or solid? When did the mixture “come together”? What do you think caused this? Where else in our lives do we use polymers?

Vocabulary

Activators

Cross Linking

Ions

Mixture

Non-Newtonian Fluid

Polymer

Art Activities Mix several drops of colors to create new colors on the

color wheel. Have students create secondary colors from Primary colors.

Instructables. “How to Make Fluffy Slime.” Instructables.com, Instructables, 18 Sept. 2017, www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Fluffy-Slime/.


Dancing Raisins Materials:

A can of colorless soda (7-up, Sprite), a tall, clear glass or plastic cup, and several raisins (Fresh raisins work the best.)

Challenge: Make a prediction about what happens to the rasins in liquids.

Pour the can of soda into the tall glass. Notice the bubbles coming up from the bottom of the glass. The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas released from the liquid. Drop 6 or 7 raisins into the glass. Watch the raisins for a few seconds. Raisins are denser than the liquid in the soda, so initially they sink to the bottom of the glass. The carbonated soft drink releases carbon dioxide bubbles. When these bubbles stick to the rough surface of a raisin, the raisin is lifted because of the increase in buoyancy. When the raisin reaches the surface, the bubbles pop, and the carbon dioxide gas escapes into the air. This causes the raisin to lose buoyancy and sink. You might want to try other objects to see if they exhibit this behavior. Any object whose density is just slightly greater than water’s and has a rough surface to which the gas bubbles can attach should be able to dance in the carbonated water (mothballs and pieces of uncooked pasta).

Guiding Questions:

Describe what is happening to the raisins. Do they sink or float? Keep watching; what happens in the next several minutes? Can you find other objects that dance? What about other liquids (Sparkling water, Cola)?

Vocabulary

Buoyancy

Carbon Dioxide Gas (Co2)

Density

Float

Sink

Surface

Art Activities Students can create and perform a “dancing raisin

dance” mimicking how the raisins might look or looked after the task.

Conductivity of Solutions, scifun.chem.wisc.edu/homeexpts/dancingraisins.htm.


Design a Boat Materials:

Rolls of aluminum foil, pennies or small washers the same size, large tub to hold water or sink, tap water

Challenge: Can a boat be designed to keep 100 pennies or more afloat?

Provide each team with two .5m x .5m sheets of foil. (Older students can do the measuring and cutting with educators checking for accuracy.) Instruct students that one sheet is for “testing” and the other is for their final boat. The design challenge is to create a “boat” that will hold the most pennies. Students are only allowed to use the foil sheet for their design. Place many pennies near the tub or sink of water. Students brainstorm ideas and then test their design. Students should be able to test without other groups observing their designs. When students believe their design is ready, have all groups bring them to a testing area to begin the challenge. Phet Labs in Colorado simulation http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/buoyancy BrainPOP buoyancy https://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/buoyancy/

Guiding Questions:

Why do some designs hold more pennies? Does the method in which the pennies were added make a difference in the float? Does the size of the tub contribute to the float? Can a model be drawn to show balanced forces acting on the boat? Could different boat designs be used for different purposes?

Vocabulary

Buoyancy Force

Experimentation

Mass

Surface Area

Wave

Weight

Art Activities Students can create a poem or short story (with or without

illustrations) about their boat, i.e…. a pirate boat searching for buried treasure, shipwrecked, vacation voyage, stormy seas…

PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/parents/fetch/activities/act/act-floatmyboat.html.

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/buoyancy

https://www.brainpop.com/science/motionsforcesandtime/buoyancy/


Drops on a Penny Materials:

Pennies, water, eye dropper

Challenge: How many drops fit on a penny?

Wash and rinse a penny in tap water. Dry it completely with a paper towel. Place the penny on a flat surface. The flatter the surface, the better this experiment is going to go. Use an eyedropper or pipette to draw up water. Carefully, drop individual drops of water onto the flat surface of the penny. Keep track of the water drops as you add them, one at a time, until water runs over the edge of the penny. Groups do this 5 times and then calculate the average number of drops for their results. Extensions: use different coins to get different counts. Use different liquids – vegetable oil, salt water, soda…etc.

Guiding Questions:

If done multiple times does the number change? Why? Where else have you observed water behave this way? Draw a model of what is happening between the water molecules? Why did some groups experience different results? How did the different liquids behave?

Art Activities

Students can change to dropping colored water on a porous surface – a paper towel. Discuss the texture of the paper towel

and how it might affect the colored liquid. Use at least 3 eye droppers of different colors per group. Facilitate a discussion on

primary and secondary colors.

Vocabulary

Cohesion

Covalent Bond

Droplet

Hydrogen Bonds

Polarity

Surface Tension

“How Many Drops? - Lesson.” Www.teachengineering.org, www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/duk_drops_mary_less.


Evaporation Art Materials:

Shallow trays with rims, Cardstock or heavy paper cut to fit the bottom of the trays, Food coloring in various colors, Cups, Eyedroppers or small spoons

Challenge: Create a painting without a paintbrush.

1. Fill the cups halfway with water. 2. Place a few drops of food coloring into each cup. 3. Use your eyedropper or small spoon to drop the colored water onto your paper. Try to use different amounts of water each time, so that you'll be able to see the different rates of evaporation. 4.See how your artwork changes as it dries, and the water evaporates!

Guiding Questions:

How long did it take for the paper to dry where you placed water? Which parts of your paper dried more quickly than other parts? What variables affected the intensity of the colors? Can primary color drops be changed to secondary colors during evaporation? How could the evaporation be sped up? Did certain colors dry faster than others? What could we do to speed up the drying process?

Vocabulary

Absorption

Evaporation

Plant Fiber

Capillary Action

States of Matter

Energy

Art Activities After the initial artistically created paper, have students adjust the colors,

amounts of water, spacing and other variables to create more designs.

“How to Make Evaporation Art.” CuriOdyssey, curiodyssey.org/activities/science-experiments-for-kids/how-to-make-evaporation-art/.


Exploding Sandwich Bag Materials:

One small (sandwich size) zip-lock bag (freezer bags work best), baking soda, warm water, vinegar, measuring cup (1/4cup, ½ cup and teaspoon), and a tissue.

Challenge: Explore the results of chemical reactions.

Go outside or have a sink available for the experiment. Put ¼ cup of warm water into the bag. Add ½ cup of vinegar to the water in the bag. Put 3 teaspoons of baking soda into the middle of the tissue. Wrap the baking soda up in the tissue by folding the tissue around it. Students must work fast at this point. Partially zip the bag closed but leave enough space to add the baking soda and zip the bag completely closed. Place the bag in the sink or on the ground outside and step back. The bag will start to expand until it “pops”.

Guiding Questions:

Will different temperature water affect how fast the bag inflates? What amount of baking soda creates the best reaction? Which size bag creates the fastest pop?

Vocabulary

Reaction

Gas

Carbon Dioxide Gas

Acid

Base

Salt

Chemical Reaction

Art Activities Individually or in a group the students can create a comic strip or animation about a sandwich bag exploding in the

cafeteria. (Other locations and size can be adjusted.)

“Science Activity:Baking Soda & Vinegar Bubble Bomb! | Exploratorium.” Exploratorium: the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception,

www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/bubblebomb.html.


Floating a Ping Pong Ball Materials:

Ping pong balls and hair dryer.

Challenge: Move a Ping Pong ball through an obstacle course. (SPANGLER)

Turn the hairdryer on the highest settings and point it straight up. Gently place the ping-pong ball within the flow of air from the hairdryer and

balance it in the air stream. Once students practice balancing the ball, they can create an obstacle course stages while balancing the ball. Examples: walk from one side of the classroom to the other, sit down in a chair and then stand up, complete a zig-zag walk around desks.

