Maker Mania Day 1

Last spring I entered a contest for a DK Maker Space promo kit. The contest was designed to promote their STEAM books. The kit included pencils, STEAM stickers and tote bags which I used as prizes at my Maker Mania Days. It also included a couple of activity posters, one of which I used as one of my stations.

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 On our first Maker Mania Day I had 6 stations. It was a two-hour activity for students entering grades 3-8. Since my activities are my fundraisers, there was a $10 charge for participation.

 Supply table

My Supply Table was basically the same for both days. Supplies included basic art supplies like: markers, glue, colored paper, fabric, yarn, etc. It also included things like: a variety of empty boxes, lids from juice containers and sour cream, rubber bands, wax paper, etc. Students could use whatever they needed from this table.

Station 1 – Electrical Circuits

 We used Elementary Ed Snap Circuits Kit; Model SC-100R, over 100 experiments but there are a variety of different sets. I purchased my set using funds from my Adopt-a-Classroom fundraising page. (You can set one up here.)  I had a volunteer (our fifth grade teacher) sit at this station as it was the first time some of the kiddos had worked with electrical circuits.

 Station 2 – Cardboard Tubes

Last year I got the Edge Books: Recycled Science  series from Capstone using some points I had accumulated. At this station I had the book Amazing Cardboard Tube Science (Edge Books: Recycled Science). While the students could choose to make any of the projects, most of them chose to make either the kazoo (p. 6) or the marshmallow shooter (p. 12). Students were able to find what they needed for these projects at the supply table. The only thing at station 2 was the book and a wide variety of cardboard tubes.

 Station 3 – Water Bottle Car

All that was needed for this station was a supply of 1/2 liter bottles, recycled lids, and art supplies. I had the water bottles, glue guns, and scissors at the station. The rest of the supplies were at the supply table.  I got the idea for this station from the Bright Hub web site.

 

 

Station 4 – Vibrobots

All of the supplies for this project were found at the station since they were unique to this project. The instructions I used are found on page 77 of Making Simple Robots: Exploring Cutting-Edge Robotics with Everyday Stuff but you may be able to find instructions online. Basically you use empty acorn balls, batteries, a vibrating motor and double-sided tape.

Station 5 – Origami and Paper airplanes

This station was quite simple to pull together. All you need is origami paper [Origami Paper 500 Sheets, Premium Quality for Arts and Crafts, 6-inch Square Sheets, 20 Vivid Colors, Same Color on Both Sides, 100 Design E-Book Included (See back of the cover for download info)], scratch paper, and any origami or paper airplane books you may  have in your library.

My collection includes: Butterfly Garden Origami, Holiday Origami, Making Origami Puzzles, Origami Holidays, Planes, Jets & Helicopters: great paper airplanes and Quick and Easy Paper Planes that Really Fly but there are many origami books on the market.

 Station 6 – Skittles Experiment

 We started with everyone at this station. We lined up the Skittles around a white plate. Then we gently poured warm water into the center – just until the water reached the Skittles. Once we started this experiment, the kiddos were encouraged to spread out to the other stations and come back to this one periodically to see how it was going. If you’d like more information on how to do this experiment, there is a YouTube video here which shows it being done. 

Let me say, I would not attempt an elementary maker day without additional help. Sometimes the activities are messy or use items which require a bit of supervision. I was fortunate to have an elementary teacher and a high school student willing to help.

If you’d like more information, feel free to contact me.