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 for behavioral and environmental studies. This fish tank is used to research animal behavior as well as to introduce students to the concept of interconnected systems.
Interesting Facts: Melissa has designed a number of units compliant with NGSS standards including fossil history, faults and earthquakes, mitosis, and the biome.



