Some Linden-McKinley STEM Academy students got a chance to present their work alongside the research of undergraduate college students recently when they were selected to participate in the Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges' OFIC Undergraduate Research Symposium.
Three Linden-McKinley students represented the school to explain their own design challenge, a language arts project based on the play "A Raisin in the Sun," says Amanda Chamberlain, 10th grade English teacher and department lead.
The project was designed to demonstrate mastery of the material, Chamberlain says, and included the design and construction of bedrooms for each of the drama's six characters.
"The bedrooms they did were 3D models, and they couldn't have any type of names" or other identification in the bedroom, Chamberlain says. "I had to be able to look at that bedroom and be able to know, based on that bedroom" which character the room represented.
The project incorporated skills such as dimensions and scale that students had learned in geometry class, Chamberlain says.
Keisha Slaughter, engineer-in-residence, Ohio STEM Learning Network/Central Ohio Hub, says Linden-McKinley was chosen to participate in the Feb. 16 event at the Ohio Statehouse because of its relationship with the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) and Battelle, which has a long-standing relationship with OFIC. Students from Metro Early College High School and Reynoldsburg's eSTEM Academy also participated.
"As part of Battelle's education goals, which include connecting its philanthropic partners with STEM work, Battelle approached OFIC to open up some of the presentation spots to high school students," Slaughter explains. "They presented alongside the undergraduate students who were presenting their research. The high school students also judged the undergraduate work to choose a presentation winner," and had an opportunity to visit and speak with college representatives about admission requirements and courses offered.
Sources: Amanda Chamberlain, Linden-McKinley STEM Academy and Keisha Slaughter, OSLN
Writer: Gene Monteith