Latest Posts by academicsinabox - Page 4

We are so sad to learn about the passing of Tony Dyson, who had the daunting task of building Artoo as a real life droid. #R2D2 #StarWars #Artoo #TonyDyson #droid

#GMO FREE...Mmmm, yummy! Organic sunflower butter, raisins, seeds and mealworms are all in this groovy box! "For the Birds" is now available as a SINGLE BOX just click on our groovy website from the link above. Engineering Design Challenge:  You are a Bird Feeder Engineer and want to invent a groovy bird feeder design that’s never been seen before. Can you design and build a bird feeder that meets the survival needs of local birds using upcycled materials? #upcycle #STEMists do the "E" in STEM! Engineering Design Challenge in every groovy box! #NationOfMakers #STEMforKids #STEMEducation #STEMEd #ProjectBasedLearning #PBLChat #PBL #scichat #scied #sciafterschool #engineeringeducation #STEMtastic #unschooling #ElemEd #homeschoolscience #instascience #STEMChallenge #NGSS #MakerEd #MakerSpace #EngineeringDesignProcess #STEMist #GroovyLabInABox #GroovyLab #futureengineer #futurescientist

March is #WomensHistoryMonth! Be inspired and just do it. "The most effective way to do it, is to do it." - Amelia Earhart, aviation pioneer

Happy Birthday to you Dr. Seuss! Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer and illustrator best known for authoring popular children's books under the pen name Dr. Seuss. Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Theodor Robert and Henrietta (née Seuss) Geisel. All of his grandparents were German immigrants. His father managed the family brewery and was later appointed to supervise Springfield's public park system by Mayor John A. Denison after the brewery closed because of Prohibition. Mulberry Street in Springfield was made famous in Dr. Seuss' first children's book "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street!" and is less than a mile southwest of his boyhood home on Fairfield Street. Geisel was raised a Lutheran. He enrolled at Springfield Central High School in 1917 and graduated in 1921. He took an art class as a freshman and later became manager of the school soccer team. #DrSeuss

NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly has completed his #YearInSpace mission on the International Space Station. Today marks the last day of his mission. He is home. Photo and caption credit: NASA/Scott Kelly #JourneyToMars #SpaceStation #NASA #OffTheEarthForTheEarth #NASASocial

Celebrate #EngineersWeek2016: #TBT Hedy Lamarr is famous as a glamorous movie star from the black-and-white era of film. But what most people don't know about her is that, in 1942, she co-invented a device that helped make possible the development of GPS, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi technology! Born in Austria in 1914, the mathematically talented Lamarr moved to the US in 1937 to start a #Hollywood career. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, she was considered one of cinema's leading ladies and made numerous films; however, her passion for engineering is far less known today. Her interest in inventing was such that she set up an #engineering room in her house complete with a drafting table and wall of engineering reference books. With the outbreak of World War II, Lamarr wanted to apply her skills to helping the war effort and, motivated by reports of German U-boats sinking ships in the Atlantic, she began investigating ways to improve torpedo technology. After Lamar met composer George Antheil, who had been experimenting with automated control of #musical instruments, together they hit on the idea of "frequency hopping." At the time, radio-controlled torpedoes could easily be detected and jammed by broadcasting interference at the frequency of the control signal, thereby causing the #torpedo to go off course. Lamarr and Antheil were granted a patent for their invention on August 11, 1942, but the US #Navy wasn't interested in applying their groundbreaking technology until twenty years later when it was used on #military ships during a blockade of Cuba in 1962. Lamarr and Antheil's frequency-hopping concept serves as a basis for the spread-spectrum communication #technology used in #GPS, #WiFi and #Bluetooth devices. Unfortunately, Lamarr's part in its development has been largely overlooked and her efforts weren't recognized until 1997, when the Electronic Frontier Foundation gave her an award for her technological contributions. Hedy Lamarr passed away in 2000 at the age of 85 and, in 2014, she was at long last inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for her invention of a "Secret Communication System" many years ago. Text credit: A Mighty Girl #HedyLamarr

