Learning should be awesome and fun. It needs to go beyond the regular classroom and take place anywhere and everywhere. To explore the world around them, kids should engage in hands-on activities at their own pace and comfort level.
As our own small part of making this happen, we decided to publish an educational STEM newsletter that combines thoughts and ideas about STEM education and creating a learning community, things we’re using to improve our learning experiences, some of our adventures, and even insights from my daughters about their favorite STEM activities, shows, and people. To receive new editions of our newsletter, please sign up to join the Kids Need Enrichment community.
KNE Newsletter 34 – Unseen Ocens, Gharials, and a KNE Update
A review of the American Museum of Natural History’s temporary exhibit on Unseen Oceans, what distinguishes a gharial different from an alligator or a crocodile, and what we’ve been up to this spring
KNE Newsletter 33 – Asimov Debate, The Science of Curling, and Alka Seltzer Rockets
A summary of the 2018 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate on Artificial Intelligence, the science behind the sport of curling, and how to make Alka Seltzer Rockets at home
KNE Newsletter 32 – We’ve Been Busy, BridgeUp: STEM, and What Happened to the Neanderthals
An overview of what we’ve been up to the past few months, a review of the BridgeUP: STEM program, and a review the 2-week Virtual Worlds Institute: What happened to the Neanderthals
KNE Newsletter 31 – Total Solar Eclipse, Tabletop Hovercrafts, and Ice Cream Making
What makes a total solar eclipse special, how to build a tabletop hovercraft, and how to make ice cream as a science experiment
KNE Newsletter 30 – Don’t Save the White Tiger, Russian Tortoises, and Binary Bracelets
Why people shouldn’t try to save the white tiger, Russian tortoises, and how to make a binary bracelet
KNE Newsletter 29 – Hyperloop, Slime, and Glass Blowing
KNE intern, Owen, explains Hyperloop technology, how to make slime, and a glass blowing experience
KNE Newsletter 28 – Digesting Tweets to Understand Obesity, OK Fossils & What to Write
KNE intern, Sam, explains her research into the relationship between social media and obesity, hunting for fossils in Oklahoma, and an 11 year old’s advice on writing
KNE Newsletter 27 – The Seychelles, Sharks 2, and KNE Challenge & STEM Night Update
An overview of the Seychelles, an overview of sharks, and an update on students taking the KNE Challenge and our STEM Night activities
KNE Newsletter 26 – Coco de Mer, Ailuronyx Trachygaster & Managing Your Time Part 3
The largest seed in the world, one of the rarest animals in the world, and how to deal with incoming requests.
KNE Newsletter 25 – Teknopolis, Capillary Action & Multiple Focuses
The BAM Teknoplis’s interactive art exhibit, how to test capillary action, and how to sort through what’s on your plate.
KNE Newsletter 24 – Leonardo DaVinci, Penguins & Time Management
The incredible life and work of Leonardo DaVinci, penguins, and managing your time.
KNE Newsletter 23 – The Turtle, Save the Mangroves & Cognitive Biases
Technology and espionage of the American Revolution, why we need to save the mangroves, and cognitive biases affect decisions.
KNE Newsletter 22 – MoMath, Writing on Writing & What Do You Want?
The Museum of Mathematics in New York, how to write an article, and figuring out what you want.
KNE Newsletter 21 – Birds of Paradise, Flexagons & a Human’s Owner’s Manual Part 2
Birds of Paradise in Papua New Guinea, make hexa-flexagons out of paper, thinking with System 1 versus System 2.
KNE Newsletter 20 – Glass Flowers, a Human’s Owner’s Manual & Throwing Stuff Off the Roof
The incredible Glass Flowers exhibit at the Harvard Natural History Museum, models of how the human brain work, and throwing stuff off the roof to determine the force of gravity.
KNE Newsletter 19 – Linville Caverns, National Park Service & Complexity
The Linville Caverns in North Carolina, the National Park Service turns 100, and complicated versus complex environments.