What's Going On? The ping-pong ball will fly up with the air from the hair dryer until it reaches a point of balance – this is where the force of gravity (which pushes the ping-pong ball down) is equal to the force of the air (which is pushing the ping-pong ball up). The ping-pong ball stays within the column of air coming from the hair dryer because of air pressure. The air coming from the hair dryer is moving faster than the air around it, and this means that it also has a lower air pressure than the air around it. (We know this thanks to our old friend Bernoulli, who discovered this relationship back in the 1700’s.) So, the ball is kept within the column of lower air pressure because of the higher-pressure air surrounding it.

Guiding Questions: How far can the hairdryer be tilted to the side before the ball falls out of the air stream? Why does the ball stay in the air stream? Would a smaller / larger ball behave the same way? What if the air was moving faster? Is the ball spinning?

Vocabulary

Air Stream

Force of Gravity

Air Pressure

Bernoulli’s Principle

Fluid

Velocity

Balanced Forces

Unbalanced Forces

Art Activities Play with Postures -Students can come up with 3 postures/actions

to perform while getting their ball to levitate. (Standing on one foot, dance pose, jumping.)

Aluminum, chemistry.elmhurst.edu/demos/floatpingpong.html.


Grass Heads Materials:

Old tights/stockings (Knee highs without the reinforced toe will work as well), dirt (planting soil is best), grass seeds, rubber band, a pot for your “head” to sit in, optional googly eyes, and felt for decoration.

Challenge: Grow “hair” on the created creature.

Place 2-3 tablespoons of grass seed in the “toe” of the stockings. Add dirt until you have a nice size “ball”, should match with the opening size of the pot. Tie the other end of the stockings into a knot. Shape the ball into how the head will look. (Optional- pinch a nose, twist it and tie it off with thread) Decorate your person. Place the head in the pot tied end down. (Yogurt containers work great!) No holes in the bottom of the pots! Add water – if you leave a tail of stocking for inside the pot, just place water in there…or you can give your person a shower with a spray bottle. Use a good amount of water the first time, then not too wet (too much water makes the grass moldy). Place in a sunny location. A good head of hair should be produced within 12 days. Students can measure the hair growth each week and chart their individual creature. Also compare those growing in “sunlight” with ones in “darkness” ….or other variables.

Guiding Questions:

What did the grass need to start growing? Will cutting the hair increase the growth? Decrease? What do you think is happening inside the stocking? What variables are acting on the creatures and what differences are observed? What could be added to accelerate the growth?

Vocabulary

Germinate

Light

Life Cycle

Photosynthesis

Cellular Respiration

Carbon Cycle

Art Activities

Create a story/animation/cartoon of the adventures that your “person” might be doing.

Instructables. “Haircut Chia Pet Grass Heads! Great for Summer Break!” Instructables.com, Instructables, 23 Oct. 2017, www.instructables.com/id/Haircut-Chia-Pet-Grass-Heads-Great-for-

Summer-Br/.


Gumdrop Geodesic Dome Materials:

Gumdrops (11) (or jelly beans, or other semi-firm candies), and toothpicks (25) – per group.

Challenge: Build a “DOME” to support an object.

Geodesic domes are approximately sphere-like structures made up of interconnected triangles. A famous geodesic dome is Spaceship Earth at EPCOT in Walt Disney World, Florida, but geodesic domes are also commonly found as climbing domes at playgrounds. In this science activity, you will get to build a simple geodesic dome using gumdrops and toothpicks. Attach five toothpicks together using the gumdrops to form a flat pentagon (five-pointed) shape. You should have a gumdrop at each point and a toothpick along each edge. Poke two more toothpicks into each gumdrop, arranging the new toothpicks so that they are pointing up. Take five new gumdrops and attach them to the top of the new toothpicks, putting two toothpicks into each gumdrop, to form triangles. (The pentagon should form the base of the triangle, and the new gumdrops should form the top point.) You should end up with five triangles this way. Attach a toothpick between the top points of the triangles you just made, connecting the triangles together. This uses five toothpicks, and will create another pentagon shape, this time at the top of the dome. Take five more toothpicks and poke one into each of the five gumdrops that make up the top pentagon. Arrange the new toothpicks so that they are pointing up. Then poke all five toothpicks into a gumdrop in the middle, and at the top, of the dome. Your geodesic dome is complete! A geodesic dome's design allows it to support a surprisingly large amount of mass compared to the structure's own mass and size. Because of this, you should have seen that the geodesic dome could easily support your hand as it pressed down on the top of the dome, even when you increased the pressure a little. You would need to apply a lot of pressure before the dome would fail. The struts (the toothpicks in the model you made) of a geodesic dome are arranged


to make triangles. This rigid network of triangles distributes any force applied to the top of the dome to the rest of the structure. You may have also noticed that since the geodesic dome approximates a sphere, it has a relatively low surface-area-to-volume ratio (meaning, its volume is relatively large compared to its surface area), and it can enclose a large amount of volume compared to the mass of the structure itself. In other words, it makes for a roomy space inside with very little building materials.

Guiding Questions:

Can you gently press down on the top of your geodesic dome? If it does not break, try carefully pressing down on it a little more. Can the dome support any objects?

“Demi regular” Tessellations

“Semi regular” Tessellations

“Regular” Tessellations

Vocabulary

Geodesic

Triangles

Domes

Pentagon

Mass

Struts

Force

Sphere

Tessellate

Art Activities Math Triangles are a shape that can be tessellated or arranged to form a tiling pattern. Have kids predict what other shapes can be tessellated (hexagons, squares). Kids can cut the shapes out of paper and test their predictions. Students can create Tessellations at this interactive website: https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/tessellati

on-artist.html

“Build a Gumdrop Geodesic Dome | STEM Activity.” Science Buddies, www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/geodesic-domes-gumdrops.

https://www.mathsisfun.com/geometry/tessellation-artist.html




Hoop Glider Materials:

Glider- Paper strips, small paper clips, drinking straws, and scissors (optional). Test track – Any room that has open space or outdoors. Measure out 5’ increments marking them either with tape, rope or anything that will keep its place at the mark. Include a starting line.

Challenge: Design a Hoop Glider to fly the farthest or stay in flight the longest.

A hoop glider is a homemade paper aircraft that uses the four forces of flight to fly, much like a paper airplane. Curved surfaces on top of the glider help generate lift. An aerodynamic shape reduces drag. Gravity pulls the glider toward the ground and your arm provides thrust! Making a "Prototype" Hoop Glider: Choose one paper strip and form it into a loop. Use a paper-clip to hold the ends of the loop together. Make a second paper loop in the same way. Attach a straw to one of the loops: using the same paper-clip that holds the loop together, maneuver the small end of the paper clip into the end of the straw. Now attach the second loop to the other end of the straw. (Students determine the size of the loops during trials.) This activity reinforces good science practices by emphasizing the importance of replicating your experiments (i.e. testing each glider multiple times to see if the glider flies the same way in every trial) and controlling variables (i.e. changing only one feature of your hoop glider design at a time).

Guiding Questions:

How far does your hoop glider fly? Can you design a hoop glider that flies farther? What happens when you change: loop shape? straw length? glider weight? loop size? number of loops? How are the loops aligned? If they are changed, what happens?

Vocabulary

Gravity

Drag

Thrust

Lift

Weight

Lift overcomes Weight

Thrust Overcomes Drag Art Activities

Students can create a fictitious “hoop glider” airline company. The group creates the name for the airline,

and creates an advertising poster or TV ad to persuade people to fly their airline.

“Best Hoop Glider Challenge.” Sophia, www.sophia.org/tutorials/best-hoop-glider-challenge.