Born this day, John Woodward February 24, 1665 in Derbyshire, United Kingdom. At the age of 16, John Woodward became an apprentice to a linen draper in London, and then later he learned about medicine from Dr. Peter Barwick, who was a doctor for King Charles II. While studying medicine, Woodward found a fascination with fossils that eventually led him to his work with plants. In 1699, Woodward published his hydroponics experiments with spearmint. He tested different types of soil mixed with the water, and he learned plants with a less-pure water source grew better than plants grown in purely distilled water.  Woodward concluded that certain substances with minerals in the water encouraged plant growth. Fellow STEMists who want to become botanists can be on their way to doing research and investigations through the engineering design process found in our monthly-themed Groovy Lab in a Box.  Check out our groovy hydroponics box "Water Works" for more groovy fun for future #botanists! #STEMists do the "E" in #STEM Read more about #hydroponics #OnTheBlog - Evolution of Hydroponics. http://www.groovylabinabox.com/the-evolution-of-hydroponics/ #JohnWoodward #botany #bornthisday

Our Boxes Are Much More Than Science Supplies What problems have you solved today? Every day we are challenged with solving problems, and as adults, we don’t think about the process that goes into finding a solution because we have years of practice. We learned at an early age to be problem solvers. Groovy Lab in a Box wants to help children be problem solvers too. We foster creative innovation of children, beginning in their early informative years, by enticing their innate curiosity and determination through the engineering design process. What is the Engineering Design Process? @NASA’s example of the Engineering Design Process “involves a series of steps that lead to the development of a new product or system.” In fact, all engineering design processes start with the identification of a problem, or asking of a question to a solution or conclusion. Thinking Outside of the Box Our lessons don’t stop with the box. All #STEMists continue learning through access to “Beyond…in a Box,” a unique web portal containing videos, interactive activities, #STEM library and much, much more which work in tandem with the box projects. Groovy Lab in a Box challenges children to create their own designs by using the #engineering design process and to think outside the box. This is how they learn to be successful creative problem solvers. We are excited to play a part in STEMists’ creativity and learning. Start your subscription today, or check out our Single Box Order options, to get Groovy Lab in a Box for your #STEMist! #NationOfMakers #STEMforKids #STEMEducation #STEMEd #ProjectBasedLearning #EWeek2016 #PBL #EngineeringIsFun #BeAnEngineer #EngineersWeek #engineeringeducation #STEMtastic #unschooling #ElemEd #EdChat #EngineeringWeek2016 #homeschoolscience #instascience #STEMChallenge #MakerEd #MakerSpace #EngineeringDesignProcess #homeschool #Homeschooling #futureengineer #futurescientist

What is STEM, exactly? If you have followed Groovy Lab in a Box for a while, you may have noticed that we reference “STEM” a lot. However, you may be wondering: “What is STEM, exactly?” Let’s take a look at what STEM is and why it is so important to the United States. STEM is an acronym for “#Science, #Technology, #Engineering and #Mathematics.” It’s an acronym to describe a type of curriculum in school – from kindergarten through college. The idea behind STEM is to make the United States more competitive in technology development by bringing up generations of students who can excel in high-tech jobs (we call this generation, #STEMists.) Right now, only 16% of children graduating from American high schools are proficient in math and interested in a STEM career. However, jobs such as systems software developers, medical scientists and biomedical engineers will have the most career opportunities by 2020. Emphasizing STEM is critical in our schools, and it has not gone unnoticed by our federal government. In May 2013, the National Science and Technology Council issued a five-year strategic plan to respond to the lack of STEM education in our country’s schools. Other organizations, such as the STEM Education Coalition, are working hard to tell policymakers about STEM and how preparing our students is critical to the future of the U.S. We are doing our part, too. Each month, our subscription service focuses on delivering STEM education to your doorstep and computer. At Groovy Lab in a Box, we believe that children are natural STEMists with an innate sense of curiosity and inquiry that can flourish under the right conditions. We also believe that learning can be fun. We created Groovy Lab in a Box to encourage children to channel their natural STEMists. Whether they are building rockets or creating an electrical circuit, children are enjoying the learning process, and applying analytical skills that will transfer to the classroom, and later, their careers. Want to bring STEM learning right to your door step? Check out our monthly subscription programs! Your #STEMist will love our monthly themed STEM investigations & engineering design challenge. #homeschool #NGSS

