FIRST LEGO League

Do you know about FIRST LEGO League?

I first learned about it online and so I decided to find out more. My oldest son and I just attended our first introductory meeting and I think we are both very excited about it. If you've never heard of it, FLL is a team-building, STEM competition coopertition that focuses not on winning, but on growing and developing our children's skills.

Wait, coopertition? Yes, I know that is not a word. But it was the one used by the engineer at our meeting. She admitted that it was a made-up word that combines the words cooperation and competition. And she said the goal was not to win, so much as to learn how to work in a team and to develop FIRST's core values in the students.

According to the website, FLL...

"...is the most accessible, guided, global robotics competition, helping students and teachers to build a better future together. The program is built around theme-based Challenges to engage children ages 9 to 16 in research, problem solving, coding, and engineering. The foundation of the program is the FIRST Core Values, which emphasize teamwork, discovery, and innovation. Students emerge more confident, excited, and equipped with the skills they need in a changing workforce."

It sounds like SUCH a great opportunity for kids to nurture their STEM skills, learn to work in a team environment, and direct their energies toward improving the world we live in.

Watch this:




Teams can be found all over the United States...and also in 97 other countries.

The entire event - from the start of the planning to the final competition - all takes place within about five months. Our team has already received its gameboard (shown below), and they will begin to build the modules that go on the board. Then they will build a robot and program it to approach each module and complete a specific task. There are 10 modules in each.

There is a strong focus on teamwork, communication, and problem solving. They want your children to enjoy the competition, while striving to improve themselves, and helping the other teams along the way.

Overall, I think it will be a fabulous experience for my son, but it is a major time commitment that I hope we can meet. If you have a budding engineer, Lego lover, or breathing tween/teen, then maybe this would be for him/her, too!

Visit their website to find out if there are any teams near you.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• LEGO® Magazines for Young Minds
  
  
• LEGO...Shakespeare?
  
  
• Brick-Stamped Apple Tree Activity

If Your Child is Too Young for FIRST LEGO League...

...then just nurture his or her Lego love with these kits:

Verizon Innovative Learning Program

Yesterday, I shared an NBC article on the MommyMaestra Facebook page that talks about how the Latino high school dropout rate has hit a new low while the number of Hispanic students enrolling in college has reached a record high.

Despite this enrollment increase, however, Hispanic students still have a very low college completion rate. Latino males still earn less than 9% of Bachelor's among graduating college students.

And Latinos account for less than 10 percent of the STEM workforce. In today's technology-driven world, that's disappointing. And that's why it's imperative that children get a good education in STEM classes. Because that college degree and subsequent STEM career can make the difference in pulling a family out of poverty.

Did you know that by 2020, 77percent of all U.S. jobs will require the employee to have computer skills? And yet an alarming number of schools in low-income neighborhoods lack the funding or support for technology tools, such as computers or iPads. And who suffers as a result? Yep! Minority students.

So now, Verizon Innovative Learning, the education arm of Verizon Foundation, is focusing on helping Latino students break down barriers in the hopes that they will consider STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers.

They are doing so by expanding their STEM & entrepreneurship program for minority middle school boys in 16 cities including areas with high Hispanic population. The program gives students acess to intensive hands-on courses such as

• mobile app development, 
• 3D design, 
• drone creation and execution, 
• and development of virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. 

As participants in the Verizon Innovative Learning program, students are connected to college mentors and paired for continued programming during the school year. So far, over 2,000 students have participated in the Verizon Innovative Learning program and the results are awesome:

• 64% are more interested in attending college 
• 53% are more interested in STEM careers 
• 47% feel more confident in what they can do 

Currently there are 4.4 million open tech jobs, but millions of kids don’t even know they exist! 

That’s why Verizon Innovative Learning is giving free technology and tech education to kids in need. 

To learn more and see if there are any programs going on near you, visit the Verizon Innovative Learning website.

