Academic Outings

By Manhattan Virtual Academy

Posted November 16, 2017

MVA loves to have Academic Outings! Already this year we learned about wheat and the milling process from the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center and experimented in STEM at the Kansas State University Engineering Complex. These outings provide MVA students and teachers the opportunity to meet face-to-face and learn from each other in a fun educational setting. The outside of class experience provides important moments in learning, and the shared social experience allows students hands-on experiences that deepen their understanding of the subject matter they are exploring. Look for other Academic Outings next semester!

Who knew - you can get splinters from a wheat stalk! Twenty MVA students, parents and staff members from across Kansas explored wheat, biochemistry, state of the art test plots, and wheat gene banks at the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center. Participants enjoyed personally prepared pan pizzas, cinnamon loaf, and freshly baked whole wheat bread all mixed and baked in the wheat commission test kitchen. Thank you Dr. Rachael Barr for your expertise.

 

Who knew - you can build something as a team without using words! Over forty MVA students, parents, and staff members gathered at the engineering plaza at K-State for a full day of engineering and STEM activities.  The KSU Engineering staff and students were ready to teach and lead a variety of fun and challenging tasks.

Students and staff worked together in small groups with assigned team roles and then created a boat out of Legos.  Not difficult?  The team member who viewed the prototype could not talk to the other team members or touch the Lego bricks.  Direction relied on questions and nonverbal communication.

Other activities included bridge building from toothpicks and Dots candy, straw airplanes tested for distance and accuracy by adjusting the trajectory, and catapults using foam blocks, spoons, and elastic bands.  Finally, students learned about and designed a parachute from string, disposable bag, newspaper, and pvc weight.  The highlight of this activity was to test the flight patterns in the atrium as teams aimed for the perfect landing.

The STEM activities, lunch, and break snacks were all made possible by Kansas State University College of Engineering and a BNSF Grant.  Thank you to Sujatha Prakash and her student team for hosting a day of hands-on problem-solving with real world applications that matter for all 21st century careers.

MVA students have the opportunity to spend a day on the K-State Campus two times each school year.  Plan to join us for the next event to be held Spring 2018!