Brilliant Science at Brilliant Summer with STEC!!

Science is taking off with STEC at St. Catherine's Brilliant Summer! Cool Chemistry, Backyard Zoology, Advanced Zoology and Physics/Engineering are HAPPENING----offering kids (aged 7-15)  unique, hands-on summer learning experiences!  Thank you St. Catherine's Brilliant Summer for including STEC this year!

Cool Chemistry - Looking for Crystals in Nature

Second and third graders investigate soil samples searching for microscopic views of crystals

Cool Chemistry - Growing Crystals

 

Student grown crystals, second & third grade.

 



Research & Design - Engineering/Physics

 

Students in engineering/physics are designing and building kinetic art

(artistic moveable structures). Check back soon to see some of our final products!

Researching the design of a strand beast

Team Building - Engineering/Physics

 

Fourth - sixth graders constructing a wave pendulum

 

 

Fourth - sixth graders constructing a hover craft 



Spaghetti Bridge Challenge - Testing Strength

Bridge strength was approximated by attaching a bucket (~2 lbs) and then slowly adding one gallon of water (7 lbs) at a time.  The strongest bridge of the day held 21 lbs!

Spaghetti Bridge Challenge - Constructing Bridges on-site

Bridges were also constructed on-site at the conference.  Materials provided for construction were simply dry pasta and hot glue.

Spaghetti Bridge Building Challenge: Home-Built Bridges

The bridges shown below were built at home and brought to the conference to be tested for strength.

Builders were quite proud of their creations.

Organization of Va Homeschoolers Conference March 21-22

STEC participated in the Va Homeschoolers 2014 Conference and Resource Fair, March 21-22  where we provided lots of sensory experiences with plants, insects, shells, rocks, 

magnifiers and microscopes.

Getting a magnified view of an insect

Checking out the stereoscope

Enjoying a "Patent leather" or "Jerusalem" beetle (Odontotaenius disjunctus)

Admiring shells through magnification

STEC also hosted a conference-wide spaghetti bridge 

building challenge and presented two lectures:

"Developing and Implementing a Curriculum Web" and 

"Sensational Science on a Shoestring"

STEC wrapped up the second day with a slime-making activity for about 40 youth participants.  

See additional posts for photos of each event.  

What a great conference!!

Curriculum Webs 2014