Thanks to a generous grant from LSTA, my library is able to do some really cool STEAM programming (if I do say so myself!) this fall that I’m SO excited about! Last night we had a glow in th…
The escape room that we made last year was so much fun that I knew that we had to do it again. But we can’t just do the same one, that would be boring and kids would already know most of the…
Thanks to a generous grant from LSTA, my library is able to do some really cool STEAM programming (if I do say so myself!) this fall that I’m SO excited about! Last night we had a glow in th…
Ozobot are tiny line following robots that can be coded to perform certain tasks using colour codes. You can also programme Ozobots using the Blockly platform allowing you to code more complex instructions. We really like Ozobots as they offer both online and offline play. Some time ago we made a maze for Ozobot using LEGO Duplo and Ozoeasy Overwrite Codes. We've worked on our design process and share our experience below. We've made our LEGO Maze for Ozobot twice, having learnt lots from the first experience, we were able to make design adjustments on the second attempt. It's important for kids to learn their first attempt, may not work. It's quite the skill and my kids are definitely still learning how to cope with failure. Also See: Our Ozobot Review Building the Maze The kids really enjoyed building the Maze using LEGO Duplo, but you could use any type of building blocks, including MegaBlocks or even Wooden Blocks. Our first maze just navigated Ozobot from one end to the other. We noticed Ozobot was about the size of a 2 x 2 Duplo block. They built the maze one block wide, thinking if Ozobot was slightly smaller, it should move easily. It did work on the straights, but Ozobot didn't have enough room to turn. They had to rethink their design. On the second attempt, we made the track 2 x 4 Duplo block wide. This gave the Ozobots plenty of room to turn and also do other tricks like zigzag and tornado. Drawing the Lines Sanford Corp 38262 2PK Black Chisel Sharpie ? @ Amazon As Ozobot is a line following robot, it needs a good solid black line to follow. We found a chisel edged black sharpie pen works the best. Our first maze, with its narrow path made drawing a good solid line really tricky. We came up with an idea to trace the line in pencil, shift the Duplo maze off the paper and then draw the line. This worked fairly well, except we had to rebuild some parts of the maze - they didn't quite make the move. Our second maze, with its wider paths worked much better and this time we didn't move the Duplo structure. Adding the Codes When you use Ozobots offline on paper, they can follow instructions using colour coded codes. The main colours are red, green, blue and black - and set in a particular order will give Ozobot commands, like turn left or turn around. Once you've drawn your solid black line, it's tricky to add your Ozocodes, unless you have predetermined their position and left a gap in the path line. We've come up with several ideas to solve the problem. One, use blue, green and red stickers cut into tiny squares and build up your codes over the path line. Two, use a white sticker and colour in your codes however you need to be careful to use the right shade of blue and green. Three, we discovered OzoEasy stickers! Overwrite Codes (Starter Pack) ? @ Amazon Ozoeasy Stickers are little round stickers with printed Ozocodes which are easy to use and the colours of the codes work first time. Eight year old inventor of Ozoeasy overwrite codes, sent us a pack to try out. Firstly we love the fact kids are solving problems, and coming up with brilliant products to help others too. I used the Ozoeasy overwrite code stickers with my 5 and 7 year old kids. They loved using them, as they were easy to peel off and stick in position. The Ozoeasy sticker made the coding part of our activity much more engaging. This time we didn't have to worry whether we'd left a gap in the line for our codes, we just decided which codes we wanted to use and stuck them over the line. We'd love it if the sticker were reusable, as sometimes we stuck it in the wrong direction or the wrong place. However we managed by carefully peeling it off and re-sticking with a bit of glue. **Ozoeasy Giveaway** The Ozoeasy starter pack comes with a sheet of direction codes, another with timer and moves codes and a black sheet for you to colour your own codes. This is really useful if you are making up new codes for your Ozobots using the Blockly app. Playing the Game The maze was part of a game the kids designed to get the aliens to a space rocket. We made alien costumes for the Ozobots and a space rocket which was placed at the end of the maze. The kids used a timer to see who's Alien Ozobot reached the rocket first. Ozobot randomly selects its path when it reaches a crossroad. In some cases we added Ozoeasy codes to send it in a specific direction. However the random choice, made the game really fun, as no route was the same and you were really lucky if your alien Ozobot choose the fastest route to the rocket.
