August 1, 2024 •Mariela Martinez, Manager of Program Services
Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! I hope you enjoyed your summer break and are now refreshed and ready to jump back into the classroom! Those first few weeks are exciting, chaotic, and maybe just a little nerve wracking. That’s why we put together this brief list of activities that you and your students can do to get to know each other better and begin to build positive relationships. And because we are energy nerds here at GetWise, all of them center on STEAM principles.
Have fun!
Help your students get to know each other with this name tag assignment that tests their engineering chops. Create instructions that outline specific requirements and materials. Here’s a template to get you started:
Criteria:
- Your name tag must be 6 inches long and 3 inches tall.
- It must be able to hold a pencil.
- Your name tag must be able to stand up on its own.
- It must clearly show your name.
- It must clearly show two things about yourself.
Materials:
- 1 piece of construction paper or card stock
- 1 hole punch
- 1 set of markers or crayons
- 1 ruler
- 1 pencil
- Tape
- 1 pipe cleaner
Students will learn more about each other, be able to show off their creations, and give YOU insight into their problem-solving methods. You might be surprised by some unexpected engineering talent!
Windy Pinwheels
Art and energy collide with this cool project. Wind turbines look like giant pinwheels, don’t they? Have students create their own to start a lesson about renewable energy sources. Here’s what you’ll need:
Materials:
- 4 pieces of construction paper (about 8"x11")
- Stickers or tape
- 3 flat-ended pins or thumbtacks
- 3 pencils with erasers, or wooden dowel rods
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Glue
- An adult helper
- A pen or pencil
- A clock or timer
- A fan (optional)
- A hairdryer (optional)
You can find detailed instructions for creating various pinwheel designs here. The idea is to test different designs to see which one helps the pinwheel rotate more smoothly. Much like their turbine cousins, pinwheels are dependent upon aerodynamics to operate efficiently.
If you want even more STEAM-based activities to do together, enroll in the GetWise education program. Each student will receive a student guide, a take-home workbook, and an energy kit full of energy-efficient products.
The GetWise education program is offered at no additional cost to you, your district, or your students.
I hope these activities inspire you and your class and help your school year start off right.