Education Days

STEAM Stations:

STEAM CONNECTION
The stations all connect to one big idea:
Science: Discover how the world works.

Technology: Explore how tools and machines work.

Engineering: Design, build, and solve problems.

Art: Explore color, light, and creativity.

Math: Use numbers and measurements to solve problems.

SCIENCE – ENERGY IN MOTION
What Is Energy?
Energy is the ability to make things happen or change.
Amusement park rides such as roller coasters are great examples of energy changing and moving! They use Potential Energy which is stored energy and Kinetic energy which is energy of motion.

Roller Coaster Example
Think about a roller coaster going up a big hill.
•Going up: The coaster gains potential energy.
•At the top: It has a lot of potential energy stored.
•Going down: Potential energy changes into kinetic energy.
•Going fast: The coaster has lots of kinetic energy.
•Going up another hill: Some kinetic energy changes back into potential energy.
Potential & Kinetic Energy in a Marble Run
• Pulling the spring back stores potential energy.
• Releasing the spring makes the marble move.
• The marble now has kinetic energy.
Energy can move from one object to another. This is called energy transfer.

TECHNOLOGY – ROBOTICS
Robotics is about designing and building machines that can move, sense, and perform tasks.
Sonar & Sensors
Engineering idea:
Imagine → Design → Build → Test → Improve

ENGINEERING – MAGNETIC FUN
What Is Magnetism?
A magnet has an invisible force around it called magnetism.
Magnets have two poles: North & South
How Do Magnets Behave?
• Opposite poles attract: North → South
• Same poles repel: North → North or South → South
Some metals, such as iron and steel, are attracted to magnets.
Magnets are everywhere. They can be used in speakers, electric motors, refrigerators and many amusement park rides.

Earth Is Like a Giant Magnet
Earth itself acts like a giant magnetic field. A magnetic field is the invisible area around a magnet where its magnetic force works.

A compass helps you find directions by using Earth’s magnetic field.
A compass has a small magnetic needle that can spin freely.
Earth has a magnetic field.
The needle lines up with Earth's magnetic field and points toward north helping you figure out which direction you are facing.

WHAT DOES "ELECTROMAGNETIC" MEAN?
Electromagnetic means something that involves electricity and magnetism.
Here's an easy way to think about it:
•Electricity is the movement of tiny particles called electrons.
•Magnetism is a force that can push or pull certain materials.
•When electricity flows through a wire, it creates a magnetic field around the wire.

ART – WORLD OF COLOR
Newton and the Prism
Sir Isaac Newton famously investigated sunlight using glass prism in the 1660’s. When sunlight passes through a prism, it separates into many colors:
Red → Orange → Yellow → Green → Blue → Indigo → Violet
This group of colors is called a spectrum.
Did Prism Create the Colors? No! The colors were already part of the sunlight. The prism simply separates the colors.
Why Does Prism Separate Colors?
This happens because of refraction. Refraction is when light changes direction as it moves from one material to another. The light bends. A Rainbow happens when sunlight passes through water droplets. The water droplets act like tiny prisms.

Newton and the Color Wheel
Newton then arranged the colors of the spectrum in a circle to make a color wheel.
His wheel wasn’t the same as the modern artist’s red-yellow-blue paint wheel.
He was studying light, not painting. That's important because colored light and colored paint mix differently.

WHY DOES A PICTURE SWITCH SIDES BEHIND WATER?
•A glass of water can act like a lens.
•Light travels from the picture toward your eyes.
•When light enters the glass and water, it bends.
•This bending is called refraction.
•The curved water bends the light rays toward each other.
•The rays cross.
•Your brain thinks the light traveled in a straight line.
•The picture can therefore appear backwards or switched from left to right.

MATH – DIMENSIONS & VOLUME
What Are Dimensions?
Dimensions tell us how big an object is.
For a box, we usually measure:
•Length → how long
•Width → how wide
•Height → how tall
For example:
Length × Width × Height
What Is Volume?
Volume tells us how much space is inside an object.
For a rectangular box: Volume=Length×Width×Height
Easy way to remember:
Dimensions = How big is it? Volume = How much space is inside?

MATH SAFE BOX CHALLENGE
The Mission
"The amusement park's newest ride is ready to open, but the safety system is locked! Your mission is to solve the math problems, discover the secret code, and unlock the ride!"