The Great Arctic Circle STEM Challenge

On a cold winter day, in the dark early morning hours, a group of scientists sets out for the Arctic Circle. They are well-prepared for the trip with enough supplies and equipment to survive the frigid tundra for the next ten days. But unbeknownst to them, a great blizzard is moving in and their leader will fall ill. As the winds gust violently, snow will blind them and form great drifts that will block their passage back to base camp. What began as an exciting adventure will turn into a disastrous expedition UNLESS you can help the group survive and return to safety once again. Are you up to the challenge?

There are 5 STEM challenges included in this kit, each sealed in an envelope and dated Days 1, 3, 5, 6 and 8. Complete them in however many days you would like, but if you do at least three and send/show us a picture of your engineering feats and/or the results page by JANUARY 17, you'll get a Polar Patch and a prize! The kit contains: one bag each LARGE and SMALL marshmallows, 1 box of spaghetti, 50 toothpicks, string or yarn, tissue paper, newspaper, 3 rubber bands, craft sticks, a plastic spoon, 2 jumbo paperclips, a measuring tape, and a stick-on thermometer.

Things you may want to start collecting around the house: masking or scotch tape; a piece of cardboard (10 x 10 base); at least two of the following insulators (plastic wrap, foil, waxed paper or bubble wrap); 1 water bottle (any size); a paper towel tube; napkins; various types of paper (copy paper, wax paper etc.); a plastic grocery bag; a timer (phone)

One other thing- if you haven't checked out our new digital TUMBLEBOOKS library for kids, here's your chance! They have a fun 32-min Brrr! playlist that seems to fit with this kit. Here's how to access it (I'll remind you in an email)-- Go to metrolibrary.org>click on the aqua tile Download and Stream> select ebooks and eaudiobooks> scroll down to TumbleBook Library & click visit resource website>click on the playlists tab> if you don't see it featured under 30-40 minutes, go to View All Titles, third row down!

Kits are one per FAMILY. Any duplicate registrations will be deleted. Kits can be picked up at Northwest Library from Wednesday December 16th through Saturday December 19th during curbside pickup hours. Registered customers must pick up kits by Saturday 4 PM or call the library at (405) 231-8650 to make alternate pick up arrangements as any remaining kits will be made available to waitlisted customers on Sunday. All print outs and instructions will be posted here on Sunday December 20 so that families with siblings or others who may not have had the opportunity to register can reproduce the kit at home.