STEAM Activities
Can you adapt without arms?
(sharing password is tigers)
Tornado in a Bottle
In Chapter 9, When Connor learns that Aven used to live in Kansas, he asks if she has seen a tornado. She replies that she has and that her house, like many homes in the region of the United States known as “tornado alley,” had an underground storm cellar where her family could shelter during a tornado warning. A tornado is a spinning column of air that touches both the cloud and the earth. You can make a tornadolike spinning vortex of water in a bottle using two soda bottles, a washer, duct tape, dish soap, food coloring and water. First, fill one bottle 2/3 full of water and add a few drops of dish soap and food coloring. Next, place a washer on the mouth of the bottle with the water. Line up the opening of the second soda bottle with the opening of the first bottle and connect the bottles by tightly wrapping them with duct tape. To create a vortex, quickly turn your bottle over so the bottle containing the water is on the top and swirl it around in a circular motion. You should see a tornado-like vortex as the water moves through the washer from the top bottle to the one on the bottom.
(sharing password is tigers)
HIGH SCORE! Video Game Graph
In Chapter 14, Aven and Connor spend time playing video games. Play a few rounds of your favorite video game, and track and graph your high score for the game. Share your graph here! The password for sharing is tigers.
Theme Park Designer
When her parents take a job running Stagecoach Pass, a rundown Western theme park in Arizona, Aven discovers that living in a theme park has some drawbacks, but also the opportunity for adventure. Using a large piece of paper and markers or colored pencils create a map of your dream theme park. You can also create a 3D model if you have the materials. What would the theme be? Would there be rides? Would there be animals? What would the restaurants serve? Sharing password is tigers.
Desert Adaptations
In the Arizona desert, plants and animals have adapted to survive high temperatures and dry conditions. Try this simple science experiment to discover one way cacti thrive in harsh conditions. Wet 3 pieces of paper towel with water. Lay 1 of the paper towels flat on a cookie sheet. Roll up the 2nd piece of paper towel and secure it with a paper clip. Put the 3rd piece of paper towel on top of a piece of waxed paper that is the same size as the paper towel. The waxed paper will act like the waxy coating on the skin of a cactus. Roll up the paper towel and waxed paper together and secure with a paper clip. Place the 2 rolls on the cookie sheet. Leave all 3 paper towels for 24 hours then check them again. What do you notice about each paper towel? Which one was still damp? Learn more about cacti online or at the library. Password = tigers
Mile High Sunset Walk
Aven often takes a walk in the evening when the sun is starting to set. Invite your family for a one-mile walk to admire a “Mile High” sunset. Use Google maps to print a map of your neighborhood. Next, use a pencil to mark a route that is about one mile long. Take a selfie with your family on the walk and share it. Password = tigers
Art Another Way
In art class, Aven holds her paintbrush with her toes. Try painting or drawing using parts of your body other than your hands. Can you draw a stick figure with a marker in your teeth? Or paint a rainbow using your elbow? Or bring a landscape to life with your toes?
Uniquely You
When people meet Aven, they often notice her limb difference first, but just like everyone, there’s so much more to her than her physical appearance. What are the many layers that make you, YOU? Start with a sheet of construction paper. Next, cut out seven rectangles of different sizes from colorful paper. Use a glue stick to glue one side of the smallest rectangular pieces of paper to the center of the construction paper. Open the flap like a door and write something unique about yourself under the flap. Glue the next largest rectangular piece of paper on top of the first flap to create a second flap. Write a different unique fact under that flap. Repeat this process until you’ve glued all 7 pieces to create a series of layered flaps. Write your name on the top flap. Invite friends and family to flip through the flaps and learn more about your unique talents, interests and personality.
Make Your Own Super “Sand”!
8 cups flour
1 cup baby oil
1 packet powdered drink mix for scent and color (optional)
1. Mix the flour, oil and drink mix (if desired) together in a bowl with your hands until well mixed.
2. Play and create!
3. Store your moldable sand in an airtight container.
4. If your sand seems a bit dry when you open up your container again, add a couple tablespoons of water.
Share a Talent
When Aven plays her guitar at the Stagecoach Pass art festival, it brings people together and deepens her friendship with Connor. What talent can you share with others?