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The Dumpster


​Because apparently backpacks are just decorative and links vanish into the void five minutes after I post them.
​This is where the important stuff lives: assignments, notes, forms, rubrics, study guides, and all the things I absolutely will not re-send twelve times.

I CAN tell you that you don't have any of this shoved into the bottom of your backpack because I taught you better.

If you lose it, forget it, delete it, or claim “my Chromebook ate it,” check here first.

Welcome to the academic landfill.


​Dig responsibly. Uncertainty Matters. ​(nerd button alert)
(Heisenberg-Uncertainty Nerd Button)
movingmanelementary__1_.doc
File Size: 164 kb
File Type: doc
Download File

Dear Parents and Guardians,​

I wanted to share a more formal overview of our current unit: Electricity & Magnetism, which will last for about three weeks.

This unit is designed to be hands-on, inquiry-based, and aligned with both Arizona Science Standards and the NGSS. Students will be building and testing real circuits, experimenting with magnets, and learning how electricity and magnetism power the world around them.

We are going to tie in what we learned about the basics of atomic structure and the concept of Earth as a magnet. We have been using Snap Circuits to see how electricity moves through metal.
This is a highly engaging unit, and one that brings out a lot of curiosity and excitement—as well as various types of thinking.
Here’s a quick look at what we’ll be doing:
  • Exploring static electricity and the behavior of electric charges.
  • Constructing and analyzing simple series and parallel circuits.
  • Mapping magnetic fields and understanding how magnets interact.
  • Building functional electromagnets and applying them to real-world problems.

Sincerely,
Kara Olivarria, M.Ed., M.Sci.
ADE-Certified STEM SME
[email protected]
​303.910.0040
Kara Olivarria, M.Ed., M.Sci. ADE-Certified STEM SME [email protected] ​303.910.0040
Picture
1. Who’s one person you can be patient with today… theoretically… if the stars align and you don’t lose it first?
2. How can you stay focused today, other than by pretending the clock is moving faster than it actually is?

T3/4, 2025

trimester one project rubrics and examples by Kara Olivarria
If digging through the archaeological layers of your backpack feels overwhelming, or if your “I bookmarked it, I swear” link has ascended to another dimension, fear not. Below are the documents, links, and resources you misplaced with confidence. Think of this as your academic lost-and-found.
Your browser does not support viewing this document. Click here to download the document.
2025 November Monthly Calendar by Kara Olivarria
Collecting Data /a> by Kara Olivarria
gravity-force-lab-html-guide_en.pdf by Kara Olivarria
Picture
Monday, November 23rd
October 24th: in-class work with substitute
Choose a topic:
Lightning 
Make Lightning with ZAP! | NESDIS | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service
OR
Dark Matter
Dark Matter - NASA Science

If it’s dark matter, stay within NASA. If it’s lightning, stay within NOAA.
We touched briefly on Dark Matter earlier in the school year when learning about cool space stuff, and Lightning more recently with the electricity and magnetism unit. They were topics of interest that we were not able to spend much time on. 

Instructions:
1. Read and interact with the linked website.
2. Answer each question in complete sentences. Check your spelling.
3. Show what you understood — don’t just copy/paste from a website or an AI machine.
4. Be thoughtful and specific. Quality matters more than length.
5. Email this to Ms. Olivarria and Ms. Silva (Jaws music).


1. What was the main topic or idea of what you read or explored?
2. What are three things you learned? Explain.
  •  _______________________________________________
Explanation: _______________________________________________
  •  _______________________________________________
Explanation: _______________________________________________
  •  _______________________________________________
Explanation: _______________________________________________

3. What surprised or interested you the most? Why?
4. What question do you still have after reading or exploring? 
5. Create a question and an answer about your topic that may or may not go on a Blooket.

Bonus:
6. What prior knowledge did you access throughout this assignment? Think about this one....
book style Electricity Physics Presentation in an Illustrative Style (Document) by Kara Olivarria
by Kara Olivarria
Picture
Arizona Department of Education, 2018

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  • Home
  • STEM Dumpster
  • 2025-2026 STEM
    • Project
    • 3rd Quarter STEM: Technical
    • mostrecentbutton
    • Mindfulness
    • Current Unit
  • Rabbit Holes
  • Sandbox
  • Ash
  • Archive
    • misc.
  • Contact