How to Make Lightning Materials:

Pencil w/eraser, aluminum tray or pie tin, wool cloth (baby blanket…WOOL), Styrofoam plate (clean meat tray or regular Styrofoam plate), thumbtack (round, metal)

Challenge: Create lightning in a pan.

Take the pushpin and press it through the aluminum tray. Then push the eraser of the pencil onto the pin. The pencil should be “inside” the tin and be used as a handle. Students then need to rub the wool cloth vigorously on the Styrofoam for two minutes…. yes, two minutes. Have another student use the timer. If you don’t have a wool cloth, you could rub it on hair for two minutes. Place the Styrofoam down and pick up the tray using the pencil. Set it on the Styrofoam to see a spark. (The spark will happen as you get closer to the Styrofoam.) Second option- Take a blown-up balloon and rub it on a head of hair for two minutes. Take a metal spoon (or anything completely metal) and touch it to the balloon. (Works best in a dark room.)

Guiding Questions:

Why rub the Styrofoam for 2 minutes? What happens if the time is shorter? Longer? Can different materials be used? What variables can be changed to affect the outcome? Draw a model that connects observations to lightning in a thunderstorm.

Vocabulary

Attract

Electrical Charge

Electrons

Lightning

Repel

Static Electricity

Art Activities Stormy paintings – Cut tin foil out in large squares (or purchase

already “sheeted” tin foil), mix paint colors (acrylic) to make grey, dark grey, black and Yellow or White for the lightning. Students can cut out card stock/construction paper to make the “land” at

the bottom of the painting.

“Make Lightning!” The National Center for Atmospheric Research | UCAR | UOP, eo.ucar.edu/webweather/lightningact.html.


Just Breathe! Create Model Lungs Materials:

(Each student) – 2 small diameter straws (coffee stirrers), 2 small balloons (water balloons), scissors, 1 large balloon, duct tape, 1 (20oz) plastic bottle with two holes drilled in the cap and one hole punctured in the bottom 1/3 of the bottle. (Bottles need to be strong enough that students can’t “crush” the lungs.)

Challenge: Create a working model of the respiratory system.

Students can work in groups, but each has a lung. Students cut the bottom of the bottle off starting at the pre-made hole. (Younger students may need the bottle already cut.) Place a layer of duct tape over the cut portion, folding the tape inside the bottle. Cut the “folded”

ridge from the small balloons. Tape one balloon to one straw making an air tight

seal. Thread

the straws

through the

holes in the cap so the balloons will be inside the bottle. Screw the top back on the bottle. Cut the “skinny” (neck) of the large balloon. In pairs have one student hold the bottle upside down while the other student stretches the balloon over the cut end of the bottle. When students “pinch” the center of the large balloon (the diaphragm) and carefully pull down, they see the small balloons (lungs) fill with air. Pushing the large balloon up into the bottle, the lungs will “exhale”.

Guiding Questions:

How do the lungs fill with air when you are not blowing into the bottle? Why does pulling the big balloon make this happen? Would this work if the bottle had a hole? How is the model similar and different from your own lungs? How would this model be used by engineers?

Vocabulary

Chest Cavity

Diaphragm

Expand

Lungs

Respiratory

Thoracic Cavity

Art Activities Draw a diagram of the respiratory

system with labels. (appropriate to the grade level vocabulary.)

“Creating Model Working Lungs: Just Breathe - Activity.” Www.teachengineering.org, www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_human_lesson09_activity1.


Kaleidoscope Materials:

Empty toilet paper tube, mylar sheets (thicker sheets, not rolls of thin), scissors or paper cutter, scotch tape, white cardstock, bendy straw, markers, stickers and other decorating materials (Optional – paint to decorate the tube.)

Challenge: Create a tool to see multiple views of the same design.

If painting the tube, do this prior and let dry. Cut the mylar sheets into strips (length of the tube being used). To make sure of the dimensions, cut a piece of cardstock as a template. Place 3 strips face down (shiniest down) and tape together, leaving a small space between so they can be folded. Fold the strips to make a triangular prism (tape on the outside/shiny inside). Tape along the top to hold in place. Slide the prism into the tube. Cut off the end of the bendy straw at the bottom, leaving the bendy part and about 2-3 inches. Tape the straw onto the tube with the bendy part hanging over the end of the tube.

(Placing the cardstock circle on the bendy part allows it to be turned easily.) Cut out circles (3.75” in diameter) from the cardstock. Poke a hole in the center. Use a sharp pencil or similar…small hole, not a hole punch size. Create designs on the circles…. shapes, colors, words…etc.

Guiding Questions:

Why are the images multiplied? What happens if a “tessellation” is drawn on the circle? Draw a model of what is happening within the tube?

Vocabulary

Refraction

Prism

Reflection

Angle

Light

Translucent

Transparent

Opaque

Tessellation

Art Activities Recreate the kaleidoscope colors/designs that are

shown in the challenge project.


Lava Lamp Materials:

Cooking oil, water, food coloring, an empty water bottle (strong bottles work best), and Alka-Seltzer (antacid tablets).

Challenge: Create movement inside the bottle without touching it.

Fill a bottle 2/3 way full of oil and the rest with water leaving 1-2 inches at the top. Add several drops of food coloring. (These steps can be done in reverse to see how it acts differently.) Watch the food coloring move down the bottle. Break the tablet into 3-4 pieces. Drop 1 piece in the bottle and watch. Once the movement stops, just add another tablet piece. If the oil gets cloudy just let the bottle settle for a while and then start again.

Guiding Questions:

How does the order of adding ingredients change the behavior? What is in the tablets that create the active mixture? Can 2 or more colors be used in the same bottle? Why/Why not? What could be done to keep the movement lasting longer? How would changing the ratio of water to oil change the movement?

Vocabulary

Acid

Base

Viscosity

Fluid

Density

Reactant

Chemical Reaction

Art Activities Draw what happens when more than 2 colors interact.

“Heatless Lava Lamp.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, www.pbs.org/video/heatless-lava-lamp-gfrosi/.


Lego Maze Challenge

Materials:

Legos (standard size or the “junior size” for little hands), Lego plates to build the maze on, a marble, and student journal. (or paper and pencil)

Challenge: Design maze challenges to challenge others.

Have groups of students design a maze that a marble can travel through. Have students design the maze on paper first. Discuss how as engineers they must sketch out their maze first. Without a good sketch their actual maze will be harder to create. Require that each maze must have a “start” and “finish”. Once sketched, students can build the maze. Each group gets a Lego Plate to build on and access to as many Lego bricks of various sizes as needed. Each group has a marble to test their maze. Have teams time themselves to see how fast they can finish the maze. Swap mazes with another team, complete the new maze and time it as well.

Guiding Questions:

Was your maze successful? What needed to be adjusted from the original sketch? Why? Will the maze go faster if the “walls” are different sizes? What happens if the marble is a different size? What tricks helped complete the maze faster?

Vocabulary

Design

Diagram

Engineer

Inclined Plane

Maze

Rotate

Art Activities Students will design and sketch the maze prior to building and trials.

4-H LEGO Engineering Club, Mississippi State University, https://extension.msstate.edu/sites/default/files/publications/publications/p3031.pdf


Lego Shadow Towers

Materials:

Legos – Duplo or standard will cast a shadow, sidewalk chalk (can be done with paper and markers), and sun (or large lamp or flashlight depending on what size shadow needs to be cast.)

Challenge: Make art out of shadows.

Students create Lego towers. (These can connect with other math concepts…patterns, structures…etc.) Think about the uniqueness of the Legos with holes, doors and windows. Students can draw what they think their shadow will look like for a prediction activity. Or predict what another student’s tower look like. Take the towers out in the sun. Students can investigate the best position for their “shadow” to be shown. Students trace the shadow with chalk, or on to butcher paper/poster. (A tall lamp used indoors will work if conditions are not suitable for outside.)

