Welcome to our 4th Annual Girls Rock STEM Day
A STEM initiative for girls in grades 6th – 8th which allows students to select from a wide variety of Math, Science, Technology, or Engineering workshops geared toward personal interest.
What: Girls will participate in STEM-related activities run by educators, NYS Master Teachers, and local scientists. Girls will be treated to a keynote address by Structural Engineer & Certified Diver, Katie Kelly in addition to workshops & Demonstrations.
When: March 23, 2019 from 9am-2pm
Where: Kingston High School
Workshops include:
Build a Blinky: Learning to solder electronic circuits
Presented by: Paul Bianchi
Participants will learn to identify basic electronic components and explain how they work, then use them to solder a blinking LED circuit to take home. This workshop runs for a double period to allow for construction time
Live Hawks, Owls, and Falcons
Presented by: Anne Mardiney
Annie Mardiney has been a wild bird rehabilitator for 15 years, and also holds permits to possess unreleasable raptors for education programs. Meet her live hawks, owls, and falcons up close, learn about their vital place in our environment, and discuss career options for young people who want to work with animals or many environmental careers
Rat Dissection
Presented by: Maryjane McFarland
Discover the anatomy of a rat through dissection. Multiple body systems will be explored
Fruitful DNA Extraction – Isolation of DNA from Kiwi and Strawberry
Presented by: Patrica Nardone
We will use simple methods to extract and isolate DNA from various fruits such as Strawberries and Kiwis.
Rube Goldberg Machines
Presented by: Kate Johnson
Calling all engineers! Bring your communication skills and clever thinking as we create our own Rube Goldberg Machines. These quirky contraptions utilize the principals of physics and energy transfer to complete a simple task… but they can be tricky to build! This program will require 2 program session slots, so be sure to keep that in mind when planning your day. All materials provided. Bring your phone to record a video of your machine before we deconstruct them at the end
Probability and Hershey Kisses
Presented by: Jennifer Griffin
Explore Probability using dice and expand your results to determine the unknown probability of a Hershey Kiss landing on its base.
Phenomenal Science: Exploring the Natural World
Presented by: Jennifer Iversen
Girls rocking STEM will ask and share questions about a natural phenomenon. The girls will then develop, share and revise models based on evidence to explain the science behind the observed phenomenon.
Math survival kit
Presented by: Barbra Neumann
We will go over basic math problems and assemble a small kit of school supplies
Toys in Space
Presented by: Bruce Cobb
Gravity is a force that affects all objects and their motion. In this workshop, participants will explore the force of gravity on many different types of simple toys. Participants will “play” with the toys, observe their movements, and predict how these toys might work in a micro-gravity environment like the Space Shuttle. Participants will then view actual footage of astronauts using these toys in a micro-gravity environment and connect Newton’s Laws of Motion to the outcome of their predictions
Mint Machines
Presented by: Brian Halling
Students will complete a build in which they will design a vehicle using limited resources with the purpose of traveling the farthest. They will then be asked to add weight to their vehicles and make adjustments and alterations to accommodate for this change. The girls will work together in small groups and use the engineering design process to best accomplish their goal.
Surveyors measure up
Presented by: Bill Eggers
An introduction to land surveying technology.
A short history of surveying and the importance of land surveying in civilization including historical figures in surveying such as Washington and Lincoln.
Changes in technology from measuring with a chain to measuring with drones and satellite receivers.
Hands-on experience using a measuring tape, robotic total station, and GPS.
The Mysterious and Magical World of Flowers
Presented by: Susanne O’Brien
Students will dissect and display flower parts, looking at evolutionary adaptations
The American Eel: Master Migrant
Presented by: Adian Mabey
Come meet an eel! We will be talking all about the mysterious fish that call the Hudson River it’s home (at least for a majority of its life). Participants will learn all about the life cycle of the American eel and get to chart the migration of the glass eel from the Bermuda Triangle to the Hudson River.
Robo Power
Presented by: Stevie Creft
Hands-on activities with robotics and drone systems
CSI: Girls Rock STEM Edition
Presented by: Nicholas Malgieri
Students will get a chance to be crime scene investigators in the classroom and learn the basic principles of gel electrophoresis. They will load and run agarose gels using DNA from a crime scene, victim, and three suspects. This will create a DNA profile that will connect an individual to a crime scene to help solve the case.
Atmospheric Pressure
Presented by: Marika Uus-Janums
Investigation of the effects of air pressure on our everyday life
Introducing Our Team
They are inspiring, educating, and empowering girls with a variety of STEM experiences and this day could not happen without them!
