The book “Front Desk” is a very memorable story written by Kelly Yang. It tells about 10-year-old Mia Tang and her struggles as she moves from China to California. Mia wants to enter an essay contest to win a motel for her family. She thinks that this will change her family’s luck in California. She uses all of her pennies and her dad’s lucky pennies to get $300 to enter.
We have participated in the SARSEF Regional Science and Engineering Fair for six years! Each year we develop a project that is of interest to us.
Recently my family visited the Plum Creek Alpaca Farm in Prescott Valley. When we entered the farm, the farm dogs walked along with us as we visited the different pens. They housed a variety of groups of alpacas. Some areas were for the females or males and there was even an area for the nursery.
Recently I attended a fun Bear Essential News Reporter Zoom with author/illustrator LeUyen Pham and author Shannon Hale. They shared how they met, how they became best friends and talked about the books they have worked on together.
Recently I was able to participate in the 20th Annual Student Design & Build Contest, KIDStruction competition. KIDStruction is a competition in which sixth, seventh, and eighth graders can participate.
Using only business cards, toothpicks and hot glue, teams design a building that fits on a 12x12 inch foam based on one of five categories within the overall theme. Every year KIDStruction’s theme is different, this year’s theme was “The Path Ahead.” The Path Ahead focused on how the pandemic has changed our everyday lives and the spaces where we learn, live or work.
Recently Matt Brode met with Bear Essential Young Reporters during a Zoom meeting. For those who don’t know, Matt Brode is the chief meteorologist for News 4 Tucson. He talked to us about how he became interested in weather and about different types of weather that we experience in Arizona.
Have you ever had or wanted a pet chicken? During this crazy year my family and I were building a chicken coop and on Easter morning we became the owners of ten chicks. Since Easter, we have learned a great deal about raising chickens, like the fact that they try to peck at things on you when you sit with them, including your clothes, watch and face. We have also learned that each chick has a unique personality just like people, some of our chicks are shy, some are curious, and some are born leaders. Our chicks are getting bigger every day and as they get bigger, they get more active.
Recently I read the book “30,000 Stitches” written by Amanda Davis and illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. The book is an amazing story about the American flag that flew over 90 West Street days after the Twin Towers collapsed in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. The flag quickly became tattered, so it was taken down to be retired.
Have you ever heard of SK Day? SK is an amazing female mathematician named Sonia Kovalevsky. Kovalevsky was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1850 and was the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics. The UofA hosted middle and high school students virtually for SK Day this year to encourage young women to study mathematics.
I attended the Zoom meeting about mathematics on SK Day. Team members from the UofA delivered a shirt and supplies to our homes prior to the event!
Prior to the landing of the NASA Rover Perseverance on Mars, I attended a live NASA webinar, Mars Perseverance: Mission Overview & Countdown to Mars. A team of eight scientists led this webinar for students and teachers.
Justin Simon (a NASA scientist) talked about the planet Mars and about the rover Perseverance. He talked about the weather on Mars and what kind of planet it was. Simon also talked about the certain parts of the 2,260-pound rover and how they worked.
