BoomeranG S .T. E . M . E D I T I O N
YOUR PLACE FOR FUN, GAMES & MORE.
ISSUE #11 • may 2021
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATH, OH MY! FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD TO S.T.E.M.
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IN THIS ISSUE 04 DON’T PUT YOURSELF IN A BOX
You can be a math person AND an arts person.
05 GIRL POWER
Don’t get stuck in a pink rut.
08 OH! THE PLACES YOU’LL GO!
Students in Hancock County robotics club.
10 DOES THIS COMPUTE? Your brain and nervous system act as your personal computer.
PLUS: 12 WILL IT FLY? THE PHYSICS BEHIND A PAPER AIRPLANE 14 ACTIVITY! DIY MARBLE MAZE 16 ACTIVITY! BRAIN WORD SEARCH 16 BOOKSHELF 17 ACTIVITY! MIND MAZE
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WHY THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A MATH OR ARTS PERSON
SHIFTING OUR FRAME OF MIND So why do some of us feel as if we are not a math person or an arts person? Dr. Perri Klass shares the answer with us. As a pediatrician (a medical doctor who manages the physical, behavioral and mental care of children), Dr. Klass explains that the idea that someone isn’t born with math or artistic acumen
We’ve all heard it or even said it ourselves: “I’m
oftentimes stems from feelings of anxiety related to such tricky
just not a math person,” or “I’m just not an arts
subjects. When we struggle with a subject like art or math,
person.” But did you know that there is no such
we tend to believe that we either have the innate ability or we
thing? It’s true! In fact, experts say that while
don’t. However, Dr. Klass reminds us that our skills and abilities
some people may have strengths in art or math
are not born into us but rather a result of study and practice.
while others may struggle, everyone can learn!
MATH AND ART “GENES” DO NOT EXIST
Getting the hang of math or the arts takes time. Do not be discouraged just because someone else gets it in five minutes.
In his book, How the Mind Works, Steven Pinker
You are not them! It’s important to remember that learning
explains that there is no rare math gene or arts
is not a race. After all, everyone’s brains are wired differently.
gene that gets passed to some people and not
You just need to find out what works for you. Problem solving
to others. Pinker is a developmental psychologist,
through a “trial and error” method will help you get where you
someone who studies how people grow and adapt
need to go. Try approaching that tricky math problem from
at different life stages. Essentially, subjects like
a different angle. Spend time looking at your art project from
art and math are not a talent. Rather, they are
a new perspective. By putting in time and energy, you, too, can
skills that can be learned through hard work and
learn math or art. In fact, you can achieve anything to which
dedication. Yes, there will be some people who
you set your mind!
understand more quickly than others, but this does not mean that learning art or math are impossible for everyone else.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: PENELOPE DULLAGHAN
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IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, TRY AGAIN!
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Don’t get stuck in the pink rut Boomerang
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You may have seen recent films
One heavily prevalent stereotype
about Madame Marie Curie, whose
is that boys naturally do better than
extensive study of radioactivity
girls in math and science. But there
led to two Nobel Prizes and is
is little evidence to support this idea.
featured in the film Radioactive,
Indeed, there is a lot of evidence
or mathematicians Mary Jackson,
that girls are just as talented
Katherine Johnson and Dorothy
in math and science as boys.
Vaughan, three African American
In the United States, girls and boys
women who many consider the
score about equally well in state
brains behind the early days of the
testing and class subjects.
U.S. space efforts portrayed
In many other countries, girls
in Hidden Figures.
actually outperform boys in math and science. That’s the finding of
Or on TV, maybe you’ve taken
a study that came out a few years
note of The Big Bang Theory and
ago in the journal Intelligence.
the portrayal of the slightly nerdy, super smart neuroscientist Amy
Despite this, Jean Morrison, provost
Farrah Fowler played by Mayim
at Boston University, says the idea
Chaya Bialik (who actually IS
that boys are better at math and
a super-smart neuroscientist as
science remains “deeply ingrained.”
well as an actress.)
This means that people can hold onto an idea for a long time even
However, according to the most
without any evidence to back it up.
recent U.S. data, only one in
And those deeply ingrained ideas
six engineers is a woman. Only
may affect people in ways that
about two in every five chemists,
aren’t obvious. They can even lead
scientists who study the properties
girls to perform worse on math and
of different substances, are
science tasks, studies show.
female. And there is only one woman in computer science and
The division of men and women
mathematics for every three men.
is more equal in a few other fields. Women make up slightly more than
WHAT? Those disparate numbers
half of all biologists, for instance. But
are shocking! Are we still fighting
among all scientists and engineers,
stereotypes (long-held attitudes
women make up just 27% — or only
and beliefs that aren’t based on
slightly more than one in four —
facts) in the 21st century?
of these workers.
