Happy New Year of the Dragon 2012!
Captains Cindy Dosch (2010-2011), Caitlin Miller (2011-2012), and Brian Bartels (2010-2011)
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Rest, Relax and Recharge
Happy New Year of the Dragon 2012!Captains Cindy Dosch (2010-2011), Caitlin Miller (2011-2012), and Brian Bartels (2010-2011)
Monday, December 19, 2011
Adopt-A-Classroom and Wells Fargo Get Into The Holiday Spirit Helping Classrooms
At this Holiday Season, a generous partnership is putting much needed dollars into the classroom. The School District has partnered with Adopt-A-Classroom, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, in efforts to increase community support and donations for local classrooms. Wells Fargo is sponsoring the campaign in challenge and matching grant dollars. Thanks to the generous donation, Wells Fargo has helped raise over $125,000 for Palm Beach County schools, providing for much needed materials and supplies in the classroom.
Adopt-A-Classroom is the nation’s only nonprofit organization that enables donors to identify and make a donation to a specific classroom. Donations are tax deductible and teachers receive 100% of funds donated. Teachers have full discretion to budget the expenditure and purchase classroom materials that meet their students’ specific needs. The best part is that donors get to see exactly what the teacher purchased.
Grassy Waters Elementary School in West Palm Beach was recently awarded one of the Wells Fargo $5,000 Challenge grants. According to Grassy Waters Principal Amy Wilkinson, “Adopt-A-Classroom and Wells Fargo have been extremely beneficial to all our teachers and students. It’s enabled the teachers to get many of the materials and supplies that they need to become better teachers and our students love the new supplies.” Lisa Park, Senior Relationship Manager, Wells Fargo At Work believes, “The Adopt-A-Classroom program has been tremendous. What a gift to see how we have been able to help the classrooms, and most importantly get the extra school supplies and all the things students need to be more successful in their day-to-day endeavors in school.”
Since 1998, Adopt-A-Classroom has raised more than $16 million on behalf of classrooms, impacting more than one million students in the United States. “Anyone can easily make a difference for a teacher and a classroom of children by using our program to make a donation,” said James Rosenberg, Founder and Executive Director of Adopt-A-Classroom. “There is no easier way to donate to a classroom in such a transparent and accountable way. We are thrilled to partner with the School District of Palm Beach County in order to bring much-needed funds into classrooms.”
“Wells Fargo invests in building strong communities, and our matching grant to Adopt-A-Classroom goes right to the source: the classrooms where our teachers teach and where our children learn,” said Frank Newman, Wells Fargo’s regional president for South Florida. “At a time when county funds are being scaled back, we need to contribute to public education and inspire others to do the same.”
To make a donation to Seminole Ridge SECME, go to http://www.tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME and click on Donate $ button to give $2, $20, or $200. Donations can be made by credit card or check.
About The School District of Palm Beach County
The School District of Palm Beach County, Florida, is the eleventh largest in the nation and the fifth largest in the state of Florida with 187 schools, serving 174,000 students who speak 141 languages/dialects. The School District has 21,361 employees including 12,480 teachers. Over 37,000 community volunteers provide academic assistance to students through the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) Program. Additionally, approximately 1,000 business partners offer resources to support increased student achievement. For more information please visit www.palmbeachschools.org .
About Adopt-A-Classroom
Adopt-A-Classroom is a national, award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting classroom teachers and ensuring all children have equal access to a quality education. Since 1998, the organization has raised over $16 million on behalf of classrooms across America. Donations are tax-deductible and 100% is passed through to the teacher. Teachers have the ability to purchase resources that create a more engaging learning environment and also provide valuable new ways to inspire children about the wonders of learning. To support a classroom, visit www.adoptaclassroom.org .
About Wells Fargo Foundation
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through more than 9,000 stores, 12,000 ATMs, the Internet (wellsfargo.com and wachovia.com), and other distribution channels across North America and internationally. We want to help all of our customers succeed financially and create long-term economic growth and quality of life for everyone in our communities. In 2010, the Company invested a record $219 million in grants in 19,000 nonprofits, and team members contributed more than 1.3 million volunteer hours around the country. For more information, please visit: www.wellsfargo.com/about/csr.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Never met a scientific illustrator? Meet Carol.
Image of the Week #20, December 5th, 2011:
Original source: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 1992 cover illustration of the reconstruction of the skull of Stegosaurus stenops in left lateral view. Ink on paper, by Carol Abraczinskas.
Never met a scientific illustrator? Meet Carol.
by Kalliopi Monoyios at Symbiartic.
Stipple is a pen and ink technique used in scientific illustration that utilizes millions of tiny dots to create areas of shadow and light. This stipple drawing of the skull of Stegosaurus stenops by Carol Abraczinskas appeared on the cover of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology in 1992. It’s a favorite teaching tool of Abraczinskas’s because it tests students’ observational skills. One missing dot prevents this illustration from being complete. Can you find it? To check if you got it right, see the original post for an enlarged view of that detail.
Original source: Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 1992 cover illustration of the reconstruction of the skull of Stegosaurus stenops in left lateral view. Ink on paper, by Carol Abraczinskas.
Never met a scientific illustrator? Meet Carol.
by Kalliopi Monoyios at Symbiartic.
Stipple is a pen and ink technique used in scientific illustration that utilizes millions of tiny dots to create areas of shadow and light. This stipple drawing of the skull of Stegosaurus stenops by Carol Abraczinskas appeared on the cover of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology in 1992. It’s a favorite teaching tool of Abraczinskas’s because it tests students’ observational skills. One missing dot prevents this illustration from being complete. Can you find it? To check if you got it right, see the original post for an enlarged view of that detail.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Hawks Compete in Gulliver Gateway VEX South Florida Championship
(Click on the first picture to flip through the Gulliver VRC Gateway photostream)
Seminole Ridge SECME students competed in the South Florida Championship of the VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami on Sunday. VRC Team 1614 consisted of robot drivers sophomore Connor Piegaro and freshman Bert Sivongsay, field scouts junior Kadeem Spencer and sophomore Jesse Mendheim, and programmer Brandon Gearty. To prepare for the competition, the group worked together to design and build a robot (affectionately nicknamed “Iron Dragon”) that could quickly and efficiently solve the specific obstacles and challenges that come with playing the game VEX Gateway.
The goal of Gateway is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring barrels and balls in goals, earning bonus points and doubling or negating goals. Two alliances—‘red’ and ‘blue’— are composed of randomly paired teams to partner that compete during a twenty-second autonomous period followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play. The allies work both independently in the isolation zones behind the Gateway, and together in the interaction zone.
The students competed with and against 47 teams from across the state, Melbourne to Miami, from Bradenton to Boca, at the tournament. The Hawks qualified for the quarterfinal’s but were one-and-done during the playoffs. (Their record in the qualifying rounds was 2-4, and just made the playoffs cutoff as team 32). Still, the team’s coach, physics teacher Erich Landstrom, is impressed with the team: “We are building more than robots here - we are shaping our future innovators to positively impact the world around them.”
Each week, Seminole SECME students apply what they’ve learned about science, technology, engineering, and math in order to build these semiautonomous VEX machines. And through the competition students learn an equally important skill set: communication, project management, site management, and composure, because students have to learn to ‘fail faster’: not just how to win. but how to recover from losing. They work together on a variety of challenges and obstacles requiring new problem-solving skills.
Seminole SECME VRC team #1614 raises funds to cover the cost of the robot parts, competition entry fees and transportation expenses by asking the local community for support. Please support Seminole SECME this holiday season and make a matching gift at http://tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME . Give $3, $30, or $300 -- all gifts are welcome.
 |
| 20111204 VRC Gulliver Gateway |
Seminole Ridge SECME students competed in the South Florida Championship of the VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami on Sunday. VRC Team 1614 consisted of robot drivers sophomore Connor Piegaro and freshman Bert Sivongsay, field scouts junior Kadeem Spencer and sophomore Jesse Mendheim, and programmer Brandon Gearty. To prepare for the competition, the group worked together to design and build a robot (affectionately nicknamed “Iron Dragon”) that could quickly and efficiently solve the specific obstacles and challenges that come with playing the game VEX Gateway.
The goal of Gateway is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring barrels and balls in goals, earning bonus points and doubling or negating goals. Two alliances—‘red’ and ‘blue’— are composed of randomly paired teams to partner that compete during a twenty-second autonomous period followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play. The allies work both independently in the isolation zones behind the Gateway, and together in the interaction zone.
The students competed with and against 47 teams from across the state, Melbourne to Miami, from Bradenton to Boca, at the tournament. The Hawks qualified for the quarterfinal’s but were one-and-done during the playoffs. (Their record in the qualifying rounds was 2-4, and just made the playoffs cutoff as team 32). Still, the team’s coach, physics teacher Erich Landstrom, is impressed with the team: “We are building more than robots here - we are shaping our future innovators to positively impact the world around them.”
Each week, Seminole SECME students apply what they’ve learned about science, technology, engineering, and math in order to build these semiautonomous VEX machines. And through the competition students learn an equally important skill set: communication, project management, site management, and composure, because students have to learn to ‘fail faster’: not just how to win. but how to recover from losing. They work together on a variety of challenges and obstacles requiring new problem-solving skills.
Seminole SECME VRC team #1614 raises funds to cover the cost of the robot parts, competition entry fees and transportation expenses by asking the local community for support. Please support Seminole SECME this holiday season and make a matching gift at http://tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME . Give $3, $30, or $300 -- all gifts are welcome.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Hey, coach! How's your SECME? EOY 2011
Seasons Greetings, PLC Members!
I need to hear from you in the next ten days, by December 10th. But it will take less then 10 minutes to answer 10 questions and complete the mid-year survey. The information is vital to the SECME National Office.
As you know, most school districts are data-driven and the more data the National Office can share the better. This is your time to have a sounding board to share your thoughts and feelings. So please share what's working and what's not working! I promise it will drive and guide future professional development and funding!
Please know you are valued and your hard work is appreciated. Thanks for your time and assistance!
Click here to take survey
I need to hear from you in the next ten days, by December 10th. But it will take less then 10 minutes to answer 10 questions and complete the mid-year survey. The information is vital to the SECME National Office.
As you know, most school districts are data-driven and the more data the National Office can share the better. This is your time to have a sounding board to share your thoughts and feelings. So please share what's working and what's not working! I promise it will drive and guide future professional development and funding!
Please know you are valued and your hard work is appreciated. Thanks for your time and assistance!
Click here to take survey
Monday, November 28, 2011
20 years, and less than 20 points...
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Act, 42 U.S.C. § 1863 (j) (1) requires the biennial Science and Engineering Indicators (SEI) report to the President and to the Congress by January 15 of every even-numbered year. Since the next report is due out in six weeks, let's review the indicators in the last report (2010).
U.S. data show that the public's level of factual knowledge about science has not changed much over time. Figure7-8 
shows average numbers of correct answers to a series of mostly true-false science questions in different years for which fully comparable data were collected (appendix table 7-8 
).[10] Although performance on individual questions varies somewhat over time (appendix table 7-9 ), overall scores are relatively similar.
CITATION
National Science Board. 2010. Science and Engineering Indicators 2010. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation (NSB 10-01).
Ah, geez. Over twenty years from 1988 to 2008, we haven't risen twenty percent above the gathering storm. Look at the learning gains - they are mostly small, between 5-10%.