Other Posts That May Interest You

• Top Five Reasons Why Latino Children Need to Go to College
  
  
• Fabulous Resources for College-Bound Latino Families
  
  
• Book for Latino Parents on Raising College-Bound Children
  
  
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund Makes College a Reality for Latinos
  
  
• The Empowered Community College Student
  
  
• DSST Online Study Guides for High Schoolers
  
  
• CLEP Study Guides for High School Students

7 Other Construction Kits for LEGO Lovers

One of my biggest challenges during the summer is keeping my kids off tech. That means finding projects to keep them busy. If this sounds familiar to you, then you'll enjoy my posts this week with ideas and products that are geared to challenge and engage!!

I'm listing these in order of age range, starting with products that the youngest kids can enjoy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Lincoln Logs 100th Anniversary Tin (Ages 4+)

I can't believe that Lincoln Logs have been around for 100 years! That just proves how special this product is. This set is made entirely of wood, just like the originals.

If there's one thing that doesn't change, it's history... and Old West play! This gift tin is perfect not only for this generation, but the sturdy logs can be passed down! Start a family tradition, or add onto a classic set, because these Lincoln Logs are compatible with other Lincoln Logs sets. The included design is for the old Meeting House from 1925. A thriving frontier town needs a great log-built Meeting House. Get the roof in place before winter storms and torrential rains hit the village! Put together hitching posts so the horses don't wander off into the wilderness.

---

GoldieBlox and the Dunk Tank (aff) (Ages 4+)

Do you have a younger engineer you want to encourage? Think GoldiBlox! In this kit, Goldie has to find a way to give her dog, Nacho, a bath. One problem: Nacho hates water and loves being a dirty dog. After many tries, Goldie finally comes up with the perfect contraption: A dunk tank! Introduces the real-life STEM concept of hinges and levers. Designed for tinkering and creative exploration, GoldieBlox toys build spatial skills and confidence in problem-solving. All GoldieBlox toys are inter-compatible.

Ruby Rails Sky-High Cable Car (aff) (Ages 6+)

Help Ruby Rails, Goldie’s BFF, build a gondola ride and soar high above Bloxtown! Combine plastic construction pieces and durable chipboard to construct the two towers, and connect them with a pulley to send Ruby swinging right over the kitchen sink. Introduces the real-life STEM concept of tension.

Designed for tinkering and creative exploration, GoldieBlox toys build spatial skills and confidence in problem-solving.  All GoldieBlox toys are inter-compatible. Comes with 32 pieces, including Ruby mini-figurine. Hundreds of how-to building videos online to help spark creativity in young engineers.

---

14-in-1 Educational Solar Robot Kit (Ages 8+)

This kit is recipient of the "Best Green Products Award 2013" from Dr Toy and Creative Child Magazine has anointed it with "Top Toy of the Year Award" and "Kids Product of the Year Award." This robot can be transformed into 14 different robot modes which include a multitude of comical and functional movements. The user can easily change from a Wagging-Tail Dog to Running Beetle to Walking Crab to Surfer to Speedster to Zombie Chaser! The robot kit provides unique accessories and parts that make the robot move on land and water.

---

These Engino construction kits because I have a major LEGO-lover who enjoys building things. I love that these are not gender specific! Boys and girls alike will love these projects. 

STRUCTURES: Buildings and Bridges Set (Ages 8+)

Learn all about buildings and how they literally support our lives! Construct different types of bridges and find out how their architecture design provides massive weight support. Discover all the types of forces applied and how engineers manage to reduce their effects.

Build 9 working models such as a house, a pyramid and various types of bridges: beam, arch, truss, cable-stayed and suspension bridge.

Simple Machines (Ages 8+)

The SIMPLE MACHINES set is a combination of the basic 5 sets of "Discovering STEM" series and covers all Simple Machines mechanisms. These mechanisms offer a mechanical advantage and are crucial elements of many machines and devices. They are designed to multiply or reduce force, increase or decrease speed and convert one type of motion to another.

