Cross-Divisional Outreach
As members of a K-12 school community, the members and mentors of the Potomac School Robotics program have a unique set of opportunities and experiences available to them. From members of our Upper School VEX robotics teams mentoring VEX IQ teams to sixth grade First Lego League members teaching STEM lessons to first grade classrooms, robotics teams are an active force in the greater Potomac School Robotics Program, as well as in the Potomac School community.
Fem 'n STEM Club
Fem 'n STEM is a club created by three high school girls, two of which are members of the Potomac Robotics team, 12J. The club is geared towards inspiring younger girls in and out of the potomac community to become interested in STEM. So far they have done demonstrations with 7th graders and are working together with the head of the Lower School (kindergarten-3rd) to continue to inspire more young girls. For more information click here.
Hibernation Project
The FLL team Buzz Builders gave a presentation to a Kindergarten class about bees and pollination. Each child got a "Buzz Builders Headband" so that they could all become bees. A group of Kindergarteners were matched up with a 6th grader who walked them around to each "flower" so it could be pollinated. Overall it was a messy process but the kids learned an important lesson in a fun way.
Making Oobleck
Vex IQ team 10227B, the Gear Gals, shared a fun and messy lesson to a class of Kindergarteners. This was all for their STEM project about Teaching Science. They started by reading the Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck, then proceeded to have each student come up and put various ingredients into a bowl. After the oobleck was made, the kids all got a cup of it and got to play with it. Getting to see and feel what you make is all part of the learning process and that was the overall lesson of having the students make it.
Building Indoor Snowmen
Before there was real snow outside, an Intermediate School robotics team used chemical engineering to make their own artificial snow. As a cross-divisional STEM lesson and VEX IQ STEM project, team members Nicole Garibaldi and Michelle Miller (team 10227D) taught Mr. McEwen's second graders how to mix corn starch and lotion to create the artificial substance and build their own indoor snowmen!
A Tasty Constellation Lesson
Members of the sixth grade robotics team, Robotic Rage, taught Ms. Yang's first graders a science lesson on constellations. Using mini marshmallows and toothpicks, students created replicas of constellations like Orion's Belt and the Big Dipper.