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NEH Makers Day delights students

Learning activities emphasize STEM principles

Young and old enjoyed a festival for the imagination at the annual Northeast Hamilton Makers Day last Friday.

Learning has never been so much fun as students and their guests enjoyed several activities aimed toward creative learning with the emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) basics.

The Iowa State University School of Engineering FLEX Truck was a must-see event. Students could try their hand at 3-D Printing or creating sounds of different pitches and volumes with the Frequency Modulator. The Virtual Reality simulator is always a popular stop where students experience

the sensation of riding a roller coaster or drawing three-D images.

FLEX stands for Forward Learning Experience, explained Pete Evans, Senior Lecturer at the ISU College of Design.

“We visit schools throughout Iowa to give students the experience with technology,” said Evans as he adjusted the Virtual Reality goggles and handset for a student.

Another activity that’s always a favorite is the Marble Run. Students, parents and sometimes grandparents engineered a track out of paper towel rolls, pool noodles, empty water bottles, Styrofoam and duct tape. The idea is to construct a track which will keep the marble moving for at least 30

seconds.

Across the hall in the kindergarten room, students and guests were achieving a state of Zen with watercolor painting.

“I am going to have to get some paints,” Carol Yeager told her granddaughter Bristol as the two enjoyed the session. “This is very relaxing.”

In the third grade classroom, students were employing their theatrical skills by developing skits which were to be performed before a green screen. The students wrote, directed and starred in their own play, with a little help from several stage mothers and fathers. Then they chose background

scenery provided by Leslie Pralle Keehn, Prairie Lakes Technology Integration Consultant.

In the fourth-sixth grade reading room, students developed a catapult capable of knocking over a tower of plastic cups standing anywhere from six feet to over 15 feet away.

Students at the Lego Zip Line station were challenged to built a Lego gondola heavy enough to travel the length of the zip line yet fast enough to beat all challengers. Fourth grade teacher Joni Smith served as referee for the races that brought out many competitive spirits.

Rosie Revere, Engineer, challenged students to construct forms from Lincoln Logs or even marshmallows and toothpicks.

In the fifth-sixth grade room, Iowa Honey Queen Carly Rae Vannoy spoke on bees and their importance to food production. The session also allowed students to build their own Seed Bomb, designed to promote the spread of wildflowers which will then support the bee population.

In the old science lab, students had a chance to play Mad Scientist at the STEM Playground where they made Elephant Toothpaste. Directed by Kim Schimp, the students combined several ingredients and the chemical reaction produced created a warm, blue foam, much to the participants’ delight.

NEH’s Makers Day has evolved over the years. It was once VIP (Very Important Person) Day which was designed for grandparents and included many reading and art activities. The new hands-on Makers Day encourages students, parents, grandparents and guests to incorporate STEM concepts into their activities.

The event remains one of the most popular attended activities at the Blairsburg school, said NEH Principal Mike Kruger.

“We’ve had every student attend with at least one parent or guest,” said

Kruger. “In total, today we’ve had over 100 visitors.”

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