IMS Students Win Best Portfolio Award at National Fluid Power Challenge
A team of four Independence Middle School eighth graders earned the Best Portfolio Award for the second consecutive year at the National Fluid Power Challenge, sponsored by Wojanis Hydraulic Supply Corporation.
Winning the award were Billy dePoutiloff, Amanda Hokaj, Macie McKitrick and Christian Smetana. The portfolio documented their research to build a hydraulic device, which would allow them to lift as many blocks as possible in two minutes, and to explain the science behind their work.
The competition began in April when students learned about hydraulics and fluid power by building a simple hydraulic lift. The students were given the assignment to design a prototype that would solve the problem of moving blocks from a lower position to a higher position, with points awarded for how high the device could lift objects as well as for the device being able to place the blocks exactly in the center of each level. Students then had to document their findings in a portfolio, which they brought to a competition in May at CCAC West, where they competed against teams from 25 other area schools. At the May competition, the students also had to reconstruct their device and compete against the other teams’ devices.
The students were prepared for this competition by Independence Middle School Science Teacher Michel Conklin.