—New York, NY
Throughout the school year, students have opportunities to further deepen their STEM learning. However, the absence of classes and projects during the summer can make it harder to engage with STEM. Summer homework can feel like a chore, but these STEM activities are an educational and entertaining addition to the summer!
Bottle Rockets:
A lot of work goes into propelling rockets out of Earth’s atmosphere, but these homemade bottle rockets only require a reaction between baking soda and vinegar to launch! Once these two ingredients combine, pressure builds until the bottle is sent into the air.
What you will need:
-Launch pad made of any stable materials (e.g. cardboard)
-An empty soda bottle
-1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
-1/4 cups of vinegar
-4 inch square of paper towel
-Cork
Instructions:
Gather all materials and create the launch pad, a tall box to hold up the rocket. This can be made with anything that will keep the rocket upright, such as cardboard. Set the launch pad and the soda bottle rocket in an open area and pour the vinegar into the bottle. Then fold the baking soda into the paper towel and place inside the bottle. Insert the cork tightly into the top of the bottle. Flip over the bottle, place it in the launch pad, and move as far away from the rocket as possible to ensure a safe launch as it may rise around 10 feet.
Homemade Raisins:
Grapes can be placed in the sun and turned into raisins. The sunlight evaporates the water inside the grapes and caramelizes the sugar as the grapes heat up, resulting in the raisins’ small shriveled form. Although the process takes time, it results in an interesting and delicious product.
What you will need:
-Grapes
-Sunlight
-Bowl for washing
-Paper towel
-A plate
Instructions:
Collect 10-20 grapes that are ready to be eaten, and separate them from their stem. Then carefully wash the grapes. Set the clean grapes on a paper towel, which can be then set on a plate. If possible, set the grapes in front of a sunny window or outside. Leave the grapes, checking on them periodically. Grapes will be ready in about two weeks.
For more ideas on how to participate in STEM activities over the summer, visit: https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/activities/summer-stem-activities/