PSU Graduate Research and Education in Advanced Transportation Technologies (GREATT)

Pennsylvania State University College of EngineeringAdvisor: Dr. Daniel Haworth

Authors: Francelys Medina, Ryan Harrier, Yvonne GlanvilleFunded By: The National Science Foundation

Web Based Interactions

FIELD TRIPSMiddle and high school students have the opportunity to visit Penn State facilities where hybrid electric vehicles (HEV’s) are designed, built, and tested. Students will also have the chance to see live low speed vehicle crash tests

Curriculum DevelopmentSuitable classroom topics are built into “units” that build upon one another to teach students about a broad base of STEM subjects, including •Transportation safety; Newton's laws, energy, dynamics, vehicle safety & crash testing•Transportation Technology; Hybrid vehicles, electric and fuel cell vehicles•Environmental issues; Vehicle Pollution, water and air pollution

Objectives:•Excite students interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through the use of Excite students interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through the use of advanced transportation applicationsadvanced transportation applications

• Provide teachers with new educational tools and update class curriculum by using transportation Provide teachers with new educational tools and update class curriculum by using transportation examples to teach traditional and contemporary topicsexamples to teach traditional and contemporary topics

•Initiate interaction between middle and high school students and STEM graduate fellows in order toInitiate interaction between middle and high school students and STEM graduate fellows in order toGive middle-high school students a concrete understanding of what scientists and engineers really Give middle-high school students a concrete understanding of what scientists and engineers really dodoStrengthen graduate students skills as K-12 educatorsStrengthen graduate students skills as K-12 educators

•Improve standardized test scores for K-12 students, by motivating them to learnImprove standardized test scores for K-12 students, by motivating them to learn

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIESPenn State graduate fellows visit K-12 classrooms to provide interesting presentations, exciting demonstrations, and hands-on manipulatives about topics such as:•Hybrid Electric Vehicles•Physics and Energy•Batteries, and Fuel cells

•Question of the weekEach week K-12 students log onto this site to answer scientific and technological questions based on the school’s science curriculum. PSU graduate fellows review student responses to the question of the week and provide grades to the teachers. Students are rewarded for correct answers

•HEVIGA Hybrid Electric Vehicle Internet Game (HEVIG) has been developed for middle and high school students. HEVIG provides the opportunity to design your very own hybrid vehicle and test it in a virtual race. The activities required within the game will build the student’s comprehension of science, math, and technology.

http://hevig.pti.psu.eduhttp://hevig.pti.psu.edu//

Summer Teacher WorkshopsAnnual summer workshops are open to all Pennsylvania K-12 STEM teachers. Workshops focus on educating teachers about advanced transportation technologies and how they can use these topics to communicate science and mathematics principles to students. Many workshop areas allow teachers to bring classroom kits and manipulatives home with them.

•Junior Solar sprint events and kits (NESEA)•Hybrid electric vehicle technologies (HEVIG)•Model airplane kits, and fuel cell kits

For more information:

http://http://www.vss.psu.edu/nsf/www.vss.psu.edu/nsf/