This week’s blog post features two research projects from students during our summer program. Both of these students studied metal concentrations in soils, specifically lead. First Research Project Introduction The first project began with a curiosity of lead levels in the soil surrounding a school in southwest Illinois. The student surveyed the area for…
Month: October 2021
Have You Heard? This Week's STEM @ Home Is All About Sound!
BOOM! BONG! KNOCK! RING! Sounds are everywhere. Some sounds are loud, some are quiet, some are pleasant, and some are irritating or even dangerous. This week students will learn how to measure sound using a smart phone app, how different materials affect those measurements, how music produces pleasant sounds by creating perfect intervals, and how…
This Week's STEM @ Home Will Hit Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie!
You might look outside most nights and see the Moon—that round, astronomical body that orbits the Earth. But do you know what processes make the Moon look the way it does or what it would be like to be on the Moon? For this week’s STEM @ Home, we explore the Moon! Online Videos: Use…
Student Summer Research Spotlight: Soils!
This week focuses on four students’ research about the levels of metals in soil located around a steel mill in southwest Illinois. The students were interested in understanding if the soils in local parks are polluted and if the distance from the mill correlated with the different metals found in the soil. To answer this…
This Week's STEM @ Home is HUGE, but scaled down
Scientists use models to understand how systems, processes, and events might play out in the real world. Scientists might develop models to simplify real-life situations and gain greater control over selected variables. Other times, scientists may develop models to add complexity and simulate how systems change if variables change. Either way, models are handy tools…