Monthly Archives: February 2019

The Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Program: Science-based Inquiries Outside the Classroom

2019-02-25T11:41:10-07:00

by Emma Marcucci and Holly Ryer, Space Telescope Science Institute Research shows that out-of-school-time programs play an important role in supporting learning experiences and shaping youth identity in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). Young learners (particularly girls) who participate in STEM activities outside of school are more likely to say they will pursue STEM subjects later in their education. In addition, there is strong evidence that inquiry-based approaches benefit both individual and collective learning and support the development of twenty-first century skills. These approaches encourage youth to solve complex problems, work in teams, communicate findings, and apply knowledge to novel [...]

The Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA Program: Science-based Inquiries Outside the Classroom2019-02-25T11:41:10-07:00

LED Light Up Cards

2019-02-23T17:53:29-07:00

This month we combined card-making with circuitry for our latest Be the Scientist program for grades 3-5. We facilitated this program near Valentine’s Day thinking it would help spark interest. Here’s what we did. We started the program by talking about circuitry, asking participants what they knew about how a circuit works and what its used for. In addition to talking about how a circuit works, we used a Snap Circuits Jr. kit to demonstrate a basic circuit, pointing out the power source, connecting wires, switch, and light. This bridged into the day’s activity and we explained how basic circuits can [...]

LED Light Up Cards2019-02-23T17:53:29-07:00

Apollo Next Giant Leap Student Challenge Offers a Fun Way to Explore the Moon

2019-02-04T15:03:08-07:00

by Stephanie Vierow-Fields, Education Coordinator at the Space Science Institute As we gear up for the Universe of Stories summer learning event and NASA’s Apollo 11 50th anniversary, NASA@ My Library and the Northwest Earth and Space Science Pipeline are collaborating to promote a unique engineering challenge from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, offering students the chance to land on the “Moon”.  Well, a map of the Moon at least.  A Lego Mindstorms robot, with a plastic astronaut strapped to the front, approaches the lunar lander. Credit: Dennis Wise/University of Washington With the advent of new and [...]

Apollo Next Giant Leap Student Challenge Offers a Fun Way to Explore the Moon2019-02-04T15:03:08-07:00
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