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Challenge 5: Build a boat that can hold an empty bottle in heavy waves.

Engineers draw plans to help them think. Try to draw your boat from two different views. Upload a picture of drawings you used to plan or improve your boat.

Does your boat have a system for holding an empty water bottle? Many students have found that system is useful.

UNICEF has a wonderful program that empowers kids to end hunger around the world. The UNICEF Kid Power Band – Activity Tracker records how much students walk, dance, run, etc. As they move, students earn points, and points are converted into energy packs to help end hunger around the world. So far, students have unlocked over 11,000,000 packets of ready-to-eat therapeutic food that UNICEF delivered to hungry children around the world.

These bands can be used individually by families or could be used by classrooms. Large groups of students can collaborate their earnings to reach additional rewards.

You can learn more about the program by watching this video from UNICEF.

And, you can always read their “Kids Helping Kids Blog” to learn about the latest updates!

One product we love comes from across the pond (England to be exact). The Curiscope Virtuali-Tee Educational Augmented Reality T-Shirt Children: M (7-8) Blue comes with a free app that allows kids to see how the heart is beating. The app uses the camera feature to approximate where and how someone’s heart is beating. Then, the app renders that image in real time on your phone.

This technology allows students to look inside the human body and get a better understanding of how we work!

You can easily buy this product on Amazon and the app is a free download from any app store. You will need the t-shirt so that the app can work properly.

Check in with us if you want to dive deeper into the workings of the human body. We would love to help you explore this exciting intersection of Science and Technology!

Computers store information in a language called binary. One bit of a computer either has data or it doesn’t. If a bit is being used, we call that “1”. If a bit is not being used, we call that “0”.

This video from Code.org explains how computers use binary code to store data.

You can code information like your name in binary. You just need to use this key. The dark squares are a “1”. The blank squares are not used, so they are a “0”.

Machine code reads the binary language. People write machine code to make computers run. These people make it easier for programmers to write in easier languages like <b>HTML</b>!

Building a tower is a great way to explore strong shapes. People that design tall buildings are called architects. They make plans, build a model, and test it. You can be architect too!

This video shows why triangles are a good shape to use when building a tall tower.

Our tower kits have 20 straws and a fresh roll of tape. Our resident tower architect, Julia, describes how she used the kit:

The scotch tape binds the straws together. It takes some practice, and it gets easier the more you do it.

My advice: think about the number of straws you have while planning your design. You can even draw your plan before you begin!

Something that worked well in the design was constructing triangle formations for stability. Triangles prevent the tower from twisting. I even put triangles in the base of the tower! I planned my tower with triangles before starting. Even with my well-drawn plan, I had to improve (make it up as I went along) during construction.

I started with a basic plan of what I wanted to do. Then, I would see the way the tower started leaning. I would use this data to add more support, and adjust as I went along!

When I did not have a plan, I needed a couple straws at the end but did not have any. So, I removed straws from one part of my tower. It worked ok, but I would have been happier with the tower if I drew a plan ahead of time.

Another thing to keep in mind: be extra careful around the corners when taping together straws. The flat tape and round straws don’t naturally get along! It can be unsatisfying how its impossible to have the corners of two straws meet perfectly. The tape prefers a flat, straight surface, but eventually works with the round straws.

My building challenges were always with the joints. When the joints were wobbly, the tower tried to fall over. Taking it slow and placing the tape carefully will help.

You can always take the tower apart and start again. Keep trying drawing, building and testing new designs!

– Julia, Resident Tower Architect

This video from PBS explains how towers are built.

We use straws and tape to build our towers, but you can also use cups. This video explains some of the problems and solutions when building with cups.

Challenges from our Bridge and Tower learning adventure:

• Challenge 14: Build the tallest tower possible with 20 straws and tape.
• Challenge 15: Build one tower for a bridge.
• Challenge 19: Building a tall bridge (requires two towers)
• Challenge 21: Building a long bridge
  

Click here to show off a picture of your design!

Today we are going to dive deeply into previously created edMe reading materials, and then further explore your outline and topic.

1. Grab one of the “Create your own cover” handouts by the bubble station (near Evaluation Station; ask if you need help).
2. Circle books that you have read recently or know very well. (You can also look through the top shelf of the yellow filing cabinet for copies of some of these books).
3. We will meet to talk about writing assignments and projects that we create for reading books so that you have an idea about how “big” of projects we can create based on your book.
4. You will create 7-10 projects for that book with cut-and-paste rubrics from GDrive: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/0B_PzHtQAwFcwM2tvZlVaYVBzM3M
5. We will meet and discuss the projects you created.
6. Over the course of the day, I will ask you to bind 4-5 books.

Your book:

1. This weekend, I learned that we need to promote events 4-6 weeks in advance so we need to set a launch date for your book by the time you leave.
2. Let’s talk through your outline and discuss any new ideas.
3. We need to add about 3 high-impact, hands-on activities that we can use to drive engagement with your book.
4. When you need a down moment, please search for elementary science blogs and magazines and send me a list. We may submit a portion of your book to these channels to drive interest.
5. Begin writing sections.
   1. Remember to consider open-source art (pixabay.com) and open-source texts (usa.gov; Search).
6. Email Mike first two chapters when they are ready.

Also, please make sure that you can edit the GCalendar () by adjusting your hours on Thursday and Friday to reflect when you expect to work.

Overview of this Week:

• Monday: Mike meeting with Planning Department midday
• Tuesday: T-shirts arrive from Custom Ink
• Wednesday: Cox installs internet
• Thursday: Half-day for FCPS
• Friday: First day of summer for local students
• Saturday: STEM Celebration in store
• Sunday: OFF – (Mike presenting research)

Internet Options

• You have an access email from Cox Wireless and can use their services.
• You still have access to the MiFi (Verizon MIFI 3370)
• We can set up second MiFi (Verizon SM) when needed.

Thanks so much and please ask questions!

We send a monthly email with a list of next week’s STEM and Reading events, a picture of something interesting we learned, and new, usually free products that we have discovered.

Want a response now? Email us: edme@myedme.com or call us (571.655.2851).

Join edMe for a fun and exciting journey of growth and engagement.

Thanks for joining us!

Here is one solution that uses a spreadsheet to compare different estimation strategies.

This photo shows how we worked it out initially.

We love this problem because you have to think about numbers like 5,000,000,000. Need to do some estimation, and then use those numbers to solve a rate problem (how many ___ per person).

Please upload a picture or video of your answer here so others can learn from your ideas!

For reference, here is the Census Bureau’s U.S. population “clock”:

Seeds contain all the information and materials needed to grow a plant. They just need four conditions to start growing:

1. Dirt
2. Water
3. Heat
4. Nutrients (good things for plants to use in the dirt)

Here is a video of a bean plant growing over 25 days from Gphase.

Want to learn more? This video from PBS shows how seeds grow into plants.

Seeds grow because the seed coat senses it is the right time to grow. Then, the seed’s embryo uses the food in the seed to grow roots and stems.

Later, the plant makes it food by combining nutrients from the roots and sunlight from the stem and leaves.

Keep learning about seeds:

1. Next time you are in the grocery store, find 5 different kinds of seeds. What is the same? What is different?
2. You can grow your own seeds using wet paper towels. Grow a plant today!
3. Find how birds or squirrels are important friends of seeds. What role do they play in helping seeds become plants?