STEM(in) with Steph

The New Year is here and Problem Based Learning projects (PBL's) are once again shaping up for schools in our community. This time around, we are back with Oak Grove Elementary School to work with 4th graders. I won't give away their PBL question, but they are learning how a rain gauge works and will be collecting precipitation rates all semester with the CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge donated to their school. Our (Dr. Barbara Shaw and myself) first visit was to both introduce the PBL question and to teach kids how to measure liquids in graduated cylinders, beakers, and the rain gauge. The first step when measuring water is knowing that water has adhesive properties, meaning it likes to cling to surfaces. This can be seen when you pour water into a glass container and then meet the surface at eye level. What do you see? Probably something similar to the example below. Example of water in a glass measuring container. Where do you measure when it is a curve? Water will curve (...

Tuesday brought me back into the Delta Life Skills group to bring some spice to a favorite meal - pasta! The girls group have learned in previous lessons how to make spaghetti for their families, but what happens when traditional spaghetti gets old? You add a new twist to the old fav. We learned how to make Home-Made Chicken Parmesan! During this lesson, girls learned to cut whole chicken breasts in half to increase portions, how to triple recipe measurements, assembly line preparation, and about the differences between cheeses even when they look the same. They really enjoyed using my meat mallet to squish down the meat, although some might have beat their meat a little too thin (they were having fun!). Note: No food was shared with the public! Hands were all washed! Now even though we were making something new (none of these girls had tried Chicken Parm before) there was still some hesitation when adding ingredients. Some girls wanted less cheese or sauce...

 Happy New Year! We are super excited to begin a new year in programming and exciting learning experiences! In the STEM department, I am personally looking forward to several upcoming events this winter and spring. Some of these include: CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge Germ Swabs in the classroom with Kindergartners Mesa County Safety Fair at the Mall with the CSU Energy Trailer STEM Night at local Elementary School CoCoRaHS Weather Gauge courses for a PBL 4-H District 10 Retreat in April Western Colorado Water Festival at CMU with the Energy Trailer CSU STEM Mobile Energy Trailer We also have a lot of other exciting programs taking place throughout the year that are hosted by other Extension Agents around the area. The best way to find out about these programs? You are already HERE! Look at our upcoming programs link on this website to find out about programs that might interest you! You might enjoy trying a Native Plant course or a Fermenting Foods class? The sky's the limit...