Build 60 working models that cover the subjects of levers, the wedge, the wheel and axle, the screw, the inclined plane, the pulley, as well as the more advanced gears and linkages!

Gears and Worm Drives (Ages 8+)

Learn how Gears can easily reduce or increase speed, change force or transfer motion from one position to another. Discover how Worm drives are used to greatly reduce rotational speed and how screws can convert rotational motion to linear, while greatly increasing force.

Build 12 working models such as an experimental crane, a gearbox, a carousel, a helicopter, a screw press and a crane with a rotating arm.

Other Posts You May Enjoy:

• Activity Books for Young Engineers
  
  
• Using Broken Devices to Nurture Your Child's STEM Interest
  
  
• Get Your Kids Excited About STEM With EEME
  
  
• The Search for STEMnauts

The Search for STEMnauts Contest

Calling all middle school and high school students!

If you are obsessed with space or enjoy coding, this is a great opportunity for you! NASA has partnered with Texas Instruments to create and host this super fun contest that features the skills astronauts use in space. And they are searching for young STEMnauts to complete their challenges.

To win great prizes, you and your team of up to 5 fellow students must decipher puzzles and brainteasers using the coding and STEM* problem-solving strategies NASA uses to make human life in space possible. You'll have to have an adult sponsor, but they canNOT help you with the challenges. ;)

Teams must be middle or high school students. Homeschoolers are eligible.



The team with the most points will win:

• A new Galaxy Gray TI-84 Plus CE graphing calculator for each team member
• A $500 Amazon gift card for your team
• Passes to choice of NASA visitor center
• An assortment of fun STEM and space-related objects, including:
  - ISS Drawstring Backpack
  - Squishy Astronaut
  - NASA Pins/Decals
  - Foam RocketsS
• A video chat with a NASA subject matter expert

In addition, each of the members of five teams chosen at random will win a Galaxy Gray TI-84 Plus CE graphing calculators.

I think there are only around 150 teams at the moment, so your chances are good! Get in there and start deciphering codes and riddles.

You can enter the contest any time before it ends on May 31st.

My daughter is totally geeked about participating and is lining up a teammate. :)

Good luck!!!

Little Passports Science Expeditions & a Sale!

A few months ago, I signed up for the new Little Passports Science Expeditions. It's a monthly subscription that brings various science projects to your doorstep for your kids to explore. We've had subscriptions to their World Edition and USA Edition in the past and my kids loved them. Now that they are older, we decided to try out Science Expeditions.

Our first packet arrived last month and we were NOT disappointed! The first kit was all about forensic science and one of the activities was to isolate the DNA from a strawberry. 

This post contains affiliate links.

Here's what this kit included:

• An introductory 16-page comic book with glossary and bonus activities
• An activity direction guide
• A lab notebook for recording your observations
• A fingerprint analysis card
• An achievement badge for forensic science
• All the equipment needed to conduct the experiment, except for the strawberry and a few household items;
• Access to bonus online videos and science content

My son started off reading the comic book to learn the various terminology associated with the



Then he prepared his notebook and started setting up for his experiment.

If you're wondering how difficult the experiments are, here's a video for the DNA activity:

Science Expeditions: Berry DNA Video

As you can see, the activities are just challenging enough to keep your kids' attention without frustrating them. :) They are LOADS of fun and lots of learning taking place!

Super fun, right? This next month, my little scientists will be learning about vision and optics. They’ll build a camera obscura, a thaumatrope, and a spinning top with an optical illusion. We're excited for the kit to arrive!!

FYI - the time to sign up is NOW because Little Passports is celebrating its eighth birthday with a super sale (aff link)! But you'll have to hurry because the sale ends THIS Friday!

