Kyle Bartels

Bartels’ innovative new program, “Summer Fun Made from Plastic,” aims to educate fifth- and sixth-grade students at the Woodbine Community School about density, mass and movement using technology and recycled materials. Students will work in groups of three to design and construct boats out of recycled materials. They will have to use critical thinking skills and a trial and error approach to construct a boat that can hold at least three passengers. The project will also introduce students to the Apple iPad technology and the Promethean Board, a device that allows students to see what their designs look like in 3-D. Additionally, they will get to use trial and error simulations using Active Studio software to see how their boats will fair in the water. Bartels, who lives in Woodbine, hopes students will also grasp a better understanding of how recycled materials can be re-used in a variety of ways.