JEROMESVILLE — Screams, laughter and the sound of leaf blowers filled the hallway at Hillsdale Local Schools when fifth grade students rode down the hallway on a homemade hovercraft.
Cameron McCoy and Gannon Madsen, two eighth graders at Hillsdale, made the hovercraft in their STEAM class, supervised by teacher Dave Baker.
The fifth graders got to test the hovercraft Tuesday during a hands-on introduction to their newest STEAM class unit on air pressure.
What are other Hillsdale students working on in STEAM?
- Fourth graders have worked on building skyrides using K’nex building systems.
- Sixth graders just began studying electricity.
- Seventh and eighth grade students recently finished a construction unit, also using K’nex building systems.
- High schoolers have been working on their 3-D printing skills.
“Anything to make learning exciting, fun and real is important,” Baker said.
McCoy and Madsen said the hovercraft took them about a month to make. They first built a prototype about a quarter of the size of the final product to test their design.
Once they knew it would work, they used saws and power tools to sand the hovercraft and prepare it for human use.
“You have fun while you’re doing it,” McCoy said.
The project was made possible thanks to a $3,000 grant the school received from Donors Choose, Baker said.
The cost of the leaf blowers and other building supplies cost around $2,000.
Baker noted he’s received several grants since the STEAM program started again at Hillsdale. Grants have also helped make it possible for students to work with drones.
In addition, the STEAM program received a Rural Technology Fund grant, which Ashland University professors Amy Crawford and Erik Kormos helped write. That grant funded LEGO SPIKE education robots.
“Providing access to these kinds of interactive learning opportunities is crucial for students, as it allows them to engage with technology in a meaningful way and see its real-world applications,” Crawford said.
“Through projects like the LEGO SPIKE education robots and the leaf blower hoverboard, students not only develop technical skills but also learn creativity, teamwork, and perseverance.”
related reading on steam in hillsdale schools
For Madsen and McCoy, the process of building the leaf blower hovercraft was about more than air pressure. It offered a hands-on learning experience and taught them teamwork.
That’s exactly what Baker hopes to bring out of students in his STEAM classes. He encourages them to collaborate and borrow ideas from each other.
