In the past couple of weeks we have welcomed two very important visitors to the MES Starbase 1.5 Program Lab. I decided after coming home from the Georgia STEM Forum in Athens that I needed to kick it up a notch with publicity for our amazing aerospace engineering program. Taking some hints from a couple of STEM Laureate presenters at the conference, I decided to take a chance and invite our district state government officials out to our school to learn about our program.
Our first visitor was Senator Michael "Doc" Rhett who was immediately taken aback at the wonderful things that students were learning in our program. A former educator himself, he could not believe the technology that students were working with in our Starbase 1.5 Lab. Senator Rhett was taught how to use the CAD program from some of our students, and tried his hand at flying the drone outside that we will be using to collect data on our simulated missions. We also were spotlighted on Cobb edTV again for the second time, which got some great footage of the Senator and our students learning alongside each other. Check out the video below!
Mrs. Davis & Mr. McKay (Peach State Starbase Director) chatting with Senator Rhett
Senator Rhett assisting with model rocket launches
Senator Rhett helping students with angle measurements
Mrs. Davis showing the Senator how to navigate the drone!
Launching Rockets with Starbase 1.5 Students
Mrs. Cain (MES Principal) watching students assemble prototypes in the CAD program.
Senator Rhett couldn't escape the CRAZY Starbase picture!
Next, the students and I had a great time hosting Representative David Wilkerson to the Starbase 1.5 Lab. Rep. Wilkerson knew a lot about the different types of technology that the students were using so he had no problem jumping right in and navigating his way through learning CAD (with student help of course!). He also showed a lot of enthusiasm with the students as they had their first lesson with trying out our drone technology. Rep. Wilkerson did a great job flying the drone around our Courtyard! The best part about his visit was the kind words that he had to say about our MES Starbase 1.5 students and the program itself. He was so impressed that he suggested other individuals in our state to invite for a visit, and also mentioned that he is going to continue to follow our program to see what great things are going on!
Representative Wilkerson learning how to use CAD software to build a UAV
Starbase 1.5 Student teaching the Rep. how to do it!
A Starbase 1.5 Student shows Rep. Wilkerson his launch rocket model
Things just keep getting better and better here at MES. Last week, Nicholas DiGiovine and I had our first Skype session with Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduate students from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). This was a dream come true for both of us! We showed them all around the Starbase 1.5 Lab and they could not believe that we actually had a 3D printer in our room. It is funny to me that MIT aerospace engineers have to share 3D printers with other departments. Our partners, Pronoy Biswas and Anne Miranan, have graciously given their time and expertise to answer student engineering questions and give helpful pointers on ideas that students are coming up with for their missions. We are setting up weekly Skype meetings for the students and our partners to discuss different viewpoints and aspects of aerospace engineering. Who knows, maybe they can actually come meet us face to face in the future, or visit for Starbase graduation in May? That would be really cool and the students would LOVE it!!!!
Our Ultimaker 2 3D printer!
Our first prints fresh of the build plate
Starbase 1.5 Students showing off their paper models!
An upclose look at a prototype in our CAD software
Well....so far......students have formed their mission flight teams, researched and designed launch rockets, made models of their rockets, and brushed up their CAD skills assembling prototypes of UAVs. Our 3D printer is up and running having made a set of robots and stack-able cups for us to use. Next up, learning how to convert CAD files to .stl files for slicing on the 3D printer. Students will also be researching and determining which type of rover or drone they will be using for the Space Volcano mission. The weeks are flying by and next week will be Thanksgiving!!!!! So much to do, in so little time! Until next time, keep on looking up!
P.S.- The students and I have decided on the logo for our Starbase 1.5 Program t-shirts this year......... It will read: It's Not Rocket Science, Oh Actually It Is!
We love it, you should too!
It's that time again here at Mableton Elementary School! I am one excited teacher to BLAST OFF again with our Starbase 1.5 Program. This year we are implementing a couple of different approaches with our aerospace engineering program. We are starting this year off by integrating a new aerospace engineering unit in my 5th Grade classroom. The students and I have been working hard to get the Starbase Lab moved and set up again. My 5th graders are anxious to use the computers AND the 3D printer, so I knew we had to get on it and set up our new lab. It is much smaller than our previous room, but it should work out just fine.
