Tag Archives: STEM
Roosevelt Students State Finalists For Samsung Solve For Tomorrow
By Mrs. Emily Bell, Technology Teacher and Head Teacher, Roosevelt STEM School
Five Roosevelt STEM seventh graders, Damra Rivera, Altagracia Pena-Perez, Syla Almero, Claire Ingram, and William Snyder, have been named one of the 300 state finalists in the 14th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition, receiving a $2,500 prize package.
New Jersey Makers Day Weekend At Pennsauken Free Public Library
New Jersey Makers Day (NJMD) is an annual celebration of all things “making” at libraries all throughout the state. From science experiments and computers, to arts and crafts, NJMD aims to connect people from all walks of life through STEM, fun and learning of making and creativity. On Friday, March 19, and Saturday, March 20, the Pennsauken Free Public Library is hosting a variety of special events and activities.
Intermediate School Holds STEM Camp
By Angel-Marie Cook, District Science Supervisor
Pennsauken Intermediate School hosted its third annual summer STEM Camp from July 11-22. With an aeronautical focus, students investigated flight through the lens of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Students prepare to launch rockets of their own design as part of Pennsauken Intermediate School’s third annual summer STEM Camp.
Each day, students participated in inquiry driven classes based upon NASA’s Summer of Innovation curriculum. Using concepts of physics and mathematics, students explored the forces of flight, Newton’s laws, the dynamics of aviation, and the power of engineering design. Led by four of Pennsauken’s finest science teachers: Trever Miller, Pennsauken High School; Amy Fisher, Phifer Middle School; and Kathleen Blair and Jennifer Miller, Pennsauken Intermediate School, students cycled daily through four, 40-minute, inquiry driven, hands-on classes. Students anchored learning to Next Generation Science concepts and practices, while building understandings and bridging applications. Students demonstrated their knowledge on the last day of camp to a packed house of parents, siblings, and friends in a “STEM Showcase.”
Technology-based presentations, as well as field testing of student designed kites, rockets, and flying shoeboxes, exemplified learning outcomes and the knowledge mastery of the young budding scientists.
The 2016 Aeronautics STEM Camp proved that the “sky is the limit” when it comes to scientific learning.
Pennsauken’s Bell Explores STEM Through National Youth Leadership Forum
By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
Pennsauken resident Calvin R. Bell, III recently joined 300 other young people from across the country to take part in the National Youth Leadership Forum (NYLF): Explore STEM, a unique academic experience that allows students to explore career possibilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Lockheed Martin Engineers Speak With Phifer Students
For the second straight year, Howard M. Phifer Middle School is offering robotics for a full marking period as a related arts class. The robotics program, taught by Mrs. Tracey McSweeney, is designed for students to explore, build, and program small LEGO NXT robots.
Phifer Celebrates Pi Day
Pi Day is an annual celebration commemorating the mathematical constant, which is the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. March 14 was chosen as the day to celebrate Pi, since the numerical date, 3/14, represents the first three digits of Pi. The U.S. Representatives have even passed a resolution designating March 14 as National Pi Day.
This year, Pi Day, was extra special because when the date of 3/14/15 was combined with the time of 9:26:53 a.m. or p.m., it matched the first 10 digits of Pi! This is a phenomenon that will not happen again until the year 2115.
Phifer Principal Thomas Honeyman got “pied” in the face by student Madison McCall as part of the school’s celebration of Pi Day. This year, Pi Day fell on 3/14/15; when the time of day was 9:26:53 a.m. or p.m., it matched the first ten digits of Pi.
In honor of this remarkable date, Phifer Middle School math teachers celebrated with “Pi related” activities. The activities included finding the circumference and area of many circular objects and creating Pi bracelets.
In addition, the students at Phifer Middle School were challenged to memorize as many digits of Pi as possible. The student who could memorize the most digits would get to “pie” the principal, Mr. Thomas Honeyman. The third place winner was Kenny Lieur, who memorized 79 digits; the second place winner was Isaiah Norman, who memorized 110 digits; and the first place winner was Madison McCall, who memorized 115 digits!
To see the activities, hear Madison recite 115 digits of Pi or watch Mr. Honeyman get “pied” in the face, check the school’s web page at www.pennsauken.net/school/phifer.html.
Phifer Students Learn About Robotics, Engineering
For the first time, Howard Phifer Middle School is offering robotics for a full marking period as a “related arts” class. The robotics program, taught by Mrs. Tracey McSweeney, is designed for students to explore, build, and program small LEGO NXT robots.
Students at Phifer Middle School are learning about robotics and engineering during a special class taught by Mrs. Tracey McSweeney.
Mrs. McSweeney encourages her students to reflect and collaborate on the learning process by using skills such as application of knowledge and problem solving. The lessons are cross-curricular in that they incorporate “STEM” or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. For example, the students use mathematical strategies and teamwork to help engineer a solution to their robotics problem. Students utilize their collective problem solving skills to construct and program the robots to perform various tasks. Some tasks include programming the robot to travel a desired distance based on wheel circumference and also navigating through its environment with programmed touch, sonar, sound, and/or light sensors.
Robotics brings students the realization that working as a team helps them complete tasks faster and more efficiently. In addition, video clips, articles and current events are incorporated to show students the benefits of updating technology and utilizing robots to perform daily tasks that were once performed by humans.
To generate interest in the field of engineering, Mrs. McSweeney invited Mr. Aron Rubin, an engineer from Lockheed Martin, to speak to her class. On Friday, Jan. 23, Mr. Rubin excited the students with a presentation about humanoid robots and a helicopter drone project, which he is currently assigned. Mr. Rubin brought in different robotic hands for the students to manipulate. He also described his experiments with a military spy drone that would potentially be able to fly into a building opening at 20 mph, take a video of a room and quickly exit. The grand finale of Mr. Rubin’s presentation was a hexacopter, which he brought and allowed the students to fly in the classroom! Mr. Rubin’s wonderful presentation hopefully stimulated student interest in engineering and technology fields.
On Tuesday, Feb. 24, Mrs. McSweeney invited additional Lockheed Martin engineers, Joe Mirizio, Rebecca Cargan, and Eric Birkhead, to speak to her students for “Engineers Week,” a time of year dedicated to ensuring a diverse and well-educated future engineering workforce by increasing understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers.
Mrs. McSweeney’s students are looking forward to learning about possible careers in engineering as well as performing an exciting rocket launch “STEM” activity that the engineers have planned.
Robotics is a fast growing technology field that is revolutionizing business, manufacturing, the military, the medical field, and our daily lives. The goal of this robotics program is to prepare students for tomorrow. The job market of the future will be more demanding of its applicants than ever. The best applicants will be able to apply their cumulative knowledge of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to perform their daily tasks.
Through this robotics course, Mrs. McSweeney hopes to spark an interest in her students about robotics so that they may possibly pursue a career in engineering.
