Workshops
Rat Dissection
Presented by Mary Jane McFarland, NYS Master Teacher
At this workshop the girls discovered the anatomy of a rat through dissection, exploring multiple body systems.
Live Hawks, Owls, and Falcons
Presented by Annie Mardiney from Wild Mountain Birds. She has been a wild bird rehabiltor for the past 15 years.
The girls met the live birds up close and learned about their vital place in the environment. They also discussed career options for girls aspiring to work with animals or with the environment.
Fruitful DNA Extraction
Presented by Patricia Nardone, NYS Master Teacher
The girls were instructed to use simple methods to extract and isolate DNA from various fruits like strawberries and kiwis.
Build a Blinky
Presented by Paul Bianchi, NYS Master Teacher
Here the girls learned how to identify basic electronic components and explain how they work. They were able to use this knowledge to solder blinking LED circuits.
The American Eel: Master Migrant
Presented by Aiden Mabey, NYS DEC
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Aiden Mabey taught the girls about the life cycle of the American eel. The girls charted the migration route of the eel from the Bermuda Triangle to the Hudson River.
Robo Power
Presented by Stevie Creft from Kingston City School District
This workshop allowed for the girls to participate in hands-on activities with robotics and drone systems.
Mint Machines
Presented by Brian Halling, NYS Master Teacher
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Using limited resources and working together, the girls built vehicles with the purpose of traveling the farthest. They were then asked to add weight to the vehicles and had to make appropriate adjustments to accommodate for it. They used the engineering design process to best accomplish this goal.
Probability and Hershey Kisses
Presented by Jennifer Griffin, NYS Master Teacher
Using dice, they explored probability. They expanded their results to determine the unknown probability of a Hershey Kiss landing on its base.
Phenomenal Science: Exploring the Natural World
Presented by Jennifer Iversen from Ulster BOCES
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Girls asked and shared questions about natural phenomena. Then they developed, shared, and revised models based on evidence to explain the science behind the observed phenomenon.
Math Survival Kit
Presented by Barbara Neumann from IBM Poughkeepsie
At this workshop, the girls went over basic math problems and assembled a small kit of school supplies.
Atmospheric Pressure
Presented by Marika Uus-Janums from Kingston City School District
Investigated on the effects of air pressure on our everyday lives.
Toys in Space
Presented by Bruce Cobb, NYS Master Teacher
Gravity is a force that affects all objects and their motion. The girls explored the force of gravity on different types of simple toys. They observed the toys movements and predicted how it would work in a micro-gravity environment like the Space Shuttle. Then they viewed footage of astronauts actually using these toys in micro-gravity environments and connected Newton’s Laws of Motion to the outcomes of their predictions.
Rube Goldberg Machines
Presented by Kate Johnson from Kingston City School District
Rube Goldberg machines created by the girls and their creative minds. Their success depended on communication skills and clever thinking. These machines used the principles of physics and energy transfer to complete simple tasks.
Surveyors Measure Up
Presented by Bill Eggers from Medenbach & Eggers, PC
This provided an introduction to land surveying technology. They were given a short history of surveying and the importance of land surveying in civilization. This was a hands-on experience using measuring tape, robotics total station, and GPS
CSI: Girls Rock Stem Edition
Presented by Nicholas Malgieri, NYS Master Teacher
At this workshop, the girls became crime scene investigators and learned about the basic principles of gel electrophoresis. They loaded and ran agarose gels using DNA from a crime scene, victim, and three suspects. This created a DNA profile that connects and individual to a crime scene and helped them solve the case.
The Mysterious and Magical World of Flowers
Presented by Susanna O’Brien, NYS
Master Teacher Emeritus
The girls dissected flowers and displayed their parts around beautifully. They observed evolutionary adaptations.
Key Note Speaker
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This year for Girls Rock STEM we had a key note address presented by Katie Kelly. She is a Structural Engineer and certified diver working with W.J. Castle, P.E. & Associates. Katie is one of only a handful of female underwater structural engineers and inspectors in the U.S. She talked to the girls about what her STEM career is like and the path she took in her education to get to her there. She also gave them representation of women in STEM. Katie brought in some of her diving equipment to show the girls and her presentation was followed by a Q&A session.
