Throughout the month of February, the children in School-age 3 have been invested in learning about various aspects of STEAM- Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. This interest was first inspired by the circuit set we were gifted just before the New Year, but never explored until recent weeks. One day Carmen brought in some AA batteries to share. "I wanted to donate them for the circuit," she said. This prompted her to explore the set with some peers, attempting to connect the various pieces together to create a successful circuit.
At first, they found it challenging, and couldn’t figure out why the circuit wasn’t working. Mateo was the first to successfully create a circuit, causing a propeller to spin and lift a few inches into the air. His success further inspired the others to make their own successful circuit. Liam searched through the book of different connections and decided he wanted to try and make the radio work. He riffled through the kit looking for the correct pieces he needed, referencing the instruction sheet to make sure he had the pieces correct. After much consultation and configuration, he managed to sound an alarm with his circuit, and even make a light shine!
The more successful circuits that got created, the more determined the group became to make different circuits. After much hard work over a multitude of days, the children in school-age 3 were able to make circuits with fans, lights, alarms, sirens, and even multiple circuits where two or three of these connections worked as one.
To further explore the interest in STEAM creations, Educator Vanessa brought in a STEAM kit which included a different circuit kit, a wave machine, and even sculpture building. This circuit kit explored different materials you can use to create circuits- for example, did you know that salt-dough could be used to connect two wires together to batteries and create a circuit? The kit included a light, animal cut outs, and the wire where Elowyn successfully built a flamingo with glowing red eyes. Meanwhile, Aaron worked on the wave machine, connecting straws to a thin piece of paper and balancing the ends with small foam pieces. Once created, the wave machine was attached to two chairs and the machine was tested- when flicked gently, the machine exhibited what resembled sound waves to quiet sound, however if flicked hard, the sound waves changed in rhythm and began to move faster! It was fascinating to see how these simple materials could be used to resemble sound waves.
Exploring these complex concepts helps our brains develop deeper cognitive skill as we use critical thinking and research to understand how they work! We engage in cause and effect, problem solving, and hands-on research as we explore, learn, and have fun!
We hope to continue our exploration of circuits and STEAM play as we find more loose parts and materials to use in order to create different connections and creations.
