STEM to You: Science Starter Pack

Hello Stem to You members! This post will be your portal to our interactive participation for the Science Starter Pack event.

Now that you've drawn your scientists, tell us about them in the comments! Use three descriptive words to complete the sentence 'my scientist is ___'. What kind of scientist did you draw? What are they doing? Where are they working? What is similar and different about other people's scientists? If you want, post the drawing of you as a scientist, too!

You can watch the video on how to make you paper rockets here.

Here is a page with detailed biographies for the scientists who were featured on the collage. There's information on each one of them, as well as where you can find out more information about them and the fascinating work that they're doing.

The Galesburg Public Library has a lot of books on science and scientists. Here are a few to check out that tie in to this activity.

Marvelous Mattie
by Emily Arnold McCully
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006 

Mattie could sketch and build just about anything. When she was only twelve years old, she came up with a metal guard on looms that kept workers from being injured and killed. As an adult, she invented a machine to make the square bottom paper bags that we still use today. However, a man tried to steal her idea and challenged her in court, saying she "could not possibly understand the mechanical complexities." Mattie proved him wrong and won her case!

 Mae Among the Stars
by Roda Ahmed
New York: HarperCollins, 2018

Inspired by the life story of Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space, this wonderful book teaches you how to dream big and follow your heart.

Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions
by Chris Barton
Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2016

Lonnie Johnson invented the mechanics for the Super Soaker entirely by accident. In his bathroom. While trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners. This is just one of the many inventions and projects he's worked on in his career as an engineer, including powering the spacecraft Galileo that explored Jupiter. 


Did you know you can sign up for a Galesburg Public Library card online? Just visit the link here to get started?

Animal Explorers: Cats

Hey everybody! Welcome to the first meeting of Animal Explorers! I'm Ms. Meghan, and for fifteen years I was an animal keeper at different zoos.  Now that I'm here at the Galesburg Public Library, we're going to explore the animal kingdom together! Each month you can pick up a Animal Explorers kit and become an expert on a new animal! Then you can come and talk about it at our club meeting.

This month we're going to chat about cats. Which species did you become an expert in? What's one thing you learned about your cat? Which cat species is your favorite? Tell the club in the comments below. 

Once Upon a Unicorn

Once Upon a Unicorn
by Lou Anders
New York: Crown Books for Young Readers, 2020  

"I don't think everything that is beautiful is beautiful. Not really. And I think a lot of things that aren't beautiful really are."

Everyone knows that unicorns are beautiful and golden and don't really think about much besides themselves. And everyone also knows that night mares are mean and fairies are always good. Right? So what happens when a unicorn with a Scientific Mind meets a night mare who's determined to prove that she's just as Good as any unicorn? Oh, and there's a guy with a pumpkin for a head who's trying to catch them, too.

So, I've been with obsessed with unicorns since I was about, oh, three years old or so, and I think it's safe to say it may be a life long condition. I was very excited to get an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of this book. A unicorn with a Scientific Mind AND a night mare AND a fairy queen whose personality may be more aligned with the original fairy folk than Disney (those tales were originally warnings, after all)? I am absolutely in. Curious the unicorn is trying to conduct an experiment when he encounters Midnight the night mare, who has her own Plan. The two soon end up saving each other from Jack o' the Hunt, a pumpkin-headed entity who wants the two horses for his own reasons. Curious and Midnight must put aside their prejudices and work together to save their world. I really enjoyed this book. It's a longer chapter book that's recommended for grades 3-7 by the publisher. The characters are well-written, and I honestly didn't see one of the twists until shortly before the reveal. A lot of people think unicorns are only for girls, but this book will appeal to all readers. Once Upon a Unicorn will be available soon from Galesburg Public Library. Thank you to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the ARC.

Prairie Lotus

Prairie Lotus
By Linda Sue Park
Boston: Clarion Books, 2020 

Hannah and her father are moving to the town of LaForge in Dakota Territory in 1880. Hannah is excited to set up their dress good shops, and maybe show Pa that she's a good enough seamstress to start sewing dresses for the ladies in town. But Hannah is very aware of the fact that she looks different from the other townspeople. Her late mother was Chinese and she and Pa have had to move away from other towns before because of it. Can LaForge be their final stop?

Author Linda Sue Park loved the Little House on the Prairie series growing up, but knew in her heart that Ma would never let Laura play with her because she was Asian. Prairie Lotus is influenced by that series, told through a different set of eyes. Experienced readers will recognize landmarks and some familiar faces in the town of LaForge, but previous experience with Wilder's work isn't necessary. This is a wonderfully written book in a familiar setting, told in a new and necessary voice. I highly recommend it for both fans of the Little House books and anyone looking for a fantastic piece of historical fiction with a female lead.