Monday, July 27, 2020, 9:30 a.m.
Do you know what a simple machine is? It’s a machine that uses a chain of events to get to an end result, in this case, watering a plant. Join Jennifer Robertson-Honecker, WVU Extension Service STEM Specialist, and her son, Ben, as they read a fun book and relate the book to what tools we need to build our own simple machine. And, you won’t want to miss an opportunity to join the friendly competition in our Rube Goldberg “Water a Plant Video Challenge.” (For this activity, you will use creative items from around your house to build your simple machine.) Want to enter the competition? Visit extension.wvu.edu/stemcare to learn more! An extended version of this episode also will be available on our YouTube channel.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020, 9:30 a.m.
Let’s gooooo … meet the Mountaineer Mascot Colson Glover! Colson will tell you a little bit about him and teach you about some of the things he uses as the mascot. WVU President Gordon Gee then will read, Where, Oh Where, Oh Where Can We Go by the “Voice of the Mountaineers,” Tony Caridi.
Becca Fint-Clark and her daughter, Rory, are back for another fun, creative craft activity you can do using twigs, rocks and other items to build a campfire. (For this activity, you will need small twigs/sticks, dirt, small rocks/stones, glue, tissue paper, CD/disc and paper plates for the mess!)
Wednesday, July 29, 2020, 9:30 a.m.
How can you grow something new from something old? Join Amie Tutor, our Family Nutrition Program youth health educator, to learn about how we can use seeds from plants/vegetables we grew this year to keep for next year’s garden. Ms. Amie also will teach us how you can grow your own potatoes in a bag. (For this activity, you will need potting soil and an “older” potato – one that is growing eyes.) Join Ms. Amie for a reading of Two Old Potatoes and Me.
Now that you know how to grow your own potatoes, let’s learn how to make a delicious cheesy broccoli ranch “smashed potato” recipe. Join Molly Poffenbarger, our health educator, in her kitchen where she’ll teach you how you can use your “bounty” of potatoes to make a yummy recipe to eat. (For this recipe, you will need the following ingredients: three medium potatoes, frozen broccoli, reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, and reduced-fat ranch dressing.) We’ll wrap up this episode with a fun-filled “plant part” scavenger hunt you can do at home.
Thursday, July 30, 2020, 9:30 a.m.
Do cows go oink? In this story they do! Join WVU Extension Service Dean Jorge Atiles for a reading of The Cow That Went OINK. Next up we’ll enjoy a fun and messy oobleck activity led by our STEM program coordinator Jason Fillhart and his son, Hayden. (For this activity, you will need: corn starch, paper towels, wet wipes, spoon, a wet towel, water, food coloring and a clear dish/pan.) The duo will then start us in a read aloud of Bartholomew and the Oobleck. (You can view the story in its entirety on our Energy Express YouTube channel.)
Friday, July 31, 2020, 9:30 a.m.
Today, we have some of our WVU Extension Service STEM partners who help us lead activities in schools, with 4-H clubs and other groups. Kinsey Walker with the National Energy Technology Laboratory will kick off the episode by reading, Rosie Revere Engineer, followed by a super cool engineering experiment led by WVU graduate student Kristyn Johnson.
We’ll wrap up the episode with our friend, Tim Goodenow from Mylan, who will lead us in a read aloud of Your Fantastic Elastic Brain: Stretch It and Shape It.