Bird Is The Word

Citizen science happens when ordinary people study the world around them and send in the data they collect to scientists. Anyone can do citizen science! Citizen science projects cover all kinds of topics like dragonflies, birds, and ants. You can learn a lot about your neighborhood or even your own backyard by joining a citizen science project. One of our favorites is Feeder Watch. You can learn more at http://feederwatch.org/. Before collecting data you can learn to identify the birds in your area using this fun SciGirls activity: http://tinyurl.com/SciGirlsBird.

*Girlstart collaborates with SciGirls to help disseminate their awesome activities, and we think this a great activity to introduce citizen science.

Have you ever experienced an earthquake? Create a model of a seismograph and replicate an earthquake to see how seismologists use this machine to record when and where earthquakes take place and how intense they are.

Click here for a DeSTEMber activity!

Activities for the week of December 21st-27th 2015

Here are the materials for the fourth week of DeSTEMber:

12.21 – MaKey MaKey
12.22 – Tech Tuesday
12.23 – Robot Arm
12.24 – Solar Power
12.25 – Index Card Engineering
12.26 – Bottle Rockets
12.27 – Fighting The Fever

12.21 – MaKey MaKey
MaKey MaKey kit (can be purchased online here)
Conductive objects (e.g. penny, clay, fruit, aluminum foil)
Computer or laptop with usb port

12.22 – Tech Tuesday
Computer (with Internet access)
Play Blockly at the following website: https://blockly-games.appspot.com/

12.23 – Robot Arm
1 large strip of corrugated cardboard or cardstock (2″ x 8″ or 5cm x 20cm) with a hole punched in one corner
1 small strip of corrugated cardboard or cardstock (2″ x 4″ or 5cm x 10cm) with a hole punched in one corner
One 1-inch brad or brass fastener
1 straw, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) lengths
39 inches (100cm) of smooth string (e.g. kite string)
2 large paperclips
One 3 oz. paper cup
Small, somewhat heavy items such as pennies, washers, or paperclips
Tape

12.24 – Solar Power
6 cardboard squares (1 ft. x 1 ft. works best)
Small wooden dowel (3 in. long)
Small wooden wheel (minimum 1 in. diameter)
Hot glue gun and glue replacements
X-acto knife
Tape
Materials to decorate your music box:
Foam shapes/sheets
Pom poms
Pipe cleaners
Felt
Sequins/rhinestones
Paper
Sharpies/markers
Sunnyside Up Solar Car Kit (can be purchased here). From the kit, you will need:
1 motor
1 red motor pulley
Solar panel with alligator clips

12.25 – Index Card Engineering
Index cards
Scissors

12.26 – Bottle Rockets
1 plastic water bottle
1 sheet of cardstock cut into fourths
Scotch tape
Scissors
Things to decorate your rocket with like Sharpies or stickers
Bicycle pump
Cork (it must fit snugly inside the opening of the water bottle)
Pitcher with water

12.27 – Fighting The Fever
Fighting The Fever handout (provided with activity)
One bag of M&Ms™
Plate
Calculator
Pencil

Gather your shovels, brushes, and chisels to find the hidden treasures frozen in the glacier. Discover how careful archeologists have to be when they unearth fragile fossils. Using household items, excavate and examine the ‘prehistoric pieces’ in this fun Lego dig!

Click here for a DeSTEMber activity!