Middle School Visit

     A couple of days ago, middle schoolers from Attea and Springman Middle School came to GBS. These students who applied to be able to come were here to experience what STEM Engineers really do. I was there to assist them in completing a lab and an Instant Challenge. For the Instant Challenge, we had a budget of $200 to try and ship a potato chip in an envelope to Attea through the post office without cracking it. Me and my two middle schoolers, Dani and Gretchen, worked to make a little box for the potato chip to sit in. The box was supported by popsicle sticks so that anything placed on top of it would not touch the chip. For the lab, we were supposed to find a spot where we put a ring while a ball bounced into it from a certain height. We tested three different heights, graphed the averages, and calculated the slope. In the end, our height worked, and we are hoping that our potato chip packaging will, too! This was not only fun for me, but a great way for middle schoolers of all ages to start to take an interest in Engineering. Engineering can be so much more, especially if more students want to pursue as a career. I hope to be able to do this again next year!

My middle schoolers(l to r), Dani and Gretchen. Dani was lucky enough
 to win an Arduino kit!