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Subaru Telescope volunteer Ava Yamanaka helps advise Nā‘ālehu Elementary School students on playing chess, considered a building block game for math, problem solving and strategic thinking. Photo from Subaru Stars |
SUBARU TELESCOPE CAME TO NĀ'ĀLEHU SCHOOL with outreach education this summer. Designed by Subaru Telescope to bring astronomy and STEM education to students and communities across Hawai‘i Island, the new Subaru Stars program held its first event at Nā‘ālehu Elementary School this summer in partnership with the Hawai‘i Science and Technology Museum.
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| Students code VEX 123 Robots. Photo from Subaru Stars |
For the first Subaru Stars, Subaru Telescope’s staff volunteers packed two company vehicles with equipment: oversized chess and checker boards, a trash can “vortex cannon,” programmable robotics equipment, Subaru-designed spectrum light cards, and a touchless musical instrument called a theremin. Students were grouped by age and rotated through stations during the two-hour event, giving them each a chance to immerse themselves in the various activities.
Keiki learned how to play chess and checkers, which a statement from Subaru describes as "excellent games that are the building blocks of mathematics, problem solving and strategic thinking."
VEX 123 Robots took coding off the screens and into small hands. These disc-shaped robots allowed students to work on coding with simple push-button commands. "Robotics is essential for bringing STEM, computer science, and computational thinking to life through hands-on experiences," says the Subaru statement.
A crowd favorite was the “vortex smoke cannon” made from a large trash can. Fogging machines filled the cans and students created smoke rings that shot across the room with incredible force thanks to physics and the “Bernoulli Principle.”
Astronomy education is a part of the Subaru Stars program. Subaru Telescope public outreach specialist Dr. Kumiko Usuda-Sato developed a “spectrum card” to teach keiki how astronomers study outer space. With this card, students were able to see the “rainbows” in their everyday world.
Subaru Stars engaged teachers, students and administrators at Nā‘ālehu Elementary School and called the session "a great start to a partnership Subaru Telescope hopes will continue far into the future."
Nā‘ālehu Elementary School Principal Wilma Roddy said, “We are always looking for opportunities for our kids — just to have that exposure to help them realize that they have options and they can be whatever they want to be. This is the first time I’m seeing an event like this anywhere since COVID. For the kids to be able to see, touch and feel … it helps them connect to these concepts more. I feel like it really sparks their curiosity.”
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| Dr. Kumiko Usuda-Sato shows students how an astronomer studies outer space. Photo from Subaru Stars |
The Subaru Stars team is busy preparing for the next event in September. “We are extremely happy with the first Subaru Stars,” says Wong. “The Subaru Stars team will be working closely with administrators to support STEM education, in particular helping to integrate computer science curriculum into the classroom. This is something that the Hawaii State Legislature and Governor Ige have identified as a priority in Hawai‘i schools.”
The Subaru Telescope is an 8.2 meter optical-infrared telescope at the summit of Maunakea. It is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences. One of Subaru Telescope’s main missions in addition to astronomical discoveries is to foster education in the next generation of researches. The observatory of Subaru Telescope was officially established in April 1997.
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It notes Marine Science Professor, Dr. Jake Burns saying, "The science clearly shows that food waste ending up in landfills becomes methane gas, which accelerates climate change."
The campaign quotes Leonie Laeha Poy saying: "Using all our food saves money and protects our planet."
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FOOD WASTE AT SCHOOLS IS REDUCED BY PROVIDING unused food to farmers. Kaʻū High & Pāhala Elementary has called for a bid on the School Cafeteria Swill/Slop. The unused food is a prize for pig farmers.
If interested, stop by the school main office in Pāhala for a bid slip or call for more information at 808-313-4100. Bids are due Friday, July 29 at 4 p.m.
The poster on the offer of swill/slop from the school is on bulletin boards and distributed through social media.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.htm
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| Hawai'i Pacific Parks Association's new Sales Director Michelle Augello. |
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar. See latest print edition at wwwkaucalendar.com. See upcoming events at https://kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2022/04/upcoming-events-for-kau-and-volcano.htm
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