Blog Posts

International Dot Day: Exploring STEM through Creativity

Posted by Kate Radell on September 11, 2023

September 15, the National Day of Double Cheeseburgers, Doodling, and DOTS! When it comes to International Dot Day, we join in celebrating the creativity, courage, and curiosity of young minds. It’s a day to recognize the power of imagination and to encourage our next generation to explore their own creativity. Dot Day was originally inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book, The Dot, and it has been bringing joy to children across the globe ever since.

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Topics: Elementary School, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, Resources, Activities, Hands-on Learning, STEAM, Art

Open-ended STEAM projects for elementary to middle schoolers

Posted by Corinne Pachl on July 19, 2022

Updated 6/18/24

On a scale from Tinkerer to Instruction Follower, I’m severely the latter. I do believe that anyone and everyone is a maker, but I’m the kind of maker who can make anything as long as I have a set of directions. Sewing pattern? I can assemble a new dress. Recipe? Boom, I have scratch-made cinnamon rolls a day later. Walk me through writing code? Sure, I’ll make that robot solve a maze ASAP.

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Topics: IDEAS & INSPIRATION, STEM, Engineering, Activities, Hands-on Learning

Force of Attraction: How magnets attract and repel

Posted by Admin on February 11, 2022

Updated 6/18/24

We’ve all heard the term opposites attract. While this can be true of love interests, we’ll just stick to a topic we can all agree on: SCIENCE!

Like any two people on Earth, magnets can either attract or repel each other. What causes these “feelings” between two inanimate objects? The force, of course! Well, not that force but magnetic force! This is called magnetism. Like electricity and gravity, magnetism is a basic force of nature.

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Topics: IDEAS & INSPIRATION, Science, STEM, Activities, Hands-on Learning, Art

The future is Fusion: Your next-gen dragster blank

Posted by Corinne Pachl on February 09, 2022

Updated 6/18/24

The world of education has evolved significantly over the years, yet Pitsco’s CO2 dragsters have remained a constant since the 1970s. Since its beginning, Pitsco’s dragster assortment has always offered two types of wooden blanks: balsa and basswood.

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, Middle School, Competitions, STEM, TSA, Dragsters, Activities, Drafting

Sculpting with shadows: two Groundhog Day STEAM activities

Posted by Admin on February 02, 2022

Updated 6/18/24

I’m writing this while sitting in a coffee shop at a table near the door. Every time a new customer enters, I’m hit with a swirl of arctic air that chills me to the core. For me, that prognosticating groundhog can’t come out of his den soon enough.

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Topics: IN THE CLASSROOM, Middle School, Elementary School, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, Homeschool, Science, STEM, Activities, Hands-on Learning, STEAM