Category: STEM/STEAM

Fairy Tale STEM: The Little Red Hen

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

The skinny: We did this program as a book club program for Kindergarten-5th grade. These fairy tale/STEM/Book Club programs were born out of a mission of mine to incorporate more literacy into our STEM programming. What better way to do that than read a great fairy tale, incorporate literacy vocabulary by talking about the characters and what the problem was in the book, and then engineering our way to a better solution?

Supplies needed: Copy paper, markers, The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone.

Time: Plan about 30 minutes for this program. counting the time to get the kids their snack, read the book, and do the activity. So, if you are looking for a 30 minute program, this is a good one. If you need to stretch your time a little more, then try adding a closing game at the end. That is something that I hope to do next time.

How it went:  These programs welcome kids in Kindergarten-fifth grade, and the younger kids really do well. The older kids tend to get bored, so I try to verbally give them additional challenges to make the STEM activity harder. It just depends on the age of your group.

I did this program as part of a thematic series using our Cookies and Milk Book Club as the weekly program to draw kids in. We hold this on Tuesdays at 3:45 pm. To prep, I buy a half gallon of milk and a value sized bag of Cookie Crunch cereal. I never know how many kids will come so when they arrive I pour the milk and cookies after the kids have arrived and while chatting with them about anything they think is important. Once they have their afterschool snack, I introduced our book, The Little Red Hen by Paul Galdone.

Everyone already knows this story, but they enjoy eating their snack and following along. It seems that even older kids really like storytime, they just don’t want to admit it. To make it more interactive, though, I do invite the kids to repeat phrases with me such as, “Not I, said the cat” and other sound effects like the sound of the Little Red Hen scratching in the dirt to plant her seeds.

After reading the story we talked about the problems the Little Red Hen faced in this book. It is really fun to hear kids reactions of how angry they can get with the Little Red Hen’s friends who are not helping out! I talked to the kids about a “Help Wanted” poster, and it can be used to help advertise when a person wants to hire someone for a job. We talked about how great it would be if the Little Red Hen was able to make a poster to get some help with all her work!

I invited the kids to create their own “Help Wanted” poster. For the younger kids we talked about what chores the Little Red Hen might need help with: planting seeds, watering seeds, bring the wheat to market, baking the bread, etc. They also drew pictures. Now, we just had a problem with how to send the posters. So, we decided to fold them into paper airplanes and fly them around the room, which we did.

Have you done Fairy Tale STEM in your library? I would love to hear your ideas!

Fairy Tale STEM: The Three Billy Goats Gruff

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

The skinny: We did this program as both a book club program for Kindergarten-5th grade and as a Kindergarten class outreach visit. Both programs went great! These programs were born out of a mission of mine to incorporate more literacy into our STEM programming. What better way to do that than read a great fairy tale, incorporate literacy vocabulary by talking about the characters and what the problem was in the book, and then engineering our way to a better solution?

The cost: $0. We already had all the supplies on hand. But, if you don’t, you can buy clothes pins online for $6-10 for a pack of 100 and the tongue depressors for about $6 for a pack of 500. And, all the supplies are re-usable! You might also want to buy some small goats for the kids to play with as they are building their bridge. I searched on Amazon for “toy goat” and found some great options, like this pack of 25 for only $10.

Supplies needed: Clothespins, wide craft sticks, and the book, The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone.

Resources: Check out the Teach Beside Me blog where I got the bridge building idea for this program!

Time: Plan about 30-40 minutes for this program.