KNE Newsletter 18 – Swim With the Sharks, Lettuce Lake Park & Squishy Circuits
Swim in the shark tank at the Florida Aquarium, a natural Florida habitat at the Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa, and how to make squishy circuits.
KNE Newsletter 17 – Life & Coding, Reality & Rainbow In a Tube
Coding relates to everyday life activities, reality isn’t quite what you think, and how to make a rainbow in a tube.
KNE Newsletter 16 – Macho Microbes, Tie-Die Milk & Gerenuks
There’s a world of microbes living in and on your body, how to make tie-die milk, and what are gerenuks?
KNE Newsletter 15 – Mind Maps, Binomial Nomenclature & “Wanting” Isn’t Enough
How mind maps are a different way to take notes, using binomial nomenclature in taxonomy, and why “wanting” something isn’t enough to make it happen.
KNE Newsletter 14 – Spiders, STEM Talk Wrap Up & Conch
The amazing word of spiders, a summary of our successful first STEM Talk, and why we should save the conch!
KNE Newsletter 13 – Life Skills, KNE Challenge Update & Family Tower Building Challenge
Introducing the “KNE Life Skills” page, an update on how many kids have taken the KNE Challenge, and how to create a family tower building challenge.
KNE Newsletter 12 – 15 Interns, the Size of the Solar System & the 2016 Solar Eclipse
What to do with 15 interns, an activity to understand the solar system’s size, and the 2016 solar eclipse in Southeast Asia.
KNE Newsletter 11 – Digital Microscopes, FIRST LEGO League & Super Memory
A review of our new digital microscope, LEGO robotics, and how to build a super memory.
KNE Newsletter 10 – Expose, Engage & Challenge; Taking over the Hayden Planetarium; Too much homework
Our new KNE philosophy or “Expose, Engage and Challenge”, Digital Flight School at the American Museum of Natural History, and a 9 year old’s opinion on homework.
KNE Newsletter 9 – Dangerous Things Kids Should Do, Playing With Glass & Goblin Sharks
A review of the book “50 Dangerous Thinks (you should let your children do)”, playing with glass at Bullseye Glass studios, and the “living fossil” goblin shark.
KNE Newsletter 8 – Mail Order 3D Printing, Manta Rays (aka Flattened Sharks) & What Eats the Portuguese Man of War
Mail order your own 3D printing creations, what makes Manta Rays (aka Flattened Sharks) so interesting, the Glaucus Atlanticus (a tiny sea slug that eats the deadly Portuguese Man of War).
KNE Newsletter 7 – Ashley the Awesome Astronomer, “Rusty” the Robot & Indestructable Tardigrades
An interview Ashley Pagnotta, a postdoctoral fellow, Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History, our weekend with “Rusty” the NAO Robot, and what makes tardigrades super cool.
KNE Newsletter 6 – How Carl Mehling Got His Dream Job, Rainbow Humans, and Parents Need Enrichment Too!
An interview with Carl Mehling, Senior Scientific Assistant, Department of Paleontology at the American Museum of Natural History, what to do if you look like a chameleon, and why parents need enrichment too.
KNE Newsletter 5 – The Coding Issue
Why and how our children should to learn code, an opinion piece on why people need to learn to code, and how to start coding.
KNE Newsletter 4 – Interview with Nancy Simmons, Axolotls & Time to Stand Up
An interview with Nancy Simmons, Curator-in-charge, Department of Mammology at the American Museum of Natural History, Mexican Axolotls, and why we should spend more time standing.
KNE Newsletter 3 – Learning to Write, Exploring Space & New Horizons
Developing writing skills, an opinion piece on why exploring space is important, and highlights of the New Horizons Pluto flyby.
KNE Newsletter 2 – Self-Oriented Learning, The Brain Scoop & Sharks
A new approach to learning, a review of the Field Museum of Chicago’s YouTube channel The Brain Scoop, and why you shouldn’t be afraid of sharks.
KNE Newsletter 1 – The Importance of Questions
Some advice about helping kids ask more questions, a review of the YouTube channel SciShow, and our 9-year old’s essay “In Praise of Leeches”.
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