Elementary students in Sweet Home will get a hands-on chance to learn how stuff works all year long starting Oct. 4 at the Sweet Home Public Library.
“It’ll be the first Wednesday of every month,” said Library Director Rose Peda. “The gentleman Ward Christman volunteered to do that.”
Christman, a software designer from Sweet Home, will host “Mechanisms: Simple Machines from Leonardo da Vinci to High Tech” monthly from 2:30 to 4 p.m., from October through June. Recommended ages are third grade through fifth grade.
Students will learn about simple machines, energy collection and storage, electricity and combining machines into systems.
They also will learn about the parts of a computer and how they work, data storage, software and the challenges of making robots.
They’ll study machines from Leonardo da Vinci’s day through the Industrial Age to current systems.
“(Christman) loves learning and teaching his boys about engineering and how things work together,” Peda said. His children are about the recommended age.
“We realized that there’s early dismissal (from school) on Wednesdays. And this is a way that we thought we could be a support to schools, to students, another educational opportunity but fun – It’s hands-on learning,” she added.
The fun doesn’t stop in the fifth grade.
Engineer Randy Robertson of Sweet Home will host a class semi-monthly teaching physics concepts using Lego education materials for sixth- through eight-graders.
He will host his first class at 1 p.m. on Sept. 30.
The library has purchased books to support these programs, Peda said. The books include fiction and nonfiction, and they are available for checkout.
The library staff is working on more programming, Peda said.
“Watch for other programs coming up at the library.”
Also on the calendar is a storytelling session for upper elementary and middle school students at 4 p.m. on Oct. 24 called “Spooky Tales.”
For more information and to register for the regular programs, call the library at (541) 367-5007.