How it went: For the book club I did this as part of our Cookies and Milk book club series. We hold this on Tuesdays at 3:45 pm. To prep, I buy a half gallon of milk and a value sized bag of Cookie Crunch cereal. I never know how many kids will come so when they arrive I pour the milk and cookies while chatting with the kids about anything they think is important. Once they have their afterschool snack, I introduced our book, The Three Billy Goats Gruff by Paul Galdone. I had kindergarten through 5th graders, so everyone knew the story already. But, they had a glass of milk and another glass of cookies, so why not be excited? I read the story, having the kids help with the narration by asking, “And what did the troll say?” just to keep everyone engaged. After reading the story we talked about who the characters were (The Three Billy Goats Gruff and the Troll) and what the Billy Goats’ problem was (they did not have a safe bridge to cross). I brought out our clothes pins and tongue depressors and asked them to make me a bridge that would be safe. Some of the kids struggled with this, so I showed them a few ways to build. What I really liked about this was that it was simple enough for the youngest kids to do on their own, and yet difficult enough for the older kids to come up with bigger and better ways to build.

Have you tried Fairy Tale STEM? What are your favorite programs? I would love to hear from you!

 

littleBits in your Library’s STEAM Programming: Part 2

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

This is Part Two of my posts on littleBits programs we hosted at Brewer Public Library. Click here to read Part 1 where I explain the kits that our library is using, discounts available for librarians, and four lesson plans using the Workshop set.

Before last year, littleBits were not familiar to me. However, there is a very generous foundation in my city and they invited me to submit a grant on behalf of Brewer Public Library’s youth services department. I looked online for ideas of popular STEAM based programming at public libraries that I could use as models for my grant, and WHAM, I discovered littleBits. We have a very small budget at our library, and I try to stretch our funds out as much as I can (I budget $0.30 a child, and usually I try to do programs for less). This grant, though, allowed me to dream about programming options that I would never be able to offer otherwise.

I offered four littleBits programs in January, and parents/kids kept asking if I would continue the littleBits programs throughout February, so why not? Finding lesson plans was a little tricky, but we came up with four lessons that stretched the kid’s ideas about circuits. Our programs lasted from 30-60 minutes (including time at the end of kids to sort their littleBits and clean up). Also, we had attendees ranging from 5 years old to 12.

The videos were created to help promote the programs on Facebook. Many parents told me they came to the program just because they saw the video of what the kids would be creating. Click on the title of each lesson plan for links to outside resources that provided the inspiration for these lessons.

Lesson 5: Olympic Torches

Bits needed: Battery and cable, power, wire, latch, inverter, RGB LED.

Bit+Co. had a great lesson plan for birthday candles made from littleBits, and I just adapted it for Olympic torches. Again, I placed all bits required (power, cable, battery, wire, latch, inverter, and the RGB LED) into Ziploc bags ahead of time to not confuse kids about what bits they needed to make the project. I also had popsicle sticks, rubber bands, tissue paper, and tape out on tables. After creating their torch, I opened up all the littleBits to them for free exploration.

Lesson 6: Three Wheeler

Bits needed: Battery and cable, power, DC motor, light sensor, wire (2), wooden skewer, cardboard circles for wheels.

Full disclosure: This program did not work when we did in on program day. Sure, it worked for me when I tested the lesson plan out. Sure, it worked for the three kids who peaked around my desk to see what I was doing and wanted to make one to. But, on the day, it was a real opportunity to let the kids know that science and engineering is about working through challenges. We used chopsticks and cardboard cut out into circles for the wheels and axles, which did work, but I think that using LEGO wheels and axles would work better. However, all the kids were able to get their three-wheeler working before the end of the hour program!

Lesson 7: Art Bot

Bits needed: Battery and cable, power, DC motor, chalk/crayon/marker, rubber bands.

Again, full disclosure, we had a hard time getting this one to work too. But, all the kids were able to get it working in some capacity, and again, it was a good moment to let kids know that it is okay to struggle.

Lesson 8: Backpack Security

Bits needed: Battery and cable, power, light sensor, pulse, buzzer, screwdriver. We ended our programming on a high note with this one! Kids loved the idea of a security system at school that they could build for themselves!

More Lesson Plan to Try: 

While looking for lesson plans I found sever more that would be great to try in the future! If you have already done these, let me know!

