Students from Murray County Central Elementary, Fulda Elementary, and a local homeschool group experienced STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) in action through interactive crafts, engaging activities, and creative problem-solving challenges.
Starting with the homeschool group, we met in November where youth had to make trebuchets out of popsicle sticks and puff balls. The purpose of this activity was to convert gravitational potential energy to kinetic energy by utilizing a lever sling and trigger mechanism for the release. This taught youth about range and accuracy and how to make modifications to alter either of these factors.
For the December session with the same homeschool group, we did a fan favorite – Elf Ziplining! This offered some of the same STEM factors that our trebuchet activity did – but we made it more relatable to the holiday season! Youth were given a toy elf, some string and various building materials to construct a “trolly” for the elf to zip-line from the tree to the floor, without falling off. Observation was key in determining how youth could make their trolly better so the elves could successfully land.
Youth also embraced the theme “The Calm Before the Holiday Crazy!” as participants created moldable ‘snow’ using cornstarch and baby oil. Kim and Kerstin guided the activity, explaining how the ingredients worked together and the science behind the process.
