Human Power Vehicle Program. Final report, June 15, 1993--June 14, 1995

摘要

The Human Power Vehicle Program was an intensive, five day a week, four week program designed to give middle school students the opportunity to ''be engineers''. During the month of July, Delta College, the Macro Michigan Multicultural Pre-Technical Education Partnership (M3PEP), and the United States Department of Energy sponsored a four-week learning experience in human-powered vehicles. This unique experience introduced students to the physiology of exercise, the mechanics of the bicycle, and the physics and mathematics of the bicycle. Students also participated in a three day bike tour. The Program used the Bike Lab facility at Delta College's International Centre in Saginaw, Michigan. Students had the opportunity to explore the development and refinement of the bicycle design and to investigate it's power machine-the human body. Interactive instruction was conducted in groups to assure that all students experienced the satisfaction of understanding the bicycle. The purpose of the Program was to increase minority students' awareness and appreciation of mathematics and science. The premise behind the Program was that engineers and scientists are made, not born. The Program was open to all minority youth, grades 8 and 9, and was limited to 25 students. Students were selected to participate based upon their interest, desire, maturity, and attitude.