GoldieBlox

February is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) month! And as the mother of a girl who LOVES science, I'm all about finding her materials, toys, and opportunities that nurture her interest. Given the fact that women make up only 24% of the workers in STEM fields, I believe parents and educators really need to encourage their female students who are passionate about these subjects. 

SO, I was super excited to find out about this exclusive GoldieBlox Sale that starts TODAY on Educents! I'm sure you've heard about this company that focuses on creating STEM toys for girls. Below is just one of the excellent kits you'll find up to 30% off now through Wednesday, Feb 15th. 

This post may contain affiliate links.

What is it?

GoldieBlox (aff): Construction toy featuring the world's first girl engineer character, Goldie Blox! This kit introduces the real-life STEM concept of prototyping. Designed for tinkering and creative exploration, GoldieBlox toys build spatial skills, eye-hand coordination, and confidence in problem-solving.

Why is it cool?

All GoldieBlox toys are inter-compatible with existing sets and perfect for curious and crafty kids ages 6+. The kit comes with 275+ pieces, a poster full of engineering terms and exciting build ideas, a caterpillar, bouncing robot, and a catapult! Hundreds of how-to building videos can be found online to help spark creativity in young engineers.

The Craft-Struction Box combines the best of crafting and construction for the ultimate open-ended play experience! Kids will think like Goldie to prototype and problem-solve, and with over 275 pieces the possibilities are endless!

Additional Suggestions for Use:

GoldieBox Craft-Struction naturally lends itself to following step-by-step directions included in the kit.

But, here’s how your child can extend the use of this construction toy with the STEM philosophy in mind:

• Give your child specific directions to help solve a problem with only a select few pieces. For example, using only 50 pieces, build a bridge that can hold the weight of a medium-sized potato.
• Have your child create a short animation of a creature they build.
• After building a tower, have your child design the blueprint with directions for the tower. Then, have someone else follow the steps to build the tower. How accurate were the directions? The design? Talk about why it’s important to be precise with directions and designs. Have your child made revisions accordingly.
• Have your child take photographs as they build a structure and put together a “how to” picture book for siblings.
• Have your child find the perimeter, area, and volume of the structure they build. Talk about the 2D and 3D geometric shapes and solids they find in their creations.

Other awesome sets include:

6th Annual Invent It Challenge

One of my favorite parts of running MommyMaestra is being able to share fun opportunities for your children or students. I especially love it when there are contests that both homeschoolers and students in traditional classrooms are eligible to enter.

The Global Spark!Lab INVENT IT CHALLENGE is a competition that encourages students ages 5 to 21 around the world to find solutions to global problems. This year's Challenge invites kids to think about a real-world environmental issue and design a planet-friendly solution. When asked to identify and solve a global health issue, last year's winners created a wearable warning system that helps prevent frostbite, a massage rope to aid injured athletes, and an ingenious water filtration system.

The Challenge offers eligible children from around the world the opportunity to showcase their creative thinking on a global stage, with the opportunity to win exciting prizes such as:

• a patent consultation from Nelson Mullins, 
• LEGO kit, 
• books from Smithsonian, 
• and subscriptions to Cricket Media's Science Magazines.

Individual students and entire classrooms serving children between the ages of 5-21 are encouraged to participate.

As part of the Invent It Challenge, kids are guided to look at the world around them and think about the environmental challenges facing people and their families, communities and the world. Specifically, the Challenge encourages them to tackle issues such as water scarcity, climate change, air or water pollution, endangered species and natural resource loss.

I would love to see a Latino student win this year! You can find way more information on the Invent It website.

Nurture Your Little Scientist with the Magic School Bus Science Club!

This post may contain affiliate links. 

One of my kids' favorite book series has been The Magic School Bus. They used to pour through the books, reading about everything from the bottom of the ocean to dinosaurs. Sometimes I would read them aloud and sometimes they'd read to themselves. We'd imagine ourselves shrinking, shrinking, shrinking down in size until we were small enough to drive around the inside of our own bodies with Ms. Frizzle and our fictional classmates. 

