Science * Technology * Engineering * Math

STEMThe April STEM meeting will be the last session during this school term. We will begin our summer hours in June.

Complete details about summer programs will be available beginning May 31 during Summer Reading Sign-up.

Thank you for allowing us to share this time with your children, it has been a great experience for all of us.

Our new STEM Science Club meets the 4th Wednesday of the month.

This program is for students in grades 4~6. We have to limit the number of participants each month.

The slots fill up fast when we announce enrollment is open. You don’t know until you call whether there is room for your student!

SQUISHY CIRCUITS April STEM Meeting

STEM April 2016 004
Supplies ready for making our own squishy circuits using two types of homemade dough, conductive dough and insulating dough and our re-purposed battery pack.                              
STEM April 2016 002
Household items-conductors or            insulators?                                         

 

 

 

STEM April 2016 001
Making ooey gooey dough.
STEM April 2016 007
My own squishy      circuit.                                                       

STEM April 2016 006
Squishy Circuits help us understand electrical circuitry.
STEM April 2016 008
Parallel circuit with 3 LED lights. Too bad you can’t see better that the lights are on and working on this circuit!

 

STEM April 2016 010
A series circuit was needing more”juice” than 3AAA batteries could muster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

*****************************************************************************************************************************

March STEM Meeting

12973430_1091476290875477_6033284343895198243_o12998166_1091476197542153_1213797973022588903_o

12977214_1091476174208822_4575569070669311425_o

12968010_1091476084208831_3454392040073812427_o

12977059_1091475657542207_2428797738137085926_o(1) 12968039_1091475737542199_5018111772469286052_o

13002545_1091475777542195_3319649166650179737_o

12968095_1091475394208900_3270916940243890122_o

*******************************************************************************************************************

PLAYING WITH POLYMERS February STEM meeting

FebSTEM3
What would you suppose Spaghetti and linked paper clips have in common? In one way they give us a glimpse in a seeable way what the molecules of a POLYMER may look like.
FebSTEM6
Before hands-on-polymer-making, we learned what POLYMER molecules are why they are different than other molecules.

 

FebSTEM5
Lab stations were prepared ahead for all participants.
FebSTEM2
Ethylene molecules above will link together and make chains then called poly(many) ethylene.
FebSTEM7
Polyethylene creates plastics and if you look closely at a piece of trash bag plastic you can discover the presence of a chain-like structure.
FebSTEM8
The young scientists created silly putty and glow-in-the-dark bouncy balls.
FebSTEM1
The linking of the moiecular chains would be like a glob of spaghetti. The air pockets created in this type of structure is similar to the air pockets in a water-absorbing polymer.
FebSTEM9
Thus, this gummy bear soaked in water over night has more than doubled its size. For those who were brave enough to taste it, agreed the manufacturer has the recipe right. We ended the meeting by making our own gumdrops! Science AND a snack! Can’t beat that!

**************************************************************************************************************

January STEM meeting: Hydraulic Systems

At our first meeting in January the students created simple individual hydraulic systems.

Sounds impressive, right? The quote of the day: “This is more fun than computer games!”

1.27.16STEM.1
This picture shows an enclosed system. And a very happy boy.
1.27.16STEM.6
It moves! another picture of 1/3 of the claw completed. She looks happy too, doesn’t she?
1.27.16STEM.2
This is also an enclosed system. If I remember correctly, she is the only one in the bunch to complete her system before leaving that day! Congratulations!
1.27.16STEM.4
It is important to read ALL of the instructions. This is 1/3 of the claw complete and it worked!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IMG_0232
Gerald wanted to get a closer look at the contraption on display. He was very impressed!