Lizzie’s “Cheat Sheet”
Lizzie’s note: “Hey friends! While I was chasing my spark, I came across some words you may not be familiar with. Here’s your cheat sheet so you, too, can sound like a Spark STEM Squad member from New Orleans!”
Legend
⚙ = STEM word
🎭 = New Orleans culture & places
🌎 = Spanish word/phrase
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A place where air is cooled into liquid and separated into gases like oxygen and nitrogen.
Lizzie: Like a science kitchen that takes air apart into ingredients.
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A step-by-step plan to solve a problem, like a recipe for computers.
Lizzie: Instead of cookies, you get robots and video games!
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Fluffy fried doughnuts covered in powdered sugar.
Esmerelda: Powdered sugar everywhere. That’s how you know they’re good.
Pepper: I lick the floor for the extras.
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A gas we exhale that plants use to make food.
Lizzie: The gas plants gobble up like salad dressing.
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A path electricity follows to power things like lights or games.
Lizzie: Electric roads for light bulbs and video games.
Pepper: Don’t chew these wires. Trust me.
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A nickname for New Orleans, shaped like a crescent moon around the Mississippi River.
Esmerelda: Our city wrapped by the river like a hug.
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The science of using super cold temperatures to change how things act.
Lizzie: Minus 321 degrees Fahrenheit, colder than my freezer times ten!
Esmerelda: I’ll take the ice cream part.
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A person who designs, builds, and fixes things to solve problems.
Lizzie: Problem solving superheroes with hard hats. That’s me someday!
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A test to discover something new or check if an idea works.
Lizzie: What I call it when I turn the kitchen into a science lab.
Esmerelda: What I call it when flour ends up everywhere.
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The oldest part of New Orleans, full of jazz, history, and colorful buildings.
Esmerelda: Balconies, music, and color on every corner.
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A stew made with rice, meat or seafood, and veggies, cooked with a rich base called roux.
Esmerelda: Comfort food that tastes like goodness to the soul.
Lizzie: Spicy science in a pot.
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A spinning device that helps keep balance and direction, used in things like airplanes, ships, and even smartphones.
Esmerelda: Like a compass with a dance move, it always knows where it’s pointing.
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A person from Honduras, a country in Central America.
Esmerelda: That’s where our family roots grow deep.
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A famous Louisiana dish made with rice, spices, and a mix of meat, sausage, or seafood.
Esmerelda: Every pot tastes different, but every forkful is a yummy surprise.
Pepper: I sit by the stove hoping something falls my way.
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A Louisiana word that means “a little something extra.”
Esmerelda: The joy of a bonus surprise.
Pepper: Like when I get two treats instead of one.
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A huge lake north of New Orleans.
Lizzie: A lake so big you can’t even see the other side.
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Super cold nitrogen that can freeze roses or make ice cream in seconds.
Lizzie: Science magic! Roses shatter and ice cream fogs up!
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Spanish for Mom.
Lizzie: What I call Esmerelda every day.
Esmerelda: My favorite name in the world.
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A big sign above a theater or building that shows the name of a movie, play, or event.
Lizzie: It’s like a headline you can see from the street.
Pepper: If it said “DOG SHOW,” I’d be first in line.
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A New Orleans celebration with parades, beads, music, and costumes.
Lizzie: The biggest, loudest, happiest party ever!
Pepper: Too loud for me. I’ll just take the beads.
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The First African-American High School in New Orleans, marching band section is known for its powerful drum beats and rhythms.
Lizzie: The beat makes me want to build something that moves just as strong.
Pepper: The book’s author graduated from this school!
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“My love” in Spanish, a sweet nickname.
Esmerelda: What I call Lizzie when my heart feels full.
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The driver’s spot at the front of a streetcar, with the controls for steering, brakes, and speed.
Esmerelda: Where the magic of moving the streetcar begins.
Lizzie: It’s like a cockpit but for wheels and tracks instead of wings.
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A gas that makes up most of the air we breathe.
Lizzie: Invisible but everywhere!
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The gas our bodies need to breathe and live.
Esmerelda: The breath of life.
Pepper: I pant it out faster than anyone.
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A famous New Orleans sandwich, often filled with fried oysters, shrimp, or roast beef.
Esmerelda: Big, messy, and worth every bite.
Lizzie: You need ten napkins!
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The first version of something you invent to test it.
Lizzie: My first robot versions usually involve tape and cardboard.
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A New Orleans parade where people dance behind the brass band waving handkerchiefs and beautifully decorated umbrellas.
Lizzie: If you’re not dancing, you’re doing it wrong.
Pepper: Best tail wagging parade ever!
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A long, narrow house where all the rooms line up in a row.
Esmerelda: Our cozy home full of love.
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A trolley that runs on tracks through New Orleans.
Lizzie: Ding ding! My favorite ride with Esmerelda.
Pepper: Windows down, ears up, let’s roll.
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A lively style of music from Louisiana, mixing accordion, washboard, and Creole rhythms.
Esmerelda: It makes your feet tap before your mind even notices.
Lizzie: The sound is like engineering for joy, every part fits together to make you move.