Douglas Adams on leaving the planet. An English writer, humorist, and dramatist, Adams is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which originated in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books hat sold more than 15 million copies in his lifetime and generated a television series, several stage plays, comics, a computer game, and in 2005 a feature film. Adams's contribution to UK radio is commemorated in The Radio Academy's Hall of Fame #humor #DouglasAdams #space #NASA

Do you still have snow? Those beautiful snowflakes once started as a cold water droplet that froze on to pollen or a dust particle in the sky. Pretty groovy! #statesofmatter #snowflake #H2O #dihydrogenmonoxide

“I was sold on flying as soon as I had a taste for it.” – John Glenn Planning your summer vacation? Be sure to check out these groovy aviation museums with your #STEMists! http://www.groovylabinabox.com/6-kid-friendly-u-s-aviation-museums/ #aviation #museums #flying #STEM

50% OFF "Fly With Me" Single Box! CODE: FLY50 Give your STEM Friends a groovy heads up! Click here: http://www.groovylabinabox.com/shop/fly-with-me/ use CODE: FLY50 at checkout then get ready to take flight... Hands-on Next Generation Science Standards, project-based learning. #STEMists do the "E" in #STEM! Engineering Design Challenge: You are a starry-eyed aerospace engineer and a groovy world traveler.  You dream of taking off in the blue, gliding where the air is stratified and floating down to Peru.  Using only the materials from your Groovy Lab in a Box, can you design, build, and launch an airplane generating thrust with a propeller which travels fifteen feet? STEMists, get ready to pack up and fly away! Investigate: Parachutes; Weight, Lift, Drag and Thrust; Bernoulli’s Principle; Action–Reaction; Force of Air Game; Wings are Lifters; Catapult Airplanes; Airplane Kites; “Deux” Loop Glider ; Helicopter with Propeller, build various types of aerospace vehicles and much, much, more. Emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Extended learning through our exclusive online portal For children ages 8 and up #NationOfMakers #STEMforKids #STEMEducation #STEMEd #ProjectBasedLearning

Life before PowerPoint. #TBT NASA scientists with their board of calculations in 1961, LIFE magazine. Before the days of computers, employees at NASA would have to go about conveying their knowledge in a much more laborious way: chalk and board. As for this photograph, these are general equations of motion, so nothing that you would not have in a printed sheet of paper. There are no “calculations” in that board, just reference equations. To be fair it was the middle of the Space Race, they would not publish anything other than generic equations in Life magazine. Before the development of electronic computers, the term “computer” referred to people, not machines. It was a job title, designating someone who performed mathematical equations and calculations by hand. For a complex equation the prominent scientists of NASA would have “math parties”. Everyone would master one part of the equation. Then the first guy would do his part and hand it off to the next guy and so on. (Credit: J. R. Eyerman, LIFE magazine.) #ThrowbackThursday #NASA #STEMists #STEM

Luke, I am your snow father... Darth Vader looms large in 'Star Wars' snow sculpture in Japan. [via cnet] #LetItSnow #StarWars #DarthVader #Luke

In honor of #PresidentsDay, here's a great quotation to share with your #STEMists.

Patagonia at night...groovy. Credit: NASA/ Infrared.

From Team Groovy, Happy Valentine's Day. #ChemIsTry #ILuvU

Wear your chromosomes on Valentine's Day - Jewelry Collection Made from 3D Prints of Microscopy Data The X and Y-chromosomes found in humans are now wearable. Electron microscopist, Louise Hughes, has created a jewelry collection designed to mirror the look and shape of human chromosomes. Hughes designs every piece from microscopy data and produces it using 3D printing technology. Having already used the structures of organisms to create other jewelry pieces, Hughes felt she could not leave out the essential DNA and chromosomes. The 46 chromosomes found in our cells have never before been so beautifully displayed and worn. As humans the genes in our DNA, as well as our environment, come to define us. When cells divide, chromosomes compress and form distinct shapes. Those shapes are what inspire the jewelry pieces made by Hughes. Male chromosomes, X and Y, female chromosomes, X and X and the triplet 21st chromosome that causes Down’s syndrome are all replicated in the human chromosome jewelry line. From rings and pendants, to earrings and cufflinks, the stainless steel, bronze, and silver pieces are available in both, karyotpye 1 or 2 structural designs. It has been said that art imitates life and with the human chromosome jewelry designs by Louise Hughes, art is literally replicates life. Explore the Human Chromosome Jewelry Collection by Louise Hudges, Miniature Horizons #Jewelry #STEMFashion #chromosome #DNA #chromosomes

