About 2 weeks ago a co-worker of mine, (and fellow STEM enthusiast) Margaret, emailed me with an exciting STEM opportunity. The Boston Children's Museum was creating and supplying local families with FREE STEAM kits! STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics. Well, we wasted no time in applying to be a part of this STEAM opportunity. Less than a week later we were notified that we had been selected to receive a FREE STEAM kit; "Glow Bugs" Activity Kit.
With permission from Neil, at the Boston Children's Museum, we are pleased to share this kit and the experience with all of you! Don't forget to check out their website: bostonchildrensmuseum.org
With permission from Neil, at the Boston Children's Museum, we are pleased to share this kit and the experience with all of you! Don't forget to check out their website: bostonchildrensmuseum.org
Objective: Students will be able to observe and discuss what a circuit is and how it works using LEDs and a watch battery while engaging in a STEAM activity kit that was designed and provided by our friends at the Boston Children's Museum. Students will use this information, along with art materials provided, to create a light up creature.
** Please note... Based on the materials provided and after engaging in the experiment this is the Objective that I would provide when presenting this lesson in the classroom setting.**
** Please note... Based on the materials provided and after engaging in the experiment this is the Objective that I would provide when presenting this lesson in the classroom setting.**
Check out our experiment video to see us doing the activity.
Do you want to do this experiment at home? Here is a list of materials and supplies that you will need to do your own "Glow Creatures" Circuit Experiment.
Materials/Supplies:
-Work surface that can get messy
-recycled materials; cardboard boxes, paper bowls, toilet paper tubes, etc.
-glue; I recommend glue sticks or glue dots
-tape
-small LED lights with leads
-watch battery, (ex: CR2032 Lithium Battery)
-scissors
-art materials; pipe cleaners, construction paper, tissue paper, googly eyes, pom-poms, etc.
-Work surface that can get messy
-recycled materials; cardboard boxes, paper bowls, toilet paper tubes, etc.
-glue; I recommend glue sticks or glue dots
-tape
-small LED lights with leads
-watch battery, (ex: CR2032 Lithium Battery)
-scissors
-art materials; pipe cleaners, construction paper, tissue paper, googly eyes, pom-poms, etc.
OK we're almost ready to get started. Before you begin experimenting with your little scientist check out and/or print the design and planning page and key vocabulary sheet below. You can review the vocabulary before watching the video. That way kids will recognize those words when they hear them in the video.
Design and Planning Page: Here is a design template to help you plan your "Glow Creature".
| Key Vocabulary Sheet: Here you will find a list of vocabulary words relating to the experiment
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All right! Now you're ready to watch the video and complete the experiment with your little learner! Don't forget to have FUN!
Further Exploration...
Now that you're done with the "Glow Creatures" Circuit Experiment here are some extension activities that you might enjoy! They will help you expand your learning into other curriculum areas.
If I was using this activity in the classroom I think it would be part of a larger unit; maybe "Light" or "Inventors". I think you could begin with candle light and then move into electric light sources. Also you could incorporate sun light, shadows, and shadow play into the unit. I think that the "Glow Creatures" activity is a fun way to conclude a unit on "Light".
After enjoying the "Glow Bugs" Activity Kit from the Boston Children's Museum I was feeling really inspired! Part of the Kit was a hard cover book entitled, Glow. I thought it was a beautiful book that offered a cool bridge into a new unit on "Glowing in Nature". Below, please find activities related to "Light and Circuits" as well as activities for an additional unit of study... "Glowing in Nature".
If I was using this activity in the classroom I think it would be part of a larger unit; maybe "Light" or "Inventors". I think you could begin with candle light and then move into electric light sources. Also you could incorporate sun light, shadows, and shadow play into the unit. I think that the "Glow Creatures" activity is a fun way to conclude a unit on "Light".
After enjoying the "Glow Bugs" Activity Kit from the Boston Children's Museum I was feeling really inspired! Part of the Kit was a hard cover book entitled, Glow. I thought it was a beautiful book that offered a cool bridge into a new unit on "Glowing in Nature". Below, please find activities related to "Light and Circuits" as well as activities for an additional unit of study... "Glowing in Nature".
Literacy: The materials provided in the "Glow Bugs" Activity Kit from the Boston Children's Museum provided some great information about what a circuit is and how it works. I decided to go in search of a children's book that might illustrate this information for young learners. Well, I found it! I am so excited to share this book with you; Oscar and the Bird, A Book about Electricity. I have ordered the book, and it should be arriving soon! I can't wait to share it with you.
Mathematics: Electricity Scavenger Hunt. Parade around school or home and look for toys, tools, and items that are powered by electric current. Have your scientist(s) use a camera or tablet to take pictures of these various items. Then use those photos, draw pictures, or write words to make a bar graph to chart whether the item is powered by electricity that flows into the building from a power plant, or if the item is powered by electricity from a battery. What a great way to to count up and compare numbers. Older scientists can use their own data collection sheets on clipboards as they go on their Electricity Scavenger Hunt.
circuit_scavenger_hunt.pdf |
Fine Motor: Below you can find a dot-to-dot and simple mazes that I have created to help reinforce the understanding of the circuit created using the watch battery and LED lights.
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"Glowing in Nature"
Literacy: Please enjoy my read-aloud of the book Glow by W. H. Beck. This book was provided to me in the free, STEAM Kit from the Boston Children's Museum! It is a book about animals, and a plant or 2, that create their own light. I think it is the perfect book to introduce little scientists to the topic of "Glowing in Nature" and Bioluminescence.
Science: Glow, by W. H. Beck, introduces the reader to animals that produce their own light. Creatures, in nature, don't use electrical circuits to create light. They use a natural process called bioluminescence. After learning about electricity and experimenting with circuits I would transition into a science unit about "Glowing in Nature". I would ask my students to brainstorm animals or plants that glow naturally. Did you know that most bioluminesent creatures and plants are found in the ocean, but not all! Some fly in the sky, or grow on the ground. These organisms glow for lots of different reasons! Check out the graphic organizers I have created below to help learners organize their ideas as a whole class or as individuals. From there you could provide non-fiction books or use websites like PebbleGo or World Book Kids to learn about different bioluminescent creatures.
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Again, I'd like to thank Neil at the Boston Children's Museum for the AWESOME, free, STEAM Kit; "Glow Bugs" Activity Kit, Ages 8, and 9! It was our pleasure to participate in your program and share it with our friends here at STEM at Home!
Please check out the Boston Children's Museum website by clicking the link and visiting them here: bostonchildrensmuseum.org
Please check out the Boston Children's Museum website by clicking the link and visiting them here: bostonchildrensmuseum.org
Did you enjoy the "Glow Creatures" Circuit Activity? Tell us how it went in the comments section below!
Check back with us soon for our next STEM adventure!
Check back with us soon for our next STEM adventure!