I'll forever have the memory of sitting on the couch with my kids reading the books. And I'll remember that moment when I check the mailbox and let out a little squeal because our Magic Tree House Kit of the Amazing Human Body has arrived and I can't wait to use it in our homeschool lessons.  

So I have to tell you about this opportunity from Educents to give your kids an AMAZING , HANDS-ON, YEAR-LONG SCIENCE JOURNEY!

For All the Kids Who Love to Ask “Why?"

The Magic School Bus Science Club is a 12-month science kit subscription based on the award-winning series, The Magic School Bus. If you haven't heard about the series before, each of the stories center on the antics of a frizzy-red haired fictional elementary school teacher, Ms. Frizzle, and her class, who board a “magic school bus” to take them on field trips to impossible locations, like the solar system, clouds, the past, and inside the human body. This story-based learning took the science scene by storm in the 90's.

But it's the 2000s!!

The kit subscription takes it to the next level with HANDS-ON learning that all ties into the stories! It's also HALF OFF FOR 10 MORE DAYS! This is a great choice for families with multiple children, kinesthetic, and visual learners - and just a fun, educational activity for a rainy day! The kits include experiments related to Volcanoes, Weather, Water, Fossils, Bacteria and Fungi, Star and Planets, and the weather. One experiment your kids will be really excited to try is the Volcano Kit! The kit comes with a small volcanic rock, a pumice stone, sheets of paper, black paint, paint brush, a magnifying glass all to build a volcano. Check out the video below to see the fun experiment and explosive result (this one is from Educents)...
  
And there are so many more experiments! Think of a sibling science club coming to life in your home - or friends bonding over making volcanoes explode, and learning all about how the human body works! Getting kids excited about STEM learning is exciting stuff. And it's especially exciting because it's HALF OFF FOR 10 MORE DAYS. 

Here's the run down:



The 12 Magic School Bus themed science experiments sent to your doorstep, monthly include:

• Detailed, extensive 12-page colorful manual that is full of experiments and topic information
• Each manual was based on the award-winning Magic School Bus Book (and TV) series
• A handy dandy cheat sheet for adults, so you can lead the way with no background in science (shhh.. I always preferred reading...)
• Tools and instructions for a at least 7 interactive experiments per month
• Online Clubhouse for further exploration on each package topic (take advantage of this!!)
• Certificate of Completion - a great way to reinforce learning and accomplishments

The Price: Package is for $119.00 currently (50% off deal for only ten days). You do have to pay it at once, but it comes out to $10/month over the course of the year. For me, that's a solid investment!

Weird but True! Live Facebook Event to Celebrate New TV Series

When my son turned 8 years old, someone gave him a boxed set of Weird But True! books from National Geographic Kids. For weeks after that, he would come up to us and say things like, "Did you know a piece of cake more than 4,000 years old was found in a tomb in Egypt?" or "Did you know that newborn babies are color-blind?" The books started out in the car and he would pull them out as soon as we climbed in to go somewhere and start reading. But they eventually made their way to his bedroom where they became part of his bedtime reading routine. Even after he had finished reading them, he'd start over with the first book because the facts inside were so crazy that he was just fascinated. That was two years ago, but he still pulls those books out and reads through them from time to time.

Is your child intrigued by crazy trivia? Do weird facts amuse them? Well, mark your calendars because tomorrow, September 14th at 11:30 a.m. ET, National Geographic Kids is hosting a Facebook Live! event to celebrate the launching of their new TV series based on their bestselling book series, Weird But True! It officially premieres this week on TV (check your FOX network).

Both my kids and I will be watching the FB Live event because (as I mentioned) they are voraciously addicted to weird trivia. They love to tell their friends and family (really, anyone who'll listen) about things that will blow their mind away.

