STEAM Fair

Grade 3

Click here to see photos from the event.

This Year's Projects

Ella and Shayna focused on ice skating for wheelchair users. They saw that there is a lip (a small wall a couple inches tall) at the door that would prevent a wheelchair from wheeling onto the ice. They thought rinks should make a retractable ramp (powered by a button on the door). To plan for the ramp, they asked which material for the top of the ramp, concrete, rubber, or wood, has the most friction?

Charlie and Daniel focused on people with limb differences in the upper body who visit the arcade. Games that need to be played with fine motor movements, like pinball or games with triggers/flippers, are difficult for their client. They want to attach a foot pedal that will control the handles. They asked when building a foot pedal for the starting shot of a pinball, which design for the attachment, vertical or angled, shoots the ball the fastest?

Audrey and Goldie focused on competitive swimming for hearing impaired swimmers. The starting whistle starts the race (and sometimes a light), but they want to add a vibration buzzer at the same time. They asked which location for the buzzer, wrist, ankle, in the starting block, or in the swim cap, prompts the smallest reaction time?

Ellis and Thalia focused on wheelchair users visiting the zoo. At the zoo, there is a gondola-style ride that you step into, so they wanted to design a ramp. They asked does a metal, wood, or rubber ramp create the just-right friction for a wheelchair?

Micah and Nathaniel focused on baseball for wheelchair users. Wheelchair users need to wheel quickly around the bases. They asked which surface, dirt, grass or turf, allows a wheelchair to move fastest?

Jonah and Rose focused on Power Soccer, a sport designed for wheelchair users. In Power Soccer, the kickplate is what hits the ball, so they thought that designing the best shape for the plastic kickplate will result in more accuracy. They asked which shape of the plastic kickplate, circular or square, will kick the ball with the most accuracy?

Asher and Sammie focused on fishing for people with limb differences in the upper body. People with limb differences may not be able to cast and reel. There are designs to fix these problems, but nothing is available to remove the fish from the hook. They designed a hand that grips the fish and pulls. They asked which material for the tendon of the robotic hand, string or elastic, will produce a more forceful grip?

Dani and Margaux focused on dancers with vision impairments. Blind dancers won't know where to go on a dance floor and the instructor is not always able to help. They want to make a system of textured spots on the floor. They asked which material when put on the stage is felt by the dancer without making them stumble?

Eli and Yasha focused on basketball for wheelchair users. Speed is important to basketball, so wheelchairs need to be made as fast as possible. They thought a cover for the wheels would be a way to make wheels faster. They asked which wheel cover material, plastic or rubber, produces the least friction?

Georgia and Liora focused on art class for people with hearing impairments. A hearing impaired person might not hear the directions in art class. They wanted to create pictures instead of verbal directions. They asked which age student, middle school or kindergarten, is better able to identify which verbal instructions match the visual?

Ethan and Michael focused on Amputee Soccer, a form of soccer on crutches for people with limb differences in the upper body. Crutches allow people to play, but they wondered if the design could be improved. The base of the soccer crutch looks the same as walking crutches. They thought a different bottom would allow players to move quicker. They asked which base, flat bottom or cleat-like bottom, is able to move faster?

Max and Oren focused on visiting amusement parks are someone with limb differences in their upper body. Rollercoaster seats are designed to have a certain angle (120°, which is reclined 30° from upright) that balances between comfort and the feeling of being tossed over when the coaster moves. That is not safe for people with disabilities. They wanted to determine the angle that will be the safest for the riders who are unable to hold onto the lap bar. They asked what angle for the seat back, 135°, 120°, or 90° is safer for a rider so they stay safely in the coaster seat when it loops down?

Gabriel and Madeleine focused on wheelchair users on the playground. Wheelchairs cannot get onto the playground equipment without ramps. They asked at what angle, 4° or 8°, should a ramp be for a wheelchair to climb to reach a platform quickest?

Scroll down to see the full process

Science Content and Skills

The first Science unit of the year is all about forces and motion and simple machines. Throughout these lessons, students learn about experimental design, specifically learning about testable questions, variables, and predictions. Variables and data are also explicitly taught during math.

Accessibility and UNSDG #11

Through direct instruction, discussion, and speakers, students learn about UNSDG #11: accessibility and equity for all. This year, we had three speakers visit Rashi to speak about accessibility.

As a visually-impaired member of the greater Boston community, Avner Fink spoke about daily life and showed some of the devices that help him navigate the world. He answered questions about adaptive sports and activities for visually-impaired people.
Gary Alpert has visited Rashi for many years as part of the "Understanding our Differences" program. This fall he spoke to Grade 3 about his experience being hearing impaired. He was eager to answer the student questions about his life today, but also as a child with hearing impairments.
Joe Walsh is the founder of Adaptive Sports New England, a two-time Paralympian, and worked for the Paralympics. He spoke about his life, but also shared the work being done at his company to support local people with visual or mobility impairments.

Choosing a Topic, Client, Problem, and Potential Solution

Students created a long list of hobbies and interests and identified which ones are exciting to them. We used these forms to put students in pairs around a common hobby.

Next, students decided on a client. The choices included people with hearing impairments, people with visual impairments, wheelchair users, people are unsteady/imbalanced when walking, people with limb differences in their lower body, people with limb differences in the upper body, or people with hand dexterity difficulties.

Students looked at images of their hobby and the venue and thought about their experiences. Then, they thought about it again, but through the eyes of the client. This led them to identify problems the client would encounter, and potential solutions to the problem.

The Experiment

With teacher support, students turned a potential solution into a testable question about some aspect of the solution. Students identified variables, wrote predictions and reviewed procedures. Days were spent in the Kol-lab running experiements. For some groups, the experiments went as planned. Others had to iterate and pivot, but flexibility was not a problem for these scientists!

Data Analysis

With charts in hand, students got to work on the final stages: data analysis and future direction. They turned the tables into graphs and the graphs into recommendations for the client and venues.

The Event

Wait til you see how professional these posters are! Students used paper cutters and carefully worked through all the steps to create trifolds showcasing their hard work. They practiced and practiced to make sure they were ready to share their findings and answer any questions the audience may have. They spoke knowledgably and eloquently. Kol ha'kavod, Grade 3!

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