2021 Summer Reading Programs

Tales and Travels Summer Reading Program

Summer STEM for Teens

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2021 Tales and Travels Summer Reading Program

Go ahead, hop in, and buckle up your seatbelt. You do not want to miss out on this summer’s traveling vacation, because we are starting up our engines VAROOM, VAROOM as we shift into gear! The Summer Reading Program will have, 27 youth programs and will be offering 9 activity kits containing 3 programs each week, along with prizes too numerous to count. We will be taking you for a bus, train, or boat ride as we travel through the many Tales of our Library. This 2021 summer event promises to be nothing short of magical, mysterious and outrageously fun! What if I told you that you might learn a little magic trick along the rails?

Dates: June 7, 2021 – August 6, 2021 on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays
Time: 1:00pm – 1:45pm
Register Here

Tales and Travels Summer Reading Program Programs and Activities

Week #1:  Nature

• Rainbow Fish Activity
  • Rainbow Fish Clay Creation and Science Activity Sheet
  • Activity Video
• Straw Pan Flute Activity
  • Straw Pan Flute and Nature Experiments
  • Activity Video

Week #2:  Transportation

• Bridge Chain Reaction Activity
  • Bridge Chain Reaction Experiment Activity Sheet
  • Bridge Chain Reaction Video
• Moon Rocks Activity
  • Moon Rocks Activity Sheet
  • Moon Rocks Activity Video
• Morse “Code” Bracelet Activity Sheet
• Train on Track Activity
  • Train on Track Test Activity Sheet
  • Train on Track Activity Video
• Ocean Salt Painting Activity Sheet
• Parts of a Rocket Activity
  • Parts of a Rocket Activity
  • Parts of a Rocket Activity Video
• Origami Rocket Launch Activity Sheet

Week #3:  Favorites

• Buttons and Play Tower Activity Sheet
• Circus Spinning POI Activity Sheet
• Maze Game Activity Sheet
• Pete’s Maze Activity Sheet
• Pete’s Special Map Activity Sheet
• Walking the Tightrope Activity Sheet
• Circus Monkey Acrobat Activity Sheet

Week #4:  Celebrations

• 4th of July Wind Streamers Activity
  • 4th of July Wind Streamers Activity Sheet
  • 4th of July Wind Streamers Activity Video
• Two-Ingredient Soda Birthday Cake Activity
• Star-Spangled Slime Activity
  • Star-Spangled Slime Activity Sheet
  • Star-Spangled Slime Activity Video
• Shrinky Dink STEM Activity
• Popcorn the “Edible” Science Activity
• Bath Fizzy Science Activity
  • Bath Fizzy Science Activity Sheet
  • Bath Fizzy Science Activity Video

Week #5:  Rhymes & Songs

• Radiant Recycled Lizard Activity
  • Radiant Recycled Lizard Activity Sheet
  • Radiant Recycled Lizard Activity Video
• Elephant Blow your Trumpet Activity
  • Elephant, Blow your Trumpet! Activity Sheet
  • Elephant Blow your Trumpet Activity Video

Week #6:  Stories

• 100 fingerprints Ready, Set, Start! Activity
• The No-Worry Worry Doll Activity
• Paul and Bernadette’s Balloon Bowl Activity
• Oatmeal Scented Goat Milk Soap Activity
• Johnny Appleseed Seed Art Activity
• Cookies and Cream Popcorn Activity

Week #7: Concepts

• Building Shapes with Dots Activity
• The Electricity Butterfly Flutter Activity
• Jell-O Play Dough Fractions Activities
• Popsicle Stick Harmonica Activity

Week #8:  Our World

• Animal Cracker Sort Activity
• Apple Soap Jellies Activity
• Bread in a Bag Activity
• Fossil Dinosaur Foot Prints Activity

Week #9:  Fairy and Folk Tales

• Air Dry Clay Sea Shell Necklace Activity
• Bean Tiberian Activity
• Fairy Tale Fish Puppets Activity
• Magic Disappearing Dime Trick Activity
• Puppet Making Workshop Activity
• Paper Plate Magic Activity

Questions:  Contact Denise Bean, Youth Services Librarian, denise.bean@blind.state.ia.us, 515-452-1338

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Summer STEM for Teens

The Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled will be hosting an 8-week Summer STEM Program for Teens 14 years and older this summer.  Have fun with physical science, engineering, math, coding, and earth science. Teens will discover how to work through the Engineering Design Process through different activities. We will be using hands-on STEM Activities based off of STEM Scale-Up Kits provided to the Library by the Iowa STEM Council. This program will also offer guest speakers focusing on STEM careers. 

Program Details

Dates: Thursdays; June 17th– August 5th
Time:  2:00pm – 4:00pm
Age: Teens 14 years and older
Location: Virtual via Zoom and/or in Person Experience at the Iowa Department for the Blind (524 Fourth Street, Des Moines, IA)
Register Here

Here is a glimpse of the different topics we will cover:

Physical Science

• Explore slopes and surfaces as you are challenged to build a ramp that allows a skateboarder to go far—but not too far. 
• Explore geometry, graphing, and the properties of materials as you are challenged to build a tent for Pam and her friends. 
• Explore sound waves and vibrations to develop a phone that helps friends talk over a distance.

Engineering and Coding

• Learn about fair tests to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different helicopter designs. You will use critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to build a helicopter.
• Explore the basic needs of animals as you design a code for a programmable mouse to demonstrate your knowledge of everything a mouse needs to survive by following, writing and debugging code.

Earth Science 

• Learn about water and erosion and gain an understanding of how forces change the shape of the land
• Teens will explore the power of ocean waves and come up with a model to protect the beach from erosion.

 

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