Stretching rubber bands as far as possible without breaking them;
pushing a metal piece inside a balloon; and watching liquid nitrogen freeze
elastic — it’s all STEM education.
Sixth- through eighth-graders at St. Thomas More Cathedral School
in Arlington attended a STEM presentation March 1 by Angela Leimkuhler Moran, a
materials engineering scientist who teaches at the U. S. Naval Academy in
Annapolis, Md.
Moran said STEM awareness has increased recently, and that
creates a need for people with specific skillsets. “We need a lot more
technologists and people to be tech-savvy particularly in the engineering
worlds,” she said.
Moran ran through several hands-on experiments with the students and teachers,
while emphasizing the need for more engineers.
The program was sponsored by USA Science & Engineering
Festival Expo, which will be held April 7-8 in Washington. St. Thomas More was
chosen as one of 50 schools in the nation to host a guest presenter in
anticipation of the festival.
Raylene Rozzi, a teacher at St. Thomas More, nominated the
school. Rozzi said she met Moran at the U.S. Naval Academy during a Sea Perch
competition attended by students in the STEM SeaPerch SubClub. The event
involved making underwater vehicles and navigating them through challenges.
“This event is a tie-in with our school being so science-focused,”
said Rozzi.
After demonstrating several experiments, Moran said they lend
themselves to real applications. “All of these things I’m showing you are simplistic
approaches to using materials concepts to make something,” she said. “We don’t
punch balloons. We don’t play with rods. Materials engineers do develop things
like the maglev train,” which uses magnets to levitate the train.
Bella Rozzi, a seventh-grader, who is excited about STEM studies,
had one favorite experiment. “I learned how elastic can be frozen in liquid
nitrogen and then come back (to its original form),” she said.
The students are encouraged to attend the science and engineering
festival with their families.
