WELCOME TO MY STEM PATHWAYS PROJECT
ABOUT THE COURSE
STEM Pathways is a yearlong independent study aimed at self-motivated students interested in STEM subjects. Selected students follow the design cycle and work with a mentor to research, prototype, and engineer a solution to solve a real-world problem of global significance. Inspirations for the project must be taken from global engineering challenges and/or the UN global goals. This is a standards-based, integrated STEM course, with a focus on engineering design to integrate science, mathematics and technology.
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MY PROJECT, STEP BY STEP
Documenting My Work
I have been tasked with solving a real-world problem through the means of STEM over the academic year. After doing some research on valid topics that interested me, I decided to engineer an automatic plant watering/irrigation system. Smart irrigation has been a need in agriculture due to the complexity of irrigation nowadays. This problem is not widely known but it is significant since it is limiting plant growth by not being able to provide the right amounts of water at the right intervals. I intend on tackling this project step by step in order to keep it organized and simple.
My first step in this project is to create a very basic prototype with simple devices and basic programming to create a  project that can work effectively to water plants with respect to the moisture present.
My next step in the project is to finish up the prototype, create a more complex design which is aesthetically pleasing, it works on low power, it's convenient to the average user and last but not least it can run 24/7.
Finally, my last big step would be to modify my finished prototype to be suitable for use in advanced greenhouse facilities such as the ISK greenhouse.Â
I expect this to be done by the end of the academic year and I expect to have created an automatic plant irrigation and watering system that runs 24/7, its easy to use and it provides the right amounts of water to the plants.
PROJECT ASSESSMENT
I will be assesed on 3 of the 4 STEM standards. In science, I am being assessed on my ability to design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy. In the techonological aspect, I am being asssessed on my ability to use a variety of technologies within a design process to identify and solve problems by creating new, useful or imaginative solutions. And lastly, my engineering standard is my ability to design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
