Nutty Quotes

I didn't bring my camera to the Collinsville YMCA on Tuesday, but I did have the kids write down some things they learned while doing the "Nutty Investigation" activity. During this activity, students create a device to crack various types of nuts and determine which nuts have the hardest shells to crack. Then, they do an experiment to determine which nuts have the highest fat content. While they seemed to really enjoy eating the nuts after the experiments, I think they all liked predicting and experimenting with them as well!

Here are a few of the quotes:

"Today we did an experiment on different nuts. My favorite part was eating them, but I did learn about the different types of nuts and how fatty they are" 
-McKinley Dunford

"I loved what we did today! After we cracked the nuts was my favorite part, because we got to eat them!"
-Dustin Beckner

"It was so cooliotastic when you heard the loud boom when the can crushed the pecan."
-Beth Lovelace

"We learned how to think critically about how many beans in a can could smash a pecan, hazelnut, and a peanut. The hazelnut was the hardest nut for my group to crack. The walnut was the fattiest nut!"
-Savannah Adams

TESTING THE TROUT'S WATER TANK

a careful comparison to determine phosphorus levels

another steady hand to find an exact match

A visit from a representative from
Citizens Against Family Violence



participating in the corrosponding activity

conversing about teen and family
violence as well as warning signs
and solutions


and having a little fun too!

the finished drawings that
were taken back to the women's shelter
for Valentine's Day

Spencer Penn Center Bean Bags

After several snow days, students were happy to be back at the Spencer Penn Center after school site on Wednesday. They counted and sorted various beans during the "Making and Tossing Bean Bags" After School Science Plus activity. They learned that they can make better educated guesses (and estimates) when they have more background experience to draw from. Then, each participant made their own bean bag and created a game to play with the bags.

Summer and Keylan count kidney beans fit into 1/2 cup

Their leaders, Angie and Janet, are concentrating on those chick peas!

Bean bags ready for tossing

Bubble Science with the Boys and Girls Club

The Martinsville Boys and Girls Club enjoyed blowing bubbles with the bubble wands they created themselves. They were challenged to figure out:

1) if all bubbles were spheres,

2) what factors affect the size of the bubble,

3) if bubbles have colors, and

4) what makes a bubble pop (on its own).

January 2010

MHC After 3 was back in full swing after a two week hiatus for winter break. Students worked together to learn the parts of a song and ended the class by creating their very own song with the help of local musician Doug Williams.

Students also began a three-day course in the art of theater and drama with instructor Robert Smith. Participants were exposed to introductory key terms related to theater as well as common warm-up exercises to prepare for a show.

Students ended the month by making chocolate chip pancakes and invited VMNH education staff to particpate as well.

Bean Sorting and Nutcracking

MHC After 3 Students at Fieldale Community Center sorted beans, practiced estimation, and created beanbag games during the "Making and Tossing Bean Bags" program from After School Science Plus.

In "Nutty Investigations" the students created a nutcracking device and determined which nuts have the hardest shells to crack. They then discovered by testing which nuts have the highest fat content.

The Inventors at Martinsville Boys and Girls Club

The students at the Martinsville Boys and Girls Club learned about simple machines on January 26th. They then created invetions using them: the pulley, lever, wedge, inclined plane, and wheel and axle. Their challenge was to create a machine that would lift a can from the floor up to rest on a chair. They had to use at least three simple machines and could not touch the can with their hands. They were very creative and inventive!

"We made a contraption to pick up a can and put it on top of a chair. We used plastic containers, straws, string, tape, and an egg carton. We had a wheel and axel, lever, and a pulley."

-Helen Nguyen