Cloudy with a Chance of STEM!
Cloud in a Jar
Could you imagine holding a cloud in your hand? It may sound bizarre because nobody has hands that are long enough to reach that high. Fortunately, there is a way you can create your own cloud in a jar!
Here is what you will need:
- A jar with a lid
- 1/3 cup of hot water
- Ice
- Hairspray
- Pour hot water in a jar and try swirling it around the jar to warm up the sides.
- Turn the lid upside down and place a bunch of ice cubes on the lid and let it stay for 20 seconds.
- Remove the lid and quickly spray some hairspray into the jar
- Replace the lid with the ice still on top. You will start to see the cloud form
- When you see a good amount of condensation form in the jar, remove the lid and watch the cloud come into the air
This experiment will dip a SUPERGirl’s toes in weather science and teach them how clouds form. Have fun doing this experiment and share with SGSF how your cloud looks!
To learn how you can connect with us or ways to ensure access is available for more SUPERGirls, connect with us at SUPERGirlsSHINE.com/contactus.
Marshmallow + Engineering = STEM
Learn Engineering with Colorful Marshmallows!
Materials
- Bag of colorful jumbo Marshmallows
- Bag of colorful plastic straws
Hello leadHERs of STEM! Get ready to have fun with a hands-on engineering project! The goal of this experiment is to build the tallest tower possible using only a bag of colorful jumbo marshmallows and plastic straws. Be sure to bring your smile, interest for skill building, and passion for STEM too! We also recommend that you do this experiment with your friend to have a friendly competition of who can build the tallest tower first. Let’s begin!
The marshmallows will be the special glue to hold all construction pieces together in engineering. The straws represent the material that you will use to build the tower. We have included two engineering hints below to help you build the biggest tower!
Hint 1: Make sure to start off with a strong base so that your tower is well built. One way to do this would be to include four marshmallows on the bottom and connect the straws to those marshmallows to create an efficient base.
Hint 2: When building the tower, you can also connect several straws together to ensure that your tower is strong and sturdy. Remember in engineering we always want to make sure our products are strong and sturdy! This is important for safety.
We hope you have fun and learn how this can be applied to engineering in the real world! Happy engineering and be sure to post pictures of your towers and tag SUPERGirls SHINE Foundation @supergirlsshine.
Interested in joining us at SGSF events for more STEM experiments! Visit supergirlsshine.com/events!
Dream Home, Here We Come!
Design a house
Architecture includes math, engineering, history, geography, writing, art and design. Have you ever looked at a building and wondered how it’s able to stand?
This is a simple project for you SUPERGirl! All that’s needed is paper and art supplies. Next Step: Design a house. But it won’t simply just be drawing of a house. Describe your house and state what materials the house will be made from. What name will it be given? What is it going to look like on the inside?
A physical design of the house can be made by using any reusable materials! Struggling to imagine your dream home? Here’s a few ideas: Build your dream home as if a wolf were coming and going to blow the house down. What kinds of materials would you use to make sure it stay standing? So many ideas to think of!
Be sure to tag @SUPERGirlsSHINE with pics of your houses! To learn how you can connect with us or ways to ensure access is available for more SUPERGirls, connect with us at SUPERGirlsSHINE.com/contactus.
Coding from SCRATCH!
SUPERGirls, learn or practice your coding today!
When discussing programs that help children learn how to code, Scratch is among the favorites.It was designed by MIT Media Lab as a resource to learn computer programming.
Scratch teaches coding in a visual drag and drop method. Children can create animations and games, as well as on online community where coders can share projects.
SUPERGirls will benefit from this as coding is essential in the T of STEM. Not only will it teach SUPERGirls to code and program, it will fuel their creativity and enhance their problem-solving skills. They will be amazed by the possibilities that come from Scratch such as using it for Legos, motion detection, translating languages and making music videos. Check it out at https://scratch.mit.edu/
Do you lead STEM workshops or know someone who does? We would love to connect! Be sure to visit supergirlsshine.com/contact-us/ to begin the conversation!