Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
RU VEXed by robots?
Engaging students in math, science, and technology is one of the most important factors in creating tomorrow's workforce. This is of particular importance in America, where math and science education is lagging behind other countries, leaving our nation trailing in the number of engineers produced each year. At Seminole Ridge High School, the SECME club has undertaken several projects to combat this problem, along with other projects to promote excellence in engineering.
At the annual SECME (Science, Engineering, Communication and Math Excellence) Regional Competition, over 200 high school students square off in engineering contests to team design and test vehicles powered by mousetraps, bridges that withstand pressure testing, water bottle rockets that were launched and evaluated for distance, general knowledge games with the "Brain Bowl," and in literary and artistic competitions with essays, mission patches, banners, and posters.
For the 2008-2009, SECME is facilitating a low-cost, high impact robotics program that will encourage more students to continue their education beyond high school and ultimately to choose science-, technology-, engineering-, and mathematics-related careers. In this highly engaging after-school program, students collaborate with their teachers and industry leaders, using their skills and knowledge in science, math, engineering, and technology to configure high-tech robotics to meet a preset series of tasks.
This is the type of program that builds interest from the ground up. Students acquire a ‘can do spirit’ and they get an opportunity to learn from their mentors and motivators in ways that build confidence and pride in their accomplishments. The VEX Robotics Design System starter kit contains everything students need to design a robot, with vast creative possibilities. This valuable project requires significant funding—each kit costs $321 – and is entirely supported by student fundraising and your donations.
The SECME school coordinators would greatly appreciate any contribution you and your business can provide. All gifts are recognized. Please consider contributing $321 and help us reach our goal before November 30th by making a donation to: Seminole Ridge High School SECME
I hope very much that you will be able to say “yes” to our appeal, and will truly appreciate whatever you can give.
At the annual SECME (Science, Engineering, Communication and Math Excellence) Regional Competition, over 200 high school students square off in engineering contests to team design and test vehicles powered by mousetraps, bridges that withstand pressure testing, water bottle rockets that were launched and evaluated for distance, general knowledge games with the "Brain Bowl," and in literary and artistic competitions with essays, mission patches, banners, and posters.
For the 2008-2009, SECME is facilitating a low-cost, high impact robotics program that will encourage more students to continue their education beyond high school and ultimately to choose science-, technology-, engineering-, and mathematics-related careers. In this highly engaging after-school program, students collaborate with their teachers and industry leaders, using their skills and knowledge in science, math, engineering, and technology to configure high-tech robotics to meet a preset series of tasks.
This is the type of program that builds interest from the ground up. Students acquire a ‘can do spirit’ and they get an opportunity to learn from their mentors and motivators in ways that build confidence and pride in their accomplishments. The VEX Robotics Design System starter kit contains everything students need to design a robot, with vast creative possibilities. This valuable project requires significant funding—each kit costs $321 – and is entirely supported by student fundraising and your donations.
The SECME school coordinators would greatly appreciate any contribution you and your business can provide. All gifts are recognized. Please consider contributing $321 and help us reach our goal before November 30th by making a donation to: Seminole Ridge High School SECME
I hope very much that you will be able to say “yes” to our appeal, and will truly appreciate whatever you can give.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Seminole Ridge Students Discuss Spacecraft With NASA Scientists
On Tuesday, June 3, students in Erich Landstrom’s science class at Seminole Ridge High School joined a teleconference with NASA scientists from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, Calif.
The teleconference was held to discuss essays the students wrote regarding the Cassini spacecraft. Launched more than a decade ago, Cassini has been sending back never-before-seen views of Saturn, its rings and its moons for nearly four years. Part of the NASA Cassini team’s job is to pick which image targets will yield the best science results. High school students were asked to write a 500-word essay on why the image they chose would be the most scientifically rich for Cassini’s cameras to take. Essays were judged by a panel of Cassini scientists, mission planners and by an education and outreach team. Cassini’s cameras will take images of three designated targets on June 10.
State Rep. Shelley Vana also visited the class in her capacity with the School District of Palm Beach County and also as a legislator. The students included 2008 graduating senior Amanda Canete, junior Justin Bloom, junior Sarah Shields, freshman Edwin Keo, freshman Amanda Fenner and junior Sharon Summel.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Seminole Ridge SECME Club Competes In District Olympiad
Science, Engineering, Communication, Mathematics and Enrichment (SECME) students at Seminole Ridge High School competed in the 2008 District Olympiad on March 29, returning with several honors:
• In the category of Balsawood Bridge Building, Liz Camp and Vicki Glass’s structure held 68 pounds before breaking.
• In the category of Water Bottle Rocket, Nick Moore’s and T.J. Gipe’s rocket was airborne for 7.8 seconds.
• In the category of Brain Bowl, the Hawks fell to second-place winners Forest Hill High School.
• Kelsey Chase (essay) and Kaitlin Kilpatrick (poster) earned honors for submissions on the theme “Lighting the Torch to Empower Future Leaders.”
SECME coaches Erich Landstrom and Alison Baird thank the team for a great job.
• In the category of Balsawood Bridge Building, Liz Camp and Vicki Glass’s structure held 68 pounds before breaking.
• In the category of Water Bottle Rocket, Nick Moore’s and T.J. Gipe’s rocket was airborne for 7.8 seconds.
• In the category of Brain Bowl, the Hawks fell to second-place winners Forest Hill High School.