Remember, SEI is factual and policy-neutral; it neither offers policy options nor makes policy recommendations. The indicators included in the report are intended to contribute to the understanding of the current science and engineering environment. The SEI digest draws attention to disturbing trends....
U.S. data show that the public's level of factual knowledge about science has not changed much over time. Figure
shows average numbers of correct answers to a series of mostly true-false science questions in different years for which fully comparable data were collected (appendix table ).[10] Although performance on individual questions varies somewhat over time (appendix table ), overall scores are relatively similar.CITATION
National Science Board. 2010. Science and Engineering Indicators 2010. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation (NSB 10-01).
Ah, geez. Over twenty years from 1988 to 2008, we haven't risen twenty percent above the gathering storm. Look at the learning gains - they are mostly small, between 5-10%.
Remember, SEI is factual and policy-neutral; it neither offers policy options nor makes policy recommendations. The indicators included in the report are intended to contribute to the understanding of the current science and engineering environment. The SEI digest draws attention to disturbing trends....
http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind10/c7/c7s.htm#sb4
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Mars Rover Curiosity Takes Off
NASA's biggest and most capable Mars rover ever left Earth on Saturday morning in a picture perfect launch from Cape Canaveral. The new rover, named "Curiosity", is due to reach the Red Planet in August 2012.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/26nov_msllaunch/
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/26nov_msllaunch/
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
For women and minorities, STEM is the best equal opportunity employer
NEW REPORT FINDS THAT 63 PERCENT OF ASSOCIATE’S DEGREES IN STEM EARN MORE THAN BACHELOR’S DEGREES IN NON-STEM OCCUPATIONS
Study also finds that STEM jobs are among the nation’s most highly-paid and fastest-growing
(Washington, D.C., Oct. 20, 2011) – A new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that 65 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM (science, engineering, technology and mathematics) occupations earn more than Master’s degrees in non-STEM occupations. Similarly, 47 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM occupations earn more than PhDs in non-STEM occupations. Furthermore, even people with only STEM certificates can earn more than people with non-STEM degrees; for instance certificate holders in engineering earn more than Associate’s degree-holders in business and more than Bachelor’s degree-holders in education.
STEM will grow to only 5 percent of all jobs by 2018 and demand for STEM talent is growing even faster outside of traditional STEM occupations. This increasing demand for STEM knowledge, skills and abilities allows many individuals with STEM talent to leave STEM occupations. Students and workers divert from STEM jobs because, while STEM is high-paying, STEM students have access to higher-paying career options.
The report finds that of out of every 100 students with a Bachelor’s degree, 19 graduate with a STEM degree but only eight are working in STEM occupations ten years after graduation.
But it’s not only about money—a major conclusion of the report is that STEM talent winds up outside of STEM occupations because STEM jobs often do not fully satisfy individual social and entrepreneurial interests.
“STEM provides choice for people both immediately after school and at mid-career, allowing people to transition to different and oftentimes more lucrative career pathways, including management and healthcare that provide long-term stability and excellent wages.” says Anthony P. Carnevale, the Center’s director and the report’s lead author.
The report details STEM earnings by occupation, race, sex, and education level, and finds:
For women and minorities, STEM is the best equal opportunity employer.
• For women and minorities, STEM is a good news/bad news story. Women and minorities are underrepresented in STEM.
• But for those who do persist, the pay gap in STEM between women and minorities and white men is smaller in STEM than in any other occupation.
STEM pays more than most jobs at each level of education, and at the graduate level is exceeded only by a small sliver of managerial and healthcare occupations.
• Over 70 percent of STEM workers at the high school or some college level make more than the average for workers in all other occupations at the same education level.
More than two-thirds of Associate’s degree-holders in STEM make more than the average for all Associate’s degree-holders.
• STEM training pays more even if you don’t work in a STEM occupation.
• Workers majoring in STEM in college earn more than all other majors over their lifetimes, even if they work in non-STEM occupations.
Apart from the full national report, STEM contains a state-level analysis of STEM jobs. STEM is available online at http://cew.georgetown.edu/STEM.
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals, education and training curricula, and career pathways.
Study also finds that STEM jobs are among the nation’s most highly-paid and fastest-growing
(Washington, D.C., Oct. 20, 2011) – A new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce shows that 65 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM (science, engineering, technology and mathematics) occupations earn more than Master’s degrees in non-STEM occupations. Similarly, 47 percent of Bachelor’s degrees in STEM occupations earn more than PhDs in non-STEM occupations. Furthermore, even people with only STEM certificates can earn more than people with non-STEM degrees; for instance certificate holders in engineering earn more than Associate’s degree-holders in business and more than Bachelor’s degree-holders in education.
STEM will grow to only 5 percent of all jobs by 2018 and demand for STEM talent is growing even faster outside of traditional STEM occupations. This increasing demand for STEM knowledge, skills and abilities allows many individuals with STEM talent to leave STEM occupations. Students and workers divert from STEM jobs because, while STEM is high-paying, STEM students have access to higher-paying career options.
The report finds that of out of every 100 students with a Bachelor’s degree, 19 graduate with a STEM degree but only eight are working in STEM occupations ten years after graduation.
But it’s not only about money—a major conclusion of the report is that STEM talent winds up outside of STEM occupations because STEM jobs often do not fully satisfy individual social and entrepreneurial interests.
“STEM provides choice for people both immediately after school and at mid-career, allowing people to transition to different and oftentimes more lucrative career pathways, including management and healthcare that provide long-term stability and excellent wages.” says Anthony P. Carnevale, the Center’s director and the report’s lead author.
The report details STEM earnings by occupation, race, sex, and education level, and finds:
For women and minorities, STEM is the best equal opportunity employer.
• For women and minorities, STEM is a good news/bad news story. Women and minorities are underrepresented in STEM.
• But for those who do persist, the pay gap in STEM between women and minorities and white men is smaller in STEM than in any other occupation.
STEM pays more than most jobs at each level of education, and at the graduate level is exceeded only by a small sliver of managerial and healthcare occupations.
• Over 70 percent of STEM workers at the high school or some college level make more than the average for workers in all other occupations at the same education level.
More than two-thirds of Associate’s degree-holders in STEM make more than the average for all Associate’s degree-holders.
• STEM training pays more even if you don’t work in a STEM occupation.
• Workers majoring in STEM in college earn more than all other majors over their lifetimes, even if they work in non-STEM occupations.
Apart from the full national report, STEM contains a state-level analysis of STEM jobs. STEM is available online at http://cew.georgetown.edu/STEM.
The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals, education and training curricula, and career pathways.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Seminole Ridge 2011 Pathfinder Nominees
Seminole Ridge High School is pleased to announce the 2012 Palm Beach Post Pathfinder Scholarship nominees. Students are nominated in 18 academic, vocational, and athletic categories and ddemonstrate outstanding achievement. The following Pathfinder nominees have also participated in Seminole SECME (or if not in SECME, have been science students of Seminole Ridge SECME school coordinator Mr. Landstrom and have been in a SECME-tized classroom)
Again, congratulations to our Seminole Ridge Seniors who have been nominated for this prestigious award. Please wish them luck and encouragement as they continue through the nomination process.
Art Ronit Liberman
Business Robert Botkin
Forensics/Speech Cash Galko
History/Political Science Julia Frate
Literature Taylor Godfrey
Mathematics Michael Canlas
Reach for Excellence Patrick Eden
Again, congratulations to our Seminole Ridge Seniors who have been nominated for this prestigious award. Please wish them luck and encouragement as they continue through the nomination process.
Art Ronit Liberman
Business Robert Botkin
Forensics/Speech Cash Galko
History/Political Science Julia Frate
Literature Taylor Godfrey
Mathematics Michael Canlas
Reach for Excellence Patrick Eden
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Figure This! On the 12th+11th+10th Day of Christmas
On the first day of Christmas, my true love sends to me a partridge in a pear tree. On the 2nd day, my love sends two turtle doves and a partridge in pear tree. On the 3rd day, three french hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in pear tree. This pattern continues for nine more days. The remaining gifts, in order of appearance, include colly birds, gold rings, geese, swans, maids, ladies, lords, pipers, and drummers. Figure this! After 12 days, which gift did my true love send the most?
Hint: How many of each gift did I receive on each day?
Get Started: Make a table to organize this information.
Answer in the comments!
Hint: How many of each gift did I receive on each day?
Get Started: Make a table to organize this information.
Answer in the comments!
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Seminole SECME Spotlight: Caitlin Nicole Miller
Senior Caitlin Nicole Miller is the captain of this year’s Seminole SECME team. She is setting a standard for the theme “Plan It—Build It—Live It!” Last year she was a part of the Seminole SECME Brain Bowl team. Her decision to enrich her education was immediately noticed. Her classmates talked about how committed she was, displaying her dedication and great intelligence at every meeting. She felt like she could make a difference in the club and be a great leader when offered the position as captain. Her priorities were organization and focusing in a more systematic way of doing things. Caitlin has a hands-on approach: she checks in with everybody and makes sure she knows her stuff so her teammates get the best advice she can give. That’s no surprise given how she spends her time off from school and SECME. She said, “I’ve always been good at math. And the hands-on science stuff — I’ve always liked knowing why things happen and how things work.” Caitlin enjoys watching “CSI” and “Lie to Me” because “I like how they go about solving crimes and I like guessing how the show is going to end. I do that all the time.” Caitlin’s plans for the future look for fall admission to the College of Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. Watch this Hawk become an Owl!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter Fall 2011
In the Fall 2011 issue of the Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter
- "Hawk"-tober at the Ridge: brainstorming bridges, bots, and bottle rockets
- Discover "E" and Create Something Cool with Jim Kunard, professional engineer.
- Engineering Family Fun Day recap by Kim Seager, PE and EF2D event chair
- Figure This! On the 12th + 11th + 10th day of Christmas
- Save the Dates: February 25th and April 29th
- SECME Spotlight on our captain, Caitlin Nicole Miller
- Robot Carnival at the Children's Science Explorium in Boca Raton
- Hawks guard the Miami VEX Gateway with "The Iron Dragon"
- Adopt Seminole SECME online: thank you to our sponsors
PAGE 1Click here to download the attached PDF copy of our Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter Fall 2011 issue
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Engineering Family Fun Day 2011 Recap
“On behalf of the Southeast Florida Section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), we would like to thank Seminole Ridge SECME for your support of the 4th Annual Engineering Family Fun Day (EF2D). We are grateful for you donating your time and resources to participate in this great event. EF2D is a free annual event that the SWE hosts for Palm Beach County students. The objective of the program is to educate the community on engineering and spark an interest in math, science and engineering for students. EF2D informs students and their parents of the qualifications and achievements of engineers and the opportunities available though engineering.
"The 4th Annual EF2D event offered ten activities that provided hands on learning about engineering and science. The activities included Popfly Launcher, Wind Energy, Lemon Battery, Bottle Rocket Launch, Gumdrop Dome, Survey, Lego Tower, Eat Your Science, Egg Bungee and Meet an Engineer. At every location, students had the opportunity to meet and talk to engineers about where they work, what they do, and how to become an engineer. By the end of the day, both students and volunteers learned some of the basic concepts that are used by engineers and scientists every day.
“Seminole Ridge SECME played a huge role in helping to make the 4th Annual EF2D event a success. Without your participation, our event would not have been so successful. We were able to provide a day of fun and learning to over 100 students in Palm Beach County. I hope you will continue to support our event in years to come. Through the loyal support of members and friends we are making great strides towards our goal of supporting women of all ages in their quest for successful careers in engineering.
