Oral Presentation Only

Providing Hands-on STEM Education with High Altitude Balloons in North Dakota

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Abstract

In an effort to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning, the NASA North Dakota Space Grant Consortium (NDSGC) provides an opportunity for all middle and high school students in the state of North Dakota to launch experiments into a near-space environment onboard a high altitude balloon. NDSGC organized our second annual Near-Space Balloon Competition (NSBC) for students in grades six through twelve. Last year, we had four teams involved in a successful balloon launch. This year, we had a total of seven teams awarded payload slots, but only flew three. We duplicated our existing tracking equipment to accommodate the second annual flight. Furthermore, we are promoting STEM education with a seventh-grade class from West Fargo: we are planning to launch eight student-designed payloads on two balloons, involving over eighty students. The author’s thesis work will explore the process of using high altitude balloons to teach STEM education with NSBC and the West Fargo launches. The students enjoy their ballooning experience and learn through an hands-on, inquiry-based style that will prepare them for real-world engineering and critical thinking jobs.

How to Cite:

Saad, M. E., Fevig, R. A., Seelan, S., Nolby, C. & Bieri, S., (2013) “Providing Hands-on STEM Education with High Altitude Balloons in North Dakota”, Academic High Altitude Conference 2013(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/ahac.5599