Hosted by a brother and sister team, Charlie and Kirby Engelman, the TV series will investigate the fun, strange and surprising ways our world works. From exploring shipwrecks to discovering caves to hunting meteorites, your kids will love the adventures that Charlie and Kirby take you on. Each episode includes a craft and an interview with an expert. Charlie says that meeting these experts and seeing how passionate they are about the subjects they study and their dedication has made him appreciate the uniqueness of people.

Charlie says that his favorite wild but true facts are the ones about everyday things that you never knew, such as how peanuts aren't really nuts. The biggest takeaway he wants for his young audience is for them to be curious about the world and to not be afraid to go out and find the answers to the questions they have about our world and how it works.

On tomorrow's Fb Live event, Charlie will attempt to demonstrate roughly 25 of our wackiest, most visually impressive Weird But True! facts. You can watch and ask questions. 

Get your kids and watch a trailer for the new series here on the WBT! website.

Weird But True! has been around for a long time. NGK staff has been building their database of weird facts for the last 12 years! Here are just a few of the facts your kids will discover if they read the books, download the app, watch the show, or listen to the new radio program:

Disclaimer: I'm a National Geographic Kids Insider which allows me early access to information to share with my readers. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

National Geographic Kids Insider

I'm super excited to share that I've been selected to be one of this year's National Geographic Kids Insiders! This means that as an ambassador for NGK, I'll be learning about new products and opportunities that you can use with your kids to boost their knowledge of this world we live in. From animals to world cultures, I hope you'll check in here at MommyMaestra to read about amazing wildlife, our national parks, outer space trivia, and so much more. 

Some of you long-time readers may remember that I used to be a zookeeper many years ago. In fact, I married another zookeeper, who now oversees an amazing collection of birds at our country's largest bird park. So naturally, our fascination with animals has been passed down to our children who have an intense love of nature, as you can see below, or if you scroll through my IG account.

There just aren't enough visible Latino biologists, naturalists, zoologists, etc. We want to change that and help you nurture your children's love of wildlife! So get ready to learn about some great books, apps, videos, printables, and other resources created just for families like ours.

¡¡Abrazo!!

Back-to-School with PreK12 Plaza

This is part of a sponsored collaboration ̊with the PreK12 Plaza. However, all opinions expressed are my own. #PreK12Plaza

Now is about the time of year when I start getting emails from parents that are concerned about the start of school. Most want to know how to start homeschooling, but many are a little stressed. "Help! We haven't done anything all summer! How do I get my child ready for school?" is a common message in my inbox.

The second is what I want to focus on today because the reality is that kids who do absolutely no educational work during the summer lose up to 25% of what they learned during the school year. It's frustrating for teachers because they have to waste up to 6 weeks of the new school year reviewing material that their students already learned...and then forgot!

But at the same time, I think it is totally unfair (not to mention unrealistic) to expect children to spend their summer vacation sitting around doing school work. What a kill joy. Yuck.

Fortunately for us, summer learning doesn't have to be that way. (It doesn't have to be that way during the rest of the year, either, but that's another conversation for another day!) I'll be honest: I don't want to spend my summer cracking the whip and forcing my kids to fill out worksheets or workbooks. So instead, I turn to materials and resources that are fun, but still help to boost or maintain my kids' skills and knowledge. So I use educational board games, apps, outdoor activities, crafts, and more to keep my kids busy learning. 

One new tool we just found out about is the PreK12 Plaza Summer Victory Challenge! The online program uses engaging tech to get kids busy doing hands-on activities that challenge their ingenuity and their creative spirit. Once you open a (FREE!) account, you can then enter the dashboard and choose to "create" an eBook, video, game, printable, exercise, and more.

We've only been using it for a few days, but my daughter - who is getting into the swing of the Olympics - elected to create an eBook on the subject. She's been doing her research using an awesome Summer Games Unit I created, and has been putting together her project.