- Kim Seager
(SEFL SWE President/EF2D Event Chair)
"The 4th Annual EF2D event offered ten activities that provided hands on learning about engineering and science. The activities included Popfly Launcher, Wind Energy, Lemon Battery, Bottle Rocket Launch, Gumdrop Dome, Survey, Lego Tower, Eat Your Science, Egg Bungee and Meet an Engineer. At every location, students had the opportunity to meet and talk to engineers about where they work, what they do, and how to become an engineer. By the end of the day, both students and volunteers learned some of the basic concepts that are used by engineers and scientists every day.
“Seminole Ridge SECME played a huge role in helping to make the 4th Annual EF2D event a success. Without your participation, our event would not have been so successful. We were able to provide a day of fun and learning to over 100 students in Palm Beach County. I hope you will continue to support our event in years to come. Through the loyal support of members and friends we are making great strides towards our goal of supporting women of all ages in their quest for successful careers in engineering.
- Kim Seager
(SEFL SWE President/EF2D Event Chair)
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
LBST Gotta Regatta
Let's Build Something Together challenge
PROTOTYPE
Raingutter Regatta challenge
---
A boat is a watercraft design to float. Types of boats range from canoes to catamarans to cargo carriers. We challenge your team to make a boat that can ferry a Ping-Pong passenger!
MATERIALS PER TEAM
• Masking tape
• 3–5 paint stirrers
• 3 playing cards
• 1 plastic sandwich bags
• 2 rubber bands
• 2 drinking straws
• 1 Ping—Pong ball
• 3 oz paper cup
BRAINSTORM AND DESIGN
Look at your Materials and think about the questions below. Then sketch your ideas on a piece of paper or in your design notebook.
1.How will you make a boat that floats well enough to support a heavy load without sinking?
2.Should your boat be a platform (e.g., a raft or barge) or an open boat (e.g., a rowboat or canoe)?
3.What's the best way to make your boat waterproof?
4.How big do you need to make your boat?
Build, Test, Evaluate & Redesign
Use the Materials to build your boat. Then test it by floating it in a container of water and adding washers, one at a time. When you test, your design may not work as planned. When engineers solve a problem, they try different ideas, learn from mistakes, and try again. The steps they use to arrive at a solution is called the design process. Study the problems and then redesign. For example, if the boat:
•sinks easily—Increase its ability to float. When you set your boat in water, notice how it sinks down a bit, pushing aside some water. The water pushes right back, pressing on the boat's bottom and sides. The force from these pushes is called buoyancy. To change your boat's buoyancy, experiment with the boat's width and the height of its sides.
•leaks a lot—See if the straws are filling with water or if the plastic wrap is separating.
•tips easily—Check how near the weights are to each other. A boat can get tippy when one part is heavier than another.
PROTOTYPE
Raingutter Regatta challenge
---
A boat is a watercraft design to float. Types of boats range from canoes to catamarans to cargo carriers. We challenge your team to make a boat that can ferry a Ping-Pong passenger!
MATERIALS PER TEAM
• Masking tape
• 3–5 paint stirrers
• 3 playing cards
• 1 plastic sandwich bags
• 2 rubber bands
• 2 drinking straws
• 1 Ping—Pong ball
• 3 oz paper cup
BRAINSTORM AND DESIGN
Look at your Materials and think about the questions below. Then sketch your ideas on a piece of paper or in your design notebook.
1.How will you make a boat that floats well enough to support a heavy load without sinking?
2.Should your boat be a platform (e.g., a raft or barge) or an open boat (e.g., a rowboat or canoe)?
3.What's the best way to make your boat waterproof?
4.How big do you need to make your boat?
Build, Test, Evaluate & Redesign
Use the Materials to build your boat. Then test it by floating it in a container of water and adding washers, one at a time. When you test, your design may not work as planned. When engineers solve a problem, they try different ideas, learn from mistakes, and try again. The steps they use to arrive at a solution is called the design process. Study the problems and then redesign. For example, if the boat:
•sinks easily—Increase its ability to float. When you set your boat in water, notice how it sinks down a bit, pushing aside some water. The water pushes right back, pressing on the boat's bottom and sides. The force from these pushes is called buoyancy. To change your boat's buoyancy, experiment with the boat's width and the height of its sides.
•leaks a lot—See if the straws are filling with water or if the plastic wrap is separating.
•tips easily—Check how near the weights are to each other. A boat can get tippy when one part is heavier than another.
Monday, November 7, 2011
EngineerGirl! Essay Contest 2012 - Food Engineering
Dear EngineerGirl! Visitor:
We are pleased to announce the National Academy of Engineering’s EngineerGirl! website’s 12th annual Essay Contest. Students are asked to write about the role of engineering in providing safe and nutritious food.
Shopping at your local supermarket is a different experience today than it was even 50 years ago. Today the food we eat comes from around the world and is often already prepared in a wonderful variety of ways. Engineers are actively involved in every step of the process—they design the specialized machines used to plant and harvest crops and develop unique manufacturing processes to prepare, package, and transport foods in safe and secure ways.
Consider these popular foods:
- Applesauce
- Ice cream
- Peanut butter
- Potato chips
- Sandwich bread
- Spaghetti sauce
Grades 3-5: (No more than 500 words)
Choose one of the foods from the list and explain how it is produced, from the planting and harvesting of raw material to being ready to eat. Describe how engineers are involved in different steps of the process.
Grades 6-8: (No more than 750 words)
Choose one of the foods from the list and explain how it is produced, from the planting and harvesting of raw material to being ready to eat. Choose a technology critical to one or more steps in the process and explain how it works. Describe how different types of engineers (e.g. civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.) might have contributed to the design of the technology as well as key elements of that design.
Grades 9-12: (No more than 1500 words)
Choose one of the foods from the list and explain how it is produced, from the planting and harvesting of raw material to being ready to eat. Choose a technology critical to one or more steps in that process and explain how it works. Describe how different types of engineers (e.g. civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.) might have contributed to the design of the technology as well as key elements of that design. Talk about what engineers are currently doing to improve this technology. Be sure to include your references.
Details and rules can be found on the EngineerGirl! website: http://www.engineergirl.org/CMS/Contest/food2012.aspx. Participation is open to both girls and boys in grades 3-12 and submissions must be entered by 6:00 pm (EST) on March 1, 2012. All winning entries will be published on the EngineerGirl! website and winners will receive cash prizes: first place winners $500, second place winners $250, third place winners $100. The 2012 EngineerGirl! Essay Contest was made possible by the generous support of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
The EngineerGirl! website is designed to spark the curiosity of young people, girls in particular, and encourage them to consider careers in engineering. EngineerGirl! provides career descriptions, profiles of successful women engineers, information about exciting engineering projects, and interactive tools for girls, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors, all designed to encourage girls to pursue an engineering education and career. Launched in 2001, the site is visited by more than 18,000 unique visitors a month and has been featured by the Girl Scouts of America, the Society of Women Engineers, and local and national media in the United States and around the world. The #1 website on Google for “girls + engineering,” Engineer Girl! is a trusted and entertaining resource for young girls, parents, educators, and volunteer engineers involved in student outreach. In a 2011 poll, girls’ reported that viewing the EngineerGirl! website or participating in its annual essay contest caused 63% of them to consider a career in engineering and 81% to consider studying engineering in college. Please visit www.engineergirl.org to learn more.
We look forward to reading some exciting and creative essays and we hope you will help us to spread contest announcement. If you have questions, or seek clarification, please contact the EngineerGirl! team at engineergirl[at]nae[dot]edu.
Best,
Vickie
Victoria Gunderson, Ph.D.
Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Fellow
National Academy of Engineering
vgunderson[at]nae[dot]edu
We are pleased to announce the National Academy of Engineering’s EngineerGirl! website’s 12th annual Essay Contest. Students are asked to write about the role of engineering in providing safe and nutritious food.
Shopping at your local supermarket is a different experience today than it was even 50 years ago. Today the food we eat comes from around the world and is often already prepared in a wonderful variety of ways. Engineers are actively involved in every step of the process—they design the specialized machines used to plant and harvest crops and develop unique manufacturing processes to prepare, package, and transport foods in safe and secure ways.
Consider these popular foods:
- Applesauce
- Ice cream
- Peanut butter
- Potato chips
- Sandwich bread
- Spaghetti sauce
Grades 3-5: (No more than 500 words)
Choose one of the foods from the list and explain how it is produced, from the planting and harvesting of raw material to being ready to eat. Describe how engineers are involved in different steps of the process.
Grades 6-8: (No more than 750 words)
Choose one of the foods from the list and explain how it is produced, from the planting and harvesting of raw material to being ready to eat. Choose a technology critical to one or more steps in the process and explain how it works. Describe how different types of engineers (e.g. civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.) might have contributed to the design of the technology as well as key elements of that design.
Grades 9-12: (No more than 1500 words)
Choose one of the foods from the list and explain how it is produced, from the planting and harvesting of raw material to being ready to eat. Choose a technology critical to one or more steps in that process and explain how it works. Describe how different types of engineers (e.g. civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.) might have contributed to the design of the technology as well as key elements of that design. Talk about what engineers are currently doing to improve this technology. Be sure to include your references.
Details and rules can be found on the EngineerGirl! website: http://www.engineergirl.org/CMS/Contest/food2012.aspx. Participation is open to both girls and boys in grades 3-12 and submissions must be entered by 6:00 pm (EST) on March 1, 2012. All winning entries will be published on the EngineerGirl! website and winners will receive cash prizes: first place winners $500, second place winners $250, third place winners $100. The 2012 EngineerGirl! Essay Contest was made possible by the generous support of Lockheed Martin Corporation.
The EngineerGirl! website is designed to spark the curiosity of young people, girls in particular, and encourage them to consider careers in engineering. EngineerGirl! provides career descriptions, profiles of successful women engineers, information about exciting engineering projects, and interactive tools for girls, parents, teachers, and guidance counselors, all designed to encourage girls to pursue an engineering education and career. Launched in 2001, the site is visited by more than 18,000 unique visitors a month and has been featured by the Girl Scouts of America, the Society of Women Engineers, and local and national media in the United States and around the world. The #1 website on Google for “girls + engineering,” Engineer Girl! is a trusted and entertaining resource for young girls, parents, educators, and volunteer engineers involved in student outreach. In a 2011 poll, girls’ reported that viewing the EngineerGirl! website or participating in its annual essay contest caused 63% of them to consider a career in engineering and 81% to consider studying engineering in college. Please visit www.engineergirl.org to learn more.
We look forward to reading some exciting and creative essays and we hope you will help us to spread contest announcement. If you have questions, or seek clarification, please contact the EngineerGirl! team at engineergirl[at]nae[dot]edu.
Best,
Vickie
Victoria Gunderson, Ph.D.
Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Fellow
National Academy of Engineering
vgunderson[at]nae[dot]edu
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Engineering Family Fun Day 2011
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
Seminole Ridge SECME inspired an interest in the areas of math and science in young students in Palm Beach County during the 4th annual “Engineering Family Fun Day” November 5 from 10AM – 2PM at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach.
