Week 16-19: 7th Grade Solar Powered Vehicles

We cannot believe that this is the last full week of STEM with the first semester group of students! It has been an absolutely wonderful journey and we cannot wait to meet the other half of the school.

The seventh graders have been working so hard to finish their solar vehicles for the past few weeks and the finished products are turning out to be truly amazing. The savvy seventh graders were given a challenge to produce the best solar powered car for a fictional company named "Patriot Mobile." The vehicles had to follow a very specific set of criteria listed below.

- All vehicles had to be less than 8 inches in any direction.

- All vehicles had to be constructed with the materials provided and approved by Patriot Mobile.

- All vehicles had to transport one passenger (a 3D printed LEGO Figure).

- The passenger had to be able to see out of the front of the vehicle.

- All vehicles had to use solar power as its only energy source.

- All vehicles had to have straight travel direction for 8 feet.

- All vehicles have to cost less than $50 STEM Dollars.

Students used what they learned about circuits, renewable energy sources, and lots of problem solving skills to figure out the best way to construct their solar vehicles. It has taken a lot of patience, hard work, and determination to get the vehicles to run smoothly. During this culminating project, students used every step of the Engineering Design Process to ensure the most success for their solar powered vehicles.

'Til next time!

- Ms. Ricciardi and Ms. Capobianco