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STEM
Teaching Today Minnesota | Fall 2026 Page 17

Spudnik Students Engineer Confidence for a 1st Grader

helping Amarah: one focused on the 3D design One student working on the project
of the box, two worked on integrating the shared that this experience has been mean-
LED hand display and one handled program- ingful for him because it is helping a younger
ming. They shared that the device is set up so student succeed. “Everyone should be able to
Amarah can tap a button with her head to raise participate in class and helping to make that
the LED hand, then tap again to lower it. possible feels rewarding”.
A major part of robotics is adapting and The project to help Amarah also shows
problem-solving to make things work even other students that robotics can make a real
better. The students completed their first difference and help people in tangible ways.
version of the device and identified improve- Typically, Spudnik works on one large project
ments they would like to make for the final throughout the year. They have to wait to see
product. Their adjustments include rounding the results until the competition in the spring.
the corners, incorporating a sound to indicate It has been exciting for the team to see imme-
when the hand is raised and changing the color diate results and watch their efforts come to
of the hand to Amarah’s chosen color, blue. life.
Coach Craig notes that this project feels Based on how this project delivers the
different from the team’s usual robotics work. intended outcomes for Amarah, it could serve
Moorhead Area Public Schools team to see if they could help. “It’s robotics, and when we’re working on the as something of a pilot for Spudnik to engineer
Ellen Hopkins Elementary student, The robotics students used LED lights robot it feels removed from real life. But the one or two products each month for students
Amarah Ramirez, experiences limited mobil- in their competition robot, and they applied skills that the students practice applying in and peers in need across MAPS. Coming
ity in her arms, making it difficult for her that experience to design a custom device robotics are useful for everyday things too. together to help others and using a shared
to raise her hand in class. During the last for Amarah. Robotics coach Matthew Craig If you ask kids why they do robotics, many passion to create something meaningful is
school year, Renee Wolf, a special educator met with Renee to discuss her vision for the will say that it’s because of the other people what MAPS is all about.
at Hopkins, was hoping to find a way to help project, and the team quickly began brain- involved in robotics. And this is sort of an
Amarah do just that—so she reached out to storming. extension of that. It’s doing a robotics thing www.isd152.org
Moorhead High School’s Spudnik Robotics Four students took on the challenge of because it is for another person.”

High School Forensic Scientists Engage in Hands-On Evidence Collection

materials left behind.
The scenes contained
a variety of evidence
types, including a
sock, liquid samples,
carpet fibers, plastic
fragments, dirt, and
even strands of hair
on the upholstery.
This lab assign-
ment wasn’t just
about spotting and
collecting clues, it
was about doing it
the right way. Stu-
dents practiced
professional pro-
tocols used by real
forensic investiga-
tors. Each piece of
South St. Paul Public Schools pioneer of forensic science whose exchange evidence had to be beyond simple observation and helped them
carefully sealed in a bag, properly labeled,
At South St. Paul High School, learn- principle remains foundational to modern and documented. They completed a chain of learn that even small mistakes can affect
ing doesn’t stay confined to a textbook it investigations. His theory, that every contact custody log for every item and secured it to an investigation’s outcome. Through this
comes to life in the hallways, classrooms, leaves a trace, guided the lab assignment. the bag, reinforcing the importance of main- immersive experience, students not only
and even carefully staged “crime scenes” According to this principle, anyone who taining integrity from collection to analysis. learned the concepts but applied them in
scattered throughout the building. In the enters a crime scene will both bring some- After the collection phase, the class practice, engaging their curiosity, educating
forensic science class, students recently thing in and leave something behind. That shifted from investigators to analysts. Stu- them on proper procedures, and empower-
stepped into the role of investigators, apply- subtle exchange called trace evidence can dents reflected on their process, asking ing them to think like professionals in the
ing their knowledge in a hands-on lab become the key to solving a case. critical questions: Could anything have field.
designed to engage their curiosity, educate With that concept in mind, students set compromised the evidence? Were there
them in real-world practices, and empower out to examine multiple mock crime scenes tools that might have reduced contamina- www.sspps.org
them with critical thinking skills. around the school. Their task was to deter- tion? Why is it essential for the same person
Before entering the lab, students mine whether a transfer of evidence had to seal, log, and sign the evidence?
explored the work of Dr. Edmond Locard, a occurred and to carefully collect any trace These discussions pushed students