Our motivation to start these groups came in many parts:
- Science is my specialty, so it's actually been on our list of possible programming ideas for quite some time.
- Everyone is a little STEM-happy right now.
- The science programs we've run in the past (one-time deals) have been some of our best attended.
I decided to offer three different clubs - each one meets once per month.
- Preschool Science Club
- K-5 Science Club
- Young Engineers
The Preschool group will explore some basic science concepts: magnetism, colors, water, etc.
The K-5 group is a hypothesize and experiment group. There will also be some hands-on demonstrations to learn more about the world around us.
The Young Engineers group is aimed for ages 10 and up. Yes, there's some overlap with the K-5 group, which is fine, and we don't get a whole lot of the "and up" attending our programs. That group is centered around engineering challenges; things like using the provided supplies to create the boat that hold the most pennies or the tallest tower.
Many of the ideas I use in the Science Clubs come from my past experiences in education. I'll share the activities we do at the library on this blog, including how I set it up for these groups, but you can find LOTS more ideas on my Science Matters blog.
I prefer the 6" glass thermometers over the ones mounted on the thin metal. I found they are sturdier. Once the glass tube disconnects from the metal back it's hard to realign and hence, useless.
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