FUNTASTIC

FAMILY
STEM
ACTIVITIES
A LEARNING SUPPLEMENT FOR PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS OF EARLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
CHILDREN

WRITTEN BY RENEE HEISS 2020

ENTELECHY EDUCATION, LLC
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction 3 Build Your Child's Library 8

Meet The EnteleTrons® 4 Design a Bucky Ball Model 9

Magic Rainbow Pop-Up Card 5 Cooking Up A STEM Lesson: 10

Egg Candling

STEM Education Influences 6

Future Career Plans STEM Birthday celebrations 11

Create Rain From Ice Cubes 7 Continue Your Funtastic Family 12

STEM Adventures

Visit

WWW.STEMCHILDRENSBOOKS.COM

to find other STEM books and activities

© 2020 Entelechy Education, LLC

All Rights Reserved
 Introduction

Children are naturally curious and instinctively want to know who, what, when, where and
why. They marvel at the undiscovered world around them and want to understand how it
works. They are interested in why things happen and how they can change or control the
way things work. Children love to make and create - and often learn best by hands-on
activities in a fun environment.

Exposing young children to a wide range of learning opportunities can help them develop
a lifelong love of learning. Teaching Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) concepts even before starting school can also help children learn a majority of
the basic skills and knowledge they need to address their questions and develop life
skills. STEM learning helps prepare children to succeed by teaching:

critical thinking
discipline
problem solving
collaboration
communication
creativity, and
reasoning

At Entelechy Education, LLC, we have created an Look for this box below
award-winning trio called The EnteleTrons® to help on activities to show
children develop strong moral character while they what kids learn
learn valuable STEM concepts and strengthen
language literacy. We call our unique approach Values
STEM-C® Literacy. With The EnteleTrons®, children
S = Science Topics
are engaged through hands-on learning methods in our
T = Technology Topics
books, project-based learning guides and games. This E = Engineering Topics
helps them build character traits such as integrity, M = Math Topics
responsibility, kindness, cooperation, sharing and other C = Character Development
important life skills - in addition to learning to read! Theme

We hope you enjoy this collection of activities and

information to help your child develop their own building
blocks for success! Look for notations on each page
that contain other activities found throughout our
collection of educational products..

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 Meet The
EnteleTrons®
The EnteleTrons® are new characters based upon sub-atomic particles that were
created especially for young readers. Just like your child, each of The EnteleTrons® has
a unique personality. Find out below what makes each member of this fascinating trio
unique as they focus on the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
Mathematics) and language literacy, combined with key values and behaviors for
character development.

Priti: The Proton Ellie: The Electron Ning: The Neutron

Priti is the teacher of the
team. She always
maintains a positive
attitude in the midst of
whatever challenge The
EnteleTrons® face. She is
mentally and physically
strong, while also being a
very keen observer. Priti
always sees the good in
others and is very
empathetic. Her Indian
name means “love,” so it’s
in her nature to help others
feel wanted, needed, and
loved.
Ellie is always active and in
motion. She is easily
excitable and her light-
hearted and often funny
approach helps keep the
team grounded. She has
an insatiable curiosity and
finds wonder in the world
around her. Her questions
and suggestions keep
readers enlightened, which
may be why her name, of
Greek origin, means “light.”
She is known for her
perseverance and has a
talent for making
connections and bringing
things together – just when
it’s needed most!
Ning is a leader and
advisor for the team. He is
logical and practical, in
addition to being a great
mediator. He can always
be found explaining how
things work in the universe.
Ning is known for
“whooshing” to the
EnteleLab™ to get just the
right scientific tool to help
the team address any
challenge. His name, of
Chinese origin, means
“peaceful,” and Ning is
most content when
everything in the universe
returns to its natural order.

4
 Magic Rainbow
Pop-Up Card

Directions:

Fold a piece of construction paper in half to

form the base of the card.

Measure the available space for mounting a

folding rainbow.

Cut a rainbow shape to fit that area.

