Waitz Elementary School recently held a special Saturday STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Camp for students in third through fifth grade. The main project involved in the camp was to safely land their astronaut on Mars.
Students worked in teams to plan and construct their Mars landers using a set of materials they had to “purchase” from the camp store and stay within a certain budget. The project focused on state curriculum items in the areas of Science, Math, and Engineering.
Each Mars lander was tested using a target placed on the floor. Winners were chosen based on a score sheet that included a presentation, responses, and lander success. Teams with successful landers were also challenged with explaining what they could have done differently to improve their projects.
Pictured is one team project as it was about to be tested.