Atlanta Science Fest: BioLogue STEM Adventures

This Saturday was the kick off for the 2nd Annual Atlanta Science Festival. The Atlanta Science Festival is a citywide celebration of Atlanta's STEM community. This year there are over 140 events to choose from throughout the week leading up to the big Exploration Expo at Centennial Olympic Park. 

Well we started out the week with the BioLogue STEM Adventures. They hosted a Hands On Hodge Podge of Science event. There was a long list of workshop offerings. They even had a science fair earlier that day. The workshops ranged from every topic from microscopy to coding. 

Pony Princess enjoyed taking part in the microscopy workshop. She was excited to tell me about how much she learned. She was able to break down to me how to prepare a slide to look at it under the microscope. Her favorite part was when she looked at the fish blood under the microscope. She said it looks like pond water.

Mecca the great took the Chemistry of Cosmetics workshop where she got to learn about the chemical make up(pun intended) of the typical cosmetic ingredients. The students got to make their own lip balm with all natural ingredients as a take home gift. Of course you know my girly girl squealed with delight over that. 

Kinetic Kid was given special permission from the event coordinator Ms. Gladys to participate in the Epidemiology and Forensic Science workshops. They were designed for ages 10 and up but I explained Kinetic Kids unique circumstances of being an advance learner. Since Mecca the Great was in the courses as well to keep and eye on him they gave him a shot. It went very well. It was truly a lesson in learning to advocate for your children. I am 100% he got way more out of the advance workshops than he would have gotten in the early elementary microscope stuff. 

I look forward to attending events hosted by BioLogue STEM Adventures in the future. 

Here is Mecca the Great in the Chemistry of Cosmetics Workshop. 

Take a look at my CSI Team in the Forensic Science Workshop. 

When I Say Big Top You Say Circus

This past week the children and I had the pleasure of seeing the best show under the big top. The Universoul Circus during a student matinee. It was an awesome experience to say the least. 

It just so happened we went on one of the coldest days of the year down here in Georgia. Here are the children shivering in line. 

A circus ain't a circus without the elephants. 

One of the most unique aspect to the Universoul Circus show is that the performers are from various countries across the African diaspora. The host was South Africa, they had a contortionist trio from Ethiopia, a tight walk group from Cuba, etc.. It really would be easy for me to do a geography lesson to expound upon our experience. There were zebras dancing, women turned into white tigers, and 4 motorcyclist driving around inside a sphere.

The highlight of the whole show was the last performance done in an elegant Alvin Ailey style dance routine to show solidarity to the Black Lives Matter Movement. They left us with a quote from the great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. which made such a powerful impact considering this was a student matinee show in Atlanta during Black History Month. It was proud moment to see the art and entertain community stand up to injustice. It was a wonderful show. The children really enjoyed themselves. We will definitely be going back again next year. 

Our 1st Planetarium Show

We recently had the opportunity to experience our first planetarium show. I personally had not been to one since I was a elementary school student so it was cool to see how things had improved since the late 80's early 90's.

One thing about the show is that your seat does matter. If you are not seated in a prime location you feel like your neck is going to break trying to see the projected images on the doom right side up. Also two of my children had a moment when the simulated tornado got a bit to real for them and they wanted to get up immediately and leave. I managed to get them back relaxed and got them to understand that it was a projection and there was no tornado in the room. But I guess that's a testament to the quality of the show. 

Seeing the show did spark an interest in the constellations and the zodiac. I was actually surprised out how many constellations the children were familiar with. Its been about 3yrs since we last formally studied astronomy. Its always cool to see how much information is still retained. 

 It was an awesome experience. We definitely plan to go back again in the future. 

Jr. Disease Detectives! CDC Museum Field Trip!

This past week we got the opportunity to visit the CDC Museum here in Atlanta. This year my children are participating in Science Olympiad. I am the coach of our team of 3rd-5th graders that will be competing with over 17 of our local public schools. Its a great opportunity for our children to be able to compete with there public school peers in the community. Mecca the Great is signed up to compete in the Disease Detectives event which is all about epidemiology. So what better place to take a field trip than to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It was am awesome experience. We received a guided tour by volunteer who works in a STEM field. He did a great job of catering to our mixed age student group. He provided a scavenger hunt for lower and upper grades. The lower grades scavenger hunt was pictorial base. We watched a short film that highlighted the Ebola Outbreak of 2006. It showed how the center response to global outbreaks and how they work with the country for containment, identifying the source and prevention. 

They had three floors of exhibit space. They started with the video in round meeting area overlooking the exhibit halls. 

Even Chunky Diva got to walk around and enjoy the learning experience. 

We stopped at this exhibit and got a bit of Black History facts in. This display highlighted the unethical practices of the Board of Health in Tuskegee, AL in an effort to compile research data on non-treated syphilis in over 300 African American patients from the 1930's to the 1972. 

Mecca the Great squealed with delete when she spotted this hug contraption. She shouted out "Look Mom its an iron lung!" Of course it turns out she was spot on. This machine was used to treat TB in sanitariums. 

