STEM Advisory Seminar #2: Engineering / physics

Advisors presented STEM overview and current methodology, and explored both the integration of and the underlying processes linking content areas for both the Sesame Street and The Electric Company target audiences.

Sesame Worskhop will be focusing on STEM over a 2 year period, targeting all platforms including TV, Online, Publishing, Products etc.

Sara Sweetman, M.Ed.        Science Inquiry Specialist, University of Rhode Island
Preeti Gupta, Ph.D.           Senior Vice President for Education and Family Programs, New York Hall of Science   
Sybilla Beckmann, Ph.D.      Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia

--------------------------------------------------------------

2. Preeti Gupta talks about the New York Hall of Science 

BUBBLES
Preeti talked about experiments that are cross-generational in terms of engagement and things you can discover : Bubbles is a good example. At the exhibit in the NY Hall of Science, everyone loves to play with them.

Used the term 'co-play discovery' in the sense that kids will come up with questions about size and duration, but adults might ask questions about light refraction in the room etc.

SLIDES
There is also a great slide in the outdoor playground which kids love. It also helps them ask questions about force and engery such as which slide goes fastest? Which goes slowest? What material makes me go faster?

Inquiring about forces and motion with slides can also lead further discovery as kids get older to more complicated structures, like roller coasters.

Preeti discussed the type of experiments that are very engaging in the classroom. In particular, kids love big, massive projects that can physically take up an entire classroom.

Some example websites to check out include
+ Crayon Physics
+ Funderstanding Science (eg. create a roller coaster)

LIVING THINGS
Kids love learning about and studying living things. Preeti gave an example of an activity where kids are asked to construct a habitat that would be suitable for a type of animal.

There is a real Gecko in the NY Hall of Science that is also a hit attraction. Geckos move up walls using little velcro-like spikes on their feet. This is how the inventor of velcro in fact got his idea! It's a great way of demonstrating how technologies are often inspired by natural structures.

** game idea of matching living things to new technologies they inspired.


BUILDING BLOCKS
Plan, then plot, then build. A good way of presenting process of urban construction.  Or you could play SIMS :p

ROCKETS
Preeti discussed how rockets are good for students to PREDICT and figure out how to break down information -- CLAIMS, EVIDENCE, REASON.
She then went on to give the seminar a real rocket experiment, whereby we predicted which one of 8 different rockets would go the farthest (each had different attributes such as size, number of fins etc). Hilariously, Alison Folino got hit in the head with about four of the rockets.

----