Gorham Middle School SAIL

 Students have transitioned over to using Ev3 robots. They started experimenting with various programming features and had to find a way to program the robot to go around the square platform. Watching the students work together to brainstorm and test out different theories was so much fun!  .         

 A team of four 8th-grade students is participating in the University of Southern Maines CubeSat design competition. Students must  conceptualize, plan and present original payload designs meeting the USM Cubesat design challenge mission objectives. The design competition is meant to challenge student teams to perform a complex engineering task under constraints to spur creativity and gain experience in the engineering design process. Students will submit a design packet and narrative describing their original work to a panel of experts within the space industry. The competition aims to: Engage students in STEM experiential learning and consider future careers within the space industry Increase student confidence in STEM through problem solving within a real space mission experience Allow students to develop and practice soft career skills, such as teamwork, leadership and project management Bolster the CubeSat research and development work being undertaken within the Mai...

Edison robots can use infrared light to send and receive messages to other Edison robots. One robot can send out an infrared message using its two IR LEDs which another robot’s IR receiver can detect. The receiving robot can be programmed to react to specific IR messages. Students used IR messaging with multiple robots allowing them to collaborate and create a synchronized response to the message. Student's also programmed the Edisons to follow a light!  

SAIL Math students used the engineering design process to design and build a vehicle to travel on a zip line to carry an elf stranded on a shelf. Students also learned about the forces acting on the elf, including center of gravity and friction.  Students then learned time of impact=   and applied it to the scenario of what if the elf had jumped from the top instead of using the zipline. How long would it take the elf to reach the bottom? Students calculated that it would take .983 seconds to reach the floor.