Guiding Questions:

Did the actual shadow match the prediction? How does it change if you add/remove blocks? What is the length of the shadow in one position? Can you make it longer? Shorter? Wider? If using a lamp: What happens if you move the tower closer to the light source? Further away?

Vocabulary

Shadow

Light

Shape

Transparent

Direction

Light Travels

Opaque

Art Activities Trace the shadow on paper underneath the towers. Color or add

elements to the shadow drawing. Students can also tessellate the shadows.

Lemon Lime Adventures. “Lego Shadow Towers | Simple Summer Science.” Lemon Lime Adventures, 6 June 2016, lemonlimeadventures.com/lego-shadow-towers-simple-summer-science/


Lemon Battery Materials:

2 lemons, 3 copper wires, 2 large paperclips, 2 pennies, a digital clock (or LED light), scissors, and knife.

Challenge: Make a battery out of household items.

Attach a paperclip to a wire(W1). Attach a penny to a different wire(W2). Attach a penny and a paperclip to the 3rd wire (W3). Squeeze and roll two lemons to loosen up the pulp. Make two small cuts in the skins of both lemons. (assist for the younger students) Put the paperclip that is attached to W3 into one of the cuts until you get to the juicy part of the lemon (L1). Stick the penny side of the same wire (W3) into lemon 2 (L2). Place the other paperclip (W1) into the second hole in lemon #2 (L2). Place the penny of W2 into the second hole of lemon 1 (L1). The free ends of the wires (W1, W2) can be connected to the terminals (connectors or “posts”” built into the device) of the digital clock or LED Light. Extensions: adjust the lemons – cut them in half or squeeze out the juice to place the wires into. What happened? Change one thing at a time to only adjust one variable.

Guiding Questions:

What other acids would work? (orange juice/ soda) Or a base (soapy water)? Why does this work? Does the number of turns of wire around the penny/paper clip effect the flow of electrons? Draw a model to explain what is happening.

Vocabulary

Acid

Base

Variable

Copper

Chemical

Reactions

Electron

Conductor

Art Activities Take the lemon juice and cotton swabs to paint an invisible picture. Once done, place in the sun and see what happens. If the sun is not

hot enough, use a hair dryer to heat the paper.

“REUK.co.uk.” REUKcouk, www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/education/lemon-battery/.


Magnet Painting Materials:

Magnet wand (easier for younger students), various size magnets, various metal items (ball bearings, springs, screws, chains), various non-metal items (marbles), paper, plastic tray or box (disposable baking pans work great…not aluminum), tempera paint, cups or palette to dip the metal pieces in (an egg carton works well), spoons to get the paint covered metal pieces out and into the tray, and paper (cut to fit in the tray).

Challenge: Paint a picture without touching the paint.

Place a piece of paper into the tray. Dip a metal piece in paint (egg carton) and drop in the tray. Using the magnet wand and move it around UNDER the tray so that the metal pieces start to move around. Try different metal objects and add some non-metal objects. Extension: Students create a simple maze on the paper prior to placing it in the tray. Can students make the metal object move (paint) through the maze?

Guiding Questions:

Which metal item was the simplest to move around? Which gave the best “painting”? How did the non-metal objects work with the paint? How did it work with the metal objects? Did the weight of the objects change how they painted? Did the paint stop any objects from working the way it was planned?

Vocabulary

Attract

Repel

Poles

Friction

Magnet

Magnetic Field

Art Activities The painting created during the challenge.

Mantra, Gayatri, and Christine H. “Five Minute Craft: Magnet Painting.” Left Brain Craft Brain, 23 May 2018, leftbraincraftbrain.com/five-minute-craft-magnet-painting/.


Marble Rollercoaster Materials:

Foam pipe tubing or pool noodles (Factor 3 tubes/noodles per child as a minimum.), marbles, masking tape, plastic cups, and boxes.

Challenge: Explore the concepts of kinetic and potential energy

Using either foam pipe tubing or pool noodles (pre-cut lengthwise for younger grades), cut at least half of the foam pipe tubing/pool noodles lengthwise to make tracks. Leave some uncut to form tunnels for the coasters. Students create roller coaster tracks for marbles to roll on. Tape tubes together with masking tape and use boxes to create hills for the track to run on. Place a cup at the end of the track to catch the marble when the ride ends. (90 min for a minimum time to complete) To adapt for a teen audience, add complicated obstacles and introduce the concept of track changes—inserting paper card stock ramps and track elements to see how the dynamics of the roller coaster changes.

Videos- “What is Kinetic and Potential Energy” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehx1P4adv6I

“Roller Coaster Design” -

http://illinois.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/midlit11.sci.phys.maf.energy/roller-coaster-design/ Build a roller coaster online at: http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster.html Extension: Build a set of roller coaster tracks with various loop sizes.

Guiding Questions:

At what point is the marble the highest? How high do you have to make the starting point of your roller coaster for the marble to “loop-to-loop”? What happens if we use marbles of different diameters? Different masses? How does the starting point height requirement change when the loop diameter increases? Decreases?

Vocabulary

Kinetic Energy

Potential Energy

Velocity

Speed

Rise

Run

Slope

Conservation of Energy

Gravity

Art Activities Create and design a real or fictitious rollercoaster on paper. Could be accomplished in

groups of students with large butcher paper.

“Roller Coaster Marbles: How Much Height to Loop the Loop? | Science Project.” Science Buddies, www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Phys_p036/physics/marble-roller-

coaster-loop-the-loop#summary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ehx1P4adv6I

http://illinois.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/midlit11.sci.phys.maf.energy/roller-coaster-design/

http://www.learner.org/interactives/parkphysics/coaster.html


Marshmallow Catapult Materials:

10 craft sticks/popsicle sticks, 4 rubber bands, bottle cap, marshmallows or pompoms, craft paint, foam paintbrush, and hot glue gun (double-sided tape can be substituted for younger grades). (per group)

Challenge: Build an object/tool to send marshmallows across the room.

If painting the catapult, paint the sticks and let dry prior to building. Stack 8 sticks together and band on each end with a rubber band. Band one end of the remaining two sticks. Place the “8 pack” in-between the two sticks to create a fulcrum. Crisscross the final rubber band over the 8 pack/2 pack connections. Hot glue the bottle cap to the end of one of the 2 pack sticks. Allow students to create/build targets to use. Calculate accuracy, distance, height…etc. Modification – Use “paint stir sticks” from a home improvement store to create a larger model.

Guiding Questions:

How does the weight of the “ammunition” effect the outcomes? What happens if only the 2 pack sticks are modified? What happens when the 8 pack is increased to a 10 / 12 / 14 pack??? How can the height of the marshmallow launch be increased? How can the distance of the launch be increased? Is there a connection between the height and the distance of the launch?

Vocabulary

Distance

Height

Fulcrum

Accuracy

Potential Energy

Kinetic Energy

Precision

Art Activities

Dip the pom pom (or cotton ball) into a small amount of paint. Students can launch several colors onto a target and create a “splatter” painting. Students can even take their painting

after it dries and draw characters, buildings…etc. around the “splats”.

“Marshmallow Catapult.” Speech and Language Development | CS Mott Children's Hospital | Michigan Medicine, www.mottchildren.org/posts/camp-little-victors/marshmallow-catapult.


Musical Straws Materials:

Straws (unwrapped and various diameters), scissors, and supervision for younger grades

Challenge: Create a musical instrument out of straws.

