The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
MISSIONS ACCOMPLISHED
Eighth-graders from STEM class compete in Middle School’s first Drone Skills Competition
About 30 Perry Middle School students kicked off the weekend by devoting their attention to drones.
Those eighth-graders participated in the school’s firstever Drone Skills Competition, which was held Oct. 24 in the Perry Athletic Center Field House on the school district’s campus in Perry Village.
All of the students who participated are enrolled in the eighth-grade Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics class taught by Blanche Davidson. For the competition, these scholars formed eight teams of three or four members each and exhibited their expertise in four challenges involving drones.
“Last year, I asked seventhgrade students what they were interested in, and drones rated pretty high.” — Blanche Davidson, teacher
“This is an authentic opportunity for the students to show their knowledge and skill,” Davidson said.
The four missions in which each team sought to achieve drone domination focused on:
• Payload
• Search and Rescue • Photo reconnaissance • Speed, to be demonstrated through an obstacle course. Competition in the eight-team field took place by creating four, two-team matchups. Those rival squads squared off against each other at four different mission testing sites that were set up in the field house. A 20-minute time limit was set for completing each mission.
All teams were briefed ahead of time on the objective of each mission; guidelines for setting up and carrying out these challenges; how a winner would be chosen; and the number of points to be awarded for victory. Each team member also got the chance to serve as a drone pilot for one event.
“So strategy is needed to optimize pilot skill for each mission,” Davidson said.
Pilots needed to display plenty of drone-flying finesse to complete the speed mission on the obstacle course.
The course required students to fly their drones:
• Around a line of poles attached vertically to tomato cages
• Through a series of three Hula Hoops taped to makeshift legs on top of portable table
• Over and under three hurdles used for track meets
• Through a nylon tunnel that was only about 3 feet in diameter
And to conclude a flight, each competitor had to land his or her drone onto the bottom of a bucket that had been turned upside down.
Perry Middle School eighth-grader Chris Bezzeg, who competed as a member of the Black Hawk team, said he believes that studying about drones and competing in the skills event will help him gain a job opportunity later in life.
“Because now that the world’s evolving, drones will become more and more useful,” Chris said.
Davidson said this academic year marks the first time in her career that she’s taught students about drones.
“STEM is an exploratory class, so students choose to take this class,” she said. “It is important to offer learning opportunities that do interest the students. Last year, I asked seventh-grade students what they were interested in, and drones rated pretty high. I was also interested in learning more about drones, so this was a winwin. I feel blessed to learn alongside my students.”
Davidson thanked Scott Howarth, tech associate at the Perry Public Library, for his help in planning and carrying out the inaugural Drone Skills Competition.
Howarth said it was “a lot of fun and very exciting” to work with Davidson and the students who participated in the event.
“This (Oct. 24 competition) actually stems from a drone class I taught at the library over the summer. Which was similar to this, but not quite as in-depth,” Howarth said. ‘I had a thought to do some sort of ‘drone olympics,’ that sort of thing, so this is kind of what, between her and I, came to pass.”
Davidson said another hands-on activity that she has planned for the eighthgrade STEM students this semester is to build their own drones.
“We are looking forward to that next component of this unit,” she said.