East Grand Forks sophomore Gareth Simmons clutched the top of a straw, held it like he would a clarinet and started to blow, inflating a balloon attached to the end of it.
Made of the most basic materials, the humble contraption was intended to launch cotton balls. By affixing a balloon to one end of a straw and a tin foil funnel to the other, Simmons thought that air pressure from the deflating balloon would blast the cotton ball into the air.
No such luck. The airstream simply tipped the ball off.
“What if we wrapped (the tin foil) around the cotton ball?” Simmons asked. “That way, the air is focused around one point.”
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After a few failed attempts, Simmons hung his head in mock shame. He and his partner, sophomore Drew Afshari, were among several students testing their launchers Wednesday in the intro to engineering class held at the Senior High Center. The deceivingly fun practice taught students reverse engineering.
Offered through Project Lead the Way, the classes intend to pique and foster student interest in science and technical careers. Schools and colleges nationwide have been pushing students toward jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with the idea of fulfilling a future need in these fields.
Students can take the classes as an art elective and have shown great interest in the hands-on activities. There are about 60 to 80 currently enrolled, said teacher Evan Guest.
Several students that day said they enjoy the class because nothing like it is offered, and a few said they were interested in engineering careers.
“It gives me an opportunity to get out my creativity and ideas,” said Simmons, who wants to pursue robotics.
Problem solving, creative learning
The district is taking a stab at these classes for the first time this year, offering three classes in engineering and design to help retention rates. According to Project Lead the Way, the classes foster problem-solving skills and creative learning.
Freshmen and sophomores usually take the more basic classes, where they’ve so far dabbled in 3D design, created a more basic and wooden version of the Rubik’s Cube and made cellphone cases using a 3D printer (“We couldn’t really get it the right size,” said one student). For another activity, they designed high-tech water bottles on paper.
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“A lot of them had USB ports,” said Guest. “A lot of them had their own refrigeration system. There were a lot of touch screens.”
In the advanced class, senior and junior students tackle harder subjects. During one activity, they calculate the way reaction and external forces work in truss systems like bridges.
“It’s the hardest part of that class,” Guest said. “If you get through that, with all the math that’s involved, the math afterward isn’t so bad.”
On Wednesday, students engaged in friendly competition as they continued to test the launchers.
Efforts ranged from a slightly complicated crossbow to more basic designs. One duo formed a human slingshot, with one sitting down and stretching a rubber band while the other stood behind him and launched the ball down the hall.
Students and school administration had largely positive remarks about the classes.
Superintendent David Pace said that if students continue to show interest, the district could add more specific classes, such as civil engineering and architecture. And if the district adds five or more classes, all of the classes can be counted for college credit, said Guest.
School counselor Stephanie Larson said students have always shown an interest in classes related to STEM.
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“I think that it’s encouraging, and I think it’s an area that we need to grow and build,” she said. “I hope this gets the interest going.”
