Dogsled STEM Challenge
As January trudges along, many people feel stuck in the winter doldrums. But not in the 1st – 3rd grade classes at St. Peter, where students have spent the last two weeks working on the Dogsled STEM Challenge. The challenge is based on the 1925 Serum Run, where a dogsled relay was used to cover 674 miles over 5.5 days to deliver diphtheria medicine to Nome, Alaska. St. Peter students have had to design their own dogsleds that will be able to face the challenges of Ms. Knea's dogsled testing day.
The students were tasked with inventing and building a sled out of materials like cardboard, straws, coffee filters, cereal boxes, and as much tape as needed. The sled they designed had to be able to stay upright on hills and slopes and bumpy terrain. The sleds also had to be able to hold "Little Dude," a "musher" who had to remain safely on the sled. The first week was spent researching sleds and following the six-step design process – ask, imagine, plan, create, experiment, and improve. So the students began by learning about sleds and doing some research, and then the students spent the remaining time making the first draft of the sled. The kids learned what worked and what didn't when they tested the sleds the first time.
The second week of the challenge was spent making adjustments to the design. For example, the kids did additional research about the sleds' fronts, and why many of them curve up. The curve at the front helps the sleds get over the bumpy areas of the terrain. A straight edge might hit the bump and get stuck. The kids took the new information they had learned to re-imagine and re-plan to rebuild their sleds sturdier, stronger, and more aerodynamic. They made sure "Little Dude" had adequate protection and that the sleds wouldn't roll. All of this was in preparation for Iditarod Day, when they will officially test their sleds!
The kids rose to the Dogsled STEM challenge, and their enthusiasm was palpable. All of the designs were so unique. To watch the kids see what didn't work, make adjustments, and come back to try again was inspiring. We may be in the dead of winter, but the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classes have been alive with excitement about STEM these past two weeks.
