Posts Tagged homeschoolers

STEM Tuesday– Radio/UV Waves and Applied Physics — In the Classroom

By on February 11, 2025   /   Applied Physicis, STEM Tuesday  

 

Bright blue semicircular lines against a black background emanate from a central point to the left and the right. Text reads: Understanding and Using Radio Waves.

 

Understanding and Using Radio Waves
by Elizabeth Rubio

The focus of this book is on the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum called radio waves, but it also does a good job covering what the electromagnetic spectrum is. It also explains the difference between ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, which ties into the books X-Rays and The Radium Girls. The book also looks at the many ways radio waves are used.

 

White skeleton of chest and neck glows against a blue outline of a human body, against a black background. Text reads: Super Science Feats: Medical Breakthroughs: X-RaysSuper Science Feats: Medical Breakthroughs: X-Rays
by Alicia Z. Klepeis

This book briefly covers what x-rays are and what they can do.

 

Text reads: The Radium Girls: Young Readers Edition. Underneath, a surface covered in bright green holds a paintbrush, with green paint dripping off it, a bottle containing a green substance, a clock, and a skeleton.The Radium Girls
by Kate Moore

What happens when people are exposed to light waves emitted from radioactive material? This book tells the stories of a group of women who were exposed to radioactive radium through their work. This is not an easy read emotionally, but it tells a very important story.

 

 

The text Microwaves shows over a white, round, object sitting on a metal structure. Blue lines emanate from the ball.Microwaves
by Tracy Vonder Brink

Ever wondered how microwave ovens work? Check out this book for a brief overview of microwaves and how they are used to cook food.

 

A hand holds a cell phone. The image on the phone is a wifi symbol. Text reads How it Works: Wi-Fi.

Bonus Book: WiFi (How It Works)
by Janet Slingerland

This book provides an introduction to WiFi. It includes what radio waves are and how they are used to transmit signals, connecting devices through WiFi networks.

 

The electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is one of my favorite science topics, and there are so many different things you can do with it. Here are just a few.

Search for Waves

Light waves are all around us all the time. Have students look around them to see how many different types of electromagnetic light waves they can find in their daily lives.

Give students an EMS chart like this one: https://www.ces.fau.edu/nasa/module-2/radiation-sun.php. Have them place things that use EMS waves onto the chart, in their proper location. For instance, everything we see falls into the visible light area of the EMS. Cameras/photographs could also be placed in this area.

BBC Bitesize has a great table that details different ways the various EMS wave types are used: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z79hvcw/revision/2

 

Explore Light

As explained in Understanding and Using Radio Waves, NASA uses radio waves to explore outer space. They have a great educators guide that covers the electromagnetic spectrum: https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/the-electromagnetic-spectrum-unit. The activities involve building spectroscopes, instruments that allow people to separate and study light.

Exploratorium has another spectrograph activity: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/cd-spectroscope

To explore how light is used to transmit audio, check out this activity:   https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/modulated-led. This would be great for a makerspace.

Another type of light that’s fun to explore is polarized light. This activity is also reminiscent of x-rays: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/bone-stress

 

Have Fun with Luminescence

As described in The Radium Girls, people were enthralled by the luminescent beauty of radium. Here’s an activity that explores luminescence using a chemical reaction: https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/glow-up

You could also have fun exploring with a UV flashlight. This ties in with STEM Tuesday’s Bioluminescence topic from October 2024.

 

Consider OSHA

The story of the radium girls helped spur the creation of OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Some legislators have called for eliminating OSHA. Have students explore OSHA – https://www.osha.gov – and what is does. After this investigation, do they believe OSHA should be eliminated or not? Have them write an essay or hold a debate to present their positions.

