Tag Archive for: STEAM

Iconic Joplin

The Library’s Teen Department has participated in an exciting opportunity highlighting local history research and STEM skills. Iconic Joplin is a contest in which teams of 12-16 year-olds study a Joplin-area landmark and recreate it in LEGOs. It is an official event of Joplin’s Sesquicentennial celebration this year.

Thirty teens divided up into six teams which worked together over the next four months. The teams kicked off their work in December 2022 by getting to know each other, selecting a landmark, formulating an initial plan for their build, and creating a mini-build to symbolize their group. As they researched their sites, teams had access to local history resources including primary source material to help them. On the construction side, teams had an option to consult with an expert (engineer, architect, LEGO master, etc.).  Teams had the option for a site visit, where appropriate. Each team also had a modest budget they could spend on specialty LEGOs for their build.  

The Joplin Public Library was one of three local sites hosting Iconic Joplin teams along with the Joplin History & Mineral Museum and the Creative Learning Alliance, our local STEAM center. Host sites partnered to provide space, staff assistance, and guidance during the eight Saturday sessions it took to create the builds. 

The six landmarks chosen ranged from historic to contemporary buildings to geographic features of the area. One of the teams hosted by the Joplin Public Library portrayed Grand Falls, a picturesque waterfall that was a recreational hotspot at the turn of the 20th century, and utilized both light and motorized elements to create the falls. Another Library team picked our new building as a contemporary landmark, depicting it cutaway-style to showcase both the exterior elements and interior decor. Teams from the Joplin History & Mineral Museum also used cutaway-style builds to recreate their landmarks, Crystal Cave (a mineral-rich underground cave/recreational spot) and the garage apartment site of the infamous 1933 shootout with Bonnie and Clyde. Teams working at the Creative Learning Alliance built Joplin’s Union Depot, a transportation hub for the area, and the Olivia Apartments, a historic building which had burned prior to recent renovations.

The teams’ completed builds went on display to the public April 13 at Joplin’s Spiva Center for the Arts. The LEGO landmarks will be available for viewing there through May 13.  The public is invited to vote for their favorite Iconic Joplin build; brief videos about the builds along with voting are available at https://tally.so/r/3q4lK7 The contest will culminate in an awards ceremony on June 8 to present prizes for people’s choice, technical skill, authenticity, and creativity.

An adventure which has been much more than just piecing plastic bricks together, Iconic Joplin has provided opportunities for teens to explore their community, creativity, problem solving, and analytical skills. 

Iconic Joplin is the creation of local entrepreneur, Lisa Nelson, who envisioned a way to provide teens with opportunities to build STEM skills while creating ties to their communities. Nelson’s venture, Landmark Builds, was born while constructing LEGO sets with her teenage son and was developed through the Idea Accelerator program of Builders and Backers.

Cool Math: 50 Fantastic Facts for Kids of All Ages by Tracie Young and Katie Hewett

Let’s face it, for some of us, “math” can be a four-letter word. Math anxiety is all too real for folks in and out of school alike. (For example, some frequent results for a recent Google search for the term “math anxiety” were “Why is math making me cry?” and “What is math trauma?”)  I don’t know all the reasons why math generates anxiety, but I can tell you that it does for a whole lot of us and that a lot of us are looking for help in that realm.  Math study guides–especially those covering algebra–are one of the most sought-after subjects in the teen non-fiction collection.  Anything that explains a complicated subject clearly (What–numbers and letters together in an equation?!) or that can help the concept to click is huge.

Cool Math: 50 Fantastic Facts for Kids of All Ages by Tracie Young and Katie Hewett arrived in the teen non-fiction collection this summer and sat with algebra study guides towering over it until, one day, it made its way to a back-to-school display. That’s when I spent some extra time with the small, handy title. It’s a perfect size to pop in a backpack and presents a low-stakes approach to math through 50 appealing mini-lessons.

Right from the cover, Cool Math puts out a casual, engaging vibe to counteract anxiety or stereotypical assumptions of stuffiness about the topic. The book begins with a “Great Moments in Math” section introducing fun facts of math history and a quote from American mathematician, Stan Gudder, “The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.”  (A point met with skepticism by plenty of us math anxious folks.)

Yet the book delivers on this premise. Each fact is offered clearly and concisely over a two-page spread. Backgrounds resemble graph paper, chalkboard, etc., and additional material appears in eye-catching, highlighted shapes. The pleasant, orderly layout adds to the laid-back approach. Each spread provides a student-friendly explanation of the topic, walks the reader through the process of approaching the solution, shows how to arrive at the answer, and adds interesting trivia. The spreads start with a title tailored to the concept presented (sometimes clever, sometimes veering into dad-joke territory). Concept illustrations are made to look like notebook doodles which adds to the book’s liveliness without schmearing it in a layer of cheesiness.

The 50 facts offer a range of information despite the book’s size. Concepts covered include binomials, triangles, multiplication, probability, estimation, fractions, averages, calculations (recipe conversions, temperature conversions, tips)–plenty of practical knowledge with real-world applications. Cool Math’s content is great–realistic, applicable, and not overshadowed by the book’s design. The layout reflects the relaxed, encouraging vibe of the book without trying too hard. There’s no outdated photography or completely cringe-worthy text which is all too present in non-fiction written for teens. Give Cool Math to upper elementary and secondary students. It’s full of helpful bits for middle school and high school students in search of understanding of very specific concepts yet appealing to upper elementary and lower middle school students with an interest in math and could even prove a pleasant surprise to those without.  (Where was this when I was about to start algebra?!) 

Give Cool Math a try.  It’s engaging, interesting, appealing, and portable–even fun in places.  It’s math that won’t make you cry.  You can find this title and algebra study guides and so much more at the Joplin Public Library where there’s something for everyone!

New Penworthy STEAM Kits Announced

Joplin Public Library has added twelve STEAM and phonics kits to their collection, thanks to a Missouri State Library-funded grant. These kits are geared toward children and teens, and library cardholders can check out one kit at a time for three weeks.

Four kits will be housed in the Teen Department and can be checked out at the Teen Desk or Reference Desk, and eight will be housed in the Children’s Department and can be checked out at the Children’s Desk.

The STEAM-to-GO kits contain high and low-tech toys and games from Penworthy books that are designed to foster hands-on learning. Available STEAM kits include: Money, Math, and Economics; Letters and Numbers; Yoga for Mindfulness; Tot Game Night; Green Energy; Building and Design; Explore the Outdoors; and Family Game Night. Available phonics kits include: Ready, Set, Kindergarten; Biscuit Phonics; Pete the Cat Loves Preschool; and Little Critters Phonics.

STEAM-based learning is foundational in helping children and teens develop a variety of skills, including problem-solving, collaborative learning and critical thinking through hands-on learning. Though the Library currently offers select STEAM kits, this grant allows the Children’s and Teen departments to meet the needs of more families in more diverse ways.

This project is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.

For information on these kits or to reserve one, visit the Library’s catalog at https://www.joplinpubliclibrary.org and search “STEAM to go,” or contact the Children’s or Teen Departments (417-623-7953).