“Motor Head Tech”
Over 20 Edison Middle School students are tearing down and rebuilding small gas engines!
“Engineering is Elementary”
The Lincoln ROAR Summer School students have been exploring mechanical engineering by becoming Mechanical Engineers themselves. Second through fifth graders started their engineering journey by meeting Leif, a character from Denmark, in their "Catching the Wind" storybook apart of the Engineering is Elementary program. Each story in the program takes the students to a different country around the world, while teaching the students about the 5 step Engineering Design Process: Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create and Improve. The story brings the process to real-life by presenting a problem a Mechanical Engineer would solve. The students really start to see themselves as engineers, especially when they actually solve a similar problem.
Leif explores mechanical engineering by designing his own windmill to record the weather or vejr (Danish) for his friend. The Lincoln ROAR students started their own adventures by exploring different materials to design a sail, leading them to think about the blades for their windmills. The students tested their sails by setting them on a track of fishing wire while being pushed by the air of a fan and recorded the distance. Next, they improved their design and retested the sails for more results. The activity provides them with the background they need to become a mechanical engineer and build their own windmill, like Leif!
“Crazy Hair Day”