• Kelsey Chase (essay) and Kaitlin Kilpatrick (poster) earned honors for submissions on the theme “Lighting the Torch to Empower Future Leaders.”
SECME coaches Erich Landstrom and Alison Baird thank the team for a great job.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
SRHS Science Teacher Awarded Citibank Success Fund Grant
Seminole Ridge science teacher Mr. Erich Landstrom will receive a Citibank Success Fund Grant of $841 to launch his Rocket POWER (Positive Outcomes While Enjoying Reading) program. During Rocket POWER, students at Seminole Ridge will read and discuss the special talents and training necessary to become a rocket scientist. They will then be challenged to design, construct, fly and recover handmade, high-powered model rockets with two “egg-stronauts” onboard.
The Citibank Success Fund awards cash grants to support innovative classroom learning projects that encourage at-risk students to succeed in academics and stay in school. These funds, awarded by the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and Citibank, allow educators to develop innovative, easily replicable, grassroots programs, providing students with an opportunity to succeed and to associate that success with continued school attendance. Landstrom will receive the grant check during a dinner reception on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the West Palm Beach Marriott. The money will be spent on books and rocket construction supplies.
During weekly meetings of an after-school SECME Club (Science, Engineering, Communication and Mathematics Enhancement), students will read non-fiction, how-to books on model rocketry, including The Handbook of Model Rocketry and Rocket Boys: A Memoir, the autobiographical reminiscences of children whose lives were influenced by rocketry.
SECME students will then design, construct, and fly their own high-powered model rocket. This rocket, with a payload of two raw Grade-A large eggs, must reach a specific altitude of 750 feet and return undamaged to the ground within 45 seconds.
Rocket POWER hopes to:
• Spark enthusiasm for careers in aerospace among students;
• Curb dropout prevention by demonstrating the practical application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics;
• Provide positive outcomes while enjoying reading;
• Deliver foundational knowledge of aerospace principles in math and geometry, in sciences ranging from physics to meteorology, and engineering.
The Citibank Success Fund awards cash grants to support innovative classroom learning projects that encourage at-risk students to succeed in academics and stay in school. These funds, awarded by the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and Citibank, allow educators to develop innovative, easily replicable, grassroots programs, providing students with an opportunity to succeed and to associate that success with continued school attendance. Landstrom will receive the grant check during a dinner reception on Tuesday, Sept. 25 at the West Palm Beach Marriott. The money will be spent on books and rocket construction supplies.
During weekly meetings of an after-school SECME Club (Science, Engineering, Communication and Mathematics Enhancement), students will read non-fiction, how-to books on model rocketry, including The Handbook of Model Rocketry and Rocket Boys: A Memoir, the autobiographical reminiscences of children whose lives were influenced by rocketry.
SECME students will then design, construct, and fly their own high-powered model rocket. This rocket, with a payload of two raw Grade-A large eggs, must reach a specific altitude of 750 feet and return undamaged to the ground within 45 seconds.
Rocket POWER hopes to:
• Spark enthusiasm for careers in aerospace among students;
• Curb dropout prevention by demonstrating the practical application of science, technology, engineering and mathematics;
• Provide positive outcomes while enjoying reading;
• Deliver foundational knowledge of aerospace principles in math and geometry, in sciences ranging from physics to meteorology, and engineering.
Friday, August 3, 2007
The Team America Rocketry Challenge
The Team America Rocketry Challenge is a national amateur rocket competition for U.S. high school and middle school students and is sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry. The competition challenges student teams to design, build, and fly a model rocket carrying two raw eggs as close as possible to a specific altitude. One hundred of the best teams will compete in a fly-off at Great Meadow, The Plains, Virginia, in May 2008, and the winning top ten student teams will share a total prize pool worth over $60,000 in cash. The goal is to encourage students to study advanced math and sciences and to consider studying aerospace fields in college. TARC is open to teams of students in grades 7-12 from any US school or nonprofit youth organization (ex: Boy/Girl Scouts, 4-H, Civil Air Patrol). 2008 Contest Rules are posted on the website at www.rocketcontest.org and sign up to get updates and the latest details on this exciting educational event.
1. 2 eggs for payload rather than 1
2. 750 foot altitude goal rather than 850
3. 45 second duration goal remains, but duration error is weighted by a factor of 2 in computing final score rather than a factor of 1
4. Single-staging is required, previously multi-staging was an option although seldom utilized
5. The top 10 (cash prize) places at the Finals will be decided on the basis of the sum of scores of 2 flights at the Finals, with the top 18 teams based on first-flight scores being invited to make a second flight in the last round of the day in order to qualify for one of these 10 places. We do not have the range capacity or available time to have all teams make two flights in the one day of the Finals.
Registration for TARC 2008 will open on September 5, 2007 and close on November 30 or when we get 750 entries, whichever comes first.
1. 2 eggs for payload rather than 1
2. 750 foot altitude goal rather than 850
3. 45 second duration goal remains, but duration error is weighted by a factor of 2 in computing final score rather than a factor of 1
4. Single-staging is required, previously multi-staging was an option although seldom utilized
5. The top 10 (cash prize) places at the Finals will be decided on the basis of the sum of scores of 2 flights at the Finals, with the top 18 teams based on first-flight scores being invited to make a second flight in the last round of the day in order to qualify for one of these 10 places. We do not have the range capacity or available time to have all teams make two flights in the one day of the Finals.
Registration for TARC 2008 will open on September 5, 2007 and close on November 30 or when we get 750 entries, whichever comes first.
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