Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STE(A)M) doesn’t just live in the classroom. It is what inspires curiosity, innovation, and discovery in every aspect of our lives. We hope our TSA members and advisors will explore the resources and projects below. Please share with us what you create! Post your videos or photos on Instagram and tag us at @tennesseetsa, or send it to us and we will post them for you!
Science
Resources:
Middle School
You don’t need a lab to be a mad scientist! Check out these projects below for ideas!
BUILD A HELPING HAND
Learn about the anatomy of the human hand. Then build one out of household materials in which the fingers can move through a pulley system, or something similar. Take your project a step further and prove the hand can work by pressing a specific computer key or by typing out a short word. There are lots of variations of this project, making this project fun for all skill levels!
TEST pH USING CABBAGE
Did you know you could check pH levels with cabbage? It’s super easy! Over medium heat, fill a pot with chopped purple cabbage and water, then cover. Continue to heat until the water absorbs the purple cabbage dye, or for about 15 minutes. Then, drain the pot, saving the water and discarding the cabbage. From there, divide the water into at least four clear cups. Select four different household liquids, such as drinks and cleaners, to see whether they are acids or bases. Add 2 tbsps of the household liquid into a clear cup to test their pH. Acids will turn the cabbage water red, while bases will turn it green.
CONSTRUCT A GEODESIC DOME
Geodesic domes, like the infamous one at Walt Disney World, are known for being able to withstand substantial amounts of weight. Create your own and see how strong it can be. First, roll two sheets of newspaper into a tube and tape the ends so they stay in place. Continue rolling tubes until you have 22 total rolls. Cut 12 rolls into thirds so that each third is 18cm long (this will yield 36, so you have one extra). Then, cut 10 rolls into three pieces so that each piece is 16cm long. You should have 35 long tubes (18 cm) and 30 short tubes (16 cm). Tape 10 of the long rolls together to make a circular base. Tape a long and a short at each joint and arrange them so that two long are next to each other and then two short are next to each other etc.. Tape the two longs next to each other into a triangle and then do the same with the shorts and just keep going around the circle. Now connect the tops of these triangles with the short rolls. At each joint, with four shorts intercepting, tape another short going straight up. Connect it into a triangle with two longs. Connect the tops of those with longs. Finally, add the last five shorts to connect to a point in the middle. Now, test it’s strength by seeing how many magazines you can stack on top of it!
MAKE ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE
Sure, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful antiseptic, but have you ever wondered what else those little bubbles can do? Put ½ a cup hydrogen peroxide in a plastic bottle. Add approximately ten drops of food coloring along with 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Then, in an alternate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of dried yeast and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Pour the yeast mixture into the hydrogen peroxide and watch the magic happen!
COLOR CHANGING FLOWERS
We know flowers need water to survive, but ever wonder where the water goes once the flower “drinks it”? Select a vase, jar, or glass and fill with water. Add several drops of the food coloring of your choice until the water has changed color. Add cut flowers (white works best)in the colored water and watch them transform over the following hours.
VIRTUAL BIOTECH
Just because the state conference was cancelled, it doesn’t mean your hard work has to be packed away! Post a video explaining your biotech project on your, or your chapter’s, Instagram account and we’ll repost it onto ours! Make sure to tag @tennesseetsa and use the hashtag #tntsa!
Middle School
- Design Squad Global
- ExploreLearning Gizmos
- iBiome-Wetland
- Inq-ITS
- The PocketLab
- Ward’s Science featuring Ward’s World
- OK Go Sandbox
You don’t need a lab to be a mad scientist! Check out these projects below for ideas!
BUILD A HELPING HAND
Learn about the anatomy of the human hand. Then build one out of household materials in which the fingers can move through a pulley system, or something similar. Take your project a step further and prove the hand can work by pressing a specific computer key or by typing out a short word. There are lots of variations of this project, making this project fun for all skill levels!
TEST pH USING CABBAGE
Did you know you could check pH levels with cabbage? It’s super easy! Over medium heat, fill a pot with chopped purple cabbage and water, then cover. Continue to heat until the water absorbs the purple cabbage dye, or for about 15 minutes. Then, drain the pot, saving the water and discarding the cabbage. From there, divide the water into at least four clear cups. Select four different household liquids, such as drinks and cleaners, to see whether they are acids or bases. Add 2 tbsps of the household liquid into a clear cup to test their pH. Acids will turn the cabbage water red, while bases will turn it green.