Sponsored by the non-profit educational and service organization The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) - Southeast Florida Section, the intent is to increase the students’ as well as their parents’, teachers’, and counselors’ knowledge of engineering and other technical fields. SECME senior Caitlin Miller, and sophomores Sam Smith and Jarret Rimel assisted boys and girls during EF2D as they challenged children like cub scouts from Pack 147 to build a popfly launcher with paint stirrers, a PVC pipe coupler and a ping pong ball. The minicatapults were sponsored in part by Lowe's Home Improvement of Royal Palm Beach, store #0654.
Seminole Ridge SECME inspired an interest in the areas of math and science in young students in Palm Beach County during the 4th annual “Engineering Family Fun Day” November 5 from 10AM – 2PM at Dreher Park in West Palm Beach.
Sponsored by the non-profit educational and service organization The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) - Southeast Florida Section, the intent is to increase the students’ as well as their parents’, teachers’, and counselors’ knowledge of engineering and other technical fields. SECME senior Caitlin Miller, and sophomores Sam Smith and Jarret Rimel assisted boys and girls during EF2D as they challenged children like cub scouts from Pack 147 to build a popfly launcher with paint stirrers, a PVC pipe coupler and a ping pong ball. The minicatapults were sponsored in part by Lowe's Home Improvement of Royal Palm Beach, store #0654.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Registration now open for Moody’s Mega Math Challenge 2012
Moody’s Mega Math Challenge is an Internet-based, applied math competition for high school students. The contest is free and open to high school juniors and seniors in 29 states in the Eastern United States.
Working in teams of three to five, participants must solve an open-ended, applied math-modeling problem focused on a realistic issue—in 14 hours. Scholarships totaling $115,000 toward the pursuit of higher education are awarded to the top teams. The real-world focus of the competition introduces students to applied math as a powerful problem-solving tool and, potentially, as a viable and exciting profession.
Challenge weekend is set for March 3 and 4, 2012. Register at the website below.
Complete details, sample problems, and archives of previous Challenges are available at: http://M3Challenge.siam.org
[Please feel free to include the above blurb in your e-newsletters, listserv messages, and/or websites] Karthika Muthukumaraswamy, Project Public Awareness
Moody's Mega Math Challenge http://M3Challenge.siam.org m3challenge[at]siam[dot]org
Working in teams of three to five, participants must solve an open-ended, applied math-modeling problem focused on a realistic issue—in 14 hours. Scholarships totaling $115,000 toward the pursuit of higher education are awarded to the top teams. The real-world focus of the competition introduces students to applied math as a powerful problem-solving tool and, potentially, as a viable and exciting profession.
Challenge weekend is set for March 3 and 4, 2012. Register at the website below.
Complete details, sample problems, and archives of previous Challenges are available at: http://M3Challenge.siam.org
[Please feel free to include the above blurb in your e-newsletters, listserv messages, and/or websites] Karthika Muthukumaraswamy, Project Public Awareness
Moody's Mega Math Challenge http://M3Challenge.siam.org m3challenge[at]siam[dot]org
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
SECME Design Seminars: Plan It, Build It, Live It!
Design Seminars to “Plan It, Build It, Live It!”
In the SECME program, students are required to design, build, and test a variety of engineering research projects throughout the year. SECME student teams will construct balsawood bridges for structural strength, cars powered solely by the spring from a mousetrap to race across gymnasiums, and water bottle rockets to launch for maximum hang time. Essays, artwork, and banners communicating student interpretations of this year’s theme, “SECME: Plan It Build It, Live It” will be displayed and judged. The engineering Olympiad competition in February is the culmination of projects completed as a result of classroom activities, and of students, parents, and teachers participating in Saturday engineering design seminars. Design seminars familiarize students with the events in the annual Olympiad completion. They provide the people, the place, and the parts to work on SECME submissions. Students also interact with practicing engineers who help them understand the importance of education in the global economy with the ultimate goal of encouraging students to pursue postsecondary degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Please plan on attending!
The School District of Palm Beach County and the SECME South Florida Industry Partners are hosting the following design seminars this autumn. All seminars are from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the seminars, and their own meals:
• Thur. Nov 3 @ 4:30 PM—Technical reports and drawings drafting at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Nov. 19—Mousetrap Vehicles and Bridges at H.L. Johnson Elementary, 1000 Crestwood Blvd. N., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Directions: I-95 to Okeechobee Blvd. West to Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Turn north on Royal Palm Bch. Blvd. School on west side of street.
• Thur. Dec 8 @ 4:30 PM—Banner/Poster/Brain Bowl at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Dec. 10—Bottle Rockets Design at Don Estridge Middle, 1798 NW Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton, FL
Directions: I-95 to Yamato Road. West to Military Trail. South to next light--Spanish River Blvd. Go east on Spanish River Blvd. School is on south side.
• Thur., Dec 15 @ 4:30 PM— Mousetrap Care at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Thur. Jan 12 @ 4:30 PM—DEADLINE: Registration, Rocket Patch, Essay, Technical reports and drawings due at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Feb 11 @ 8 AM—SECME Elementary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• February TBA—Florida Atlantic University Engineers Week Event
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• Sat., Feb 25 @ 8 AM—SECME Secondary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• April TBA—SECME Annual “Celebration of Achievements” Awards Banquet
In the SECME program, students are required to design, build, and test a variety of engineering research projects throughout the year. SECME student teams will construct balsawood bridges for structural strength, cars powered solely by the spring from a mousetrap to race across gymnasiums, and water bottle rockets to launch for maximum hang time. Essays, artwork, and banners communicating student interpretations of this year’s theme, “SECME: Plan It Build It, Live It” will be displayed and judged. The engineering Olympiad competition in February is the culmination of projects completed as a result of classroom activities, and of students, parents, and teachers participating in Saturday engineering design seminars. Design seminars familiarize students with the events in the annual Olympiad completion. They provide the people, the place, and the parts to work on SECME submissions. Students also interact with practicing engineers who help them understand the importance of education in the global economy with the ultimate goal of encouraging students to pursue postsecondary degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Please plan on attending!
The School District of Palm Beach County and the SECME South Florida Industry Partners are hosting the following design seminars this autumn. All seminars are from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the seminars, and their own meals:
• Thur. Nov 3 @ 4:30 PM—Technical reports and drawings drafting at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Nov. 19—Mousetrap Vehicles and Bridges at H.L. Johnson Elementary, 1000 Crestwood Blvd. N., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Directions: I-95 to Okeechobee Blvd. West to Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Turn north on Royal Palm Bch. Blvd. School on west side of street.
• Thur. Dec 8 @ 4:30 PM—Banner/Poster/Brain Bowl at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Dec. 10—Bottle Rockets Design at Don Estridge Middle, 1798 NW Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton, FL
Directions: I-95 to Yamato Road. West to Military Trail. South to next light--Spanish River Blvd. Go east on Spanish River Blvd. School is on south side.
• Thur., Dec 15 @ 4:30 PM— Mousetrap Care at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Thur. Jan 12 @ 4:30 PM—DEADLINE: Registration, Rocket Patch, Essay, Technical reports and drawings due at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Feb 11 @ 8 AM—SECME Elementary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• February TBA—Florida Atlantic University Engineers Week Event
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• Sat., Feb 25 @ 8 AM—SECME Secondary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• April TBA—SECME Annual “Celebration of Achievements” Awards Banquet
Saturday, October 29, 2011
12 oz H2O + 60 psi air = 1 good time
Seminole Ridge SECME attended a water rocket design seminar, hosted by Discovery Key Elementary in Lake Worth on Saturday, October 29, 2011. The seminar was lead by Chris Garrett, PE and recently retired rocket engineer from Pratt Whitney.
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
Friday, October 28, 2011
20111026 WSRH News coverage of "Give Blood - It's Not Rocket Science"
Thank you everyone for supporting the October blood drive. We broke our own school records! We registered 243 people, collected 191 units, and we were short a mobile! It broke down on the way to our school.
We do realize that students were in the lobby/on the mobiles longer. We even had to turn some of our afternoon appointments away as a result. Otherwise, we would have reached our goal of 200 units!
Thanks to the SECME/Mr. Landstrom's students for launching rockets in donors names! The theme was Give Blood: It's Not Rocket Science!
Dates of next drives: January 30 Odd, April 30 Even, May 30 Odd (new donors only)
We want to thank you for your support with the interruptions in class. Mrs. Smith/Mrs. Muckle were calling down the students who had not shown up at their designated time to donate. This is done to ensure students are not skipping or abusing the opportunity. Students should be coming back to class with their appt. card signed/time stamped.
Hope everyone had a great weekend.
Shawna and Stacey
NHS
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Lady Liberty
Happy 125th Anniversary to the The Statue of Liberty! Liberty Enlightening the World is a colossal neoclassical sculpture in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886.
CLICK HERE to revisit November's math challenge to figure this:
The right arm of the Statue of Liberty is 42 feet long. How long is her nose?
CLICK HERE to revisit November's math challenge to figure this:
The right arm of the Statue of Liberty is 42 feet long. How long is her nose?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Brains and Heart! Seminole SECME's annual "Give Blood = It's Not Rocket Science" blood drive
Seminole Ridge High National Honor Society and SECME students hosted a blood drive at school on Wednesday, October 26 from 7:30 AM to 1:00 PM. Our theme is “GIVE BLOOD—IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE.” It’s a fun and unique way to teach people how easy it is to save 3 lives; much simpler than the science, engineering, and math (STEM) that it takes to blast off a water rocket.
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
For each pint of blood donated, SECME students celebrate with a rocket launch. The 2 liter bottle rockets are fired off with 60 PSI compressed air and a pint of water symbolical dyed red with food coloring.
To successfully launch, it takes the physics of projectile motion, the polynomial equations for parabolic paths, and the practice of precision engineering. But to donate blood, all a student needs is to be in good health, at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, have turned in a signed parental consent form, and present a photo ID.
And Florida’s Blood Centers will donate approximately $20 per unit of blood collected to the Scholarship Assistance Foundation to support students with tuition assistance for attending colleges, universities, institutions, and technical centers by furthering their education in STEM subjects!
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
 |
| 20111026 Give Blood It's Not Rocket Science |
For each pint of blood donated, SECME students celebrate with a rocket launch. The 2 liter bottle rockets are fired off with 60 PSI compressed air and a pint of water symbolical dyed red with food coloring.
To successfully launch, it takes the physics of projectile motion, the polynomial equations for parabolic paths, and the practice of precision engineering. But to donate blood, all a student needs is to be in good health, at least 16 years old, weigh at least 110 pounds, have turned in a signed parental consent form, and present a photo ID.
And Florida’s Blood Centers will donate approximately $20 per unit of blood collected to the Scholarship Assistance Foundation to support students with tuition assistance for attending colleges, universities, institutions, and technical centers by furthering their education in STEM subjects!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Hit Us Up
Show us some love and give us some clicks.
Find Seminole Ridge SECME on the Web
Friend us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Find Seminole Ridge SECME on the Web
Friend us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Monday, October 24, 2011
Water Bottle Rocket Seminar on Saturday, 10/29
WATER BOTTLE ROCKET SEMINAR
Conducted by Chris Garrett, retired rocket scientist from Pratt & Whitney
WHERE: Discovery Key Elementary, 3350 Lyons Rd. Lake Worth, Fl. 33467
Directions: I-95 to 10th Ave. N. Go west to Jog Rd. South on Jog to Lake Worth Rd. West on Lake Worth Rd. to Lyons Rd. North on Lyons. School is on the right--past entrance to Cypress Woods development
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 29th 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
WHAT TO BRING: (2) 2 LITER BOTTLES (PER STUDENT REQUIRED), PACKAGING TAPE, EASTER EGGS, PARTY HATS, DISPOSABLE PLATES (NOT CARDBOARD), PERMANENT MARKER, MEASURING TAPE OR RULER, SCISSORS, EXACTO KNIFE, AND EMPTY PAPER TOWEL ROLLS, NEWSPAPERS.
