Curriculum & Resources to Check Out
Research shows that hands-on learning is one of the best ways for youth to retain knowledge. Youth that participate in the use of our education hands-on kits are given an introduction to science concepts through hands-on learning and are able to practice work skill areas like team building, problem solving, and communication skills.
Kits can be used by: teachers, afterschool providers, summer day camp personnel, homeschool families, 4-H clubs, and many others.
Contact Lindsey Young to reserve a kit. lindseyy@iastate.edu or 515-520-3783
Checkout Policy
Reservations
- Please reserve kits at least 1 week in advance. Contact Lindsey Young to reserve your kit. Kits are free to check out and may be checked out for up to two weeks.
- Kits can be picked up and returned to the Madison County Extension Office from 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Thursday and 8:00am-12:00pm on Fridays. We can work with you to make accommodations if necessary.
Damage Control
- If we feel there is any damage beyond normal use, we will bill the individual for the repair/replacement of the kits.
Return Process
Upon completing a kit, return it to the Madison County Extension Office.
4-H Marketing/Event Items
- Wagon
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Red Wagon - collapsible wagon with adjustable handle
Orange Wagon - heavy duty collapsible wagon with large tires
- Pop Up Tent
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ISU branded pop-up tent
- Folding Tables
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4 - small folding tables
- Feather Flags
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2 - 4-H branded feather flags
- Camp Chairs
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2 - folding camp chairs
- Coolers
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2 - 5 gallon drink coolers
1 - large square rolling cooler
1 - standard rectangular cooler
1 - 3 gallon beverage dispenser
- Disco Ball
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Lighted rotating disco ball
- Kitchen Items
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Air popcorn popper
Large percolator
5 - miscellaneous serving trays
Small kitchen scale
- Soil Probes
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2 - soil probes
Technology
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IPads
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10 – Ipads (7th generation) with screen protectors & hard-shell cases
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Samsung Tablets
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3 – Samsung Tablets (Model SM-T713) with hard shell cases
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Large Ring Light
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18” ring light with tripod stand
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Small Ring Light
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10” ring light with tripod stand
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Portable Projector
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Portable projector with HDMI cable connection
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Projector Screen
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Portable projector screen with tripod stand
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Large Tripod
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Large tripod with camera mounts
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Small Tripod
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Small tripod with camera mounts
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Sound System
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Rockville PA System Mixer (1), Speakers (2), and Stands (2)
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Wired Microphone
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1 – Wired microphone system
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Wireless Microphones
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2 – Wireless microphone systems
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Extension Cords
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4 – Extension Cords of various lengths
Activity Supplies
- Poster Paper
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Pad of Sticky Poster Paper
- Whiteboard Easel
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2 - Whiteboard Easels
- Poster Easel
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5 - Foldable Poster Easels
- Hot Plate
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3 - Hot Plates
- Sewing Machine
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5 - Sewing machines including 2 "heavy duty" machines
- Sewing Supplies
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Various sewing materials - contact the Extension Office for a more detailed list
- Light Box
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Light box for photography
- Outdoor Games
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Hula hoops, plastic bats, miscellaneous balls, etc.
- Tool Kits
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2 - complete tool sets that include a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, etc.
- Tents
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3 - 5 person tents
- Cook Stove
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3 - propane cook stoves
- Cook Set
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3 - camp cook sets, 16 pieces
- Tarp
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Large blue tarp
- Tug of War Rope
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Heavy duty tug of war rope
- Craft Supplies
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Various craft supplies - contact the Extension Office for a more detailed list
- Cricut
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Cricut Cutting machine with design cartridges
- Clipboards
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10 - clipboards
Curriculum
- Engineering Adventures
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"To the Rescue" Engineering Aid Drop Packages
A Crime, A Clue, & Biotechnology
Now You're Cooking - Designing Solar Ovens
Taking the Plunge - Designing Submersibles
- STEM In Action
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Helicopter Hang Time - Grades 1-2 - Students learn about fair tests to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different helicopter designs. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to build a helicopter, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Project Park Design - Grades 1-2 - Students explore patterns of the Earth and the Sun to determine when and where shadows cover the park. Then, they design a park plan with warm, sunny benches. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to create a park model, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Muddy Mats - Grades 1-2 - Students explore the properties of materials while designing an absorbent, no-slip mat to protect the house from muddy paws. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to design a no-slip mat, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Coding Mouse Exploration - Grades 1-2 - Students explore the basic needs of animals as they design a code for a programmable mouse to demonstrate their knowledge of everything a mouse needs to survive. Following code, writing code, and debugging code, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and support multiple solutions.
