H: STEM - Geospatial

Content

STEM

This department gives 4-H members an opportunity to display their knowledge and skills gained relating to computers, drones, electricity, energy, geospatial, robots, rockets, drones, welding and woodworking.  Through participation in this department, 4-H members will present their knowledge in these areas as they relate to STEM.

General Rules:

  1. The name and county of each exhibitor should appear separately on the back of each board, poster or article and on the front cover of the notebooks so owner of the exhibit may be identified if the entry tag is separated from the exhibit.
  2. Each individual is limited to one exhibit per class.
  3. Demonstration boards should include an overall title for the display, plus other necessary labeling. 
  4. Please refer to the General Rules for the policy regarding firearms, items with a blade, and other related items.
  5. Please refer to the General Rules for the policy regarding use of copywritten images.
  6. Team Entries: To qualify for entry at the Nebraska State Fair for any team exhibit, the exhibit and all supporting information must clearly be the work of a team instead of an individual, and must have at least 50% of all team members enrolled in 4-H. Additionally, all enrolled 4-H members on the team should complete and attach an entry tag to the materials. A supplemental page documenting the individual contributions to the project should be included. The entry will be judged as a team, with all team members receiving the same ribbon placing.
  7. State Fair qualified videos, presentations and other electronic exhibits should be submitted to https://go.unl.edu/2026nesfstem by August 15th, 2026. Videos can be uploaded to a video streaming application and exhibitors MUST provide a hard copy QR code for viewing. 4-H members are encouraged to test their codes or links on several devices to check for appropriate permissions for public viewing
  8. Posters in this department can be any size up to 28 inches by 22 inches when ready for display. Example: trifold poster boards are not 28 inches by 22 inches when fully open for display. 
  9. Several classes require a display board which should be a height of 24 inches and not to exceed 1/4-inch thickness. A height of 24 7/8 inches is acceptable to allow for the saw kerf (width) if two 24-inch boards are cut from one end of a 4 foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood. Nothing should be mounted within 3/4 inch of the top or bottom of the board. (Example: Woodworking & Electricity.) 
  • Fabricated boards such as plywood, composition board, or particle-type lumber may be used for demonstration displays. 
  • Demonstration boards should be sanded and finished to improve their appearance. The finish on a demonstration board will be judged as a woodworking exhibit. 
  • Demonstration boards should include an overall title for the display, plus other necessary labeling. 
  • Reports should be written using the scientific method whenever possible (1. Hypothesis 2. Research 3. Experiment 4. Measure 5. Report or Redefine Hypothesis). All reports should be computer generated and enclosed in a clear plastic cover. The reports should be attached securely to the display.  
  1. If the project (i.e. picnic tables, wishing wells, swings, chairs, bridges, doghouses, etc.) is designed to be used outside, it will be displayed outside. 
  2. Recommended QR Code Generator: https://www.qr-code-generator.com/ 
  3. Each 4-H member is limited to one item per class.

STEM Resources:

Scoresheets, forms, contest study materials, and additional resources can be found at https://go.unl.edu/ne4hstem.  

 

GEOSPATIAL

Refer to STEM GENERAL RULES for more information, at the top of page 1.    

H 880 001 POSTER  Create a poster (not to exceed14 inches x 22 inches) communicating a GPS theme such as How GPS or GIS works; Careers that use GPS or GIS; How to use GPS; What is GIS, GPS or GIS in Agriculture, Precision Agriculture; or a geospatial topic of interest.

H 880 002  4-H FAVORITE PLACES OR HISTORICAL SITE POSTER  The 4-H exhibitor identifies a favorite place or historical site (including grave sites) in Nebraska. Exhibit should include latitude and longitude, digital picture, and local area map. Poster size should not exceed 22 inches x 28 inches.

H 880 003 GPS NOTEBOOK  Keep a log of at least 5 places visited using a GPS enabled device. At least one site should be from a community other than where you live. For each site, record the latitude, longitude and elevation. Also include a description of the site, a paragraph explaining what was interesting about the site or finding it. Photos of each site and/or cache are optional but encouraged.

H 880 004 GEOCACHE  Assemble a themed geocache (physical geocache is REQUIRED with exhibit). Each geocache should be a water-tight container. It should include a logbook and pencil for finders to log their visits and may include small trinket, geo-coins, etc. for the finders to trade. Documentation should include a title, teaser description and the geographic coordinates of intended placement. Register the site at geocaching.com, include a print-out of its registry. The entry may include a photograph of the cache in its intended hiding place. Register the site at geocaching.com following the Nebraska State Fair.

H 880 005 AGRICULTURE PRECISION MAPPING  4-H members will assemble a  8.5 inches x 11 inches three-ring notebook that will include a minimum of two digital copies of various data layers that can be used in precision agriculture to identify spatial patterns and/or correlations (printed copies of websites were applications can be purchased is acceptable) A report of how the analysis of the various data will be used to make a management decision. 

H 880 006  4-H HISTORY MAP / PRESERVE 4-H HISTORY  Nominate a Point of Interest for the 4-H History Map Project include copy of submitted form in folder or notebook. 

To nominate a site for the 4-H history map please go to http://arcg.is/1bvGogV  

For more information about 4-H history go to https://4-hhistorypreservation.com/history_map/   For a step by step video on nominating a point, please go to this link: http://tinyurl.com/nominate4h 

Write a brief description of the historical significance of 4-H place or person. (Minimum of one paragraph)

H 880 007  GIS THEMATIC MAP  Using any GIS software, create a thematic. Thematic maps can utilize any subject of interest to the 4-H’er. Example map would be Amelia Earhart’s or Sir Francis Drake’s voyage population density maps, water usage maps, or 4-H project in Nebraska. Create GIS Map using data from books, and or internet. Use reliable data, (U.S. Center or U.S. Census Bureau etc.) Map any size from 8.5 inches x 11 inches up to 36 inches x 24 inches, should include Title, Base Map, Neat Line, North Arrow, and Legend. Identify the source of your information on the back of the map.

H 880 008 VIRTUAL GEOCACHE  Keep a log of at least 5 places visited using a virtual geocach platform. At least one site should be from a community other than where you live. For each site, record the latitude, longitude and elevation. Also include a description of the site, a paragraph explaining what was interesting about the site or finding it. Photos of each site and/or cache are optional, but highly encouraged.

*H 880 010 CAREERS INTERVIEW  Interview someone who is working in a Geospatial field and include research that career. Interviews can either be written or in a multimedia format (CD/DVD). Written interviews should be in a notebook. Written reports should be 3 to 5 pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, and 1” margins. Multimedia reports should be between 3 to 5 minutes in length. *Not State Fair eligible.