STEM projects
The 4-H Science, Technology and Engineering projects provide a wide variety of opportunities for youth to learn about and become involved with science and engineering. In the Science Rich Learning section discover science in 4-H Horticulture, Entomology, Forestry, Geology, Marine Science, Dog, Horse, Foods, and Clothing projects.
The projects can also be combined to enrich learning- such as studying aeronautics for airplanes and weather together! Or the Electricity Project with Wearable Technology Clothing design! These hands-on minds-on projects will appeal to the maker in both youth and adults. Materials kits are available for many of the STEM project areas from the Shop 4-H STEM page
Wasco County ROV Sharks robotics team won first place in Lincoln City competition May, 2018
Aerospace
Open up a world of aviation with the 4-H Aerospace Project. Build a rocket and learn how an airplane works and how weather can influence flight. Create an altitude tracker and determine how pilots calculate fuel efficiency. Check out the Aerospace curriculum at the Shop 4-H Mall!
Member Materials
- Aerospace Adventures 1 - Pre-Flight (06842)
- Aerospace Adventures 2 - Lift Off (06843)
- Aerospace Adventures 3 - New Heights (06844)
- Aerospace Adventures 4 - Pilot in Command (06845)
- Aerospace Adventures CD (07605)
Volunteer Materials
- Science Inquiry video: Rocket Stomper
- Science Inquiry video: Parachutes
- Science Inquiry video: Bee Buzzers
- Aerospace Adventures - Helper's Guide (06846)
Computer science
You will be introduced to the five fundamental principles of computer programming through a series of tutorials and challenges within the Scratch Computer program.
- With Scratch, you can program your own interactive stories, games, and animations — and share your creations with others in the online community.
- Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
- Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge.
Use this Google CS First video tutorial series to get you started with Scratch.
Member and Leader Materials
Electricity project
Energize and electrify youth with Electric Excitement, the 4-H electric energy series. The series is supported by Interactive Learning Programs (ILPs), which are on-line modules that will help adults and youth learn about electricity. The ILPs were developed by the Oregon 4-H program and follow the books, providing self-paced activates. They are filled with interactive active features such as “drag and drop” animation and virtual experiments. They also include additional printable resources to assist with successful completion of each activity in the curriculum.
Through this printed curriculum and the Interactive Learning Program, youth demystify the “magic” of electric circuits, magnetism, motors, and electronics. These project materials invite members to explore all areas of electricity from forming and testing hypotheses, to building burglar alarms, to learning how to select high quality stereo and other consumer items. Each book contains hands-on, useful, and fun projects that allow youth to experience technology first-hand, promoting scientific literacy while teaching communication and decision-making life skills.
- Level 1 - Magic of Electricity: Youth explore why certain things insulate from electricity better than others and the effect that magnetism has various substances. They also build a flashlight, a compass, an electromagnet, and an electric motor.
- Level 2 - Investigating Electricity: Youth build circuits and test voltages, build a rocket launcher, and build a burglar alarm as they practice decision making and communication. This unit is designed for youth who understand magnetism, electron flow, and circuit design for the Magic of Electricity book.
- Level 3 - Wired for Power
- Level 4 - Entering Electronics
Volunteer and Leader Materials:
Robotics
Junk Drawer Robotics Project
- Junk Drawer Robotics Resources
- Curriculum: In the Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum, youth are challenged to build robots from everyday items. None of the levels requires or uses computers. There is a separate Facilitator Guide for each of the three project levels. Youth use a Robotics Notebook to record their learning experiences, robotic designs and data from their investigations.
- Junk Drawer Robotics Youth Notebook: There is one Robotics Notebook for the three levels of the Junk Drawer Robotics curriculum. The notebook encourages youth to think and act like scientists and engineers. In their notebook, youth will record their ideas, collect data, draw designs, and reflect on their experiences. It also provides specific information for the challenges. Each youth should have his or her own Robotics Notebook. Grades 4-12.
- Junk Drawer Robotics Level 1 Facilitator Guide - Give Robots a Hand: In Level 1 - Give Robots a Hand, youth explore and learn about robot arms. Concepts covered include pneumatics, arm designs, and three-dimensional space. Big ideas include form and function, scientific habits of mind, and engineering design.
- Junk Drawer Robotics Level 2 Facilitator Guide - Robots on the Move: In Level 2 - Robots on the Move, youth learn about locomotion through exploring, designing, and building mobile robot ROVs and other subsystems. Youth learn about friction, electronic circuits, mobile robots, simple machines, and buoyancy.
