Welcome to the Animal Olympics, where species compete daily in the wild to thrive and survive. Different species have adapted different athletic abilities to succeed in their respective environments, from running fast to chase prey to swimming great distances in search of food and safety. Animals are amazing athletes and their performances in the wild are of often above and beyond Olympic caliber. And the medals go to……..
Spark your thinking!
1. Set up your STEAM mini spark recording page: #20: Animal Olympians
2. Record make a section for each of these categories on your recording sheet.
- Event #1: The Marathon
- Event #2: 100 meter sprint
- Event #3: Swimming
- Event #4: The high jump
- Event #5: Weightlifting
3. Read this article and take notes for each event on your recording sheet.
4. This article compares humans to animals. Pick 3 of the examples and record the animal and human details on your recording page.
5. Look over the fastest animals on this document and record the name and one detail on your recording page.
And the medal goes to………
6. Choose an animal not on any of these lists, but who should be! Decide what the category should be, and how this animal beats out all of the other animals to win the gold medal. Be specific and add facts to support your choice. Design the medal for you animal olympian as well. Add all of this to your recording page.
7. Share your STEAM mini spark recording page and your with your teacher/EY coordinator.
A flip book is a small booklet containing a sequence of images that gradually change from one page to the next. When the pages are turned quickly, they create the illusion of motion.
For this Mini Spark we are going back to the beginning…of STEAM that is. So in honor of the “S,” try this egg science experiment. It take 7 days to do, so it might be one you try at home. You can also talk to your teacher about setting it up at school.
Inventor, Juliette Gordon Low, or as her friends called her, “Daisy,” was like the superhero of Girl Scouts, zooming around with courage, confidence, and character! In 1912, she waved her magic wand and created Girl Scouts of the USA, where girls could gather to unleash their amazing powers in STEAM—science, technology, engineering, arts, and math! Just like a science experiment gone right, she turned her dream of girls teaming up to celebrate their strengths into a fantastic reality!
Rising to a height of 85 meters in the Norwegian landscape, Mjøstårnet holds the title of the tallest wooden building in the world, constructed primarily from timber sourced from nearby forests. However, not long ago, towards the close of the 20th century, engineers believed that erecting a wooden structure taller than six stories was unfeasible. What, then, are the differences between wooden constructions like this and skyscrapers made of steel and concrete? Stefan Al explores this question.
Are you ready for a fun cardboard box building challenge? Grab a box, scissors and tape, and a few other item, and let’s get started! With just these three materials, you can create,well, anything you want!
In the STEAM mini spark, learn about inventors. The USPTO collection cards show goofy caricatures of inventors! They’re made to celebrate all kinds of inventors from different backgrounds.
Since the “T” in STEAM stands for technology, it seemed only right to add a post about the code.org video series. Get started on this mini spark to join in on the coding fun and who knows, maybe even begin your career in the computer sciences!
