June 2018: Energy Harvesting

Submissions Accepted Beginning Friday, June 1, 2018

Submission Deadline: Saturday, June 30, 2018

CALLING ALL RISING 7^TH THROUGH 12^th GRADE STUDENTS!

Harvesting renewable energy is an emerging field with many potential future career opportunities. ORISE wants students to get a small introduction to this field by design an instrument or device that harvests ambient energy and transforms it into usable energy! Use the engineering design process to guide your creation beginning with identifying a problem and ending with a novel instrument that harvests and transforms energy!   FIFTEEN prizes will be awarded—seven for the 7-9^th grade category, seven for the 10 – 12^th grade category, and one judge’s choice award!

Prize for Judge’s Choice: Solar Robot

Examples of existing devices/instruments that harvest energy:

• Wind turbine
• Thermoelectric generator
• Atmos Pendulum Clock
• Aditya solar ferry

Details:

• You must be 10 years old or older and a rising 7^th – 12^th grader to enter.
• A project includes a presentation of your choice (animation, video, powerpoint, etc.) that explains the engineering design process of your device AND explains how the energy is harvested and converted to usable energy.
• You do not have to build the device as long as you thoroughly explain how you would build it. If you need information on the Engineering Design Process, you can get it at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps#theengineeringdesignprocess.
• Do not include your last name on your presentation- just first name and state. You can put your personal information on the submission form, but for your privacy when we upload, we will need your presentation without personal identification.
• Projects must be submitted on the following form: https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/Energy.aspx
• Projects will be sorted based on grade level. Students in grades 7 through 9 will be placed in one category and projects of students in grades 10 through 12 will be placed in category two.
• Projects will be graded based on a rubric, and winners will be determined based on the scores.
• The judge’s choice winner will be chosen from those who did not win the Grand prize or Runner Up prizes.
• Winners will be announced mid-July.

How to Enter:

• To enter the contest, complete the form at https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/Energy.aspx and attach your file. Make sure you include your parent or guardian’s contact information so we can get their permission to post your file on our website. The contest opens on Monday, February 5, 2018. The deadline to submit is 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday, February 26, 2018.

Still unsure about what we are asking? Here are some steps to help you complete the competition:

1. Review the engineering design process: Refer back to this website when you get stuck: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps#theengineeringdesignprocess.
2. Define the Problem: Identify a problem in your life or in the world that an energy harvesting instrument could help solve. Write down what the problem is, who the problem affects, and why you want this problem solved.
3. Do Background Research: Research what has already been done about the problem. Then, put what you have found into your own words. Use this research to help you make a better decision about how you will design your energy harvesting device. For example, have any wind turbines already been made to solve the problem? If so, how can you improve that wind turbine? Make sure you cite your sources.
4. Specify Requirements: Think about the specific characteristics of the energy harvesting instrument you want to build. For example: ask yourself what you want your wind turbine look like. Why? What materials do you want your wind turbine to be made of? Why? How much do you think it will cost to build your wind turbine? How will you get the money to build the wind turbine?
5. Brainstorm, Evaluate, and Choose Solution: Look at the requirements you wrote down in Step 4 and narrow down the best characteristics.
6. Develop and Prototype Solution: Design and build the energy harvesting prototype based on your research. Note: you are not required to build the instrument. Instead, you can draw pictures, make an animated prototype on a computer, or describe the prototype in words.
7. Test Solution: In this step, explain what problems you think you will run into. Explain what you think will go well. Ask others if they think your energy harvesting instrument will solve your problem.
8. Communicate your results: This means take Steps 2-7 and put that information into a presentation. This presentation can be in the form of a video, an animation, a PowerPoint, a short movie, a picture slideshow, etc. In the results, you must thoroughly describe the process in which the instrument harvests energy and transforms it to usable energy.
9. Enter the competition: Complete the form and submit your presentation at: https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/Energy.aspx

If you have any questions, please contact:

Shannon Mann

Education Intern

 (865) 574-9532

Shannon.Mann@orau.org

Coming Soon: July 2018 Machine Madness!