- Junk Drawer Robotics Level 3 Facilitator Guide - Mechatronics: In Level 3 - Mechatronics, youth will explore sensors and analog and digital systems. The track introduces simple electronic components; youth will build basic circuits to see how the components work. They will investigate basic elements of programming and instructions for robotic computer control.
LEGO® Robotics
- Robotics 1: Lego Robotics with EV3 Curriculum - Use the newest LEGO® technology to learn about what a robot is, how to build one, and how to program it. Activities are based on the EV3 Core Set available from LEGO® Education for about $411.95 (price as of October 2018). A computer for running the programming software and Internet access for watching videos are required.
- Robotics 2: EV3N More - This second book in this series guides youth through new robot configurations and programming challenges with activities in the book and with instructional videos online. The LEGO® EV3 robot constructed for Robotics 1 with EV3 is required (no new LEGO® purchase is necessary). A computer for running the programming software and Internet access for watching videos are required.
- Robotics Facilitator Guides
Wearable technology
Try out this e-learning program about using electricity to light up fabric creations and clothing - 4-H Clothing Spark!
- WearTec 1 Circuitry Leader’s Guide- This is Level 1 of the Wearable Technology curriculum series, in which youth solve real world problems and practice the engineering design process while immersed in the innovative area of wearable technologies. This curriculum teaches engineering design, computer programming, basic circuitry, and sewing. In Level 1, youth learn the foundations of circuitry through 4 projects.
- WearTec 2 Sewing & Microcontrollers Leader's Guide - This is Level 2 of the Wearable Technology curriculum series, in which youth solve real world problems and practice the engineering design process while immersed in the innovative area of wearable technologies. This curriculum teaches engineering design, computer programming, basic circuitry, and sewing. In Level 2, youth learn how to sew and create projects using microcontrollers.
- WearTec 3 Programming - Leader's Guide - This is Level 3 of the Wearable Technology curriculum series, in which youth solve real world problems and practice the engineering design process while immersed in the innovative area of wearable technologies. This curriculum teaches engineering design, computer programming, basic circuitry, and sewing. In Level 3, youth learn basic programming and coding skills and then apply these skills using various platforms, such as Arduino.
- WearTec 4 Design Challenges - Leader's Guide - This is Level 4 of the Wearable Technology curriculum series, in which youth solve real world problems and practice the engineering design process while immersed in the innovative area of wearable technologies. This curriculum teaches engineering design, computer programming, basic circuitry, and sewing. In Level 4, youth practice each step of the engineering design process: Research, Develop a Solution, Test & Evaluate, and Communicate. Level 4 includes 4 Design Challenges involving light and temperature.
Weather and Climate Science
The 4-H Weather and Climate Science curriculum is for youth who enjoy learning about science, especially weather and climate.
- Facilitators Guide - The Facilitator’s Guide is for all three levels. This guide contains activity facilitation and answers as well as a listing of the Next Generation Science Standards by activity.
- Level 1 - Introduces basic weather words and ideas. Activities focus on understanding the signs of weather, and youth will also begin to learn the difference between weather and climate and how these ideas are related.
- Level 2 - Discusses complex weather topics, understanding climate, and making and using weather instruments.
- Level 3 - Delves deeper into weather and climate science concepts, such as air masses, windchill and heat index, drought monitoring, and the sun-earth relationship.
- Complete set - all three levels and Facilitators Guide
Wind Energy
- Power of Wind Youth Guide: Are you looking for something to spark engineering and science interest among middle school kids? The activities in The Power of the Wind curriculum involve young people in the engineering design process as they learn about the wind and its uses. Youth work with members of a team to design, create, build, and test a wind powered device. The device must solve a problem and requires the designers to balance options and constraints. Participants are guided to make adjustments and retest until the vehicle or machine solves the original problem.
- Power of Wind Kit: This kit includes all the basic and not-so-common materials for the Power of the Wind curriculum. This comprehensive kit contains materials for youth to practice engineering skills to construct wind powered machines and various wind turbines. Youth use their turbine designs to lift a load and produce electricity. Youth learn how generators work using motors and multimeters. Material kits are designed to accommodate up to five groups of students (target group size is 2-5 youth). Materials include, but are not limited to: Multimeters, digital stopwatches, motors, corks, and string. Full list of product contents can be found on the 4-H Mall website.
- Power of Wind Facilitator Guide