This is the final week of the Centerville School District/SC STEM Hub's STEM Festival Extravaganza. We've had a great time sharing the summer with you!
ARCHIVE
Here's a quick recap of the weeks, for those who might want to visit past topics:
- Week 1 = Life Science
- Week 2 = Earth & Space Science
- Week 3 = Physical Science
- Week 4 = YOU! Human Body
- Week 5 = The Weather
- Week 6 = Inquiry Process
Links will be stored on the Hub's website for the remainder of the summer.
|
|
THANK YOU!
If you read along,
sang along,
watched or created.
Clicked a link,
made a mess,
were educated--
Thank you
for joining us!
You've graduated!
Please fill out this survey--
Tell us how we rated!
|
|
SURVEY
We would LOVE to know your feedback so we can continue to improve events and decide how to best use time and resources.
|
You can also email us directly
HERE
with comments or ideas.
|
|
Week 6:
Inquiry Process Week
|
|
What do you wonder?
Inquiry is a scientific process for studying what makes you curious. This week, we'll explore the steps of the inquiry process, careers that use inquiry, famous mysteries that allow people to solve real-world mysteries, and tackle hands-on elements.
|
|
Grades K-2
How do scientists know so much?
Do - Practice your skills of observation.
Watch and practice asking questions.
Watch and learn how Jane learned so much about chimpanzees.

|
|
Grades 3-5
What's in a pond?
Do - Warm up by practicing your skills of observation.
Watch and practice asking questions.
Do - Complete the doodle sheet.
|
|
Grades K-2
What tools do scientists use to gather evidence?
Watch to discover what evidence was collected to answer the question, “What do owls eat?”
Watch - Learn how a microscope can help a scientist.
Do - Gather original data by making a graph to record how many jumping jacks each member of your family can do in 20 seconds.
- Prediction: Which family member can do the most jumping jacks?
- Set a timer to 20 seconds.
- Have each member of your family (neighbors or friends work, too) do jumping jacks.
- Designate one square on the paper for each jumpingjack.
- Write each person's name and then fill out the corresponding squares according to how many were completed.
- Outome: Were you correct? Who did the most jumping jacks?
|
|
Tuesday's Noon Video:
James Bell, Winning Edge 360 &
Beatrice Edwards, The Web Silo
|
|
Grades 3-5
What do you do with data?
Do - Practice using a microscope.
Do - Create a graph to show how many jumping jacks each of your family members can do in 20 seconds.
- Prediction: Which family member can do the most jumping jacks?
- Set a timer to 20 seconds.
- Have each member of your family (neighbors or friends work, too) do jumping jacks.
- Use this website to help you: Make a Graph
- Write each person's name and then fill out the corresponding squares according to how many were completed.
- Outome: Were you correct? Who did the most jumping jacks?
|
|
Grades: K-2
What is the scientific method?
Listen to this song about the scientific method
Conduct an experiment using skittles, a plate, and water.
Experiment steps:
- Place skittles around the edge of the plate in a circle. You can use any pattern.
- Gently pour water in the middle of the plate until it reaches all the candies and just barely covers them.
- Wait and watch what happens!
More detailed directions and information about this experiment can be found here (but will show what the results look like so spoiler alert!)
Fill out this scientific method recording sheet while you work.
|
|
Wednesday's Noon Video:
Amber Pargmann, John Deere Ottumwa Works
|
|
Grades: 3-5
What is the scientific method?
Watch this video on the Scientific Method.
Conduct an experiment using food coloring, a plate, milk and dish soap. Fill out this scientific
method recording sheet while you work.
As you work, complete this Scientific Method Worksheet
|
|
Grades: K-2
What type of fingerprint do you have?
Watch this video and follow along to learn how to see your own fingerprints. You will need clear tape, a pencil, and paper.
You can record your fingerprints on this sheet.
Be a fingerprint detective. Look at each fingerprint on this website and decide if it is a loop, whorl, or arch. Then look at your fingerprint sheet. What type do you have?
Now that you know about fingerprints, explore this FBI Kids Adventure
website to learn more.
|
|
Thursday's Noon Video:
Dr. Chris Porter, Drake University Math Professor
|
|
Grades 3-5
Would you like a career as a forensic scientist?
Watch -
What is DNA and how is it used to solve a crime?
Watch
Fingerprints
to learn why they are important in identifying people.
Do- What type of fingerprints do you have?
|
|
Grades: K-2
An Inquiry Project
Can a mini-water cycle and plant life be sustained in a pop bottle?
WATCH--Where does the water go after a rain storm?
READ along with this book on the water cycle.
COLOR your own water cycle and learn the following vocabulary words.
- precipitation = water falls from clouds,
- condensation = water vapor changes to droplets,
- evaporation = water changes to water vapor,
- transpiration = water vapor coming from plants, and
- percolation = water filters underground.
MAKE--Can you actually see the water cycle in action? Make your own plastic bag biosphere and find out.
- Click HERE for a fun how-to and see if you can witness the water cycle in a closed system. Put water in once and see what happens to the cycle. How to Build a Pop Bottle Terrarium
- Supplies: 2-liter pop bottle, pebbles, potting soil, seeds/plants, water, scissors/exacto.
SHARE the findings from your Inquiry Project over a one-month period. Could you see the water cycle in action with the pop bottle terrarium?
|
|
Grades 3-5
An Inquiry Project
Can a mini-water cycle and plant life be sustained in a pop bottle?
WATCH--Where does water go after a rain storm?
READ along with this book on the water cycle.
TOUR Biophere 2, a self-contained ecosystem that has it's own water cycle.
MAKE--Can you actually see the water cycle in action? Grow plants in a closed system? Make your pop bottle biosphere and find out.
- Click HERE for a fun how-to and see if you can witness the water cycle in a closed system. How to Build a Pop Bottle Terrarium.
- Supplies: 2-liter pop bottle, pebbles, potting soil, seeds/plants, water, scissors/exacto.
SHARE the findings from your Inquiry Project over a one-month period. Could you see the water cycle in action with the pop bottle terrarium?
|
|
Books that Inspire Inquiry
|
|
If you have an awesome STEM book to share, please
email the Hub with the title and why it's so great! We'll pass along your suggestions.
|
|
Extend your learning with great books!
Picture Books
- Beyond the Pond
- The Fortune-Tellers
- Going Places
- How to Live Forever
- Snowflake Bentley
- Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei
- On a Beam of Light
- How to Read a Book
- Izzy Gizmo
- Marvelous Mattie
- What Do You Do with an Idea?
- The Boy Who Loved Words
Chapter Books & Middle Grade
- Ada Lace: On the Case
- Strange But True!
- How We Got to Now
- Kate the Chemist
- Girls Who Code
- Nick and Tesla's High Voltage Danger Lab
- Calling All Minds
- Smithsonian Maker Lab
Ask your librarian for more ideas!
|
|
Manager: Dr. Sarah Derry
Address: Drake University
Collier-Scripps Hall, #214/314
2702 Forest Ave.
Des Moines, IA 50031
Phone: 515-271-2403
|
|
Email: scstemhub@drake.edu
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
‌ 
‌ 
‌