This will be my 15th year in education and 5th year on the STEM campus.  I teach five periods of STEM, manage Library activities, create cross curriculum/ project based lessons with all subjects, and run the Makerspace program.   Our kids are incredible and have been using drones, robotics, circuits, 3D printers, coding, engineer pieces, VR, CG, and many other forms of techs with these programs.   

In regards to my presentation, I have been using ROADS (Rover Observation And Drone Survey) with my STEM teams since 2020 and incorporating pieces of the curriculum into core subject PBLs since 2021. This is a program run through NEESP and funded through NASA Science Mission Directorate.  The ROADS program (Rover Observation And Drone Survey) is a framework that lets students explore STEM concepts through hands-on activities. ROADS takes inspiration from real NASA projects and guides students on a space-related mission. Each year ROADS is updated to tackle different science and engineering problems and to visit different solar system bodies. For 2022–2023 we’re going back to the Moon!

To complete these challenges students use math, science, english, and social studies concepts.  They use various levels of math to create maps (8ftX5ft) using coordinates and topography, use math to determine landing zones for drones and no go zones for robots.   They research, run, and report on science experiments, then follow up with complete 3D models to demonstrate findings.  They are using simulations and research to develop course to test rovers.  They work as a team and use critical thinking skills and the engineering design process to solve problems.  They then create websites to demonstrate their mastery of each mission.   We have taken many elements of the challenges and the accompanying curriculum and applied it to classroom activities.