SpectrUM Discovery ARea
Hands on STEAM Activities from the Montana Makers Exhibition
The University of Montana spectrUM Discovery Area is a hands-on science museum in Missoula, MT dedicated to igniting passion for discovery through science. Our Montana Makers exhibition has visited schools around the state, from Dixon to Ft. Benton. In addition to the exhibition, we’ve worked with a peer learning community of teachers to test and create curriculum for classroom use. This workshop will share some of the STEAM activities and best practices from this project.
Handouts & Resources
Nick Wethington
spectrUM’s Associate Director Nick Wethington is passionate about sharing his knowledge of science with everyone, and loves making and tinkering. At spectrUM, Nick works in the museum and with our partners in the Bitterroot valley and on the Flathead Reservation creating hands-on educational experiences that engage everyone’s innate ability to make and create. Nick also maintains and develops spectrUM’s exhibits and IT infrastructure, leads teacher professional development workshops, oversees spectrUM’s Science on Wheels statewide mobile science program and is spectrUM’s resident astronomer.
Outside of spectrUM, Nick is the vice president of the Western Montana Astronomical Association, Missoula’s local astronomy club. He also coordinates the Blue Mountain Observatory, UM’s astronomical observatory located at the top of Blue Mountain in Missoula. A native of South Dakota with a BS in English Literature from Iowa State University, Nick can be found biking, camping, hiking, and making ridiculous contraptions and telescopes out of reclaimed materials in his garage.
Alex Sobin
Alex comes to spectrUM with a diverse background in science education and nonprofit leadership. For the past six years, she has taught science at Missoula’s Sentinel High School. She previously directed the Montana World Affairs Council and worked on the development team at Adventure Cycling Association. Alex formerly served as a mobile science educator with spectrUM from 2015 to 2017, bringing hands-on spectrUM learning experiences to students across Montana. Alex loves spending time outdoors, biking, hiking and hitting the rivers in our beautiful state.