Workshop: Leading Successful STEM Activities

This workshop focuses on how to:

• Understand what STEM means
• Experiment with different STEM activities
• Facilitate successful STEM activities

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Check out this video of the Power Point presentation from this workshop for an idea of what you can expect:

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To have this delivered as an on-site workshop contact Toolbox Training.

Check out the workshops tab for a full list of titles.

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Consider the Toolbox Training book 100 Science Activities for Kids as a complement to this training. Click on the book cover for details.

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February 3: Children’s Dental Health Month

image from bwilbys.blogspot.com

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Keeping Eggs’ Teeth Healthy

Materials:

• Fluoride rinse solution (available from a dentist and sold at some pharmacies)
• Eggs
• White vinegar
• 3 containers

Directions:

1. Pour four inches of fluoride into a container and place an egg in it.
2. Let it sit five minutes and then remove the egg.
3. Pour four inches of vinegar in each of two other containers.
4. Place the fluoride-treated egg in one container and a non-treated egg in the other.
5. What happens to the two different eggs?
6. Why do you think dentists recommend brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste?

Source(s): kidshealth.org, adapted for the Toolbox Training book 100 Science Activities for Kids (activity E12).

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Check out the full February calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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April 12: Space Shuttle Columbia First Launched (1981)

image from Wikipedia.org

Kids can make balloon rockets in honor of the first launch of the space shuttle.

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Balloon Rocket Races

Materials:

• twine or kite string
• straws
• tape
• balloons

Directions:

1. Cut twine or kite string in about 10-foot long pieces.
2. Thread one end of a string through a straw.
3. Pull string tight, taping each end down to different objects. Ideally, one side should be slightly higher than the other.
4. Blow up balloon, but do not tie it.
5. Tape balloon so that it hangs under straw.
6. Let go of mouth of balloon and your rocket should shoot from one end of the string to the other!

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s 100 Construction Activities for Kids (activity N1).

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Check out the full April calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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March 13: Planet Uranus Discovered (1781)

image from easyscienceforkids.com

Uranus, one of the bigger planets, was discovered on this day in 1781. How does it stack up in diameter compared to the other planets?

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Planets’ Diameters

Materials:

• Measuring tape
• String
• Ruler
• Sidewalk chalk

Directions:

1. What is the diameter of each planet in our Solar System? Check out EnchantedLearning.com to find out.
2. This is best done outside in a space where you can use sidewalk chalk, but could also be done indoors with string and tape.
3. Try different scales depending on space, but to offer some perspective, if 1 inch equals 1000 miles, Mercury is only three inches across while Jupiter is nearly three feet!
4. To mark a planets’ diameter with chalk, measure a piece of string to HALF the diameter of the planet.
5. Once a piece of string is cut to length, one person needs to hold one end steady while a second person holds the other end.
6. Keeping the string tight, the second person rotates around the first person, tracing a circle with the chalk as he/she moves. This represents the planet’s diameter.
7. Repeat for each planet.

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s book 100 Science Activities for Kids (activity F10).

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Check out the full March calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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February 18: Pluto discovered (1925)

image from sciencefiction.com

Pluto was discovered in 1925. When it was still considered a planet, it was the farthest from the sun. This is a good day to explore just how far from the sun each planet is!

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Planets Distances from the Sun

Materials:

• Measuring tape
• String
• Ruler
• Objects to represent planets
• Masking tape
• Marker

Directions:

1. What is the average distance from the sun for each planet in our Solar System? Check out EnchantedLearning.com to see how far each planet is from the sun.
2. You can experiment with scale in different ways depending on space allowed, but to offer some perspective if 1 inch equals 10 million miles, Mercury will be less than six inches from the sun while Pluto would be over 300 feet away!
3. Kids can measure strings to certain lengths to make it easier to quickly figure distances. For example, they can measure out lengths of string to 10 inches, 100 inches, etc. Then they can use a ruler for distances under 10 inches.
4. Use an object to mark each planet. You may opt to just put down a piece of masking tape with the name of the planet written on it.
5. What do kids think once it is done? Did they think the planets would be closer together? Farther apart?

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s book 100 Science Activities for Kids (activity F9).

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Check out the full February calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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November 28: Red Planet Day

image from theguardian.com

Since November 28 is Red Planet Day, try out this game about going to Mars.

