Students Compete for Sun Powered Food Sales
As the Art teacher at St. Maximilian Kolbe School in West Chester, I often work in conjunction with other subject teachers. Mary Riccardo, the eighth grade science teacher and I discussed how to take our students to the next level and really engage them. We developed the idea of having the students design, build and later race Solar Powered Food Trucks. We mapped out the unit and expanded it to go beyond the traditional classroom structure. Our school encourages collaboration among teachers and cross curricular classes are common. This allows for numerous STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Art, Math) lessons. STREAM is a natural part of the art curriculum as art reflects and inspires the many cultures and inventions of this world. My students are used to problem solving with lessons focused on construction, design and purpose.
Our solar food truck project began in the Science lab with Ms. Mary Riccardo instructing the students on the science concepts behind solar energy. The students then had to connect the solar panel to a motor mounted on a wheeled axle and chart the movement when the sun (or artificial light) hits the panel. The focus in science class was for the students to understand how the solar panel converts the sun’s energy into electrical current to power the motors. This prototype engine and axle was what would eventually propel their food trucks.
In my art classroom, the students designed and constructed their food trucks, considering both the form and function. Before beginning construction, students needed to come up with a theme for their trucks including what type of food they will serve, how their truck would attract customers and of course a name for their new business. The design was important because not only did it reflected their food truck’s theme but also impacted their ability to win the solar powered drag race. The trucks needed to be functional, aerodynamic, and visually appealing.
Our solar food truck project began in the Science lab with Ms. Mary Riccardo instructing the students on the science concepts behind solar energy. The students then had to connect the solar panel to a motor mounted on a wheeled axle and chart the movement when the sun (or artificial light) hits the panel. The focus in science class was for the students to understand how the solar panel converts the sun’s energy into electrical current to power the motors. This prototype engine and axle was what would eventually propel their food trucks.
In my art classroom, the students designed and constructed their food trucks, considering both the form and function. Before beginning construction, students needed to come up with a theme for their trucks including what type of food they will serve, how their truck would attract customers and of course a name for their new business. The design was important because not only did it reflected their food truck’s theme but also impacted their ability to win the solar powered drag race. The trucks needed to be functional, aerodynamic, and visually appealing.
As they began construction, I provided many materials to help built the trucks including: Glue guns, cardboard, poster board, colored duct tape, paint and many other accessories. We meet once a week for art, so learning how to organize and plan was key for each team’s success. They quickly learned how important it was to keep their supplies together and to get right to work when they arrived to class. Throughout the design and construction process students were able to go outside and test their truck. One of the biggest factors was deciding the optimal placement and angle for mounting their solar panels on their trucks.
In addition to constructing their trucks, the students to incorporate their business strategy into their design by choosing a signature dish. After they chose their signature dish, the students had to list the ingredients and calculate the cost to make 100 servings. They then needed to determine a price that would yield a profit. As an example, if they had a cupcake truck, students could choose to buy four boxes of mix or Make the batter from scratch. All our students have school issued iPads, and most grocery stores, and recipes are online, so students were able to do much of this research in class while waiting for their paint, glue, etc… to dry; or while one member was building while the other team member focused on the business component.
In addition to constructing their trucks, the students to incorporate their business strategy into their design by choosing a signature dish. After they chose their signature dish, the students had to list the ingredients and calculate the cost to make 100 servings. They then needed to determine a price that would yield a profit. As an example, if they had a cupcake truck, students could choose to buy four boxes of mix or Make the batter from scratch. All our students have school issued iPads, and most grocery stores, and recipes are online, so students were able to do much of this research in class while waiting for their paint, glue, etc… to dry; or while one member was building while the other team member focused on the business component.
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St. Maximilian Kolbe’s school motto is “Serving God through serving others”. We felt this was the perfect opportunity to carry our trucks one step further and turn this into a service project. Our solar food truck project was a natural fit with Carson Wentz’s AO1 Foundation. This foundation has a food truck with a similar mission as our school. The AO1 Foundation’s food truck Thy Kingdom Crumb distributes free food to those in need. Our students were asked to get sponsors for their trucks to help support Carson’s charity. The trucks were on display at various school functions with sponsor sheets. The students worked the tables and signed up sponsors for their trucks.
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Finally, it was time for the big race! All of the teams assembled outside on a sunny day (which this year seemed particularly hard to find). The trucks were placed on the starting line and at the whistle, they were off. While not all made it to the finish, the race proved an exciting moment as each team cheered their trucks on the road to victory!
Since this was a project with many components, Mary and I felt that we should name an overall winner based on the race, the design of the truck, and the business plan. On March 5, the AO1 Foundation representatives came to our school. We showed the race on a big screen. There was so much energy and cheering. We announced the winners in the three subcategories and the overall winner. The AO1 Foundation representatives spoke about the good work of their foundation and we are proud to say we presented them with a $1000 check.
This project was an incredible demonstration of the power of interdisciplinary STREAM learning. It engaged the students and taught them that the worlds of business, science and art are not separate subject, but are totally connected. To be successful, student needed to build collaborative teams that addressed the multiple aspects of the Solar Food Truck challenge. We are fortunate at St. Maximilian Kolbe School to have the flexibility and support for these projects.
Pat Frantz
St. Maximilian Kolbe School
[email protected]
Since this was a project with many components, Mary and I felt that we should name an overall winner based on the race, the design of the truck, and the business plan. On March 5, the AO1 Foundation representatives came to our school. We showed the race on a big screen. There was so much energy and cheering. We announced the winners in the three subcategories and the overall winner. The AO1 Foundation representatives spoke about the good work of their foundation and we are proud to say we presented them with a $1000 check.
This project was an incredible demonstration of the power of interdisciplinary STREAM learning. It engaged the students and taught them that the worlds of business, science and art are not separate subject, but are totally connected. To be successful, student needed to build collaborative teams that addressed the multiple aspects of the Solar Food Truck challenge. We are fortunate at St. Maximilian Kolbe School to have the flexibility and support for these projects.
Pat Frantz
St. Maximilian Kolbe School
[email protected]
Ms. Frantz has been teaching at St. Max for 19 years. When she isn't teaching, she loves spending time with her family, traveling and painting.
AoPTech would like to thank Ms. Frantz for sharing her Solar Food Truck project with us.
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