STEM Initiative
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
STEM is everywhere! from ORISE on Vimeo.
As a young black entrepreneur with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, our company CEO, Ronald Hickland Jr thinks it is important to give back to our youth. By building up our youth and inspiring them to find interest in STEM in their everyday lives, we are helping to create a better future. Our STEM team works with both teachers and students to spark an interest or create a connection where there may not have been one previously.
Experiments
Bored with the same old experiments year after year? Consider adding some of these into the rotation. Do you have a great idea you’re currently using in your classroom? We would love to add it to our list. Click here to submit your experiment. Click on the experiment name to see full instructions.
Density
Water Bottle Ketchup Packet – Make a ketchup packet sink or float in a water bottle. Great experiment to make kids think you have telekinetic powers
Make your Own Density Bottle – Using everyday objects to show that different items have different density — All in a water bottle.
Jupiter’s Rings in a Jar – How to explore density, viscosity and miscibility with a colorful layered liquid science experiment.
Centrifuge in a Bottle – Learn how to make a DIY centrifuge
Chemistry
Red Cabbage pH Indicator – How to use red cabbage to determine the alkalinity of a substance.
Sucking an Egg into a Bottle – An example of pressure
Making Homemade Plastic – Make plastic using items in your kitchen
Starting a Fire with Water – DISCLAIMER: This experiment is dangerous and should only be conducted by a trained science instructor.
Homemade Fire Extinguisher – In case you need one from the previous experiment.
Burning Through Money – Burn money without actually harming it.
Invisible Ink – Make your own invisible ink
Plant Life/Botany
Colored Celery – How do plants without roots survive?
Why do Apples Turn Brown – Slowing down oxidation in fruits and vegetables.
Tropical Rainforest Trees – Do buttress roots help trees stand upright better than underground roots?
Lemon Battery – Understanding how batteries work
How Do Carnivorous Plants Digest Insects?
Natural Herbicide vs Commercial Herbicide
Physics
Hooke’s Law – Explore Newton’s 3rd Law
Break a Ruler Using a Newspaper & Atmospheric Pressure – Demonstrates air pressure
Weightlessness in an Elevator – Examine how falling affects an object’s weight
Pendulum – Using pendulums to show energy movement
Ice-cream in a Bag – Lean how to make ice-cream with 3 ingredients
Tornado in a Bottle – Learn how to make a tornado in a bottle
Light and Vision
Disappearing Bottle – Explore light refraction
Making Things Glow in the Dark – Explore phosphorescence
Creating an Oven Using a Pizza Box – Solar oven
Animation – How vision aids in cartooning
Math
Your Planetary Age – How old would you be if you lived on a different planet?
Making a Mobius Strip – Using math and paper to create a mobius strip
Unbreakable Eggs – Understanding the strength of an arch
Blood Splatter Analysis – How does math help forensic scientists?
Investigating Beauty Using the Golden Ratio – Exploring beauty using mathematical ratios
Physics of Pool – Why do pool cues do what they do?
How do Different Search Engines Work? – Exploring the mathematical algorithms of different search engines.
Engineering
Energy Efficient Windows – Determine what materials conserve the most energy
DIY Hovercraft – Learn how to make a hovercraft
Renewable Energy from Water – Create an energy source using water
Marshmallow Towers – Learn how to make a stable structure using marshmallows and spaghetti
Popsicle Stick Catapult – Learn how to build with a catapult with popsicle sticks
Miscellaneous
Making Chicken Sounds with a Cup – How to make a red solo cup squawk like a chicken.
Fireworks in a Jar – See how water reacts with different substances