STEM Marin Physics/Engineering Projects
STEM Marin is a Project Based Learning program and as such, we do a lot of projects. Below, check out a description of the projects we've got planned for Physics and Engineering during 9th grade and some student samples of work.
FALL SEMESTER (16 Weeks)
1. Design and Build a Rube Goldberg Machine - a complex machine to do a simple task. (learning about motion, force, work, kinetics) (6-7 weeks)
Students design and build a Rube Goldberg Machine, then find the physics in all of the steps and energy transfers. Finally, students present their working machines and physics in 10-15 minute presentations at an evening presentation night/conference hall.
FALL SEMESTER (16 Weeks)
1. Design and Build a Rube Goldberg Machine - a complex machine to do a simple task. (learning about motion, force, work, kinetics) (6-7 weeks)
Students design and build a Rube Goldberg Machine, then find the physics in all of the steps and energy transfers. Finally, students present their working machines and physics in 10-15 minute presentations at an evening presentation night/conference hall.
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rube_goldberg_one_pager.doc | |
File Size: | 94 kb |
File Type: | doc |
2. Physics of Sports Video - script, storyboard, film, and edit a video that completely explains the physics in a sports action (like a tennis serve or soccer penalty kick or football punt) (learning about motion, vectors, force, impulse, momentum, kinetics) (3 weeks)
Students then debut their films and field questions from the audience at an evening film festival.
Check out the 2015 and 2014 Physics of Sports Videos!
Students then debut their films and field questions from the audience at an evening film festival.
Check out the 2015 and 2014 Physics of Sports Videos!
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Other Videos made by our students in 2013:
Lacrosse Face-Off
Lacrosse Shot
Gymnastics - Giants
Gymnastics - Vault
Baseball - hitting
Baseball - pitching a fastball
Horse barrel racing
Basketball - free throw shooting
Basketball - dunking
Archery
Golf
Tennis Serve
Bike Jumping
Running (see above)
Horse Jumping (see above)
Lacrosse Face-Off
Lacrosse Shot
Gymnastics - Giants
Gymnastics - Vault
Baseball - hitting
Baseball - pitching a fastball
Horse barrel racing
Basketball - free throw shooting
Basketball - dunking
Archery
Golf
Tennis Serve
Bike Jumping
Running (see above)
Horse Jumping (see above)
physics_of_sports_video_one_pager.doc | |
File Size: | 41 kb |
File Type: | doc |
3. Alternative Energy Vehicle Design - design and build a toy alternative energy car that converts potential energy to kinetic energy to move a mass 5 meters. (learning about energy, friction, PE, and KE) (3 weeks)
Students present their car prototypes in a 3-5 minute pitch presentation to car company executives and engineers in class.
Students present their car prototypes in a 3-5 minute pitch presentation to car company executives and engineers in class.
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3a. Fire Away! - Design and build a trebuchet to fire a projectile as far as possible. Trebuchets are then given to the Algebra 1 class so they can plot the parabolic motion of the projectile and make it hit a cornhole board reliably.
Check out example Proof of Efficacy documents from Kelsey, Nihal, and Rohan below:
Check out example Proof of Efficacy documents from Kelsey, Nihal, and Rohan below:
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4. Creative Engineering Design/Save the World - Solve a problem that the world faces by using the engineering design cycle. (learning engineering) (2-3 weeks)
Students determine the best way to publicize their work and put their solution into action based on the problem they've solved.
Here a couple of problems that students solved (click the link to read about how students solved it):
Coral Reef Bleaching
Wasting Electricity Through Standby Power
Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Africa
Students determine the best way to publicize their work and put their solution into action based on the problem they've solved.
Here a couple of problems that students solved (click the link to read about how students solved it):
Coral Reef Bleaching
Wasting Electricity Through Standby Power
Lack of Clean Drinking Water in Africa
SPRING SEMESTER (20 weeks)
5. Energy Efficient Housing - Design and Build a Passive Solar Home. In this project, students learned about heat and thermodynamics by designing and then building a Solar Studio that gets all of its light and heat directly from the sun. To do this, students needed to select a site for their building, design the building using full blueprints of all surfaces, create a budget and materials list for their build, and build a scale model of their structure. Students then presented their work at an evening "pitch night" to the public and a panel of student, engineer, and contractor judges. The judges liked elements of all of the designs, but based the final design on two presentations (click to see the student work):
"The Device Design"
"The Clerestory Window Design"
We then began building the structure on the Novato Blvd side of campus:
Watch a video of the entire construction process here:
STEM Marin Solar Studio Building process video
5. Energy Efficient Housing - Design and Build a Passive Solar Home. In this project, students learned about heat and thermodynamics by designing and then building a Solar Studio that gets all of its light and heat directly from the sun. To do this, students needed to select a site for their building, design the building using full blueprints of all surfaces, create a budget and materials list for their build, and build a scale model of their structure. Students then presented their work at an evening "pitch night" to the public and a panel of student, engineer, and contractor judges. The judges liked elements of all of the designs, but based the final design on two presentations (click to see the student work):
"The Device Design"
"The Clerestory Window Design"
We then began building the structure on the Novato Blvd side of campus:
Watch a video of the entire construction process here:
STEM Marin Solar Studio Building process video
Huge thanks for this project to EvB General Contractor and Gleeson Construction for providing expertise, labor, and design and building help and to PG&E for the grant funding to make the building a reality.
6. Build a Musical Band - design and build 3 instruments (stringed, wind, and chimes) and play a science song at a concert (learning about waves and sound)
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The Mechanical Musical Monstrosity (A Hurdy Gurdy Inspired, Electrically powered Violin)
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7. Optical Exploration - explore optics and light waves (learning about waves and light)
Daria's Optics Website
8. Electricity, Electronic Circuits, and Programming Robot Art - explore electricity and circuits then program a robot to coordinate with your band concert (learning about circuits, electricity, programming)
Sawyer's Electricity, Programming, and Robotics Website
Brian's Arduino Site
Citlalli's Electronics Site
Ryan's Programming and Electronics Site
Daria's Optics Website
8. Electricity, Electronic Circuits, and Programming Robot Art - explore electricity and circuits then program a robot to coordinate with your band concert (learning about circuits, electricity, programming)
Sawyer's Electricity, Programming, and Robotics Website
Brian's Arduino Site
Citlalli's Electronics Site
Ryan's Programming and Electronics Site
9. Cardboard Chairs - Design and build a chair to support a 150 pound person or a small chair to support a wiggly toddler using nothing but cardboard (learning about materials engineering and testing, balancing priorities and making trade-offs while considering structure, function, aesthetics, and economy)
Amritha's Cardboard Chair Website
Mikayla's Cardboard Chair Website
Amritha's Cardboard Chair Website
Mikayla's Cardboard Chair Website
10. Do It Better - Take a previous project and re-engineer it to make it better. (learning about perseverance, Engineering Design Cycle, all of the physics concepts from the previous project)
Physics of Storks Video (Physics of Sports re-engineer)
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