An out of this world project is going on with the eighth-graders in the Cardinal Middle School PHabLab...
Students Explore Martian Landscape
An out of this world project is going on with the eighth-graders in the Cardinal Middle School PHabLab. Students have been working hard in technology class to assemble Mars rovers that are similar to the one on Mars now, just smaller.
Students are working in groups, following the steps to assemble the rovers in their “Gaining Traction on Mars” kits from Palmer Hamilton. Once assembled, students then explore and study how the rover navigates over a plain surface, such as the floor, versus a simulated Martian landscape of sand and rocks.
Students are tasked with timing how long their rover takes to go a measured distance on the floor, with and without weight, and then they do the same in the Martian landscape. Students record their findings and then decide how to change their rover so it navigates the Martian landscape better. The first set of wheels had a lot of rovers getting stuck in the sand and rocks in the Martian landscape quickly. The classes are keeping track of their data for a friendly competition between the teams to see which rover can go the furthest in the various settings.
In addition to constructing the rover and testing its speed, velocity, friction and torque, students are also using the skills they’ve learned on the Cricut to create custom bumper stickers for their rovers. Technology teacher Mandi Matchinga says she is impressed with the work students have done and the solutions they’ve come up with to try to improve their rovers.