Flatten the top inch or so (25 mm) of the straw with your teeth. Avoid curling the end straw up or down. You can also lay the straw on the table and press it down firmly with a ruler or spoon along the two edges you created. Cut off both corners of the flattened portion so that it’s narrower in the middle than the sides. These two flaps are where the vibrations will come from that you hear as “music.” Place the cut end of the straw into your mouth, seal your lips around it, and blow until a “sound” is produced. It’s tough to do so don’t rush or blow too hard and long. The sound will be more of a squawk than music. When you get the hang of making noise – uh, that is, music – use scissors to cut short sections off the bottom of the straw while you’re making the sound. Listen for rising changes in the pitch as you cut the straw shorter and shorter. Variation - Use two straws, one narrower than the other and the smaller straw should fit snugly inside the larger straw. On the smaller straw, repeat Step 1 above. Slide the fatter straw over the thinner straw and start blowing. Move the larger straw back and forth to change the pitch of the sound by lengthening or shortening the column of air. It’s a straw trombone. Online Resource: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Music_p016/music/do-re-mi-with-straws?from=Blog#background Online sound meter: https://youlean.co/online-loudness-meter/ iOS App: Decibel X: dB, dBA Noise Meter https://apple.co/2Ap9twp

Guiding Questions:

How is sound made? How can we make sound higher? Lower? Louder? Softer? How do we perceive sound? Draw a model to describe how this works.

Vocabulary

Vibration

Air Flow

Sound Waves

Frequency

Period

Wavelength

Tympanic Membrane

Art Activities Students can create a SONG or PLAY a tune together for the class.

“Musical Straws: Weekly Science Project Idea and Home Science Activity Spotlight | Science Buddies Blog.” Science Buddies, www.sciencebuddies.org/blog/musical-straws-weekly-science-project-

idea-and-home-science-activity-spotlight.

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Music_p016/music/do-re-mi-with-straws?from=Blog%23background

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Music_p016/music/do-re-mi-with-straws?from=Blog%23background

https://youlean.co/online-loudness-meter/

https://apple.co/2Ap9twp


Pop Can Races Materials:

Empty soda can, blown-up balloon, and the hair on your head.

Challenge: Use invisible forces to make things move like “Magic”.

Put the can on its side on a table top or the floor – any place that's flat and smooth. Rub the balloon back and forth on your hair really fast. Hold the balloon about an inch in front of the can. The can follows the balloon! Move the balloon away from the can -- slowly -- and the can will follow the balloon. If you move the balloon to the other side of the can, the can will roll in the other direction. Groups can race

across the room or surface outside. Variations : Bend Water - Turn on the faucet in your bathroom or kitchen. Don't run the water too hard, but more than a little trickle. Now rub a balloon on your head and hold the balloon near the water. Give yourself funny hair - Rub the balloon on your head, then pull it away. Your hair will stick out and look funny.

Guiding Questions:

How fast will the can roll? How far can you roll it before the can stops? Will it roll uphill? What if you hold the balloon near your arm? Can you feel the hairs on your arm move? Will it work on doll hair? How about animal fur?

Vocabulary

Air Resistance

Electrostatic Forces

Electrons

Protons

Balanced Forces

Unbalanced Forces

Art Activities Teams can create a race award certificate for the pop can racer or the other teams. (What the “can” did well, speed, style, fun.)

“Science Activity: Race Soda Cans w/ Static Electricity | Exploratorium.” Exploratorium: the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, www.exploratorium.edu/science_explorer/roller.html.


Popcorn Huff and Puff Materials:

Empty 2-liter soda bottle, straws, 4 -5 pieces of popcorn (or marshmallows), and timers – per group.

Challenge: Can a piece of popcorn be blown “into” a bottle?

Place the empty bottle on its side. Place the popcorn or other item on the rim of the opening. Using the straw try to blow the item into the bottle. Have another student keep time until you are successful. Video introduction - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5ZrS7D-K0

Guiding Questions:

How much time does it take to blow the item into the bottle? Is the bottle actually empty? Why is it difficult to get the item into the bottle? What could you do to make it more successful? Does anything change if you use different objects?

Vocabulary

Air Pressure

Air Resistance

Bernoulli’s Principle

Gust

Saturation

Force

Art Activities Blow painting – Watered down tempera paint, cardstock, eye

dropper, tray (baking sheet or 9x12 aluminum pan would work, something with “sides”), straws cut in half (for better air

pressure). Place the cardstock in the tray and the paint in small cups (or egg carton). Using an eye dropper place small amounts of paint colors on the paper. Take the straw and blow towards

the paint drops. Mix colors, move the tray for patterns…etc.

Discovery Education - https://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2016/03/16/the-huff-and-puff-stem-lab/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5ZrS7D-K0


Rain Stick Materials:

A long cardboard tube that is about 1 ½-2 inches in diameter (the tube from a roll of wrapping paper works well or you can tape two or three paper towel rolls together, or a narrow poster tube), marker (any color), 40 1 inch nails for every 12 inches of tube, masking or packing tape, two 3x5 index cards, scissors, a few handfuls of raw rice, small dry beans, or a mix of small things.

Challenge: How can different sounds be produced using the same materials?

If you are using smaller tubes such as paper towel rolls, tape 2 or 3 together to form a longer tube. Follow the spiral seams of the tube to mark dots about ½ inch apart all the way down the seam of the tube. Poke a nail all the way in at each mark. (Make sure the nails do not go through the other side of the tube.) Wrap tape around the tube to hold the nails in place. Cut the index card into 2 circles a little bigger than the openings of the tube. Tape one securely to the bottom of the tube. Put in a handful of the rice, beans or other items. Decide when there is enough to make the sound you want. Tape the other index card circle to the open end. Slowly flip the tube one way and wait…. then the other, to hear the sounds.

Guiding Questions:

How many ways can the tube be used for different sounds? What would happen if the nails were placed differently? What kinds of small items can you place in the tube to make different sounds?

Vocabulary

Vibration

White Noise

Soundboard

Instrument

Music

Design

Art Activities Students can create a song or percussion pattern

using the instruments with different sounds.

“Make Your Own Rainstick.” Exploratorium: the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, 27 June 2018, www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/make-your-own-rainstick.


Self-Inflating Balloons Materials:

Test tube or similar bottle, vinegar, small balloon, funnel, and teaspoon of baking soda.

Challenge: Blow up a balloon without breathing into the balloon.

Put the test tube (or small bottle) where it will stand upright securely, or have a partner hold it. Fill it halfway with vinegar. Give the balloon a good stretching, like would be done if being blown up. Use the funnel to put the baking soda inside the balloon. Gently shake the balloon until all the baking soda goes to the bottom. Making sure none of the baking soda gets into the test tube, carefully stretch the opening of the balloon until it is completely over the opening of the test tube. If it is not a tight fit the balloon is probably too big, change to a smaller one. Once the balloon is attached to the test tube, lift the rest of the balloon so that the baking soda falls into the vinegar.

Guiding Questions:

What is causing the balloon to change shape? What is happening inside the bottle? Do all balloons inflate the same amount? Why or Why not? Will other ingredients work in place of the baking soda and vinegar?

Vocabulary

Fluids

Density

Acid

Base

Salt

Chemical Reaction

Gas

Art Activities Students can draw a silly face or pattern on the balloon before the

experiment to see the changes.

“Make A Self-Inflating Balloon - Science Experiment.” Science Squid, www.sciencesquid.com/self-inflating-balloon.html.


Sound Cups Materials:

Opaque, 16 oz plastic drinking cups of two different colors, many small, varied objects to put inside the cups, for example – paper clips, pennies, marbles, cut-up pieces of straws, small pieces of paper crumpled into balls, rubber bands, cotton balls, cotton swabs, washers, dried beans, strips cut from index cards, masking tape at least 1 inch wide, permanent marker, several small plastic bowls to hold the extra materials, and one or more trays.

Challenge: Use sounds to identify objects and matching sounds.