Our 5th Grade Starbase Class @ Dobbins Airforce Base
Our unit is called, "Space Volcanoes" and digs deep into connecting our 5th grade science curriculum to aerospace engineering. The students will jump into the roles of engineers and scientists as we simulate a real mission carried out by the Jet Propulsion Lab in California. I have really amped up the curriculum this year and including much more CAD design, math integration, and drone navigation. I cannot wait to see their faces when they realize they will actually learn how to fly and navigate drones just like real scientists and engineers to gather data. Our simulated mission will take us to other destinations in our solar system to gather data on space volcanoes to send back to scientist at NASA so we can relate them to volcanoes on Earth. In addition, students will step into an engineering role to design, create, and build rovers using our CAD program, and have the chance to print out rover tools with our 3D printer. It will be extremely fun to see students learn and grow as 21st century learners using this sophisticated technology.
Ready to Learn @ Starbase
Something new this year I am adding is the use of an online student portfolio application. It is called SeeSaw and a valuable tool for students and parents alike. Each student will keep on online portfolio stocked with photos, videos, sketches, papers, and assignments that we complete throughout the unit. Parents, in turn, can download the app and view their students work and our progress at anytime! What a great way to create the open communication between our school program and our parents. I highly recommend the application. At the end of the unit, students will be using their portfolio artifacts to create an oral presentation to showcase their learning for a final grade.
Our class listening to Volt
Another NEW thing that our Starbase 1.5 Program is please to announce is the collaboration of 2 new community partners! Our new program sponsors are SpaceWorks, LLC. and Terminal Velocity, LLC. two Altanta-based aerospace engineering companies. They will be visiting our students and speaking to them about their careers. Also, their engineers will be assisting students with the CAD programs on our Lab days.
We LOVED having cooperative groups called FLIGHTS @ Starbase
Well.... that pretty much brings everyone up to speed about what has been going on here at Mableton. I am seriously ready, excited, nervous, anxious, lucky, and thrilled to begin this crazy adventure ALL OVER AGAIN! I can't wait to see the wonderful things that my students create and build!
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My students working hard on their "Space Volcanoes" Pre-Assessment probe
Well....the time has come to shut off the computers and put up the rocket and rover materials. It seems like only yesterday I got the great news that I would be leading this new program into unknown territories and taking students on a crazy aerospace engineering adventure. This first year with the Mableton Starbase 1.5 Club, we graduated 45 students! I am extremely proud of my students for working hard, playing hard, and just going with the flow. This has been the most rewarding teaching experience I have ever had. It has renewed my sense of purpose and taught me a lot about the different aspects of engineering as well. I learned right along with the students!
Our graduation ceremony was Wednesday, May 13th here at Mableton in our beautiful courtyard. It seemed only fitting that we hold our ceremony outside under the beautiful sky and among the stars and atmosphere that we learned so much about. The students and parents enjoyed some light refreshments before the ceremony catered by the delicious McIntyre's Bakery in Smyrna, Georgia. The ceremony started off with a welcome by our amazing principal Mrs. Kym Eisgruber, and was following by our special guest speaker, Mr. John McKay, Peach State Starbase Director. Mr. McKay spoke to guests about the Starbase program in general and explained how our Starbase 1.5 program got started here at Mableton. The students were called up to receive a certificate of completion, an inaugural mission patch, and to pose for a grade level picture.
It was a wonderful evening and a great way to end an amazing 6 months of planning, teaching, learning, and exploring! I can't wait to see what the future holds for this program! Enjoy the pictures!
The parents and guests start to arrive in the Courtyard at MES
Patiently waiting for the ceremony to start
Our refreshments!
The centerpiece highlighted pictures of the students working on some mission objectives. We also displayed our inaugural mission patches and one of our notebooks.
Mr. John McKay, Director of Peach State Starbase and guest speaker for the ceremony
Our Starbase 1.5 4th and 5th grade graduates
Mrs. Eisgruber introducing me!