The exhibit that had the most profound impact on our experience was "GYRE: The Plastic Ocean". When we learned that there are 5 major whirl pool like vortex of plastic waste floating around in our planets oceans we were floored. The children really got to visualize the impact that plastic has on the environment. This was a surprise to see at the CDC for us. But it worked out great as a bonus info session for Kinetic Kid since he is competing in the Save Our Earth event at the Science Olympiad competition this year. 

Here is an artist creation of a dog sled team made of plastic found in the Pacific Ocean Gyre found off the Alaskan coast, 

Here is Pony Princess listening to information of  on "Ghost Dog" which is made from synthetic ghost net. 

Mecca the Great is standing in front of  "Thongs" an printed canvas environmental piece.

Here the children are looking at the sorts of plastics toys and everyday items found in the oceans. 

Of course my Lego League kids couldn't resist taking a picture of the plastics timeline and pointing out when LEGO was born in 1953. 

Hour of Code @ the Apple Store

Last night the children got the opportunity to participate in the global movement to expose students to computer science called Hour of Code. This particular Hour of Code event was held at our local Apple Store at the mall. They go to use an Ipad Mini provided by the Apple Store along with a set of earphones that they got to keep as a parting gift. 

The Apple Store employees went around assisting the children in completing a logic puzzle based app designed to familiarize them with the concept of coding with Java Script, The game is available for free on Code.org. It had an Angry Bird theme which the kids got a kick out of. One of the facilitators also told me about another cool free resource site that goes further into depth with coding and that is Code Cademy.  The Hour of Code events are free. As of today 73,678,242 students have participated in an Hour of Code. 

Atlanta Cares STEM Fest 2014

This past weekend Mecca the Great and I had the opportunity to attend the annual Atlanta Cares Mentoring Moments STEM Fest founded by Susan Taylor of Essence Magazine. It was held at the Georgia Tech student center. The event was free. Its purpose was to encourage an underserved community in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

They opened the event with a grand performance from the all woman African drum ensemble Giwayen Mata.  They did a wonderful welcoming song and dance from West Africa. 

After that they had opening remarks from the sponsors and organizer Brenda Coleman. 

Then the children broke off into groups to attend there workshops. They had several tracks that the students had pre chosen. Mecca the Great chose the Medical Careers tract. There were other choices like engineering and such. I peek into one workshop room that had a presenter set up with 3D printers. It was awesome. 

The first workshop was from a professor who teaches at a nursing school. She did a hands on lab on the respiratory system. She did a powerpoint presentation to discuss the anatomy and physiology of the lungs. She also touched on common health related issues in the lungs like tuberculosis and emphysema. 

She gave them a quick quiz to see who could remember the anatomy of the lungs from the powerpoint. Mecca the Great did pretty good too. We are studying human anatomy and physiology this year but we have not done the respiratory system yet so this was a head start. I am glad she got a preview of it. 

Here are some of her nursing student volunteers demonstrating how much tar is in the lungs of a person who smokes a pack a day after a year. Its was ugly. 

The cool experiment they did was on lung capacity. Mecca the Great got to help with this one. She was quick to volunteer too. I was happy to see her get on out there. 

 The next workshop was on chemistry careers. I did not get a chance to sit in on this one because they had parent workshops going on as well. I went in to get some great information on other S.T.E.M opportunities here in my local area. But I did manage to get a shot of her in the lab coat and goggles looking like a professional scientist. I did find out later on that she was working on a group experiment with the other students. As a homeschool mom I was really appreciative of the opportunity for her to collaborate with her peers. 

The final workshop of the was a sweet treat from the CDC(Center for Disease Control). The students got to hear about all of the various career opportunities available at the CDC. I mean things that one may not have considered. They spoke about how you could contribute to an organization such as theirs as a graphic designer, IT,public relation, educator, curator, interpreter, etc...  

The students got an opportunity to try on a hazmat suit. The presenter was a microbiologist who specifically deals with white powder events or basically bioterrorist threats. She is the one that test things like anthrax and whatnot. Her presentation on this day though was on the hot button topic of ebola. She really thoroughly explained it to the students and the adults sitting in. 

At the end of the presentation on ebola she asked for volunteers for a hands on experiment on how germs are spread. They had the students put on gloves and they were covered with some sort of powder They then shook hands with the one who did not have powder on there gloves. When they turned on the black light you could see the transference of the "germs". 

I cannot wait till next years event. I will definitely take Kinetic Kid along with me next time. 

National Chemistry Day 2014!