Library Escape Rooms are really big right now, so I tried to design this program so that any library can try to duplicate it. Because making something like this is kinda daunting–where do yo…
Your Valentine's Day just got a little STEAM-y! Today we released our next STEAM Kids book and this time the theme is Valentine's Day! My contribution was these LED Roses. I am going to tell you in
Build your own zoetrope and create your own animation. Hours of STEAM fun for kids who love art, engineering and science!
LED Light Up Greeting Cards STEAM is really picking up in libraries lately. The IREAD Summer Reading Program for 2017 is “Reading By Design” which will have a focus on STEAM like prog…
Welcome to All Things STEAM, a resource for offering library programming in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. When it comes to developing my STEAM programming, I have turned to a number of go-to resources that for inspiration and concept knowledge support. I've gathered links to those resources, my program how-tos, and other STEAM and maker resources for your convenience. I'm not updating this page very frequently anymore, but I still use it as a repository for my STEAM programs past and present as well as my favorite resources. Bookmark this page and get programming! My STEAM Programs Preschool Science Series: Strength and Materials with the Three Little Pigs Weather with Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain Color with White Rabbit's Color Book Body Science with Parts Water Science with Asch's Water Gravity Science with Cosmo Zooms Chemistry Science with Whopper Cake Science Skills: Observation with Pond Walk and In the Tall, Tall Grass Shadow Science with The Dark, Dark Night and What Makes a Shadow? Science Skills: Counting & Measuring with Pizza at Sally's Magnet Science with Stuck Excellent Explosions Science Club, Jr. Series: Exploring Colors Exploring Bubbles Exploring Gravity Exploring Water & Dissolving School-Age Science Series: Food Science Slime Science Sink or Float: Titanic Edition Airplane Science Volcano Science Speed Racer Science Bridge Science Parachute Science Egg Drop Science Boat Race Science Geyser Science Balloon Science The Science of Slimy Things Meteorites! Tools and the Brain Planet Hoppers STEAM Programs: Lego Club (a monthly program at our library), also recapped on the STAR_net Libraries blog Aliens Invade!, also recapped on The Library as Incubator Project Gingerbread House Workshop Angry Birds Shoe Box Cities Marble Run Mania Attack on the Fort! Playground Adventures Marshmallow Engineering Lost in Space! Art Market Camouflage! Computer Gaming with MaKey MaKey and Scratch Constellation Guidebooks Pop-Up STEAM Programs BristleBot Challenge Library Landmarks Highlights Map (teens) Vegetable (& Fruit) Prints Tabletop Coding Robot Dance Boot Camp Scratch Jr. Code Camp STEAM Story Time Crafts: Mini Marshmallow Shooters Painting with Forces STEAM Videos: Finger Puppets (textiles) Milk Planets (chemistry) All Ages: Stargazer Nights Family Science Expo Other STEAM Program Plans, Ideas, & Spaces Check out the School Library Journal STEAM Pinterest page, where I pin all sorts of STEAM programs for all ages from across the blogosphere. Explore the BOOMbox, Skokie Public Library's outstanding STEAM space that is flexible (i.e., changing themes) and involves hands-on learning for all ages. I've written about the take-home activity sheets I made for Preschool Science programs at my former job in Missouri. I've also answered some questions about the planning and implementation of Preschool Science programs. Other Libraries & Librarians Doing STEAM Preschool Programs: Erin of Falling Flannelboards's programs Kendra of Read Sing Play's "Explore!" Preschool STEAM Programs Kelsey of Library Bonanza's programs "Math Minute" and "Science Spot" at Deschutes (OR) Public Library "Math And Science Story Time" series from EC STEM Lab School-Age Programs: "Gizmos, Gadgets, and Goo (G3): The Mad Scientists Club" at Cheshire (CT) Public Library WisCode Literati, a collaborative project started through ILEAD-USA "Fairy Tale STEAM" for early elementary kids from Heather All Ages: Abby the Librarian's STEAM programs at New Albany-Floyd County (IN) Public Library Kim of Literary Commentary's programs "Library Makers" in Madison, WI S.M.Art Kids at Radnor Memorial Library (PA) Preschool STEAM Resources Bedtime Math Pre-K Science from PreKinders Science and Nature ideas from Teach Preschool The Science Explorer from