UGH! MAYBE.
A number of programs are trying to raise those numbers by sparking an interest in girls for science, technology, engineering and math, aka STEM. But there’s another issue: Too few people — male or female — are studying engineering in college. Before long, the United States will face a “skills gap.” People will lack the training to fill all the jobs that will be available. For girls who want to work in science, astronomer Debra Elmegreen has some advice: Work hard. “Actually, it’s similar to the advice I give boys,” she says. First, she says, take lots of math and science classes in high school and college. “Second, don’t let anyone tell you, ‘You can’t do it.’” Elmegreen followed her own advice on her path to becoming a scientist. As a child growing up in South Bend, Indiana, in the 1950s and 1960s, she was mesmerized by the stars in the night sky. She knew that she wanted to be an astronomer (a scientist who studies space). As a high school student in 1971, she entered the Science Talent Search and won eighth place for studying bursts of radio waves coming from the planet Jupiter. She attended Princeton University in New Jersey as part of only the third class that included women. She became the first woman to leave the university with a degree in
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astrophysics. She then went on to
Vanessa Lucieer
graduate from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Most
Vanessa Lucieer works at the
of the men around her treated her as
University of Tasmania in Australia
an equal, she says, but there
as a marine spatial analyst at the
were exceptions.
Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. She studies acoustic (sound)
“There were comments from guys
data to map the seafloor. Recently,
sometimes who said, ‘You shouldn’t
she turned some of those images
be doing this,’” she recalls. “But I didn’t
into art. Last month she had her first
let them get to me. My professors
exhibition: Oceans of the Unknown.
were supportive, and most of the
With other seafloor scientists from
students were supportive.”
Susanne Pumpluen
Elmegreen recommends that young
Do you like math? Pumpluen
scientists get involved early with science fairs and competitions. “They put you in touch with your future peers at an early age,” she says. At a science fair, you “realize there are other people like you who want to do what you want to do.”
INSPIRING
MINDS Boomerang would like to introduce you to some women who have followed their quantum dreams!
sure does. She studies math at the University of Nottingham in England. Many people might think
around the world, she’s creating a collection of these images on the internet to “share the wonder” of the oceans’ unique shapes, patterns and textures.
modern math requires complicated computers. But Pumpluen says it doesn’t. “I don’t even need the internet,” she says. “I need a piece of paper, [and] I need a pen.”
watch now Johanna Teske “I’m an astronomer who studies exoplanets and their host stars,”
Lisa Glaser Glaser is in to small stuff. Very, very small stuff. She studies quantum gravity. This is an area of science that describes how tiny particles such as atoms and protons might react to the forces of gravity. Glaser is a physicist at Radboud University in Nijmegen in the Netherlands. Before she became a scientist, Glaser spent her teenage years teaching kids karate.
watch now
explains Teske. (Exoplanets are planets that orbit around stars other than the sun.) Her team’s goal is to understand the diversity of planets in the Milky Way galaxy. She works at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. In her free time, Teske runs marathons. Her friends even make astronomythemed signs to cheer her on!
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Oh! The Oh! The Places Places You’ll You’ll You’ll Go! Go! HANCOCK COUNTY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ROBOTICS CLUBS. Are you the kid who can’t get enough LEGOs, K’NEX or Minecraft? Does building stuff — mechanical stuff that moves — set your brain on fire (in a good way)? Then you might be a perfect fit for a robotics team. And if you live in Hancock County, you have some pretty cool opportunities to get involved at your school. As a matter of fact, some of our student robotic teams are ranked in the top 30 in the world! Noah Harris is a programmer on the Greenfield Central High School VRC Robotics Club. He joined in seventh grade, though he began that interest in fifth grade as a member of the computer science club. “I have always liked robots and the mechanical workings of things. I have always wanted to be an engineer, and I feel like robotics is a good way to really get involved to see if I like the engineering environment,” he says.