CONSTRUCT A GEODESIC DOME
Geodesic domes, like the infamous one at Walt Disney World, are known for being able to withstand substantial amounts of weight. Create your own and see how strong it can be. First, roll two sheets of newspaper into a tube and tape the ends so they stay in place. Continue rolling tubes until you have 22 total rolls. Cut 12 rolls into thirds so that each third is 18cm long (this will yield 36, so you have one extra). Then, cut 10 rolls into three pieces so that each piece is 16cm long. You should have 35 long tubes (18 cm) and 30 short tubes (16 cm). Tape 10 of the long rolls together to make a circular base. Tape a long and a short at each joint and arrange them so that two long are next to each other and then two short are next to each other etc.. Tape the two longs next to each other into a triangle and then do the same with the shorts and just keep going around the circle. Now connect the tops of these triangles with the short rolls. At each joint, with four shorts intercepting, tape another short going straight up. Connect it into a triangle with two longs. Connect the tops of those with longs. Finally, add the last five shorts to connect to a point in the middle. Now, test it’s strength by seeing how many magazines you can stack on top of it!
MAKE ELEPHANT TOOTHPASTE
Sure, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful antiseptic, but have you ever wondered what else those little bubbles can do? Put ½ a cup hydrogen peroxide in a plastic bottle. Add approximately ten drops of food coloring along with 1 tablespoon of dish soap. Then, in an alternate bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of dried yeast and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Pour the yeast mixture into the hydrogen peroxide and watch the magic happen!
COLOR CHANGING FLOWERS
We know flowers need water to survive, but ever wonder where the water goes once the flower “drinks it”? Select a vase, jar, or glass and fill with water. Add several drops of the food coloring of your choice until the water has changed color. Add cut flowers (white works best)in the colored water and watch them transform over the following hours.
VIRTUAL BIOTECH
Just because the state conference was cancelled, it doesn’t mean your hard work has to be packed away! Post a video explaining your biotech project on your, or your chapter’s, Instagram account and we’ll repost it onto ours! Make sure to tag @tennesseetsa and use the hashtag #tntsa!
Technology
Resources:
You can make all kinds of works of technology at home with everyday items! Check out these projects below for ideas!
MAKE A SOLAR PIZZA BOX OVEN
You don’t need electricity to cook a tasty treat. The sun is a power source enough! With a cardboard box and a handful of materials, you’re one step closer to eating pizza, making s’mores, or anything else you’re craving!
BUILD A BLOG OR WEBSITE
Now is the perfect opportunity to put your creative tech skills into action. Building a blog or website doesn't have to be difficult. There are many different platforms that provide templates to get started, or you can forge ahead from scratch. Now more than ever, many of these platforms are offering access for free!
- Learn to Code
- STEM Curriculum & Activities
- Cybersecurity for K-12 Students: A Complete Guide on How to Get Started
You can make all kinds of works of technology at home with everyday items! Check out these projects below for ideas!
MAKE A SOLAR PIZZA BOX OVEN
You don’t need electricity to cook a tasty treat. The sun is a power source enough! With a cardboard box and a handful of materials, you’re one step closer to eating pizza, making s’mores, or anything else you’re craving!
BUILD A BLOG OR WEBSITE
Now is the perfect opportunity to put your creative tech skills into action. Building a blog or website doesn't have to be difficult. There are many different platforms that provide templates to get started, or you can forge ahead from scratch. Now more than ever, many of these platforms are offering access for free!
Engineering
Resources:
The Best way to learn new engineering skills is through hands-on practice! Check out these projects to learn engineering through project-based learning!
RUBBER BAND HELICOPTER
Drones may be all the craze, but did you know you could make your own helicopter that can fly as high as 20 feet in the air? With a small propeller, rubber bands and a popsicle stick, you can make your own!
SLINGSHOT ROCKETS
With a handful of household materials, you can make a slingshot rocket that will go farther than 50 feet! Have a contest to test your engineering prowess to see whose rocket can go the farthest!
HYDRAULIC JUDOBOTS
Board games are a classic, but having a JudoBot battle is so much fun! Using tubes, syringes, popsicle sticks, and a few other materials, you can mimic the power created through full-scale hydraulic systems.
SMARTPHONE PROJECTOR
Worried that watching Netflix on your phone is going to hurt your eyes? No need! Using a cardboard box, knife, tape, and magnifying lens, you’ll have a smartphone projector fit for movie night!
BUILD A DA VINCI BRIDGE
A safer way to learn about gravity, friction, and force than falling off a bike? Absolutely! With small rubber bands and some pencils, you can build a bridge capable of withstanding significant amounts of weight. Test to see how long you can make your bridge, or how many pounds it can hold before it breaks!
The Best way to learn new engineering skills is through hands-on practice! Check out these projects to learn engineering through project-based learning!
RUBBER BAND HELICOPTER
Drones may be all the craze, but did you know you could make your own helicopter that can fly as high as 20 feet in the air? With a small propeller, rubber bands and a popsicle stick, you can make your own!
