STEM Electricity
Division 870
See Rules for STEM Projects at https://extension.unl.edu/scotts-bluff-county-4-h-fair-book/static-inside-building/science-technology-engineering-math-stem/.
Magic of Electricity – Unit 1
Class 11 Bright Lights: Create your own flashlight using items found around your house. Flashlights should be made out of items that could be recycled or reused. No kits please.
Class 12 Control the Flow: Make a switch. Use the following items: D cell battery, battery holder, insulated wire, 2 or 2.5 volt light bulb, bulb holder, paper clip, cardboard, and two brass paper fasteners to create a circuit that you can open and close.
Class 13 Conducting Things: Make a circuit with a switch and a light bulb that can be used to test different household items for their ability to act as an insulator or conductor. You must find five items that are conductors and five items that are insulators. Create a table that illustrates your results.
Class 14 Is There a Fork in the Road: Use the following items to construct one parallel and one series circuit. Items: D cell battery, battery holder, insulated wire, bulb holder and a 2 or 2.5 volt light bulb.
Investigating Electricity – Unit 2
Class 15 Case of Switching Circuit: Use the following items: two D cell batteries, two battery holders, light bulb, bulb holder, a 3” by 6” piece of cardboard, six brass paper fasteners and approx. two feet of 24 gauge insulated wire to build a three way switch. Write a short essay or create a poster that illustrates how three-way switches function.
Class 16 Rocket Launcher: Construct a rocket launcher out of the following materials: a plastic pencil box that is at least 4” by 8”, single pole switch, single throw switch, normally-open push button switch, 40 feet of 18 or 22 gauge stranded wire, 4 alligator clips, 2” by 6” board 6 inches long, 1/8 inch diameter metal rod, rosin core solder, soldering iron or gun, wire stripper, small crescent wrench, pliers, small Phillips and straight blade screwdrivers, drill 1/8 inch and 1/4 inch drill bits, rocket engine igniters, additional drill bits matched to holes for two switches. You must successfully build a rocket launcher and light two rocket igniters with your launcher. You DO NOT have to actually fire a rocket off the launcher. Create a poster using photographs to show the “step by step process” you used to build your launcher.
Class 17 Stop the Crime: Build an alarm using the following materials: On-off push button switch, mercury switch, buzzer-vibrating or piezoelectric, 9-volt battery, 9-volt battery holder, 4” by 4” by 1/8 inch Plexiglass board to mount circuit on; rosin core solder, soldering gun/iron, two feet of 22 gauge wire, wire strippers, hot glue sticks, hot glue gun and a plastic box with a lid to mount your alarm circuit on. Create a poster using photographs to show the “step by step process” you used to build your alarm.
Electricity – Wired for Power – Unit 3
SFClass 1 Electrical Tool/Supply Kit: (Scoresheet SF224) Create an electrical supply kit to be used for basic electrical repair around the house. Include a brief description of each item and its use. Container should be appropriate to hold items.
SFClass 2 Lighting Comparison: (Scoresheet SF225) Display studying the efficiency of various lighting (incandescent, fluorescent, halogen, Light Emitting Diodes, etc.) Exhibit could be a poster display, or an actual item.
SFClass 3 Electrical Display/Item: (Scoresheet SF226) Show an application of one of the concepts learned in the Wired for Power project. Examples include: re-wiring or building a lamp, re-wiring or making a heavy duty extension cord or developing an electrical diagram of a house. Exhibit could be a poster display, or an actual item.
SFClass 4 Poster: (Scoresheet SF227) Poster should exemplify one of the lessons learned in the Wired for Power project.
Electronics – Unit 4
SFClass 5 Electrical/Electronic Part Identification: (Scoresheet SF228) Display different parts used for electrical/electronics work. Exhibit should show the part (either picture or actual item) and give a brief description, including symbol of each part and its function. Display should include a minimum of 10 different parts.
SFClass 6 Electronic Display: (Scoresheet SF229) Show an application of one of the concepts learned in the Entering Electronics project. Examples include: components of an electronic device (refer to page 35 of the Entering Electronics manual).
SFClass 7 Electronic Project: (Scoresheet SF230) Exhibit an electronic item designed by the 4-H member or form from a manufactured kit that shows electronic expertise of the 4-H member. Examples include: a radio, a computer, or a volt meter.
SFClass 8 Poster: (Scoresheet SF231) Poster should exemplify one of the lessons learned in the Entering Electronics project.