5-E CLASSROOM STEM ACTIVITY: THE AMAZING JOURNEY OF SOLAR IMPULSEDr. Candace Walkington, Assistant Professor of Mathematics EducationSouthern Methodist University

16 EARLY FALL 2015 // STEMJOBS.COM

FEATURE // AROUND THE WORLD BY STEM

AN INTERVIEW WITH A MISSION ENGINEER AT SOLAR IMPULSE

SOLAR IMPULSE 2 FLYING OVER NAGANO MOUNTAIN REGION© SOLAR IMPULSE | ANDRÉ BORSCHBERG

WORLD

STEMJOBS.COM // EARLY FALL 2015 17

If you haven’t heard of Solar Impulse by now, you’ve probably been living under a rock … or more specifically, under a rock without a smartphone. The Sweden-based aviation innovation company aims to achieve the first round-the-world solar flight. Despite some technical setbacks, the team plans to launch their landmark flight in 2016.

Solar Impulse wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of the many engineers, scientists and numerous STEMgineers who support the organization. We sat down with Laila Fathi, a mission engineer at Solar Impulse, to learn more about the amazing things they are accomplishing and how she piloted her own STEM career.

AN INTERVIEW WITH A MISSION ENGINEER AT SOLAR IMPULSE.

BY PAT SYLVES

AROUND

WORLD

STEM

18 EARLY FALL 2015 // STEMJOBS.COM

SOLAR IMPULSE

STEM JOBS: Laila, how did you start your career at Solar Impulse?LAILA FATHI: I began by studying meteorology at the University of Vienna. After two years of studying, I heard of the possibility to study aeronautical engineering in another city in Austria. I applied and was accepted into the program in 2009. During my studies in Austria I visited the Paris Air Show in 2011, where Solar Impulse was one of the exhibitors. There I met two of the mission engineers working for Solar Impulse and immediately applied as an intern for the following year. I got the opportunity to join Solar Impulse in 2012 as an intern for the Morocco mission. After finishing my studies in 2014, I once again joined the team of Solar Impulse as a mission engineer for the round-the-world solar flight.

SJ: What kind of career opportunities are provided at Solar Impulse? LF: There are different teams working for Solar Impulse. A technical team,

located in Switzerland, focuses on building our solar powered aircraft. They include mechanical, electrical and structural engineers, as well as aerodynamic specialists. Mission Control is based out of Monaco, where mission engineers, meteorologists, mathematicians and a controller focus on mission planning and execution. In regards to the flight, we have two pilots, a logistics team, press team, media team and a ground crew operations team working hand in hand.

SJ: What do you love about working with Solar Impulse? Any great memories that stick out in particular?LF: I really appreciate the spirit and the work environment of the Solar Impulse team. I like their vision of making the world a better place to live without exploiting their resources. I also really love airplanes: the aviation industry is creative, innovative and full of passion. At Solar Impulse I got the chance to combine my two passions: aviation and meteorology. Weather is paramount

to flying Solar Impulse and I have the chance to learn a lot from our experienced team of meteorologists. Our Pacific flight, especially the moment when the pilot and the team decided to continue the flight from Japan to Hawaii (a 118-hour flight), was a great memory.

SJ: What advice would you give to young women looking to pursue a similar career path?LF: It is important not to give yourself a border. If a girl is interested in the aviation industry, even if it’s a male dominated career field, she should try and focus on her dream. Even if it gets hard, everything is possible. If you’re interested in aeronautical engineering, start flying by yourself, no matter if that includes paragliding, gliding, flying model airplanes or even piloting small aircraft. This will give you a better understanding of engineering, motivate you in your studies and give you the chance to meet experienced people who are working, or used to work, in aeronautical engineering.

NAME: LAILA FATHI TITLE: MISSION ENGINEER EMPLOYER: SOLAR IMPULSE MAJOR: AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

5-E CLASSROOM STEM ACTIVITY: THE AMAZING JOURNEY OF SOLAR IMPULSEHere are some ideas for how middle school teachers could use this story as a launching point for integrated STEM learning. Our activities follow the 5-E Learning Cycle Model.

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2

3

4

1

Ask students: Do you think a plane could be powered without using any fuel? What alternative forms of energy could a plane use? How fast do you think such a plane could go, and how would it need to be designed? What would it be made out of?

Ask the students to imagine a plane powered entirely by the sun – a star almost 93 million miles away. Does this seem like it would be possible? What would be some of the challenges that would need to be overcome? What would be some of the constraints of this type of plane compared to the planes we are used to flying?

Have students watch the video about the Solar Impulse program that can be found at http://edu.stemjobs.com/teacher-resources.

Have students read the STEMJobs article about an interview with one of the mission engineers involved with the Solar Impulse. Ask the students: What are the different types of team members and expertise that would be needed to plan an undertaking like the Solar Impulse flight? What concepts from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics do you think these team members would need to know about?

