AT-HOME ACTIVITIES

Stuck at home? Try some of these activities so you can experience the STEAM Dream on your own time! Have fun!

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Rainbow Volcano

SCIENCE

Elephant Toothpaste and baking soda volcanoes are timeless science experiments that almost anyone can perform at home with the proper materials. Not to mention they're cool to watch! To create your own rainbow volcano, you'll need the following materials:

2 Tablespoons Warm Water
1 Teaspoon Yeast
Food Coloring
Hydrogen Peroxide – Either 3% or 6%
Dish Soap
Empty Plastic Bottle
Funnel
A plastic sheet to cover surfaces and/or a container to put your volcano in

Procedure

Combine two tablespoons of warm water with one teaspoon of yeast and mix until the yeast is completely dissolved in the water.
Pour 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide into the empty bottle
Add a few drops of food coloring into the bottle
Add a squirt of dish soap into the bottle
Pour the mixture of water & yeast into the bottle
Have fun!

So how does it work? Combining the yeast and hydrogen peroxide creates a chemical reaction, releasing energy in the form of heat. The addition of heat causes the combination to expand and explode like a volcano! Most people find this activity entertaining because of the unique colors and the surprise of the reaction.

For more on this experiment, please visit http://coolscienceexperimentshq.com/elephant-toothpaste/

Dream and Design

TECHNOLOGY

If you have access to a laptop or computer, exploring free programming and design resources is worth your while. If you want to try designing something, check out TinkerCad, a website on which you can create your own 3D models using a method known as computer-aided design (CAD). TinkerCad is very user friendly and will teach you to use the methods designers and engineers use to design their products. Put your imagination to the test and see what cool creations you can make!

Materials

Computer (Visit https://www.tinkercad.com/)
If you want to 3D print your work, you may be able to do so at a local library

London Bridge

ENGINEERING

Want to build something in your spare time? Here’s a challenge: see how strong of a bridge you can build with only 15 coffee stirs, two sheets of paper and white Elmer’s glue. You could even compete with your family members to see who can build the strongest one! This activity will challenge you to problem solve through trial and error and help you learn about how real engineers think in the process.

Materials

Coffee stirs or popsicle sticks
Any paper
White Elmer's glue

Procedure

Determine what will help you build your strongest stand. What shapes will be the strongest? How many different ways can you use the paper? You may even want to draw out a plan.
Construct your masterpiece!
Set to dry for 1-2 hours.
Test it! Put your design to the test by setting it between two surfaces and seeing how many books you can stack on top.
Take notes. What about your design worked? What didn't?
Build your next bridge!

Tips

Why use paper? It's easy to tear, right? Have you ever tried pulling a sheet of paper apart? What happens?
Shapes with fewer angles tend to be stronger supports because they have less room to move. Which polygon has the least number of angles?
Don't want to wait? No problem! Try seeing how tall of a tower you can build with toothpicks and marshmallows or sticky tack. The same rules of engineering and design will apply.

This project was inspired by one I completed for my professor in 3D Design.

Guitar Hero

ARTS

Do you like both music and engineering? Try to build your own guitar! You will need the following materials:

Tissue Box
Rubber bands
Paper towel roll
Tape
Pencil (optional)

Procedure

Cut out the plastic from the hold in an empty tissue box.
Trace the circular end of the roll on one of the shorter sides of the box. Cut this circle out with help from an adult.
Place the roll inside, about 2 to 3 inches deep.
Take 6 rubber bands and wrap them around the tissue box. Try experimenting with different thicknesses.
If you would like, create a bridge for your guitar by sliding the pencil under the rubber bands near the top of the hole.
Decorate and play!

Real guitars have frets, which help you change the pitch, or note, of the sound you play. However, you can still mimic the 6 strings on a guitar by using rubber bands of different thicknesses. Sound is produced from the vibrations of the string and body. Thicker rubber bands vibrate slower and produce a lower pitch. Thinner rubber bands vibrate faster and produce a higher pitch. The same goes for the strings on a real guitar.

See this wikihow page for more on how to create your own tissue box guitar.

Pi Day Fun

MATH

If Pi Day was just recently, so why not celebrate with some crafts and fun facts? Create a pi pencil holder out of an empty can or cup with the following materials:

An empty can or cup
Copy or construction paper
Glue or tape
Pencils, markers, and other decorating tools

Procedure

Measure the diameter of your can or cup and multiply by 3.14 to see how long your paper should be.
Measure this length on your paper and mark it in pencil. Then make a second mark about an inch after the first, to leave room for tape or glue.
Decorate your paper up to the first line you drew.
Wrap the paper around your base and overlap it around the extra paper. Tape or glue the paper to secure it.
Put in some pencils and enjoy!

Fast Facts

We usually use the approximation π ~ 3.14
The area of a circle is A = πr².
The circumference is C = 2πr, or π times the diameter (2r).
Ancient Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, and Chinese people all approximated pi in different ways.
Archimedes of Syracuse first discovered the value of π by circumscribing (drawing around) and inscribing (drawing inside) polygons for a circle, calculating their areas, and placing upper and lower bounds on the actual area of the circle.

See this webpage for more on the history of pi: https://www.exploratorium.edu/pi/history-of-pi

Learn to calculate pi from Pusheen! https://youtu.be/3nk7q863rhM