FOOD: Snacks and drinks available at $1.00, pizza $2.00/slice (Complete lunch $5.00: 2 slices of pizza, chips & soda)
Click on following link to register:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RKCGKKQ
Conducted by Chris Garrett, retired rocket scientist from Pratt & Whitney
WHERE: Discovery Key Elementary, 3350 Lyons Rd. Lake Worth, Fl. 33467
Directions: I-95 to 10th Ave. N. Go west to Jog Rd. South on Jog to Lake Worth Rd. West on Lake Worth Rd. to Lyons Rd. North on Lyons. School is on the right--past entrance to Cypress Woods development
WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 29th 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
WHAT TO BRING: (2) 2 LITER BOTTLES (PER STUDENT REQUIRED), PACKAGING TAPE, EASTER EGGS, PARTY HATS, DISPOSABLE PLATES (NOT CARDBOARD), PERMANENT MARKER, MEASURING TAPE OR RULER, SCISSORS, EXACTO KNIFE, AND EMPTY PAPER TOWEL ROLLS, NEWSPAPERS.
FOOD: Snacks and drinks available at $1.00, pizza $2.00/slice (Complete lunch $5.00: 2 slices of pizza, chips & soda)
Click on following link to register:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RKCGKKQ
Sunday, October 23, 2011
REAL "Real Steel": Seminole SECME in Miami VEX Robotics Competition
(Click on the first picture to flip through the VRC Belen Jesuit Prep photostream)
(Click play to watch videos from VRC Belen Jesuit Prep)
Seminole Ridge students from VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) team “Underdogs” soared through the semifinals, but fell during the finals, at the Miami Official VEX Gateway qualifier hosted at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami this past weekend.
VRC team 1614 was comprised of 3 members: freshmen Bert Sivongsay, sophomore Jesse Mendheim, and junior Kadeem Spencer. To prepare for the competition, the group worked together to design and build a robot (with the assistance of sophomore Connor Piegaro) using the VEX Robotics Design System that could quickly and efficiently solve specific obstacles and challenges that come with playing the game VEX Gateway.
The action-packed day required middle and high school students to execute VRC Gateway, a game played on a 12’x12’ square field. Two alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two teams each, compete in matches consisting of a twenty-second autonomous period followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring barrels and balls in goals, earning bonus points and doubling or negating goals. As tournament finalists, the team has qualified for the chance to compete during the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship in California against top teams from over 20 countries worldwide.
While the Red Alliance of Team 4411A “WARwolf ROBOTICS” from the TERRA Environmental Research Institute and Team 5959 “RAMTECH” from Miami Coral Park Senior High School won the event overall, many other teams received esteemed awards. Award-winners included Seminole SECME’s Blue Alliance partners, Team 4330N “Invention” from Ransom Everglades Middle School in Miami.
Seminole Ridge SECME Team 1614 will be competing in the upcoming South Florida Championship VRC on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami. The event is open and free for media, families, and other community members to attend.
The Underdogs team raises funds to cover the cost of the robot parts, competition entry fees and transportation expenses by outreaching to the local community for support. Please support STEM education. You can help us by making your direct donation to Seminole SECME. Learn more about Adopt-A-Classroom at http://tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME . Give $3, $30, or $300 -- all financial gifts are welcome.
Erich Landstrom, the team’s advisor said, “I am proud of these students for their ability. The students competed with and against 32 teams from south Florida, rising to become one of the final four teams at the end. We are building more than robots here - we are shaping our future innovators to positively impact the world around them.”
Each week, SECME students apply what they’ve learned about science, technology, engineering and math in order to build the semiautonomous machines. An equally important set of skills is learned through the competition -- communication, project management, site management and the importance of composure, because students have to learn to fail faster: not just how to win but also how to recover from losing. They work together on a variety of challenges and obstacles - requiring them to develop new problem-solving skills both individually and as a collective whole - as they think, create, build and amaze, to design a robot that they will use to compete in one of many tournaments throughout the year.
Joining a VEX Robotics Competition team enables students to experience a variety of roles on the team, and share responsibility for all aspects of the building, programming, designing and management process. No prior experience is required, just one’s imagination, desire to build, and willingness to be a team player.
 |
| 20111022 VEX Belen Jesuit |
(Click play to watch videos from VRC Belen Jesuit Prep)
Seminole Ridge students from VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) team “Underdogs” soared through the semifinals, but fell during the finals, at the Miami Official VEX Gateway qualifier hosted at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami this past weekend.
VRC team 1614 was comprised of 3 members: freshmen Bert Sivongsay, sophomore Jesse Mendheim, and junior Kadeem Spencer. To prepare for the competition, the group worked together to design and build a robot (with the assistance of sophomore Connor Piegaro) using the VEX Robotics Design System that could quickly and efficiently solve specific obstacles and challenges that come with playing the game VEX Gateway.
The action-packed day required middle and high school students to execute VRC Gateway, a game played on a 12’x12’ square field. Two alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two teams each, compete in matches consisting of a twenty-second autonomous period followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent alliance by scoring barrels and balls in goals, earning bonus points and doubling or negating goals. As tournament finalists, the team has qualified for the chance to compete during the VEX Robotics Competition World Championship in California against top teams from over 20 countries worldwide.
While the Red Alliance of Team 4411A “WARwolf ROBOTICS” from the TERRA Environmental Research Institute and Team 5959 “RAMTECH” from Miami Coral Park Senior High School won the event overall, many other teams received esteemed awards. Award-winners included Seminole SECME’s Blue Alliance partners, Team 4330N “Invention” from Ransom Everglades Middle School in Miami.
Seminole Ridge SECME Team 1614 will be competing in the upcoming South Florida Championship VRC on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at Gulliver Preparatory School in Miami. The event is open and free for media, families, and other community members to attend.
The Underdogs team raises funds to cover the cost of the robot parts, competition entry fees and transportation expenses by outreaching to the local community for support. Please support STEM education. You can help us by making your direct donation to Seminole SECME. Learn more about Adopt-A-Classroom at http://tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME . Give $3, $30, or $300 -- all financial gifts are welcome.
Erich Landstrom, the team’s advisor said, “I am proud of these students for their ability. The students competed with and against 32 teams from south Florida, rising to become one of the final four teams at the end. We are building more than robots here - we are shaping our future innovators to positively impact the world around them.”
Each week, SECME students apply what they’ve learned about science, technology, engineering and math in order to build the semiautonomous machines. An equally important set of skills is learned through the competition -- communication, project management, site management and the importance of composure, because students have to learn to fail faster: not just how to win but also how to recover from losing. They work together on a variety of challenges and obstacles - requiring them to develop new problem-solving skills both individually and as a collective whole - as they think, create, build and amaze, to design a robot that they will use to compete in one of many tournaments throughout the year.
Joining a VEX Robotics Competition team enables students to experience a variety of roles on the team, and share responsibility for all aspects of the building, programming, designing and management process. No prior experience is required, just one’s imagination, desire to build, and willingness to be a team player.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Discover "E"
Our SECME engineering club recently hosted Mr. Jim Kunard, a professional civil engineer with 30 years’ experience ranging from power plant structures, high energy pipe stress analysis, and water management to parks, parking garages, fire stations, and libraries. Kunard is a past president of the Palm Beach chapter of the Florida Engineering Society and state chair of the society’s education outreach initiatives.
Kunard began his talk to our students by relating the practical applications of science, technology, engineering, and math to the world around us. He continued with a hands-on activity, making engineering fun by creating something cool: students built sections of a model suspension bridge, then connected their segments to see its full span. Kunard concluded his talk with examples and explanations of technical drawings.
20111019 FES Jim Kunard K'NEX
20111019 FES Jim Kunard and Seminole SECME KNEX
20111019 FES Jim Kunard vs Coach Batchelor
Kunard began his talk to our students by relating the practical applications of science, technology, engineering, and math to the world around us. He continued with a hands-on activity, making engineering fun by creating something cool: students built sections of a model suspension bridge, then connected their segments to see its full span. Kunard concluded his talk with examples and explanations of technical drawings.
20111019 FES Jim Kunard K'NEX
20111019 FES Jim Kunard and Seminole SECME KNEX
20111019 FES Jim Kunard vs Coach Batchelor
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Coach Ed Batchelor and sophmore Sam Smith
PE from Hazen Sawyer help Coral Reef Elementary student Lily Landstrom at SECME Mousetrap Vehicle design seminarWednesday, October 12, 2011
When Backsliding Becomes Radically Re-engineered Rocketry
Congrats to David, James & Joey. The backsliding rocket had 11 & 8 sec - new records for the Ridge! Congrats to David, James & Joey. The backsliding rocket had 11 & 8 sec - new records for the Ridge!
Backsliding is defined as “reverting to a worse condition.” But Seminole SECME is backsliding to move forward with rocketry. At the very least, backsliding should increase our stability.
What does it mean to be stable?
Stability: the tendency of the rocket to return to equilibrium, or balance.
This means if the rocket begins to wobble in flight, it will straighten back up on its own.
For a stable flight, the center of pressure must be below the center of gravity.
http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/rktstabc.html
Center of Gravity (or center of mass) is the point at which the entire weight of a body may be considered as concentrated so that if supported at this point the body would remain in equilibrium in any position. Center of Pressure is the point on a body where the sum of the total pressure acts. Pressure acting on a surface area causes a force.
One purpose of fins is to guarantee that the center of pressure stays below the center of mass of the rocket. See G. Harry Stine's “The Handbook of Model Rocketry”: It is generally agreed among advanced model rocketeers and has been generally confirmed by flight tests that the CP should be no less than one body diameter between the CG. This is known as 1-caliber stability (from the days when rockets were a part of the artillery corps of armies). If your model has more than 2 to 3 calibers stability, it may be overstable and suffer from excessive weathercocking (tendency to turn into the wind). For a two liter bottle, the diameter is 11 cm (4 ¼ inches).
Recovery Systems
- A recovery system is something that slows the rocket's decent.
- It can be active (like a balloon, a parachute or helicopter blades), or passive (like a backslider)
Backslider
A backslider is made by making the rocket’s CG close to the CP.
This prevents the rocket from turning over at apogee and instead floating down on its side.
The backslider encounters more air resistance because by design it encounters drag. It is not landing in an aerodynamically efficient fashion, with its nose first.
Fins on this type of rocket should be larger to help slow it down. This will also increase the stability of your rocket.
“Swing Testing” is a relatively simple test that you can use on a model rocket to determine the stability. Tie a string around the body tube at the location of the center of gravity. Then swing the rocket in a circle around you while holding the other end of the string. After a few revolutions, if the nose points in the direction of the rotation, the rocket is stable and the center of pressure is below the center of gravity. If the rocket wobbles, or the tail points in the direction of rotation, the rocket is unstable. You can increase the stability by lowering the center of pressure, increasing the fin area, for example, or by raising the center of gravity, adding weight to the nose. If the swing test fails, it doesn't necessarily mean the rocket is unstable. It may be proved stable using other methods: like the Barrowman Equations, or the RockSim software calculations. These other methods should be used when the swing test fails.
 |
| 20111012 WBR Backslider |
Backsliding is defined as “reverting to a worse condition.” But Seminole SECME is backsliding to move forward with rocketry. At the very least, backsliding should increase our stability.
