Resources for enriching STEM activities and events.
Summer Newsletter #2
Hello again from the Office of Science Outreach! The cancellation of our in-person Science-U camps has inspired us to virtually share scientific resources so that everyone may enjoy camp-like science experiences. In this newsletter, we are including family-friendly resources from the State College Discovery Space and NASA. Our featured Science-U@Home video encourages families to play and learn with soap bubbles, and a drawing challenge will help familiarize you with the starry night sky. We hope you join us in appreciating and observing science by submitting photos of your chosen science activities or scientific observations!
Until next time, enjoy a safe and science-filled summer,
-The Science Outreach Office
Discovery Space Activities & Camps
Our colleagues at the State College Discovery Space have fun STEM activities on their website that can be done at home! Check out the link below! They also have created several virtual STEM camps for children ages 4-14. A few of the camps are already in progress, but registration may be available for later camps.
Lessons from NASA
The NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a website that helps educators to teach students about space. This educational resource includes easy STEM activities that are out of this world! Plus, NASA is hosting a workshop called Exploring Mars Science with the Perseverance Rover on Tuesday July 7th. Families are invited to watch it at 1-2 PM PDT (4-5 PM EDT). If you wish to ask questions, registration is required. Click the link to learn more!
Summer Skies
Summer is one of the most exciting times to look at the night sky! This week we should have a great look at the moon going from a thin sliver to a gibbous phase, Jupiter rising in the East, and, if you're in a dark location away from city lights, a great look at the Milky Way! For some fun, try drawing a star map. All you need is a piece of paper and a pencil! You can either try to draw the whole sky or just a section! Send us a picture of your best drawing to include in our next newsletter. For more info, check out Skymaps.com!
Is a bubble always round?
Can you and your children construct different shape bubbles? View the video from WPSU's Science-U @Home to learn about water molecules and surface tension, and then head outside in the sunshine to have fun experimenting with bubbles! If you can, take some pictures and share them with us!
Nature Photos
The Outreach staff appreciates nature and recently had a chance to take some photos. We hope these images inspire you to safely explore and photograph natural wonders in your area. We'd love to see what you find!
We want to hear from you!
Email us at outreach@science.psu.edu
- If you try an activity in this newsletter, let us know how it went!
- Share nature or experiment photos that you take!
- Let us know what you would like to see in a future newsletter!
Please submit items to be included by July 6, 2020.
By submitting photographs or information to the Office of Science Outreach, we reserve the right to use them in our next electronic newsletter.
