Garrison Middle School Takes on the Army Corps of Engineers E-Week Challenge!
Garrison Middle School participated in the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Walla Walla District's E-Week competition.
Ms. Penrose’s 6th-grade engineering students and Mr. Bertram’s 7th and 8th-grade Computer Science students competed Friday, February 21, to launch their Mars Lander module from the upstairs, landing in the foyer in front of the main office.
This annual competition, held in honor of Engineering Week, challenged students to design and build innovative solutions to real-world problems. Students spent several days collaborating on the design and build of a Mars lander using balloons, paper plates, and straws to slow the “spacecraft” down enough to keep a ping pong ball from bouncing out of a tiny paper cup, simulating what NASA engineers developed for Mars landings.
Not only did students have fun testing their Mars landers, but they also applied their STEM knowledge practically and engagingly. A cadre of six professionals from the Walla Walla USACE office, including one uniformed Soldier, were on hand to help students explore potential career paths in engineering and related fields.
