Engineering students from Shawnee High School recently showcased
their drafting, design, engineering and technology skills when they
designed and constructed a custom, nine-hole miniature golf course in
the school’s courtyard. They showed their compassion for a fellow
student when they donated proceeds from the attraction to the classmate
in the midst of a health crisis.
“Throughout the year, 11th and
12th graders have learned about various science, technology, engineering
and mathematics (STEM) principles, which were put to the test through
this mini-golf course,” engineering teacher Stefani Kirk said.
Fellow
students, staff and neighboring elementary schools were invited to play
the course. Shawnee’s math and science clubs planned end-of-year
parties around it. The amusement was also open to the public for a
community family fun night.
“The small fee ($1) we collect from
those who play the course would have been used to reimburse students for
out-of-pocket expenses incurred for supplies used to build their
projects,” Kirk said. “But then a suggestion was made to donate the
funds to Karing for Katie instead.”
After a unanimous vote by the
students, all proceeds from the miniature golf course were earmarked for
Karing for Katie-Katie’s Journey, a fund that supports fellow student
Katie Kernan as she undergoes treatment for a brain tumor.
This is the second year Kirk has used a miniature golf course as a learning project.
“It
was an original idea inspired while playing mini-golf with my husband,”
Kirk said. “While doing research I found out about other teachers who
had also tried it.”
Kirk plans for the project all year,
mentioning it to parents at back-to-school night in September so they
can start collecting and saving particular recyclable materials
including wooden pallets, plywood, 2-foot by 4-foot electronic
components and motors. The students buy some of their own supplies but
may also request donations from local retailers.
Each golf hole is
constructed of timber and lined with carpet padding. “Floor Coverings
International in Southampton is a phenomenal sponsor,” Kirk said.
Students were allotted a 6-foot by 10-foot portion of carpet padding for
use in the project.
In addition, Photoshop skills are required to
create a flyer and a poster to publicize the mini-golf course to
students and the community. Students use a laser-engraver to create a
marker that identifies each hole by number. All of these skills are
considered during the grading process.
“They work on constructing
the final project for about three or four weeks in class and at home,”
Kirk said. “There are daily checkpoints that have to be met so I can be
certain the project is on schedule. They had to present rough sketches
and then final drawings done to scale on a computer.”
Because of
all the planning and long lead time for collecting raw materials, the
holes can be pretty dynamic, with moving parts like a windmill or
multi-level holes that include a water component. The construction phase
also had deadlines.
“Everyone has a cell phone that can take
photos, so they would show me photos of supplies and preliminary work,
what they had completed at home on their own,” Kirk said.
“There
can be tons of changes that take place during the final weeks of the
project, when improvisations and changes take place during the build
phase,” Kirk said. “Every change has to be made on paper as well. The
drawings must correspond to what is built.” Click on their website careel-tech for more information.
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