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Going on a Trip to Mars

Materials:

• none

Directions:

1. Explain to kids that there is a trick to this game and to keep it a secret when they figure it out so it doesn’t spoil the fun for others.
2. The first child (the Martian tour guide) picks a theme and tells only an adult. For example, each person might be required to bring something on the trip to Mars that begins with the same letter as his or her first name (example: “My name is Dave and I’m bringing a dog.”).
3. The tour guide takes his/her turn and then the next child follows suit. If he/she brings an item that fits the tour guide’s critiera, then the tour guide says, “Okay, you can go with me to Mars.”
4. Play continues until all children are able to go on the trip.

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s 100 Game Activities for Kids (activity G5).

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Check out the full November calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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June 15: Ben Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment (1752)

image from whatpoll.com

There is debate over whether American pioneer and inventor really conducted this experiment in which he attached a key to a kite and flew it during an electrical storm. You can read about it here. Regardless of what really happened or didn’t, this is a good time to let kids do some experimenting with electricity by making this homemade battery.

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Homemade Battery

Materials:

• plastic cups
• concentrated lemon juice
• copper nails
• aluminum nails
• insulated wire
• flashlight bulbs

Directions:

1. Fill each cup ¾ full with concentrated lemon juice.
2. Several inches of wire will be needed for each battery.
3. Expose the ends of the wire by cutting through the plastic insulation, but not the wire.
4. Do the same in the middle of the wire.
5. Wrap each end of the wire around the tops of the nails.
6. Twist the mddle around the light bulb.
7. The wire must touch the tip of the bulb’s end and the metal ridges around its base.
8. Stick nails in lemon juice and bulb should light. If not, reattach wire and try again.
9. Explanation: lemon juice is an acid and acts much like the inside of a dry cell to create a battery.

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Source(s): 100 Science Activities for Kids (activity H7).

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Check out the full June calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 20: Weight and Measure Day

image from easyloss.net

According to Answers.com an international treaty was signed on this day in 1875 to establish the International Bureau of Weights and Measures. It was founded on international territory at Sèvres, France. Here are potential activities to celebrate the day:

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Weighing and Measuring Activities

Materials:

• Rulers
• Tape measures
• Yardsticks
• Scales
• Strong stick
• String
• Cups
• Books on animals’ lengths and weights
• Containers and cups of varying size

Directions:

1. Provide various rulers and scales to let kids do their own weighing and measuring. Kids can guess items’ weight or length.
2. Make a scale with a strong stick, some string, and cups. Tie a string from each end of the stick and attach a cup to the other side. Balance the stick and load materials in the cups.
3. Find books that tell how long different animals are and how much they weigh. How many kids would equal an elephant’s weight? A whale? How many kids would equal a giraffe’s height?
4. Have kids measure off various distances by walking toe-to-toe. They can then measure their feet and figure out how long that means the distance is that they walked.
5. Provide cups and containers of various sizes along with measuring spoons and cups. Let kids compare how same amount of liquid looks different in different-sized containers.

Source(s): Toolbox Training’s book 100 Science Activities for Kids (activities F1-F10).

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Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

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May 7: Potato Day

image from freshfoodcentral.com

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Potato Activities

Possible Activities:

• Try an interactive online Mr. Potato Head at SchoolExpress.com!
• You can also get Mr. Potato Head kits and real potatoes. Also consider how you can make facial features for real potatoes or carve them like pumpkins.
• Would you believe you can use a potato as a battery? Check out kidzworld.com for directions to make a potato clock.
• Try familiar relays with potatoes – like passing it from one person’s neck to the next, rolling it on the floor with your nose, or over one person’s head, under the next’s legs.

Source(s): Check out the Toolbox Training book 100 Cooking Activities for Kids for directions on baked potatoes (activity G2) and 100 Science Activities for Kids for directions on growing sweet potatoes (activity E6).

Check out the full May calendar. It includes floating holidays, specialty weeks, and specialty months.

Workshop: Make Every Science Activity a Success

Check out the workshops tab for a full list of titles as well as prices and other information. All Toolbox Training workshops are also available as do-it-yourself training packages. Click that tab for more details.

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What you’ll get from this workshop or training package:

• Explain what science is
• Identify fears associated with science
• Recognize the benefits of engaging children in science
• Understand and use the basic scientific method
• Ask children questions to encourage scientific exploration
• Generate tools to use in scientific exploration
• Create environments that encourage scientific exploration
• Access numerous science activities for children

For this training package, Toolbox Training highly recommends the book 100 Science Activities for Kids. Click on the book cover for details.

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To have this delivered as an on-site workshop contact Toolbox Training.

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To order as a do-it-yourself training package (catalog # SCTP1010): You can also download an order form here.

Training packages come with workbooks, certificates, and evaluations for 10 participants, but you can also order additional workbooks, etc. (catalog #SCTW1010) if necessary:

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For more Toolbox Training workshops and training packages, check here.