Welcome!

Thank you for signing up to take part in the Centerville School District/SC STEM Hub's 6-Week STEM Extravaganza. You're receiving this email because you are participating, presenting, volunteering or leading this endeavor.

Follow the links to participate in the activities, lessons, videos, and more. Please feel free to share this email with others who might enjoy some STEM enrichment activities.

How to use the material:

Monday

Grades K-2

Topic: Animals and Math

Think About: How can we learn more about animals using math?

Watch: Learn about rabbits. Click on this link: Rabbit Roundup

Activity: Measure animal jumps, mark them with tape, and jump like an animal. Click on this link for directions: How Many Jumps?

Read: Read about squirrels. Click on this link: Squirrels Bookflix. Psst...Need a login to access Squirrels Bookflix?  Click here , scroll down to Bookflix, and enter “Squirrels” in the search box. Select Backyard Wildlife Squirrels.  

Activity: Solve some squirrel story problems. You could even find acorns outside to use as you count. Click on this link for directions: How Many Nuts?

Grades 3-5

Topic: Animals and Math

Think About: How can we learn more about animals using math?

Activity: Read about animal venom and solve the math problems. Click on this link: Toxic Discoveries and Multiplication

Read: Read along with Who Would Win? author Jerry Pallotta. Click this link:  Author Jerry Pallotta Reads "Lobster vs. Crab"!

Activity: Conduct research about an animal of your choice. Click on this link for a recording sheet: Animal Research Recording Sheet.  You can use this website for research. Click on this link: National Geographic Amazing Animals. Be sure to include important numbers like animal measurements!

Tuesday

Grades K-2

Topic: Plants

Think About: What are tomatoes?

Watch: Learn about tomatoes with this video: Learn Fruits and Vegetables for Kids: The Tomato

Read: Learn more about tomatoes. Click on this link to read this fact sheet:

Pick a Better Snack: Tomatoes

Activity: Color this tomato coloring sheet. Click on the link for the printable: Pick a Better Snack Tomato Coloring Sheet

Activity: Plant a tomato seed! You can start your seed any way you would like but below are two video options that you could try. It’s important to include draining holes if you are using a cup.  Root View Cups or Grow a Seed in a Cup.

Tuesday's Noon Video:

Heidi Anderson, Polk County Conservation

Grades 3-5

Topic: Plants

Think About: How are tomatoes grown?

Watch: Find out how tomatoes grow. Click on this link: TOMATO | How Does it Grow?

Read: Learn more about tomatoes. Click on this link to read this fact sheet:

Pick a Better Snack: Tomatoes

Activity: Plant a tomato seed! You can start your seed any way you would like but below are two video options that you could try. It’s important to include draining holes if you are using a cup. Root View Cups or Grow a Seed in a Cup

Wednesday

Grades: K-2

Topic: Bees

Think About: What do bees do?

Watch: Learn about bees. Click on this link: Busy Bees

Read: Read more about bees. Click on this link: Bee Information for Kids: Bumblebee & Honey Bee Facts

Activity: Create a bee hotel. Click this link for directions: Create a Bee Hotel

Wednesday's Noon Video:

Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens

Grades: 3-5

Topic: Bees

Think About: What do bees do?

Watch: Learn about bees. Click on this link: Busy Bees

Read: Read more about bees. Click on this link: Bee Information for Kids: Bumblebee & Honey Bee Facts

Read: Find out why honey bees are so important to people. Click this link: 10 facts about Honey bees!

Activity: Create a bee hotel. Click this link for directions: Create a Bee Hotel

Thursday

Grades: K-2

Topic: Careers with Animals

Think About: What do veterinarians do?

Watch: Learn about veterinarians in this video. Click this link:

I Want To Be a Veterinarian - Kids Dream Job - Can You Imagine That?

Watch: Watch this video from Dr. White at Parkside Animal Hospital in Centerville, Iowa. Click on this link: Will be adding a link to a video from Dr. White

Watch: Watch a zoo veterinarian do rounds with animals. Click this link:

Zoo Veterinarian House Calls – Rounds with Dr. Erika

Activity: Make a list of animals you would want to help if you were a veterinarian. Then pick one of those animals and create a model of it. You can use Play-Doh, Legos, Recycled items from around your house, or whatever creative idea you can come up with. 

Thursday's Noon Video:

Dr. Anthony White, Veterinarian

Grades 3-5

Topic: Careers with Animals

Think About: What do veterinarians do?

Watch: Learn about what veterinarians do with this video. Click this link:

So You Want To Be a Vet? | Awesome Animal Vets

Watch: Watch this video from Dr. White at Parkside Animal Hospital in Centerville, Iowa. Click on this link: Will be adding a link to a video from Dr. White

Watch: Watch a zoo veterinarian do rounds with animals. Click this link:

Zoo Veterinarian House Calls – Rounds with Dr. Erika

Watch: Meet a veterinarian. Click this link: Kids Meet a Pet Vet | Kids Meet | HiHo Kids

Activity: Make a list of animals you would want to help if you were a veterinarian. Then pick one of those animals and create a model of it. You can use Play-Doh, Legos, Recycled items from around your house, or whatever creative idea you can come up with. Then write a paragraph explaining what you think you might have to do to help that animal.

Friday

Grades: PK-2

Topic: Nature

Think About: What can you find when exploring nature?

Read: Read along to learn about trees! Click this link: Little Tree by Loren Long

Activity: Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Click this link to find a printable sheet along with additional ideas: Nature Learning & Scavenger Hunt

Activity: Choose from one of PBS Nature Cat’s DIY activities. Click this link: PBS Kids - Nature Cat- DIY

Friday's Noon Video:

Dorothia Rohner, Artist & Author

Grades 3-5

Topic: Nature

Think About: What can you learn from nature by examining it closely?

Watch: Watch this video to learn something cool about trees. Click this link: Life as a Tree!

Activity: Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Click this link to find a printable sheet along with additional ideas: Nature Learning & Scavenger Hunt

Activity: Choose from one of PBS Nature Cat’s DIY activities. Click this link: PBS Kids - Nature Cat- DIY

Life Science Book List

Click: Drake Public Library (Centerville, Iowa)

Click: Des Moines Public Library

Click: to find a public library near you.

Know of some great life science titles (plants, animals, etc.)? Email with your ideas! We'd love to share them with other kids!

Extend your learning with great books!

Picture Books

Chapter Books & Middle Grade

Ask your librarian for more ideas!