Inchworm

Olympic Skier

 

 

littleBits in your Library’s STEAM Programming

- Sowing Seeds Librarian 2 Comments

Before last year, littleBits were not familiar to me. However, there is a very generous foundation in my city and they invited me to submit a grant on behalf of Brewer Public Library’s youth services department. I looked online for ideas of popular STEAM based programming at public libraries that I could use as models for my grant, and WHAM, I discovered littleBits. We have a very small budget at our library, and I try to stretch our funds out as much as I can (I budget $0.30 a child, and usually I try to do programs for less). This grant, though, allowed me to dream about programming options that I would never be able to offer otherwise.

LittleBits has many kits to choose from, but I wanted something that would allow me to lead a whole room filled with kids in a program. I wrote my grant to purchase the Workshop Set, which allows 8-24 kids to build at the same time. This kit was $2,000, but I was able to purchase it on Black Friday when they had a sale. Also, as an educator (or librarian), you receive a 5% discount. if you plan to write a grant to purchase your own littleBits, the good news is that littleBits has already done lots of research for you that you can refer to in your grant application. On their website, littleBits has already posted how littleBits connect to Common Core standards, so you have lots of research to prove the value of this resource.

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Kids’ STEM Workshops: Thinking in Three Dimensions with KEVA Brain Builders

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

Today we get to work with puzzles! You only get 20 planks, and they all look the same. How many objects can you create with those 20 planks? A lot. How much fun will you have? Again…a lot!

The skinny: This was a very simple program to put together. I ordered six sets of KEVA Brain Builders from Amazon for $15 a set. This was much more than the $0.30 per child budget that I have been working with. However, these sets were made available to us through a grant. Also, I am able to use them over and over again. So, in time, the price for these sets will go down to less than $0.30 because of the repeated use.

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Kids’ STEM Workshop: Binary Code!

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

We live in a binary world. Our computers, music, books, magazines, almost every form of media is digital and it all runs on the binary code. But, it is surprising how little many of us understand about the code that influences so much of our lives. For Teen Tech Week in March 2017, I wanted to do a program for tweens on coding and showing them the binary system. But, is binary code easy enough for kids to understand and write? Can we do a coding program without a computer? As we found out, the answers are yes, and yes!

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Kids’ STEM Workshop: Marble Maze (Push and Pull Physics!)

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

Put kids and marbles together and you automatically have a great time planned. Add a few lessons about Push and Pull, and you have an experiment in physics that combines fine motor skills, creative design, an understanding of force, and lots of marbles that went home with happy families. We held this program as a our second Workshop in January of 2017.

The skinny: This was a super fun program, although it was one of our shortest ones yet. I talked with the kids for about 15 minutes giving them some background in forces, balance, and push and pull physics. Then, I turned the kids loose on building their own marble runs. It only took the kids 15 minutes to design their own, which was much less time than I expected. In the future, I will try to combine this with a second activity to stretch it out, because I do like these workshops to go for 45-60 minutes. It was budget friendly, with supplies left over for me to do this again during our summer reading program.

Inspiration: I found this idea on Buggy and Buddy Blog. Her photos were so engaging that I thought, “We can try that!”

Cost: About $0.25 per child. I ordered a large box of Wikki Stix from Amazon for $23 (this box should serve 156 children, so we will certainly be doing this project again to go through it all!). I also ordered a large bag of Soak-Proof Foam Dinner plates ($4) so that the kids would have something sturdy to build on, and these plates had high edges. I also purchased three packs of 50 marbles for $1 at the Dollar Tree. We also used tape and scraps of construction paper that we had on hand. Each child received one plate, one marble, three of the Wikki Stix, and free access to the paper, markers, scissors, and tape.

Materials:
Foam Plates
Scissors
Scrap construction paper
Wikki Stix
Tape
Markers
Marbles

STEM at work: Building a marble run on a paper plate, which is meant to be held and moved back and forth to make the marble go on the desired path gives children an opportunity to experiment with physics principals, Newton’s First Law, the force of gravity, and creative engineering through original designs. To keep it focused, I decided to talk about the forces of Push and Pull.