Seed Rescue - Grades 1-2 - Students explore ways to pollinate plants in a greenhouse by creating a model plant pollinator. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to create a model plant pollinator, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Rainwater Runoff - Grades 3-5 - Students explore types of water pollution and subsoil in a garden. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to design and build a model of subsoil for a rain garden, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Squeaky Clean Magnets - Grades 3-5 - Students explore the power of magnets and use them to make, test, and redesign a way to clean fish tanks without putting their hands into water. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to design a solution for cleaning fish tanks, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Toy Deserts - Grades 3-5
Helping Hand Design - Grades 3-5 - Students learn about animal adaptations and then use their findings to plan, build, and test an assistive technology for people who cannot bend over to pick up objects. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to create an assistive device for grabbing, gripping, and picking up objects, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process—to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Wildlife Corridors - Grades 3-5 - Students explore animal needs, habitats, and wildlife corridors. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to build a wildlife corridor, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
Farmer Grady's Challenge - Grades 3-5 - Students explore weather-related hazards and materials that can withstand severe weather. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to design a system to protect farm crops, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
The Great Toy Design - Students explore and conduct tests to identify materials based on their physical properties. By using critical thinking, communication, and collaboration to build a toy prototype, students prepare for essential skills of the 21st century. Students work through the Engineering Design Process – to learn the value of rethinking and supporting multiple solutions.
- Astronomy & Space
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NASA Astro Camp Curriculum - 2021, 2022, & 2023
Galactic Quest
Mars Base Camp
- Misc. STEM
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Inventor's Kit
Making STEM Connections
Drone Discovery
- STEM Lit to Go
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Munching Mysteries - Children learn about the mystery and biography genres, how to solve mysteries, and use the engineering design process to solve a problem.
Wonders of Nature
Hour at the Fair - Children participate in a variety of STEM literacy activities while learning more about the Iowa State Fair.
Code Across Iowa - Children practice coding and problem-solving as they learn about Iowa.
Take a Chance - Participate in various games of chance to learn more about math concepts.
Sound All Around - Children learn about the elements of music such as rhythm and pitch, how sound is produced, and design their own instruments.
Tricky Towers - Participate in the engineering design process to learn about structures and STEM professions.
Chair for Bear - Children work with their engineering design process to build a chair for Goldilocks.
Marvelous Marshmallows - Children learn about an Iowa connection to the famous marshmallow treat, conduct marshmallow investigations, and launch marshmallows at a target to learn more about STEM process skills.
Scream for Ice-Cream - Children explore chemistry and the states of matter through investigations that end in a delicious, sweet treat - ICE CREAM!
Wonderful Wind - Investigate the power of wind, plan and conduct wind experiments.
Blast Off - Children learn about being an astronaut and participate in space themed learning events.
Super Shapes - Learn about shapes and explore shapes in our world.
Curious Candy - Investigate the engineering design process by designing a candy machine to deliver chocolate.
Popping Popcorn - Investigate popcorn; plan and conduct popcorn popping investigations.
Inventors Hats - Investigate the invention process; design & create a new or improved invention.
- Pint Size Science
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Science Sprouts - Introduction to STEM
Push & Pull - Investigates the forces that cause motion.
Exploring Engineers - Youth will explore what types of tools engineers use, how you can use failure to promote success, and what the design cycle is and how it can affect an engineer's work.
Mini Meteorologist - Inspire students to measure and understand the weather happening around us.
Classifying Creatures - Youth will learn what characteristics all humans have, what similarities and differences do animals have that live in the same habitat, and how animals survive where they live.
Homes & Habitats - Challenges students to think about where different animals live based on their environments.
Bits & Bots - Provides a beginning step for students in learning programming and coding.
- Fizz, Bubble, & Goo
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Fizz Bubble & Goo curriculum & materials
- Robotics
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Lego NVT Kits (5 available)
Game Changers (3 available)
Ozobots (Classroom set)
Code Your World
Junk Drawer Robotics
Lego Mindstorm Robots (4 available)
Lego Mindstorm Expansion Kits (2 available)
Root Robots (6 available)
Hummingbird Robots
Hex Bug Robots
Ecobots (Classroom set)
Dash & Dots
Bee Bots (Classroom Set)
- Family & Consumer Sciences
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Portions Kit
My Plate Magnet Set
Fat/Muscle Models
Healthy Eating Posters
Food Activity Banner & Portions
Sewing Machines
Mindful Teen Curriculum & Supplies
Babysitting Basics Curriculum & Supplies
- Chick Hatching
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Chick Hatching Kits (5 available)
- Animal Science
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Animal Science Kits - Lamb, Swine, Rabbit, and Beef