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Transportation at the Depot

2017-06-27T21:33:33-06:00

Taking the STEAM concept in a slightly different direction, last week we hosted a program at the Depot Park all about transportation. This is always a popular theme, and since we were meeting at the Depot (as in train!) Park, it seemed like a natural fit. The Erlanger Depot Museum is one of the last remaining buildings of its kind in the United States. The museum building itself is an historic landmark. It’s a wooden railroad depot that was built in 1877 and remained in operation for nearly 100 years. When the building was closed by the railroad, the Erlanger Historical Society [...]

Transportation at the Depot2017-06-27T21:33:33-06:00

Join the Rage! DIY Fidget Spinners

2017-06-24T13:01:08-06:00

      I came across an interesting new type of toy online a few months ago - fidget spinners.  They're advertised as good for nail chewers, autistic people, children and adults with OCD, ADHD, and a variety of other conditions and issues.  I don't know about all that, but I do know they are kinda fun to play with, and now I see them everywhere, including spinning up a storm in the hands of library customers. I've also discovered that people are designing new styles, shapes, and forms of fidget spinners all the time.  Being ever on the lookout for [...]

Join the Rage! DIY Fidget Spinners2017-06-24T13:01:08-06:00

Geology Rocks!

2017-06-23T22:03:57-06:00

This week, as part of my Summer Reading Depot Days programs in the park series, we addressed geology; and it rocked! As usual we began the program with some good books, including A Rock is Lively, by Dianna Hutts Aston, and Earthshake: Poems From The Ground Up, by Lisa Westberg Peters. A Rock is Lively gave us lots of good geology vocabulary, including discussion of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock, and the rock cycle. It talked about minerals, fossils, and more. Poetry from Earthshake included such concepts as the layers found within the earth, and reiterated about fossils, minerals, and the rock cycle [...]

Geology Rocks!2017-06-23T22:03:57-06:00

Come see STAR_Net at ALA 2017!

2017-06-15T16:44:09-06:00

Members of the STAR_Net team will be exhibiting and providing talks at the upcoming ALA Conference in Chicago from June 22-27. Visit Us at the NASA Booth! We will be at the NASA Booth (#4051), so make sure to stop by to attend our informative NASA Hyperwall presentations on the upcoming 2017 Eclipse and Strange New Planets in addition to a variety of other activities. NASA Booth Hyperwall Presentations 2017 Solar Eclipse: Science and Resources Friday, June 23rd (Opening Reception), 5:40 p.m. - 5:55 p.m. Presenter: Paul Dusenbery Libraries Participate in the Solar Eclipse Saturday, June 24th, 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 [...]

Come see STAR_Net at ALA 2017!2017-06-15T16:44:09-06:00

Food for Bears in Outdoor Classroom

2017-05-23T22:09:10-06:00

For the second time in as many years, I had the opportunity to participate in the Outdoor Classroom Trip for a local school district. This event has happened annually at the end of the school year for 11 years, and is run by the science teacher at Kathryn Winn Primary School, which is part of the Carroll County school district. The Outdoor Classroom is owned by a local family, open to use by the schools, and is very close to Carrollton, KY, where the school is located. The day makes use of volunteers from the high school, many teachers, parents, local [...]

Food for Bears in Outdoor Classroom2017-05-23T22:09:10-06:00

Community Photo Walk

2017-05-22T12:40:08-06:00

In celebration of the spring weather, Skokie Public Library took our latest offering of Be the Scientist outdoors for a community photo walk. Be the Scientist is an hour-long program offered monthly for kids in grades 3-5 and encourages participants to try on different STEAM-related personas. It is part of a monthly series of programming including Be the Chef and Be the Artist. For this month, we asked participants to be photographers as well as civic engineers. Here’s what we did. Dandelion in hand by Marcus The program began with two discussion prompts: What makes a community? What makes [...]

Community Photo Walk2017-05-22T12:40:08-06:00

Paper Engineering Workshop for Tweens

2017-05-03T19:35:56-06:00

During spring break this year, I tried a new program aimed specifically for 8-12 year olds.  We met each afternoon for two hours to work on creating paper automata.  I had a limit of 25 participants, and required pre-registration in order to attend.  Registration started out slow, and about the time I began to get concerned that I wouldn't have enough registrants, all my slots filled up.  The kids were as excited as I was to try out this new craft program. We started out with fairly simple mechanisms, which could be completed in the two hour time frame.  The first [...]

Paper Engineering Workshop for Tweens2017-05-03T19:35:56-06:00

International Peace Crane Swap and a 1000 Cranes From Around the World

2017-04-26T19:00:28-06:00

      I know International Peace Day seems like a long way off, but when you're planning to string 1000 cranes contributed from folders all over the world to display in locations equally as diverse, you can never start too early. The United Nation's International Day of Peace is every September 21.  This year, in recognition of the holiday, the International Peace Crane Project is planning a travelling exhibit of 1000 cranes to promote peace among the peoples and cultures of the world.  Each crane in the display will come from a different part of the world.  People everywhere have [...]

International Peace Crane Swap and a 1000 Cranes From Around the World2017-04-26T19:00:28-06:00

When The Sun Goes Dark: A New, Richly-illustrated Children’s Book on the Science and Fun of Eclipses

2017-04-05T10:05:24-06:00

Just in time for the “All-American” eclipse of the Sun this August, When the Sun Goes Dark gives the full scoop for kids ages 8 through 12 about why eclipses are so interesting and so beautiful.  Written by astronomers Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz, and published by the National Science Teachers Association Press, the book features hands-on activities for learning about the Moon, the Sun, and their eclipses that families can enjoy together. In 36 full-color pages, When the Sun Goes Dark tells how Diana and Sammy, two curious children, and their grandparents re-create eclipses in their living room using a [...]

When The Sun Goes Dark: A New, Richly-illustrated Children’s Book on the Science and Fun of Eclipses2017-04-05T10:05:24-06:00

The Best Buy Community Grants Program

2017-03-27T14:08:09-06:00

The Best Buy Community Grants Program provides support to community-based organizations that are located within 50 miles of a Best Buy facility. Grants promote programs that offer hands-on learning opportunities for underserved teens to engage in learning, experimenting, and interacting with the latest technologies to build 21st century skills. Eligible programs must deliver community-based youth programs for teens, ages 13-18, during out of school time, and serve a diverse population. Examples of program activities include computer programming, digital imaging, music production, robotics, and gaming and mobile app development. The average grant amount is $5,000; grants will not exceed $10,000. Public and [...]

The Best Buy Community Grants Program2017-03-27T14:08:09-06:00
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