A few weeks back I had the pleasure to attend a free event at the Fernbank Science Center  for National Chemistry Week. It was an awesome event. The theme was straight out of a Ronald Dahl book. It was Candy Chemistry. Every booth had a delicious treat involved. I really loved the opportunity to network with the various vendors and event sponsors. It was a great opportunity to find out about other community S.T.E.M events. My oldest was really excited when she saw her #1 college pick Spelman College there. They had some awesome ladies from the chemistry department helping out at the booth. So of course we took that as an opportunity to chat them up about there experiences on campus and the type of work they are involved with as a Spelman students. It was a good thing to because Mecca the Great was intending to major in biology and transferring to a school for nursing so she can become a nurse midwife. At the time we look into it Spelman they didn't offer nursing. But the ladies at the event informed us that Spelman has now partnered with Emory University and are now offering nursing as a major. She also told us about the scholarship funds available to students who dual major in a technological field. The ladies also gave her tips on how to stand out as an applicant when its time for her apply. They gave us great advice and insight and it was just more affirmation that Spelman should remain at the top of her list. 

One of the booths had a guessing game where you had to guess the mass of the amount of M&M's in a jar. They gave us a mathematical equation that they showed us how to work to come to an answer. It was fun and of course they got a fun size bag of M&M's to walk away with as a reward. There was an experiment on density where they got to make a rainbow in a test tube using sugar water with food coloring. Of course they had some experiments that involved Pop Rocks and Soda. Now that was a trip down memory lane for me and it was a totally new experience for the kids because they had never even heard of Pop Rocks. Talk about feeling old. They also got to build a molecule with tooth picks and spice drops. I laughed when I saw it cause we did that experiment last year during a chemistry unit study. I like when I go out and see some of the stuff that we do at home is on track with what others in the education community find appropriate for that age. I have actually gotten a lot of great ideas for lesson plans from attending my local community S.T.E.M events. There are usually some great take home pamphlets and worksheets at the booths. I left this particular event with a  candy chemistry activity booklet that we used for extension exercises later in the week. Now the highlight of the day for all the kids was of course the cotton candy machine. Talk about a sticky blue mess. There is nothing more scientifically exciting than spun sugar.

Maker Faire Atlanta 2014

At the beginning of this October we had the privilege of attending the annual Maker Faire Atlanta .

What is a Makers Faire you might be asking yourself. Well its an event to celebrate artist, engineering, science, and all sorts of DIY'ers. This is the place for children of ALL AGES to show off their creativity and bring it to the public in a street festival format. Needless to say my children with all there love for most things S.T.E.M/ S.T.E.A.M were amongst their tribe. We had a ball seeing the inventions and innovations of our regional community. Look at Kinetic Kid with his head under the huge paper mache Tyrannosaurus Rex. 

We had the opportunity to test out a bicycle that had a motor attached to the back wheel that was able to power a bubble blowing machine. It really got my children's minds turning when they saw this invention. They were thinking of all kinds of ways they could add onto this concept. They mentioned to the creator that he should try selling it as a product that could power a charger to charge things like cell phones and ipods that people like to carry to listen to music when riding there bike.

 One thing I notice about this particular community is that my children fit right in without any age discrimination. They have experienced that sort of thing in the past when they are out in the community and they have questions that are unexpected from someone there age. Usually the adults unprepared for such a thought out and articulate response say something condescending or ignore them. But the scientific community is different. They always seem to be open to anyone who wants to "talk shop". 

Of course Google was in the house. They had an awesome air rocket activity that the kids got to launch from there PVC pipe launch pad. Of course we took note of this one so we could recreate it later at home. Realistically we probably won't get around to trying it out till the summer. That is when we are usually able to fit in the fun stuff like this that might not necessarily fit into our current studies for the year. 

Now for me the coolest thing I seen was this hover craft that reminded me of "Lost in Space. All I kept thinking when I saw this thing was "Danger! Will Robinson!" 

First Field Trip of the Year: Apple Picking!

A few weeks ago we kicked off our field trip season with a visit to the North Georgia apple orchard capitol, Ellijay, for some apple picking. It was exciting to see how the orchard picks and process the apples. This conveyor belt is the sorting area of the orchard house where they determined what grade the apples are and where they would be shipped. On location they sold apples by the bag, peck, and bushel. They also sold many other apple products like butters, cider, and pastries. Surprisingly there was a farm store inside where you could get sweet potatoes, peanuts, peppers, pumpkins, and even collard greens. Of course I had to get a bushel of greens while we were up there. 

I was so happy Dad got to attend this event. I carpooled up to the orchard 2yrs ago with my oldest and Dad and littles didn't get to come. So they were very excited to experience the orchard. I was ever so thankful dad was able to carry Chunky Diva through the orchard in our hiking baby carries cause she is getting really heavy these days. Here they all are checking out the bee hive while the tour guide explains the importance of pollinators for a successful apple crop. 

Each child was able to fill up there own bag with apples they hand picked from the U Pick trees. Now this is one of those time when having a large family comes in handy. With all of our childrens apple bags filled to the brim we made out with a 1/2 a bushel of apples. We also purchased an additional 1/2 bushel to take home which we later processed down into 7 quarts of applesauce and 2 quarts of dehydrated apples. You can find great tips on how to can, freeze, or dehydrate your fresh pick produced on the Pick Your Own website. I have used there recipes many times. 

I have to tell you the beauty of the North Georgia Appalachian Mountains was captivating. It really was a beautiful sight. I wouldn't mind having a piece of land up there someday.