Moving with the Future: Creating an Agricultural STEM experience Ruth Coval, Jacob Fritz, Juman Fariz, Emily Kaercher, Christian Lozada Engineering Design 100, Section 008

Table of Contents Opportunity The Team Stakeholders Specifications Satisfying the Standards Goals Objective Tree Brainstorming Producing Results Final Product Conclusion Questions

The Opportunity at Hand To create a business that is agriculturally-based in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines through a virtual world to motivate and educate students

Systems Diagram

Who are the stakeholders in this business? Educational professionals Feedback received Parents and students No feedback received Future plans Computer programmers, software designers Dr. Colledge

Pennsylvania State Standards Standard: 3.1.6A2 Describe how energy derived from the sun is used by plants to produce sugars (photosynthesis) and is transferred within a food chain from producers (plants) to consumer to decomposers Standard: S8.B.3.1.2 Identify major biomes and describe abiotic and biotic components (e.g., abiotic: different soil types, air, water sunlight; biotic: soil microbes, decomposers).

Matching up the Standards with our Goals Affordable and marketable durable Safe open-minded learning environment with respect to the agricultural disciplines Engaging Modular Achieves the Pennsylvania educational standards put forth

Pairwise matrix

Weighted Objective Tree

Brainstorming Standard 3.1.6A2 Flower petals food coloring experiment Grow plants with varying factors Sunlight Soil Water Temperature Growing different plants in the various biomes

Brainstorming Standard: S8.B.3.1.2 Biomes Rotating pyramid of different biomes Different plants, watering game Highlight different aspects of each biome that the user would click on and a description would come up on the screen Zoom in on specific aspects of each biome to learn about each aspect in relation to survival Survival game- you personally surviving in each biome making decisions about what to eat, clothing, activities, and answering questions on the various factors of the biome

Concept Screening Matrix

Concept Scoring Matrix

Pairwise Comparison

Final Product 3-Level Virtual Experience Level One The user would enter the green house and be taken by the host to the plants The user would then be able to explore and experiment with 7 plants from the 7 different biomes Level Two Assessment of the information learned in Level One Failure to score a 4/5 on this quiz would result in having to go back to Level One Level Three Survival Game in a biome

Entering the Virtual World

Assessing Knowledge Level 2 Assessment What is the importance of photosynthesis for plants? What factors affected the growth of the plants in the green house? Name 5 out of the 7 main biomes of the world. What is the difference between abiotic and biotic factors in each biome?

“Playing the Game”

Conclusion In conclusion our business has designed and is working toward creating a method of educating students in the agricultural aspects of the STEM disciplines through a virtual experience that satisfies our objectives, goals, and the Pennsylvania state standards. This system not only teaches kids values of agriculture in the STEM discipline but in an engaging and enjoyable way through the three level process. Because our system is modular, our team will be looking toward making improvements and further developing the program.

Gantt Chart

Questions