This past fall semester, Girlstart After School Houston clubs enjoyed an incredibly fun and exciting curriculum. Read on to see a few highlights of Fall 2016!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pop-Fly: Building Catapults

For this activity, students constructed catapults out of materials such as paper cups and popsicle sticks. Cotton balls were loaded into the catapults and launched, and girls evaluated the height, speed, and direction of the cotton ball’s flight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Forensic Scientists: Investigating Solubility

Girls conducted experiments to test the effects of water on different types of markers. Students discovered that not all black markers dissolve in the same manner. Girls used this knowledge to determine the source of notes written in different black markers and write each other messages!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buzzer Messages: Constructing Circuits

This week, students created buzzers to send Morse code messages to each other! When a circuit was closed, the buzzers gave off a noise, and students deciphered “dits” and “dahs” from other tables to understand coded messages.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aerospace Engineers: Launching Rockets

Up, up, and away! Students designed and built paper rockets, then sent them flying into the air. Each rocket was attached to a bottle with a tube, which girls stomped on to launch the rockets. Students evaluated the height and direction of their rockets and made important modifications.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Showcase

Students recreated their favorite activities of the semester and presented them to family, friends, and teachers! Each table created a colorful poster with the title of their activity or experiment, verbally explained the activity step-by-step, and answered questions from visitors. Students and guests alike were proud of the progress made in Girlstart After School!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students used the Engineering Design Process throughout the semester. They identified a problem or question, brainstormed with each other, created a prototype, conducted tests, and modified their designs. This process required critical thinking and lots of teamwork! We’re saying goodbye to a successful semester at Girlstart After School Houston, and hello to more exciting STEM activities in the future!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Activities stimulated creativity and inspiration in elementary girls in the following schools:

Alief ISD

Collins Elementary
Cummings Elementary
Heflin Elementary
Hicks Elementary
Holmquist Elementary
Horn Elementary
Mahanay Elementary
Petrosky Elementary
Smith Elementary
Youens Elementary

Houston ISD

DeChaumes Elementary