5 STEM Experiments for National Space Day!

Happy National Space Day! Get ready to launch your students into a universe of learning with these five easy, fun-filled STEM activities. These experiments are perfect for teachers, parents, and all STEM enthusiasts!

1. Crater Creation: Make it a Game

• Materials Needed: Flour, cocoa powder, large tray or box, marbles or small balls of different sizes, ruler, tape measure.
• STEM Learning:
  • Science: Explore the impact of meteorites by creating craters in flour.
  • Technology: Use measuring tools to calculate the diameter and depth of craters.
  • Engineering: Experiment with variables like marble size and drop height to see their effects on crater size.
• Activity Enhancements:
  • Turn this into a contest where participants predict crater size before dropping marbles.
  • Measure the craters and see whose prediction was closest.
  • Discuss and graph the results to visualize the impact of different variables.

2. Phases of the Moon: Role Play

• Materials Needed: A small ball, a flashlight, dark room, stickers or markers to decorate the 'Moon'.
• STEM Learning:
  • Science: Understand the lunar cycle by observing how light illuminates the moon.
  • Technology: Use markers or stickers to enhance the visual representation of the moon's surface.
  • Math: Engage in a quiz game to identify moon phases, enhancing memory and learning.
• Activity Enhancements:
  • Decorate the ball to resemble the moon and use it in a role-play setup.
  • Have one person act as the Earth and another as the Sun, demonstrating the moon phases.
  • Turn the demonstration into a fun quiz game where participants guess the phase.

3. Balloon Rocket: Race Day

• Materials Needed: Balloons, string, straws, tape, decorations for the rockets.
• STEM Learning:
  • Science: Explore Newton's Third Law with the action-reaction principle in rockets.
  • Technology: Design and decorate individual rockets, applying principles of aerodynamics.
  • Engineering: Set up a racetrack and adjust variables to optimize rocket speed and distance.
• Activity Enhancements:
  • Host a balloon rocket race, encouraging creativity in rocket design.
  • Discuss why some rockets perform better, introducing basic concepts of aerodynamics and propulsion.

4. Gravity Well: Interactive Galaxy

• Materials Needed: Large round dish or a fabric trampoline, marbles, a heavy ball, colored chalk or fabric markers.
• STEM Learning:
  • Science: Demonstrate the effects of gravitational forces with a central 'Sun' and orbiting 'planets'.
  • Technology: Use colored marbles or markers to differentiate between celestial bodies.
  • Math: Predict and track the paths of marbles to understand orbits and gravitational pull.
• Activity Enhancements:
  • Mark zones that represent different gravitational strengths and observe planetary movement.
  • Challenge participants to keep their marbles in orbit without falling into the gravity well.

5. Spectroscope: Colorful Exploration

• Materials Needed: Compact disc, paper, tape, scissors, colored cellophane or filters.
• STEM Learning:
  • Science: Explore light spectrums and discover how astronomers use spectroscopy to study distant stars.
  • Technology: Construct a spectroscope and experiment with different light sources.
  • Engineering: Adjust the spectroscope design to optimize spectrum visibility.
• Activity Enhancements:
  • Conduct a scavenger hunt for different light spectra using the homemade spectroscopes.
  • Use colored filters to see how they alter the observed spectrum.
  • Discuss the characteristics of each light source based on its spectrum.

Dive deeper into STEM and become a "STEM Master" by contacting LJ Henderson today! Share your space day celebration with us using the hashtag #NationalSpaceDay and inspire others to explore the cosmos from their classrooms or living rooms.

🔭✨ Learn, Love, Lead in STEM and Reach for the Stars on this National Space Day! ✨🔭