1. Use one color of the cups to assemble the Sound Cups (red). Set aside the other color cups (blue) for students to use in their investigations. 2. Before placing the challenge out for students to create the Sound Cups place one or more of the same types and number of small objects into two (red) cups so there is a matched pair. Example: • Place 5 rubber bands in one cup, and 5 rubber bands in a second cup • Place 6 dried beans in one cup, and 6 dried beans in a second cup • Place 3 cotton balls in one cup, and 3 cotton balls in a second cup

3. Keep the pairs together and place an empty cup (red) on the top of each of the pair, tape together. (To make sure you can match up the pairs without opening the cups write on the cups in a code. Such as 44 and 602- these numbers added up both make “8” so they are a match. Take some time to create your “code” prior to building.) 4. Have student figure out what is inside the cups by shaking the cups for sounds. Students can then “match” the cup pairs based on the sounds. This can be set out for partners or small groups to work together finding the pairs that sound the same. A large group activity would have each student select a cup and find the student with the matching sound. Extension: Students can use the other color cups and extra supplies to create a matching sound cup to the one they have chosen.

Guiding Questions:

How were the cups shaken to figure out the object? Hard, soft, side-to-side? What process did the students use to make their own Sound Cup? What process did students use to identify the objects and match them? What do people notice about the sounds?

Vocabulary

Direction

Horizontal

Listening

Partner

Sound

Vertical Art Activities

Students can create a story using the sounds they have heard. Can they describe what it sounds like? Did it remind them of anything?

“Sound Cups.” Exploratorium: the Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, 21 Jan. 2017, www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/sound-cups.


Spaghetti Tower Materials:

25 sticks of spaghetti, 1 yard of masking tape and one marshmallow per team of 2-3 students.

Challenge: Construct a tower as high as possible using only spaghetti and masking tape.

Marshmallow must be placed on the top of the tower. The tallest tower still standing unassisted wins. Directions – 1. No other materials may be used to assist in the support of the tower. 2. Teams will have only 20 minutes. Marshmallow must be on the top of the tower when time is called, and the tower must be standing unassisted. 3. Measurement is a vertical measurement from the table top up. 4. You may stick masking table tape to the table top. 5. Spaghetti may be broken into smaller pieces. However, once broken, pieces may not be replaced. Online Resource: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/spaghetti-anyone/

Guiding Questions:

What worked best? Why? What didn’t work? Why? What do you think engineers have to consider when they suggest which materials would be best for a certain structure? What forces cause the tower to tip over? What features of the design helped your tower to reach new heights? After testing, what changes did you make to your tower? How does testing help improve your design? What did you learn from watching others?

Vocabulary

Bending

Compression

Design Process

Load-Bearing

Neutral Access

Tension

Truss

Art Activities Students will sketch out a drawing of what they want the tower to look like prior to the timed building activity. (This can be a set

time as well.)

“Spaghetti Anyone? Building with Pasta Activity | NASA/JPL Edu.” NASA, NASA, 7 Nov. 2016, www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/spaghetti-anyone/.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/teach/activity/spaghetti-anyone/


Stacking Cup Towers – Speed Stacking Materials:

Plastic cups, paper cups – sizes can vary depending upon students. Larger cups (16oz or 20oz) might be better for the younger students. Then decrease the size as they become more confident. (Speed Stacking needs to be plastic 16 oz or 20oz cups without the “modeled sides”. This is so no matter what direction the cups are in they can stack quickly.)

Challenge: How can you manipulate cups? (Without touching or for speed.)

Stacking Towers- Younger students can create stacks that are the highest they can that will hold an object on top. (block, Lego figure, apple…) They can also stack to match a pattern. (3-2-1- bottom middle top). Older students – Add a rubber band and 4 pieces of string to each group of four students. (The rubber band must fit around the cups, but not be too big.) The students must figure out how to use the supplies. (See photo for example.) Students must figure out how to “stack” the cups without touching them with their hands. They also can do the 3-2-1 pattern and maybe place an object on the top as well. Speed Stacking – Any grade can do this, with practice. See link below for instructions and videos to explain the rules. https://www.speedstacks.com/videos/ (This is a child speed stacking champion explaining to adults...great way to show students persistence.) The same website has resources for educators to teach stacking. This activity can be done with solo cups with a hole poked in the bottom of each cup. This allows for the air to push through and cups to go faster.

Guiding Questions:

What was the most efficient way to move the cups? Rotate? Stack? Was there a struggle to work together? How did the team communicate? Explain. What is the least amount of people needed to complete the tower? Is there a pattern that works best for speed?

Art Activities

Students can stack/unstack the cups to different speeds of

music or rhythms.

Vocabulary

Active

Base

Rotate

Speed

Succession

Time

National Girls Collaborative Project - http://ngcproject.org/sites/default/files/9.6_stack_em_up_activity.pdf

https://www.speedstacks.com/videos/


Toothpick Bridges/Towers Materials:

Toothpicks (round uncoated work best), Elmer’s glue, graph paper (Can be printed at http://illuminations.nctm.org/Activity.aspx?id=3509), wax paper (to build on top of the design), wire cutters (safety concerns with the tools, may need adult help if cutting the toothpicks or use safety scissors.)

Challenge: Build a structure that can hold a specific amount of weight. (Class can determine weight.)

Students decide on which type of bridge they think will hold up best when weight or pressure is placed on the bridge. (Guide from Elmer’s Glue can be found here: http://elmers.com/docs/default-source/Lessons/bridges-teaching-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=0 ) Students sketch out their design on graph paper making any modifications to the original sample they chose. Once the design is complete, place the wax paper on top of the design. Students can see the design through the paper, but the sticks will not be stuck to the drawing. Construction help: students should build the sides first and then join them together. They can add as many pieces that they like to get it ready for testing. Testing can be done in different ways - Once bridges are dry, they can be placed standing up and have books set on top. Keep adding books until the bridge collapses. Another choice is to create a weighted "pull”. (See Elmer’s Guide refenced above.) This can be a block of wood with a string (or chain) wrapped around it that is placed inside the middle or on top of the bridge. The string/chain is fed through the structure. Then weights are placed under the at the end of the string. (Tying a bucket or small box and then adding pebbles to it can make a nice way to test.)

Guiding Questions:

Are there particular shapes or designs that worked better than others? What characteristics did the strongest bridges have in common? What characteristics did the weakest bridges have in common?

Vocabulary

Column

Cross Section

Density

Layer

Pressure

Solid

Structure

Support

Art Activities

Diagrams and pre-construction drawings.

Bridges- An integrated STEM teaching guide - http://elmers.com/docs/default-source/Lessons/bridges-teaching-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=0

http://elmers.com/docs/default-source/Lessons/bridges-teaching-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=0

http://elmers.com/docs/default-source/Lessons/bridges-teaching-guide.pdf?sfvrsn=0


Zipline Challenge Materials:

ZIPLINE: 4 feet of smooth line (fishing line or unwaxed dental floss). Possible carriage materials: Chipboard (cardboard such as cereal box strength.), 2 -4 small paper cups (3oz), ping pong ball, 4 plastic straws, scissors, single hole punch, tape (duct or masking), 4 standard flat steel washers (1 inch in diameter or larger), and 4 wooden skewers. (Materials can be adjusted as challenges change their focus.)

Challenge: Many challenges – Get an “object” from one side of the line to the other.

Many challenge themes can be used here….Flat Stanley….Pumpkins, Elves…etc. Design and build something that can carry a Ping-Pong ball from the top of a zip line string to the bottom in four seconds (or less). 1. How would the materials available carry a ping-Pong ball down the line? 2. How will the carrier stay on the line? 3. What should be in contact with the zip line so that the carrier slides quickly? (When constructing the “line” make sure the top is at least 2 feet above the bottom end. Construction can be the back of a chair as top and a stack of books as the end.) Extension: Choose other items to “zip”. Flat Stanley, Elf at the holidays, pumpkin candies, Easter Eggs, the ideas are endless. Change up the materials. Have the challenge be the “slowest” to descend.