Divide students into groups of 4 and have each group member choose one aspect of the Solar Impulse mission they want to specialize in. The choices are:

a. Navigation Specialist – This person is responsible for researching the route the Solar Impulse is taking around the world. They must create a table that shows the distance covered by each leg of the journey, how much time the Solar Impulse took or should take to complete that leg (using historical data on average speed if necessary), and its speed for that leg. They should estimate the Solar Impulse’s average speed, total distance, and total time for the whole trip. Recommended resourcescan be found at http://edu.stemjobs.com/teacher-resources.

b. Flight Specialist – This person is responsible for researching the relationship between lift, drag, and weight as an object glides, as well as the force of thrust, and how this relates to Newton’s First Law. Their goal is to build a diagram of the forces acting on the Solar Impulse. Recommended resourcescan be found at http://edu.stemjobs.com/teacher-resources.

Part 1: Engage

Part 2: Explore

1 STEMjobs.com The Amazing Journey of Solar Impulse

NOTES

Part 3: Explain

Part 4: Elaborate

2 STEMjobs.com The Amazing Journey of Solar Impulse

c. Aeronautical Designer – This person is responsible for researching how the Solar Impulse was designed, and for drawing a simple scale model of the plane. They should be able to explain why certain design decisions regarding wingspan and materials were made. One way they could demonstrate these tradeoffs is by working with the flight specialist to construct several paper airplanes that illustrate key components of aerodynamics that went into the design of the Solar Impulse (e.g., large wingspan, light weight). Recommended resources can be found at http://edu.stemjobs.com/teacher-resources.

d. Environmental Impact and Feasibility Specialist – This person is responsible for researching whether solar powered flight is feasible for reducing the impact of humans on the earth, what challenges still need to be overcome, and whether and how the flight of the Solar Impulse is significant to our society. They should come up with a bulleted list of benefits and challenges of solar-powered flight. Recommended resources can be found at http://edu.stemjobs.com/teacher-resources.

The teacher should circulate and assist student groups as they are conducting their research, encouraging them to work together and get help from each other.

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Have students present the results of their research to the class. Focus the class on the new information that each presentation provides, as well as on the important STEM concepts described above. Let students know that the purpose of their presentations is to get feedback and see others’ work so they can create a quality product in the next stage.

Tell students they now will be extending their research in their same groups:

Today, your group will be creating a poster to display at our school to inform the student body, teachers, and staff about the importance of the Solar Impulse flight. The poster will have 4 sections on it, and all group members must work together on all four parts:

Part 1: Map of Route: The poster must include a map of the route the Solar Impulse took, with distances, speeds, and travel times. The poster can also include, if time allows, an imaginary route for the Solar Impulse created by your group, where it visits cities and locations you’ve always wanted to visit. Part 2: Forces Acting on Plane: The poster must include a free body diagram that describes the different forces that act on the plane as it is in motion. Part 3: Design of Plane: The poster must include a fully labeled scale drawing or a photograph of a scale model of the Solar Impulse with a short description of why certain design decisions were made.

Part 4: Feasibility: The poster must include a conclusion where you discuss why the Solar Impulse mission is important and the challenges still to be overcome.

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Have students individually look at each group’s final posters during a “gallery walk.” Then have them write an entry in their science journals where they critique their own poster as well as the posters of two other groups. Specifically, they should answer: How did this poster provide important information about concepts from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? What could have made this poster more informative and educational to its audience?

Part 5: Evaluate1

The Amazing Journey of Solar Impulse

NOTES

4 STEMjobs.com The Amazing Journey of Solar Impulse

Common Core Math Standards:

Next Generation Science Standards:

Cross-Curricular Connections:

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills – Mathematics

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills – Science

CCSS.Math.Content.7.RP.A.2 Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities. CCSS.Math.Content.7.G.A.1 Solve problems involving scale drawings of geometric figures, including computing actual lengths and areas from a scale drawing and reproducing a scale drawing at a different scale.

MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions. MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment. MS-PS2-2. Plan an investigation to provide evidence that the change in an object’s motion depends on the sum of the forces on the object and the mass of the object.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.2. Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.7. Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.9. Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.7/8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7/8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

7.5.A generalize the critical attributes of similarity, including ratios within and between similar shapes

7.5.C solve mathematical and real-world problems involving similar shape and scale drawings

6.2.A plan and implement comparative and descriptive investigations by making observations, asking well-defined questions, and using appropriate equipment and technology 6.7.A research and debate the advantages and disadvantages of using coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear power, biomass, wind, hydropower, geothermal, and solar resources 6.8.B identify and describe the changes in position, direction, and speed of an object when acted upon by unbalanced forces 6.8.C calculate average speed using distance and time measurements 7.2.A plan and implement comparative and descriptive investigations by making observations, asking well-defined questions, and using appropriate equipment and technology 8.2.A plan and implement comparative and descriptive investigations by making observations, asking well-defined questions, and using appropriate equipment and technology 8.6.A demonstrate and calculate how unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object’s motion

20 EARLY FALL 2015 // STEMJOBS.COM

HOT JOBS // AEROSPACE

CHECK OUT THESE FLY JOBS!

WILL I LIKE IT?

MEDIAN SALARY

STEM TYPE

SCHOOLS THAT TRAIN

WHO’S HIRING

WHAT WILL I DO?

