This semester, I started my internship not knowing I would be asked to teach via Zoom. While I had taught via Zoom before, this situation was a lot different. I was asked to teach coding via zoom to k-2nd graders and 2-5th graders (2 separate groups) in an after-school program. Never had I coded anything in my life before this experience.
Ingenuity is testing powered flight on another world for the very first time. It hitched a ride to Mars on the Perseverance rover back in February. Now it is time for Ingenuity to fly on its own, and a great time to incorporate STEM and lessons on Grit.
In March, we are celebrating Math! This is because my favorite math holiday of all time is on 3/14/21. Have you celebrated Pi day? This year, consider celebrating with NASA or the Exploratorium – both are famous for their Pi day celebrations.
I loved reading Dr. Suess's books as a child because the language was simple and it was fun. It made me laugh. His books were the first poetry I read. I loved reading them to my child as a parent because I could make silly voices and we could read and laugh together. March 2 is Dr. Suess's birthday! To celebrate, I want to share some fun ways to connect his books to science and math.
Making, tinkering, and engineering activities are all excellent ways to engage children and youth in afterschool and summer programs. A search of all three terms provides a myriad of activities that range from simple to complex, and that use materials from the standard kitchen or desktop items to computers and 3D printers. The kind of activities you choose will depend on your goals.