During the fall of 2022, Mercer County 4-H partnered with Children’s Home Society to bring a technology series to their youth using MakeyMakey. This partnership was successful and extremely fun for the young people who took part in it. Once again, Mercer County 4-H is partnering with Children’s Home Society to continue to bring STEM programming to their youth. Our new series focuses on Physical Sciences, from learning about the respiratory system to the importance and physical properties of carbon dioxide, CO2. Our pivot is in efforts to continue engaging young people in STEM but target those not invested in technology as much as they are in other sciences. The program this session shows an increased number of participants, 18. The program is being delivered in both English and Spanish simultaneously to meet the language needs of the participants.
During our last session, 18 young people joined us to learn about carbon dioxide. We explored what it is, its atomic structure, why it Is important, how it fits into the oxygen cycle and its role in climate change. Following these discussions, our participants tested some of the physical properties of the gas using everyday materials like vinegar, baking soda, salt, and food coloring. Our Mercer County 4-H staff also demonstrated the density of the gas by using fire- this was a huge “wow” moment! This was a very fun way to learn about carbon dioxide and to see some of its properties in action. Before adjourning, the youth shared some of what they had learned, and from their insight, we could see that doing hands-on activities truly reinforced the concepts from our initial discussion.
Katika msimu wa vuli wa 2022, Mercer County 4-H ilishirikiana na Jumuiya ya Nyumba ya Watoto kuleta safu ya teknolojia kwa vijana wao kwa kutumia MakeyMakey. Ushirikiano huu ulikuwa na mafanikio na furaha sana kwa vijana walioshiriki katika hilo. Kwa mara nyingine tena, Mercer County 4-H inashirikiana na Jumuiya ya Nyumba ya Watoto ili kuendelea kuleta programu ya STEM kwa vijana wao. Mfululizo wetu mpya unazingatia Sayansi ya Fizikia, kutoka kujifunza juu ya mfumo wa kupumua hadi umuhimu na mali za fizikia za kaboni dioksidi, CO2. """Tunazingatia juhudi za kuendelea kuwahusisha vijana katika STEM, lakini kuwaelekeza wale ambao hawajawekeza katika teknolojia kama vile wanavyofanya katika sayansi nyingine." Programu ya kikao hiki inaonyesha idadi iliyoongezeka ya washiriki, 18. Programu hiyo inatolewa kwa Kiingereza na Kihispania wakati huohuo ili kukidhi mahitaji ya lugha ya washiriki. Katika kipindi cha kwanza cha masomo yetu, tulikuwa na wanafunzi 18 ambao walianza kujifunza kuhusu CO2. "Tumekuwa tukijifunza kuhusu ""kiumbe"" hicho, jinsi kinavyofanyizwa, ni nini kinachohusika na mzunguko wa oksijeni na athari zake kwa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa." Baada ya mazungumzo hayo, washiriki wetu walijaribu baadhi ya mali za kimwili za gesi hiyo kwa kutumia vifaa vya kila siku kama vile siki, baking soda, chumvi, na rangi ya chakula. Wafanyakazi wetu wa Kaunti ya Mercer 4-H pia walionyesha wiani wa gesi kwa kutumia moto - hii ilikuwa wakati mkubwa wa <unk>wow<unk>! Hii ilikuwa njia ya kufurahisha sana ya kujifunza kuhusu kaboni dioksidi na kuona baadhi ya mali yake katika hatua. Kabla ya kuachana, vijana walishiriki baadhi ya yale waliyojifunza, na kutokana na ufahamu wao, tuliweza kuona kwamba kufanya shughuli za mikono kwa kweli ziliimarisha dhana kutoka kwa majadiliano yetu ya awali.