STEM JOBS BY SALARYAEROSPACE

HOT

You maintain aircraft airframe and structural components, including flight surfaces and controls, hydraulic and pneumatic control and actuating systems and mechanisms, landing gear systems, air conditioning, pressurization, visual improvement, oxygen and other utility systems.

$54,000

You know how to hold it all together.

• Andrews University • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Liberty University • Pacific Union College • Palo Alto College • Purdue University

AVIATION STRUCTURAL MECHANIC

You don’t just walk outside and look up in the air—meteorology is an amazingly complex applied mathematics field. And what makes it tough is that everyone has an opinion, and nearly everyone relies on your accuracy to make key business and public safety decisions. Get it right, you’re a hero. Get it wrong and you’re overpaid.

$55,000

You want to be responsible for closing school.

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Metropolitan State University of Denver • Purdue University • University of Northern Iowa • Valparaiso University

METEOROLOGIST

You will be responsible for repairing and maintaining electronic systems in an aircraft, such as radio communication, aircraft navigation, weather radar systems, engine controls and any other electronic instruments involved with the operation of an aircraft. You may also be required to perform troubleshooting on electronic parts until a diagnosis is reached.

$56,000

Captain! I’m giving her all I got!

• Eastern Kentucky University —see ad on pg. 19! • Hallmark College of Technology • Hampton University • Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics • Redstone College

AVIONICS TECHNICIAN

You will work with engineers on sophisticated atmospheric and electro-optical sensors and equipment. You’ll help develop algorithms (math!), analyze system performance and develop solutions to technical problems as part of small specialized teams.

SolverInvestigator Solver InvestigatorExplorer

$52,000

Remote sensing sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it?

• Carnegie Mellon University • Penn State University • Rochester Institute of Technology • SUNY Albany • University of New Mexico

• Honeywell • L-3 Communications • Raytheon • Sandia National Laboratories • Stark Aerospace

• Embraer • Harris Corporation • Sikorsky • Textron • UPS

• Cox Media Group • National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration • NBC Universal • Southwest Airlines • Tribune Company

• Ameriflight • Boeing • General Atomics • Lockheed Martin • Rockwell Collins

• U.S. Air Force Reserve —see ad inside back cover! • AECOM • BAE Systems • Delphi • Raytheon

ELECTRO-OPTICAL SENSOR ANALYST

You are part of a highly skilled site team charged with handling, fixing and repairing radar systems, from initialization to transmission efficiency. You’ll handle transmitters, receivers, modulators, mixers, software and various types of controllers and control systems.

$66,000

You can see them coming from miles away.

• Andrews University • California University of Pennsylvania • ECPI University • Farmingdale State College • Florida International University

RADAR FIELD SERVICE ENGINEER

STEMJOBS.COM // EARLY FALL 2015 21

$125,000

You once had the fruit flies in your kitchen manuevering in formation.

• Eastern Kentucky University —see ad on pg. 19! • Spartan College of Aeronautics • Metropolitan State University • Western Michigan University • Westminster College (MO)

• Arizona State University • Community College of Beaver County • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • Green River Community College • Lewis University

$78,000

Those drone sightings we keep hearing about might be you.

• Boston University • California Polytechnic State University • Case Western Reserve University • Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University • University of North Texas

• Arizona State University • Auburn University • California Institute of Technology • Cornell University • Daniel Webster College • Dartmouth College

Integrator Designer Advisor

• GE • General Dynamics • Rolls Royce • Solar Impulse • SpaceX

• CIA • Honeywell • Lockheed Martin • NASA • Northrop Grumman

• U.S. Army • ASRC Federal • Lockheed Martin • National Guard • Serco Inc.

$76,000

You are always in control.

• Air Force Institute of Technology • Case Western Reserve University • Lawrence Technological University • Naval Post Graduate School • Oakland University

$91,000

Warp drive, baby.

Designer

• Aerojet Rocketdyne • Gulfstream Aerospace • Lockheed Martin • Millenium Engineering • Virgin Galactic

You will be responsible for design, development and testing of engine and/or stage components, subassemblies and systems for aircraft and aerospace vehicles.

PROPULSION DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER

$100,000

Flying by the seat of your pants, literally.

Explorer

• Bombardier • Calspan Corporation • NASA • Northrop Grumman • Wyle

This is exactly what it sounds like—you’re the first one to take to the skies, whether it’s after a scheduled maintenance or a brand new prototype. You live on the edge, and get to this point only with a great deal of experience.

TEST PILOT

Every day of the year—and especially on holidays—more than 15,000 federal controllers at 315 FAA air traffic facilities are on the job, guiding more than 87,000 flights every day across our national airspace system.

AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER

You will design aircraft, spacecraft, missiles and satellites. You receive proposals for projects, evaluate them for a variety of factors and are involved in developing new technologies in these fields and designing new types of aerospace products.

AEROSPACE ENGINEER

You are responsible for a number of tasks such as designing and analyzing control systems, verifying and implementing code, fixing malfunctions, explaining and providing information and analyzing and researching designs. You might work indoors or outdoors, nights or days depending on the company and systems.

CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEER

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