5th Grade Trip to UMKC

We had an amazing time at UMKC. We were mainly in the School of Computing and Engineering.  We learned from a professor who taught us about magnetic and electrical fields.  We also learned from a professor who works with quadcopters. He demonstrated how they fly, use GPS, and take video.  We also toured the facilities where students work on competitions. We saw a Baja buggy, steel bridge, and human-powered vehicle that are all used in competitions around the United States. We toured the robotics area but did not see their current competition robot because they were at a competition. We also toured the library and learning center.  They have a Roobot that gets the books from a huge warehouse when students request them. There are hardly any books in the learning center.  It mainly has places to collaborate and use technology.  We finished with a tour of their geology museum and heard from a paleontologist who showed us a mammoth tooth, geodes, minerals, fossils, and a fulgurite (glass that is formed when lightning strikes the ground).  It was a great chance to have conversations and answer questions about colleges.  

The Roobot in the library.

Showing how the computer communicates with the Roobot so it knows which books to pull.

The Baja Buggy they are building for competition.

Walking around UMKC's beautiful campus.

A professor taught us about electrical and magnetic fields.

He dropped shredded paper to show the shape of the electrical force.

You could hold a magnet in your hand and feel the magnetic force.

This wand could be used to show electrical force with the metal ribbon.

UMKC students working on quadcopters.

Quadcopter demonstration.

Students could see the view from the quadcopter's camera.

Geology Museum.  This is a mammoth tooth found near the Kansas River.