 

More Activities

Here’s another makerspace activity to build a WiFi antenna out of cans: https://www.shtfpreparedness.com/build-tin-can-wifi-antenna

PBS Electromagnetic Spectrum Tour: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/electromagnetic-spectrum.html

PBS Learning Media – The Electromagnetic Spectrum (grades 9-12): https://whyy.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/buac20-912-sci-ps-emspectruminfographic/the-electromagnetic-spectrum

5 Activities to Explore the EMS: https://www.brightinthemiddle.com/exploring-the-electromagnetic-spectrum-through-5-fun-wow-factor-activities

 

Woman with short brown hair and glasses, smiling.Janet Slingerland is the author of more than 20 books for young readers. To find out more about Janet and her books, check out http://janetsbooks.com.

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STEM Tuesday– Deserts — In the Classroom

By on July 9, 2024   /   Deserts, STEM Tuesday  

stem tuesday logo

Deserts may seem dry and desolate, but they are thriving ecosystems filled with wildlife and plants that have adapted to survive harsh conditions. And even though school is out, these activities can help kids learn about the amazing desert and the unique life that thrive there.

Weird, Wild, Amazing! Desert: Exploring the World’s Incredible Drylands

by Tim Flannery; illustrated by Sam Caldwell

Welcome to the weird wildlife you might find in a desert, from ants to lizards, rattlesnakes to scorpions. Each of the seventeen animal profiles is filled with in-depth and sometimes bizarre facts that highlight issues like climate change and conservation or explain more about evolution and habitats.

 

 

 

Classroom activity: As students read through this fascinating title, tell them to create a comic book profile of one of the strangest animals described. They can use a notebook to record the animal’s name and basic information, and they can also record its “super powers”—its unique adaptations that help them survive in the desert. Students should give their creature a comic book character name, and then they share their desert superheroes with the other students.

Cactus Queen : Minerva Hoyt establishes Joshua Tree National Park

by Lori Alexander

What if you knew a place that was filled with thorny, spiny beauty and dainty wildflowers, but all other people saw was a wasteland? In the early 1900s that’s how people thought of the Mohave desert. But Minerva Hoyt saw the desert as a habitat worth saving, and she went all the way to Washington to let the Park Service know.

 

 

Classroom activity: Have you ever noticed the waxy coating on a cactus? What is it for? To help students understand, try this activity. Gather your materials: two sheets of paper towels, wax paper sheet a bit bigger than a paper towel sheet, and a cookie sheet. Wet the paper towels so they are slightly damp. Roll one paper towel and use a paper clip to hold it. Lay it on the cookie sheet. Lay the other paper towel on top of the wax paper, roll it, and secure it with a paper clip. Lay it on the cookie sheet. Leave the sheet in a dry place for a day and then check i. How damp are the towels now? Which one is wetter? The one wrapped in wax paper keeps the towel damp, trapping in the water just like the waxy layer on a cactus does.

A Walk in the Desert (Biomes of North America)

by Rebecca L. Johnson, illustrated by Phyllis V. Saroff

A lower middle grade text, this book uses photographs, notebook-like illustrated sidebars, and an engaging text to explore various North American deserts and the ways numerous plants and animals have developed strategies to exist in these challenging conditions. It also explores the interconnected food web and provides ideas for further research.

 

 

Classroom activity: Tell students to imagine one of the creatures in this book is the main character of a story. Have them write about its day in the desert from morning until nighttime. What other creatures does I meet? What problems does it face? Encourage students to use details from the book and do further research if they’d like. When they are done, ask them to add a few pictures—either drawings or printed images of the desert. And also ask them to create an interesting title for their book. When finished, students can host an author reading and display their book to the class.

 

Karen Latchana Kenney loves to write books about animals, and looks for them wherever she goes—from leafcutter ants trailing through the Amazon rain forest in Guyana, where she was born, to puffins in cliff-side burrows on the Irish island of Skellig Michael. She especially enjoys creating books about nature, biodiversity, conservation, and groundbreaking scientific discoveries—but also writes about civil rights, astronomy, historical moments, and many other topics. Visit her at https://latchanakenney.wordpress.com

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STEM Tuesday– Deserts — Book List

By on July 2, 2024   /   Deserts, STEM Tuesday  

From the Antarctic to the Sahara, deserts cover about twenty percent of our planet. Despite harsh conditions, plenty of plants and animals – even people – have found a way to live in the desert.

