Exploring Sand Dunes

At Girlstart, we love to have fun in the sand and sun and learn STEM skills at the same time! Did you know there are four different types of sand dunes? Or that there is a sand dune in China that migrates at a rate of 100 feet every year? At this week’s After School To-Go, girls studied different types of sand dunes and learned about the formation process that leads to each shape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each group of girls used straws to mimic the shaping effect of wind, then shared their results with each other. Students discussed the negative effects of sand movement, including damage to towns and health risks. The girls suggested various protective methods, then designed and tested their solutions.

 

 

After testing their ideas, students compared their results once again. Even while having fun, Girlstart girls are using geology skills to solve nitty-gritty problems!

The Underground Movement

This week at After School, girls applied the scientific method to the issue of pollution. Before beginning their experiments, students discussed how water moves underground. The groups hypothesized that different materials, such as sand and soil, would affect the movement of water and pollutants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls created sand and soil filters, then watched as water polluted with dirt, dust, and food coloring made its way through the porous materials. Each girl wrote her observations next to her hypotheses. Finally, girls made a model of a well and poured polluted water in the sand and soil near the well opening. When the polluted water began to seep into the well, everyone agreed that it was very gross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pollution is icky and dangerous. At Girlstart we’re equipping future environmental scientists with the skills they need to improve our Earth’s precious resources!

Exploring River Erosion

This week at After School To-Go, Girlstart students reviewed what they know about erosion and weathering and gained new knowledge about dams, floodgates, and spillways. Girls examined a model of a riverbed and observed the impacts of flooding on the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After testing the effectiveness of their group’s dam, girls wrote down their observations shared them with the large group. Students finished the day off with a discussion about the costs of construction and the importance of floodgates, spillways, and dams. These future civil engineers critically analyzed their projects and planned potential improvements that they could make in the future.