WonderWorks

ababluck

Description

This program is a STEM or STEAM based program. We do the latter and include art. The children come and explore different aspects of Science, technology, engineering, art and math. I do a small group of 5 due to limited space.

Project Link

WonderWorks
Source Library
MacKenzie Public Library

Length of program session

30-60 minutes

Number of sessions

5

Frequency

Weekly

Presenter(s)

Jenny LeBlanc
Audience

Primary Audience

Preschool (aged 3-4)
Resources

Community partners

Success by Six

Funding (grants/foundations/corporations)

Success by Six

Budget for this program

$3200 for initial start up and incidental buying for each class.

Resources required (materials/supplies; food/refreshments, etc.)

I use the STEM products out of the Wintergreen catalogue as the base of the program and everyday items to accomplish the lesson. I also use 2 books More than counting by Sally Moomaw and Brenda Hieronymus and Science is Simple. Another good resource is Sick Science on YouTube. The internet has a lot of resources for different lessons. Technology is the hardest one to get information on.
Evaluation

Feedback from Participants

The kids had a ball. I think the experiment that was the most fun was the milk in a dish with droplets of paint in them; you take a cotton swab with soap and put it in the middle and watch what happens. They wanted to do that over and over. The next one was stacking chips and doing patterns.

Highlights - what worked well?

Having small tables that you can set out different experiments on. Having the 5 kids in class was optimum unless you have help to have a bigger class. I brought the conversation down to their level to ensure they were understanding the concept. You can tell when the aha moment happens.

What were the goals/objectives of your program?

Our goal was to make learning fun in these specific areas for 4 & 5 year olds. Another goal was to have 5 in the first session and 10 in the second. During the first session, 5 is a good number for me due to limited space and one-on-one contact.

What would you change about this program?

Keep it to 5 kids. I did let a sibling join in the art session that was 3 years old and it became evident quickly that she was too young. I will not do that again. I would stress that their attendance.