Oh, Sheldon. #Valentine #Sheldon #humor

Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock #WomenInSTEM #GirlsInSTEM In 1964 Geraldine “Jerrie” Mock became the first woman to fly solo around the world.  Her flight took 29 days and was completed April 17, 1964.  According to her obituary, Mock thought her flight was no big deal.  She said she did it mostly “to have fun.” Although she enjoyed flying, she obviously took it seriously, too–she did, after all, live to the age of 88.  When she did her around-the-world flight, she was a full-time mother of three children and had been a licensed pilot for only seven years.  During her famous flight she once had to land in Saudi Arabia.  After she exited the plane, the crowd waited for a man (the pilot) to come out, too.  When no man emerged, they realized she was the pilot and many cheered.  Her plane, the Spirit of Columbus, is in a museum in Chantilly, Virginia.

She proved that safety glasses can be gorgeous! #AudreyHepburn

Feel the Groovy Love - 50% OFF "Fly With Me" Single Box! Give your STEM Friends a groovy heads up: 1.) ❤ this post 2.) TAG a #STEMist. 3.) SHARE this post and the groovy love! Go to "Single Boxes" on our website, click the "Fly With Me" groovy box then USE CODE: FLY50 at checkout and take flight... Hands-on Next Generation Science Standards, project-based learning. #STEMists do the "E" in #STEM! Engineering Design Challenge in every groovy box! #NationOfMakers #STEMforKids #STEMEducation #STEMEd #ProjectBasedLearning #PBLChat #PBL #scichat #scied #sciafterschool #engineeringeducation #STEMtastic #unschooling #ElemEd #EdChat #STEMChat #homeschoolscience #instascience #STEMChallenge #NGSS #MakerEd #MakerSpace #EngineeringDesignProcess #GroovyLabInABox #GroovyLab #futureengineer #futurescientist

STEM•ist /stĕmʹĭst/ n. Expert in applying science, technology, engineering and mathematics. #STEMist #STEM

Throwing it way back! #TBT Pretty groovy, right? It's a map of Pangea - a supercontinent that formed roughly 300 million years ago - mapped with contemporary geopolitical borders. What you see here is an anachronistic mashup - a modern map, complete with geological features that did not exist 300-million years ago, with its various parts relocated to the general position they would have occupied before Pangea began rifting apart some 200-million years ago. It's a view of the supercontinent not often seen, and a mind-bending way of relating to the world on a geological time scale. #Pangea #ThrowbackThursday #supercontinent #ContinentalDrift

Have a groovy #PancakeDay!

Today is groovy #PeriodicTableDay! Dmitri Mendeleev - Father of the Periodic Table A Russian chemist and #STEMist. He formulated the Periodic Law, created his own version of the periodic table of elements, and used it to correct the properties of some already discovered elements and also to predict the properties of eight elements yet to be discovered. "I saw in a dream a table where all elements fell into place as required. Awakening, I immediately wrote it down on a piece of paper, only in one place did a correction later seem necessary." - Mendeleev, as quoted by Inostrantzev After him was named mendelevium, which is a synthetic chemical element with the symbol Md (formerly Mv) and the atomic number 101. It is a metallic radioactive transuranic element in the actinide series, usually synthesized by bombarding einsteinium with alpha particles. A large lunar impact crater Mendeleev that is located on the far side of the Moon, as seen from the Earth, also bears the name of the scientist. #PeriodicTable #DmitriMendeleev #Mendeleev

#STEMist

Happy Sunday! Groovy Space Flower via NASA's Astronaut Scott Kelly on the International Space Station. #YearInSpace #ISS #SpaceFlower #SpaceStation

This groovy rocket is a new symbol on a pilot's navigation map. It's SpaceX's rocket test facility in Texas. Would you fly over it? #SpaceX #Navigation