I love that she can use the software on the PreK12 site to "publish" her first eBook. She loves seeing her words come to life and I love all the research and preparation she puts into it. It's a fantastic way to boost her literacy skills. And she's also putting her artistic side to work as she creates images for the cover and the pages using clipart and creative commons photographs.

And I know that MommyMaestra readers will love the fact that the entire site is completely bilingual making it possible for both English- and Spanish-speaking children to participate.

The eBook is easy to create, but there are How-To Manuals in video and pdf formats in case you need them. You can also look at other eBooks to see how other students and educators have created theirs.

To make your own, you simply click on the yellow "Create" button at the top of the page, select "eBook," and then you'll be directed to a page where all of your books are stored. Click "Add Book" and then fill out the basic information such as subject, grade level, and more. You'll want to have an image for the cover already stored somewhere on your computer because it will ask you for it before you can move on to creating your pages. After you've created cover page, you'll then be able to create individul pages. Here's what my daughter's pages look like (pre-editing and spell check!):

The cool thing is that you can even add sound to your eBook, so if you child wants her readers to have the read-aloud option, she can simply upload an audio file for each page. We couldn't quite figure out how to reorder the pages or make copies of pages, so my daughter had to copy some of the text and make new pages that way.

Once you've completed your eBook, you can submit it for review and approval to be added to PreK12 Plaza's online library to help other kids learn about various subjects.

Overall, she has been having fun doing it and it's great to know that someone else also believes in my kids and is creating programs that help them grow and develop into future college students.

This program is also a great tool for homeschoolers. We started back to school already, and I'm excited to know that we can use this year round to create various learning projects in whatever subject we want.

So to get your kids using tech in a fun and educational way, why not head over to PreK12 Plaza to sign up for their Summer Victory Challenge and help your student get ready for going back to school?

Please join us on Wednesday night for a Bilingual Back-to-School Twitter party!! Just follow the hashtags #prek12plaza #bts and/or our hosts @estilofamiliar & @prek12plaza.

Free Download: Captain Mama's STEM Activity

Happy 4th of July!! How are you celebrating the holiday? How about with a simple activity that celebrates the women who defend our country and the freedoms with which it comes? It's perfect! I'm crazy happy to share with you today's gift to MommyMaestra readers from my friend, Latina Air Force veteran and children's book author, Graciela Tiscareño-Sato. You probably remember my sharing a review of her new book, Captain Mama's Surprise/La Sorpresa de Capitán Mamá, a few months ago.

If you've been waiting patiently for it to be released, then today is THE DAY! You can finally order it on Amazon (my affiliate link) or directly from the publisher. PSST! If you order directly from the publisher, you'll also receive an embroidered patch of the book's cover art!

Captain Mama's Surprise is the second book in her bilingual children's picture book series about women and mothers serving in our volunteer armed services. And as I mentioned in my review, this great story includes a STEM activity so students can learn basic aircraft terms and begin to think about airplanes as structural machines that are engineered.

My kids had a great time with the activity, carefully thinking about structure and balance. And I'm delighted that the author and publisher has granted me permission to share this download with you! Your kids will love this activity.

Click Here to Download Activity

Be sure to order your copy of the book! It is so FULL of information, you'll be happy you did. 

Fueling Education Program for K-8 STEM Teachers

Are you a STEM teacher? Do you have a favorite activity or lesson plan for teaching your students specific STEM concepts? If so, I want you to know about this opportunity for you to win classroom supplies or an in-school teacher training session with science guru, Steve Spangler!

Citgo's Fueling Education Program is focused on nurturing children's interest in STEM. The best way they can do that is by supporting creative and ingenious K-8 teachers. They want to know how your students use STEM learning to boost their creative and critical thinking skills.

