Looking for a really fun STEM challenge that you can do at home? This mystery bag STEM design challenge is a blast!

• One bag (you can use gift bags, lunch bags, grocery bags, or even large baggies.)
• Scissors
• Tape (scotch tape or masking tape)
• Various kinds of recyclables (cardboard tubes, cardboard, newspaper, aluminum foil)
• A variety of other materials (paper plates, plastic cups, string, yarn, pipe cleaners)
• Mystery Bag Challenge Cards (print and cut these if you can)

Step Two: Fill Your Bag (Tip: it’s more challenging if a sibling or parent fills your bag)

Place about 8-12 items into the bag. You’ll want to be sure the items are varied. Each bag should contain at least one larger item that can serve as a base for the design, and then an assortment of smaller items.

Step Three: Print out the free mystery bag challenge cards. Cut them apart.

Step Four: Draw a challenge card. You could put the cards in a container to draw from or place face down on a table.

Step Five: Complete the challenge on the card using only the materials in your bag.

Bonus: Earn a  badge. If you complete FIVE mystery bag design challenges, you can earn the Mystery Design Challenge Badge. Go for it!!

Here is video I made at my old school where I challenged my students to create an innovative dog toy. Just ignore anytime I say, “Hey Bobcats”

For this challenge, create your best snow person/people, forts, and/or other snow creations!

Learn about the engineering behind snow building by watching the videos below.

Send a picture of your project to your teacher asking them to forward it to your email. Make a pic collage showing what you learned. 

Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

Rollercoasters are all about physics! Unlike most moving vehicles, cars, trains, and buses that rely on engines, rollercoasters rely on gravitational potential energy. What goes up, must come down.

For this week’s Weekly Challenge, you will be building your own roller coaster.  Visit the Instructables website linked below to find templates you can print and cut out.  Or, use your own materials and come up with your own design.  Get creative and don’t forget to take pictures to document your progress.

Instructables Website (with instructions and templates): https://www.instructables.com/Create-Your-Own-Roller-Coaster-With-Downloadable-P/?utm_source=teachernewsletter&utm_medium=email

Art requires creativity and imagination and enhances flexibility, adaptability, productivity, responsibility and innovation – all required skills for a successful career in any field of study.  

The ‘A’ in STEAM represents ‘Art’ which includes music.

source: https://sproutsupplies.com/blog/steam-the-importance-of-art-in-stem-education/

For this week’s Weekly Challenge, you’ll have an opportunity to explore the world of opera.  There are several different learning choices.  Pick as many activities as you’d like and then demonstrate your learning by creating a product.

• Opera Facts for Kids: https://kids.kiddle.co/Opera
• Kids Meet an Opera Singer: https://youtu.be/95RLviccrQc
• Shh! We Have A Plan | Opera for Kids: https://youtu.be/2k_yEBBEvyw
• Blob Opera: https://artsandculture.google.com/experiment/blob-opera/AAHWrq360NcGbw
• Children’s Opera “Little Red Riding Hood”: https://youtu.be/KdnOZwrrhUA

You are welcome to find other resources of your own.  Have fun!

NOTE:  There is a Marvelous World of Opera badge available if you’re interested.  Get a copy of the recording sheet here: https://sites.google.com/westside66.net/eybadgepage/fine-arts-badges?authuser=0

image source: https://pixabay.com/vectors/flake-snow-snow-flake-snowflake-2029377/

Whether you’re creating one with a folded piece of paper and pair of scissors or you’re learning about the science and math behind them…

Snowflakes are so FASCINATING!

For this challenge, you have several different learning choices.  Pick as many activities as you’d like and then demonstrate your learning by creating a product.

• Learn about The Science Behind Snow: https://www.noaa.gov/stories/how-do-snowflakes-form-science-behind-snow
• The Beauty and Science of Snowflakes: https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/beauty-and-science-snowflakes
• Making Paper Snowflakes: https://www.marthastewart.com/266694/decorating-with-paper-snowflakes
• Make a 6-Pointed Paper Snowflake: https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Make-6-Pointed-Paper-Snowflakes/
• The Koch Snowflake: http://gofiguremath.org/fractals/koch-snowflake/
• How to Make Borax Crystal Snowflakes: https://www.livescience.com/41636-borax-crystal-snowflakes.html

Feel free to find other snowflake resources!  Learn something new and have fun creating!

Build a freestanding structure that is as tall as possible and is made of only paper!

Rules:

• Use only 20 sheets of paper.
• No tape, staples, paper clips or glue, but you may cut or rip the paper.
• Use printer paper only!
• Once you’ve built your structure as tall as possible with your 20 sheets of paper, measure it – use inches as your unit of measure.

When you are finished with your structure, and you’ve measured it, take a picture of your structure with your iPad and share it with the EY teacher at your school.

Masks are required in school and each day, more and more public places are requiring masks before you can enter.  Whether you agree with wearing a mask or not, if you have to wear one, it’s important to find something you like.

QUESTION: When it comes to wearing a mask, do you want it to be Fashionable? Functional? A good Fit?

• You can make a physical mask using materials you have at your house. Take a picture of the mask and/or you wearing the mask and upload & submit it using the Google Form link below.
• You can draw your mask design on a piece of paper labeling the materials needed, parts of the mask, etc. Take a picture of your paper and upload & submit it using the Google Form link below.
• You can use an application on a computer or iPad to design your mask. Export your project as a .pdf or picture file and upload & submit it using the Google Form link below.

Mask Image Source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mask-facemask-face-mask-cover-5323807/

We can’t wait to see what you create!  When you’re ready, combine your project pictures into a pic collage or presentation of your choice to share with your teacher.