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While high-schoolers participate in VEX-VRC, students in grades two through six can participate in VEX-IQ. Students are given a new challenge annually and must design, build, program and drive a robot to complete the challenge as best as they can. The robotics teams that consistently display exceptional mastery in all of these areas will eventually progress to the VEX Robotics World Championship. According to Greenfield Central High School’s Julie Stoeffler, the collaboration and teamwork among students is almost as important as the actual robotics. “A big part of these competitions is working with another team to achieve the tournament goal,” says Stoeffler. This creating of an “alliance” requires interacting with other teams and figuring out how each other’s strengths are most beneficial. Harris says this aspect of VRC has really helped develop his teamwork skills. “I have worked with many of my peers over the years on many different aspects of building robots, and I feel like my communication skills have also improved. That will help me be a better engineer and all-over team member,” he says. Mechelle Smith, robotics team coordinator at Maxwell Intermediate School, agrees that teamwork is a definite side benefit. “Teamwork and collaboration are an essential part of our team’s success. Attending events allows students to learn about different communities, cultures and diversity.” Maxwell Elementary sixth-grader Sal Sanchez has participated in the robotics team the last two years. “When I first heard about the robotics team, I was excited and intrigued about the fact that I would get to design, build and test my very own robot. Robotics has impacted me by teaching me many things that I will use later in life, like how to think outside the box or how to be resourceful. I plan on going into computers so I’ll probably deal with robots in my career, but I will still use the virtues that the experience has taught me.”
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DOES THIS COMPUTE? COMPUTE? YOUR BRAIN AND NERVOUS SYSTEM ACT AS YOUR PERSONAL COMPUTER! BY: LARISSA HIRSCH, MD, FOR NEMOURS If we’re talking about S.T.E.M. and programming, let’s take a minute to think about our own personal computing system. No, not your laptop and not your PlayStation controller, but your brain and nervous system! The brain controls what you think and feel, how you learn and remember, and the way you move and talk. But it also controls things you’re less aware of, like the beating of your heart and the digestion of your food. Think of the brain as a central computer that controls all the body’s functions. The rest of the nervous system is like a network that relays messages back and forth from the brain to different parts of the body. It does this via the spinal cord, which runs from the brain down through the back. It contains threadlike nerves that branch out to every organ and body part. Your brain is the boss of your body. It runs the show and controls just about everything you do, even when you’re asleep. Not bad for something that looks like a big gray wrinkly sponge. Your brain has many different parts that work together. We’re going to talk about the five main parts, which are key players on the brain team: • cerebrum • cerebellum • brain stem • pituitary gland • hypothalamus
THE BIGGEST PART: THE CEREBRUM The biggest part of the brain is the cerebrum. The cerebrum is the thinking part of the brain, and it controls your voluntary muscles, the ones that move when you want them to. You need your cerebrum to dance or kick a soccer ball. You need your cerebrum to solve math problems, figure out a video game and draw a picture. Your memory lives in the cerebrum, both short-term memory (what you ate for dinner last night) and long-term memory (the name of that roller coaster you rode two summers ago). The cerebrum also helps you reason, like when you figure out that you’d better do your homework now because your mom is taking you to a movie later. The cerebrum has two halves, with one on either side of the head. Scientists think that the right half helps you think about abstract things like music, colors and shapes. The left half is said to be more analytical,
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helping you with math, logic and speech. Scientists do know for sure that the right half of the cerebrum controls the left side of your body, and the left half controls the right side.
THE CEREBELLUM’S BALANCING ACT Next up is the cerebellum. The cerebellum is at the back of the brain, below the cerebrum. It’s a lot smaller than the cerebrum. But it’s a very important part of the brain. It controls balance, movement and coordination (how your muscles work together). Because of your cerebellum, you can stand upright, keep your balance and move around. Think about a surfer riding the waves on his board. What does he need most to stay balanced? The best surfboard? The coolest wetsuit? Nope. He needs his cerebellum!
BRAIN STEM KEEPS YOU BREATHING (AND MORE) Another brain part that’s small but mighty is the brain stem. The brain stem sits beneath the cerebrum and in front of the cerebellum. It connects the rest of the brain to the spinal cord, which runs down your neck and back. The brain stem is in charge of all the functions your body needs to stay alive, like breathing air, digesting food and circulating blood. Part of the brain stem’s job is to control your involuntary muscles (the ones that work automatically without you even thinking about it). There are involuntary muscles in the heart and stomach, and it’s the brain stem that tells your heart to pump more blood when you’re biking or your stomach to start digesting your lunch. The brain stem also sorts through the millions of messages that the brain and the rest of the body send back and forth. Whew! It’s a big job being the brain’s secretary!
