Hands-On Classroom Demonstrations!!

We collaborate with current Elementary School Teachers to create unique hands-on demonstrations that get students in the classroom EXCITED about science and engineering - to eliminate that “FEAR” of science and engineering being hard!

Please contact us at mainenginestart1@gmail.com to support your class or afterschool program with in-classroom hands-on demonstrations!!

How to Make Electricity!! A hands-on demonstration that engages students as they really make electricity by moving magnets through coils of copper wire!!!

The similarities between Scientific Discovery and Engineering are woven into the demonstration and the importance of being willing to “fail fast” as part of any learning process is emphasized!!

Students learn first-hand how to make electricity and the important principle that “once you know “how”, then you are limited only by your imagination!”. Students see, and experiment with, new applications of the same principle - including a light-saber!

Career exploration is included to open students perspective to the exciting career possibilities in Science and Engineering.

All explanations are tailored to be appropriate for the level of the students and the demonstration can be easily customized to the classroom and curriculum needs!!

Sources of Electrical Energy!!

Electricity is made in different ways! This hands-on demonstration allows students to explore three different ways to make electricity - 1) Wind Power, 2) Solar, and 3) Chemical Batteries.

Wind power turns a propeller and the propeller rotates a small motor. Inside the motor the coils of copper wire turn inside a ring of magnets and generate electricity from electromagnetic induction! Students hold the mini-windmills in front of a fan and make electricity - seen by illuminating a blue LED. Students can add paper, cardboard, pieces of wood - even pencils to the windmill blades to improve the windmill performance! It is a blast for students!

Solar power results from light rays from the sun or certain lights impinging on the silicon crystals of a mini-solar panel. The light energy is converted into electrical energy by the photoelectric effect! Students can experiment with hand-held solar panels and see directly the impact on their ability to cause the LED to illuminate.

Chemical “Battery” power produces electricity from the chemical interaction between small copper and zinc plates! The chemical reaction starts when the two plates are pushed into a lemon, apple, or potato! Again, students experiment first-hand by adjusting the position of the plates to illuminate a LED!

The science explanations are tailored to be appropriate for the level of the students and the demonstration can be easily customized to the classroom and curriculum needs!!

NOTE: These experiments were developed in collaboration with a Elementary School Teacher!

3D Printing - Portable!!

MES is acquiring a portable 3D Printer to bring to classrooms to demonstrate 3D printing to students and to incorporate into hands-on student projects! The 3D Printer will be operational at the end of January 2023!

Fossil Discovery!!

Students discover, hands-on, real fossils that are embedded into clay “rocks”. Students open the clay and observe the fossil and work to understand its type, name, and age using a picture-table or looking it up on-line. The students keep the fossils as part of their discovery! The fossils are at least 65 million years old!