Exploratorium Science Sparks School-Age STEAM Resources Curiosity Machine Easy Science for Kids Explorabox Explore from Exploratorium Family Engineering How to Smile: All the Best Science & Math Activities Make It @ Your Library Mixing in Math from TERC PLUM LANDING from PBS Kids Science Bob Science Buddies Science Experiments for Kids from Science Kids Science Sparks Steve Spangler Science TinkerLab Wonderopolis Resources for Explaining STEAM Concepts How Stuff Works The Story Behind the Science Understanding Science from UC Berkeley Why STEAM? "What is STEAM?" from STEM to STEAM "STEM to STEAM: Art in K-12 is Key to Building a Strong Economy" from Edutopia "From STEM to STEAM: Science and Art Go Hand-in-Hand" from Scientific American "STEAM: Experts Make Case for Adding Arts to STEM" from Education Week "Monet in Science Class?" from Scholastic Instructor "To Attract More Girls to STEM, Bring More Storytelling to Science" from Scientific American "Every Child is Born a Scientist" from NPR "What does STEM look like in preschool and what is STEM anyway?" from Teach Preschool "Why We Need the 'A' in STEM: Q&A with David Cole" from Graphite NSTA Position Statement: Each Childhood Science Education "Can Project-Based Learning Close Gaps in Science Education?" from KQED Why Maker Activities? "Why Kids Need to Tinker to Learn" from KQED "Can the Maker Movement Infiltrate Mainstream Classrooms?" from KQED "How Minecraft and Duct Tape Wallets Prepare Our Kids for Jobs That Don't Exist Yet" from EdSurge Updated 8/4/2019 SaveSave
Circuit Flowers explore circuit science in an easy way for elementary to teens. Learn art, chromatography, diffusion, engineering and more.
A whole month of daily low-prep STEAM activities for kids. You are going to love all of the low-prep STEAM activities that we have in store!
The escape room that we made last year was so much fun that I knew that we had to do it again. But we can’t just do the same one, that would be boring and kids would already know most of the…
Last year, I started a new Space Club program at four middle schools. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, I searched the web for ideas and curriculum to implement. I soon became excited to find great resources like NASA and TeachEngineering , but I was
The Original Circuit Bugs STEM Project - a super fun craft and electric circuit building project for kids making adorable bugs that light up.
This math and art activity presents this would-be complex mathematical concept in an easy to understand, tangible way with Fibonacci art!
Introducing STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) projects and activities to your tween (and teen) girls is a great way to get your pre-teens excited about math and science! These two STEM Projects for your tween / pre-teen are making a DIY HOME MADE LAVA LAMP and a DIY HOME MADE SENSORY BOTTLE that will empowers girls to create.
When I say science activities for middle school, do you groan or cheer? It's one of our favorite subjects. And why not? It's full of cool hands-on experiments that help kids explore their world.
If you're on Pinterest, chances are good you've seen this activity. But for the few who haven't, get ready for some seriously cheap science fun. We made a hovercraft! Supplies An old CD that you no longer need Glue gun and glue sticks thumbtack soda bottle screw top (you want one that's fairly deep) latex party balloon Assembly Poke several holes in the plastic bottle top with the thumbtack. Use a hot glue gun (Adults, please. No children. Those things are H-O-T) to apply a bead of glue to the edge of the bottle top and glue it to the center of the CD, over the hole. If necessary, apply a bead of glue around the cap to make sure it's totally secure. You're almost done. Now blow up the balloon. Twist the neck of the balloon to keep it inflated and pull the lip of the balloon over the edges of the bottle cap. Ask your child to make predictions. Before we released the hovercraft, my son thought it would glide through the air more like a hot air balloon. Let it Go Set on a flat surface like a countertop or wood floor. Release the balloon and watch it glide along without any effort just over the surface. Invite the child to form a hypothesis about why and how this works. How it WorksThe force of the air that exits the balloon as it deflates goes through the holes in the bottle cap, pushes against the surface (floor or counter), and creates a cushion of air over which the CD glides freely.