PITUITARY GLAND CONTROLS GROWTH The pituitary gland is very small, only about the size of a pea! Its job is to produce and release hormones into your body. If last year’s clothes are too small this year, it’s because your pituitary gland released special
hormones that made you grow. This gland is a big player in puberty, too. This is the time when boys’ and girls’ bodies go through major changes as they slowly become men and women, all thanks to hormones released by the pituitary gland. This little gland also plays a role with lots of other hormones, like ones that control the amount of sugars and water in your body.
HYPOTHALAMUS CONTROLS TEMPERATURE The hypothalamus is like your brain’s inner thermostat (that little box on the wall that controls the heat in your house). The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be (about 98.6°F). If your body is too hot, the hypothalamus tells it to sweat. If you’re too cold, the hypothalamus gets you shivering. Both shivering and sweating are attempts to get your body’s temperature back where it needs to be.
YOU HAVE SOME NERVE! So, the brain is boss, but it can’t do it alone. It needs some nerves. Actually, it needs a lot of them. And it needs the spinal cord, which is a long bundle of nerves inside your spinal column and the vertebrae that protect it. It’s the spinal cord and nerves — known as the nervous system — that let messages flow back and forth between the brain and body. If a spiky cactus falls off a shelf headed right for your best friend, your nerves and brain communicate so that you jump up and yell for your friend to get out of the way. If you’re really fast, maybe you’re able to catch the plant before it hits your friend! The nervous system is made up of millions and millions of neurons (say: NUR-onz), which are microscopic cells. Each neuron has tiny branches coming off it that let it connect to many other neurons. When you learn things, the messages travel from one neuron to another over and over. Eventually, the brain starts to create connections (or pathways) between the neurons, so things become easier, and you can do them better and faster.
Think back to the first time you rode a bike. Your brain had to think about pedaling, staying balanced, steering with the handlebars, watching the road and maybe even hitting the brakes. And it had to think all of that all at once! Hard work, right? As you practiced, the neurons sent messages back and forth until a pathway was created in your brain. Now you can ride your bike without thinking about it because the neurons have successfully created a “bike riding” pathway.
EMOTION LOCATION With all the other things it does, is it any surprise that the brain also runs your emotions? Maybe you had fun on your birthday and were really happy. Or your friend is sick, and you feel sad. Or your little brother messed up your room, so you’re really angry! Where do those feelings come from? Your brain, of course.
Sometimes you might feel a little sad, and other times you might feel scared or silly or glad. That’s the amygdala!
BE GOOD TO YOUR BRAIN As you can see, your brain does a WHOLE LOT for you. So, what can you do for your brain? Plenty. • Eat healthy foods. They contain vitamins and minerals that are important for the nervous system. • Get a lot of exercise (playtime!). • Wear a helmet when you ride your bike or play other sports that require head protection. • Don’t drink alcohol, take drugs, vape or use tobacco. • Use your brain by doing challenging activities, such as puzzles, reading, playing music, making art or anything else that gives your brain a workout!
Your brain has a little bunch of cells on each side called the “amygdala” (say: uh-MIG-duh-luh). The word amygdala is Latin for almond, and that’s what this area looks like. Scientists believe that the amygdala is responsible for emotion. It’s normal to feel all different kinds of emotions, some positive, some negative. Boomerang
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The Physics Behind Paper Airplanes 12
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Paper airplanes are a fun pastime, but what exactly makes them fly? Depending on the aerodynamic design, paper airplanes can glide through the air long and far. Many forces are at play that affect the flight of paper airplanes, including drag, gravity, thrust and lift. Let’s take flight by exploring the physics behind paper airplanes!
AERODYNAMICS The air around us helps a paper airplane fly. Move your hands through the air. You can feel the air on and around your hands, right? At certain angles, your hand is even able to move through the air more easily. Give it a try! This is the concept of aerodynamics at work. Aerodynamics, or how easily an object is able to move through the air, is what determines the length and distance of a plane in flight. The forces of drag, gravity, thrust and lift all play into the concept of aerodynamics. Let’s learn about these forces in more detail.
DRAG
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WANT TO MAKE A PAPER AIRPLANE? LET’S GET FOLDING! CLICK TO PLAY
Drag, or resistance, is the aerodynamic force that opposes a plane’s motion through the air. In order for your paper airplane to fly as far as possible, make sure it has as little drag as possible. To do this, make a paper plane with narrow wings, using smooth paper, and watch your plane take flight!
GRAVITY Gravity is another force to take into consideration when flying your paper airplane. The force of gravity pulls all objects to the ground. The greater the weight of an object, the greater the force of gravity acting upon it. Therefore, you need to keep your plane’s weight to a minimum to help fight against gravity’s pull. Try making paper airplanes out of
printer paper rather than construction paper, as the lighter weight will help your plane fly longer.
