Underwater Flinkers

Will it sink or will it float? At Week 2 of Girlstart After School, girls planned and built a “flinker” device that does both! Before students began sketching their prototype designs, they reviewed important concepts, including mass, density, buoyancy and solubility. Students would find all of these terms important while creating their flinkers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 2 was based on the careers of Marine Engineers. Girls were asked about the difficulties that Marine Engineers encounter when recovering samples from the bottom of a body of water. Answers included the weight of the object, the strength of the line or chain, and water currents. By sinking slowly to the bottom of a body of water, flinkers can help Marine Engineers overcome some of these obstacles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Each group received a hodgepodge of materials, such as pool noodle slices, packing peanuts, cork, washers, and binder clips. Girls got to work building a prototype flinker, then tested their first designs in a pitcher. With the help of their STEM crew leaders, girls observed and recorded the length of time their projects “flinked” in the water. Girls then revised their designs, adding or removing different materials, and tested it once again. Week 2 of Girlstart After School was a swimming success!

Pop Fly!

 

For the first week of After School To-Go, students designed catapults and started the year off with a pop! Students were excited to get the ping pong balls flying. Before brainstorming their catapult designs, girls talked about their expectations and excitement for the new semester of Girlstart. Students went over the Engineering Design Process – a set of never-ending, always-improving steps that include asking questions, brainstorming and researching the possibilities, building a prototype, testing the design, and revising.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the catapult, girls learned about levers. Levers are simple machines which make work easier by utilizing pivot points to convert a small amount of input into a lot of movement! Using this knowledge, the students got to work designing and planning their catapult prototypes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to test their catapults! Each catapult launched a ping pong ball, and girls evaluated the success of their designs and made adjustments. After School To-Go is flying into this fall semester and even more exciting activities are to come!

Up, up, and away!

Girlstart After School launched a new school year with a fun and creative engineering project: Paper Rockets! Before building their rockets, girls discussed their expectations and hopes for the new semester. Groups reviewed the Engineering Design Process – this is the foundation of each girl’s growth at Girlstart! What does the Engineering Design Process look like?

I. Ask a question
II. Brainstorm ideas or conduct research
III. Build a prototype
IV. Test and revise

At Girlstart, each girl is encouraged to share her ideas – no idea is too “crazy” because it could inspire another idea! After girls share their ideas, they work together to turn their plans into reality, test their design, and improve it. Finally, students are reminded that the design process is cyclical. One question girls often ask each other: “How can we make this even more awesome?!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For their first activity of the semester, girls were challenged to design a rocket capable of flight. Students predicted that a thin or wide body and a loose or tight nose would help a rocket fly faster, then built their rockets accordingly. The girls learned that many forces, such as gravity and air pressure, were at play. Then it was time to test!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Girls discussed possible additions to help their rockets fly faster and farther: adding wings, making the body short or long, or adding more force during the launch sequence. Girlstart After School has officially launched into an exciting new semester!