Each STEM field - science, technology, engineering, mathematics - offers a choice of three Supernova activity topics. These are two-part, hands-on, high-level activities created to challenge you and help you continue along your STEM journey to excellence. Part 1 involves research, preparation, set up, coordination, and/or organization. Part 2 includes elements such as analysis, reflection, experimentation, design, or invention, and culminates in a report created by you.
Report Format Options
No matter what STEM activity you choose, you will need to create a report. Reports are a regular part of the work of professionals in STEM fields, so this will be good preparation for future career demands. Notice it doesn't say write a report. You are not restricted to just writing a report, although you may choose to do so if you like. Any report will probably involve some writing, but the report itself may be created and presented in any number of ways. Use your imagination!
You may choose from any format below for your report, or you may create a combination of formats. You may create something entirely new as long as your Supernova mentor approves. The objective is for you to communicate to others in a way that helps them understand what you have learned and how you learned it.
- Oral report
- Written report
- Poster presentation
- Virtual poster
- Video production
- Multifaceted format
- Any format of your own design, with your mentor's advance approval
The report must provide sufficient detail so that someone unfamiliar with the topic can understand the content. For each format, you can incorporate a variety of ways to present your information and to use technology to create a polished presentation. For example, an oral report might include a PowerPoint presentation, or a poster presentation might include a slide show. Be creative.
A Note About Resources
The books and websites provided for each superactivity topic are presented as optional resources and are merely suggestions. In most cases, they are not crucial to the corresponding activities. Scouting America makes no guarantee that they will be available in local public libraries, from booksellers, or online.
The resources represent examples of the types you might use to support your work on a particular activity. You may very well find alternative and/or additional resources that serve you as well or better than those presented here.
Supernova Activity Topics
The following is a list of all available activity topics for Supernova awards.
Science
If you are fascinated by how things work and you want to help contribute to a better planet Earth, the Supernova activity topic choices for science give you a hands-on chance to find out:
- Environmental Science: New Things from Old - reduce your environmental impact on Earth.
- Movie "Science": Misconceptions, Misunderstandings, and Mistakes - explore the wonders of space technology.
- Household Chemistry: Diet Coke and Mentos Explosions - see why carbonation and candy create an explosive experiment.
Technology
From the energy that keeps our homes comfortable and our lights on, to the communication that lets us talk to people around the world, to the special effects used in the movies, we depend on technology. Choose any one of the following projects and you will have fun while learning about today's technology.
- Energy Technology - energy storage, production, and conservation.
- Communication Technology - fill in a Mad Lib story with contributions from many people.
- Entertainment Technology - analyze movie special effects, then storyboard your own.
Engineering
Have you ever studied how your bicycle works? To learn how a bicycle is put together (or engineered), here is a project for disassembling one. Or what about making a high-performance paper glider? Or having a contest to see who can drop a raw egg without breaking it? Choose any one of these activities to learn more about engineering.
- Deconstruct and Analyze: Mechanical Designs - take apart a machine and figure out how it works.
- Build and Test: High Performance Paper Gliders - build, test, and compare different glider designs.
- Design and Redesign: Egg Drop Contest - design a container to protect a raw egg from breaking when dropped.
Mathematics
Have you ever watched bungee jumpers and wondered why they don't hit the ground? You can make a model of your own and figure it out. Or, what about the Yellowstone geyser Old Faithful - how can you tell when it will erupt? What about voting - can you imagine how so many people in so many states can go in, cast a vote, and come out with a fair result? Mathematics is the key. Choose any one of these projects to learn how it's done.
- From Simulations to Real Life: Modeling Bungee Jumping - how close can you get a doll to the ground using rubber bands?
- Linking the Past to the Future: Predicting Old Faithful's Next Eruption - analyze a gyser's eruptions to predict the future.
- A Paradox of Counting: Voting Methods and Fair Decisions - explore different voting methods and their fairness.
Have Fun!
It is important that everyone has fun with these topics. It is difficult for STEM activities to be boring when the audience is fully engaged.
If you're having fun with these, you should look into Scoutmaster Bucky's Nova Lab for more fun ideas and awards.
