8th grade students in the Innovation & Design Class taught by Mrs. Cathy Roderick at BBHMS recently completed an exciting learning activity involving the creation of carnival type games for coded robots to navigate and complete. Using “upcycled” or creatively reused building items in addition to large amounts of duct tape and hot glue, students applied their creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills to construct innovative game designs. Throughout the entire project, students learned and implemented the Engineering Design Process, which included brainstorming, designing, building, testing, evaluating, and redesigning before sharing their games with the class. Teachers and students from other classes were also invited to play the games and provide feedback.
In addition to strengthening their STEM skills, students also worked hard on developing their ability to control and program the Spheros Bolt Robot balls. Purchased in 2021 through a generous grant from The GPD Group Employees’ Foundation, the Sphero Bolt Power Pack robots feature advanced sensors, programmable LED matrix, and other innovative technologies that promote inquiry, coding, and STEM-based learning in a variety of ways. Congratulations to our 8th grade students for their impressive work and stay tuned for more examples of STEM learning taking place in the BBHCSD!