Monthly Archives: January 2018

Baking Chemistry Boot Camp

2018-01-14T18:51:13-07:00

As we’ve posted before, school breaks tend to include multi-day programs for grades 3-5. We previously challenged participants to choreograph a robot dance party and extract their own DNA. This past winter break featured a two day program about the science of baking. Each day covered science concepts related to the recipes we tested. And the best part: participants ate their experiment products! We should note that we have approval from our village’s health department to provide food related programs. Our library is equipped with a kitchen and participants were making the food item themselves rather than staff. Before exploring food [...]

Baking Chemistry Boot Camp2018-01-14T18:51:13-07:00

Super Moon, Blue Moon, Red Moon = What a Night to Watch the Moon!

2018-01-05T16:53:48-07:00

This will be the month to keep an eye on the moon.  The largest full moon of 2018 occurred on January 1, and the second, and last super moon of this year will occur on January 31.  Since it will also be the second full moon in a calendar month, it will be a blue moon, as well.  As if that weren't enough to get folks out to take a look, there will be a total lunar eclipse the very same night! Definitely the morning (very early morning for some) to bundle up, get a mug of hot chocolate, and find a good [...]

Super Moon, Blue Moon, Red Moon = What a Night to Watch the Moon!2018-01-05T16:53:48-07:00

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2018-01-02T23:04:09-07:00

This is the time of the year when children in most every part of the country look forward to awakening to a fluffy white blanket of snow in which to play, to sled, to scoop into a bowl for snowcream, and most importantly, to get them out of a day at school.  In my part of the country these days, snow is fairly rare, and pretty much everything comes to a grinding halt as soon as there are a few inches on the ground. When I was a child, it seemed like there was a lot more of the icy white [...]

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!2018-01-02T23:04:09-07:00

Welcome to 2018!

2018-01-02T15:25:00-07:00

2017 Solar Eclipse Thanks for a memorable 2017 and Happy New Year. The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) had a fantastic year in 2017 anchored by the solar eclipse event in August. With support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, NASA, and NSF, SSI’s National Center for Interactive Learning distributed 2.1 million safe viewing glasses to 7,000 library locations including public library branches, bookmobiles, tribal libraries, library consortia, and state libraries. This was the largest single distribution of free glasses in the entire country and reached more people with glasses and information than any other educational effort for the 2017 eclipse. [...]

Welcome to 2018!2018-01-02T15:25:00-07:00

Libraries Rock

2018-01-02T09:39:32-07:00

Guest post by Erin Wood, Space enthusiast and educator So, you’ve probably heard by now that the theme for this upcoming summer reading program is “Libraries Rock,” and at this point, you’re wondering how you can incorporate sound into your space-themed STEM program this summer. Here is some food for thought, sound ideas, and most importantly, links, to help you develop the best sound-infused space program ever (or at least in this author’s opinion).   THE SUN Let’s start at the most important member of our Solar System. Did you know that series of pulses, waves, and oscillations dominate the sun, creating [...]

Libraries Rock2018-01-02T09:39:32-07:00
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