Indian Lake Middle School seventh-grader Trenton Bristow works on his “Mars Rover” during a study completed in a Laker Time extension project inspired by the space vehicle. Math teacher Kelli Strayer said the pupils studied the principles of stability, velocity and shock absorption, then watched videos about the Mars Rover landing. Finally, the students were challenged to use specific materials to create their own version of the rover that could successfully land with all contents aboard and intact. Materials available for use were paper notecards, plastic straws, 10 mini marshmallows, a plastic dixie cup and masking tape. Students experimented, tested and rebuilt their spacecrafts until they could be dropped from a height of 3 feet while keeping the “martians” (large marshmallows) inside and safe. “The students were really engaged in the activity and found creative solutions that demonstrated their understanding of gravity and drag to land their rovers.” This project was the last in a series of STEM extension lessons funded by the $500 Forsythe Grant awarded to the ILMS seventh-grade teaching team from the Logan County Education Foundation. (PHOTO | INDIAN LAKE SCHOOLS)