STEM-a-Month

Check out our 4-H Spin site!

Resiliency Gardening

STEM Entomology

For more projects with Entomology go to
http://www.pickyourspin.org/entomology.html

Resiliency Leadership

Click on photo above to see entire lesson on Making the Connection with Leadership.

STEM ROBOTICs

Pumped Up
!Suggested Supplies:

Balloons
Plastic bottles (plastic soda,/water bottles, kitchen bulb basters, syringes, bottles with pop-up and open/close tops)
Pinwheel
Washer weights
Other items such as paper clips, paper brads, and thumbtacks from "Trunk of Junk" may also come in handy.

1. Choose several bottles and use them to blow on the pinwheel to make it spin.

Record results: Which bottles worked well? Which didn't? How well did the wheels spin?

How is this example like the wind? How easy is it to control this type of power?

This is an open system, like that of a windmill used for pumping water or generating electricity.

2. Use the air power to raise or move the weights of other objects, not by blowing on them, but by attaching a balloon to the bottle.

Try to see how much weight you can raise using only air power from a bottle and a balloon.
How did you accomplish the task?
How did the balloon function in this activity? How easy is it to control this type of power?
This is a closed system, such as one in an air compressor with tubing, valves and cylinders.

3. Record your experiences and what you learned about using air as power.

RESILIENCY Leadership

Click on photo above to see entire lesson on Making the Connection with Leadership.

STEM Forensic Science

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation! How are fingerprints used to identify individuals? What does your handwriting really say?
Check out some of these websites for additional resources.
Forensic Science
Explain that Stuff!
CSI: The Experience Web Adventures

Resiliency

This Photography project teaches children about the technology behind the camera. Sharing your photography shows them that you care by capturing family moments and events. If you enter a competition it will follow the Fairness pillar. It's great fun !

Photography Lesson

What can you do to get sharp pictures ? Practice some ways to keep the camera steady and level
Keep it Steady. Keep it level
Take photos of objects that do not move. Find a bicycle, a garden or some stuffed animal

1.       Hold the camera in landscape mode using both hands. Find a horizontal line in your scene. Is it parallel with the top or bottom of your viewfinder ? If not, move your camera so the picture is level.

2.       Now make sure the camera doesn't move when you take your picture. This is especially important when there isn't a lot of light. You can use a table, the top of a low wall, or the hood of a parked car to level your picture.

3.       Find other braces (fence, tree, side of building or garage). Brace yourself and your camera and squeeze the shutter button gently.

Challenge yourself

Take two pictures of a friend, one using the wide "landscape" position and one using the tall "portrait" one. Compare. Which works better ?
Take a level picture of a tall tree. Now tilt the camera more and more as you take several pictures. It will look like the tree is "tipping". Ask friends how that makes them feel.

STEM

Learn the dynamics of a Catapult system. Create your own small scale and/or large scale Catapult for shucking pumpkins !

Want to try it ? Here's how !