What does it mean to be stable?
Stability: the tendency of the rocket to return to equilibrium, or balance.
This means if the rocket begins to wobble in flight, it will straighten back up on its own.
For a stable flight, the center of pressure must be below the center of gravity.
http://microgravity.grc.nasa.gov/education/rocket/rktstabc.html
Center of Gravity (or center of mass) is the point at which the entire weight of a body may be considered as concentrated so that if supported at this point the body would remain in equilibrium in any position. Center of Pressure is the point on a body where the sum of the total pressure acts. Pressure acting on a surface area causes a force.
One purpose of fins is to guarantee that the center of pressure stays below the center of mass of the rocket. See G. Harry Stine's “The Handbook of Model Rocketry”: It is generally agreed among advanced model rocketeers and has been generally confirmed by flight tests that the CP should be no less than one body diameter between the CG. This is known as 1-caliber stability (from the days when rockets were a part of the artillery corps of armies). If your model has more than 2 to 3 calibers stability, it may be overstable and suffer from excessive weathercocking (tendency to turn into the wind). For a two liter bottle, the diameter is 11 cm (4 ¼ inches).
Recovery Systems
- A recovery system is something that slows the rocket's decent.
- It can be active (like a balloon, a parachute or helicopter blades), or passive (like a backslider)
Backslider
A backslider is made by making the rocket’s CG close to the CP.
This prevents the rocket from turning over at apogee and instead floating down on its side.
The backslider encounters more air resistance because by design it encounters drag. It is not landing in an aerodynamically efficient fashion, with its nose first.
Fins on this type of rocket should be larger to help slow it down. This will also increase the stability of your rocket.
“Swing Testing” is a relatively simple test that you can use on a model rocket to determine the stability. Tie a string around the body tube at the location of the center of gravity. Then swing the rocket in a circle around you while holding the other end of the string. After a few revolutions, if the nose points in the direction of the rotation, the rocket is stable and the center of pressure is below the center of gravity. If the rocket wobbles, or the tail points in the direction of rotation, the rocket is unstable. You can increase the stability by lowering the center of pressure, increasing the fin area, for example, or by raising the center of gravity, adding weight to the nose. If the swing test fails, it doesn't necessarily mean the rocket is unstable. It may be proved stable using other methods: like the Barrowman Equations, or the RockSim software calculations. These other methods should be used when the swing test fails.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Support SECME with Direct Donations
Thank you Publix Super Market Charities! The success of our educational efforts can depend on the generous contributions from our corporate sponsors. We offer our appreciation and gratitude to Publix Super Market Charities for their $250 donation.
Teachers nationwide spend approximately $1,000 out of their own pockets each year to offset school budget shortfalls and ensure that their students have the necessary classroom resources for learning. Adopt-A-Classroom, a nonprofit organization, increases the opportunity for student success by providing teachers with community partners and funds for classroom resources and materials.
Seminole SECME has “early adopters” in Florida Power & Light. Funds from FP&L and PSMC will purchase parts the engineering club needs to build what will be the winning entries in the county’s annual engineering Olympiad.
Please support STEM education. You can help us by making your direct donation to Seminole SECME. Learn more about Adopt-A-Classroom at http://tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME. Give $3, $30, or $300 -- all financial gifts are welcome.
Teachers nationwide spend approximately $1,000 out of their own pockets each year to offset school budget shortfalls and ensure that their students have the necessary classroom resources for learning. Adopt-A-Classroom, a nonprofit organization, increases the opportunity for student success by providing teachers with community partners and funds for classroom resources and materials.
Seminole SECME has “early adopters” in Florida Power & Light. Funds from FP&L and PSMC will purchase parts the engineering club needs to build what will be the winning entries in the county’s annual engineering Olympiad.
Please support STEM education. You can help us by making your direct donation to Seminole SECME. Learn more about Adopt-A-Classroom at http://tinyurl.com/AdoptSeminoleSECME. Give $3, $30, or $300 -- all financial gifts are welcome.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Power of 10 Day
In 1977, Charles and Ray Eames made a nine-minute film for IBM called Powers of Ten that still has the capacity to expand the way we think and view our world. Starting with a sleeping man at a picnic, the film takes the viewer on a journey out to the edge of space and then back into a carbon atom in the hand of the man at the picnic, all in a single shot. It is an unforgettable experience.
Each October 10th, the Eames Office celebrates Powers of Ten Day to promote and share this method of viewing ideas from an infinitesimal to a cosmic perspective.
Each October 10th, the Eames Office celebrates Powers of Ten Day to promote and share this method of viewing ideas from an infinitesimal to a cosmic perspective.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
MATH GIRLS
MATH GIRLS is a YA novel, both teen romance & intro to higher mathematics; "like Glee for math nerds" said one reviewer. It's been translated from the Japanese by Bento Books.
It starts with a lonely female freshman on her first day of high school. Her escape is advanced mathematics. She tunes out the principal and starts think about her age as factorals (15 = 3x5, 16=2^4, 17 is a prime number). And then, she meets Miruka. And Tetra.
The math is good and the book covers a wide variety of topics in mathematics, from basics like how letters are assigned as variable names to quite challenging problems like finding a general term for the sequence of integer partition numbers.
Judge for yourself. The first two chapters available as a sample. Download the sample PDF here: Math Girls Chapters 1 & 2
It starts with a lonely female freshman on her first day of high school. Her escape is advanced mathematics. She tunes out the principal and starts think about her age as factorals (15 = 3x5, 16=2^4, 17 is a prime number). And then, she meets Miruka. And Tetra.
The math is good and the book covers a wide variety of topics in mathematics, from basics like how letters are assigned as variable names to quite challenging problems like finding a general term for the sequence of integer partition numbers.
Judge for yourself. The first two chapters available as a sample. Download the sample PDF here: Math Girls Chapters 1 & 2
Saturday, October 8, 2011
The Feynman Series (part 1) - Beauty
The Feynman Series is a companion project of The Sagan Series working in the hopes of promoting scientific education and scientific literacy in the general population.
Friday, October 7, 2011
LCBC: The Next Generation
VEX team 1614 (go Underdogs!) at Seminole Ridge SECME. During this lesson in robotics they investigate the concepts underlying energy transfer; and through experiments they build an understanding of the relationships between forces and motion. It include demonstrations and hands-on experience examining electrical and kinetic energy, power, DC motors, torque, traction, fritction, simple machines, levers and gears, chains and sprockets , etc. In mathematics, students apply an understanding of ratio and proportion as they explore the relationship between gear ratios and the radius of a wheel.
The SAE A World In Motion program brings science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to life right in the classroom. In the Motorized Toy Car challenge students develop new designs for electric gear driven toys.
 |
| 20111005 VEX - SAE AWIM Gearbox |
The SAE A World In Motion program brings science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to life right in the classroom. In the Motorized Toy Car challenge students develop new designs for electric gear driven toys.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Proportions, Pioneers, Phineas
SECME: Plan It, Build It, Live ItClick for more information on the images used for
Proportions,
Pioneers, and
Phineas
SECME: Plan It, Built It, Live It
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
President Obama on Back-to-School: "Set Your Sights High"
This afternoon, students from across the country tuned in as President Obama addressed them directly in his third annual Back-to-School speech . The President encouraged America's students to use their time in school to try new things, discover new passions and hone their skills to prepare themselves for the kind of profession they want in the future:
It starts, obviously, with being the best student that you can be. Now, that doesn’t always mean that you have to have a perfect score on every assignment. It doesn’t mean that you’ve got to get straight As all the time -- although that’s not a bad goal to have. It means that you have to stay at it. You have to be determined and you have to persevere. It means you’ve got to work as hard as you know how to work. And it means that you’ve got to take some risks once in a while. You can’t avoid the class that you think might be hard because you’re worried about getting the best grade if that’s a subject that you think you need to prepare you for your future. You’ve got to wonder. You’ve got to question. You’ve got to explore. And every once in a while, you need to color outside of the lines.
It starts, obviously, with being the best student that you can be. Now, that doesn’t always mean that you have to have a perfect score on every assignment. It doesn’t mean that you’ve got to get straight As all the time -- although that’s not a bad goal to have. It means that you have to stay at it. You have to be determined and you have to persevere. It means you’ve got to work as hard as you know how to work. And it means that you’ve got to take some risks once in a while. You can’t avoid the class that you think might be hard because you’re worried about getting the best grade if that’s a subject that you think you need to prepare you for your future. You’ve got to wonder. You’ve got to question. You’ve got to explore. And every once in a while, you need to color outside of the lines.
That’s what school is for: discovering new passions, acquiring new skills, making use of this incredible time that you have to prepare yourself and give yourself the skills that you’re going to need to pursue the kind of careers that you want. And that’s why when you’re still a student you can explore a wide range of possibilities. One hour you can be an artist; the next, an author; the next, a scientist, or a historian, or a carpenter. This is the time where you can try out new interests and test new ideas. And the more you do, the sooner you’ll figure out what makes you come alive, what stirs you, what makes you excited -- the career that you want to pursue.
The President explained that being engaged in school is not just for the students themselves, but for the country as a whole. He acknowledged that young people today are growing up fast and students have a lot of responsibility to take on, "because you’re not just kids. You’re this country’s future. You’re young leaders. And whether we fall behind or race ahead as a nation is going to depend in large part on you."
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
Tomorrow's Leaders STEM from Today's Learners
The SECME Solution: How do we get more students interested in STEM?
Microsoft Corp. announced the findings of two national surveys in September, conducted online by Harris Interactive, of college students currently pursuing STEM degrees and of parents of K–12 students. The goal of the surveys was to gain insight about what can better prepare and inspire students to pursue post-secondary education in STEM subjects.
Nearly four in five STEM college students said they decided to study STEM in high school or earlier (78 %). But only one in five felt that their K–12 education prepared them extremely well for their college courses in STEM.
Parents of K–12 students (93 %) believe that STEM education should be a priority in the U.S. But only 24 percent are extremely willing to spend extra money helping their children be successful in their math and science classes.
More than half (57 %) of STEM college students said that before going to college, a teacher or class got them interested in STEM (20 %). This is especially true of female students (68 % versus 51 % of males) who chose “a teacher or class” as the top factor that sparked their interest. But male students (51 % ) were more likely to pursue STEM because they have always enjoyed playing with games and toys, and participating in clubs focused on their chosen subject areas (like SECME).
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2011/sep11/09-07MSSTEMSurveyPR.mspx and here’s an eye-catching infographic that summarizes it
http://mashable.com/2011/09/07/stem-microsoft-infographic/
Microsoft Corp. announced the findings of two national surveys in September, conducted online by Harris Interactive, of college students currently pursuing STEM degrees and of parents of K–12 students. The goal of the surveys was to gain insight about what can better prepare and inspire students to pursue post-secondary education in STEM subjects.
Nearly four in five STEM college students said they decided to study STEM in high school or earlier (78 %). But only one in five felt that their K–12 education prepared them extremely well for their college courses in STEM.
Parents of K–12 students (93 %) believe that STEM education should be a priority in the U.S. But only 24 percent are extremely willing to spend extra money helping their children be successful in their math and science classes.
