During NJ STEM Month at Oakwood Ave. Community School students in grades 6&7 launched a project called “Hurricane Defender.” The project followed an earthquake simulator challenge in which students built houses out of spaghetti and marshmallows and tested their strength on a shake table. During hurricane defender, students researched the cause of hurricanes and used available data to predict hurricanes in 2024. In teams of 3, they created a budget of materials and constructed a house that could withstand powerful winds and rain. They used a snowblower and spray bottle to test the strength of their designs. Students in grades 4-5 participated in a variety of activities including measuring the circumference and diameter of circles on Pi day and celebrating with buttons and temporary Pi tattoos, watching the Total Solar Eclipse and observing its affect on local wildlife, and planting flowers in the community garden.
