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Week of June 29 - Energy Express on WVPB

A female and male inflate balloons to create balloon cars.

This week on Energy Express on WVPB

Monday, June 29, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

We kick off our first episode with a fun STEMCARE balloon car activity that you can do at home, led by Jennifer Robertson-Honecker, WVU Extension Service STEM Specialist, and her son, Ben.

Our partners Engineering is Elementary Museum of Science Boston will help us learn more about how engineering is used to solve problems and develop creative solutions. ( You will need a ruler, pencil, tape, straws, skewers, scissors, balloons, cardboard and something to make wheels.

Tuesday, June 30, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

Who doesn’t love ice cream? Join Energy Express on WVPB host Joel Brown and his nephew, Ronan, for a reading of "Gorilla Loves Vanilla," followed by a fun “ice cream in a bag” activity you can do at home. ( For this activity, you will need gallon and quart zip loc bags, ice, sugar, vanilla, half and half or whole milk, vanilla, salt and toppings.)

We’ll wrap up this episode with the engineering behind ice cream from our education partners at Engineering is Elementary Museum of Science Boston.

Wednesday, July 1, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

Join Amie Tutor, our Family Nutrition Program Youth Health Educator, for a fun lesson on what plants need to survive. Ms. Amie also will help you build your own sombrero, join a special guest for the chicken dance to get you moving. Molly Poffenbarger, WVU Extension Service Family Nutrition Program health educator, will teach you how to make a yummy, nutritious cinnamon carrot crunch snack. 

The episode will wrap up with some interesting information on mushrooms and microgreens.

Thursday, July 2, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

In today’s episode, Dan McDonald, our STEM ambassador, will teach you how to build a rubber band car in this fun STEM activity that you can do at home. ( For this activity, you will need elastic rubber bands, wooden skewers, plastic container, plastic wheels or something round for wheels, hot glue gun/super glue, a cutting knife - again ask an adult for help!  -  a coin, like a penny, tape and scissors to cut the skewers.)

We will head over to the farm where you can join us for a reading of “Old McDonald Had a Farm” and fun pig facts with WVU Extension Service Agriculture and Natural Resource agents Jody Carpenter and Tasha Harris. Up next? A visit with Farmer John at Jennings Braebank Farm where we’ll meet some interesting cows and wrap up the episode with a reading of “Big Red Barn” with Tasha.

Friday, July 3, 2020, 9:30 a.m.

What's in wood? David McGill, WVU Extension Service Forest Resources Management specialist, will explain what wood is made of and share with us the different kinds of wood we might use to make things.

Jennifer Robertson Honecker, WVU Extension Service STEM specialist, and her son, Ben, are back for a fun STEM activity where you will learn how to “protect” an egg by building an egg parachute. ( For this activity, you will need scissors, tape, a hole punch, garbage bags, light string, a marker, ruler and measuring tape, stop watch, three cups, tissue paper and some eggs.)