DIY STEM Enrichments

The NCSSM "Do-it-Yourself" STEM Enrichment sessions enhance core instruction for Elementary and Middle school students as well as provide instruction for teachers in “hard to teach” concepts. Instruction is aligned with the competencies and objectives outlined nationally and by the state of North Carolina. 

These enrichments provide guidance, teaching materials and videos that allow for flexible, asynchronous learning experiences.

If your school uses Canvas as its Learning Management Systems, each of these enrichments can also be found in Canvas Commons, tagged with its appropriate Common Core and State Essential Standards.

Science Enrichments

Balance and Motion - Grades 1-2

Students will have a basic understanding of the concepts of gravity and symmetry by exploring balanced and unbalanced systems. They will also discover ways to manipulate the center of mass of an object.

Who Says I Can't Be Sherlock Holmes - Grades 2-4

The student will learn observation, memory, and critical thinking skills. Students will understand how useful observation and memory skills are in real life situations and the importance of written records. They will also talk about hard evidence that detectives use, fingerprint types, and see their own fingerprints.

Solid, Liquid, Gas - Grades 3-4

The student will learn about three different states of matter (solids, liquids and gasses) and the concept of mass. The hands-on activities involve bagging matter, saturating solutions and creating and observing a chemical overreaction.

Magnetic Effects - Grade 4

Students will follow along with several demonstrations and do a hands-on activity. They will also answer several questions during the course of the video. These demonstrations involve an investigation of how and why magnetic compasses work. They will observe the forces exerted by magnets on each other and by magnets on iron objects; as well as how magnetic forces get weaker with distance and how these forces can be exerted through non-magnetic substances. Finally, they will build a simple electromagnet to see how electricity can be used to make a magnet.

Forces in Motion - Grades 4-5

Students will have a basic understanding of force, inertia, friction, balanced forces, and unbalanced forces. They will build a vehicle that uses the force of air to move. After doing the activities in this video, students should have a basic understanding of force, inertia, friction, as well as balanced and unbalanced forces.

Mathematics Enrichments

Box Problem Level 1, Grades 5-7

Suppose you have a rectangular piece of cardboard that you want to use to make a box for storing marbles. You will make the box by cutting squares from the corners of the cardboard and then fold up the edges. The box will have no top. What size squares should you cut to make the box with the largest volume? Calculators will be needed for computation.

Box Problem Level 2, Grades 8-9

Suppose you have a rectangular piece of cardboard that you want to use to make a box for storing marbles. You will make the box by cutting squares from the corners of the cardboard and then fold up the edges. The box will have no top. What size squares should you cut to make the box with the largest volume? Students will investigate this problem using physical models, tables, and graphs. Students will be guided to define a variable representing the size of the square and to write a function for the box volume. Graphing TI-83+ calculators are required to create a table with more values and to graph the function

Box Problem Level 3, Grades 10-11

Students build open top rectangular boxes from a standard sheet of paper by cutting congruent squares from each corner. Data is collected that pairs the length of the side of the cut out square with the volume of the resulting box to create a scatter plot. Students will be guided to define a variable representing the size of the square and to write a function for the box volume. Students learn to describe a clear pattern shown in the scatter plot, and develop a function through analysis of the box design. Based on this function, the length of the side of the square is determined to create a box of maximum volume, and two squares that will produce a box of equal volume. Students will investigate this problem using physical models, tables, and graphs. Graphing TI-83+ calculators are required to create a table with more values and to graph the function.