Set up: To keep the kids on track (and not using more supplies than they needed) I took the time to prepare individual bags and place settings for each child. That way we did not have to fight about which color or Wikki Stix each child wanted. In each bag I placed 3 of the Wikki Stix, all in different colors and 1 marble. I set up the tables so that each table had five plates with the prepared bags, and I also pre-cut a piece of blue painter’s tape about 8 inches long and stuck it to the table. That way, each child has the materials they needed. I also pre-cut about 200 strips of paper approximately 1″ by 4″ to use for building arches and guards for their marbles. The paper strips were placed on the tables in pie tins so that the kids could grab them and use them at will.

Resources: I used the book, Give it a Push! Give it a Pull! A Look at Forces by Jennifer Boothroyd.

How it went: I brought all the kids and families into our Storytime/Programming Room. The kids sat on our magic carpet and I started off by placing a toy bus on the table. I asked the kids what the bus was doing. (Correct answer: nothing!) I then gave the bus a push. Now what is it doing? (Moving!) Why? One girl answered, “Because of the wheels!”) Really? I turned the bus on its side and gave it another push which sent it a few feet away. We got to the part that it was moving because I pushed it. I then pulled the bus over to me, and the kids go that it moved because I pulled it. Push=move something away from the force. Pull=moves something closer to the force.

I then took out our book,  Give it a Push! Give it a Pull! A Look at Forces by Jennifer Boothroyd. I try to use a book at least for a few moments every Workshop because it shows that literacy and STEM go together in fostering curiosity! I did not read every page of this book. Instead, I prepared some post-it notes and I placed them on pages where I wanted to ask the kids questions. This helped keep the book engaging, and kids and me asking questions about what we were reading.

After finishing the book, I showed the kids the marble run that I had created, and how they would be tilting the plate to push and pull and marble towards them, or away from them, for the marble to go through its maze. I had the kids count and time me to see how long it would take me for my marble to go through the maze that I had created. (Answer: 6 seconds!)

I then had kids volunteer to bring the tables out from the corner of the room and into the center. One little girl was frustrated with her partners who were not lifting the table and she said, “Why is this table not moving?” I could not help it, and I had to answer as I went to give them a hand, “Because we are not applying enough force”. J I have found out that kids love to help me set up and take down the programming room after a program, and this is an important time for me to build positive relationships with them by thanking them for helping.

With the tables in place, the kids were ready to build! Like I said above, it only took them about 15 mintues to finished their maze. Then, the kids raced each other to see who could make their marble go through the maze fastest. I am getting smarter at this, and after the program I asked the kids to give me back and sandwich bag that held their marble and three Wikki Stix. I can re-use the bag, which cuts down on waste and cost! Some kids wanted to keep their bag, though, so their marble did not get lost on the way home, which was fine.

Another STEM Workshop in the books! Stay tuned for our February Workshops: Human Heart Science and Write Your Name in Computer Code!

 

 

 

Kids’ STEM Workshop: Computer Coding with Scratch!

- Sowing Seeds Librarian

 

I had heard about computer coding being done at libraries for several months before attending the 2016 Wisconsin Library Association session: ”A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Coding Go Down” session lead by Tessa Michaelson Schmidt, Ryan Claringbolde, and Jen Fait. I did not really understand what tools may be out there to offer coding at our library, or how we could begin offering coding in my rural community with a library budget that is already limited. However, this session opened up my imagination to what could be possible in my community. Why not have kids coding computers at their public library? These same children that I talk with during my school visits, see playing games on the library computers, watch play sports at community games, and create music on their instruments or through their voice the school band or choir will be the future adult consumers. Why not teach them to be a producer, and not just a consumer of media? And, could I find a creative way to do it that would also be FREE of offer (no laptop or computer purchasing required)? Could there also be a hidden partnership opportunity with my schools linked in this somewhere? I think so!

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