As one of three tracks in this summer’s program, the engineering track was capably led by the fabulous Roy Wong, an engineer previously at Genentech and Bechtel.
Over the course of 4 days, our scholars first learned basic scientific principles and then put them in action.
Action. Reaction. Indy 500.
Learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion prepared them to make motive machines–balloon-powered water bottle cars!
Following the engineering process of design, implement, measure and modify, they tweaked their cars through multiple timed test runs culminating in an in-house Indy 500 complete with a checkered flag finish line and a race leaderboard.
Back to the Middle Ages…
Project two started with learning about the various classes of levers. The students then put that knowledge in action by building a trebuchet–a whirling, counterweight-driven catapult.
Line them all up on one side of the room with rubber balls for stones and a wall of paper cups as a target. Keep track of direct hits and try to take down the local petty baron (actually, Joshua, a high school volunteer staff) ensconced in his formidable castle!
Spoiler: he lost.
