Jim’s Big Idea: Jim implemented a straw rocket design program. His students designed fins and nosecones that attached to the straw and created them with a 3D printer. Then they launched the straw, analyzed its performance, and made and tested improvements. The project taught computer-aided design skills and reinforced concepts in geometry and scale.
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Interesting Facts: One of Jim’s favorite lessons is having students build model wind turbines and testing the results of changing different variables to see what results in the most power produced. Students are given a model wind turbine kit to assemble. They must decide on what gearing they will use, how they will construct their blades, how many blades they will use, and at what angle they will put their blades. Students must document their results by showing the power they produced with each change, and how that guided their changes. Some students are happy to just create plain looking blades, while others want them to look just right. Sometimes, a turning that does not look “good” performs well, and vice versa. Students discover what works and what doesn’t, and are then able to share their results.
