Gretchen Brinza
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Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical engineers are really important in our lives.  Experts at materials, energy, and machinery, they are always thinking about how a machine can do work for us.  Our focus in first grade will be with wind energy, and how the wind, when paired with the right machine, can do work for us!  First graders will be designing some pretty neat technologies that use wind energy!

Home

11.  Creating, Testing, and Improving our Windmills!

12/9/2013

 
Picture
With our plans complete, there is only ONE thing first graders are thinking about!

"MRS. BRINZA!  WHEN can I create and test my windmill design?!?!?!"

With their windmills built and the fans running, first graders are combining all that they have learned about materials/properties, wind energy and the engineering design process to build a windmill that can do the most work for them.  Our work is being measured by the number of washers it can lift.  Even if our designs do not work the first time, first graders know that engineers use a process in their work to try to improve their designs.  

So far, the most weights any windmill design has lifted is 15!  Who can design a machine to do more work using the energy of the wind?!?!  The record at STEM is 44 washers, set back in 2011!

A HUGE thanks goes out to Mrs. O'Neill and Mrs. Abel for volunteering with first grade!   


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    Mrs. Brinza

    I love what I do.  It's that simple.  

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