Dr. Divya Choudhary, Assistant Professor of Electrical & Computer Engineering assists 7th Grader Amber Sanders and 6th Grader Kennedy Stricklen (with hood) both from Havenview, MS (38116) during the Christian Brothers University KickStick Workshop specifically designed to teach middle school students the basics of electric circuits through KickSticks.
Christian Brothers University (CBU) School of Engineering hosted 38 middle school students from around Memphis and challenged them to learn the basics of electric circuits through KickStick during its workshop on Tuesday, October 23.
This workshop, specifically designed for these students, provides an opportunity for them built their own KickStick, a battery-powered spinning arm used to “kick” a Ping-Pong ball across the floor. After brainstorming, the students used a bag of parts, wire, wooden rulers, and duct tape to create the KickStick. They also transformed a corrugated cardboard box into a target with buzzer that sounded when struck by the ball.
During the process, students were introduced to basic electrical engineering concepts such as current paths through a circuit, series circuits, open and closed circuits and the role of switches in making or breaking circuit paths. Students were evaluated on the basis of their ability to identify problems and brainstorm solutions, work as a team member, process the science and engineering concepts, and use the design process to build a tool.
The workshop is part of an ongoing effort by the CBU School of Engineering to introduce middle and high school students to the engineering field and encourage them to pursue the math and science courses that are essential preparation for engineering school. For additional information on CBU Engineering Pre-College Programs, please email engineering@cbu.edu or call (901) 321-3405.