Guiding Questions:

What if the ball drops off while zipping? What if the ball stops halfway down? What can you change to make the ball travel faster or slower? When designing a zip-line for people to use, what are some important things to consider? What safety features could be added to the zipline?

Art Activities Students can create a story about why the item “zipping”

needed to move in this manner. Where were they going? Slow or fast? Why?

Vocabulary

Center of Gravity

Balance

Distance

Friction

Inclined Plane

Speed

“Zip Line.” ZOOM . Activities . Sci . What's More Dense? | PBS Kids, pbskids.org/designsquad/parentseducators/resources/zip_line.html.


Title Author Lexile

A Global Warming Primer Bennet, Jeffrey 985L

Ada Lovelace Sees Red Calandrelli, Emily 610L

Ada Lovelace Poet Of Science Stanley, Diane 810L

Ada's Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World's First Computer Programmer Robinson, Fiona 900L

Astronaut-Aquanaut How Space Science and Sea Science Interact Swanson, Jennifer 650L

Ben Franklin's Big Splash Rosenstock, Barb 1070L

Breakthrough: How One Teen Innovator Is Changing the World Andraka, Jack 940L

Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant Daemicke, Songju 830L

Caroline's Comets: A True Story McCully, Emily Arnold AD800L

Champion: The Comeback Tale Of The American Chestnut Tree Walker, Sally M. 1070L

Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon Slade, Suzanne 940L

Counting Birds-The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends Stemple, Heidi E. 500L

Crash Boom! A Math Tale Harris, Robie H. 250L

Curiosity: The Story Of A Mars Rover Motum, Markus 970L

Cyrus Field's Big Dream Cowan, Mary M 980L

Disappearing Spoon, The (Young Readers Edition) Kean, Sam 1210L

Doll-E 1.0 McCloskey, Shanda 300L

Elon Musk And The Quest For A Fantastic Future (Young Readers Edition) Vance, Ashlee 1150L

Emmet's storm Rubino, Ann 500L

Fearless Flyer Lang, Heather AD700L

Find the Dots Mansfield, Andy 250L

Finding Wonders Atkins, Jeannine 970L

Genetic Engineering Burgan, Michael 1050L

Girl Code: Gaming, Going Viral, And Getting It Done Gonzales, Andrea 1030L

Google It Redding, Anna Crowley 870L

Grace Hopper, Queen Of Computer Code Wallmark, Laurie 730L

Green City Drummond, Allan 770L

Hello Ruby: Adventures in coding Liukas, Linda 300L

Hidden Figures Young Reader's Edition Shetterly, Margot Lee 1120L

How Could We Harness a Hurricane Vicki, Cobb 1010L

How We Got to Now Johnson, Steven 1230L

Inga's Amazing Ideas Rubino, Ann 770L

Izzy Gizmo Jones, Pip AD660L

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor Valdez, Patricia AD800L

John Deere, That's Who! Maurer, Tracy 860L

Maya Lin: Artist-Architect Of Light And Lines Harvey, Jeanne Walker 800L

Music Of Life Rusch, Elizabeth 980L

Newton's Rainbow Lasky, Kathryn 1010L

Nothing Stopped Sophie Bardoe, Cheryl 1030L

Otis And Will Discover The Deep Rosenstock, Barb 620L

The BEST of STEM Book List by the National Science Teachers Association (K-12)


Red Madness Jarrow, Gail 990L

Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters Beaty, Andrea 520L

Rosie Revere, Engineer Beaty, Andrea AD780L

Sabotage: The Mission To Destroy Hitler's Atomic Bomb Bascomb, Neal 1070L

Salamander Rescue McDowell, Pamela 610L

Science Comics: Flying Machines Wilgus, Alison 770L

Shark Lady Keating, Jess 730L

Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille Bryant, Jen 590L

Solving The Puzzle Under The Sea Burleigh, Robert 750L

Spin the Golden Lightbulb Yeager, Jackie 635L

Spring After Spring Roth Sisson, Stephanie AD790L

Steve Jobs: Insanely Great Hartland, Jessie HL650L

Super Gear Swanson, Jennifer 980L

Swap! Light, Steve 250L

The Book of Chocolate Newquist, HP 1120L

The Brilliant Deep Messner, Kate 830L

The Doctor With an Eye for Eyes Finley Mosca, Julia 530L

The end of the wild Helget, Nicole 635L

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: the story of Dr. Temple Grandin Finley Mosca, Julia AD680L

The Girl With a Mind for Math: the Story of Raye Montague Finley Mosca, Julia GN460L

The House That Lou Built Respicio, Mae 660L

The Inventor's Secret Slade, Suzanne AD590L

The Most Magnificent Thing Spires, Ashley AD380L

The Secret Subway Corey, Shana AD810L

The Wright Brothers: Nose-Diving Into History Slader, Erik 1190L

Ticktock Banneker's Clock Keller, Shana 720L

Trailblazers: 33 Women in Science Who Changed the World Swaby, Rachel 1130L

Voyager's Greatest Hits: The Epic Trek to Intersteller Space Siy, Alexandra 770L

Wangari Maathai PrÃ©vot, Franck 970L

Warcross Lu, Marie 810L

Welcome To Mars Aldrin, Buzz 900L

What Does It Mean To Be An Entrepreneur? DiOrio, Rana AD690L

When Sparks Fly: The True Story Of Robert Goddard, The Father Of US Rocketry Fulton, Kristen 690L

Whoosh! Barton, Chris 820L

Women of Steel and Stone Lewis, Anna M. 1190L

Women Who Launched The Computer Age Calkhoven, Laurie 880L

www.getepic.com is a FREE resource of EBooks for educators. Book are digital and many have read aloud options. There are many STEAM related books available. ***These highlighted books are located online at EPIC***

http://www.getepic.com/


CODE YOUR NAME- Binary Code

Character Binary Code



A 01000001

a 01100001

! 00100001

B 01000010

b 01100010

" 00100010

C 01000011

c 01100011

# 00100011

D 01000100

d 01100100

$ 00100100

E 01000101

e 01100101

% 00100101

F 01000110

f 01100110

& 00100110

G 01000111

g 01100111

' 00100111

H 01001000

h 01101000

( 00101000

I 01001001

i 01101001

) 00101001

J 01001010

j 01101010

* 00101010

K 01001011

k 01101011

+ 00101011

L 01001100

l 01101100

, 00101100

M 01001101

m 01101101

- 00101101

N 01001110

n 01101110

. 00101110

O 01001111

o 01101111

/ 00101111

P 01010000

p 01110000

0 00110000

Q 01010001

q 01110001

1 00110001

R 01010010

r 01110010

2 00110010

S 01010011

s 01110011

3 00110011

T 01010100

t 01110100

4 00110100

U 01010101

u 01110101

5 00110101

V 01010110

v 01110110

6 00110110

W 01010111

w 01110111

7 00110111

X 01011000

x 01111000

8 00111000

Y 01011001

y 01111001

9 00111001

Z 01011010

z 01111010

? 00111111

@ 01000000


Online Resources for Interactive Tools: • PBS Kids Design Squad - https://pbskids.org/designsquad/

• NASA’s Kids Club - https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

• Engineering Interact from University of Cambridge - http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/mmg/teaching/peterstidwill/interact/interact.htm

• Science Kids (Has ads within the webpages) - http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

• The Kid’s Science Challenge - http://kidsciencechallenge.com/year-four/gv_games.php

• The STEM collaborative (Corporation of public broadcasting)- http://www.stemcollaborative.org/

