Oak Weekly Review (3/7/25)

Hey Cougars!

Today, we dove into STEM Expo Prep with a lesson on the scientific method. As a model, we used the ancient Greek philosopher, Eratosthenes, and his process of calculating the Earth’s circumference to be around 25,000 miles. Then, after studying what Eratosthenes did 2,000 years ago, we tried using the scientific method ourselves! Those participating in STEM Expo had 20 minutes of work time, during which they could get help from some of our student volunteers. Everyone else walked through the steps of designing an experiment. In groups, the students came up with testable questions, hypotheses, and procedures for the various topics they’re interested in.

Next week, we’ll learn how to present research. Students who signed up today will have a chance to try doing so in front of the club with either their STEM Expo projects or the discovery they researched for homework last week. In 2-3 minutes, they will tell us what the project/experiment’s goal is, how it was tested/created, and why it is important. If you plan to present, please make sure you practice what you’re going to say with a timer and in front of someone else (a parent, friend, pet, mirror, etc..). If we have extra time, anyone else who wants to practice presenting can also go.

For homework, we’re asking students to watch a TED Talk of their choosing and write a short report on it:

• What was the talk about?
• What did the speaker do well? How did they make the topic interesting?
• How well do you think you understood the TED Talk? What was confusing about how it was presented?

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