STEM
Hello GCS Engineers! Here you will find a sampling of STEM activities that will get you to practice IMAGINING, PLANNING, CREATING and IMPROVING as you explore the world around you. Check back for updated activities.
Stop Motion Movie Making
Below are Mr. Weld's first two Stop Motion Movies:
Naked Egg Experiment
Click Here to learn more about how to do this experiment!
Movie Editing
Movie Maker MovieStudio is a Chrome Extension
There are many other programs out there!Home Science Experiments
Here is a list of some very easy science experiments to do at home for all ages. Scroll through the slides to see each idea.
Home Inventions
Now is the perfect time to exercise your Inventor's Brain! Invent a better pencil; design a new kitchen tool; engineer a peep parachute!
Click Here to visit the Young Inventor's Program YIP@home website for details about these ideas and others.
CODING
NEW: CodeSpark Academy
Email Mr. Weld at rweld@sau50.org to get signed up!Grades K-6Guided lessons and puzzle to learn basic coding skills; all grades.Contact Mr. Weld for your log in information.Scratch Jr.
Free form coding studio to learn the basics; grades K-3- iPad and Chromebook only. Click Here for specific activities.Scratch Studio
Free form coding studio with tutorials and sample projects; grades 5 and up.Click Here for more informationSwift Playgrounds
Visually appealing 3-dimensional guided Learn to Code Program; grades 6 and up. IOS only.Click Here for more information.SELF-POWERED CARS
Build a car powered by simple forces! Take a picture and make a diagram of the parts!
Mousetrap Car:
Harness the spring force of a mousetrap along with a lever to power your car:Link 1 Link 2Balloon Powered Car
A simple balloon, when used with a mounted nozzle, can make a great car!Link 1 Link 2Rubberband Powered Car
The tighter and thicker the band, the more tightly you wind it, the further your car will go. Link 1 Link 2SIGNS OF SPRING
Signs of Spring Nature Journal:
Start a nature journal and record/sketch signs of spring: flowers emerging, leaves budding, insects and birds appearing, etc. Be as specific as your can. Record the date, time, location and weather for each entry.Signs of Spring Timelapse:
Take a picture of the same subject from the same location each day. Create a slideshow to show the steady march of spring. Time Lapse Creator App for Windows1 Second Everyday App
Sample (and professional) Spring Timelapse:
SCIENTIFIC DRAWING
Find an interesting plant or part of plant and create a Scientific Drawing.
Include:
Date, Time, Location
Type of plant
Labels of interesting parts and observations
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Use a teachable machine in order to leverage artificial intelligence to get your computer to recognize sounds and images.
Be sure to watch the tutorial videos!
CHAIN REACTION MACHINE
Use a combination of simple machines to create a complex series of energy transfers to accomplish a simple task. Mr. Weld and his daughter recently made this chain reaction to score 2 points.
Video about Chain Reaction Basics
There are many videos and resources available!