Ms. Waters and Mrs. Arends, MES Administrators handed out certificates
I know that it has been a while since I last blogged, but I promise it is not because I have been sitting in the Starbase 1.5 Lab eating popcorn watching space movies! ( I wish!) I am a classroom teacher and Starbase 1.5 Instructor which has been difficult at times to juggle both. My goal is to blog about all of the great things going on all the time in our lab, but there are other things like the Georgia Milestones Assessment that get in the way. SO.........this post is going to be rather LONG due to the amount of wonderful things that I want to share, so just keep on reading below.
First, my 4th graders had a great ending to their Starbase 1.5 experience with launching their final rockets and developing their rovers to get to the destinations that they have chosen in our solar system. These students also worked with the Russell Space Team to develop the module for their EVA (spacewalk). I got to visit the launch and watch the playback of the Russell Space astronauts assembling our module for the first time while on their mission in the simulator. So cool!!! I took a lot of pictures of the crew working during the mission.
The Mission Control Team getting ready for the EVA and the assembly of the Starbase1.5 module.
Hard at work getting ready for the EVA.
The Mission Control Team doing a "Go, No Go" for the EVA.
The Russell Space Team Museum outside of their Mission Control.
The STS-7 Mission Patch and dedication plaque of the mission to my mother, Kathy Stafford. She was the Public Relations Liaison for the Russell Space Team for many years.
Another great experience that we had in the Starbase 1.5 club was getting featured in a Cobb edTV episode highlighting our program. The camera crew came to the school and filmed our class which includes rocket launching and instruction in the lab.
Next, my 5th graders jumped right into the PTC Creo 3D Design Software that the DOD had installed on our computers. They have excelled at assembling their first car, and have moved on to assembling a UAV(unmanned aerial vehicle). The students chose a mission that their UAV would be involved in such as search and rescue and extinguishing wild fires, or military reconnaissance. It was so neat to see what the students deciding to assemble onto their UAV's to help them complete their missions. Some groups chose search lights, while others chose to install big water tanks to extinguish fires. They have really enjoyed working on the computers. I can't wait until our 3D printer is up and running so that we can take our students' 3D designs and print them to show students how we can connect what we are achieving to the real-world. Another really cool aspect of the Starbase 1.5 program that my 5th graders have gotten to experience is the deep connection to the 3D printing side of engineering. We had a great discussion when we were learning about how or why an aerospace engineer would use a 3D printer, and we looked at some news articles and videos about 3D printed pieces of the space station and robotics that are used in space.
We have come to the end of the year for our first cycle of our amazing Starbase 1.5 program here at Mableton. We had our graduation ceremony last night, and I was overwhelmed with thankfulness and excitement to see what can happen with this program in the future. Be on the lookout for the Graduation Post ASAP!
Wow! Last week was great for members of the MES Starbase 1.5 Club. Our students got the chance to visit the Russell Space Center and learn all about the operations there. We were invited to tour Mission Control and the Space Shuttle Simulator by Mr. Chris Laster, Director of the Russell Space Program. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, Mableton Starbase has partnered up with the Russell Space Team to create an EVA (space walk) task for the astronauts to complete while on their mission this year. My 4th graders have just finished creating the model and sending instructions over to Russell Mission Control. It was awesome to see the students working together as aerospace engineers do to create the model and test it out before sending it over to the astronauts.
Okay....back to the field trip! We met up at Russell Elementary after school last week to start our tour. It was pretty cramped in Mission Control because we had about 30 MES Starbase students and parents show up for the tour. First, Mr. Laster talked us through the history of the Russell Space Program which started back in 1997. He also pointed out the amazing mission patches that they have posted on the wall to commemorate each mission. Mission STS-7 holds a special place in my heart because this mission was dedicated to my mother, Kathy Stafford, who worked as a publicist for the Russell Space Program for more than 9 years. Mr. Laster and my mother remain very close and this is how we started our partnership. Then, students and parents got the chance to see a Mission Control team in action as they practiced for the upcoming May mission. Mr. Laster did a great job explaining what each console in Mission Control was responsible for.
