From the Heart

Valentines Day is this month and it brings to mind love, friendship, and all the things we hold close to our hearts. The heart is a symbol, but what does it really have to do with love?

• Design and present your own working or static model of the human heart, including labeled parts and systems.

• Conduct an experiment in which you monitor heart rate in different situations. Here are some examples, but be creative and design your own project!

• Show us the love! Create unique heart art. Submit your artwork, that features hearts, or any other representations of love. Don't forget to make a video explaining your process.

Lunar New Year:
Year of the Tiger

In 2022, Lunar New Year is February 1. It is the observance of the start of a new year in a lunar or lunisolar calendar. Chinese New Year refers to a celebration held in China and worldwide by people of Chinese heritage and many Vietnamese people celebrate the holiday, Tet.

• Watch the video below (or others) for information about the lunar phases and develop your project explaining the phases of the moon!

• If you celebrate Lunar New Year at your home, or are just interested in learning about Lunar New Year customs and traditions, choose a Lunar New Year tradition for your STEAM project and explain how your family celebrates!

Black History in the Present

February is Black History Month. Choose a Black contributor to the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and/or Math. Research their innovations and accomplishments and present what you know!

• Recreate or demonstrate the work of a noted STEAM contributor.

• Create a piece of art, poetry, music, drama that represents your ideas, feelings and experiences.

Click the links below for some examples, but there are many more!

Code...word.

Computer scientists of all ages are invited to build and flex their coding and programming skills with Hour of Code activities presented by the Alameda County Office of Education.

The annual Hour of Code event, held during Computer Science Education Week, was started to demystify code, share basic coding skills and introduce a broader audience to the field of computer science. Millions of students around the world have participated in Hour of Code activities since 2013.

ACOE is thrilled to offer a robust program for students across Alameda County. Anyone from anywhere can explore acoe.org/hourofcode to find curated activities and tutorials in zones designed for every level of learner, from preschool to advanced student coders.

There are activities for a wide variety of interests, from creating dance parties to building COVID-19 transmission models, from data visualization to app development labs, and a Robot Zone for all ages.

Make it Snow!

It doesn't snow very often in Hayward, CA, but you can make it snow at home with a little bit of chemistry! Research the different snow-making recipes and try them out to see which one works best! One example is shown below, but there are many others.

Don't forget that the design process can help you to tweak the recipes by repurposing your slime-making skills and adding different ingredients to improve your product.

No Two Snowflakes are Alike.

Snowflakes are Mother Nature's perfect blending of STEAM principles!

Create beautiful snowflake art by taking inspiration from the pictures below, or design an art project of your own.

You can also explore the mathematical majestry that is the snowflake by researching and presenting the structure of the snowflake and what makes each one unique.

Thank you, next...

We have much to be thankful for this year. While the pandemic has presented many challenges, health care workers, and those who provide many other essential services to our community have stepped up to meet those challenges.

Using your STEAM skills, create a gratitude gift for an essential worker in your life. Is there an invention that would make their jobs safer or easier? Or is there a gift that would bring someone joy and relaxation after a day of hard work?

Saving Daylight

In November, the time changed from Daylight Savings Time back to Pacific Standard Time. Back in 2018, California voters decided to eliminate DST. If we didn't "spring forward", and "fall back" one hour every year, what would our lives be like?

Make an argument in favor of, or opposed to the concept of Daylight Savings Time using data and statistics (Math). Imagine a California without DST. What would be improved, and what problems might it create? How might we correct those problems? (Science and Technology)

Honoring Lost Loved Ones

November 1-2 is Dia de los Muertos, a two-day celebration of love and respect for deceased family members. If your family celebrates Dia de los Muertos, show how you've used STEAM in your family traditions, or even try to create a new one.

Check out this site for two project ideas, LED Cempasúchil, and personalized pillar candles: edsurge.com

Calavera, or skulls are a significant element in Dia de los Muertos tradition. Build your own model of a human skull using materials you find at home. Label the bones of the skull!

If I Were in Charge...

Our nation is in a state of upheaval. We're in the midst of a pandemic, global climate crisis, wildfires in our state, social and racial unrest, and all with an upcoming presidential election.

Imagine that you are a world leader. On which crisis would you focus first? What STEAM steps would you take to improve it? Present your plan and your hopes for the future.

Perfect Polling Place

Polling places and voting will have to change this year because of the COVID-19 risk. How would you set up physical polling places to keep voters and polling place workers safe?

Should we even have physical polling places? How would you handle voting this year and explain the STEAM methods you would use to make sure voting is accurate and fair?

Inspiring a Nation

We've all seen the ads encouraging people to vote. We can also agree that each individual should take this responsibility seriously.

Use your creativity to develop a promotional campaign (print and/or video) to inspire people young and old to 1) register to vote, 2) learn about the propositions & candidates and 3) cast their ballots.