Submissions Accepted Beginning Monday, July 2, 2018

Deadline: Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Rising Kindergarten through 6^th grade students!

Do you think you can design a machine? We want to know how you would design a machine that solves a problem important to you! Tell us your important problem and explain the engineering design process of creating your machine, and you could win a prize! TEN prizes will be awarded to students—five for the k-3^rd grade category and five for the 4 – 6^th grade category.

Prizes for the top five K – 3 grade winners:  Code-and-Go Mouse

Prizes for the top five 4^th-6^th grade winners: Sphero

Examples of existing machines:

• Electric Motor
• Scissors
• Wheelbarrow
• Lawn mower
• Typewriter

Details:

• You must be 5 years or older and a rising Kindergarten through 6^th grader to enter.
• You must have parental permission to participate.
• A project includes a presentation of your choice (animation, video, powerpoint, etc…) that explains the engineering design process involved in the creation of your machine.
• The machine can be of any type as long as it solves your identified problem. For example, the machine can be a simple machine, complex machine, powered machine, etc.
• You do not have to build the machine as long as you explain how you would build it. If you need information on the Engineering Design Process, you can get it at: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps#theengineeringdesignprocess.
• Do not include your last name on your presentation- just first name and state. You can put your personal information on the submission form, but for your privacy when we upload, we will need your presentation without personal identification.
• Projects must be submitted on the following form: https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/MachineMadness.aspx
• Projects will be sorted based on grade level. Students in grades K through 3 will be placed in one category and projects of students in grades 4 through 6 will be placed in category two.
• Projects will be graded based on a rubric.
• Winners will be announced mid-August.

How to Enter:

• To enter the contest, ask your parent for help in completing the form at https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/MachineMadness.aspx and attach your file. Make sure you include your parent or guardian’s contact information so we can get their permission to post your file on our website. The contest opens on Monday, July 2, 2018. The deadline to submit is 8:00 p.m. EST on Tuesday, July 31, 2018.

Still unsure about what we are asking? Here are some steps to help you complete the competition:

1. Review the engineering design process: Refer back to this website when you get stuck: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/engineering-design-process/engineering-design-process-steps#theengineeringdesignprocess.
2. Define the Problem: Identify a problem in your life or in the world that a machine could help solve. Write down what the problem is, who the problem affects, and why you want this problem solved.
3. Do Background Research: Research what has already been done about the problem. Then, put what you have found into your own words. Use this research to help you make a better decision about how you will design your machine. For example, have any machines already been made to solve the problem? If so, how can you improve that machine? Make sure you cite your sources.
4. Specify Requirements: Think about the specific characteristics of the machine you want to build. Ask yourself: What do you want your machine look like? Why? Will your machine move? How? What materials do you want your machine to be made of? Why? How much do you think it will cost to build your machine? How will you get the money to build the machine?
5. Brainstorm, Evaluate, and Choose Solution: Look at the requirements you wrote down in Step 4 and narrow down the best machine characteristics.
6. Develop and Prototype Solution: Design and build the machine prototype based on your research. Note: you are not required to build the machine. Instead, you can draw pictures, make an animated machine on a computer, or describe the machine prototype in words.
7. Test Solution: In this step, explain what problems you think you will run into. Explain what you think will go well. Ask others if they think your machine will solve your problem.
8. Communicate your results: This means take Steps 2-7 and put that information into a presentation. This presentation can be in the form of a video, an animation, a PowerPoint, a short movie, a picture slideshow, etc. Be creative and try a presentation method you’ve never done before! We love to see your most impressive technology skills displayed in your presentation!
9. Enter the competition: Complete the form and submit your presentation at: https://orausurvey.orau.org/n/MachineMadness.aspx

If you have any questions, please contact:

Shannon Mann

Education Intern

 (865) 574-9532

Shannon.Mann@orau.org