Stress Relief Fun Kit to debut at FIRST Lego League competition at UA
Twinsburg fifth- to seventh-graders feeling the stresses of their busy schedules decided to come up with a fix. They developed a Stress Relief Fun Kit, which contains a “60-second guide on how to deal with stress," a can of Play-doh, a notebook and crayons, a Rubik's cube and a peppermint candy. The youngsters discovered the different kinds of stresses (mental, physical and emotional) and matched each with items to manage that stress in complementary ways.
Twinsburg students competing in FIRST Lego League tournament at UA on Saturday with their Stress Relief Fun Kit are, from left to right: Donald Mold, Bella Genovese, Aidan Turne and Rebecca Mold.
The young Twinsburg inventors, Donald Mold, Bella Genovese, Aidan Turne and Rebecca Mold, will present their Stress Relief Fun Kit on Saturday, Jan. 10, at the FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition at The University of Akron.
“Research has shown the importance of engaging students early, especially in middle school, in STEM-related activities,” says Donald P. Visco, associate dean in UA’s College of Engineering. “FLL provides an important outlet for students in this age range to explore design and the relevance of technology in a fun, hands-on way. This makes STEM career paths, such as engineering and technology, more attractive.”
'Future of learning'
In all, about 150 students from 22 teams throughout northeast Ohio will compete in Saturday’s event, which takes place at the UA Student Union, beginning at 11:45 a.m. A program for children ages 9 to 14, the FLL challenges participants to build LEGO-based robots that complete tasks on thematic playing surfaces. The youngsters also research and present innovative solutions to current, real-world issues. This year’s competition asks students to answer the question, “What is the future of learning?”
In response, a team of 10 Hudson 11- to 14-year-olds created a board game, “American History – Believe it or Not,” which they’ll present on Saturday.
The game challenges players to determine if statements, such as “Queen Elizabeth was a mechanic during WWII,” are true or false.
“These are usually interesting things that you would not normally learn about from a history textbook,” says team coach Meredith Coy.
Media contact: Denise Henry, 330-972-6477 or henryd@uakron.edu.