SLINGSHOT ROCKETS
With a handful of household materials, you can make a slingshot rocket that will go farther than 50 feet! Have a contest to test your engineering prowess to see whose rocket can go the farthest!
HYDRAULIC JUDOBOTS
Board games are a classic, but having a JudoBot battle is so much fun! Using tubes, syringes, popsicle sticks, and a few other materials, you can mimic the power created through full-scale hydraulic systems.
SMARTPHONE PROJECTOR
Worried that watching Netflix on your phone is going to hurt your eyes? No need! Using a cardboard box, knife, tape, and magnifying lens, you’ll have a smartphone projector fit for movie night!
BUILD A DA VINCI BRIDGE
A safer way to learn about gravity, friction, and force than falling off a bike? Absolutely! With small rubber bands and some pencils, you can build a bridge capable of withstanding significant amounts of weight. Test to see how long you can make your bridge, or how many pounds it can hold before it breaks!
Arts
Explore!
There are all sorts of arts and crafts projects that you can do while at home. For instance, you can relearn old crafts you enjoyed when you were younger, like rainbow looming, making potholders, watercolor, or needlework! But did you know, you can also put your skills to work keeping you safe? See these awesome projects below:
DIY HAND SANITIZER:
Ingredients:
Since masks are in short supply, you can make your own at home! You can use the video above to make one out of pretty much anything, or use the template below to make one out of fabric! Please note, if one is made with staples, you must hand wash to clean. If sewn, you can microwave to clean.
There are all sorts of arts and crafts projects that you can do while at home. For instance, you can relearn old crafts you enjoyed when you were younger, like rainbow looming, making potholders, watercolor, or needlework! But did you know, you can also put your skills to work keeping you safe? See these awesome projects below:
DIY HAND SANITIZER:
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup of Isopropyl
- ⅓ cup of Aloe gel
- Essential oils
- Mix the ⅔ isopropyl alcohol and ⅓ aloe gel into a bowl or container
- Add essential oils and mix
- Add coloring as needed
Since masks are in short supply, you can make your own at home! You can use the video above to make one out of pretty much anything, or use the template below to make one out of fabric! Please note, if one is made with staples, you must hand wash to clean. If sewn, you can microwave to clean.
Mathematics
Resources:
Math instruction:
Khan Academy: This website does wonders and it is free to sign up. Lessons range from middle school to high level, high school math. Lessons, videos, and quizzes/exams are all available. These resources are great for keeping caught up during the break.
Math games: (All mentioned are free and accessible)
Projects:
BUILD YOUR OWN PASCAL’S TRIANGLE
This activity is recommended for high school students. You can do research and find out how to do the math. Numberphile has a great video. Once you get the correct alignment (check out this worksheet), you can decorate it to add some creativity.
Math instruction:
Khan Academy: This website does wonders and it is free to sign up. Lessons range from middle school to high level, high school math. Lessons, videos, and quizzes/exams are all available. These resources are great for keeping caught up during the break.
Math games: (All mentioned are free and accessible)
- Math Goodies: offers free games for varying grade levels, more specifically catered towards middle school. They also provide worksheets and quick lessons that are mainly vocabulary based for middle and elementary school math.
- Mangahigh: all resources are currently free, including their games which are applicable to middle and high school ages. The math skills covered range from different skill levels, and the games are presented really well.
- XP Math: offers math games from varying skill levels, not as good as Mangahigh but it’s still decent. This website also has different skills presented.
Projects:
BUILD YOUR OWN PASCAL’S TRIANGLE
This activity is recommended for high school students. You can do research and find out how to do the math. Numberphile has a great video. Once you get the correct alignment (check out this worksheet), you can decorate it to add some creativity.
In addition to the projects and resources on our page, know that there are many other ways that you can explore new interests and skills. From learning a new language to better understanding artificial intelligence, you will find fantastic videos on CrashCourse. Now, many colleges and organizations are even offering online classes for free!
The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network also has a lot of STE(A)M resources available here. Check out these additional STE(A)M activities from the University of Denver!
If carrying out a project isn't quite your speed at the moment, check out this guide of STEM centric movies and TV shows compiled by Octane Seating.
Whatever project or resource you choose, we hope that you find something that keeps your STE(A)M passion growing!
Make sure to showcase your projects on social media using #tntsa and tag @tennesseetsa !
The Tennessee STEM Innovation Network also has a lot of STE(A)M resources available here. Check out these additional STE(A)M activities from the University of Denver!
If carrying out a project isn't quite your speed at the moment, check out this guide of STEM centric movies and TV shows compiled by Octane Seating.
Whatever project or resource you choose, we hope that you find something that keeps your STE(A)M passion growing!
Make sure to showcase your projects on social media using #tntsa and tag @tennesseetsa !