Research the proper order of rainbow colors

then neatly color the rainbow.
Materials Needed:
Crayons or markers Mount the rainbow inside the card so that it fits
when folded and pops up when the card is
White paper opened. Practice your design with plain paper
Construction paper until you like the way it fits. Add clouds to cover
Scissors Glue or the attachment area.
Double-stick tape In large letters, write a message on the inside of
Computer and printer the card. Sign only your first name at the
bottom of the card.
Values On a computer, design the cover. Use pictures,
words, designs, or anything you want that will
S = Rainbow hue colors send a happy message. Make sure it fits the
folded piece of construction paper. Glue the
T = Use of computer & printer paper to the cover.
E = Construction of workable pop-up
M = Measuring to create final product Give your card and watch smiles magically
appear!
C = Presenting a charitable gift

More STEM Activities

Where's Green? (click here)

Spark! Rainbows and Prisms

activities (click here)

5
 STEM Education
Influences Career Plans
Forbes Top Paying STEM Jobs (7/28/15)
1. Petroleum Engineer There’s a growing drumbeat regarding the
2. Nuclear Engineer need for improved STEM education ---
3. Marine Engineer education in the fields of Science,
4. Chemical Engineer
Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.
5. Computer Information Research Scientist
6. Aerospace Engineer
And rightfully so. There are now over 7 billion
7. Marine Architect people inhabiting this Earth --- all competing
8. Nuclear Medicine Technologist for resources, sometimes creating conflict,
9. Business Intelligence Analyst and certainly contributing to our collective
10. Software Developer, Systems Software
advancement as a truly global society.

Given the nature of STEM topics, “hands-on” programs are essential --- and there are a lot of
good people doing a lot of good work developing new programs --- but mainly focusing on high
school and middle school teachers and students --- with far less attention given to elementary
school children.

Since there will always be a need to teach children to read --- what would happen if we were
able to teach basic science concepts, at an earlier age, in a way that is engaging, taking full
advantage of children’s natural curiosity?

Consider these points:

Early exposure to STEM fields strongly influences career plans. When children know
their career goal early in life, they will be more likely to pursue activities that will lead
them on that path to success.

Character development is equally important for all members of a global society.

Character development makes a huge difference in how children’s brains develop -and
when children use positive character traits to solve problems, conflict decreases.

When children are in a fun, comfortable environment, they learn more quickly. Like
the saying goes, “It’s not work if you love what you do.”

6
 Create Rain From
Ice Cubes

Directions:

Place the hot water in the glass jar.

Place the pie pan over the glass jar.
Place the ice cubes in the pie pan.
Wait for results – a few minutes!

Extra fun:
Materials Needed: Try different experiments with the
Glass jar (like a clean mayonnaise jar) temperature of the hot water to see how
Aluminum pie pan long it takes to form “raindrops.” Share your
1 cup of hot water findings with your friends, family, and
3-5 Ice cubes teacher.
Thermometer
What happened?:
The hot water naturally evaporates into
Values water vapor, rising to the top of the glass jar.
The pie plate prevents this gas from
S = States of matter expanding into the room. The ice cubes act
T = Use of a thermometer like the colder upper atmosphere. When the
M = Measuring and comparing warm water vapor meets the cold pie plate,
temperatures the water vapor condenses and falls back
C = Sharing results with friends, down as “rain.” The ice cubes don’t really
family and teachers melt into the jar – it just looks that way! After
a while, the ice cubes will melt into the pie
pan. After an even longer period of time, the
More STEM Activities ice water will evaporate into the atmosphere!

What's The Matter? (click here)

Spark! States of Matter activities

(click here)

7
 Build Your Child's
Library
Children learn an average of 4,000 to 12,000
new words each year as a result of reading
books. Research has shown that children who
read even ten minutes a day outside of school
experience substantially higher rates of
vocabulary growth between second and fifth
grade than children who do little or no reading.

