STEAM Ahead @ Home - 06/03/20
STEAM Ahead @ Home - 06/03/20
June 3, 2020
STAR Net Launches Collaborative Wikis!
As mentioned in our previous newsletter, we have now added some wiki capabilities to our STEAM Ahead @ Home website that will allow libraries to build and organize lists of resources and ideas in a central location.
    Reminder: Join Our STEAM Ahead @ Home Facebook Group!
    Due to many requests for collaborative opportunties, we have created a Facebook Group Page where your library can share ideas, resources and ask questions from others in the group.

      Professional Development

      Keep your skills sharp by utilizing these professional development resources.
      Live Webcast: Exploring the Universe Virtually
      Thursday, June 4, 2020 | 2pm PT (5pm ET)
      Join Carter Emmart, Director of Astrovisualization at the American Museum of Natural History, and other OpenSpace team members on a virtual space tour to see the universe of data you can explore in OpenSpace. Fly to the Moon, explore the valleys of Mars, and soar to the edges of the known universe while learning more about this software and how your library can use it.
        Visit Our Website For Access
        Featured Article: 4 Easy Tips to Have Fun Doing STEM Activities at Home
        by Thea Sahr, Director of Communications and Programs for DiscoverE
        Keeping your kids occupied and happy is a standard parenting goal. But keeping your kids occupied and happy when they are out of school for the foreseeable future has moved well beyond the tricks and tips we normally use. So, what’s a busy parent to do?
          Read The Full Article

          Ready to Share with Patrons

          Below is a set of resources that can be provided directly to families without the need of facilitation by library staff.
          Activity: Windy City Tower
          People love tall buildings. They look dramatic, shape the skyline of a city, and can be a great way to save space in a crowded city. But tall buildings can sway in the wind. Civil engineers who design and build tall structures have to figure out how to keep buildings safe from the forces of the wind. Do you usually think of a skyscraper as a rectangular box on its end? It turns out that that shape isn’t the only one that works. 
            View/Download This Activity
            Video: Windy City Tower
            Can you design and build a paper tower that can hold up in the wind?
            In this video, watch as Jeannine Finton of the Amercian Society of Civil Engineeers demonstrates how to do the Windy City Towers activity at home. 
              Watch This Week's Video
              Digital App: Matter Sorter
              You know the “states of matter”, right? Solid, liquid, gas…. and plasma? Test your knowledge by sorting the falling objects into the appropriate bins. Be careful though: you’re only allowed a few mistakes, and each level will be faster than the last.
              Available on smartphones and tablets!
                Download This Week's Digital App

                Virtual Programs

                Use these featured resources to faciliate hands-on STEAM activities (using common household materials) for your patrons at home.
                Virtual Program: Loony Lunar Phases
                Patrons hear a story, song, or (silly or serious) poem that celebrates the Moon's different phases. They recreate the shapes of the lunar phases using the frosting from Oreo® cookies, and then they place them in correct order to reveal the repeating pattern. As they eat the cookies, they consider how our culture would differ without the Moon changing shape in the sky over time. They use words inspired by the Moon to write a short poem.
                  View This Virtual Program Activity

                  "NASA at Home" Resources

                  Let NASA bring the universe into your home.
                  Gravity Assist Podcast: What If We Found Life on Mars?
                  Imagine a future where the Perseverance Rover actually found definitive evidence of life on Mars. What would happen next? The Explore Mars Society recently held a virtual discussion on this topic with NASA’s chief scientist Jim Green and astrobiologist Penelope Boston from NASA’s Ames Research Center. Hosted by Mat Kaplan of the Planetary Society’s Planetary Radio podcast, the panelists talked about the current evidence for chemistry associated with life on Mars, what we can learn from life in extreme environments on Earth, and how finding evidence of life on Mars would change the world.
                    Listen To This Podcast
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                    The STAR Library Network (STAR Net) is a hands-on learning network for libraries and their communities across the country. STAR Net focuses on helping library professionals build their STEM skills by providing “science-technology activities and resources” (STAR) and training to use those resources. Plus, engage public audiences nationwide in informal and lifelong learning with the excitement of exploration and discovery through STAR Net's NASA@ My Library program!
                    STAR Net is built upon a strong network of collaborators and partners, led by the Space Science Institute’s (SSI) National Center for Interactive Learning (NCIL). Partners include the American Library Association’s Public Programs Office, Collaborative Summer Library Program, Chief officers of State Library Agencies, Lunar and Planetary Institute, Afterschool Alliance, Education Development Center, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Cornerstones of Science. Major funding is provided by the National Science Foundation, NASA Science Mission Directorate, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
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