User:Club Pcr L2L

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What we do

We are a group of post-baccalaureates driven to bridge the gap in scientific knowledge in the communities in Montgomery County. We work with Linkage to Learning, a component of the local non-profit, EveryMind. This is a platform to organize and consolidate our tutoring and science outreach ideas.

Previous activities

Earth science
Computer Science
Geology
Biology
Chemistry
Physiology

Activity links

Activity name	STEM category	Materials	Description	Age Range	Weblink
Count the dots	Computer science	Provided in pdf (see description)	Number or word representation using a binary language (0, 1) [1]	7 and up	csunplugged
Color by numbers	Computer science	Provided in pdf (see description)	Image representation using number strings that highlight the position of pixels in the image space. Given a series of number strings, decipher the image. See [2]	7 and up	csunplugged
Lightest and heaviest	Computer science	8 equally sized containers (any kind) per group of kids; balance scale (or could estimate weight using hands if a balance scale is not available or too expensive)	Introduces children to sorting algorithms -- algorithms that order a set of objects; ways to optimize it by minimizing number of comparisons to be made. [3]	8 and up	csunplugged
Beat the clock!	Computer science	Outdoor activity- chalk, and printed card-cutouts: see pdf in description	Introduces children to network sorting algorithms with an outdoor game -- sorting a random string of numbers into increasing order see pdf: [4]	7 and up	csunplugged
The orange game	computer science	Marker to mark each child and each orange with a letter. Two oranges per child in group or can use any other object so long as there are enough for two to be given per child.	General problem solving / logical reasoning game: Both children and oranges are labeled with a letter from the alphabet -- each child [except for one] has two oranges labeled with the same letter as them. Group task: find way to get each of the labeled oranges to the corresponding child -- the one with the same label as the orange. Can only pass while following specific rules -- see [5]	9 and up	csunplugged
Building bridges	Engineering	1 cup containing 100 pennies. Per group of children: strips of tape, long strip of yarn, scissors, straws, 5 - 10 paperclips.	General problem solving/reasoning, creative thinking. Build a bridge strong enough to hold a cup with 100 pennies. See [6]	ages 5 - 8+	playdoghtoplato
Peep Catapults	Physics and engineering	Per group: 1 plastic spoon, 10 unsharpened pencils, 16 rubber bands, ruler or measuring stick, peeps or similarly-sized food object (gum drops, gummy bears, jelly beans)	Problem solving, physics concepts: potential and kinetic energy; rotational motion, lever, fulcrum. Task: build a catapult to launch peeps -marshmallows. See [7]	ages 5 - 8+	playdoughtoplato
Backyard archaeology	Archaeology	Trowel Whisk brush Strainer 4 wooden dowels Twine Notebook Assortment of everyday household items (see link for examples)	Exploratory, abductive reasoning. Task: dig and find what's hidden in the ground - determine potential uses for each discovered object. see [8]	ages 5 - 8+	playdoughtoplato
Building 3D molecules	Chemistry	Gumdrops, toothpicks, paper slips with molecule name + structure (tetrahedral, trigonal planar)	Puzzle-like problem solving adaptation from website. - give each group 5 slips of paper with the name + structure of a molecule. Ask them to construct it using toothpicks and gumdrops. See [9]	ages 5 - 8+	playdoughtoplato
Cloud in a jar	Chemistry/physics	matches or hairspray (any brand), hot water, ice. Per group - glass jar with lid.	Demonstration: physics: phase transitions. Task: condense the water vapor collecting in the jar to form a cloud. See [10]	ages 5 – 8	playdoughtoplato

Sample Lesson Plans

Egg Drop

Introduction and Justification

Students will learn basic physics concepts through an egg-drop experiment

Background Concepts

Gravity, Drag, Resistance, Impact, Effect of mass and height on gravity

Lesson Plan

Brief Outline Introduction to physics concepts (10-15 minutes) Designing egg drop (15 minutes) Egg drop (25 minutes) Wrap-up (5 minutes) Clean-up (volunteers will do) Preparation: Hard boil eggs before to contain some of the mess Print out lesson plans and egg drop sheet! (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-cVjZBMBNNXOE1QUUFCX1dYeG8/view). Print out examples of different egg drop designs. Lay out all materials (straws, bags, rubber bands, newspapers, tape, hard boiled eggs on table). Lesson Plan Introduction: Today we are going to design an egg drop! Egg drops are a great demonstration of some of the fundamentals of physics. There is an important concept that one of the most famous physicists, Issac Newton, discovered. It’s a force that acts on us every day. Do you know what it’s called? Gravity: The force that pulls objects towards each other. On earth, we are all pulled towards the center of the earth by gravity. Let’s pretend for a moment that we are experimenting with this egg drop. Which egg do you think will break first, an egg from a lower height or an egg from a higher height? (Answer: higher). Let’s now pretend that we are dropping two objects from the same height. One of the objects is a grand piano, and the other is a marshmallow. Which object do you predict will hit the ground with the most force? (Answer: grand piano) The reason for these answers is because gravity acts more strongly on objects that are higher up in the air and are heavier. In other words, it’s directly proportional to the object’s mass and height. Next question: If dropped from the same height, which object would reach the ground first: A piece of paper, or a pebble that weighs the same as the paper? (Answer: rock). This brings us to a second concept in physics: drag. Drag describes the air resistance when objects fall and it acts in the opposite direction of the motion of the object. Among other factors, it depends on the surface area of an object. That is why a piece of paper, with a wider surface area, will fall more slowly than a pebble that weighs the same. What happens to the egg once it hits the ground? (Answer: it breaks). The collision with the ground is known as impact in physics. Impact describes a high amount of force between two objects when they collide. We are now going to start designing our egg drop apparatus. You have learned about two important new vocab words, drag and impact. Our goal is to protect an egg when we drop it from increasing heights. Remember that drag helps an object resist the motion it travels in. Do you want to a) increase drag or b) decrease drag? (Answer: increase drag). The impact with the ground is what breaks the egg. Do you want to a) increase impact or b) decrease impact (Answer: decrease impact) Think of these two goals of increasing drag and decreasing impact when you make your designs! Lesson Plan Execution Have students first draw out their designs on the worksheet (they do not need to write the explanation at the bottom of the work sheet). Show them helpful examples of different designs Help students make their designs Make a competition of dropping their eggs from different heights Lesson Plan Wrap-Up Give some type of prize to the winner with the most successful design. Volunteers will clean up

