Skip to main content

Students Create Eco-Bots at 4-H Event in Davie

By Scott Fishman, Forum Publishing Group
November 2, 2012

What can you do with a battery, toothbrush, cellphone vibrator and some tape?
More than 100 students at the Broward County 4-H at the UF/IFAS Broward County Extension Office in Davie recently found out by using the materials to create mini eco-bots.
This was the fifth year the 4-H (Head, Heart, Hands, Health) celebrated National Youth Science Day with an experiment. During the Eco-Bot Challenge, children were robotics engineers for the day. The groups created their own eco-bots to simulate environmental cleanup using rice.

"It's nice to be able to reach out to them and have them get involved in it because it also pulls them into 4-H," said Erin Daniels, Broward 4-H secretary.

Among the volunteers was computer engineer George Hanna, who worked with the children on making the eco-bots operational.

"I like to be able to show kids about science, engineering, math and all these things using my background," he said. "One of the common issues was the robot would constantly tip over, so they have the chance to troubleshoot the issue and draw their own conclusion on how to fix that. It's a great activity."

Jordan Latson, sixth-grader at Silver Lakes Middle School in North Lauderdale, enjoyed the project.
"It was fun," he said. "I liked having to use the toothbrush and the other things … to make a working robot. I learned that there can be robots out there to help the environment."

Jordan Brown, a sixth-grader at Margate Middle School, worked with classmates Liam Fisher and Marco Cruzata.

"It was fun building a robot I haven't built before, especially with these types of parts," she said.
Cruzata said he was a little intimidated when he received instruction for the project, but he was happy with the results.

"I really thought it was going to be hard, but it was actually pretty simple and easy," he said.
According to its website, the 4-H program offers hands-on education and projects in such areas as marine ecology, photography, horticulture, food and nutrition, animals and computers.

For more information, call 954-357-5270 or visit http://www.broward.org/parks/extension and click on the 4-H link.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Florida 4-H and United Health Care Launch Partnership Promoting Healthy Living Through Fun, Creative Activities at North Florida Fair

Florida State 4-H representatives join UnitedHealthcare for a check presentation at the "Eat4-Health" partnership launch at the North Florida Fair. Florida 4-H received a $30,000 grant from UnitedHealthcare to promote healthy living. From L to R: Pete Vergott III, District Extension Director, University of Florida IFAS Extension; Heather Kent, 4-H Regional Specialized Agent; Marcus Boston Jr., Extension Agent, Leon County 4-H; Kelly Skidmore, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Florida; and UnitedHealthcare mascot Dr. Health E. Hound (Photo: Sam Holton/Holton Photography). Business Wire Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/12/3093682_p2/florida-4-h-and-unitedhealthcare.html#storylink=cpy Eat4-Health partnership includes 10 states, with 4-H youth as health ambassadors reaching other youth and families with messages to fight obesity United Health Care mascot Dr. Health E. Hound participates in 4-H Day at the North Florida Fair, leading hundred
3 comments
Read more

Exploration and Agriculture: Connecting the Next Generation with Science to Grow the Future

Last week, we entered a bold new era of exploration and discovery as NASA launched the Orion spacecraft, a major step testing the possibility of going to Mars. As NASA contemplates sending human missions to Mars, one question we must answer is: what will the astronauts eat and what foods will assist future missions? NASA and USDA are working together to develop plants that can grow, thrive, and produce in new environments – signaling opportunities for fresh, nutrition-rich food for astronauts on long duration space flights. In conjunction with the Orion launch, I toured the Kennedy Space Center’s Space Life Science Center with local 4-Hers. Together, we marveled at the research, technology, and biotechnology found in NASA’s labs. We saw dwarf plums that USDA and NASA developed together, designed to fit in small spaces and produce fruit continually – not seasonally. We saw plants growing without soil and plants growing with minimal water. We saw some of the science that NASA is u
Post a Comment
Read more

MARILYN NORMAN INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL 4-H HALL OF FAME

Contact:   Jeannette Rea Keywood, National 4-H Hall of Fame Chair, 609-827-0199, reakeywood@njaes.rutgers.edu                            MARILYN NORMAN INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL 4-H HALL OF FAME CHEVY CHASE, MD (October 11, 2019) – Dr. Marilyn Norman of Asbury, Iowa was inducted into the National 4-H Hall of Fame on October 11 for her lifetime achievements and contributions to 4-H. Honored by the University of Florida/IFAS Extension and the Florida 4-H Youth Development Program, Norman was one of 16 people inducted during the ceremony at the National 4-H Conference Center in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The National 4-H Hall of Fame honorees are nominated by their home states, National 4-H Council; the National Association of Extension 4-H Agents (NAE4-HA) ; or 4-H National Headquarters/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) based upon their exceptional leadership at the local, state, national and international
Post a Comment
Read more