If you dig in a patch of dirt, what do you find?  Depending on where you dig, you will likely find different living things crawling in and around your sample.  What would you expect to find in a sample of wetland soil vs, say, a sample of sandy soil?  If you think about what all living things need to survive, this can give you clues to answer this question.

In this JAM, you will look closely at samples of soil collected from different habitats.  While we often barely notice what is living under our feet, the tiny soil invertebrates play a huge role in the diversity and health of the habitats we interact with everyday. 

If you dig in a patch of dirt, what do you find?  Depending on where you dig, you will likely find different living things crawling in and around your sample.  What would you expect to find in a sample of wetland soil vs, say, a sample of sandy soil?  If you think about what all living things need to survive, this can give you clues to answer this question.

In this JAM, you will look closely at samples of soil collected from different habitats.  While we often barely notice what is living under our feet, the tiny soil invertebrates play a huge role in the diversity and health of the habitats we interact with everyday. 

How many animals do you think you can spot on a nature walk?  Of course, it will depend a lot on where you are.  You’ll likely find more things at a state park than you will in your backyard.  Still, there are probably a lot of things to see in seemingly unlikely places…but those things are more likely to see you first because they blend into their environment!  

In this JAM, you will learn about camouflage.  You may know what camouflage is, but what makes certain patterns work so well in one environment and so poorly in another?  Something else to think about: what happens when you take a camouflaged object from land and move it into the water?  You will look at different camouflaged specimens, make your own camouflage animal patterns, and explore what makes them unique. 

How many animals do you think you can spot on a nature walk?  Of course, it will depend a lot on where you are.  You’ll likely find more things at a state park than you will in your backyard.  Still, there are probably a lot of things to see in seemingly unlikely places…but those things are more likely to see you first because they blend into their environment!  

In this JAM, you will learn about camouflage.  You may know what camouflage is, but what makes certain patterns work so well in one environment and so poorly in another?  Something else to think about: what happens when you take a camouflaged object from land and move it into the water?  You will look at different camouflaged specimens, make your own camouflage animal patterns, and explore what makes them unique. 

Do you play a musical instrument?  Do you sing?  Each instrument (and voice) produces a unique sound that can usually be differentiated from one another.  For example, the sound of a bassoon is very different from a flute, which is very different from a violin.  This is partly due to how high or low a sound is (pitch), but also the sound quality (timbre) and other factors.

In this JAM, you will learn what sound is at the most basic level.  With this foundational understanding, we will explore the different ways in which sound can be produced and why these variations result in the huge varieties of sounds we encounter in our everyday lives.

Do you play a musical instrument?  Do you sing?  Each instrument (and voice) produces a unique sound that can usually be differentiated from one another.  For example, the sound of a bassoon is very different from a flute, which is very different from a violin.  This is partly due to how high or low a sound is (pitch), but also the sound quality (timbre) and other factors.

In this JAM, you will learn what sound is at the most basic level.  With this foundational understanding, we will explore the different ways in which sound can be produced and why these variations result in the huge varieties of sounds we encounter in our everyday lives.

Do your parents tell you not to play with your food?  Most of the time, that is good advice!  Sometimes, though, there are activities and experiments you can do that encourage you to do the opposite…like building a vehicle out of food!  You’ve probably done friction experiments with moving objects before, but this experiment is pretty unique.

You will design and build your own racing “cars” using different kinds of fruits and vegetables.  You get to choose which ones you think will work best for different components of your car.  What would work best for wheels?  How will you make an axle?  Finally, you will test your cars on ramps with different surfaces.   

Do your parents tell you not to play with your food?  Most of the time, that is good advice!  Sometimes, though, there are activities and experiments you can do that encourage you to do the opposite…like building a vehicle out of food!  You’ve probably done friction experiments with moving objects before, but this experiment is pretty unique.

You will design and build your own racing “cars” using different kinds of fruits and vegetables.  You get to choose which ones you think will work best for different components of your car.  What would work best for wheels?  How will you make an axle?  Finally, you will test your cars on ramps with different surfaces.   

We are coming up to the middle of winter, and chances are we will have had some snow by now.  We all know that snow is made of water, and that snowflakes are tiny ice crystals.  You may have also heard that no two snowflakes are exactly alike - is this true?  

In this winter-themed JAM, you will learn about physical and chemical properties of snow and ice, and what makes the solid state of water (ice) so unique compared to other solid objects.  You will also conduct friction tests on ice using different objects to determine which one slides the best.

We are coming up to the middle of winter, and chances are we will have had some snow by now.  We all know that snow is made of water, and that snowflakes are tiny ice crystals.  You may have also heard that no two snowflakes are exactly alike - is this true?  