THRUST When you launch a paper plane into the air, you are giving the plane a push to move forward. That push is the force that we call “thrust.” Thrust is the forward movement of a plane. As the pilot of your plane, you control the initial thrust. Give your plane a good send-off. The better the push, the greater the chances of your plane remaining in the air for as long as possible. After launched, airplanes act as gliders, converting altitude to forward motion, using the air as their guide.
LIFT Lift comes when the air below the paper airplane’s wings is pushing up harder than the air above it is pushing down. It is this difference in pressure that allows the plane to fly. If your plane flies nose down, add weight toward its tail or remove weight from the nose. Do the opposite if the plane flies nose up. You can also alter the center of lift by changing the angle at which you launch it. Do this by bending the wings or flaps up or down.
TAKING FLIGHT A long flight occurs when these four forces of aerodynamics — drag, gravity, thrust and lift — are balanced. Experiment with what works best for your paper airplane! It may take a few tries to find the right balance, but once you do, you can enjoy watching your plane soar freely through the air. After all, it is this problem-solving process that makes flying paper airplanes so much fun!
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MAKE A MARBLE MAZE 14
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Looking for an easy and entertaining craft? Try making your very own marble maze. After all, the only thing more fun than making a marble maze is playing with it! This activity promotes creativity and fosters independence. All you need are a few simple supplies and some yummy snacks to fuel your craft time. Let’s get started!
3.
Continue adding elements.
Keep adding sections of playdough snakes to the box lid to make a complete maze. This is where you can let your creativity soar! You can even add balls of play dough to make “bumpers.” Optional: Add pieces of straw to create extra obstacles within your maze. Using safety scissors, cut the straws to the desired length. Press the straws into the play dough or hot glue them into place.
To make a marble maze you’ll need: • a box lid (shoebox, small pizza box or file box lids work great for this!) • marbles* • play dough (homemade or purchased) • straws (optional) • hot glue gun (use for straws only) • safety scissors (for cutting straws)
4.
Next, make adjustments.
As you create your design, be sure to test it by running the marble through it. This is an important step of the marble maze–building process. If your marble cannot fit through a space, make adjustments to improve your design.
5.
It’s time to play!
*Don’t have marbles? No problem! You can crumple up a small piece of aluminum foil and roll it between your palms to form a ball.
Now that you’ve completed your maze how you like, it’s time to have fun! Gently tilt the box lid back and forth to move the marble through the maze. Invite a friend, sibling or parent to play with you!
SUPPLIES
DIRECTIONS 1.
Make some play dough “snakes.”
Place small chunks of play dough on a table. Using the palm of your hands, roll the dough back and forth on the table to create a “snake” shape. Repeat this process to make a handful of snakes.
2.
Design your maze.
Place one play dough snake into a corner area of the box lid. This will be the starting point of your marble maze. Be sure to gently press the play dough into the box lid so it stays in place.
For other marble maze–making ideas, check out this video!
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WORD SEARCH
N E RVO U S
SYST E M
FIND THE WORDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
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KATE THE CHEMIST SERIES BY KATE BIBERDORF
BRAIN
CEREBRAL
CORTEX
SPINAL
CELLS
CEREBRUM
MESSAGES
STEM
CEREBELLUM
CORD
NERVE
THALAMUS
S E G A S S E M R S H B M D K
V B W X V U S C D D J Z H R L
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N K R U H E R J R S B C Y O Y
M E F K V U N A L V A S X C I
C E R E B E L L U M P C P K J
L C T V P Z I U A I I O O M S
A Y U S E F R L N I A R Q L T
R S T J R X P A X Z M T O Y D
B F U O C E L L S U T E T O K
E Y E M C Q M A R I E X W U P
R Z N W A N J B B N J B K O I
E E M W R L E E I N R T K U W
BOOMERANG BOOKSHELF
C G V X P R A A Z T Y Q D U W
U V N C E H R H H C K H L Z X
S P E C L B G V T X J O Y N A
HOW WE GOT TO NOW BY STEVEN JOHNSON NICK AND TESLA SERIES BY BOB PFLUGFELDER AND STEVE HOCKENSMITH SUPER COOL TECH BY DK THE BOY WHO HARNESSED THE WIND (YOUNG READER’S EDITION) BY WILLIAM KAMKWAMBA, BRYAN MEALER MAKER LAB: 28 SUPER COOL PROJECTS BY JACK CHALLONER
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MAKING HEALTH POSSIBLE
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