snowflakes. Unfold to see your sym-
metrical snowflakes.
Read about it:
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
— This book for younger kids has less
detail about snow, but you can talk about
the snowball the boy puts in his pocket
as part of your melting experiment.
STEAM-y
Projects for
Chilly Days
— by Sara Barry
The Story of Snow: The Science of
Winter’s Wonder by Mark Cassino —
Learn about how snow crystals form
and the answers to other questions
about snow.
Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline
Briggs Martin — It tells the story of
Wilson Bentley, a real man determined
to photograph snow. (You can find some
of his images online at the Smithsonian
Institute Archives.) The book includes
an illustrated story and background
notes in the sidebars.
Winter Sky STEAM
I
s winter putting a chill on your
usual outdoor fun? Take ad-
vantage of the cold season to
explore the natural world, experiment,
and get creative. Add art to STEM ac-
tivities, and you get STEAM. From
snow to stars to survival of animals,
these activities are sure to STEAM
things up.
Snow STEAM
Instead of sledding or building
a snowman, try studying snow. Talk
about what happens when you bring
snow inside. Most kids know it melts
and turn to water. Now get curious. Fill
a jar with snow to do two experiments.
(No snow? Try these experiments with
crushed ice.)
• Predict how long the snow will
take to melt. Mark the time you brought
the snow in and check in on it periodi-
cally. How much faster does it melt if
you place the jar near a heater or warm
stove than if you place it in an unheated
room or near a window?
10 WNY Family February 2019
• Estimate how much water there
will be in the jar when the snow melts.
If the jar is full of snow, will the water
be all the way to the top? Mark each
person’s guess on the jar. Are you sur-
prised at the results?
Then take a closer look at snow
flakes. Put a piece of black paper in the
freezer for a few hours. Then bring it
outside while it snows to capture flakes.
Use a hand lens to take a
closer look at the snow-
flakes. What do differ-
ent snowflakes have in
common? What differ-
ences do you see?
After
ex-
ploring
snow
shapes,
make
your own paper
snowflakes. Cut
circles out of white pa-
per or use paper coffee filters.
Fold in quarters (or smaller) and use
scissors to cut intricate shapes. You can
get templates online to help you create
a variety of shapes inspired by actual
Bundle up and take a look at the
night sky. The longer darkness of winter
gives us more opportunity to view the
stars. See if you can pick out constella-
tions. Star guides come in books, maps,
decks of constellation cards, and even
apps to help you. Orion’s belt — three
stars close together in a straight line —
is usually an easy one to spot.
In addition to stars, try tracking the
moon. Go out early to see where the
moon rises. Take another look in the
afternoon and again right before bed to
see if the moon appears to have moved.
Track the moon for a month,
watching how it changes as it
waxes and wanes.
Use dark paper and
white or silver paint to cre-
ate your own constellation
charts or moon maps
showing your observa-
tions.
Read about it:
Zoo in the Sky: A Book
of Animal Constellations by
Jacqueline Mitton — Use as an
introduction to constellations for young
children.