MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS RAVE ABOUT STAR BASE HILL
Day 1: Students engaged in activities encompassing metric measurements, molecular structure and energy. They may have found themselves cheering for molecules and combining chemicals. Student descriptors included “Awesome”, “Interesting”, “So Cool” and “We get 5 days there!”
Day 2: Our students returned ready to take on states of matter, chemical and physical changes, and Newton's Laws of Motion. They experienced plasma in action and launched projectiles for Red, the Angry Bird. “It was great to learn about these things while doing experiments!” “It was never only a teacher talking”
Day 3: Students begin to better understand the challenges of engineers by working with the computer-aided design (CAD) program, Creo. Additionally, they uncovered some mysteries of fluids and enhanced their skills on the coordinate grid. “Most kids don’t use CAD until High School” “I was surprised who the best operators were, not just kids who are good at video games,” “It hurt my brain, but in a good way”
Day 4: Students delved into the minute world of the virus and bacteria, learning about nanotechnology. The students tackled robotics on their own Mission to Mars. They continued with Creo by engineering a lab module and ended the day with dazzling stories of real world STEM experiences. “Everyday is different,” “I can’t remember everything I learned because it was A LOT!”
Day 5: All the skills and knowledge combine on this final day as students attempt to save a life. Robin, Batman's sidekick, has gotten himself into a spacey predicament. Can our STARBASE Hill students save the day? The students also have challenges with Creo and robotics to conclude the day and their time on base. “It was so cool to make our own water filters,” “The whole week was amazing!"
Our Thanks to the crew at Star Base Hill and Mr. Stokes for getting everything arranged. Stay tuned for details on the 7th and 8th grade experiences.