To enter, K-8 teachers simply visit www.fuelingeducation.com to share their favorite STEM teaching ideas or lesson plans through a brief description, photo, and/or video, for the chance to receive one of the following:

• 3 Grand-Prize winners will receive an in-school teacher training session led by Spangler, with the opportunity to invite up to 99 other fellow teachers to attend and learn STEM-related topics, lessons and activities to engage their students. Each Grand Prize winner will also receive a voucher to purchase classroom supplies from National School Supply.
• 9 First-Prize winners will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Spangler’s “Science in the Rockies” seminar, held mid-summer in Denver, to participate in hands-on workshops to further develop the way they teach STEM subjects. In addition, each First Prize winner will receive a voucher to purchase classroom supplies from National School Supply.
• 90 Second-Prize winners will receive a voucher to purchase classroom supplies from National School Supply.

According to the website, when you enter the contest, you will receive a STEM education packet with lesson plans and posters (while supplies last).

“At its very core, STEM is really about our ability as educators to build connections and create experiences that inspire our students to think differently as they imagine their unlimited potential as future scientists and engineers,” says Spangler. I totally agree!

I'd really love to see some Latino or Bilingual Ed teachers win!

Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes Contest

So today, I discovered this awesome contest for high schoolers. The National Science Foundation is hosting the Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes contest. The concept is creative and challenging; each student must research the field of nanotechnology and invent a superhero whose powers are based on current nanotech advances or that may be possible in the future given the current nano research. My kids aren't old enough, but they would SO be all over this if they were!

The students can win cash prizes: $1500 for 1st place, $1000 for 2nd place, and $500 for 3rd place.

But here's the catch: the deadline is next Tuesday, February 2nd! That's super short notice, I know, but I only found out about it. But I know that if you have a science-loving student or one that is a comic book aficionado, he or she could knock this out over the weekend.

Who: High-school students, individuals between the ages of 13-19 years old. Homeschoolers welcome.

What: A written entry explaining the original superhero and nanotechnology-driven costume, gadget, vehicle, or other gear, with particular emphasis on the research behind the nanotechnology, and a 90-second video OR one-page comic strip introducing the superhero and the student's nanotechnology gear. Entries are scored based on creativity, scientific accuracy and the visual appeal of the comic strip or video.

When: Submissions are due by midnight February 2nd.

Where: The competition's online platform nsf.gov/GenNano, where you can learn more about the challenge, access resources, register and submit your written entry and comic or 90-second video. Three finalists must attend and present their superhero at the 2016 USA Science & Engineering Festival in Washington, D.C., April 16-17, 2016. All expenses will be paid for the student and a parent.


For more details, check out the Entry Guidelines.

STEAM Skill Building with Keva Blocks

Screen time is a constant struggle around my house. My kids are constantly yammering, "Can I please get on the iPad/Kindle/computer?" We had to go to a firm schedule of 1 - 1.5 hours a day from this time until this time for it to work, and only if all their school work is complete and they've done chores and some reading. Their other excuse is that they are bored. So I've set out to find new products that keep my kids engaged and busy when they aren't on tech, and I'm going to share them with you. Today, I'm all about Keva Blocks!

This post uses affiliate links.

A few months ago, I bought a set of Keva Colors (aff). It comes with 120 planks, all the same size in four different colors. It's all about the stacking. You don't use glue, nor do they come with connectors. The set does, however, come with an idea book, and both my kids used it to create various masterpieces, including these:

But really, the sky's the limit with these blocks because your kids can build whatever their imaginations come up with. My daughter made this barn and corral. 

And my son also built this marble run...

I love this set because there's no age limit and because it embodies the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) concepts of engineering and arts. My kids must use their own creativity and ingenuity to build. It's not easy to make stairs with planks, you know!

I also love how much time they spent playing with it! So as far as I'm concerned, this set of Keva blocks gets an A+.

I looked it up and Keva has a whole collection of blocks (aff) in various play sets. I'm looking forward to buying another one simply because my kids had such a good time with this one and I love how great it was for developing their engineering skills...and their creativity!

If you're looking for a product that is fun, educational and keeps your kids entertained while they are off tech, you might consider Keva blocks.

Have fun building!