Here are some suggestions for building your

child’s vocabulary through a home library:

A child should have a wide variety of book themes – not just those he or she finds
interesting. Naturally, your home does not need to look like the children’s section of
your local library. However, you could have a rotating rack of books for your child’s
selection at all times. Rotating? How does that happen? Easy – trade books with
friends, go to a local book exchange, or set up a book exchange in your child’s school.

A child should be encouraged to read at least half an hour each day. How do you do
that? The best way is by role modeling. If families set aside a Family Reading Time
after dinner or before bedtime, the children will begin to expect this activity and plan for
the next book they want to read. The best part of this plan is that the “technology” is
put down for at least part of the child’s day!

A child should be encouraged to share the knowledge gained from reading a book. You
don’t have to have a family weekly book club discussion, although that might not be a
bad idea if you can find the time! Instead, you could have a family book bulletin board
where family members post the title of book they just finished with a brief summary or a
drawn picture. Divide the bulletin board by age range. Decorate it seasonally – make
it attractive to encourage participation!

A child should enjoy reading. This is the single most important item in a Child’s Bill of
Literary Rights. If a child enjoys reading, he or she will develop a mature vocabulary
that will help him to lead a successful life in school and beyond into adulthood.

Consider these statistics and then restructure your family time to include a time to help
children enjoy books of all kinds – both fiction and nonfiction. Visit your library
frequently. Get individual tote bags for each child to proudly carry books to and from
the library. Share your love of reading with other families, especially relatives. By the
time your child reaches high school and beyond, that love of reading will be so
ingrained, it will live with them forever.

8
 Design A Bucky
Ball Model

Background:
A Bucky ball is a molecule of 60 carbon atoms
arranged to form a hollow sphere, like a soccer
ball skeleton. It does not occur naturally, but
when manufactured in a laboratory, this
arrangement creates a carbon molecule that is
harder than a diamond.

Materials Needed:
Directions:
Thin coffee stirs
Roll small bits of play clay into balls the size of
Play clay
large peas. These will be your carbon atoms. The
Soccer ball for reference coffee stirrers will be the links between those
Camera atoms so you can create the Bucky ball
molecules.

Create your Bucky ball segments using 12

pentagons (5 equal sides) and 20 hexagons (6
Values equal sides), but they will eventually be
interconnected. Each pentagon is entirely
bordered by five hexagons. Each hexagon is
S= Carbon atom structure bordered by a ring consisting of alternating
T= Use of computer & camera pentagons and hexagons. Use your soccer ball
E= Construction of Bucky Ball as a model.
M= Polygon structure
C= Sharing knowledge of carbon When you are done creating your Bucky Ball,
atoms look around. What might be improved by
something that is harder than a
diamond? Take a picture of your Bucky Ball
More STEM Activities next to that item. Print or post your picture and
tell how the item will be improved.

Oxygen Finds Friends (click here)

Spark! Basic Chemistry activities

(click here)

9
 Cooking Up A STEM
Lesson - Egg Candling

Chicken farmers need to know whether the

eggs they are sending to market have been
fertilized and are growing a chicken, or
unfertilized and can be used for scrambled
eggs and other recipes. Before the invention
of the electric light, farmers held individual
eggs in front of a candle in a dark room. This
allowed the farmer to see inside the egg, but
it was a long process. The farmer also uses

candling to determine how well-developed the embryo is inside of the egg during incubation, the
time during which eggs are kept warm so chicks and other animals will hatch.

Next came the electric light, which enabled farmers to candle many eggs at once using a light
source under many eggs at once. Today’s commercial operations are computer-operated and
can distinguish instantaneously between fertilized and unfertilized eggs.

When the computer inspects the eggs, it looks for a yolk shadow, signaling that the egg can be
sent to stores. If it sees a dark spot surrounded by a web of blood vessels, the egg has begun
to grow into a chicken (see the duck egg on the right). If the computer identifies an egg with red
spots, it means that the embryo has stopped growing and the egg is useless for either
incubation into a chicken or for making French toast.

