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Kids STEM: DNA Spiraling Suncatcher

Supplies:

  • 18 gauge jewelry wire
  • 200 or so beads (pony beads, jewelry beads, or any beads that will fit on your wire)
  • Small wire cutters
  • Small pliers or other tool for bending the wire
  • Piece of string or ribbon for hanging

Directions:

  1. With the wire cutters, cut two lengths of 18 gauge wire about 24 inches long and 6 to 8 more shorter pieces about 3 inches long.
  2. Wrap the two long pieces of wire around a round bottle or jar that has a circumference of about 7 inches, then release the wires. They should fall into a loose spiral.
  3. Using the small pliers, twist one end of each spiral into a small circle. This is so that your beads will not fall off.
  4. You’ll need 65-75 beads to fill the length of each of the two spirals. If you work with a partner, you can each choose beads for one spiral. (These will be sun catchers when you’re finished, so make them pretty!)
  5. When the spirals are full: Using the small pliers, twist the top end of each wire into another small circle to hold the beads on.
  6. Loop the piece of string or ribbon through both spirals at the top so they hang together.
  7. Now, using the small pliers, attach one end of each of the short pieces of wire along the length one of the two spirals and fill each one with beads, leaving enough wire to attach the other end to the second spiral. Space the shorter pieces out evenly. These should make what looks like a spiraling ladder with beaded rungs along the length of the ladder. It helps to have a partner to hold the spirals for you while you work.
  8. You have made a beautiful DNA Sun Catcher! Hang your DNA double helix model in the window to remind you how beautiful and unique you, and each of us, are.

THE SCIENCE: DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid. Long strands are connected by genetic material to form a double helix. Inherited traits from your ancestors are located in your DNA. DNA is found in all living organisms.

Watch this project at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuTVAt31POw&list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5…

Kids Make: 3D Garden Art

Supplies:

  • Paper, any color
  • Cupcake liners, large and small
  • Markers
  • Glue
  • Buttons or stickers
  • 5" pieces of pipe cleaners or twist ties

Directions:

  1. Flower: flatten a cupcake liner. Fold it in half and trim around the edge of the liner, cut the edge so that it's scalloped like a flower petal. On the colored paper, using a marker, draw a stem. Glue the center of the back of the flattened, cut liner at the top of the stem. For a leaf, cut a flattened cupcake liner into small slices. Cut the edges of two slices, making them more pointy at the end like leaves. Glue onto the stem of your cupcake liner flower.
    Cut a smaller cupcake liner and glue to the center of your flower. Add a button or sticker to the very center of your flower. Bend edges of flowers outwards for a 3-D effect.
  2. Dragonfly: fold a quarter of a liner in half and in half again to make a long skinny triangle. Cut the edge again in a curvy way. Open it up and cut it down the middle. Cut each piece down the middle again. Take two small pieces and glue onto the paper to make the wings, add a piper cleaner bent double and twisted together for the body, leaving the ends free for antennas. Glue onto paper between the wings.
  3. Sideways Butterfly: Take a quarter of a cupcake liner and fold once. Cut a curvy edge. Pinch the liner piece in the middle so that it sticks up in the center. Do another. Glue both onto the paper just at the edges and place two twisted pipe cleaners cut short, or twist ties below the wings, leave the ends free to be antennas. For a front facing butterfly, take four quarters of a cupcake liner and cut wavy edges. Place and glue on the paper, with two on each side, add a pipe cleaner in the middle, leaving the ends as antennas.

Watch this project at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmHgRfJ-FPk&list=PLMEg2Dd0dSFctLfDQxsL5…

Statement on Racism and Inequity

PPLD commits itself to join the efforts of all who share its mission of building a community free of racism, hatred, and intolerance. Our full statement is below: Providing resources and opportunities that impact individual lives and build community – that is the mission of Pikes Peak Library District. Our community, like others across the nation, is hurting. Just as it is our mission to build community, it is our duty to speak against the forces that would tear us apart. The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have reminded all of us once again that the battle against racism and intolerance is not over. For many individuals, those forces are a constant in their lives, and that battle is waged on a daily basis. For those of us who do not experience the burden of systemic racism, events such as these may briefly ignite an urgent desire to seek justice and true equality for Black members of our community. All too often, though, we allow that sense of urgency to gradually disappear until the next horrific act of violence occurs. This cycle must stop. PPLD stands with those in El Paso County and throughout our country who are exercising their Constitutional rights to protest against systemic racism, inequity, and violence against the Black community. As a public library, we stand for the innate equality of all we serve. We pledge to do our part to help our community realize that diversity, inclusivity, and equity are pillars of a strong and thriving community and that if even one individual is harmed through injustice or racism, our entire community suffers. This is not the time to simply move on until the next act of violence jars us from our complacency. PPLD commits itself to join the efforts of all who share its mission of building a community free of racism, hatred, and intolerance. - John Spears, Chief Librarian & CEO, and Debbie English, President of PPLD’s Board of Trustees (June 5, 2020)

Pikes Peak Library District stands with our Asian American and Pacific Islander community and remains committed to building a community free of racism, hatred, and intolerance. (March 19, 2021)

For kids:

PPLD has curated a list of resources for our community. Click here to find links to national and local news coverage, deeper background on the issues, books, and other items here.

Let's Talk about Racism: Digital Book List The African American Historical and Cultural Collection, funded by the Shivers Fund at PPLD Let's Talk about Racism: Teen Collection Let's Talk about Race and Racism: Children's Collection Celebrating Black Voices: Picture Books

Social and Systemic Injustice Movies on Kanopy

Catalog links from booklist below:

Additional Resources For Adults:

For Kids: