Science Fair
May, 2018
Science Fair’s take a lot of preparation, and I had two painstaking years to remind myself to never underestimate the time and preparation that you need. At my employment in Hillside, Science Fairs were an opportunity for students to showcase their understanding of a scientific question by following the scientific method of experimentation.
The student above, Brian, made an amazing presentation on a coiled copper wire magnet-ended battery train. He researched how the ends of the battery affect the direction the train runs, the type of magnet required for this experiment to work, and how to coil the .3 mm copper wire (by using a drill).
However, we did not foresee the copper wire being damaged from carrying it home and back again multiple times. Brian is very careful with his belongings, but the copper wire was simply too fragile and unable to be fixed to work again. Since we only had the drill temporarily, we ended up working hard to finish a copper coil track in time for the Fair.
Projects take time. It was crucial in understanding that getting things done as soon as possible and stopping any possible misfortunes along the way would help lower stress levels (for example, keeping the project at school when they are fragile).
Math and STEM Night
January, 2019
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) night was filled with math games and a bonus STEM activity at the end. Students were given a set of instructions and tools to make one of the following devices: a water wheel or a windmill.
Students worked independently, showing autonomy in their actions and asking minimal questions. They followed the instructions on the handout given to them and worked to make structures that made sense to them.
When students are given definitions, equations, numbers, and facts, they will be able to give them back to you given they have memorized it long enough. STEM provides students opportunities to be creative in their problem solving and come up with solutions that imply a strong understanding of scientific concepts (the water wheel needs an axle to spin and flaps for the water to push/ the windmill needs to have it’s flaps facing a certain way, like a fan). It also stimulates interest in the subject matter and builds confidence when concepts are defined well in their creation.