STEM and Summer Reading

imagine your story... in stem!

This summer, the Oregon Coast STEM Hub is helping Lincoln County public libraries enhance their Summer Reading programs with additional STEM activities for youth and families. With support from the Georgia-Pacific Foundation, libraries in Toledo, Siletz, Lincoln City, Newport, and Waldport are sharing instructions and materials for seven Daily STEM Challenges centered around the theme:

STE(A)M Unplugged: Explore your world, Design your world

Enjoy an entire week of STEM exploration at home! What kind of STEM Stories will you create, tell, and read about? Lincoln County residents, check with your local library to find out how to obtain materials and activity instructions in English and Spanish. Download the Activity Book

Daily Challenges:

  • Make-It Monday  - Paper Tube Raceway

  • Take Apart Tuesday - Take Something Apart

  • What Are You Wondering Wednesday - Notice & Wonder

  • Think About It Thursday - Build a Paper Structure

  • Field Trip Friday - Backyard Field Trip & Scavenger Hunt

  • Sounds and Shadows Saturday - Create Shadow Art

  • Soaring Sunday - Paper Airplanes & Flight

Download the full Activity Book

library_district_logo_jpg.jpg

Lincoln County Library District summer reading program logo

 

Preview: Monday Challenge

Make it monday!

Challenge:  Make a Paper Tube Raceway: Design a structure using your materials that is either freestanding or attached to a wall. This structure will be your raceway for marbles, a car, or another object of your choice.

Download the instructions in English or Spanish

 

More:

  • Create a story to go with your structure
  • Read stories about other exciting races

Imagine Your Story

  • Characters: Who/what is racing on your raceway? Are your characters cars, drivers, animals, or some combination? How many racers will be using your design, and do they all have the same characteristics or are they different in some ways?
  • Setting: What place does your model represent?  Is it a mountain road, an off-road speedway, a tree top pathway, an underground tunnel, or something else?
  • Motive: Why are your characters on the raceway? Are they competing to see who is fastest? Is the path you created a safe way for something to get down? Are your characters wondering what will happen? Come up with a tale that sets the scene.
  • Challenge: Capture your audience's attention with an engaging plot. Did the raceway engineer encounter any problems while making the route? Did the racers encounter any obstacles on their path? Is your story exciting because we don't know who will win the race or even make it to the end?
  • Climax: Your story is leading up to what we've all been waiting for. Tell us what happens!
 
 
Share your story and photos of your raceway with your local library

Your local librarians will love knowing what you did during Make It Monday

 

Stories about speed

 

Mini Racer by Kristy Dempsey and illustrated by Bridget Strevens-Marzo

 

Roller Coaster by Marla Frazee

Read a news release about this project

The STEM Activity Packets were originally created for STEM Week Oregon 2020.
Funds to support STEM Week in Lincoln County libraries was provided to the Oregon Coast STEM Hub by the Georgia-Pacific Foundation.
Georgia-Pacific is a partner of the Oregon Coast STEM Hub. Read more