In this winter-themed JAM, you will learn about physical and chemical properties of snow and ice, and what makes the solid state of water (ice) so unique compared to other solid objects.  You will also conduct friction tests on ice using different objects to determine which one slides the best.

Have you ever wondered if you could design your own roller coaster?  If you’ve been on one before, think about what made the ride fun (or not so fun), and what design elements it had.  Were there loops?  Were there lots of turns?  

In this engineering JAM, you will work as part of a team to design and build a model roller coaster track using insulation tubing and a marble.  The objective is to not just come up with a working design, but to gain an understanding of potential vs. kinetic energy and how the two are related.  As your team adds a new component to the track, you will test for fail points so you can improve on your design where needed.

Have you ever wondered if you could design your own roller coaster?  If you’ve been on one before, think about what made the ride fun (or not so fun), and what design elements it had.  Were there loops?  Were there lots of turns?  

In this engineering JAM, you will work as part of a team to design and build a model roller coaster track using insulation tubing and a marble.  The objective is to not just come up with a working design, but to gain an understanding of potential vs. kinetic energy and how the two are related.  As your team adds a new component to the track, you will test for fail points so you can improve on your design where needed.

Reindeer are adapted to living in cold environments thanks to their dense layers of fur and a special heat exchange system in their noses that actually warms the air they inhale...but what would happen if a reindeer got a cold? Would they need a tissue? For this month's activity, we'll be putting a holiday spin on the classic slime experiment. Learn how to make your very own reindeer snot with glue and food coloring!

Reindeer are adapted to living in cold environments thanks to their dense layers of fur and a special heat exchange system in their noses that actually warms the air they inhale...but what would happen if a reindeer got a cold? Would they need a tissue? For this month's activity, we'll be putting a holiday spin on the classic slime experiment. Learn how to make your very own reindeer snot with glue and food coloring!

Winter will be arriving shortly, and the birds are hurrying to find food before it arrives. In this unique craft activity, you will build your own bird feeder out of everyday materials. All materials will be provided by the MAP. We'll also learn about bird beaks and how different beak shapes can give you clues about its diet. By the end of the JAM, you will leave with some bird knowledge and a feeder you can hang in your own yard!

Winter will be arriving shortly, and the birds are hurrying to find food before it arrives. In this unique craft activity, you will build your own bird feeder out of everyday materials. All materials will be provided by the MAP. We'll also learn about bird beaks and how different beak shapes can give you clues about its diet. By the end of the JAM, you will leave with some bird knowledge and a feeder you can hang in your own yard!

Humans use a lot of materials. In many ways, figuring out how materials found in nature has been hugely beneficial for us - our modern technology wouldn’t be possible without a few simple minerals under the ground we stand on! On the other hand, we’re realizing that many of these materials aren’t being used smartly and responsibly. Where do our materials come from, and will they last forever? We’ll do some interactive activities in this JAM that will show you how understanding these basic ideas can help you to be better informed about our natural resources.

Humans use a lot of materials. In many ways, figuring out how materials found in nature has been hugely beneficial for us - our modern technology wouldn’t be possible without a few simple minerals under the ground we stand on! On the other hand, we’re realizing that many of these materials aren’t being used smartly and responsibly. Where do our materials come from, and will they last forever? We’ll do some interactive activities in this JAM that will show you how understanding these basic ideas can help you to be better informed about our natural resources.

Do you have an empty water bottle lying around? Before you decide to recycle that bottle, you can give it life as a bottle racer. In this engineering activity, you will learn how to turn an ordinary empty water bottle into a rolling machine propelled by energy generated from a rubber band. We will demonstrate two main types of energy in the process: potential and kinetic. Rubber bands store a special type of potential energy, called elastic energy. If you’ve ever used a slingshot before, you know the power of elastic energy!

Do you have an empty water bottle lying around? Before you decide to recycle that bottle, you can give it life as a bottle racer. In this engineering activity, you will learn how to turn an ordinary empty water bottle into a rolling machine propelled by energy generated from a rubber band. We will demonstrate two main types of energy in the process: potential and kinetic. Rubber bands store a special type of potential energy, called elastic energy. If you’ve ever used a slingshot before, you know the power of elastic energy!

Kansas used to be underwater…multiple times! One way we know this is by observing the fossils we find in the rocks. You might be surprised at just how many fossils you can find just by taking a walk on a local trail! In fact, that is exactly what we will do in the JAM and see what we find. You will also be given a fossil page with pictures, which you can use to help you with identification.

There is a long history, going back thousands of years, of plants and animals being drawn and painted. Some of the most beautiful flower drawings and paintings were carefully made by illustrators who spent hundreds of hours drawing a just a few flowers because it was important to be accurate! In this JAM, we won't make you draw or paint for hundreds of hours, but you can practice illustrating using a flower from our wetlands.