• Interactivate (A ton of interactive simulations) - http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/

• What Kind of Engineer are you? (simple quiz to find out what kind of engineer you might be.)- http://tryengineering.org/play-games/what-kind-engineer-are-you

• Try Engineering games - http://tryengineering.org/play-games

• Calculation Nation (By National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)- https://calculationnation.nctm.org/

• Exploratorium Topic based website….many options- https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore

• Kinetic City - http://www.kineticcity.com/

• Stem Works - http://stem-works.com/#container

Online Resources for More Challenges: • Science Buddies - https://www.sciencebuddies.org/

• Practical Action - https://practicalaction.org/stem

• Engineering is Elementary - https://www.eie.org/eie-curriculum/curriculum-units

• American Society for Engineering Education STEM BLOG- http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/

• Teach Engineering – K-12 Curriculum - https://www.teachengineering.org/

• Teach Engineering – Maker Spaces - https://www.teachengineering.org/curriculum/browse?collection=MakerChallenges

• Georgia Youth and Science & Technology (STEM challenges) - http://www.gystcstem.org/stem-challenges.html

• STEM Playground - https://stemplayground.org/

Resources for Educators:

• Education Closet - https://educationcloset.com/

• NIU SteamReads - https://www.stemread.com/

• Microsoft- Hacking Stem Library - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/education-workshop/activity-library.aspx

• NASA STEM Engagement - https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html

Video Resources: • SciShow Kids YouTube Channel- https://www.youtube.com/user/scishowkids

• NeoK12 – How it works videos - https://www.neok12.com/How-It-Works.htm

• Crash Course Kids YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids

• Engineering is Elementary – Engineering education videos - https://www.eie.org/engineering-elementary/engineering-education-videos

Grant Resources: • First Energy - https://www.firstenergycorp.com/community/education/educational_grants.html

• Honda - https://www.honda.com/community/applying-for-a-grant

• Westinghouse - http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/About/Community-and-Education/Charitable-Giving-Program/Program-Details-and-Application-Process

• Toshiba K-5 Program- http://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5.jsp

• Charles Lafitte - https://charleslafitte.org/grants/

• Lowes - https://toolboxforeducation.com/

• Micron - https://www.micron.com/foundation/educators/k12-educators/grants

https://pbskids.org/designsquad/

https://www.nasa.gov/kidsclub/index.html

http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/mmg/teaching/peterstidwill/interact/interact.htm

http://www-g.eng.cam.ac.uk/mmg/teaching/peterstidwill/interact/interact.htm

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/gamesactivities.html

http://kidsciencechallenge.com/year-four/gv_games.php

http://www.stemcollaborative.org/

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/

http://tryengineering.org/play-games/what-kind-engineer-are-you

http://tryengineering.org/play-games/what-kind-engineer-are-you

http://tryengineering.org/play-games

https://calculationnation.nctm.org/

https://www.exploratorium.edu/explore

http://www.kineticcity.com/

http://stem-works.com/#container

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/

https://practicalaction.org/stem

https://www.eie.org/eie-curriculum/curriculum-units

http://teachers.egfi-k12.org/

https://www.teachengineering.org/

https://www.teachengineering.org/curriculum/browse?collection=MakerChallenges

http://www.gystcstem.org/stem-challenges.html

https://stemplayground.org/

https://educationcloset.com/

https://www.stemread.com/

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/education/education-workshop/activity-library.aspx

https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/user/scishowkids

https://www.neok12.com/How-It-Works.htm

https://www.youtube.com/user/crashcoursekids

https://www.eie.org/engineering-elementary/engineering-education-videos

https://www.eie.org/engineering-elementary/engineering-education-videos

https://www.firstenergycorp.com/community/education/educational_grants.html

https://www.honda.com/community/applying-for-a-grant

http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/About/Community-and-Education/Charitable-Giving-Program/Program-Details-and-Application-Process

http://www.westinghousenuclear.com/About/Community-and-Education/Charitable-Giving-Program/Program-Details-and-Application-Process

http://www.toshiba.com/taf/k5.jsp

https://charleslafitte.org/grants/

https://toolboxforeducation.com/

https://www.micron.com/foundation/educators/k12-educators/grants


Basic Supplies for STEAM:

Craft Supplies: Felt Pipe Cleaners Pom Poms Foam Shapes Foam Letters Sequins Buttons Beads Feathers Wiggle eyes Balloons Q-tips Cotton balls Corks Stickers Fabric

Kitchen Cups- mini, small, medium, large (paper or other) Paper plates- mini, small, medium, large Plastic – knives, spoons, forks, straws Condiment cups Cupcake liners Coffee filters Coffee stirrers Baking soda Vinegar Dish soap Dawn Foil Plastic Wrap Parchment paper Napkins Wax Paper Sponges (new)

Fasteners: Brass Fasteners Masking Tape Electrical tape Duct Tape Washi Tape Storage Tape Scotch Tape Painters Tape Glues – Craft, Elmer’s, sticks, super, double sided. Rubber bands Zip ties Clothespins Twist ties Velcro coins and strips Nuts Bolts Washers paper clips binder clips

Safety Components Safety Classes Aprons Gloves Face shields Face masks Ear protection Band-Aids Locking tool box

Strings/ Wire Yarn String Rope Embroidery string Thread Pipe cleaners Wire Dental floss Fishing line Chain Streamers Curling ribbon Ribbon Slinkys

Construction K’Nex Keva Structures Legos Tinker Toys Erector Sets Qubits Magna Tiles Marble Runs Pool noodles Pulleys Snap circuits Gears Playdough Clay Model magic

Cleaning Long Handle Broom Hand brooms Dustpans Windex Wet wipes- Tables and kids Paper towels Hand sanitizer Vacuum cleaner

Storage Lunch Trays Utensil trays Serving trays Bins- mini, small, medium Ziploc- Mini, snack, quart, gallon

Tools Measuring tape Levels Pencil sharpeners Erasers Rulers Squares Hammers Mallets Magnifying glasses Eye droppers Protractors Compasses Nails Screwdrivers Glue guns: low temp Glue guns: high temp Staplers Staples Staple remover 3-hole punch Cardboard saws Circle paper punchers Sand paper Plyers Clamps- mini, small, medium, large Tweezers Scissors Xacto knives Putty knives Paper punches Paper cutter

Wood Popsicle sticks Tongue depressors Balsa wood Blocks Cubes Toothpicks Dowel rods Micro plywood Wood cut outs

Recyclables Container tops Container caps Cans, jars, bottles Styrofoam Foam Packaging materials Egg crates DVDs CDs VHS Cassette tapes Old game pieces Old toy pieces Yogurt cups Oatmeal containers Cork Juice can end

Rolling Things Plastic Wheels Tubes- Paper towel, wrapping paper, Posters, toilet paper, ribbon, wire Spindles Bobbin spools Thread spools Styrofoam spheres Tennis balls Golf balls Ping pong balls Marbles Bobbers

Coloring Things Acrylic paint Tempera paints Water colors Markers Crayons Color pencils Paint pens Spirograph

Electronics Components Copper tape Batteries AA Batteries AAA Batteries C Batteries D Batteries 9V Button batteries Power strips- USB, 3 prongs, combo Squishy circuits Alligator clips Sensors- light, neat, movement Conductive- paint, glue, tape, thread Low energy motors Toggles Small flashlights String lights LEDs

Cardboard/Paper Flat- Corrugated and non-corrugated Boxes- corrugated, non-corrugated, small, mini Newspaper Magazines Poster board Card stock Envelopes Cards Post it notes Graph/ grid paper Spiral notebooks Index cards Playing cards Craft paper Wallpaper books Tissue paper Bags – lunch, grocery

what is s.t.e.a.m.? · steam (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics) is a strategy...

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