More than half (57 %) of STEM college students said that before going to college, a teacher or class got them interested in STEM (20 %). This is especially true of female students (68 % versus 51 % of males) who chose “a teacher or class” as the top factor that sparked their interest. But male students (51 % ) were more likely to pursue STEM because they have always enjoyed playing with games and toys, and participating in clubs focused on their chosen subject areas (like SECME).
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2011/sep11/09-07MSSTEMSurveyPR.mspx and here’s an eye-catching infographic that summarizes it
http://mashable.com/2011/09/07/stem-microsoft-infographic/
Sunday, September 25, 2011
$37 million West Palm Beach water plant doomed by costly chemicals, city failures
WEST PALM BEACH — Twenty years ago, the city conceived a visionary approach to drought relief that would turn the runoff from sewage treatment into drinkable water.
Now, after spending $37 million on a plant that has been shut down half the time since 2009, administrators are ready to give up. Plagued by design flaws and operator error, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant breaks down too often and is too costly to run when it's working, they say.
A Palm Beach Post analysis of plant records shows it has produced no water at all on 49 percent of the days since 2009.
Other findings:
Replacing just one bulb on the plant's balky and dated ultraviolet disinfection system costs $250. And the plant's 256 ultraviolet bulbs go out so often that it cost $130,000 to keep the system running last year.
Five years after the plant opened, lengthy shutdowns are blamed on poor design. For instance, a methanol tank can't be replaced because it is right under a roof that would cost $500,000 to remove. Instead, purging the tank for repairs takes days, during which time the entire plant must be shut down.
Four giant pumps costing hundreds of thousands of dollars failed years ago because city workers with no expertise on pumps tried to cool them with swamp water, which gummed up the works, causing them to burn out.
Ferric, a chemical needed to meet the plant's stringent treatment requirements, cost $250,000 last year. Typical sewage reuse plants don't need ferric.
Plant production averaged 14 percent of promised levels, an important factor because the city is permitted to draw only as much water from its well field, its drought backup, as the plant sends to the well field.
For Utilities Director David Hanks, who came to the city in 2008 excited to work with the cutting-edge plant, the costs outweigh the benefits. "You've got to look at return on investment," Hanks said. "It's certainly not there at this point.
" Every day I was like, 'What now?' " Hanks said. "It makes you want to knock your head against the wall."
"Why an engineer would recommend something like that is beyond me," Hanks said. "All we can do now is try to fix it and we're doing that."
Read the full article at $37 million West Palm Beach water plant doomed by costly chemicals, city failures
Now, after spending $37 million on a plant that has been shut down half the time since 2009, administrators are ready to give up. Plagued by design flaws and operator error, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant breaks down too often and is too costly to run when it's working, they say.
A Palm Beach Post analysis of plant records shows it has produced no water at all on 49 percent of the days since 2009.
Other findings:
For Utilities Director David Hanks, who came to the city in 2008 excited to work with the cutting-edge plant, the costs outweigh the benefits. "You've got to look at return on investment," Hanks said. "It's certainly not there at this point.
" Every day I was like, 'What now?' " Hanks said. "It makes you want to knock your head against the wall."
"Why an engineer would recommend something like that is beyond me," Hanks said. "All we can do now is try to fix it and we're doing that."
Read the full article at $37 million West Palm Beach water plant doomed by costly chemicals, city failures
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Symphony of Science - The Quantum World
A musical investigation into the nature of atoms and subatomic particles, the jiggly things that make up everything we see. Featuring Morgan Freeman, Frank Close, Michio Kaku, Brian Cox, Richard Feynman, and Stephen Hawking.
"The Quantum World" is the eleventh installment in the ongoing Symphony of Science music video series. Materials used in the creation of this video are from:
Friday, September 23, 2011
President Obama to Address Students Sept. 28, 2011
As SECME students start another year of engineering excellence, President Barack Obama will deliver his third annual Back-to-School Speech at 1:30PM EDT on Wednesday, September 28, 2011.
The President’s Back-to-School Speech is an opportunity to speak directly to students across the country. In past years, President Obama has encouraged students to study hard and take responsibility for their education, urging students to set goals, to believe in themselves, and to be the authors of their own destinies.
The speech will be live streamed so that classrooms across the country may listen to or watch the remarks. For more information about watching the speech, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/back-to-school/
Related Post:
President Obama 1st Address to Students 2009
President Obama 2nd Address to Students 2010
The President’s Back-to-School Speech is an opportunity to speak directly to students across the country. In past years, President Obama has encouraged students to study hard and take responsibility for their education, urging students to set goals, to believe in themselves, and to be the authors of their own destinies.
The speech will be live streamed so that classrooms across the country may listen to or watch the remarks. For more information about watching the speech, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/back-to-school/
Related Post:
President Obama 1st Address to Students 2009
President Obama 2nd Address to Students 2010
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Heard Any Good STEM lately?
Heard Any Good STEM lately?
I’ve recently discovered the “Engineering Works” podcast from Texas A&M University. The weekly look at the whimsical, unusually or just little- known sides to engineering, is now a favorite on my iPod. It’s smart, it’s short (around 2 minutes), and it’s silly enough that its seriousness isn’t lost. For example, the first podcast I listened to was “Golfing with Lobsters.” It is about how when dumping plastic in the ocean was banned, cruise ships turned to engineers. Turns out golfers can hit biodegradable balls made of crustaceans’ shells from the mid-deck driving range. And the next episode was “Easing your Aching Back,” so you know I was all ears. You can sample the podcast at http://engineeringworks.tamu.edu/ and “Engineering Works” is available for subscription through iTunes
I’ve recently discovered the “Engineering Works” podcast from Texas A&M University. The weekly look at the whimsical, unusually or just little- known sides to engineering, is now a favorite on my iPod. It’s smart, it’s short (around 2 minutes), and it’s silly enough that its seriousness isn’t lost. For example, the first podcast I listened to was “Golfing with Lobsters.” It is about how when dumping plastic in the ocean was banned, cruise ships turned to engineers. Turns out golfers can hit biodegradable balls made of crustaceans’ shells from the mid-deck driving range. And the next episode was “Easing your Aching Back,” so you know I was all ears. You can sample the podcast at http://engineeringworks.tamu.edu/ and “Engineering Works” is available for subscription through iTunes
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Truss us - we know what we're doing!
 |
| 20110921 Bridge Breaking |
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
We tested by placing the dowel halfway along the bridge so it runs across the center span. We used chain to hang the bucket off the dowel, and slowly add more and more sand to the bucket until the bridge breaks. The bucket is then weighed, and structural efficiency determined. Divide the load the bridge held by the weight of the bridge. The higher the load/weight ratio, the stronger the bridge! A good design spreads the force over a greater area, or moves the force from an area of weakness to an area of strength. Triangles are a strong shape that transfer the load from just one point to a much wider area. A bridge will buckle when the force of compression is greater than its ability to handle being shortened. A bridge will snap when the force of tension overcomes its ability to handle stretching.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Adopt A Classroom
Dear Seminole SECME supporter,
Did you know that teachers’ access to and use of hands-on learning resources in the classroom is the single most important teacher input factor toward student success?
Did you know that teachers spend an average of $1,200 of their own money each year purchasing resources and materials for the classroom?
Attached please find information about Adopt-A-Classroom. The program enables individuals and businesses like you to help teachers like me succeed in the classroom.
- 100% of the donation is provided to the teacher in an online account.
- Adopt-A-Classroom takes $0 for administration.
- All donations are tax-deductible.
- No donation is too small. Any amount helps.
- You receive Impact Reports that show exactly how the teacher spends the money, so it’s fully accountable and transparent.
- You receive direct feedback from the teacher so you can experience first hand the impact you have made.
You can learn more about our Adopt-A-Classroom program by visiting its website at www.adoptaclassroom.org.
This is a great opportunity to get involved. As we all know, children learn best when the community works together toward helping students reach their highest potential.
Sincerely,
Erich Landstrom
2010 SECME National Teacher of the Year
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Spirit Night To Support The Very Special Science Fair
A Spirit Night to support the Very Special Science Fair for students in grades K-12 with significant disabilities will be held Thursday, October 6th. Chick-fil-A is sponsoring the Spirit Night to raise funds to transport students, many of whom are in wheelchairs, to the Very Special Science Fair at the Palm Beach Zoo in April.
Over 500 students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder participate in the Fair and the cost to transport these students is over $10,000.
On October 6th go to the Chick-fil-A restaurants below and order anything on the menu. Mention the Very Special Science Fair and a portion of the sale will be donated to the Fair.
Locations and Times:
Wellington Mall 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Okeechobee & Turnpike 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Palm Beach Lakes 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Northlake 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Boynton Beach Blvd. 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Boca Towne Center 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The purpose of the Very Special Science Fair is to enable students with significant disabilities the opportunity to participate in scientific inquiry and discovery. Each classroom develops a science project which is displayed at the Palm Beach Zoo’s facility.
Since its inception four years ago, the Very Special Science Fair has tripled in the number of classrooms participating in this event. Students are proud of the hard work they’ve generated in developing their science projects and thrilled at seeing them displayed at the Zoo’s Pavilion.
Linda Laverty with the Department of Exceptional Student Education says, “Bring your family and friends and join us in a random act of kindness by going to Chick-fil-A on October 6th and support the Very Special Science Fair.”
For more information contact Linda Laverty at (561) 434-8181 or via e-mail at linda.laverty@palmbeachschools.org .
Over 500 students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder participate in the Fair and the cost to transport these students is over $10,000.
On October 6th go to the Chick-fil-A restaurants below and order anything on the menu. Mention the Very Special Science Fair and a portion of the sale will be donated to the Fair.
Locations and Times:
Wellington Mall 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Okeechobee & Turnpike 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Palm Beach Lakes 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Northlake 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Boynton Beach Blvd. 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Boca Towne Center 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The purpose of the Very Special Science Fair is to enable students with significant disabilities the opportunity to participate in scientific inquiry and discovery. Each classroom develops a science project which is displayed at the Palm Beach Zoo’s facility.
Since its inception four years ago, the Very Special Science Fair has tripled in the number of classrooms participating in this event. Students are proud of the hard work they’ve generated in developing their science projects and thrilled at seeing them displayed at the Zoo’s Pavilion.
Linda Laverty with the Department of Exceptional Student Education says, “Bring your family and friends and join us in a random act of kindness by going to Chick-fil-A on October 6th and support the Very Special Science Fair.”
For more information contact Linda Laverty at (561) 434-8181 or via e-mail at linda.laverty@palmbeachschools.org .
Friday, September 9, 2011
Edventure Alert: Egg Drop Challenge
September: Egg Drop Challenge
Use a variety of recyclable materials to design and build a raw egg protector. We will test the designs by dropping them from heights of 6,12, and 20 feet.
Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 17, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Ages: 5+ with parent/guardian
Cost: $15.00 adult/child pair, $5.00 each additional person
See more family programs here:
http://www.scienceexplorium.org/family-programs
Use a variety of recyclable materials to design and build a raw egg protector. We will test the designs by dropping them from heights of 6,12, and 20 feet.
Date & Time: Saturday, Sept. 17, 10:30am - 12:00pm
Ages: 5+ with parent/guardian
Cost: $15.00 adult/child pair, $5.00 each additional person
See more family programs here:
http://www.scienceexplorium.org/family-programs
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
SAE AWIM JetToy Challenge
View the photos and videos of the Seminole SECME student solutions to the SAE AWIM JetToy Challenge on September 7th. Students make balloon-powered toy cars that meet specific performance criteria (like travels far). Propulsion, friction, air resistance and design are the core scientific concepts students explore in this challenge.