Kansas used to be underwater…multiple times! One way we know this is by observing the fossils we find in the rocks. You might be surprised at just how many fossils you can find just by taking a walk on a local trail! In fact, that is exactly what we will do in the JAM and see what we find. You will also be given a fossil page with pictures, which you can use to help you with identification.

There is a long history, going back thousands of years, of plants and animals being drawn and painted. Some of the most beautiful flower drawings and paintings were carefully made by illustrators who spent hundreds of hours drawing a just a few flowers because it was important to be accurate! In this JAM, we won't make you draw or paint for hundreds of hours, but you can practice illustrating using a flower from our wetlands.

Late September is the best time to be out in our wetlands to see the greatest variety of wildflowers in bloom. Did you ever wonder how scientists and artists used to record images of living things before the invention of the camera?

There is a long history, going back thousands of years, of plants and animals being drawn and painted. Some of the most beautiful flower drawings and paintings were carefully made by illustrators who spent hundreds of hours drawing a just a few flowers because it was important to be accurate! In this JAM, we won't make you draw or paint for hundreds of hours, but you can practice illustrating using a flower from our wetlands.

Late September is the best time to be out in our wetlands to see the greatest variety of wildflowers in bloom. Did you ever wonder how scientists and artists used to record images of living things before the invention of the camera?

There is a long history, going back thousands of years, of plants and animals being drawn and painted. Some of the most beautiful flower drawings and paintings were carefully made by illustrators who spent hundreds of hours drawing a just a few flowers because it was important to be accurate! In this JAM, we won't make you draw or paint for hundreds of hours, but you can practice illustrating using a flower from our wetlands.

Continuing with an engineering theme, we will learn about catapults and how to make them. In the past, we constructed them using craft sticks and rubber bands. As a twist, this time you will be tasked with coming up with your own design. We will provide a range of materials you can use, but you are free to make whatever design you like with the materials.

Think about what you want your catapult to do. Do you want it to fling multiple marshmallows at once, or do you want to keep it single and just make a design that flings a single marshmallow as far as it can? Think of the physics involved for your chosen design.

Continuing with an engineering theme, we will learn about catapults and how to make them. In the past, we constructed them using craft sticks and rubber bands. As a twist, this time you will be tasked with coming up with your own design. We will provide a range of materials you can use, but you are free to make whatever design you like with the materials.

Think about what you want your catapult to do. Do you want it to fling multiple marshmallows at once, or do you want to keep it single and just make a design that flings a single marshmallow as far as it can? Think of the physics involved for your chosen design.

How do rockets propel themselves into space? It’s not just a matter of pointing it straight up in the air…it needs to escape Earth’s orbit, called the “escape velocity”, or else it will simply fall back to Earth! In this JAM, we won’t be launching rockets into space, but we will have fun making paper rockets and shooting them up 20, 30, even 40 feet up in the air using just our feet! You will learn the basic forces that allow rockets to travel, and then make your own paper rocket that you will launch into the air. You will be challenged to think about aerodynamics and weight in order to make your rocket as efficient a projectile as possible.

How do rockets propel themselves into space? It’s not just a matter of pointing it straight up in the air…it needs to escape Earth’s orbit, called the “escape velocity”, or else it will simply fall back to Earth! In this JAM, we won’t be launching rockets into space, but we will have fun making paper rockets and shooting them up 20, 30, even 40 feet up in the air using just our feet! You will learn the basic forces that allow rockets to travel, and then make your own paper rocket that you will launch into the air. You will be challenged to think about aerodynamics and weight in order to make your rocket as efficient a projectile as possible.

We all know that bees need flowers for their food source - they collect pollen to feed their young and feed on nectar as an energy source. What else would a bee need? Of course, they need shelter for constructing nests, such as cavities in trees. (Speaking of shelter, most bees actually nest in the ground and are solitary. The European honeybee is unusual since the vast majority of bees don’t make huge hives!)

Bees, like all animals, also need water. In this JAM, we will learn how to make a bee bath. It’s similar to a bird bath, but much smaller and constructed a little differently. Placing a small earthenware bath (like a clay pot) outside in a sheltered area in summer is a great way to provide a water source for our bees!

We all know that bees need flowers for their food source - they collect pollen to feed their young and feed on nectar as an energy source. What else would a bee need? Of course, they need shelter for constructing nests, such as cavities in trees. (Speaking of shelter, most bees actually nest in the ground and are solitary. The European honeybee is unusual since the vast majority of bees don’t make huge hives!)

Bees, like all animals, also need water. In this JAM, we will learn how to make a bee bath. It’s similar to a bird bath, but much smaller and constructed a little differently. Placing a small earthenware bath (like a clay pot) outside in a sheltered area in summer is a great way to provide a water source for our bees!