STEM on lunch menu at Moore Middle School

A group of sixth-graders at Moore Middle School learned a lot about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) recently as they built a five-foot-tall contraption that allows plastic balls to travel four different paths through a series of levers, pulleys, wheels and axles.

They also learned about persistence. The students worked on the project in the library during their lunch period for three months.

“It was well worth the time,” said one of the students, Joshua Terry, who was joined by Jackson Rolfus, Hayden Smith, Tyler Hogg and Lexie Fields.

Moore Librarian Sara Meier supplied the students with the construction kit, which comes with photos and directions to create a “Big Ball Factory.” However, the students found through trial and error that modifications were necessary, particularly with the moving tracks.

“I had absolutely no part in it whatsoever from start to finish, except to remind them to pick up a few pieces. I just got to observe as they worked together,” Meier said. “I would say it’s what every educator dreams of seeing - a group of self-motivated individuals working together on a common goal, learning about motion and energy, and problem-solving on their own.”

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