STEM Enrichment Activities (Self-Guided)

Science does not exist in the vacuum of a classroom but rather it is all about us. It is important for students to learn to interact with science outside of the classroom. As adults, they will be expected to make decisions, including voting, on topics related to science and must be comfortable with science in an every-day context. This page lists extracurricular things kids can do to get involved with science outside of school.

Teachers, click here if you'd like to see a list of Enrichment Activities that includes point values and downloadable forms for students to collect evidence that they did the activities. 
There are also a lot of upcoming opportunities for teachers and students to get involved with science "in the real world" on the Gold Coast Science Network Facebook page. Go check it out and GET INVOLVED!

Get Your Neurons Firing with these
​Self-Guided Extra Curricular Enrichment Activities!


START HERE
Before you do anything else, first figure out your learning style. Knowing your learning style will help you make good decisions about how to best teach yourself new things.
Online Animations and Activities
Textbooks and teachers aren't the only source of knowledge. The internet is a wealth of information just waiting to be accessed and absorbed. All you need to be a STEM guru is an internet connection!
  • Do the Malaria Online Assignment and/ or the HHMI Microbes Strike Back assignment.
  • Fold It! Cool online game that teaches you about chemistry and proteins. Read through the introduction and then download the software.  
  • Carbon Footprint - How many planet Earths would it take to support the world's population if everyone on the planet lived like you? Take the online quiz and find out! Click here for instructions  
  • There are many, MANY resources listed on the Biology Resources page on this site as well.
  • ​DNA Interactive Website has several online activities you can do!
    - Timeline Scavenger Hunt (5 enrichment points) - Click here to download and print the worksheet. Follow the directions to find the answers. 
    - Reading the Code (up to 10 enrichment points) - Click here to download and print the worksheet. Follow the directions to find the answers.
    - Controlling the Code (up to 10 enrichment points) - Click here to download and print the worksheet. Follow the directions to find the answers.​

Cool Stuff to Do in the "Real" World
  • Interview a scientist or Engineer about his or her job. You can choose any job that is a science major. You should do a little background research on the profession before the interview and have prepared questions ready. This is a great way to find out about careers that you might want to potentially pursue. 
  • Discovery Center for Science and Technology: Science Speaker Series - come hear experts talk about their scientific fields in a way that anyone can understand and relate to - really wonderful speakers!
  • Visit a Museum and Design Your Own Exhibit  
    - The Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula has free admission the first Sunday of every month
    - The California Science Center in Los Angeles is HUGE and really fun and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (Dinosaurs!) is right next door
    - The Discovery Cube in Los Angeles is also a great, hands-on place to visit
    - Get into the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum (right behind the Santa Barbara Mission) and its sister institution the Sea Center (on the Santa Barbara Pier) all for one low price ​
  • Complete a Science Fair Project - Access the 2015 Science Fair Handbook here. 
  • Tutoring - Do you like to help other people? Tutoring looks great on your college applications too! 
  • Participate in a Science-Related School Organization or Club - Many schools have fun science clubs or groups that compete in STEM competitions like Lego league and robotics competitions. If your school doesn't have one of these, maybe you should start one!
  • Participate in the Discovery Center for Science and Technology Teens Group - click here to learn more about this excellent program. 
  • Volunteer at Family Science Night - Click here to learn more about these fun events! 
  • Attend or Volunteer at a GCSN Conferences for STEM Education at Oxnard College - Check the GCSN website for dates for the next conference.
  • Submit an entry for the Science Fair Artwork Competition - Check out the VCOE Science Fair webpage at the start of the school year for contest instructions and deadlines.
  • Coastal Cleanup Day - Click here to learn more about this event and download the parent waiver. 
  • FARM DAY - Click here to learn more about this family-friendly event that provides a one-day opportunity for participants to tour more than 20 Agribusinesses in Ventura County.​
  • CSUCI Science Carnival - Click here for more info about this super fun event. 

Science Literature
There are some great nonfiction science and technology books that really do a great job of helping us see how science is relevant in our everyday lives. 
  • Read The Secret Life of Germs. This book was written by the doctor/scientist who discovered the cause of toxic shock syndrome in the 1980's. It is a fascinating book about microbes that interconnects all facets of life science: microbiology, biochemistry, ecology, evolution, and more. Want to find out what public locations commonly have the most fecal (poop) bacteria lurking on them? - It's in here. Feeling extra ambitious? Answer these questions as you go.
  • Check out one of these great books from your local library, or pick out your own...
    The Hive Detectives by Loree Griffin Burns
    There’ s a Hair in My Dirt by Gary Larsen
    Prehistory by Claudine Roland
    Ouch! By Dorling Kindersley
    The Future of Life by Edward O. Wilson
    Life Script by Nicholas Wade
    The Humans Who Went Extinct by Clive Finlayson
    The Journey of Man by Spencer Wells
    Mutants: One Genetic Variant and the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi
    The Double Helix by James D. Watson
    One Renegade Cell by Robert Weinberg (for those interested in cancer)
    Into the Jungle: Great Adventures in the Search for Evolution by Sean B. Carroll
    Smithsonian Intimate Guide to Human Origins by Carl Zimmer
    The Omnivore’ s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
    Genome by Matt Ridley
    Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World by Jessica Snyder Sachs
    Honor Thy Symbionts by Jeff D Leach
    The Wild Life of Our Bodies: Predators, Parasites, and Partners That Shape Who We Are Today by Rob Dunn
    Guns, Germs, and Steel     by Jared Diamond  

FREE Online Videos
There are many great science videos available for free on PBS.org, Nova, HHMI, and many other science education websites. Here are a few specific ones to consider:
  • There are all sorts of great Bill Nye videos on You Tube.
  • Videos About Evolution
            - Darwin's Dangerous Idea
            - Great Transformations
            - Why Sex 
            - Extinction
            - The Mind's Big Bang
            - Evolutionary Arms Race
            - Your Inner Fish (there are three episodes - treat each one like a separate video assignment)
            - The Origin of Species: The Making of a Theory
            - Life's Rocky Start - What is the secret link between rocks and minerals, and every living thing on Earth?

Podcasts
Podcasts are audio stories and reports archived on the internet. My kids love Science Friday! 
FREE Online Lectures / Speakers
Sometimes lectures are dull a drab. But some are really fascinating, especially if you find one on a topic of particular interest to you. Rather than rotting your brain on useless web content, spend some time exercising it with a free online presentation about something that you find stimulating.
Science Articles