STEM(in) with Steph

2020 has been quite the year! From politics to pandemic, it seems there has never been a day when there wasn't something new to capture our attention and get us worrying about what the future would bring. However 2020 brought many good memories and changes as well, and I think it is always important to reflect on the positives of life! February: This month I participated in a couple fun events including: 4 unique swab dishes with Bacterial Cultures (1 week after swabbing!) 1. Teaching Kindergartners about Germs 4 classes of Johnson Elementary kindergartners were able to swab their classrooms and grow bacteria cultures. This lesson helped students identify dirty areas and find solutions to making these areas more "germ free". 2. Mesa County Safety Fair The CSU STEM Energy Trailer With help from our Mesa County 4-H Agent, we spent two days at the Mesa Mall meeting with over 1500 3rd-5th graders. We showed them alternative energy forms and had a ton of hands on activities...

Whether your family chooses to celebrate the holidays or not, one thing I think everyone can agree on is December is the month of the Christmas Tree! Due to the excitement of the season, my family decorated our tree a few weeks early (like Nov 1st-ish...). However many families wait until after Thanksgiving before pulling out the garland and ornaments. If you are getting a live tree for Christmas (which I think everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime!) then the longer you wait, the longer your tree will last past Dec 25th. Upon decorating early this year, my child asked me how Christmas tree decorating even began as a tradition, and how a perfect tree is grown? Great questions, and I'll admit at the time I didn't have the answers, so I did a little digging! History behind the Tree The evergreen tree has been used to celebrate both pagan and Christian festivals for a couple thousand years. Pagan's would use the trimmed off branches of evergreens to make wr...