Colorado State University, College of Natural Sciences Education and Outreach Center and the National Park Service partnered to make park science come to life in classrooms. Through this partnership, CSU has developed hands-on STEM activities for students grades 4th – 12th. The goal is to create place-based and culturally relevant STEM experiences that help students understand the science behind critical regional issues.
Plankton to Plastic Pollution
Plastic is everywhere! In our daily lives, we rely on plastic more than we think. In the Plankton to Plastic Pollution STEM Kit, students learn about pollution to be part of the solution. There are classroom sets of these STEM kits at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Kona, Hawaiʻi, CSU’s Todos Santos Center, the NSEOC and with CSU’s Semester at Sea. This STEM kit is appropriate for students in grades 4th – 12th.
How to borrow:
- Kona, Hawaiʻi Educators kits are coming soon.
- Educators in Mexico near CSU’s Todos Santos Center should contact Kim Kita at kim.kita@colostate.edu or 612-145-0009 for information.
- CSU Faculty should contact the Education Abroad Office.
- Colorado Educators should submit either a Local Pick-Up Loan Application Form or the Delivery Loan Application Form.
Ice Science in Alaska National Parks
The Vital Ice STEM Kit has model ice cores that let students explore real data collected in Denali National Park. Students will create a permafrost model, study glacial ice core data and learn about climate change. There are classroom sets of these STEM kits at Denali National Park & Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, the National Park Office in Fairbanks, AK and the NSEOC. This STEM kit is appropriate for students in grades 6th – 12th.
How to borrow:
- Educators in Alaska should contact Stacia Backensto at stacia_backensto@nps.gov or 907.455.0669 for information.
- Educators outside of Alaska should submit either a Local Pick-Up Loan Application Form or the Delivery Loan Application Form.
Water Science at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park, Hawaiʻi
In collaboration with Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park staff and Hawaiian elders, the NSEOC has developed several water related activities for local teachers to use with their students before, during and after visiting the park!
- Anchialine pools are unique groundwater features that are found in Hawaiʻi. The Anchialine Pool STEM Kit features a model that illustrates the saltwater-freshwater interactions and the effects of over consumption of freshwater on the health of the entire system. This kit is appropriate for students in grades 4th – 12th.
- The Waters of Kāne Dice Game is an Hawaiian adaptation of the classic Incredible Journey game from Project Wet. This activity is appropriate for students in grades K – 8th.
- The Waters of Kāne Clever Catch Ball has students tossing a beach ball, catching it and then answering a question related to Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park and water science to promote class discussion. This activity is appropriate for students in grades 3rd – 8th.
- The Waters of Kaloko-Honokōhau Self-Guided Nature Trail Guide teaches visitors to the park about why freshwater is such a precious resource. The guide is suitable for learners of all ages and is available for sale at the park visitor’s center.
- The Electrical Conductivity Backpack is available at the park visitor’s center for educators to borrow and can be used in tandem with The Waters of Kaloko-Honokōhau self-guided walk. It contains a classroom set of booklets and seven individually packaged probe sets with instructions for easy measurement of the salt content all of the types of water found along the walk. This activity is appropriate for students in grade 6th – 12th.
- The Kaloko-Honokōhau 3D Paper Model is a simple paper model that depicts the underground interaction of freshwater and saltwater in three dimensions. Print it in color on card stock, cut it out, fold and glue to have a visual representation of the Waters of Kāne.
- The Schoolyard Water Budget STEM Kit teaches about the water cycle by having students assess all of the water inputs and outputs of their school grounds. Teams explore Evaporation, Precipitation, Infiltration, Runoff and Transpiration to determine if their school’s water use is in balance with the environment or not. These materials are appropriate for students in grades 4th – 12th.
All of the above materials are located at Kaloko-Honokōhau National Historical Park in Kona, Hawaiʻi and the NSEOC. How to borrow:
- Kona, Hawaiʻi Educators should contact the park to make arrangements.
- Colorado Educators should submit either a Local Pick-Up Loan Application Form or the Delivery Loan Application Form.
For more information about this partnership, please contact: Andrew Warnock