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
 |
| 20110907 SAE AWIM JetToy Challenge |
(Click on the first picture to flip through the photostream)
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
The Holy Grail? Exploring the space ‘essential’ to world leadership
This article was reprinted from BizPac Review. The original article can be found here.
NASA Science News for Sept. 7, 2011
Did our planet once have two moons? Some researchers say so. Moreover, the missing satellite might still be up there--splattered against the far side of the Moon. NASA's GRAIL mission, due to launch in September, could help confirm or refute the "two moon" hypothesis.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/07sep_twomoons/
As a science teacher and coach of my school’s engineering club, I have helped students launch plenty of model rockets. And I’ve gotten to see a few real rocket launches live from the Kennedy Space Center. Now NASA has invited me to be its guest for the liftoff of two moon-bound spacecraft aboard a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The twin Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, spacecraft will fly in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to provide in-depth data for scientists to analyze in order to better understand the moon's gravitational characteristics, structure, thermal evolution and history of collisions with asteroids. There are two instantaneous (one-second) launch windows open at 8:37 a.m. and 9:16 a.m. Eastern time on Thursday, Sept. 8. The launch period extends through Oct. 19.
I’m excited that GRAIL can provide a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky worlds in our solar system formed. A moonquake isn’t an earthquake. The structure of the lunar interior, from crust to core, is different. And the thermal evolution of the moon, like how molten its mantle is, has long been a mystery. In Earth science, we can study the world’s layers by how seismic waves travel. What makes GRAIL a great mission is that it can study layers without ever landing. As one satellite passes through an area of greater gravity due to moon mass concentration, the distance between the two will shrink slightly, and these measurements will be beamed to Earth.
Also aboard the spacecraft will be a camera assembly for the benefit of students that will be used to capture images and video of the moon's surface. “MoonKAM” stands for Moon Knowledge Acquired by Middle school students. Students can request that special cameras on the satellites take photos of specific areas of the lunar surface.
2011 is one of the busiest ever in planetary exploration: GRAIL's liftoff is the third of four space missions launching this year under the management of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Aquarius launched June 10 to study ocean salinity, Juno launched Aug. 5 to study the origins and interior of Jupiter, and the Mars Science Laboratory/Curiosity rover heads to the red planet no earlier than Nov. 25.
Studies show the American public supports such ambitions. In a June 2011 survey reported by the Pew Research Center, nearly six in 10 Americans, or 58 percent, said it is essential that the United States continue to be a world leader in space exploration. Two-thirds of Republicans (67 percent) said the nation must continue to play an international leadership role in space exploration, while smaller majorities of Democrats (54 percent) and independents (57 percent) said this. Large majorities (39 percent) of the 1,500 people polled said space exploration has contributed 
greatly in encouraging interest in science, and 35 percent said it has contributed some. Nearly as many (38 percent) said the space program has contributed significantly to scientific advances that all Americans can use, while 34 percent think it has had a major impact on feelings of pride and patriotism. A vibrant space exploration program engages the public, encourages students and helps develop the high-tech workforce that will be required to address the challenges of tomorrow. GRAIL promises to play a significant role in those efforts.
GRAIL's mapping, along with high-resolution pictures of the moon's surface sent back by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, represents an important step in planning the next push outwards of human space exploration. Of particular importance will be GRAIL's discoveries about potential sites for lunar colonies at the polar regions. The aim is to map the moon's gravity field so completely that future moon vehicles can safely navigate anywhere on the moon’s surface. For more information about GRAIL, visit: http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/grail and http://moon.mit.edu/.
NASA Science News for Sept. 7, 2011
Did our planet once have two moons? Some researchers say so. Moreover, the missing satellite might still be up there--splattered against the far side of the Moon. NASA's GRAIL mission, due to launch in September, could help confirm or refute the "two moon" hypothesis.
FULL STORY at
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2011/07sep_twomoons/
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter Autumn 2011
In the Autumn 2011 issue of the Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter
- Live at the Liftoff: Landstrom guest of GRAIL launch team
- Science is Rock and Roll: The Black Eyed PEas recruit for robotics during "i.am.FIRST"
- Figure This! A melting math challenge to keep ice cool
- SECME Spotlight on Principal James Campbell
- NEW formula for the Mousetrap Vehicle competition
Click here to download the attached PDF copy of our Seminole SECME 'Hawk Talk' newsletter Autumn 2011 issue
 |
| From 2011Autumn Hawk Talk |
Monday, August 29, 2011
SECME Design Seminars: Plan It, Build It, Live It!
Design Seminars to “Plan It, Build It, Live It!”
In the SECME program, students are required to design, build, and test a variety of engineering research projects throughout the year. SECME student teams will construct balsawood bridges for structural strength, cars powered solely by the spring from a mousetrap to race across gymnasiums, and water bottle rockets to launch for maximum hang time. Essays, artwork, and banners communicating student interpretations of this year’s theme, “SECME: Plan It Build It, Live It” will be displayed and judged. The engineering Olympiad competition in February is the culmination of projects completed as a result of classroom activities, and of students, parents, and teachers participating in Saturday engineering design seminars. Design seminars familiarize students with the events in the annual Olympiad completion. They provide the people, the place, and the parts to work on SECME submissions. Students also interact with practicing engineers who help them understand the importance of education in the global economy with the ultimate goal of encouraging students to pursue postsecondary degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Please plan on attending!
The School District of Palm Beach County and the SECME South Florida Industry Partners are hosting the following design seminars this autumn. All seminars are from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the seminars:
• Sat., Sept. 24—Bridge/Truss Design at Boca Middle, 1251 N.W. 8th St., Boca Raton, FL 33486
Directions: I-95 to Glades Road. East to NW 15th Ave. South on NW 15th Ave., go approx. three blocks, then east on NW 13th St. to NW 12th Ave. Turn south on NW 12th Avenue. School on west side.
• Thur., Oct 6 @ 4:30 PM —Bridge/Truss at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Oct 15—Mousetrap Vehicle Design at Pine Jog Elementary, 6315 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33415
• Thur. Dec 8 @ 4:30 PM—Banner/Poster/Brain Bowl at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Dec. 10—Bottle Rockets Design at Don Estridge Middle, 1798 NW Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton, FL
Directions: I-95 to Yamato Road. West to Military Trail. South to next light--Spanish River Blvd. Go east on Spanish River Blvd. School is on south side.
• Thur., Dec 15 @ 4:30 PM— Mousetrap Care at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Thur. Jan 12 @ 4:30 PM—DEADLINE: Registration, Rocket Patch, Essay, Technical reports and drawings due at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Feb 11 @ 8 AM—SECME Elementary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• February TBA—Florida Atlantic University Engineers Week Event
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• Sat., Feb 25 @ 8 AM—SECME Secondary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• April TBA—SECME Annual “Celebration of Achievements” Awards Banquet
In the SECME program, students are required to design, build, and test a variety of engineering research projects throughout the year. SECME student teams will construct balsawood bridges for structural strength, cars powered solely by the spring from a mousetrap to race across gymnasiums, and water bottle rockets to launch for maximum hang time. Essays, artwork, and banners communicating student interpretations of this year’s theme, “SECME: Plan It Build It, Live It” will be displayed and judged. The engineering Olympiad competition in February is the culmination of projects completed as a result of classroom activities, and of students, parents, and teachers participating in Saturday engineering design seminars. Design seminars familiarize students with the events in the annual Olympiad completion. They provide the people, the place, and the parts to work on SECME submissions. Students also interact with practicing engineers who help them understand the importance of education in the global economy with the ultimate goal of encouraging students to pursue postsecondary degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Please plan on attending!
The School District of Palm Beach County and the SECME South Florida Industry Partners are hosting the following design seminars this autumn. All seminars are from 9 AM to 1 PM.
Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the seminars:
• Sat., Sept. 24—Bridge/Truss Design at Boca Middle, 1251 N.W. 8th St., Boca Raton, FL 33486
Directions: I-95 to Glades Road. East to NW 15th Ave. South on NW 15th Ave., go approx. three blocks, then east on NW 13th St. to NW 12th Ave. Turn south on NW 12th Avenue. School on west side.
• Thur., Oct 6 @ 4:30 PM —Bridge/Truss at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Oct 15—Mousetrap Vehicle Design at Pine Jog Elementary, 6315 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33415
Directions: I-95 exit to Southern Blvd. west. Turn (left) south on Jog Road. Turn (left) east on Summit Blvd. The school is on the northeast corner of Summit Blvd. and Jog Road.
• Sat., Oct 29—Bottle Rocket Design Seminar at Discovery Key Elementary, 3550 Lyons Rd., Lake Worth, FL
Directions: I-95 to 10th Ave. N. Go west to Jog Rd. South on Jog to Lake Worth Rd. West on Lake Worth Rd. to Lyons Rd. North on Lyons. School is on the right--past entrance to Cypress Woods development.
• Thur. Nov 3 @ 4:30 PM—Technical reports and drawings drafting at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Nov. 19—Mousetrap Vehicles and Bridges at H.L. Johnson Elementary, 1000 Crestwood Blvd. N., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Directions: I-95 to Okeechobee Blvd. West to Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Turn north on Royal Palm Bch. Blvd. School on west side of street.
• Sat., Oct 29—Bottle Rocket Design Seminar at Discovery Key Elementary, 3550 Lyons Rd., Lake Worth, FL
Directions: I-95 to 10th Ave. N. Go west to Jog Rd. South on Jog to Lake Worth Rd. West on Lake Worth Rd. to Lyons Rd. North on Lyons. School is on the right--past entrance to Cypress Woods development.
• Thur. Nov 3 @ 4:30 PM—Technical reports and drawings drafting at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Nov. 19—Mousetrap Vehicles and Bridges at H.L. Johnson Elementary, 1000 Crestwood Blvd. N., Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
Directions: I-95 to Okeechobee Blvd. West to Royal Palm Beach Blvd. Turn north on Royal Palm Bch. Blvd. School on west side of street.
• Thur. Dec 8 @ 4:30 PM—Banner/Poster/Brain Bowl at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Dec. 10—Bottle Rockets Design at Don Estridge Middle, 1798 NW Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton, FL
Directions: I-95 to Yamato Road. West to Military Trail. South to next light--Spanish River Blvd. Go east on Spanish River Blvd. School is on south side.
• Thur., Dec 15 @ 4:30 PM— Mousetrap Care at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Thur. Jan 12 @ 4:30 PM—DEADLINE: Registration, Rocket Patch, Essay, Technical reports and drawings due at Fulton-Holland Educational Services Center. Coordinators only.
Directions: I-95 to Forest Hill Blvd. Go west on Forest Hill past Congress Ave. Turn left at Davis Road. Building is on left.
• Sat., Feb 11 @ 8 AM—SECME Elementary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• February TBA—Florida Atlantic University Engineers Week Event
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• Sat., Feb 25 @ 8 AM—SECME Secondary Olympiad at Santaluces High, 6880 Lawrence Rd., Lantana, FL 33462
Directions: I-95 to Hypoluxo Rd. West to Lawrence Rd. School is on NE intersection of Hypoluxo and Lawrence Rd.
• April TBA—SECME Annual “Celebration of Achievements” Awards Banquet
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)