Weird, Wild, Amazing! Desert: Exploring the World’s Incredible Drylands by Tim Flannery; illustrated by Sam Caldwell

Welcome to the weird wildlife you might find in a desert, from ants to lizards, rattlesnakes to scorpions. Each of the seventeen animal profiles is filled with in-depth and sometimes bizarre facts that highlight issues like climate change and conservation or explain more about evolution and habitats.

A Walk in the Desert (Biomes of North America) by Rebecca L. Johnson, illustrated by Phyllis V. Saroff

A lower middle grade text, this book uses photographs, notebook-like illustrated sidebars, and an engaging text to explore various North American deserts and the ways numerous plants and animals have developed strategies to exist in these challenging conditions. It also explores the interconnected food web and provides ideas for further research.

Keystone Species that Live in Deserts by Bonnie Hinmans

After introducing the concept of keystone species, the photo illustrated book explores the role of the desert tortoise, the addax, Indian vulture, Australian dingo, and guanaco within their desert ecosystems. Resources include extensive footnotes and bibliography, as well as a glossary and index.

Desert (Earth’s Biomes) by Tom Warhol

With a conversational tone and fun photos, this text defines the uniting definition and features of deserts. Then it explores the unique landforms, plants, and animals found in deserts around the world, dividing them into hot desert, temperate deserts, and costal deserts. Concluding with a short discussion about the threats they each face, as well as helpful resources and a glossary.

Desert Ecosystems (Earth’s Ecosystems) by Mirella S. Miller

This is a quick introduction to how deserts are formed and where they are found. Sections focus on animals, insects, birds, and plants. The last two chapters discuss desertification and how people can help save the world’s deserts.

Desert Biomes Around the World by M. M. Eboch

Deserts may be hot or cold, but the one thing they all have in common is that they are dry places. This book looks at deserts around the world and the adaptations that allow plants and animals to survive.

Cactus Queen : Minerva Hoyt establishes Joshua Tree National Park by Lori Alexander

What if you knew a place that was filled with thorny, spiny beauty and dainty wildflowers, but all other people saw was a wasteland? In the early 1900s that’s how people thought of the Mohave desert. But Minerva Hoyt saw the desert as a habitat worth saving, and she went all the way to Washington to let the Park Service know.

Death Valley National Park by Nate Frisch

Death Valley is the hottest, driest, lowest place in the U.S. It’s the place to go if you want to see sunbaked earth, salt flats, and sand dunes. It’s also filled with plants, from cacti to pine trees, birds, reptiles and mammals, and a rich history of human habitation.

Deserts (Explorer Travel Guides) by Nick Hunter

Inviting the reader on an exploration, this lower middle grade book uses engaging sidebars to offer packing and survival tips, amazing facts and figures, descriptions of previous explorers, and conservation notes. Stunning photographs highlight the landforms, plants, animals, and people who live in the deserts. The book also contains interviews with an explorer and a conservationist, a world map, fact file, places to visit, and suggestions for further research.

The Great Victoria Desert (Deserts Around the World) by Lynn Peppas

This is part of an engaging six-book series (largely written by Molly Aloian) which includes the Atacama, Gobi, Kalahari, Mojave, and Sahara deserts. Each book opens with a map, description, and fascinating facts about the specific desert. A discussion of the unique geography, features, plants, and animals is followed by a look at human habitation and development throughout the centuries. They all contain photos, “notable quotations” pertaining to the specific desert, fun sidebars, a timeline, and additional resources.

This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Sue Heavenrich, author

Sue Heavenrich, who writes about science for children and their families on topics ranging from space to backyard ecology. Bees, flies, squirrel behavior—things she observes in her neighborhood and around her home—inspire her writing. Visit her at www.sueheavenrich.com.

Maria Marshall, a children’s author, blogger, and poet who is passionate about making nature and reading fun for children. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she watches birds, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. Visit her at www.mariacmarshall.com.

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