The Mini Trebuchet STEM activity helped introduce students to science and engineering concepts needed for building larger trebuchets for the 2023 MESA Day competition.
Using Short STEM Activities to Kickstart Engineering
Students participating in the 2023 MESA Day challenge worked in teams to build trebuchets. In preparation for that challenge, educators used the Mini Trebuchet STEM activity to introduce the physics behind how a trebuchet works.
Kim Scheerer, Central Inner Regional Coordinator for NM MESA
The mini trebuchet activity and video provided a fun kickstart introduction to trebuchet science for students preparing to build larger trebuchets for the 2023 MESA Day competition.
A Trebuchet Challenge
Every year, New Mexico Math, Engineering & Science Achievement (NM MESA) holds MESA Day, a statewide competition for middle and high school students. According to Kim Scheerer, Central Inner Regional Coordinator for NM MESA, students from approximately 100 schools, many of which are Title 1 schools, participate in MESA Day.
In recognition of NM MESA’s 40th year, the 2023 MESA Day challenge was a trebuchet challenge, a fun “throwback” to a MESA Day challenge from the 1980s.
The Mini Trebuchet STEM activity at Science Buddies provided a helpful starting point for educators introducing students to the MESA Day challenge. In the activity, students build a small trebuchet from wooden craft sticks to explore the engineering design and physics behind how a trebuchet works. For MESA Day participants, the mini trebuchet was a fun small-scale introduction to the larger trebuchet challenge.
The trebuchet was one of several STEM activities for MESA Day, but it was unique in that students designed and built their solutions in advance, a MESA Day challenge referred to as a “Prepared Design.” Students worked on their trebuchets in teams of 3-6 and then brought their devices to MESA Day for testing.
Inspiring Hands-on STEM
In October 2023, Kim presented at the New Mexico Science Teachers Association (NMSTA), where she (and co-presenters) guided educators in building their own mini trebuchets as part of a discussion of the importance of project-based learning and equity and inclusion practices in teaching STEM.
Kim is passionate about the value of project-based learning for all age and ethnicity groups. “STEM skill sets are developed in the engineering realm, and softer skills like teamwork, communication, and persistence have been shown to elevate student confidence, ability, and growth mindset,” she says.
Kim will be presenting at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) in March (2024). Her presentation is titled, “STEM Project-Based Learning Education: A New Mexico Case Study for Equity & Inclusion.”
Boosting STEM in Local Schools
NM MESA provides STEM support and outreach for area schools, reaching approximately 4,500 students each year. This includes out-of-school programming for students as well as opportunities for teachers to integrate NM MESA in the classroom, afterschool, or during lunch, with guest speakers, hands-on STEM skill-building activities, and more. Out-of-school opportunities include field trips, college and university visits, and other hands-on learning events with community partners, like Los Alamos National Lab and Sandia National Laboratories.
Like Science Buddies, NM MESA believes in the value of hands-on, active learning. NM Mesa primarily works with students in grades 6-12. “Studies show that interest in mathematics drops in early MS years,” says Kim. “Finding fun, interesting challenges for students to engage and grow their skill sets is crucial to student success!”
Supporting STEM Education for All Students
With a library of more than 1,500 projects, lessons, and activities for student STEM, Science Buddies’ resources are used in classrooms around the world to support science literacy and the building of science and engineering skills through hands-on exploration. These materials also support out-of-school programming, including libraries, summer camps, professional development activities, and STEM outreach by other organizations.
Science Buddies is happy to see organizations like NM MESA using its STEM resources to supplement their important work with schools in New Mexico.
Thank you to Kim for sharing this story with Science Buddies. Learn more about NM MESA at www.nmmesa.org.
“Studies show that interest in mathematics drops in early MS years,” says Kim Scheerer, Central Inner Regional Coordinator for NM MESA. “Finding fun, interesting challenges for students to engage and grow their skill sets is crucial to student success!”
Kim Scheerer, Teacher
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