The (Hybrid) Young Scientists Program – Fall 2021
g among students due to health concerns, each student was provided a supplies kit with all the relevant supplies for experiments.
Jessica Stellmann and Blanca Diaz worked over the summer to assemble these individual kits for the ~2000 students in the program. Once the students returned to school in the fall, Jessica was able to drop off the kits at the seven schools in the program. These individual kits provide the opportunity for hands-on experiments and participation from students, allowing students to grow and explore on their science journey.
Figure 2: Jessica Stellmann delivering supplies to the California Science Center School (CSC).
YSP lessons covered various topics this semester, from chemistry to physics to earth sciences. Fifth grade students created a “water cycle in a bag” to observe how the water cycle works in the environment. After adding hot water to a plastic bag, they observed “clouds” forming at the top of their bags. Students were able to keep these up for a few weeks to continue to observe the water cycle.
Figure 3: Fifth grade students modeled the water cycle using plastic bags and water.
Third grade students explored engineering and design with their parachute experiment. Students built their own parachutes and tested them out in class, observing how different sized parachutes fall slower or faster based on canopy size. Students were encouraged to brainstorm the best parachute to ensure the softest landing.
Figure 4: Third grade student creates her parachute using coffee filters and cups.
Fourth grade students investigated sound and light near the end of the semester. To learn about the properties of light they did several experiments, including one using straws and tape to create their very own sound and light waves. Students determined which waves had the most energy based on how much they twisted them.
Figure 4: Fourth grade students work together to create their model wave.
YSP welcomed 7 new TAs this semester: Blanca Diaz, Karli Rodriguez, Elianna Bautista, Ishika Agrawal, Adriana Vasquez, Spencer Huerta , and Farisha Sultan. Ms. Sultan shared why she was excited to join the YSP team saying, “As a first generation college student pursuing a field in STEM, teaching and mentoring the younger generation to pursue their dreams (especially in the sciences) is a passion of mine. I am super excited to be able to work with YSP and do creative and fun experiments with elementary schoolers.”
We would like to acknowledge the Good Neighbors Campaign, Raytheon, the Winn Family, and Lau Family, and the Mayor’s Office for their support of the Young Scientists Program.