9

Above

Check out Jennifer’s blog

(kto6science.blogspot.com)

for other interesting STEM-

based projects for

middle schoolers

Jennifer

Kim-Rankin

Project Maker

Project Link

hsmag.cc/aMMMaG

mechanical engineer who volunteers as
a science teacher for middle schoolers,
Jennifer Kim-Rankin has been teaching
STEM with easy-to-build mechanical
and civil engineering projects. She
came across the robotic hand project on YouTube, and
tinkered with it until she had something she could
take into the classroom. She starts by asking her
students to trace their hand on a piece of cardboard

that they then cut out, and mark the finger joints by
drawing lines. The students then fold the fingers at
the lines and tape small cut straws to the hand. They
then thread a piece of string through the straw pieces
so that each finger has one. Finally, all five pieces of
strings are threaded through the bigger straw taped
at the elbow. When tugged, the strings will flex the
fingers of the robotic hand.
Jennifer initially tinkered with this project for the
K to second grade classrooms, but soon discovered
that even the sixth graders really enjoy this project:
“This simple project has been the favourite of many
elementary school children, and it’s amazing how
much you can teach with this project. We’ve learned
names of muscles and bones, as well as discussed
how we would fix elbow, shoulders, etc.”

A

STRAW

PROSTHETICS

Improviser’s Toolbox: drinking straws

FEATURE

“ This simple project has

been the favourite of

many elementary school

children, and it’s amazing

how much you can teach

with this project “