Area Students Place in RIU6 STEM Design Challenge

| March 30, 2019

CLARION, Pa. – Riverview IU6 hosted the STEM Design Challenge for 4th and 5th grade students on Monday, March 25.

(Pictured: Second Place Winners Cranberry’s “The Rubbish Ride” – From left to right: Kaden Goreczny, Conner Zerbe, Laynee McTiernan, and Ella Fisher.)

Seventy-five students competed in teams of four from Brookville, Cranberry, Franklin, Keystone, North Clarion, Punxsutawney, Redbank Valley, and Saint Patrick.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to encourage students to apply critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills across all of their content areas.

The STEM Design Challenge is sponsored by Thermo Fisher Scientific. The challenge involves keeping a journal, developing a blueprint, using K’nex pieces to build the project, and then presenting to judges. This year’s challenge involved using K’nex pieces (interlocking plastic rods and connectors) to design an environmentally friendly machine that utilized motors to move objects six inches.

During the competition, each team had two hours to build their project from their blueprints – no pieces could be brought to the competition already joined. Each team also shared a two-minute presentation to explain how their project met the requirements of the challenge.

After the students completed their competition task, they participated in design-thinking makerspace stations, including marble runs with Q-BA-MAZE, designing weight bearing and tallest possible structures out of clothespins, clips, and craft sticks, and coding with Osmo. They also had an opportunity to participate in a show and tell of their projects with their peers.

4th & 5th Grade Division:

First Place: “ACLA Craniums” Brookville

 
Second Place: “The Rubbish Ride” Cranberry

 
Third Place: “Carl the Cranky Crane” Franklin

 
Challenge Success: “Carl the Cranky Crane” Franklin
Design: “The Plebs” North Clarion

 
Teamwork: “The Big D” Cranberry

Creativity: ACLA Craniums, Brookville

The first place team will represent Riverview IU6 and their district at the state competition to be held at Harrisburg University in May.

Riverview IU6 would like to thank the team advisors and judges for the competition – Dr. David Hartley, Associate Dean of Clarion University’s College of Business and Information Sciences and Frances Milliron and Brienne Krepp, both from Komatsu Mining Corp.


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