Melissa’s Big Idea: Melissa worked on two different challenge projects.
The first was to develop a set of portable makerspace kits she can move between the different schools she works with. With these makerspace kits, Melissa hopes to incorporate many new modules to her curriculum. The makerspace kits were used for a variety of projects including earthquake simulations, material solutions to soil erosion, exploring evolutionary adaptation in animals, and regulating body temperature with innovative clothing designs.
Melissa’s second project involved creating an instrumented fish tank her students used to do behavioral and environmental studies. This fish tank is used to research animal behavior as well as introducing students to the concept of interconnected systems.
Interesting Facts: Melissa has designed a number of units compliant with NGSS standards including the Earth’s fossil history, faults and earthquakes, Mitosis, and a biome module.
Makerspace projects completed by Melissa's students
SKyTeach Master Teacher Rico Tyler helps NSCF Scholars Melissa Harris (left) of Warren East Middle School in Bowling Green and Amy Long from Sanford Middle School in Opeika, Alabama, take a picture of the moon using their smartphones and a telescope Wednesday, June 8. (Photo by Sam Oldenburg)
Santosh Zachariah from the Evergreen School in Shoreline, Washington, attaches foam fins to his rocket while Melissa Harris of Warren East Middle School in Bowling Green waits to use the hot glue gun Tuesday, June 7. The simple rockets took about thirty minutes to construct. (Photo by Sam Oldenburg)
Jill Henry (left) from Herrick Middle School in Downers Grove, Illinois, and Melissa Harris from Warren East Middle in Bowling Green create a hypothesis cube Monday, June 6. (Photo by Tucker Allen Covey)