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Thursday, June 4, 2020
GO! magazine — A&E in Northeast Oregon
Home Explorations: Pandemic!
Would you like to do an exploration at
home that could inform you about the
Covid-19 pandemic? Follow the
directions below to test materials that
people are using to make protective
masks.
Protecting Yourself
Wear a mask or don't wear a mask? What have people said about this
issue? What does a mask do and can it protect you from a microbe? In
this exploration we can test various materials to determine their
quality for filtering particles.
Materials Required
• Vacuum cleaner with hose attachment
• Black sock or piece of black material
• Paper towel, coffee filter, and other materials
• Cornstarch, Talcum Powder, or Flour
Procedure
1. Place some corn starch on a plate or dish on the floor. (The good
thing about this exploration is that when you are done you can just
clean up the mess with the vacuum!)
2. Put a black sock or other black material over the end of the vacuum
hose.
3. Cover the black sock with the filter you want to test. This simulates
breathing in air and particles.
4. Turn on the vacuum and
suck in some corn starch or
other powder. It should look
like this when you are
finished. Notice the corn
starch on the paper towel
pressed against the sock.
5. Now, remove the paper
towel or other test filter and
carefully examine the black
sock.
6. Try a variety of filters with your system: 1 sheet of paper towels, 2
sheets, 3 sheets. Is there a difference in how much corn starch gets
through? Make a data table to record your results.
Questions
• What material kept out the most particles?
• Would it make a good filter to keep out a bacteria or a virus?
(Remember these particles are much smaller than the powders we
used.)
• How would you test a mask to see if it were truly effective?
Discussion
There are various approaches for making an effective mask. You
might read this article for helpful insights:
https://sites.google.com/a/eou.edu/stem-stories/mask-article-2
Going Further
Would you like to do other explorations related to the pandemic or
other Home Explorations? Check out our website at:
go-stem.org/home-explorations
This resource brought to the
community by:
What is GO-STEM? GO STEM is a
regional partnership that values STEM
learning, prepares youth for successful
STEM careers, and builds pathways and
pipelines to meet workforce needs.
What is STEM learning? STEM
stands for Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathemnatics. STEM
Education is an approach to teaching
and lifelong learning that emphasizes
the natural interconnectedness of the
four separate STEM disciplines. The
common element of problem solving is
emphasized across all STEM disciplines
allowing students to discover, explore,
and apply critical thinking skills as
they learn.
What does GO-STEM do? The staff
and partners of the Hub provide and
support for professional development
and coaching for pre-K-12 teachers and
those delivering informal education in
the community, opportunities for
teachers to work in STEM industries to
gain knowledge of STEM careers,
regional youth programming that
encourages students to take STEM
leadership roles, and community
engagement to communicate the place
and potential STEM has in shaping the
future.
Want to know more about how you
can help spread the word about
STEM in Eastern Oregon? Browse our
website at go-stem.org You can also
contact us through email at:
go-stem@eou.edu
@GreaterOR_STEM
@GreaterOregonSTEM
Facebook.com/GreaterOregonSTEM
STEMazing NEWS!
Interested in a daily STEM conversation
starter? For odd, incredible and
amazing quick reads about news in
Science, Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics, join us at:
go-stem.org/blog