Our “Explorers of the Deep” Project ended Friday with a hands-on ocean robot (glider) assembly and mission. Students had to affix wings to a robotic glider, which helped the robot “glide” through the water. They attached the rudder and then placed rubber bands around to hold the glider together. Groups were instructed to scan a QR code and watch a video to get a description of how the robot works in real life. Information was shared about how scientists pay attention to the density, buoyancy, and the salinity of the water where the robots would complete their mission. Students placed their robots into a tub of water and observed what happened. Some gliders stayed on top of the water, some came apart, and others dove. Students had to go back and ballast (add or subtract weight) their robot. After a successful mission, students were given a chance to play the Explorers of the Deep game and other enjoyable sensory activities.
We learned so much from our study of the Ocean over the last four weeks, but now it’s time to move on. This coming week, we’ll launch our “Day at the Museum” Project… can’t wait to see where that takes us next! 🤪