You can candle your own eggs like this: Take a halogen flashlight and a fresh egg into a
dark room. Hold the light behind the egg so you can see through it. What do you see?
Hopefully you’ll see the yolk shadow and can use that egg in your next recipe!

Why are eggs so versatile? They are high in protein, which builds strong muscles. They can
be beaten to put air into a recipe, making it lighter and easier to digest. They can be cooked in
a variety of ways – fried, scrambled, and hard-boiled. And they find their way into a variety of
recipes: Egg salad, potato salad, French toast, omelets, meringues, cakes, and other tasty
combinations with meats and bread.

10
 STEM Birthday
Celebrations

When children celebrate another year of life, they

usually do so with presents, cake, and games.
Consider other options with your child that will give
him or her more appreciation for the wonderful
things they have enjoyed over the past year.

Here are some concepts to consider:

Volunteer as a family on the child’s special day at an animal shelter, senior home, or other
charitable location.
Ask friends or family to a traditional cake and games party, but instead of bringing presents
for the guest of honor, ask them to bring toys for a shelter or other needy children. The young
person celebrating a birthday still gets the fun of opening presents, but they will also have the
satisfaction of bringing joy to an underprivileged child. In addition to the child’s “real”
presents, guests could also bring items needed by a local shelter – find out ahead of time
what they need so you can include that information on the invitation.

If your child and her friends are crafty, they can start planning ahead to sell crafts on the
birthday. Make a sign that reads, “It’s my birthday. Help me support XYZ charity.” Your child
and his friends will likely get more “customers” than if they set up a simple summer sale table
somewhere. Use themed invitations, party favors, decorations, and snacks. For example, if
your child loves animals and wants to help the local shelter, you could make dog bone
shaped invitations, and make “puppy” chow for snacks.

"Puppy" Chow Recipe

Ingredients needed: 9 c. crispy rice cereal squares, 1/2 c. peanut butter, 1 c dark
chocolate chips, 1 c. confectioner's sugar

Equipment needed: Large saucepan, Large zippered plastic bag, Covered bowl for each
guest

Directions (to be prepared by the birthday child with an adult): 1. In a saucepan over
low heat, melt the chocolate; add peanut butter and mix until smooth. 2. Remove from heat,
add cereal and stir until coated. 3. Pour powdered sugar into the large zippered plastic bag.
4. Add coated cereal and shake until well coated. 5. Store in plastic bowls (like margarine
tubs) tightly covered until the party. Guests can pretend to be dogs and eat from the bowls
without using hands!

11
Continue Your Visit

Funtastic Family STEM www.STEMchildrensbooks.com

Adventures
Where's Green
This 32-page book is a wonderful way of introducing science and
nature to children.

 The three main characters in this book are
Priti, a proton; Ning, a neuron; and Ellie, an electron. Together, the
trio makes up The EnteleTrons®.

One day, The EnteleTrons® world looks different. What has

happened? Then the team discovers the reason - the color green
is missing! Where could it have gone? Why did it leave the
rainbow?

The EnteleTrons®, help align the seven colors of the rainbow,

while exploring the visible spectrum in a prism. Through character
interaction, The EnteleTrons® show everyone the value of
cooperation. Winner of the 2014 Mom's Choice Awards® - Silver
Certificate.

What's The Matter

This 32-page book helps children learn about the states of matter -
Ice, Water, and Water Vapor.

Why is Ice so unhappy? Why won't it accept that it must change to

Water soon? The EnteleTrons® help the three primary states of
matter understand their role in the water cycle. Through character
interaction, The EnteleTrons® help young readers accept the
changes that occur in their lives.

Winner of the 2014 International Children's Literary Classics Seal

of Approval and nominee for the 2014 Global E-book Awards.

Oxygen Finds Friends

This 32-page book helps children learn about the elements of the
Periodic Table.

What happened to Oxygen? Why doesn't it want to combine with

the other elements? The EnteleTrons® help atoms and molecules
come together to form new compounds. Through character
interaction, The EnteleTrons® help young readers understand
tolerance of others' differences.

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