Stem Lesson
So, what is STEM? STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Using STEM activities is a great hook to get young kids interested in these subjects early on.
In this STEM kit, children will learn about droughts, and the history of the rainstick in a fun and educational way.
So how do you do it? Begin with a science lesson about droughts. What do you think of when you hear the word drought? Do you think of dry, hot, dusty, cracked earth, or maybe even “no water”? If so, you are spot on! When some places are in a drought, they may be dry, hot and dusty; cracks may appear in the soil, and rivers, lakes, streams, and other sources of water may go dry. Other places in drought get some rain, but not as much as they usually receive during the season. A drought means that a place has less precipitation (rain or snow) than normal over a few months or even longer. Here is a picture of a drought:
What is a fiction book? It is a make-believe story. Let’s read the picture book, The Farmer by Ximo Abadia. It is an award winning book about a farmer and what happens when everything becomes dry.
The Rainstick
Long ago, some people who lived in these areas of drought believed that they could call for rain by making and using a rainstick. So what is a rainstick? A rainstick is a long, hollow tube usually filled with small pebbles, rice or beans. The first rainstick was created by a group of native people who lived in the deserts of northern Chile. They made the rainstick out of dried up cactus.
Today, many people still like to make rainsticks. They are used as musical instruments. So let’s make a rainstick, and afterwards we will read another book, Pete the Cat and the Cool Cat Boogie by James Dean. We will use our rainsticks to make music and dance. Included in this kit is Pete the Cat’s famous dance, The Cool Cat Boogie.
Rainstick craft from Oriental Trading: https://www.orientaltrading.com/westco-14-rainstick-qty-3-a2-13935102.fltr?sku=13935102&BP=PS544&ms=search&source=google&cm_mmc=GooglePLA-_-736570281-_-44071635732-_-13935102&cm_mmca1=OTC%2BPLAs&cm_mmca2=GooglePLAs&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4eaJBhDMARIsANhrQAAV1BuOof9p3j0vVCmxxDaSADhPsHWrGT35SJ9NuKGFioJocB-j644aAqhoEALw_wcB
Stem Lesson Plan for Parents:
Pete the Cat Dance
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