Botany & Germs Part 2

Introduction and Justification

Through a nature walk, students will learn about scientific notation and observation. Students will further their knowledge of germ theory through the petri dish activity.

Background Concepts

Scientific note-taking skills, Attention to detail, Germ theory part 2, Bacteria (very general)

Lesson Plan

Brief outline Look at plants and take notes, see how much they grew! (5 minutes) Introduction to scientific note-taking skills (10 minutes) Nature Walk! (20 minutes) Bacteria lesson part 2 (10 minutes) Petri Dish activity (15 minutes) Wrap-up (5 minutes) Clean-up (volunteers will do) Preparation Set-up clipboards Make sure agar plates are dry Lesson Plan Introduction: Scientific note taking Scenario: You are the famous Charles Darwin and you are an explorer on the tropical island of the Galapagos. You believe that you have made a breakthrough discovery. When you go back to England, they ask you for proof of your work. What are you going to show them for proof? Scientists take very detailed notes all the time! Why do we take notes? Why is it important to keep a record of our work? For validity For repeatability What are good elements to note-taking? Organization Date/title Detail detail detail! Use all 5 senses when taking notes Lesson Plan Execution: Scientific note taking We will pretend to be like the great Charles Darwin and take some notes! Have students go outside and write what they see/smell/hear/touch When we come back inside, ask each student to tell us 1-2 things they wrote down or drew. The students can then compare, and we can explain how different strategies give us different information. We can then say that even though they were looking at practically the same thing, scientists interpret what they are seeing differently depending on what they find interesting. Lesson Plan Introduction: Bacteria What are bacteria? Bacteria are tiny organisms (single celled, if they understand cells) that you can only see through a microscope They get the nutrients they need to survive from the environment, which is sometimes inside a human being! Not all bacteria are bad. We have bacteria inside our intestines that help us digest food. Scientists sometimes use bacteria to develop medicines and vaccines. Bacteria come in all different shapes including rods and spirals. Some have tails called flagella that help them move around. (Show pictures of different kinds of bacteria, and flagella) [11] [12] Each human has some 100 quadrillion bacterial cells on/within us, yet each (average adult) human consists of only around 10 quadrillion cells – So, we have about Ten Times more bacterial cells on/in us than we have of our own cells Why can bacteria live on surfaces for so long? Many bacteria are known as “extremophiles”---they can survive in the hottest, coldest, saltiest, or most acidic environments in the world Proteins called “heat shock” and “cold shock” proteins protect them They also have an incredibly strong wall around their cell Bacteria can also repair their cells incredibly well How do bacteria reproduce, and create new bacteria? Bacteria reproduce through a process known as binary fission. What this means, is that when the bacteria is ready to create new bacteria, it starts to get bigger, then it duplicates all of its parts, and splits into 2 cells. This process happens really quickly. In just ten hours, 1 bacteria cell can replicate into 1 BILLION cells This week, we are going to look at this process of bacteria growth. To do this, we will take a Q tip and rub it on a surface that we think probably has germs on it. That will get germs onto the Q tip, which we will then rub onto an agar plate. Ask if any of them have ever heard of an agar plate or petri dish, or know what they are An agar plate is a petri dish that basically contains jello for tiny organisms, like bacteria. The jello is a gelatin substance that contains nutrients that microorganisms eat to survive. Agar plates are used to grow colonies of microorganisms. Why would it be helpful to grow a colony of bacteria or other microorganisms? Look at the effects of antibiotics To see what kind of bacteria are growing on a surface Lesson Plan Execution: Bacteria Have students label their agar plates Have students pick a place to examine. If they are having trouble, suggest places they think would have a lot of germs Instruct them to swab their Q tip over the area Instruct them to swab the Q tip on the agar plate. Show them how to do it so they don't break the agar. Seal the plates with tape, and place in a safe location Lesson Plan Wrap-Up