I love the innocence my students harbor entering an investigation, and the joy they display when they make a scientific discovery on their own. STEM gives them those opportunities to intelligently tinker through the engineering design process and make their own "squiggly line" of learning.
STEM provides my students with hands-on experiences where they can use science to solve the mysteries of the universe!
These experiences boost their confidence for scientific investigation, helping them realize, as human beings, we were made for this!
My Project
My project will require students to design and build a space rover that can function on its own power. Crucial to this goal, each team will need a DC electric motor and building supplies (Knex). There are many other STEM projects where students can use rubber band power or spring loaded power to get their cars to move. However, I see that using a DC electric motor small enough for a model car presents a perfect opportunity to not only experience the engineering design process but also to work in the facet of electrical engineering.
To understand space exploration, students need to use specific scientific principles along with a heavy dose of imagination!
Space Rover Mission does just that. Students will design and build a rover vehicle and, under its own power, make it such that it will be able to cross the terrain of "another world"!
The process of this STEM challenge will put their knowledge of physics and electrical and mechanical engineering to the test. The experience of negotiating and overcoming unseen obstacles in order to get to the next step in the mission builds grit and confidence in students to think on their feet and accept failure as a temporary and natural step to success. It is my hope that students will walk away from this project with an experience that they will always remember.
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