Magnet painting is science and art wrapped up in a colorful package. And it's a simple set-up project too. STEAM (Sci/Tech/Eng/Art/Math) at it's easiest.
IT’S ALIVE!! Not sure what inspired this idea to begin with, but this is a program I wanted to do for awhile. This one can be a little daunting though, since there is the possibility of som…
STEAM Challenge: Build a structure you can balance on one finger (or on your nose!)
Here are four inquiry-based STEAM activities for classroom ideas and resources to integrate visual art, engineering, and science in your classroom!
Circuit Flowers explore circuit science in an easy way for elementary to teens. Learn art, chromatography, diffusion, engineering and more.
Take on the exploding pumpkin STEAM challenge with 4 different ways to explode a pumpkin with chemical reactions and force!
Like most preschool fascinations, I’m not entirely sure how it began. It might have been the Star Gazing Discovery Bottles I made last month, or the fact that they are in bed before they actually appear in the sky every night. Whatever the cause – studying stars has become the…
Have you ever given thought to the idea behind Ozobot Robot Technology? We were able to try the Ozobot and it’s one of the coolest pieces of tech.
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed with choices when it comes to the ever changing world of technology, but part of the fun can be exploring the fun, new gadgets and toys that come out! By speaking with other youth services librarians, keeping in touch via social media, and sharing our work, I’ve discovered that the task of keeping up with the next big thing becomes a little easier. Here at my library I touched base with two of our tech-savvy Children’s Librarians, Kristine Lee and Heather Tuck-Macalla, to see what tech they’ve used for successful programming and more. Below you can find some recommended games, gadgets and program ideas that have been a hit for us here at Rocky River Public Library. We’ve tried these out in the past year and think they successfully encourage thoughtful play and learning at home and in the library! Snap Circuits: Snap Circuits and Snap Circuits Jr. are building kits that teach...
Make the coolest suncatcher around with our homemade bioplastics recipe! This environmental sciences project is perfect for tweens and teens.
One of the best known (and go-to) science projects has to be the build your own volcano. Add these volcano activities to your science, geography and ancient history lesson plans.
Teen programming is an important part of what we do as teen librarians. It can also be a time consuming part of what we do, it takes a little bit of time, love and tenderness (wait, is that a song?) to find and put a program together for our teens (and tweens). One of the […]
Looking for fun STEM activities to do outside? Pendulum painting is perfect for kids of all ages. This pendulum STEAM activity is perfect for spring & summer.
In this candy pH science experiment for kids, we are testing to see if sour candy is acidic with a simple acid-base reaction.
Reuse an old CD to make a spinning top- an easy craft for kids and a great science lesson on physics! This STEM / STEAM activity if perfect for kids of all ages and meets the NGSS for Kindergarten on pushes and pulls!
Program Title: Tween Science Explorers: Computer Programming Unplugged Target Age Range: Grades 4-6 Program Length: 90 minutes Brief Description: Learn the foundation of simple computer programming…
How strong is that egg? Eggs seem pretty fragile but are actually quite strong. Take this eggshell strength challenge and read why eggs are so strong.
A couple of weeks ago I stumbled on a #makered Twitter chat and somehow the conversation turned to using the Sphero robots to paint. I was hoping to do this with my 4th graders because we are stud…
Having trouble getting attendance for your tween programs? Try one of the ten passive program ideas I'm sharing today at The Library Adventure.
I’m always on the lookout for hands-on passive programming that will keep my tween audience engaged during the summer. Simple paper crafts, scavenger hunts, and guessing jars are great for the younger folk, but this age group is savvier and has a penchant for a more “sophisticated” activities. To satisfy their need to design and create, our library has developed DIY projects that are low cost and easy to put together. Our program is set up to be self-serving, meaning we leave out the supplies and directions for the project and let the tweens help themselves. The supplies themselves are close to the staff desk, so if a tween does need a little help getting started, they can easily find someone to assist them. Each project is available for roughly a month and we try to stick to a budget of $50 for supplies. Here are two of my favorite DIY projects we are offering this summer:...
Making grab and go craft kits for tweens and teens? Never underestimate the joy of mixing and playing with DIY playdough. Yes, even for tweens and teens.
Gamification & user engagement