Next, students and parents headed outside to tour the space shuttle simulator which the Russell Astronauts climb aboard for their mission. We had to take the tour in shifts because we couldn't all fit! Many of the parents and students were amazed at the detail and design aspects of the shuttle. I mean, what kid wouldn't want to sit in an F-16 mock cockpit with switches, controls, and lights that flash with alarms? Mr. Laster literally built the inside of the shuttle with his own hands. The best part of the tour was seeing a Russell Astronaut get suited up in her Russian MiG Fighter Jet skull cap complete with communications headset and crawl through the air lock which will serve to depressurize the air so that the astronauts can complete their EVA. Parents and students took turns asking questions and learning all about the wonderful Russell Space Program and how our Starbase students fit into the mix this year. I really hope to continue our partnership for many years to come!
The Mableton Starbase 1.5 Club Students and Parents
Looking at the Flight Deck in the Shuttle Simulator
Mr. Laster, Director of the Russell Space Program Mission Control Team Members practicing for their mission
Mableton Starbase students and parents engaged in learning!
Check out the Mission Patches in the background in the frames
Russell Astronaut getting suited up outside the airlock. Notice the door ajar from the air lock. The astronauts have the crawl inside!
Each and every time I step foot in the Starbase Lab door, an overwhelming feeling of excitement bubbles up and comes out as a big smile as I see my 4th graders come in with such enthusiasm. We have been working extremely hard learning all about rockets and rovers. In addition, the students and I have taken on another challenge which will hopefully begin an annual partnership with the Russell Space Center. A couple of weeks ago, my 4th graders tested out their first rocket and figured out how weight affects the distance a rocket can travel. It was so neat to see them getting their rockets launch ready, and stomping on our launcher! Each group recorded their results on their worksheets, and used their data to formulate a conclusion. Based on our collective results, we determined that rockets with very little weight can travel much farther than rockets that carry a lot of weight. Then, I had students think about those implications. What does it all mean to aerospace engineers? I could not believe how many of my students knew exactly what those implications meant for our mission objective. In order for our rockets to reach our final destination, we had to make sure that the rover we carry, and the rocket itself, not weigh too much! The students are going to be testing additional variables that aerospace engineers have to take into consideration in the coming weeks such as rocket materials, rocket length, and rocket width. Now to our OTHER mission objective......our contract with the Russell Space Center. Many people know about the awesome space program that Russell Elementary School in Smyrna, Georgia has, but few people know the specifics unless your child attends there. Well, I just so happen to be very close friends with the creator, director, and space guru that pulls off this amazing program for the Russell 4th and 5th graders. Chris Laster has known me for a very long time since I was a 5th grade student at Russell. My mother also worked at Russell for over 15 years, and for many of those, assisted Mr. Laster with getting local dignitaries and community leaders involved in the space program. Mr. Laster selects 4th and 5th graders who are interested in space and trains them for many months to perform an authentic space mission, complete with a mission control center and a mock space shuttle outside on the school grounds. Russell Astronauts and Mission Control Members train all year for their mission which launches each year in May to much fan-fare in their school. They even have a Teacher-in-Space who conducts lessons via close-circuit television while on the mission! The entire Russell Space Center is state of the art and unbelievable. This year.....we have partnered up with the Russell Space Team to do something amazing! For the first time ever, the Russell Astronauts will be doing a EVA or spacewalk while on their mission. Our Starbase 4th graders have been given the task of creating a model for the space walkers to put together while outside in space. So, the work has started and the students are pumped! We picked a model and have started drafting up directions for Mission Control to use and relay to the astronauts. This is exactly what happens on a real space mission! The students and I are getting down to the wire, and are getting close to finishing up. The great part about all of this is that the ENTIRE Starbase 1.5 Club has been invited to tour the Russell Space Center next week, AND my 4th graders have been invited over for the launch so they can really get credit for their hard work. I really like their model idea which can be adaptable for use on many more space missions. Coming up: Next week we visit the Russell Space Center and launch MORE rockets in testing! Stay tuned!!!!!
A group of students working with a picture of the model in the background. They are trying to assemble it without any instructions just by looking at the picture!
A quick video of Nicholas and Abbey explaining what they are working on!
