Facing the Frozen Tundra

Adventure: Facing the Frozen Tundra

Quest: Lights Out

Engineering Concept: Electrical Circuits

Challenge Level: Difficult

Lights-Out-websiteimage.png

What is the problem?

Flynn is in Canada on Baffin Island so her parents can help with a climate change study. They are so far north that the sun doesn’t come up during the winter months. Flynn needs to walk to the dock so she can go on a whale watching tour to see orca whales. She brought a flashlight to see but she slipped and fell, and now her flashlight is broken. She needs help making a new light source with the broken flashlight pieces so that she can find her way to the dock.

How will the students help?

In the first segment, Flynn will ask the participants to creatively solve the problem by planning out how they will use the household materials required to build a solution. Students are encouraged to build a prototype in this segment.

In the second segment, students will research electrical circuits to understand how they relate to the problem Flynn is facing. They will be asked to answer open-ended research questions using research links provided by Growin’GEERS and additional research they do on their own.

In the third segment, students will rebuild their initial design based on what they learned in the second segment. They will be asked to create a new plan for how they will use their materials. Once their solution is complete, there will be a Test for Success to see if their solution passes.

What will the participants learn?

  • Electrical circuits

  • Conductive paths, resistors, and power sources

  • How electrical engineers apply those concepts

  • What electrical engineers do

  • Canadian culture

  • Canadian wildlife

  • Why teamwork is important

  • Why it is okay to fail

What do I need to complete the quest?

  1. Access to a computer to watch the videos and research the concepts

  2. Ability to print the GEERling worksheets for students to plan their design and answer the research questions

  3. Household materials needed to complete the hands-on component

Want to get started?

Get access to every Growin’GEERS quest and let the engineering adventure begin!

Adventure: Facing the Frozen Tundra

Quest: Get Your Chill On

Engineering Concept: Heat Conduction and Insulation

Challenge Level: Easy

getyourchillon-websiteimage.png

What is the problem?

Flynn has made an ice sculpture, and she wants to participate in an ice sculpture contest in another town. To get there, she will have to tow her sculpture behind a bus because it is so large. She is worried that the sculpture will fall and break or that it will melt from the heat of the bus engine. She needs to build a transporter that will travel without tipping over and that will protect her sculpture from heat.

How will the students help?

In the first segment, Flynn will ask the participants to creatively solve the problem by planning out how they will use the household materials required to build a solution. Students are encouraged to build a prototype in this segment.

In the second segment, students will research heat conduction and insulation to understand how it relates to the problem Flynn is facing. They will be asked to answer open-ended research questions using research links provided by Growin’GEERS and additional research they do on their own.

In the third segment, students will rebuild their initial design based on what they learned in the second segment. They will be asked to create a new plan for how they will use their materials. Once their solution is complete, there will be a Test for Success to see if their solution passes.

What will the participants learn?

  • Conduction

  • Insulation

  • How material engineers apply those concepts

  • What material engineers do

  • Canadian sports

  • Canadian food

  • Why teamwork is important

  • Why it is okay to fail

What do I need to complete the quest?

  1. Access to a computer to watch the videos and research the concepts

  2. Ability to print the GEERling worksheets for students to plan their design and answer the research questions

  3. Household materials needed to complete the hands-on component

Want to get started?

Get access to every Growin’GEERS quest and let the engineering adventure begin!

Adventure: Facing the Frozen Tundra

Quest: Kick The Can

Engineering Concept: Chemical Reactions and Pollution

Challenge Level: Average

kickthecan-websiteimage.png

What is the problem?

Due to bad weather, an oil tanker sank in Baffin Bay near where Flynn is staying. She and her family are working together with a team of people to clean the barrels out of the bay. Once they’ve been removed from the bay, Flynn needs to find a way to clean the barrels so that they can be recycled. She needs help deciding which cleaning agent she should use for this.

How will the students help?

In the first segment, Flynn will ask the participants to creatively solve the problem by planning out how they will use the household materials required to build a solution. Students are encouraged to build a prototype in this segment.

In the second segment, students will research chemical reactions to understand how they relate to the problem Flynn is facing. They will be asked to answer open-ended research questions using research links provided by Growin’GEERS and additional research they do on their own.

In the third segment, students will rebuild their initial design based on what they learned in the second segment. They will be asked to create a new plan for how they will use their materials. Once their solution is complete, there will be a Test for Success to see if their solution passes.

What will the participants learn?

  • Chemical reactions

  • Pollution

  • How chemical engineers apply those concepts

  • What chemical engineers do

  • Canadian culture

  • Canadian history

  • Why teamwork is important

  • Why it is okay to fail

What do I need to complete the quest?

  1. Access to a computer to watch the videos and research the concepts

  2. Ability to print the GEERling worksheets for students to plan their design and answer the research questions

  3. Household materials needed to complete the hands-on component

Want to get started?

Get access to every Growin’GEERS quest and let the engineering adventure begin!