STEAM

SCIENCE

TECHNOLOGY

ENGINEERING

ARTS

MATHEMATICS

The Long Beach Island Historical Association Museum has a Makerspace program for kids.  The morning incorporates STEAM activities with historical artifacts from the Museum.

For example, there is a switchboard.  Throughout the 20th century, telephone switchboards were devices used to connect circuits to telephones to establish telephone calls between users and/or other switchboards.  This particular artifact was originally used to connect island residents with friends and family.  Enhancing the museum experience, the kids created phones using cans and string.  Students investigated how sound traveled through string and air.  First, they analyze the sound waves with a paper cut attached to a string.  Then they combine the string and cup with a partner to model a string telephone.  Finally, they were given a design challenge to redesign the string telephone for distance.

Each week, a new design challenge is presented to the kids and their parents.  It's truly a family affair where problem solving becomes the key to having fun and learning through STEAM activities.