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Middle School: Adventures Outside the Classroom
On Saturday, October 13
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a group of Middle School students spent the day at the United States Naval Academy's Girls Only S.T.E.M. Day in Annapolis. In the morning, each group rotated through three different S.T.E.M. stations led by Naval Academy instructors and Midshipmen (current Naval Academy students). From building batteries to learning binary code, to density testing to building a house structure that could withstand over 100 mph winds in a storm chaser activity, it was a jam packed day of building, testing, exploring, and collaborating.
The afternoon provided opportunities to ask the Midshipmen about their major, the types of classes they are taking, and their career hopes. They then embarked on a team problem-solving mission. They were presented with a scenario, a navy ship needed to bring supplies to an island that had been hit by a hurricane. However, they couldn't bring the ship up to the island, and the teams had to develop a launch and catch device that could successfully deliver the supplies to the island. The groups were provided with a limited supply of materials and had 60 minutes to create their finished project. Our group was able to utilize the innovation concepts they have learned participating in Mrs. McNichol's group projects. Their knowledge about brainstorming, taking risks, developing prototypes, testing those prototypes, and going back to make adjustments was just what they needed to successfully execute this project. It was awesome to see the groups navigate through the 60 minutes and to see the different products that were created.
It is these outside of the classroom adventures that enables the students to network, meet new people, make real-life connections, and get an inside look at potential career options for the future. Keep an eye out for more adventures to come!
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